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morganas-pendragons · 2 years

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The Walking Dead Series Finale: I CANNOT BELIEVE IT WAS THIS GOOD

Be warned, SPOILERS GALORE. I went into this episode with such low expectations because I have seen: Supernatural, Game of Thrones... and had no idea what to expect because I’m so used to series finales just being god awful.

THIS ONE WAS NOT. LET ME PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THIS COMPLETELY EXCEEDED ANYTHING I WAS EXPECTING.

S P O I L E R S.

Rick and Michonne -

Good God. I didn’t think I could cry harder but I did. I always had suspicions that Andy would come back in the finale to some extent - because it would make no sense for the main character to not appear - as well as Danai, and as soon as I heard his voice, I broke.

Because the montage that filters between Rick and Michonne and eventually leads into every single character of this show perfectly encompasses everything The Walking Dead has been since the pilot.

Getting to see that they both still have the hope of reuniting, that they haven’t given up on one another and that Rick still has intentions of getting home to his babies broke me.

Seeing Rick again after losing him in such a devastating way broke me. Andrew Lincoln could be on screen for ten minutes with no lines and can convey so many things just with his eyes.

Danai too. And the dedication Michonne has to Rick, to someone who she loves so deeply, reminds you that even in a world like that one... there’s goodness. There’s hope. There’s promise.

I wasn’t planning on engaging in the spin offs, but this one I will. I really just need Rick and Michonne to get home to their kids. Especially since Judith mentioned multiple times in this episode that she just wants her family to be together again.

The girl is a child. She wants what all children want: Her mother, her father, her family, her home.

And I think Rick and Michonne’s spin off is gonna fulfill that little girl’s dreams. I desperately need the Grimes babies to appear in it.

Negan and Maggie -

First of all, this one is for the people who still think Negan can’t/shouldn’t be redeemed, because I am going to just flat out tell you that you’re wrong. I mentioned in a post a couple of weeks ago when episode 23 aired that in the back half of s11 Negan’s intentions are all for the betterment of Annie and his unborn baby. You can tell he wants to be better. He has something to fight for now. Something and someone who can help him be a better man then the one we grew to know when he was introduced.

Maggie’s explanation of how she’ll always perceive him was pretty spot on for a widow who lost her husband in such a brutal way. Masterclass acting from JDM and Lauren, as per usual. She wants to move on and stop hurting. That’s expected. She doesn’t want her son to see that Negan's actions still have a grip on her all these years later. She doesn’t want Hershel to see her be defined by the anger she carries over losing Glenn.

“I’ll never love like that again.”

Yeah. I imagine she won’t. I really enjoyed his redemption arc and her coming to terms with the fact they’re both trying to do better, to move on, to be something better for their kids. To be a good example.

I really enjoyed Negan's arc in particular throughout the course of this season. I just felt it was so poignant. It really showed you who he became through the influences of the people he met after the war with the Saviors. Carl. Michonne. Maggie. Judith. Rick. All these people who were once his enemies ended up teaching him things that he carried years later and will probably carry forever. I just think it was so well executed.

The only quip I have about their spin off is that I really don’t understand how they set this up for them to eventually get to Manhanttan and what they’ll be doing there. Maggie mentioned that it’s time to talk about the future and basically venture out past where the show has taken place, but It’s pretty clear they’ll always be at odds even if they both do manage to move on.

Carol and Daryl -

Melissa McBride smiled so much with her teeth in this episode that it added ten years to my life span, made my pillow cold and made my skin clear. I will never get over how gorgeous Carol is when she’s happy. I was so thrilled that most of the scenes she appears in are with Daryl and Judith because even as someone who doesn’t want to adopt more kids, you just know that Judith is hers and Daryl’s because in some way, they’re going to want to honor Rick and Michonne by doing right by her and RJ.

I know alot of people are going to have mixed reviews about this one. With the two of them basically teetering on the edge of a rift for so long, most of the fans simply just wanted some type of reconciliation after all that happened in s10. Especially in the bonus episodes.

And you know what? We didn’t get it. We got something better.

There’s so much touching in this episode. I’ve mentioned before that Caryl uses touch to ground one another in difficult situations, and it’s everywhere in the finale.

The two I really want to touch on, however, are the last two scenes before Daryl rides off.

Carol and Daryl are seated outside of a lake in the Commonwealth to talk about what happens next, and she’s understandably upset this’ll be the first time they’ve been this far apart like... ever. I’m not counting when Daryl went looking for Rick because he was still in reach. She’s not known life without him for over a decade. It’s completely understandable that she’s hesitant to let him go.

And to be quite fair, I think Daryl is expecting this. But he affirms her with the reminder that it’s not permanent. That they will see each other again and she can count on him coming back to her.

Then the hug. Touch to ground each other during a difficult time. During a farewell. Not a goodbye.

The ugly sobs I made....

Then the scene on the bike. GOOD LORD. I did NOT go into this episode expecting anything conclusive for these two, but an I LOVE YOU was NOT in my bingo card for this episode.

Listen. I don’t care if it’s platonic or romantic. It’s HUGE. I cannot recall a SINGLE time this has been said b/t these two, much less said by one of them to ANOTHER unless it was Carol to Ezekiel, or to Henry and Sophia. I can’t remember off the top of my head. Daryl may have also said it to Judith... but that’s it. That’s IT.

An I LOVE YOU is HUGE for BOTH of them. It’s not one sided. It’s NEVER been one sided.

Am I devastated this left Carol alone? Yes. Am I thrilled she’s alive after spending years thinking she’d finish the show and die in the process? Yes. Am I going to watch the Daryl spin off? No.

While I believe this was a satisfactory ending - Daryl being on the bike makes sense, he’s literally been characterized as a lone wolf from the pilot and spent most of the first several seasons out in the open by himself because it’s where he thrives the most - to some extent, I really am just happy with what we were given. Even if it’s not the way I would’ve done it.

I have hopes for Carol’s story too. I think Melissa is going to come back. Don’t know how or when, but that’s what the fanfic is for.

Rosita -

Truth be told, I never really cared about her. I think Christian Serratos played her well and her development was flawless just like it was for Gabriel and Eugene, but there's one thing about her death I think really stands out from the others.

Most of the deaths on this show are really brutal. Dark. Depressing. Hopeless because you know nothing could’ve been done to change them or because you know if one thing had occurred differently, they’d have lived.

Rosita’s death is very final. She’s okay with it. At peace with it. No matter how much it may break her heart to be leaving behind Coco (WHO LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE HER AND SIDDIQ IT’S RIDICULOUS) she knows her daughter will be raised by someone who loves her and will remind her of where she came from.

The imagery was what got me. The room she dies in is white. All of it. White is pure. White is clean and safe and peaceful.

And it reminded me of this one quote in S3 where Maggie is leaning over Hershel’s body after he gets bit and loses his leg. It is, in my opinion, the most profound line in the whole show.

“If it’s time to go, it’s okay. Be peaceful.”

And I think that line perfectly encapsulates Rosita’s death.

Judith -

Lord. LORD. When Rick left the show, I had no intentions of continuing. I was done. Then they brought Cailey on as Judith and gave me back Carol and that’s why I stuck it through to the end.

Let me tell you... this girl owned this role. OWNED it. I keep forgetting she’s basically a teenager now and has been Judith Grimes for a couple of years, but she grew in this role.

And she aced it. Home run. She carried every single scene she was in and I spent the entire episode with my eyes glued to her because I was so paranoid they were gonna do Judith dirty.

And you know what? They really didn’t. This episode really shows you as the viewer that even though she’s a Grimes - and has been raised in a world that shows no mercy - she’s still a child. A child who just wants to see her mom and dad again.

That broke my heart. What she wants should be so easily attainable, but it’s not.

I think my favorite part of her character from S9 to the end is how much she embodies the people who brought her into the world and raised her. Rick and Michonne. Lori. Carl. All she wants to do is to honor them and it’s so endearing because she’s so young, and she still has so much more to learn but she’s facing that with what she’s learned already from people who aren’t even related to her by blood.

From people who loved her and people she lost and people she will carry on for even if they’re not there to witness it.

The Rest of the Cast -

This is a mess from this point forward, sorry not sorry

- PRINCESS AND MERCER ENDGAME YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

- LUKE’s GIRLS SOBBING OVER HIS BODY MADE ME WEEP HYSTERICALLY THANKS I HATE THE ANGST @ WRITERS

- GABRIEL’S STRUT UP TO THE GATE AND HIS THREAT

- GABRIEL PRAYING OVER ROSITA AS SHE GOES

- GABRIEL GETTING TO BE COCO’S DAD

- EUGENE’S CHARACTER ARC FOR ALL OF S11 WAS SOME GOOD FREAKING FOOD

- EUGENE NAMING HIS BABY ROSIE

- THE DINNER SCENE

- C A R O L SMILING THROUGHOUT THE E N T I R E DINNER SCENE

- DARYL BEING ROSITA’S GUARDIAN ANGEL AS HE WATCHES EVERYONE COME AND GO THROUGH THE DOOR

- DARYL’S F BOMBS

- DARYL’S “WE AIN’T THE WALKING DEAD’’

- THE MONTAGE AT THE END

- ANDREW LINCOLN’S VOICE

- ELEANOR MATSURA

- AND FINALLY: ALL HAIL TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOR BEAR MCCREARY FOR THIS SCORE FOR THIS EPISODE BECAUSE HOLY CRAP DUDE

The Episode Itself -

9/10. All of it. I’m so grateful for what this show has given me over the years and will miss it deeply but I cannot wait for the spin off!

#twd spoilers #twd #the walking dead spoilers

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sxlver-sweet · 3 years

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Thinking about dazai fucking the sadness out of you, just rewarding you with his dick ball deep inside of you till you forget what your sad about cause he will make you cry with his dick and not that sadness pulling through your mind. "My belladonna... you've been so good today, don't let that sadness take over you tonight, just my cock. okay?"

— 🎴

DKLSGJL I'VE BEEN WAITING ALL DAY TO WRITE THIS.

contains: penetrative sex, minor dacryphilia?

“dazai…” your mewl is plaintive and noticeably muffled as you call out to him, your quivering fingers twisted into his dress shirt and face buried in his shoulder. the thin fabric is soaked through with remnants of the breakdown you’d endured about a half hour prior—the breakdown in which you poured all of your withheld emotions and jumbled, nonsensical blubbering about how poorly the day treated you into his secure embrace. your forehead bumps against his jaw, your knees settled on either side of his hips and ass flush against his thighs. under any other circumstance, your appearance would be regarded as sorrowful and innocent, but the vulgar squish of your cunt clamping down around your lover’s cock as you swivel your hips heavily betrays such a notion.

at the sound of your voice, dazai’s eyes slowly flutter open, a gentle, almost wistful smile gracing his lips as he glances down at you. “what is it, my love?” his hands rest on your waist, lithe, pale fingers vanishing beneath the hem of your sweatshirt to trace soothing shapes over your skin. they’re cold—familiar, but cold. the contrast in temperature sends a shiver skittering up your spine, and you loop your arms around his neck, tipping forward to rest your chest against his as you relinquish the remainder of your control.

“i’m tired,” you mumble. at the time, dazai had allowed you to ride him in an attempt at destressing and venting the aggression that had been rolling off your shoulders as soon as you set foot in the house. but all his idea had yielded were glossy eyes, aching thighs, and a frustrating, insatiable burn in the pit of your stomach that you’ve realized you cannot douse on your own. “help me, please.” you whine.

“of course,” dazai murmurs, planting a chaste kiss to your temple. “tell me what you want, belladonna. you’ve been so good today. i’ll fulfill whatever desire you have.”

“i just want to forget all about work,” you sniffle. you shift slightly, wincing when you feel the split vein arching up the shaft of cock pulse within your walls. when all he does is hum in acknowledgement, you burrow your face into his neck, the heat of embarrassment pooling in your cheeks. “please, just… fuck me, dazai.” you finalize quietly.

your shy behavior combined with your sultry, brazen request sparks a low chuckle that rumbles in his chest, the reverberations shuddering through your own and causing your heart to flutter. “are you sure that’s what you want?” he presses, fingers slowly tightening around your waist. “i don’t want to overwhelm you too much.” when you nod without a shred of reluctance, dazai’s eyes darken. “if that’s what my lady wishes.”

dazai definitely exceeded your expectations. not only did he wipe your mind blank of any memories of the awful day you had, but where you anticipated your sobs and tears to be soaked up by pleasure, more tears glimmered in your pretty eyes, stirred into being by the persistent thrusts of dazai’s cock and the filthy warmth of your own arousal dripping down the crevice of your ass. stray strands of dusky hair tickle the shell of your ear, every bump and slip of your swollen nipples over the lean muscle of his sweaty chest sending shocks of pleasure arching down your stomach.

dazai has always been particularly gifted in bed, you knew that much prior to entering a relationship with him; but, there’s just something about the way he services you that you can never quite grow accustomed to. maybe it’s the way he’s uncharacteristically slow with you, wanting to take his sweet time unraveling you and making sure that you feel every throbbing vein and ridge on his cock as he works you open. maybe it’s the soft reverence in the ex-mafia member’s gaze as he analyzes your dazed expressions and clouded eyes, as if you, in your thoroughly fucked-out state, somehow managed to poise the stars in the sky and carve out a portion of orion’s belt just for him. or, maybe it’s the way he knows your body nearly as well as you do, always making sure to pay extra attention to any insecurities or sensitive areas he’s aware of. no matter what the case may be… no matter what the case may be… damn, you can barely even think anymore.

“i know, i know,” dazai hushes your whimpers, stooping to kiss away the tears trickling down your cheeks. “you’re tired, aren’t you, belladonna?” he murmurs. noticing the tremor in your fatigued thigh when your knee accidentally knocks into his hip, his hand moves from its place pressed beside your head to slide down the curve of your hip to the bend of your knee. “wrap your legs around me.” when you comply, you’re rewarded with a delicate smile and a row of open-mouthed kisses planted down your sternum. “you’re doing so well, my pretty girl.” his warm breath fans over your breasts, every brush of his lips against your sensitive skin tingling with electricity.

you cling to him, mewling, when he sinks back into you in one torturously slow, deep stroke. “too much?” but, even as he questions you, he continues moving, rolling his hips into yours.

you shake your head. your fingers slither through his dark locks, nails lightly gliding over his scalp. “more…”

dazai’s eyes soften.

“whatever you want, my love.”

#bungou stray dogs smut #bsd smut #dazai osamu smut #dazai smut #[candlelight.reverie] <3 #🍬arba’s aphrodisiacs🍬#🍬arba’s got mail🍬#$bsd.unfiltered

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youwontlikethisblog · 3 years

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Picasso's Night

The previous post Adriana Arboleda brings you up to date with the analysis if you would like to go read it before you start reading this one :)

Now this day has been a pretty eventful one. For one: We witnessed Armando show contentment that morning when he saw Betty for the first time that day. Totally absorbed by her existence until Mario cleared his throat.

Armando screwed up big time when he made it seem and acted like spending some alone time with AA was a lot more important than Betty or the company. He yelled at her and said she got on his last nerve and since then Betty has been on a bad mood with Armando, who after Mario told him that Betty was jealous had a moment of realization and has been feeling pretty awful since then.

Interestingly enough as the night progressed and Betty was invited to the exhibition of Picasso's collection, Mario kept insisting that Armando go and speak with Betty since he was leaving to Miami the next day.

Though this time, unlike the last time he traveled, before Panama, Armando was a bit more hesitant to leave. It wasn't merely because of the new collection they were going to launch and it wasn't because of the state of company. Armando looked at Betty to see if he had any reason to stay, looking at his best friend for any excuse to stay.

After Marcela tells Betty to reserve two rooms at the same hotel they stayed last time and Mario agrees to them traveling he then starts to insist that Armando go speak to Betty and apologize for his behavior that day.

The one thing that Betty did begin to screw up on(aside from starting an affair with her hawt boss) is that now emotions begin to play a huge role, not in the personal part of her life but the professional.

Betty has always been good at maintaining a good separation of what is professional and what is personal(although most of the times when she didn't she was following Armando's lead or example) . At the start of their affair, the day after Armando kissed her for the first time, Betty stayed professional. Even afterwards, Betty stayed professional. When it has come to company time Betty has stayed professional except this time she didn't.

Her jealousy, her feelings took control of her, foretelling things to come, less than 24 hours away.

This also pushes Mario with this idea that Betty must be catered to by Armando in order to keep her under control, though Armando knows best and he knows Betty won't betray him, Mario keeps pushing this narrative and when Betty doesn't agree to it or deny she'll do it Mario understands this as her holding it over Armando's head because of what he did that day.

Writing this now has made me realize that that's the reason he wrote the letter to Armando, not as some stupid mistake or for Betty to find it, though that's a pretty good theory, is that he did it for Armando's sake. Here me out!

For one he truthfully believed that Armando would be stupid enough to screw up giving Betty her gifts and that it would ruin the relationship but the cruelty of this letter exceeded even his jokes behind closed doors, that Armando didn't find amusing anymore, even before he slept with Betty the first time. I'll explain this in the post regarding that fateful letter and from the point of view as a writer and why even that sequences of scenes was a bit choppy and had it's mistakes in execution.

Now here when Armando asks her if she will embellish the balance for him for the big board meeting she allows her anger and resentment to come above her labor obligations and she doesn't give him an answer, better yet she finds a way to ignore the subject. Yes you can argue that Betty was always motivated by her secret crush and her secret feelings for Armando to do all the things she did it in the past, like the first time she embellished the balance and while yes that is true. I have pointed out how Betty showed her love for Armando through her work. He had upset her as well in the past and she'd still do it because in the thick of it she couldn't see him fail when she had the "solution" in her hands but this time her feelings-though extremely valid since he did end up hurting her feelings not as his employee but as his girlfriend- come above everything because this time her ego, the one he was helping to build up, was crushed by the man himself and that is a mistake. Especially when it comes to something that doesn't only directly affect Armando but an entire enterprise where her friends happen to work in. This again foreshadows events to occur in less than 24 hours.

Later when he goes into her office to talk to her she tells him that she doesn't do that, but he interrupts her and tells her that he doesn't want to talk about that but that he wants to talk about Adriana and what happened in his office.

Again though Armando contradicts himself a lot when he is with Mario when we see him with Betty we know where the true nature of his worry or concern lies and it isn't the company but their relationship. The evidence in this is how he behaves when Mario brings up the company compared to his relationship with Betty.

After Betty leaves Mario explains why Betty was hurt and that he can't leave with Betty being hurt, angry, and resentful because she's got the company in her hands. Armando looks angry when Mario is explaining what his mistake translated to Betty. He's angry at himself, while Mario talks about the company Armando has his back to him, peaking outside of the blinds and then turns to him.

"What you're doing is throwing away all that work [we] put in the days before. You're practically telling her that the relationship is just a game. That for you the ninety sixties are a lot more important to you." Armando quickly looks at Mario when he says this, again he is maintaining himself composed and controlled with his emotions as his face doesn't give much of a reaction but the quick jerking of his eye sight allows us to know that this part, from all of what he has said, is a lot more important to him than the company, again because he trust Betty with it, and that he is more worried about the way he has offended Betty. "that this is made of paper and let me tell you something; an ugly wounded woman is more worse than a wounded tiger and that wound doesn't heal with pats on the back, no Sir."

This conversations motivates Armando, not to go talk with Betty since he already wanted to do that but to go searching for her so he could fix his mistake and clarify just how important she is to him.

At the exhibition Betty points out his needs with the models to which Armando tells her that she makes him feel like if he were some seggsually deprived man, which is true. This does make the assumption that Armando's conquests or what not where meant to be written as a borderline seggsual addiction behavior type of thing since she doesn't say "your infatuation, your affairs." she clearly says "your needs with the models".

The conversation here is important because it begins to open a can of warms. She tells him that he'd look good with her, that Adriana Arboleda and him would make a good pair. That their attractiveness complements each other.

"I understand asking for privacy for one thing only." We then see a frame of Armando(lol the painting behind him has to be comedic gold!) who glances away from her, lips with a slight frown but not tight or pursed, showing that he isn't mad or frustrated rather he is upset with himself. "You wanted to be alone with her. Besides I'm not asking for you to give me any explanations. At the end of it you are the president and I'm your assistant. Besides this all happened during work hours and since I've worked for you I perfectly know your needs with the models." She glances around and leaves as people get closer to them. Armando then goes after her.

Right now I'm going to admit that I was wrong, well somewhat. I wrote a post once saying that Betty was calling Armando Don instead of Sir as the relationship progressed but I was wrong. Betty uses the title of Sir as a term of respect for Armando. Even here when they've slept together and she's seen and felt the change of Armando towards her and their relationship she still calls him Sir or Don Armando, that doesn't change. However the somewhat mentioned does change when it comes to Armando. So I was wrong but towards who the theory fell upon. @el-moscorrofio-y-el-mercachifle was right and there isn't much of an importance when it comes to Betty and what she calls Armando. HOWEVER let me preference this that the person I was pointing this theory towards was my bad however the theory of changing names or titles is correct.

If you've read my untitled post regarding my OC and her relationship and how that helped me realize how I wasn't sympathizing with Marcela and that not only was A+M relationship toxic but as well as dependent than I gave you some glimpse into my original writing and how that process helped me be able to understand this part of their relationship and now that this is out of the way, let me tell you why these last two paragraphs are here.

My OC has a habit of never remembering peoples names on purpose, she does it as a power move. As if saying "You're not that important for me to remember your name." she does it especially to annoy people. Also because she's distracted half the time judging a person when they're first introducing themselves. Armando does something similar with Betty on her first days or weeks at Eco Moda.

Men tend to ignore women who they aren't attracted to. Armando did this to Betty. On a professional level he didn't ignore her but as a woman he did. We knows this because it was clearly presented this way at the start of the novela. However I really made my self take notice of this when I re-watched the first half of the novela(I haven't seen the ending bc I tend to avoid things that I cannot control or expect).

My OC is introduced to a guy who she can't stand and at first she calls him all sorts of names starting with the letter 'C' until she managed to remember his last name and calls him that for the remaining of the beginning of the story until they become friends, she switches between Caleb and Anderson, often times calling him by his name when they are having friendly conversation. When they become good friends and establish their friendship he no longer is just Anderson to her but Caleb, someone worth remembering. This is a small detail that I thought would allow the reader to determine the change of tonality between these two characters and their relationships and honestly one of my favorite details to write so when I first noticed this, I got too excited and projected it onto Betty when in reality it was Armando.

Now that I've spoiled my own writing(that I'll most likely never publish) let me explain why I bring this up, finally.

Armando called Betty at the start of the novela "Emperatriz". Once they became more familiar and Betty corrected him and told him he could call her Betty, he finally remembered her name. It's important to note this small detail because just like I intended to write it, so did Fernando Gaitan(I'm assuming lol). He did know her name but he didn't care to register it. Marcela called her Beatriz in front of him, Mario called her by her name, everyone did except for him, and she[Marcela] got upset at him when she heard him call her Betty because in her[Morch] eyes that was a cute nick name to have for an employee, especially for an "ugly" secretary. Now the switch between Betty and Beatriz did happen before the affair started, however the switch was a little bit more noticeable as Armando began to blur the lines of personal and impersonal.

In this scene though and the scenes before this, whenever emotions were heavily involved, especially when it was regarding their relationship Armando calls Betty, Beatriz, in fact even when she wasn't present in the room and he'd talk to Mario about his feelings and why he felt guilty(before he'd shut off this part of him bc Mario would start making jokes) Armando referred to Betty as Beatriz and not Betty but when it came to talking about her as an employee and not a woman he'd refer to her as Betty, it happens this day as well. When he gets upset that she won't let him spend alone time with AA and he yells at her and calls her Betty.

Why am I bringing up this small detail in this post? In this scene and the scene in Mario's apartment this is very evident and signifies the growth of his feelings and his conscious commitment to Betty as a woman.

Finally, after a bit of arguing inside the museum they leave together, of course, after sneaking out because Marcela went to the museum trying to catch him.

It's also important to note that when they found out Morch was in the museum that Betty asked Armando if he had anything to drink. It's pretty standard for him to be drinking, tipsy, or even drunk when he goes out with Betty. The one time I can remember him being completely sober was when he had to confess his feelings for her, soberly, the day after he kissed her for the first time. I broke that down in another post :)

Other times while he hasn't been drunk or tipsy he has had a few drinks at the office, however again it's pretty standard for him to drink and she knows this but why is it something that is brought up here?

Betty attributes Armando's behavior, especially when he is this...stubborn in doing things that could expose their relationship when he has been drinking. Not only that but also because the night they first hooked up they both had been heavily drinking, especially Armando and it is important as the continuation of the night leads us to Mario's apartment.

Outside, in his car, Armando finally gets to clarify his actions as he apologizes and tells her that he only wants her to know that she's more important to him than any other woman and he isn't shy to name the woman as he says: "than Adriana Arboleda, than Marcela or any other woman." This sounds a bit rehearsed but not like the previous times where we can even notice in his tone of voice and his micro expressions that he does so for manipulation. A great scene to use as a contrast to this attitude of his in this scene is the one where he makes out with Betty, the night he fights Roman and Co(wrote a post about it too). This lets us know that he really did think about how to apologize to her. While here his tone is rehearsed his micro expressions aren't a show, in reality his behavior is natural and goes along with what he is saying.

Now Betty in a teasing tone replies to him saying "That's not true." (also because she doesn't believe him)and Armando in a very serious tone and even a seductive tone, gazing his eyes down her body and back to her lips tells her that of course it's true and leans in, placing his hand on her face and they start to kiss.

This shows us that Armando once again isn't only feeling his emotional attraction to Betty, which is what moved his physical attraction forward in the past but now he can tell the difference between these two and he is okay with them! This is a huge step for Armando because he no longer is denying these things from himself. In fact he encourages himself and Betty to have these desires for one another and that as the days progress since their first sinful night his desire for Betty only continues to increase.

When they pull away his phone starts to ring, Betty asks if it's Marcela and Armando's facial expression and tone tells us it is as he looks annoyed and pissed that she's calling him.

This reaction is also standard for him because it's the exact same expression he pulls every time Marcela calls him. Especially when he's with Betty. However this small detail we've been given through the past episodes and this night also hold much significance in future episodes when his reaction to her call no longer is standard behavior from him.

While at the start of this phone call his tone is very forced in "lovingly" speaking to Marcela, his micro expressions again show us that he is just pretending. This tone is one we've heard a bunch of times before and it's one that is solely reserved for Marcela. Even on her part she tries to speak "politely" and just as if she were simply calling because she was curious but as this conversation goes both their dances of trying to keep things peaceful and civil subside and they basically start a mosh pit where they become more hostile until Armando implodes on her.

Marcela in a her standard of questionnaire routine asks Armando who he's with, hesitant he admits he's with Betty.

Her reaction to this however isn't standard of just guilt, taking into consideration the events of the day and that even Armando has told her that Marcela stops nagging him when she knows he's with her and because she's also eavesdropped and heard Armando say that Marcela doesn't consider her as a femininely threat, much less a woman, she once again gets hurt.

One could assume Armando did this to cover his tracks in case anyone told Marcela that they saw them leave together. It's also not hard to believe that Armando is stupid and says things without thinking them through in the heat of the moment however what is more obvious is that he probably wanted to take Marcela off his back so he tells her that he's with Betty. The small pause he takes before he says this helps me determine this. It could also be that he did so in case anyone did tell Marcela he left with Betty.

As Armando implodes on Marcela for insinuating that he lied to her i.e that he's going to go off with his mistress, Betty shifts in her seat and then she looks uncomfortable, returning to her guilt.

In this scene Betty experiences first hand this toxic side of Armando, one she has seen as a boss to employee scenario but not as a significant other. She has heard and even been in the middle of their fights in the past and while even then she behaved professionally, and also guilty this time she shows a lot more emotions raging from being uncomfortable to even being upset with Armando. This however is a small taste to what she will experience first hand not as the bystander of this side of his but as the target of his toxic behavior.

Later in the car, as he drives, Betty, with a broken heart tells Armando she believes that he should go on his trip and try to reconcile his relationship with Marcela and reconnect while they're away.

Armando, nervous and scared asks her if that's what she really wants and the hurt that it might be, he asks(really demands) for her to look him in the eyes and tell him this. Which Betty doesn't. In this moment his phone rings.

Why do these small details play such a huge role?

Less than 24 hours away, Betty finds the letter which plays the exact rhythm in which Armando and Mario planned her downfall.

For one: While in the past Betty agreed to embellish the balance for the meeting, this night she did not and because of this Armando went out to look for her at the exhibit and then took her to his best friends bach pad and slept with her all so she would embellish that balance which would keep the board members at peace allowing Armando to continue as the president of Eco Moda.

Two: That Mario called him this night, while they were together, and while Armando "played" it off that Mario wasn't aware of their affair, when she later questioned him about it and he denied it, these conversations begin to makes sense to her.

We know that's not the case. While Mario spoke about the company Armando didn't seem that concerned or even motivated to go searching for her but it wasn't until Mario mentioned how sever it was what that he implied to Betty that AA was more important to him than her[Betty] and what that meant for their relationship and how she was suffering because of it that he was motivated to search for her as he said, a terrible fear was settling in him because of it. While yes, Mario suggested that they hook up so she could be happy again and forgive him and that way the company would still be in their hands and not Nicolas, Armando didn't need any motivation for that.

In fact he hasn't needed any inspiration or motivation sober or drunk to desire Betty, often not being able to stop himself from kissing her and more. Was this based on Mario telling him to do this?

No.

It wasn't because Mario suggested it(At the office). Unlike their first night where Armando kept calling Mario and kept asking for help and advice, this time Armando gets annoyed at Mario for calling him. Even his behavior is different. While before when Mario kept insisting that he slept with Betty to get it over with, Armando showed disgust or being repugnant to doing an atrocity of that magnitude towards Betty, this time his face was poker. He showed no real disgust towards the idea of seducing Betty as in he'd sleep with her, more that Mario yet again was using something he knew was important and special to the both of them[B+A] as a weapon for the "good" of the company.

When he hangs up his phone Betty points out that the direction he's driving isn't towards her house, to which Armando tells her if she really wants to go home.

"I think it's for the best." He turns to stare at her and then pulls to the side of the road.

"That you want me to take you home?" He asks in disbelief. Betty swallows hard, the corner of her mouth look a bit downward and she looks scared. "Damnit!" He hits his steering wheel and though he is angry, his tone is completely different to that of his tone when he is angry at Marcela. "Damnit, Beatriz, all I want is to be with you tonight, I leave tomorrow, remember? I went to the museum, exclusively, to pick you up, to see you, to feel you next to me, to be with you. When we bumped into Marcela I risked my life and I am still risking it to this moment. Everything I've done is to tell you that I adore you, that you're above Adriana Arboleda, that you're above Marcela, of-of all of them!" We can determine he is honest here as he stares at her, exclusively even when she doesn't stare back at him, she looks pained and confused herself. "and the only thing you can tell me is that you want me to go to Palm Beach(I LOVE the way he says Palm Beach it's just ugh so nice) and have a marvelous honeymoon with her so that we can grow closer." He looks down, away from her and then ahead of him. His voice was no longer harsh at the end more so becoming almost a whisper. "That's what you want? Okay! Right now I'll drive you to your house because it's what you're asking from me. I don't deserve this." (BAWHAHAHA ARMANI YES YOU DO, MY BOY).

Now in a non-contextual way one could simply asume that he is doing this all under the bias of manipulation towards Betty, especially that final line of "I don't deserve this." but when you take all the context clues and you look at the bigger picture there's more that plays in here and I'm not saying that Armando isn't manipulating Betty in this exact scene, he is very much doing so, however it isn't like in the past. This time he does so to get what he wants, which is to spend the night with Betty so he guilts her with this final part of "I don't deserve this- because I've risked so much to spend this night with you."

However taking aside that guilt trip manipulation, why does Armando stumble once in his words showing he isn't rehashing this previous speech? and why does he take a breather before he tells Betty that he'll drop her off at her house like she asked?

While the first apology was what he rehearsed with himself, this second time around it took him by surprise to admit that she was above all the other women because this apology wasn't based on a "lets just make up right now." it was an apology based in heart and the self-realization of how true that statement was for him that while yes Betty was above Adriana Arboleda in her significance to him and even Marcela who he's engaged to, she is now also above all women.

How true is this statement?

Well we see a change of behavior of his with women in the future episodes which proves, yet again, that this confession of his wasn't just an apology so Betty could forgive him, but an apology that was sincere and heart felt.

Betty finally gives in and tells him to wait. With tears coating her lashes she stares at him "Sir, forgive me." She speaks solemnly. Armando's entire body relaxes just a bit as he sits back on his seat. "Sir, forgive me. I want you to understand that-that this hasn't been easy for me. [The situation] with Adriana Arboleda and now the conflict with Ms. Marcela; it's killing me, Sir." His anger and hurt begins to simmer down. "I don't know what to do, how to behave. I-I think I'm acting very bad." She looks away from him, touches the side of her face in a worried and embarrassed manor while Armando stares at her and timidly(in his nature) asks her what truly worry's him.

"But do you want to be with me?"

"Yes, of course, of course. It's what I want most." She caresses the side of his face, he leans towards her hand "in the world." and now he looks like he's come back to life. Staring at her with a soft glow and when she pulls her hand down he looks at it and follows it until he stares back at her, feeling the absences of her touch and missing it. "But you leave tomorrow." They both look away from each other but Armando only does so for a micro second before he stares back at her. "and I won't be complete without you, Sir." Again we get a frame of Armando's reaction to this. "Not being by your side will not be any easier for me." As she speaks her tone is soft, timid however not wavering showing that while she is nervous to confess this to him, she isn't scared of doing so.

"Betty." He says so adoringly towards her. "Betty" he whispers and touches her face and honestly I believe his favorite part of Betty's face is the side of her face, by her earlobe cause he's always touching her there. "Nobody said this would be easy. We knew this road was going to be a difficult one but you know what? I am going to be missing you so much. I'm going to miss you a lot."

Again the words here are lost in translation he tells her "Usted me va a hacer muchísima falta." which roughly is saying that there will be a huge lack of her in him, causing him to yarn for her a lot and feeling that absences of hers will make him miss her in a very profound way because he needs her. This separation they're both fearful of is what brings the forgiveness to shore.

Now the post for that specific scene will need an entire post dedicated to it because there's so much! Just so much.

For this episode I had to watch it on the NBC app so maybe there was some scenes missing.

I don't know if anyone noticed how important the story of Picasso and his lovers was for this and how they showed the similarities to Armando and his lovers, specifically how toxic Picasso was(all though if we're being honest that dood sounds more abusive than just toxic bc we all got a lil toxicity in our system but that foo was straight up kidnapping his lovers and locking them up while he had other's on the side? Nah man call a hotline.) towards his lovers. Though I am not saying that Armando is a saint, I don't think he is as bad as Picasso, that dood needed a restraining order against him so he could just stay away from all women.

In all seriousness though the similarity was that though Picasso had lovers he cared for each of them especially his last two lovers, i.e Betty and Marcela and it foreshadowed just how jealous and pathetic Armando would become in the future.

I mean I love Armando, I had to learn to love him bc at first I didn't, but the behavior he displays in the future episodes while yeah one could explain them are not justifiable and I will get into detail on that in the future posts and the post I am still writing regarding his abusive/toxic tendencies.

Overall this episode, which on NBC is episode 68, was pretty straightforward with a lot of small details to look at and not really for the leading on of the scenes in Mario's apartment but overall where the story continues to get pushed.

In this episode, the episode when Armando fights Roman and Co. and her birthday night celebration and the previous night of this episode are nights that Betty goes back to prove that what she reads in that letter are true, especially this night, before they got to the apartment and just how much Armando "risked" to spend that night with her.

While she tries to believe that it's all a joke because she's certain that Armando was honest and heartfelt with her through his actions and not words, she doesn't trust him. I'll explain that a lot more further in that post.

Pushing forward the plot of the story though we see just how these two have truthfully grown close together and not just as friends but as lovers who are exploring their feelings a lot more now and while Betty is learning to open herself up again, Armando is learning to love for the first time.

I say that Betty is learning to open herself up again because it's true. While in the past she asked Armando why he was interested in her, she shared poetic talk about how the moon inspired poets and how guilty she felt when she saw Marcela, she hadn't opened herself up, not until the night at the hotel and that wasn't much, she barely opened up when Armando was asking her about her first time. This night she was a lot more open. She called out Armando's behavior point blank and period, no hesitation, she spoke about her opinion and then she spoke about how she felt, not regarding her insecurity but regarding their relationship and the absences she'd feel from Armando not being there. While before she'd just say "I need you." or "You mean a lot to me." this time she goes on to further explain her feelings to Armando instead of just saying the words, this time she elaborates.

Armando is learning to love for the first time, being humble in realizing his mistakes, his limits and also understanding just how his actions affect others but the most important thing is that he is learning to be at peace with his feelings for Betty. We saw it that morning when he first saw Betty, later in the office when Betty caught him making out with the AA picture and just how guilty and embarrassed he felt because Betty saw him. Unlike with Marcela where he was scared that she'd cause a while scene, this time the problem for him was that Betty wouldn't cause a scene but be hurt and dump him for it, which would be a big deal for him. We saw it later when Betty forgave him after the letter and gift and when he realized the huge mistake he made with AA in the way he treated Betty. All of these behaviors has shown an Armando who has accepted that he cares for Betty, not love, but cares for her deeply and that she is important to him.

Thank you for being patient with me and sorry that I haven't been as active. These past days have been pretty busy and they'll continue being so. I'll probably only be able to post once a week but I hope that the post become better quality that way as well since I'll have more time to really break down the episodes.

Well 'til next time! :)

#betty la fea #betty pinzón solano #beatriz pinzón solano #beatriz pinzon solano #betty ysblf #armando ysblf #don armando #armando mendoza #analysis of ysblf #ysblf #mario calderon

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thatsaweirdwaytospellundead · 3 years

Text

South. Hill. Prison 2/11

Summary: During the finale of a play, Juza gets caught up in a stage accident that leaves him with severe stage fright. He is set to be the lead in Autumn Troupe’s 8th play, but for some reason he just can’t find the courage to take the stage again. Even his long time rival, Banri, seems to take notice of his hesitation. After much thinking, Juza comes up with a plan to regain his confidence as an actor...

This is a collaboration with the amazing An and the great proofreading skills of kamebunfactory!

This is a 10 part story with an epilogue.

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8] [part 9] [part 10]

Epilogue

Juza

"I will avenge my brother!!"

Actor A

“En garde, Yulong. Did you come here to lay your corpse beside his?"

Juza

"You have no right to speak to me like that."

Izumi

(Such an intense sword fight... Wow, Juza. He's holding his own against those veteran actors. I'm in awe!

Their fervent practice has really paid off. Somehow I feel like Juza's speed and vigour have improved exponentially.

He doesn't miss a beat. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a Yuzo production...)

Juza

"THIS IS IT!!!"

——

Izumi

(Oh god, did his sword really break?!)

Actor A

Whaaatt??

Actor B

Did it really...

Izumi

(Looks like the broken piece didn't hit anyone. I’m glad no one got hurt. )

Juza

...

Izumi

(It makes sense that an incident like this would temporarily stop the play’s momentum. Without Juza, the others can't continue the action.)

(Come on, Juza!)

Actor B

WE NEED REINFORCEMENTS!

Juza

—Tch.

Izumi

(He's moving!)

Actor A

"I can see your brother in those eyes. So this is how the dust settles. "

Izumi

(What a relief. Juza had a trick up his sleeve, so the show can go on...)

Actor A

It’s time for curtain call. Let's go.

Juza

...Tch.

Actor B

Hey Juza, you okay?

Juza

I’m fine.

Actor A

Thank you so much!

Juza

Thanks.

Izumi

(I hope Juza's alright... He doesn't look too good. I can tell his eyes keep wandering.)

Azami

What’s gonna happen with Juza? I can’t believe his sword broke during the finale, what bad luck.

Izumi

I hope he doesn't beat himself up too much over this...

First things first, let’s head to the dressing room and thank him for the tickets.

Azami

Alright.

???

PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES!

Izumi

(...Is that Juza I hear?)

Actor A

It’s alright, it’s not your fault.

Actor B

It was just bad luck.

Staff

We also give our apologies. The mistake happened due to our lack of care for the prop details.

Juza

No, it’s my fault for using the prop to practice more than I should’ve.

Izumi

(Of course Juza would be upset over this… Maybe we should leave for now.)

Yuzo

Hey, you guys made it.

Izumi

Y-Yeah, we wanted to thank you for inviting us. The sword fight was pretty impressive! You guys were so cool.

Azami

Sucks what happened in the middle there.

Yuzo

Oh—Is Juza apologising to everyone one by one?

Hey everyone, good work today! What a great finale!

Juza

——

I apologise, Yuzo! It’s my fault that—

Yuzo

Don’t worry about what happened today.

Your performance already exceeded everyone’s expectations. Today’s been a net positive overall.

They’re gonna make the DVD using footage from our previous performance, so no need to worry about that.

Juza

…

Yuzo

…Tch. Alright, let’s step outside.

Juza

Okay.

Izumi

(I hope Juza’s okay…)

Yuzo

He’ll be fine.

Izumi

(Even with Yuzo’s reassurance, I’m worried. Juza seemed really beat about all this.

This play was something he really poured his heart and soul into, and since it was the finale it’s not like he can just do better next time.

I hope they have a good heart to heart about this…)

Akashi

U-Umm, good work today…

Izumi

Huh!? You came to see the play too, Akashi?!

Akashi

Uh, well, no.. It was kind of a last minute thing, but I came to help out.

Azami

I guess they needed an extra guy on lighting.

Akashi

Umm, where is Juza?

Izumi

Oh, Juza? He just went off to speak with Yuzo, is there something you needed?

Akashi

Umm, well, no… Nothing in particular, but… I was just concerned, that’s all…

Azami

About the broken sword?

Akashi

…Umm, no, not that, it’s just Juza didn’t really seem like himself during the curtain call.

Something like… With the spotlight, and… Oh, you know what, nevermind. Maybe it was just my imagination.

Izumi

Staff A

Hey Akashi, can you come over here for a moment?

Akashi

Excuse me.

Izumi

No problem, good work tonight.

(What did he mean about the spotlight?)

Yuzo

Take a seat.

Juza

Yeah.

Staff B

Over here, we’ll leave it to you.

Staff C

Here, take this.

Juza

…

(The staff gave all their support, and they were depending on me, and I went and messed it up, and…)

Yuzo

Every member of the audience took time out of their day and money out of their pockets to gather in these very seats and watch this performance. More than anything, the veteran actors were not there as leading actors, but to support you.

This performance was only possible because of the support and skills from the director and staff. You’re anxious about messing up the group effort, is that right?

Juza

…Yeah.

Yuzo

Everyone could tell how uncomfortable you were during the curtain call. Like you didn't want to be standing on stage. Your whole body shrank into itself.

I haven’t seen you like that since Autumn Troupe's debut play.

Juza

…When I first became an actor, I had to do my best just to work on stage presence.

Once I got more experience, I learned to bask in the spotlight, and I’ve never known joy like that before.

Even if I hit a wall during rehearsals, I always made sure to put my best foot forward for the sake of shining brilliantly under that spotlight.

But today that feeling was knocked on its head. I ruined our grand finale with my clumsiness… For the first time, I was terrified of being on stage and standing in the light.

And after all you did to let me guest star in your play… Instead of repaying that effort, I’ve ruined everything—

Yuzo

Actually, it’s a good thing that your mistake happened during the finale. Means you can’t redo it. And more importantly, it gives you the chance to learn how to move on when you fuck up.

That’s all I can say about that.

Yuzo No matter how much you practice, no matter how much experience you have, no matter how much talent you have as an actor… Everything on stage happens in real time.

I’m sure you’ll have more accidents like this one. It’s just part of being an actor.

And I know you, Juza. You’re not the type of actor to get awkward on stage.

With how deep you were absorbed into your role, there’s no way you could’ve skillfully recovered from an accident like today’s.

Yeah. It’s just prone to happen in acting like that, and I’m sure this won’t be the last time you fumble.

It’s going to happen again, and when it does, I hope you learn to forgive yourself. Your past accomplishments will still be there. It’s not out of the question for us to call you back as a guest star for a second time, either.

Juza

——

Yuzo

It may not be much, but I know my troupe feels the same way. We’ll definitely invite you to perform with us again.

In the world of theatre, it’s impossible to put on a perfect show every time.

Even so, we as actors need to continue to strive for that and use it to drive us. So I hope you can face your fears from today, knowing that.

Juza

Mm.

Staff B

Lights on!

Juza

…

(Even though I’ve always yearned for the spotlight… The fear that paralyzed my mind wouldn’t listen to reason.

I guess all I can do is keep moving forward. I’m still terrified… terrified of making an even bigger mistake and causing even more trouble.

I can’t let this fear hinder my acting. I need to keep improving so I can take on whatever the future throws at me.)

Juza

…

(...Oh, this is the flyer Muku gave me.

‘WONDER RUSH’... Production Assistant: Banri Settsu…)

Juza

So you really decided to study production to better your acting, huh?

Banri

What was that?

Juza

It says you helped with production here.

Banri

Yep. Weird to bring up all of a sudden…

Juza

What made you decide to do it?

Banri

…Ehh, it was ‘cause of Kabuto’s workshop at my university. You know, Kabuto from Hyakka Troupe. He talked about what made him want to go into theatre.

Not just about what made him want to go into acting, but also why he went into production.

The workshop wasn’t the only reason, but I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t have any direct influence on my decision.

Juza

But isn’t Kabuto the star of Hyakka Troupe? Why would someone with that prestige want to shift to production?

Banri

Because to him, theatre is his raison d‘etre. There’s no point to a life without the stage. But you can only be an actor for so long, y’know? So to make sure that he can stay in the industry even when his popularity fades, he took up production.

Juza

(Theatre is his raison d‘etre… Sounds like me. Maybe I could consider a similar path once my time on stage comes to an end…)

Banri

Hey, don’t you tell me that you’re thinking of going into production after all this work you’ve put into acting.

Juza

I told you from the beginning, my focus has always been and always will be acting. It’s like tunnel vision. I could never ever go into production. It’s just not for me.

I’m going to defeat you in a different way. Not through production, but through a new challenge that I’ll unearth as the lead in Autumn’s next play.

Banri

Heh, a new challenge?

Juza

I don’t know what it’ll be but… one thing I’m sure about is that my love for theatre is just as strong as Kabuto’s.

Banri

Heh, okay.

Don’t lose focus. Though it’s probably gross to hear that coming from me, of all people.

Juza

Huh?

Banri

Nevermind.

To be continued... Read part 3 here!

#a3 #a3! translation #エースリー #a3:juza #s:south hill prison

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ichika27 · 3 years

Text

Mairimashita! Iruma-kun s2 ep9

I just wanna point out that the last scene on the OP changed. It used to be like, a red curtain background but now it’s in front of Royal One with the rest of the class.

Heyo! New episode today.

*record scratch*

*freeze frame*

This is our protagonist, Iruma. You must be wondering why he looks like he’s dying on a pile of schoolwork. Well, we have to go back a bit to see how this came to be.

(Sorry, I can’t resist making this joke when the show kinda started the episode like that.)

After Iruma’s evil cycle event, Azz and Clara decide to cling to him so they’d know if anything is wrong next time. Everyone tried prying them off to no avail.

Sabnock even offered Clara a piggyback! I’m glad that they’re acknowledging that this happens lol. It’s just a little thing on the other episodes (mostly in season 1, I believe) but at least we know Sabnock is okay with it.

Since nothing they did could make the two let go of Iruma, they decided they’d all join in instead! It’s so cute!! Kalego-sensei comes in to tell them some news though:

The Apocalypse, aka Summer Vacation is coming which is awesome and everyone is super excited!

The exams come first before that which causes the class to panic. Failure means remedial classes.

I guess it’s time for the “Demon School” part of the title to be on the spotlight. Time to study!

Iruma is one of those who are worried because he’s never had to study properly before (what with all the jobs he does and his parents being awful). He can also read the demon world’s language due to magic he was given by his grandpa but it doesn’t mean he could understand what he’s reading about.

Clara shows off her own exam results and while they are pretty bad, they at least exceeded the 10 point mark Iruma couldn’t even get to and this shocks Iruma. Clara further rubs it in his face by asking him to call her “Nee-san” or “Sensei”.

Azz-kun’s vision from before!

Asmodeus doesn’t think lowly of Iruma cause of this set back. Instead, he encourages Iruma and tells him that they could just study for it. Asmodeus offers his help in tutoring Iruma. One of the rewards of getting high grades is rank advancement and if they could do it together, all three of them could totally beat this test! (punishment of failing is demotion though which worried Iruma).

Oh and Ameri’s stalker needed to be somewhere where he could be watched over without him bothering the student council so he was dumped in Iruma’s battler. Iruma, being the nice guy that he is, couldn’t refuse and so they’re stuck with this guy.

Moving on! Ali-san is also worried. He was only able to talk and have proper consciousness when Iruma ranked up. Who knows what will happen when he gets demoted! Ali-san asks if Iruma could get high grades but Iruma answers that he could probably do enough to pass and not fail (which I can relate to cause all I could strive for in my school days were passing grades lol).

Iruma has a lot of expectations on his back right now. And so, that’s why he’s been studying his ass off.

The rest of the class is trying very hard to study as well since failure meant they’d have their summer vacation screwed up which is bad.

The main trio does their own studying too with Azz trying to gauge how much Iruma knows so they’d know where to start. The next scenes are Iruma and Clara competing in a little quiz with parodies of different popular game shows being their setting. Iruma gets no point at all while Clara gets 2.

Just when all hope seems lost.

One of the books move on their own and quizzes Iruma on it’s contents (just the first chapter apparently) and all of the questions seem to have to do with the human world or something and Iruma, being human, gets it all correctly.

Everyone praises Iruma for this accomplishment and since this is the first time he’s experiences such a thing, this gives him a little ego boost.

Asmodeus suggest that maybe they should take the Fantastical Animal studies since Iruma is good at it and that they could start focusing on that first. Iruma happily accepts.

Unfortunately, the usual teacher isn’t available and so they have this dangerous seeming guy instead. He’s also the guy who made the book that quizzed Iruma earlier.

This episode feels a bit more slice-of-life-ish due to how they’re focusing on studying at the moment. Indeed it’s important and Kalego-sensei points out they have to do well since they’re now using the Royal One classroom.

I was unable to take a screenshot of it but Grandpa Sullivan actually offered to help Iruma by either giving him the test answers or making the test easier (both which he could do since he’s the school principal) but before Iruma could even answer, Opera points out that helping Iruma that way wouldn’t be good for the boy in the long run. And also, Opera believes Iruma could pass it on his own which puts a little extra pressure on Iruma. I do believe that if Opera never said anything, Iruma would have declines on his own.

There’s a new addition to the Magic Tools Battler: Schnare Eligos. He doesn’t seem to have a big role at the moment though. Ameri mentions to Iruma that since the guy could make potions and such on his own that he could fit in the battler anyways. His name is added to the little list on the wall and along with him, there’s five names on there. They haven’t taken off Kiriwo-senpai’s and probably never would since Iruma believes their senpai would come back one day.

Not sure how long this little arc is gonna be but people on the comment section is already talking about a festival arc and a park arc. Hopefully the anime could cover the stuff that are exciting (we’re close to the season’s halfway point!).

Thanks for reading this far!

#Mairimashita! Iruma-kun #welcome to demon school iruma-kun #sana_post

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tagsecretsanta · 4 years

Text

From @TsarinaTorment

to @gumnut-logic

Secret santa does not own this work, full credit to the author mentioned above!

Prompts used: all of them but in true Tsari fashion I also twisted them so much they probably barely resemble the prompts at this point.

Virgil and many, many butterflies (probably not what they had in mind...)

Virgil has a puzzle to solve (actually maybe stayed on some sort of track with this one!)

Virgil and a brother go on a boat trip (of the rescue sort)

Nothing Christmassy, so sorry if my requestee was hoping for that. But on the plus side, it's 8k words of Virgil!

Tsari--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title: Steady Hands

Rating: Teen

Characters: Virgil, Gordon, Scott, John... and some friends :D

Summary: One boat. Two brothers. A life-or-death game of Jenga.

“Eeeeaaasy.”

Virgil didn’t bother to glare at his brother, far too used to his distraction techniques. He didn’t even spare him a glance, keeping his attention firmly on what he was doing. Gordon wanted him to fail, like the supportive little brother he was, mostly because he inevitably had a bet on with Alan, and Virgil had far too much pride to let his younger brothers’ schemes throw him off of his game.

He had the steadiest hands of all of his brothers. All four of them were too jittery, too used to moving, whether it be the physical activity Scott and Gordon preferred, or the twitching at the tips of fingers over keyboards and virtual reality. Virgil was an artist, a pianist, an engineer. A medic. His hands didn’t tremble unless he let them.

The tower in front of him wouldn’t fall. Not on his turn.

Perfectly steady hands poked at a single block, careful yet confident. It moved, but its neighbours didn’t. Gordon groaned loudly. Virgil ignored that, too, and once the block moved far enough, deftly plucked it from its fellows.

The tower didn’t even wobble.

“How do you do that?” Gordon groused, pouting at the stack. There were more holes than blocks in the Jenga tower now, and Virgil’s latest move had left it teetering on the very edge of stable. Even he would struggle to get another out without nudging neighbouring blocks and bringing the whole thing crashing down. Gordon had no chance, and they both knew it.

But Gordon wasn’t a quitter. Eyes narrowed in concentration and tongue stuck out the corner of his mouth, he surveyed the stack in front of him for several moments in silence, assessing. None of the blocks would go without pulling others down with them, Virgil knew, but Gordon still refused to throw the game.

Eyes almost slits, he selected his target and reached out to touch it.

“International Rescue, we have a situation.”

Clatter.

“Aw, man!” Gordon complained, looking at the jumble of blocks in front of him. “That doesn’t count! John knocked them down!”

“John’s a hologram,” Virgil reminded him, satisfied grin on his face. “That was no more of a distraction than you talking when I picked. My victory.”

“What’s the situation, John?” Scott cut in, ignoring them in preference of John as he always did when a call came in. With one last look at the still-pouting Gordon, Virgil turned his own attention to the projection of his brother.

“There’s a large fishing trawler in distress,” John said. “There was a small explosion in the engine room and now they’re taking on water. The crew are requesting evacuation.”

Virgil straightened up. He didn’t need to look to know that Gordon had done the same, poised to dart for his Thunderbird the moment the brief was over.

“What caused the explosion?” he asked. John shrugged.

“The crew don’t know,” he said. “But the ship’s sinking, so I suggest you launch. I’ll see what I can find on the explosion.”

“F.A.B.,” Scott agreed. “Virgil, Gordon – you’re up. I’ll attend in Thunderbird One.” Virgil didn’t wait to hear anything else, standing up and heading over to the painting that concealed his launch chute and trusting his brothers to be doing the same. “Thunderbirds are go!”

Scott always loved saying that. He denied it, but Virgil knew his big brother.

John was efficient. By the time Virgil was sat in his pilot seat, Module Four selected and little brother rising up into the cockpit behind him, Thunderbird Two’s navigation systems were updated with the precise location of the distressed trawler.

It wasn’t too far, down in the waters south of Tasmania, and before long they got visual on the boat in question. It was listing to one side, figures crowded on deck. From the way they were waving up at Scott in Thunderbird One, Virgil thought it was a pretty safe bet that they were the crew.

“That boat’s too big for Thunderbird Two to stabilise,” Gordon noted. “I’ll see what I can do from the water.”

“F.A.B.,” Virgil agreed.

“I’ll drop down and help the evacuation,” Scott said over the comms. “Virgil, stay overhead in Thunderbird Two and drop the rescue platform. It’ll be a tight fit without the module, but once they’re on board take them to the nearest port. John?”

“I’ve got their home port located,” the ginger said. “Sending co-ordinates now.”

“Once they’re all evac’d, I’ll look around and see if I can find what caused this,” Scott continued. “If Gordon can get the hull patched, we’ll get the GDF out to tow it to port.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Gordon said, hologram flickering to live next to John’s on the dash. “Ready for module deployment, Virg.”

“Dropping you now, Gords.” He brought Thunderbird Two into a hover just above the water and released the module. The familiar shudder passed through his ‘bird as she dropped her belly, and it was with a practiced hand that he kept her steady. Out of the window, he saw Scott bring Thunderbird One down before dropping the few feet onto the deck. The silver rocket soared back into the sky under remote control or autopilot – Virgil didn’t know exactly which controls were being used but she wasn’t slaved to Two – as Scott made his way to the crew.

Leaving his big brother to corral them, he focused on his own task, bringing Thunderbird Two overhead and getting ready to drop the rescue platform.

“How many guests am I expecting, Thunderbird Five?” he asked.

“Captain tells me there’s ten,” John told him. “Life signs agree.”

“Gonna be cosy in here,” he observed.

“Cosy or not, we’re ready for evac, Thunderbird Two,” Scott cut in.

“Copy that, Thunderbird One. Lowering the platform now.”

Aside from the unknown cause of the explosion, it was about as standard as they got. Well, Virgil wasn’t used to carrying an entire crew in his cockpit, but aside from that little detail, it was nice and simple.

“Scott, I’ve just picked up another life sign.”

Well, it was simple, until John dropped that little detail. Already leaving the danger zone, Virgil glanced over at the captain, sat in the co-pilot’s seat.

“I thought we had the whole crew here?”

The captain looked shocked. “We do.”

Virgil frowned. “Thunderbird One, all heads are accounted for.”

“Thunderbird Two, keep going. I’ll find our mystery person and evac them in One.”

“I’ll help you search, Thunderbird One,” Gordon chipped in. “I’ve patched up the hole best I can; I’ll leave Four here and join you.”

“F.A.B., Thunderbird Four. Everything’s under control here, Thunderbird Two,” Scott assured him. “You get the crew to dry land.”

“F.A.B.,” Virgil agreed.

“I don’t get it,” the captain said, shaking his head. “There are only ten of us. Who’s the other life sign?”

“If I had to guess, Captain,” John said, “I’d say that’s probably the cause of your explosion. Scott, Gordon, be careful.”

“Noted, Thunderbird Five. Gordon, I’ll rendezvous with you on deck.”

“F.A.B.”

Both his brothers flickered out of sight, presumably switching to a private channel, and Virgil let out a breath, glancing over at the crew behind him. There weren’t enough seats for all of them, so he couldn’t go at his usual speeds, and inwardly he frowned. Even if it was Scott and Gordon, he didn’t feel right leaving them with someone potentially dangerous and without backup.

But he had a job to do, and some people to get to shore.

The trip took longer than he was happy with, but once the crew were safely offloaded, he turned around and shot for the boat and his brothers as fast as Thunderbird Two could go.

“Scott, Gordon, you found our mystery life sign yet?”

His brothers flickered into view.

“Negative, Virgil. No sign of them yet. John keeps losing the signal. I’m guessing it must be some sort of cloaking device.” Scott looked frustrated.

“I don’t like this,” Virgil said bluntly. “Call the GDF to deal with it and get off that boat. If you haven’t found them yet they’re trying not to be found.”

The journey was much shorter when he could go at top speed. Thunderbird One was still hovering above the boat, gleaming silver from the sun.

“Virgil, this boat is still likely to sink. We’ve got to get them off,” Scott argued. “We can’t wait for the GDF.”

“Scott’s right, Virg,” Gordon agreed. “We’ve got to- Scott! I saw them!”

He broke into a run, Scott seemingly hot on his heels.

“Guys,” Virgil ground out. “Guys, if they don’t want to-”

BOOM.

The explosion rocked the boat; through the cockpit windows he saw it list from one side to the other, and then back again, noticeably lower in the water. The cabin was gone, replaced with timber sized matchsticks.

“Scott?” he shouted. “Gordon?”

His brother’s holograms flickered once, twice, and then they vanished. No, no, no. Virgil didn’t think, just reacted, pushing his ‘bird forward the last short distance and firing the grapples down towards the once again sinking boat. As Gordon had noted earlier, it exceeded her lifting power, and VTOLs shrieked as he gunned them with everything she had. His brothers were still down there, somewhere inside looking for their elusive lifesign, and he absolutely was not letting them slip from his grasp. Not now, not ever.

“Scott!” he shouted again, over the sound of Thunderbird Two’s screaming engines. “Gordon! Come in!”

Autopilot couldn’t keep the pressure on the VTOLs; if he tried to leave the cockpit and find them himself, the boat would sink. Even on manual pilot, Thunderbird Two couldn’t hold it for long. A shudder ran through his ‘bird and he grit his teeth. He wasn’t Scott, but he still solved problems. Logistics. Thunderbird Two was at maximum lift strength; her engines would burn out if he kept this up.

His brothers were still down there, unresponsive. He couldn’t risk that.

Module Four was floating on the swell of the waves, waiting for Thunderbird Four’s return. The bright sub was under the waterline; he could just about see her through the ocean swell. Remote controlling her was difficult, and he didn’t know precisely what Gordon had done with her to latch her to the boat. She was also their backup exit if their route to the deck was blocked.

After the explosion, it probably was.

So he couldn’t move Thunderbird Four. Gordon would know exactly where he’d left his ‘bird, and would be making for her if they hadn’t been incapacitated by the explosion. With neither of them picking up comms, Virgil knew better than to cling to a false hope, but he still couldn’t risk it, just in case they were fine and it was just some damaged radios.

He did have Thunderbird One. Her lifting power was nowhere near that of Thunderbird Two’s, but combined, it might just be enough to keep the boat from sinking. It was now an inconvenience that Scott hadn’t slaved her console to his, but he could still override her from Thunderbird Two, and unlike Thunderbird Four, there was no way she’d be of use to his brothers in the boat.

Jaw set, he flicked the control pad and jabbed in the override code for Thunderbird One, slaving her to her sister’s controls before remote piloting her to the more laden end of the ship. One high-tensile grapple cable fired.

It missed. He didn’t have Scott’s precision, or Gordon’s innate dead aim. Those thoughts got pushed away as he reeled the cable back in to send out a second time. The ship below him had to be secured – before Thunderbird Two’s VTOL overheated. He could worry about finding his brothers once he knew the ship wasn’t sinking any more.

The second shot caught, the light going green to represent the clang of success he couldn’t hear over Thunderbird Two’s engines. Thunderbird One’s VTOLs joined the chorus; a cacophony of sound so loud he could barely hear himself think. It was enough.

Just.

Virgil still couldn’t risk autopilot on Thunderbird Two, the weight remaining beyond her official lifting parameters. If it wasn’t for Brains’ over-engineering, she wouldn’t be holding even with her sister’s help.

“John!” he called. Unlike his missing brothers, the ginger appeared immediately. “They’re not picking up. Do you have their signals?”

John looked annoyed, and a little worried. That wasn’t good.

“Their location transmitters are still working,” he said. “But I can’t get either of them to respond, either.”

“Take control of Thunderbird Two,” Virgil ordered. “I’m going to get them.”

“F.A.B. Taking control of both Thunderbirds One and Two now.”

The holographic symbol for Thunderbird Five flashed up over his controls, and Virgil released his grip on them, trusting John – or EOS – to keep the boat from sinking.

Now he had two brothers to save.

“Locations, John?”

“They’re both in the engine room,” his brother told him, the boat’s schematics appearing over his wrist controller as he hurried along the internal corridors of his ‘bird. Her module was detached, floating too far away to reach, but Virgil made it a point to have one Jaws of Life accessible at all times. Just in case.

That just in case paid off as he reached the small storage room, filled with spare gear – and a half-eaten celery crunch bar. He ignored it, but made a mental note to remind Gordon where food was and wasn’t permitted on Thunderbird Two later. Once his brothers were safe.

“Bzzt!”

Static erupted from his wrist controller just as he began to shrug on the mechanical exosuit and he paused, tapping at it to try and clear the signal.

“Bzzt! -irgil? Bzztin -Two!”

“Gordon?” The static was bad, but Virgil still recognised his brother’s voice. “Gordon, can you hear me?”

“I’ll try to boost the signal,” John said. Virgil nodded distractedly, his focus on his comm as it crackled again.

“-ear you,” Gordon confirmed amongst more static. “-dio damaged. Bzzt-bzzt-pair job.”

“What’s your status?” He resumed suiting up, unwilling to waste a moment if his brother was trapped.

“-t great,” his comm crackled. “Not hurt bzzt-ott bzzt cold.”

Virgil frowned, trying to parse what his brother had said through the static.

“Say again, Gordon?”

“Bzzt-t hurt bzzt Scott-bzzt-t cold.”

That was either Scott’s cold or Scott’s out cold, and considering the lack of communication from his older brother, Virgil decided to assume it was the latter. That was a problem, but not an insurmountable one.

“I’m on my way down to you,” he declared, Jaws of Life now settled over him. “Any idea what caused the explosion?”

“-egative, Virg. It’s bzzt-gerous.” Virgil scowled, hearing Gordon’s too dangerous protest and wondering if he thought for one moment that that would stop him. “-ther problem. Bzzt-bzzt-”

“-me a probl-bzzt?” another, unfamiliar voice cut in. Sharp, female. Their missing life sign?

“-ou-bzzt been goo-bzzt-bzzt-fore,” Gordon retorted.

“Gordon?” Virgil cut in. “What’s the problem?”

“-os Crew bzzt-bzzt.” Whatever else Gordon had to say was lost in a snow of static, but Virgil had heard enough to start piecing it all together. Chaos Crew. Explosions. Unfamiliar female voice.

Gordon, and presumably an unconscious Scott, were with Havoc, and Fuse was running around somewhere with no eyes on him.

“Gordon, I’m coming,” he said, cutting off whatever the static was supposed to be. He hoped their connection was better on his brother’s end. “John’s given me your location.”

“No!” Gordon protested, but Virgil ignored him as he left the safety of Thunderbird Two to slide down one of the cables holding the boat up. The roar of the engines drowned out anything coming from his comms for several long moments before his boots hit the surface of the deck.

He’d known it was bad, but this was worse. His comms spluttered at him but he ignored Gordon’s static-garbled protests that he’d left his ‘bird in favour of reassessing the situation.

Virgil was no Scott, able to take everything in at a glance and make snap decisions, but he had an eye for detail and the patience to spend an extra moment looking things over before acting. It was that eye that told him this was not going to be easy.

The main entrance to get below deck – he was sure it had a name but that was Gordon’s area and Virgil might not be Scott but right now he did not have the time to waste on remembering it – was entirely collapsed in, the cabin so much steel and timber covering it and well and truly trapping anyone down below. According to the schematics, that was the only way down.

This was why Virgil had the Jaws of Life with him.

“Virgil.” John’s voice overrode Gordon’s crackling with an urgency that demanded his attention right that moment. “I can’t boost their radio signals any further, but I did manage to boost their suit telemetry and get a more detailed scan of the compartment they’re trapped in.”

“Let me guess,” Virgil sighed, stomping over to the mangled mess of former-cabin and starting to calculate the best way to clear it. “Bad news?”

“Scott’s helmet’s taken some damage, probably from the initial blast, and his oxygen supply is depleted.” Virgil frowned as he identified the first bit of rubble that needed to go – a large sheet of mangled metal that was probably part of the cabin’s roof or walls.

“So they can’t swim for it? That’s not a problem unless their compartment starts to flood,” he observed. It wasn’t ideal, and if Scott’s helmet was damaged that confirmed that he was probably unconscious, but he trusted Gordon to do any initial first aid until he got there.

He ignored the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

“Yeah,” John said in that flat way that meant bad news. “About that.”

Uh oh. “It’s already flooding?”

“Got it in one. The flow’s reasonably slow and the compartment’s quite big so they’ve got time, but I’d estimate ten minutes and they’ll be under.”

“And with Scott unconscious he can’t hold his breath.” Virgil scowled and shifted the metal with more force than he should have done. The diluted clang of metal on deck reverberated through his boots.

“I imagine Gordon-”

“Hey, watch it!” John’s speculation – probably on how Gordon, their resident aquanaut and underwater rescue specialist, was going to get oxygen to Scott when his helmet was damaged and didn’t fit Gordon’s rebreather anyway – was cut off by a disgruntled exclamation from behind him.

Virgil turned to see unmistakable purple armour, and wondered how on earth he’d missed Fuse coming up behind him.

“You almost hit me with that!” the young man griped, but his heart didn’t seem to be in the accompanying pout. Instead, he was hurrying forwards, almost frantically, and Virgil remembered that Fuse was reportedly Havoc’s brother. “What are you doing throwing metal around on a ship full of explosives?”

“What?”

Virgil hadn’t seen any more explosives. There weren’t supposed to be explosives on the ship.

Fuse hurried past him – probably as fast as he could run in that suit – and started digging through the pile. Metal and wood creaked in protest at him and Virgil clapped a hand on his shoulder, forcing him back.

“Hey! Careful or you’ll bring the lot down.”

“I left a charge around here,” Fuse told him, and Virgil took a deep breath. “They weren’t supposed to go off yet!” He sounded panicked and even though it was blindingly obvious this whole thing was Fuse’s fault – probably directed by the Hood – Virgil couldn’t help but slip into reassuring rescuer mode. That was what he did, after all.

“Okay, okay, take a breath,” he instructed, eyeing the pile of former cabin warily as he tugged Fuse to take a step back. The young man resisted, but Virgil was stronger and he stumbled a single pace away from the pile. “How many explosives are on the ship?”

Fuse glanced around, clearly nervous and slightly scared. Virgil could relate, but he’d been doing the job long enough to compartmentalise that part of his brain and still-fluttering stomach. “Uh… I’m not sure. Nine or ten? I think? I just put them where the Boss said to.”

The silence in his ear from a definitely-eavesdropping John turned frosty, even though his brother still didn’t say a word. No doubt he was about to do his best to wreak hell on the elusive criminal.

“And how many haven’t gone off?” How much of a ticking timebomb was this ship he was stood on – the ship his brothers were trapped in and slowly running out of air as the water seeped in, the ship three Thunderbirds were attached to?

“Only one went off,” Fuse said. He was wringing his hands, still glancing around nervously. “It shouldn’t have gone off until Havoc was clear. He said she’d be safe!”

“Well, she’s trapped with my brothers somewhere down there,” Virgil pointed out. “Where are those explosives and how long do we have until they go off?”

“Five minutes,” Fuse gulped. “I think. But that one went off early and the others are all close enough that if one goes…”

“They all go,” Virgil realised with a sigh. He assessed the situation again. “You want Havoc out of there, I want my brothers out. There’s five minutes, tops, until this boat blows.” Those ten minutes of air didn’t seem significant any more. He took a breath. “We’re going to have to work together on this.”

Fuse glanced sideways, thinking, and Virgil fervently hoped that he loved his sister more than he feared the Hood. John hadn’t warned him about the explosives, which meant Thunderbird Five hadn’t picked them up – the Chaos Crew’s cloaking technology was something Brains and Kayo were itching to get their hands on. That meant that if he had to do it alone, he was working blind. Five minutes to disarm nine or ten explosives… even with the person who had made and placed them with him, it was going to be tight.

It felt like an eternity before Fuse sighed and met his gaze. “Okay.”

Okay. Plan of action time. “We need to get those bombs disarmed as quickly as possible,” Virgil said, knowing the words were redundant but saying them all the same. “Tell me where they are and how to disarm them, and we’ll take half each.” A minute per bomb – just under. He could do that, except Fuse was wringing his hands again.

“I don’t know how to turn them off.”

“What!” Virgil didn’t panic – was the last of his brothers to ever panic in a given situation – but he was starting to get really, really close. “You make them! How do you not know how to disarm them?”

“I-I’ve never had to!” Fuse protested, and right then he’d never looked more like a kid. Virgil took a deep breath, pushing the panic back because this just made things a lot harder but he wasn’t giving up. Not now and not ever.

“We don’t have time for this,” he ground out. “Do you have one with you that isn’t primed?”

Fuse nodded jerkily and reached behind him, withdrawing the familiar purple triangle of a Chaos Crew bomb. Virgil took it gingerly and wasted no time in slipping an arm out of the Jaws of Life to palm a hexdriver and pry the cover off. Five minutes – probably four, now – to work out how to disarm them, teach Fuse, and then get nine-or-ten bombs disarmed.

Easy peasy.

The crisscrossed wires that greeted him weren’t complex, thankfully. If they were, then no amount of miracles would have been enough to pull it off. But it was a simple enough wire pattern; only two wires needed cutting to render them useless.

Well, they could have done with knowing that several times in the past. If all Fuse’s bombs were like this, that was a lot of explosions they could stop. But he didn’t have time to muse on that right now.

“You have a hexdriver and wirecutter?” he asked Fuse, who shook his head. Silently despairing – and starting to wonder if the Hood’s plan wasn’t to one day blow the kid up with his own bombs – Virgil fished out spares from his toolbelt and handed them over. “Okay, it’s simple enough, luckily for us. Pop the cover, and cut these two wires.” He pointed, and then demonstrated by doing it on the one in his hand. “Those two. Got it?”

Fuse stared at the bomb, swallowed loud enough for Virgil to hear it, then nodded.

“Yeah, I got it.”

For the sake of everyone on the boat, Virgil really hoped he did.

“Okay, so where are they? Time’s running out.” Somewhere, Virgil noticed that Gordon’s static had ceased buzzing in his ear, and really hoped that was John’s doing and not because he’d lost what little contact he had with his younger brother. He didn’t have time to worry about that now, not with three and a half minutes and five bombs to disarm.

Luckily, with a plan of action in place, Fuse seemed to regain both his confidence and his memory, bringing up a schematic of the ship and highlighting the ten points he’d fixed bombs to.

“That’s the one that went off,” he said, indicating one inside the cabin area. It was positioned to do exactly what it had managed and cripple the cabin, Virgil noticed. The others were all scattered around the deck, ensuring no escape if any of them went off. Whoever had been trapped by the initial explosion would never stand a chance.

Three minutes, five bombs.

“I’ll take these five,” Virgil said, pointing at the ones on the left of the boat – port side, Gordon’s voice whispered in his head. “You take the other four.”

Fuse nodded and then they moved. Trusting Fuse – trusting a member of the Chaos Crew – felt like something heavy in his gut but Virgil had no choice. He couldn’t trust Fuse, not really, not after everything the guy had done, but he could and had to trust Fuse’s love for his sister. He stood to lose almost as much as Virgil did if he didn’t help.

That, Virgil clung to as he found the first purple bomb, merrily flashing red at him. Popping the cover was harder when it was fixed down to something, but Virgil wasn’t going to let anything stop him and the purple casing was no match for a Tracy on a mission. Two quick but steady snips of the wirecutter later, and that was one down, four to go.

Onto the next.

He reached the fifth and final one with thirty seconds to go. Plenty of time, but the casing didn’t pop off when he levered at it like all of the others had. Instead, it bent alarmingly, and the red flashing light sped up, much like Virgil’s heartrate was doing. He tried tackling it from another angle, but the cover might as well have been superglued for all the luck he was having.

Fuse let out a shout that sounded triumphant from the other end of the boat, and Virgil took a deep breath. Fifteen seconds, and this was the last one. If Fuse was telling the truth, but Fuse had to be telling the truth otherwise his sister was going to die, too.

Ten seconds, and the cover still refused to budge. He wasn’t going to get it disarmed in time, but Virgil wasn’t giving up. Not now, not ever.

Five seconds and he finished cutting around the part of the boat it was fixed to with his laser. He didn’t know how big the blast radius was going to be, but the further from the boat it was, the better their odds.

He was still wearing the Jaws of Life. Virgil wasn’t the best pitcher in the world, but he had mechanical assistance and the steadfast determination that no-one’s dying today. With barely two seconds left, the bomb was hurtling through the air, away from the boat into the open ocean.

It barely reached the water before exploding, sending a shockwave that rocked the boat and had Virgil stumbling backwards, colliding with the cable from Thunderbird One. Above him, VTOL continued to scream their displeasure.

He took a moment to breathe, stomach churning its way back to stability one breath at a time, before pushing himself upright again.

The rescue wasn’t over yet. The bombs were gone, but there was only five minutes left until the compartment his brothers were in flooded. Gordon had plenty of oxygen and could hold his breath another five minutes, easily. Longer, if he was prepared. He had no idea what Havoc’s condition was, beyond ‘conscious and sniping with Gordon last he heard’, but Scott was unconscious and while Virgil had every faith that Gordon would be able to work something out, the fact was that they hadn’t gone into the rescue expecting to need extra oxygen, and Gordon’s supplies were mostly in Thunderbird Four.

He trusted Gordon, but the hard number he had was five minutes before Scott was at risk of drowning.

His comm crackled into life, Gordon’s voice barely audible past the static, but he couldn’t make out a single word his brother was saying. That didn’t stop him from hearing the underlying panic.

“Gordon, I can’t hear you,” he replied, pulling himself together and heading back towards the ruined cabin, where Fuse was staring somewhat blankly at the pile of rubble between them and their siblings. “John, is there any way to clear this static?”

“It’s physical damage to the unit, so there’s nothing I can do,” his brother said, sounding rather annoyed at the failure of their communications. Virgil didn’t blame him. “But after that shockwave, the boat seems to have taken more damage. The compartment’s filling faster now. I’d estimate you have two minutes, three at most, before they’re underwater.”

So much for five minutes.

“Any good news for me, John?”

“You… seem to be working with Fuse rather well?” his brother offered. “Otherwise, I’m afraid not. Communications are still down, as you’re finding, I don’t know any more than you do on their conditions, and both Thunderbirds are struggling to keep the boat up. Once you’ve got them out you’ll need to move fast.”

“So no breathing room until we’re off this sinking boat,” Virgil summarised. “Thanks, John.”

“Just get them out,” his brother responded.

Virgil slid his arm back into the Jaws of Life and felt the technology whirr around him as he returned to Fuse’s side and the jumble of debris between him and his brothers.

“Does Havoc have an oxygen supply?” he asked. “They’ll be underwater in less than three minutes.”

“If it’s not damaged,” Fuse slumped, reaching for the mishmash of former-cabin. “Her radio’s damaged and I can’t contact her.”

“Well I heard her over what little communication I’ve got with my brothers, so she’s conscious,” Virgil reassured him. “We just have to get them out.” He eyed the mess in front of him and shook his head. Move the wrong bit and it’d probably all go crashing down. “Just like Jenga. You any good at that?”

Fuse shook his head. “Don’t play that sort of game.”

“In that case, stand back,” Virgil told him. “I’m good at Jenga.” Although admittedly he’d never played it with people’s lives on the line before, or on a time limit.

The load-bearing chunks of broken cabin were easy enough to pinpoint, and it was with all the confidence of years of heavy lifting that he cleared away all the loose debris so that it wouldn’t fall when he moved the heavier ones later. Still, he was ever-conscious of the time slipping away from him, and it only took one jerky move to send a cascade of small segments tumbling down, past the load-bearing sections and into the belly of the ship.

Less haste, more speed, he scolded himself, but the action had actually cleared the immediate issue; the load-bearing struts were no longer load-bearing, and with a mechanical whine, the Jaws of Life made short work relocating them to clear the area.

One minute down, one to go, and he still had to find his brothers. They were still in the engine room, and the fact that they hadn’t moved told him that they must be stuck there. Unconscious Scott or not, Gordon would have moved them as close to the exit as he could get.

Unless Havoc…

No, he refused to let that cross his mind. Fuse was working with him to make sure Havoc was safe. Surely Havoc was smart enough to know that working with Gordon would be better for her than being hostile. He’d even heard Gordon’s garbled tones over the comms not two minutes earlier. Havoc wasn’t the problem, not this time.

The problem was the collapsed corridor between him and the engine room.

Time was ticking, the fluttering in his stomach that had died down was back in full force because he could hear the water sloshing around on the other side of the barricade but not his brothers, and there was an entire collapsed section of corridor in the way.

If he couldn’t hear Gordon sniping with Havoc or trying to rouse Scott, they were probably already underwater. If Scott hadn’t regained consciousness, his life was entirely in Gordon’s hands right now, and while there were no hands Virgil trusted more given the situation the fear was curling up inside him that he was too late.

No.

He took a deep breath.

He was not too late. He was going to get them out of there and he was going to do it now.

Virgil had steady hands. He was an artist, a pianist, an engineer. No matter how much his stomach fluttered as though an entire swarm of frantic butterflies had taken up residence and his heart raced to the rhythm of a bomb’s flickering red light moments before detonation, his hands stayed steady.

It was those steady hands that reached out and directed the mechanical hands of the Jaws of Life to dig their way through the jumble of broken boat in his way. Fast, but steady and sure as he stopped letting himself think about lifeless bodies and instead remembered the game of Jenga he’d been having with Gordon just before the call came in. Jenga was easy, a simple logistics puzzle, and Virgil slipped into that mindset. All the turns were his, the tower of blocks was a mass of broken boat, and Virgil hadn’t lost a game of Jenga in years.

That record was not breaking now.

Debris piled up beside him, and at some point Fuse had followed him down, but Virgil’s focus was on the shimmering surface of rising water as he broke through the precariously-balanced debris. A blur of purple almost knocked him over, but while Havoc was strong, she was slight and he caught her – sopping wet and clearly fuming – by the shoulders.

“Go careful or it’ll fall down on top of you,” he warned her. She scoffed and shrugged him off before hurrying past him, but she wasn’t his concern any more, not when there was IR blue with a bright splash of yellow breaking the surface of the water and taking in a huge lungful of air.

Gordon was helmetless, blond hair plastered to his face as water trailed down his skin as though he was in the swimming pool at home. Aside from the deep breaths he was taking after holding his breath for however long, he seemed fine, and Virgil’s attention snapped to the limp body he was clutching.

The yellow-rimmed helmet jammed on Scott’s head and creatively secured with far too much insulation tape to keep it air and water tight did not belong to his eldest brother. It didn’t fit right – hence the need for the insulation tape – and was definitely too small, but Gordon’s yellow rebreather was attached to it and while it was an unorthodox solution that Scott would be complaining about later, Virgil had no doubt it had saved his life.

“Good thinking,” he praised, reaching down to take Scott from his brother. “Injuries?”

As soon as he had hold of him, Gordon was scrabbling at the tape, ripping it off in a way that was bound to smart Scott later. “Not that I don’t like hugs, but there’s no way we’re getting through that tunnel tied together,” the aquanaut said in a rush. He was right; the rebreather was still attached to Gordon’s baldric and getting Scott out was going to be difficult enough without them being linked together. “I’m fine, wasn’t near the blast, but Scott got hit in the head by the debris and it smashed his helmet. He’s been out of it since everything went boom.” That worried Virgil, but what worried him more was how long it was taking Gordon to get the helmet off of Scott’s head.

The water level was still rising.

“Ah hah!” Gordon exclaimed triumphantly as the last of the tape came off and he was able to detach the rebreather and reclaim his helmet. Trusting his fish of a brother to get himself out of the water, especially now he had his helmet back, Virgil turned his attention to Scott and hauled the limp body clear of the flooded room.

Despite the helmet, his hair was still wet. Virgil latched onto that observation as he pulled him over his shoulder and headed back for the exit as fast as he could. Behind him, the familiar sound of wet flippers reassured him that Gordon was following, but also told him that the water levels were still rising.

“Thunderbird One’s VTOLs are overheating,” John said suddenly, his voice grim. “She won’t hold much longer.”

Virgil frowned. If Thunderbird One went down in the ocean, she’d be all but impossible to retrieve and he really didn’t need any more delays. He eyed the end of the corridor, knowing that somewhere, Fuse and Havoc were ahead of him.

“Any sign of the Chaos Crew?” he asked, speeding up as much as he dared. A jolt in the wrong place would bring the debris down on top of them. Water sloshed around his ankles.

“I’ve lost them.” He could imagine John shaking his head. “I’d assume that means they’re in their ship and clear.”

Virgil was going to have to take that chance.

“Is Thunderbird Four still attached to the boat?” Gordon asked. Virgil had all but forgotten the little yellow sub, but John confirmed it and he nodded, realising that with his comms still down, Gordon couldn’t hear their brother.

“John, cut Thunderbird One loose and get Thunderbird Four back to the module,” he said.

“Are you sure? Thunderbird Two can’t take the full weight of the boat for long,” John reminded him.

Virgil reached the end of the corridor, water somewhere near the top of his boots, and gestured for Gordon to go on ahead. The aquanaut started to frown, then glanced at Scott and acquiesced.

“I’m sure,” he said, watching Gordon scramble up to the deck. “We can’t afford Thunderbird One crashing, and Thunderbird Two can hold long enough.”

She had to.

“EOS has Thunderbird Four,” John informed him. “She’ll be back in the module in approximately forty seconds. I’ll cut Thunderbird One loose once you’re on the deck. Not before.”

Virgil supposed that was as good a reason as any to hurry. Gordon was clear, leaning back in to take Scott, and he passed their brother up to him before heaving his way out.

True to John’s word, above them Thunderbird One jerked skywards, disengaging from the boat. Her VTOLs were spluttering painfully, and in the blink of an eye John had her diverting power to the rear thrusters and jetting off for home.

Thunderbird Two squealed, a noise that shot right through Virgil as the boat juddered and lurched beneath his feet. A resounding crash from below deck told him that his careful Jenga of debris had toppled entirely, but they were all clear so that didn’t matter now.

What mattered was getting onboard Thunderbird Two as she juddered and shrieked in protest at the weight Virgil was asking her to hold up, just a little longer.

“Thirty seconds before her engines reach critical,” John warned him. “Get on board now.”

Gordon had hold of Scott, one hand clinging to the deck while the other clutched his brother’s unmoving form close. A particularly large lurch had Virgil crashing down, landing on one knee and forcing him to stabilise himself with one of his claws. Above them, swinging violently with the Thunderbird’s movement, the cockpit platform lowered.

If all three of them were conscious, they’d make it. But Scott’s eyes were still closed, and either Virgil or Gordon needed to sacrifice their hands to keep hold of him. Hands that were very much needed to keep their own balance and scramble onto the platform.

Gordon knew it, too. Virgil could see it in his eyes.

“Go,” he said, reaching to take Scott. “Get on board.”

“Not a chance,” Gordon disagreed. “I’m the aquanaut. If anyone’s going in the water, it’s me. You’re weighed down by the exosuit.”

He was right, but Virgil didn’t want to admit it. He’d only just managed to get Scott and Gordon out of the water; the last thing he wanted was either of them going back in, but Thunderbird Two’s lurching was getting worse and he could hear her VTOLs starting to splutter.

“How about you all move and no-one goes in the water?” John snapped in his ear. “Virgil, get on the platform.” He sounded half angry, half terrified. Not for the first time, Virgil decided that he did not envy his older brother’s job.

Another lurch sent all three of them sprawling sideways, slamming them against the side of the deck and further from the rescue platform. Something went clatter.

Virgil saw something fall past him, but before he could register what it was, there was a dull thunk, like the sound of one of their cables hitting the deck, and the ship lurched back upright.

“What the hell?” Gordon muttered. “What was- oh.”

Oh indeed.

Virgil looked at the cable that had just appeared where Thunderbird One’s had been, heard Thunderbird Two’s VTOLs quiet down just a tad as something else took the strain, and followed the thick grey line up to see a purple and grey machine spluttering away.

“I guess she didn’t hate me after all,” Gordon quipped, but Virgil could hear the wide-eyed surprise in his voice.

There wasn’t time to wonder why the Chaos Cruiser was helping them. The little thing was even less equipped to hold the boat up than Thunderbird One had been, and wouldn’t last long. But the little clatter had reminded him of something he really shouldn’t have forgotten in the first place.

“Gordon, hand me Scott’s grapple launcher.”

There was a split second pause before Gordon dove for their brother’s baldric. “Oh, we’re idiots. Virgil, get moving.”

“Gordon-”

“I’m the better shot, and also less weight,” his brother argued. “Get moving.” The aquanaut didn’t even wait for him to agree before firing straight at the hole in the bottom of the cockpit. It was a bulls’ eye, of course, and Virgil stifled a reflex noise of complaint as he scooped Scott up and scrambled for the rescue platform.

It was still rocking, the Chaos Cruiser not strong enough to fully stabilise the boat, but with stubborn determination and a healthy dose of grappling using the Jaws of Life, he fumbled his way onto the platform, Scott in a heap beside him. The familiar whirring of a grapple cable – and seriously, why hadn’t they remembered Scott had those until one of his grapple packs had fallen out of his baldric – heralded Gordon swinging in on a rapidly-shortening cable, and with a sigh of relief that sounded an awful lot like finally, John set the platform rising back into the cockpit.

Just before they were swallowed up by his ‘bird, Virgil found himself looking out at the Chaos Cruiser. Havoc and Fuse both stared back, one gaze cold as ice, the other warmer than he’d expected. Then it cloaked, shimmering into invisibility, and he was staring at the inside of his cockpit.

Thunderbird Two juddered, and the red warning lights shut off.

“I cut her loose,” John said from his wrist before he could panic. “I’ll get her to pick up Thunderbird Four, and then she’s heading for home, unless Scott needs a hospital?”

Scott. It was against regulations and Virgil was going to be grumbling at himself for it later, but he disengaged the Jaws of Life entirely and stepped out of it, leaving it loose in the cockpit. Gordon had already crouched down next to their brother, and was poking Scott’s cheek.

The malcontent grumble he got was music to Virgil’s ears. “He’s waking up, John, but I’ll do a scan just to be sure.” Bleary blue eyes blinked at him as he held the scanner up, and Gordon broke into a relieved grin.

“Hey, bro,” he beamed. “Nice to see you back.”

“Ow,” Scott rasped as the scan flashed up a group of ambers but no reds. Nothing they couldn’t handle at home. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing particularly exciting,” Gordon told him airily, in that tone that all older brothers knew meant trouble. Virgil was pleased to see Scott squinting at him suspiciously. “Just a woman with a very sharp tongue and an extended swimming session. Pretty fun, actually!”

“Your idea of fun concerns me,” Virgil drawled, but kept his eyes on Scott, who was already pushing himself to sit up. “John, I think home is fine.”

“F.A.B.” His brother didn’t even bother hiding the relief in his voice.

“Do I want to know?” Scott asked, voice dripping with suspicion. It was a rhetorical question – he’d be hounding them for every last detail before the day was done.

“Know that we maybe kinda just a little might need to be a smidge thankful for the Chaos Crew saving our butts?” Gordon asked in that same sunny tone. “Probably not.”

“We saved them first,” Virgil clarified before Scott could explode. “Long story short, your last life sign was Havoc, one of the explosives Fuse planted went off too soon which knocked you out and trapped you two with Havoc in the engine room, and then I had to teach Fuse how to disarm his own bombs before the rest of them went off, then dig you three out.”

Scott groaned and put a hand to his head. “I think I must be hallucinating, because I could have sworn you just said you taught Fuse to disarm his own bombs.”

“I wish it was all in your head, Scott, but no, that actually happened,” Virgil admitted. “Come on, let’s get you in a seat.” He looped Scott’s arm around his shoulders and grabbed his waist before hoisting him up. Gordon hovered on his other side as they made the short few steps to one of the passenger seats and Scott sank down into it.

“Thunderbird One?”

“John’s sent her home already.” Virgil decided against mentioning the damage to her VTOLs. He didn’t want to be in the room when Scott found out about that. “You were unconscious for fifteen minutes, Scott.” Was it really only fifteen minutes? The whole thing had felt so much longer. “You’re piloting nowhere until Grandma gives you the all clear.”

Scott groaned, but it was his normal groan of annoyance at being grounded and not one of pain. Still, Virgil checked his head with his fingers, which Scott suffered with his usual bad grace. A lump, but no cut – fortunate, considering his unintended swim – and otherwise seemed in pretty good shape considering his spate of unconsciousness. Virgil snapped a cold pack and prodded his brother into holding it against his head.

“And keep it there,” he warned. The eye roll he got in response should have annoyed him but was really just another reassurance.

“So are you going to tell me what happened?” Scott asked. “Because so far I don’t believe a word of it.”

“Unfortunately, big bro, it’s all true,” Gordon drawled. He’d sprawled himself out over the co-pilot’s chair, arms folded behind his head and flippers on the dash. Virgil glowered but the squid ignored him. “Chaos Crew got involved but ended up helping us out. Rather begrudgingly, in Havoc’s case. Virg had Fuse, so he’s the one to ask about him.”

“He was worried about his sister,” Virgil shrugged. “Family loyalty trumps his loyalty to the Hood, apparently.”

“I can believe that,” Gordon shrugged.

Scott sighed. “This all sounds ridiculous. Let’s just go home.”

Virgil grinned. “That’s the plan, Scott.”

“Besides, Virg still owes me a rematch,” Gordon injected. “Johnny ruined our last game.”

“You ruined your own game,” the ginger sniped, proving that he was still eavesdropping. “I had nothing to do with it.”

“I think I’m done with Jenga for the day,” Virgil admitted, pressing his hand over Scott’s on the cool pack as his brother’s grip slackened. A quick check on his brother proved it was just Scott trying to escape treatment again, rather than anything concerning. “How about chess?”

Gordon squinted at him in confusion. “You know you’ll lose.”

Virgil smirked. “We’ll see.”

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds 2015 #tag team secret santa #secret santa 2020 #Tsarinatorment #Virgil Tracy #Scott Tracy #Gordon Tracy #The Chaos Crew

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bbwoulfc · 4 years

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ML NY Special Review

Finally finished my review on the ML NY Special and it’s going to be a long review, I won’t lie. I will be breaking this down in two sections. First section will be focused through the perspective as a professional (animation industry) and the second section through the perspective as a viewer and ML fan.

I won’t deny, I will be criticizing a few things and really give large opinionated thoughts; I’m sure it will piss people off, but I’m gonna be honest and I don’t give a damn. I’ve been here since the beginning and I’m gonna go all out. It wouldn’t be the first time I pissed people off.

Again, keep in mind these are my views/opinions as a professional and as a viewer/fan. If you can’t handle some of the strong opinions that will come from this review, then keep moving on. Don’t waste your time if you can’t handle certain characters or subjects being discussed in a different light.

If you wish to continue, then click the “keep reading” option.

As an animator, this is one of my favorite things to do with animated shows or movies. I absolutely love breaking things down and giving opinions on the whys, whats, and hows. Never do I aim to prove my opinions right. My goal is to simply make you think and consider. And if you don’t agree then that’s completely fine. That’s how it works.

Now, the NY Special has definitely exceeded the quality than what I expected. I absolutely love SAMG as a company. I think this is by far one of the best that SAMG has produced for Miraculous as a whole. Even better than the origin episodes. The lighting is probably the best I’ve seen in a 3D animated tv series, by far. It was stunning and gorgeous and worked well with the given mood that was set throughout the hour of the special. I would say there are two scenes in particular that I felt were the best lit scenes.

The first scene is definitely near the beginning when the class landed in NY and where traveling in the bus. They stopped either at the hotel or museum and the shot was the buses in front of the large building where you have the other city buildings around it. That shot was gorgeous; the orange hues falling on top of the buildings and gaining that purple and blue shadows was great. It’s honestly one of my favorite complementary color schemes to use when lighting most scenes in animation. It helps achieve a nice balance when setting mood but also to get a nice glance at the shapes of the models in the scene. Perfection.

As for the second scene, I would have to say it was the moment Adrien left and Marinette was biking to chase after him and she fell. That moment the scene focused on Marinette on the ground and in the rain spoke many volumes. The color tone of the scene was perfect and captured the common traits used in many shows and films to further drive the sense of sadness and overall emotional effect; using the traditional trait of rain made the scene work and stand out during the struggles that Marinette was dealing with.

The rain in general was outstanding on it’s own. Liquids in animation are tough, not an easy thing to do. The way the rain was animated was probably the best rain I’ve seen in most 3D animated tv series. I will even say it beats the rain from the origin episodes which is amazing because it shows the growth alone that SAMG has come from since the first season of the series.

They create stunning quality work and by far are the best of the best from all the companies that ZAG uses or had used for the show. I won’t lie, I still can’t fathom how Jeremy/ZAG could let such a company go but Jeremy isn’t the greatest with the money, so it’s not a shocker. It definitely shows that man doesn’t know how to properly run a company and treat a show. I honestly blame him for pretty much the entire outcome of the series and that’s my god honest opinionated truth as a professional.

The pacing of the special I felt was good, though I do think it would have been nice to have had an extra 30 minutes to help flow areas a bit better or more, but I can understand the time constraints, especially after hearing about how Thomas stated that the special was going to be two hours originally. And I will be honest, I wouldn’t have minded that. I think it would have been fantastic to have had a longer span episode special, but I understand a lot of the struggles that no doubt the team had endured.

Overall, some issues, but 10 out of 10 on animation and quality output.

Now the second section; viewing through the eyes as a viewer and fan.

As a fan of ML, I will not beat around the bush, I truly believe this special was disappointing plot wise. And I don’t blame Thomas and his team for the issue. As stated previously, my anger and frustration is more on Jeremy/ZAG for everything that has come from ML as a show and especially the result of the NY special.

My biggest issue with the special was the focal point: Adrinette.

How many damn times must I hear, “they’re meant for each other” or “aren’t they perfect together” and so forth. I get it. You can adore Adrientte but I don’t need it shoved down my throat every five minutes. I don’t give an ounce of care that Adrien and Marinette are endgame and that they’re “soulmates”. The romance between those two means absolutely nothing to me. It was cute and fun in the beginning when the series first started, but I’m tired of it. I don’t care about the love square. I don’t care about the “soulmate” trope when in reality anyone can be someone’s soulmate with the right care. That was no doubt the biggest issue for me in the entire special.

In my opinion, it would have been perfect if it wasn’t Adrinette centric. This was the best moment to show Marinette is improving herself but it had to become fan service because god forbid it felt like they needed to please the Adrinette shippers that their ship is still valid. If we’re judging this based off the season 3 finale, I won’t lie, this special fit better as a season 2 finale or mid season 3 than the end of season 3.

I’m seriously more disappointed that the special wasn’t more on Marinette and herself as a character. They were in New York, another strong hub for fashion. This was a perfect opportunity to explore more of her interests as a fashion designer and maybe meeting some new people. Who knows, maybe even Jagged Stone as an international rock star. But overall it was a lost opportunity to expand more on her for the sake of shipping.

I think it would have also been cool to see her and Chat Noir maybe learn some methods/training from the US heroes and get a glimpse into a world of heroism that is different in cultures and circumstances. Which honestly made sense to me how US heroes didn’t care about identity because Ladybug and Chat Noir have magical based items that are no doubt more powerful and outside sources that I’m sure would be willing to destroy to obtain it.

Another problem I had was how I felt we were robbed without having Kagami and Luka go to New York. Or if anything, more with Luka than Kagami. I love Kagami with all my being, but I doubt her mother would let her go to New York. But imagine Luka being there. We could have had a flipping jam session between Luka and Jess. I felt we were cheated, it would have been amazing to see two incredible guitarists jam it out and two people who have a passion for music find a friend in each other. I would have given anything to have had that moment.

Though in general I would have enjoyed anything else if it just wasn’t Adrinette centric. I’m positive everyone in the fandom is on the same page that they’re “soulmates” but there’s more that can be done than a damn ship that has followers that attack and annoy anyone who doesn’t ship them. Because, god forbid, Adrien and Marinette apparently aren’t allowed to be happy with others. I swear, half the fandom (hardcore adrinette shippers) treat Adrien more as an object than the ML characters themselves.

Nothing against the ship, but it’s just not for me and that’s okay. I simply can’t relate to Adrien as a romantic choice of a character. When Luka came into existence, I was in awe. I found a character I could relate too because I was as close to similarity than any other character in a show before. And that’s something I’ve noticed with this fandom, hating characters because to them they’re nothing but boring.

Fans need to understand that one will not understand everything in a show, especially characters. Just because you hate a character and find them boring doesn’t mean they’re terribly written. You as a viewer simply can’t relate to them and that’s completely fine. There will always be some who can relate and understand while others don’t, but that shouldn’t be a reason to argue against people who love a certain character.

And I’m being serious, I enjoyed the 30 seconds of Kagami and Luka with their love interests more than the hour of Adrinette. It’s just overall sad. There is so much potential that could have been the special focus wise but felt it was there to show why Adrinette is “superior” when it’s really not. They’re only one of many ships that are equally good. It comes down to how it’s portrayed and done.

However, since I know we’re stuck with Adrinette no matter what, I’m going to end this review with this as a food for thought but again, this is a simple opinion.

There was one thing that stood out and caught myself and some of my friends in a ML server attention. In the NY special there were strong moments that revolved around bikes. So, out of curiosity, I searched for symbolism meanings about bikes during the server’s conversation and it might hint to what might happen or what might come in the future of the show.

The bike symbolizes the moving circle of life.

Seeing a bicycle is a hint that you will reach somewhere. This could either be your motivation or your future plan. Cycling refers to the different moods that a person feels. Bicycles are also related to the ups and downs of life. For instance, riding a bicycle gives you both smooth edges and rough pebbles on your journey. The smooth edges are related to the happy times of your life and the rough pebbles denote the challenges of life.

So, if we want to use this to break down ML, this in a way, represents Lukanette and Adrinette. Luka are the smooth edges in Marinette’s journey. He’s the one that calms her, helps her think things through, focuses on what Marinette wants to do rather tell her what she should do. Never once does he tell her to do this or do that, but simply asks her what it is she wants. Luka, is pretty much her guide. The happy times as Marinette where she appears happiest without the burdens and overwhelming stress of her other life. Whereas Adrien is the rough pebbles in her journey, the challenges to properly talk with the one she views as a love interest or simply to build that perfect friendship/relationship. Yes, they’re friends, but they’re not as strong as friends like Marinette and Alya or Adrien and Nino. Adrien is a challenge in her life and always will be until she learns to let go and mature.

The other moment that stood out with the bike was the moment Marinette was pressured to chase after Adrien to get him to stay. She chases after him on a bike but falls off in the end.

Falling off the Bicycle: This indicates that you are losing your self-confidence.

Spend time with your loved ones and take suggestions from the experienced people. Join a course on building your personality and motivation. Do things that interest you the most and this will surely help to bring back your confidence level. This indicates a frenzied lifestyle and the need to slow down.

This here makes me believe that Luka is the “experienced people” in Marinette’s life. Other than Kagami, Luka is the only mature one in Marinette’s life in her friend group. He’s one of the biggest motivators in Marinette’s life as of recent. Putting her interests at heart that have helped her build her confidence. We know Marinette has a frenzied lifestyle with everything that she has on her shoulders as well as her passions. And Luka is one of the very few, if not, only one in her friend group that can calm Marinette and help her slow down and simply relax.

I know Adrinette is endgame, but I won’t deny when I say if there was anything that ML could do, is that they make Adrigami and Lukanette endgame. So many shows always pair the two main characters, always. If there is any message that I would have loved to see come from a show like ML, it would simply be “Your first love/crush will not always be the one and that’s okay. That your first crush/love could be the greatest friendship you ever have. And the second chances in your life are just as valuable as the first and may be even better for you.”

Fans might hate Kagami and Luka, but as far as I’m concerned from everything I’ve watched since the beginning, the only reason you’re getting your Adrinette in the end is all because of Luka. If it weren’t for him majority of the time, y’all wouldn’t have half of your love square moments. So, Luka is the true MVP in my book. Because unlike many of the others, he doesn’t put pressure on Marinette and that’s what Marinette doesn’t need right now, more pressure.

Adrien and Marinette might be endgame, but those two need people outside of their classmates because everyone is too tunnel vision. Luka and Kagami are the only ones that will help Adrien and Marinette mature, cause those two will not be able to do it themselves. So, if you want your Adrinette, you’re gonna have to suffer through Lukanette and Adrigami.

#ml #ml spoilers #ml ny special #ml ny special spoilers #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug and chat noir #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #luka couffaine #kagami tsuguri #adrinette #adrienette #lukanette #adrigami #bbwoulf opinions #bbwoulf's review

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snkpolls · 4 years

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SnK Episode 65 Poll Results (for Manga Readers)

The poll closed with 318 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that these are the results for the Manga Readers’ poll. If you wish to see the results for the Anime Only Watchers’ poll, click here.

RATE THE EPISODE 309 Responses

Overall the episode was a hit with viewers, with the majority ranking it a 4 or higher. Over half of all respondents rating it a solid 5. The hype is real!

I thought this was a great episode. A lot of hype moments and the CGI worked for me, for the most part. Looking forward to the next episode!

All around exceeded my expectations if mappa keeps this up this will go down as the best anime in history

Chef's KISS!!! 10/10 episode, i was extremely hyped the entire time.

It was amazing and I hope MAPPA keeps up with the same quality for future episodes

Amazing episode really hype

I thought the voice acting was amazing! :)

Great episode, not perfect but neither was WIT. No adaptation is perfect. This was fantastic.

It was pretty good just maybe good have been done better but I’m just happy it was done at all.

I’ve lowered my expectations to rock bottom at this point

An enjoyable time.

I think it was great! I was very excited and left me wanting more tbh

It was a very good episode!! I'm so happy to see the survey corps again!

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING MOMENTS WAS YOUR FAVORITE? 310 Responses

Mikasa’s reintroduction to the series takes the largest piece of the pie, with 31.6% enjoying the scene the most. In second comes the coordinated attack from the Survey Corps against Porco, with 14.8% feeling that scene really brings the hype. At 10.3%, Levi’s first appearance in the season takes 3rd place, and with 9.7% is the overall fight between Eren and the War Hammer Titan.

Ackermans ran this episode as they should. They're on a whole different level.

Why isn't the Sasha-Gabi moment in the list of favourite moments? That's my actually favourite moment. Gabi seeing Sasha through the fire and smoke, Sasha's reflection in her eyes...chilling.

THE CGI CONTINUES TO BE A POINT OF CONTENTION. BE HONEST, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE EXECUTION OF CGI SO FAR THIS SEASON? 309 Responses

In general, the fandom appears to be understanding of MAPPA’s usage of CGI, with 38.2% being completely unbothered by it, 20.1% feeling that while it’s not ideal, it could be much worse, and 18.8% not particularly caring for it but not faulting MAPPA for it either. A handful of people just wish that there would be more appreciation that it’s getting animated at all, while others continue to be a bit salty about the usage of CGI this season.

Did people forgot the god-awful Colossal titan's CGI from WIT? Well, I didn't so I wasn't surprised by the same level of CGI in Eren's scene (thankfully just one of them). I rarely have issue with CGI in SnK except for truly awful looking ones so like couple of times in the season, usually.

I honestly wouldn't even know there's CGI if everyone wasn't complaining about it. I honest to god can't see where they use it.

It's mostly fine

I thought the war hammer titan looked AMAZING, the only CGI that looked odd was the scouts in the background, but that’s really it...?

A few sore spots (e.g. Erens titan looked kinda off this ep), but it's not season-ruining yet.

CGI Titans >>>>>>>> CGI Survey Corps

It works fine for titans that already look somewhat mechanical (Armor, Jaw), but it looks incredibly awkward for the others, to the point of taking me out of the story.

Sometimes great sometimes shit

Maybe I've been spoiled by studio orange and the previous seasons, but I know for a fact that they can do better. This is not a new anime, this is the final season of one of the greatest anime of all time, so yeah I expected much better CGI, it was poor and unecessary.

i think it’s gr8/unnoticeable,,,,,like we all put up with the colossal titan in s1-3 lmao

Some Titans like Eren and Beast look a little weird but I just really like how they made effort to make it blend with the art style. Maybe if they had found a way to cut the animation down to 12fps it might not look so bad? Anyways I think it’s good for what it is, MAPPA is doing their best!

I barely noticed it. The animation looks BOMB. Top 5 episodes of the whole series for me and BEST action episode of AOT easily.

I'm always going to prefer 2D but I understand why they're using it. Still sad about what could've been if they were given enough time to work on the season. Definitely going to lower my expectations.

My dumbass wouldn't even notice, I just want to see the pretty people

I think the CGI for the Titans is completely fine. It's the CGI for the Scouts that was a bit off putting for me. Still, not enough to ruin the episode. And if we continue to get animation of this standard I will be fine with it.

At this point after episode 7 onward eventually AOT CGI is going to be worst than EX-arm's CGI

I love it because it makes the titans scarier and more eerie? I also miss the 2D ones because they feel more natural. Overall, I think it's fine!

I think the CGi is well executed (for the most part), I just don't like that they had to use it so much.

It's a great job. They manage to execute it very well and go to a normal animation when it's needed. It doesn't bother me tbh

HOW WAS EREN’S ROOFTOP SWAN DIVE? 309 Responses

Eren’s dive in the anime was a bit different than in the manga, but it seemed to get a few laughs out of the fandom, so we asked you all to rank it. 58.3% felt it was the most beautiful dive to have ever dived, while only 5.5% think Eren really needs to work on his form. He did his best.

WHICH RETURNING CHARACTER’S ENTRANCE WAS YOUR FAVORITE IN THIS EPISODE? 310 Responses

Mikasa stole the show this episode, with 53.5% enjoying her entrance the most. Levi wasn’t too far behind though, with 29% of respondents hyped over his return. 11.6% were very happy to see Sasha again, while smaller chunks were glad to see Jean and Connie.

They massacred my Jean-boy’s entrance 🥲

WHICH RETURNING CHARACTER HAS THE BEST MAPPA-STYLE GLOW UP? 304 Responses

We got a more colorful and evened out pie for this question. Overall the largest chunk, at 24.3%, are enjoying MAPPA’s take on Eren’s iconic “hobo chic” look. 21.1% think Sasha looks the best out of all of them, while Mikasa trails just behind her at 20.1%. 16.1% are grateful for Connie’s design, leaving 9.5% favoring Jean, and smaller handfuls appreciating MAPPA’s take on Levi and Floch.

Chubby Floch

Here I am watching the trailer all over again because that's probably the only way to see Jean animated handsome and with his actual manga face. MAPPA what happened?

Levi has a thicc ass

I’m a big fan of all the time skip character designs, it was hard to pick just one favourite :)

Jean looked stupid... Floch too but that's not important.

OG characters designs feels a bit off to me. I understand why they use CG for some parts and I have mixed emotions about it. I hope they won't rely on it too much on the upcoming episodes.

#ITSTIMEMIKASA WAS TRENDING ON TWITTER BEFORE THE EPISODE AIRED. ON A SCALE OF 1-5, HOW MUCH DID IT LIVE UP TO THE HYPE? 304 Responses

One of the most anticipated scenes of the Marley arc was the return of the Survey Corps and the way Mikasa paves the path for their reintroduction. The fandom appears to be very happy with MAPPA’s execution of the scene, with 60.9% of respondents rating it with a 5, with 27% rating it a 4.

EEEEEEEEEEK MIKASA

Mikasa! Mikasa! Gosh love her!

im so glad mikasa is back owfejgrnrkdfs

MAPPA INCLUDED FILLER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EPISODE OF WILLY HESITANTLY DEPARTING FROM HIS TEARFUL FAMILY. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE ADDITION? 310 Responses

The series isn’t known for having too much filler, but typically what filler does exist seems to be appreciated by the fandom, and this was no exception. 56.8% of respondents were happy for a little more fleshing out of Willy’s character (also learning that those kids were his!) and being able to sympathize more with him. 19.7% appreciated the more sympathetic addition until they remembered he was willing to throw Liberio under the bus for his plan. 13.5% are appreciative of any and all additional Willy content. A small amount didn’t like the filler and would rather have had MAPPA put their effort into other things.

I liked it. Got to see more of his fine ass. lmao

Don't add extra 2d animation if You can't even handle what's in the manga

It would've been better to show before he was dead. Fleshing him out after the audience already know he's dead doesn't hit as much imo

Wasn't one of the scene itself, but then again I'm always interested in scenes I haven't seen yet.

I am so grateful, willy for is one of my favourites and omg we got to see his family and how is he a lovely papa 😭💕 I can't ask for more bless you MAPPA🤘

fuck them kids

Why should we feel bad for him? He tried to unite the world against Paradis. He got what he deserved.

this was a benefit. as manga readers, we had time to know willy. anime onlies will only ever have these 2-3 episodes and it was very humanizing

How is that possible that Tybur little kids in few seconds were louder nad more chaotic than THE WHOLE CITY DURING THE ATTACK??

It's very regrettable he left so many children fatherless because of what he chose to do. Really saddening..

I’d have rather seen more of the manga animated

I knew why they added it, but I (personally) think willy is crud. Not mad it's there tho!

He did his duty as a Tybur to the very end. Honestly I wish he could have lived longer, he’s a really compelling and interesting character.

I feel like some viewers have carelessly misunderstood Willy because of that scene in the carriage. They're like 'wow, he really hates and shames his own people huh?' but at the beginning of the episode we all saw his abundance of children. Would it not have been extremely contradictory if he had truly wanted the extinction of all Eldians and then at the same time did the complete opposite by mass-reproducing a small army of Eldian children? Maybe that's why that scene was added to the start of the episode, to keep people away from mischaracterising him. Unfortunately, this may have simply been missed or overlooked by some.

they should had polish the damn episode instead of fillers.

Loved it! Mappa is killing it with the episode additions

Reading the manga, I truly didn't even consider the possibility that these were Willy's children because he is so obviously a ~*bachelor*~. Like, it didn't even cross my mind that those children weren't his little nieces and nephews because he is suuuuch a Theater Gay. Nothing can change my mind.

Wait a minute, are these the kids in that ending slide from season 3?

IN THE ORIGINAL CHAPTER 101, MAGATH IS THE ONE WHO ADVOCATES FOR KILLING EREN INSTEAD OF EATING HIM (IN CONTRAST TO HIS SUBORDINATE KOSLOW) AND NOTES THAT “THE AGE OF TITANS IS OVER.” IN THE ADAPTATION, MAGATH INSTEAD ADVOCATES FOR EATING EREN, NOTING THAT KILLING HIM WOULD ONLY PROLONG THE PROBLEM. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CHANGE? 305 Responses

A minor dialogue change didn’t seem to have much of an effect on nearly half of respondents, with 47.5% saying they’re indifferent to the change. 43.3% like the change much better, feeling that it works a lot better with future story developments and makes more sense. A handful didn’t care for the change and felt it tampered with Magath’s overall characterization.

I think the change was logical and more consistent with the story, but I'm naturally skeptical of any AOT manga-to-anime change.

I forgot this.

It ovewrites the flaw of Magath's original plan. Even if I think its unfitting of him, it makes sense.

I'm not sure what I feel about it. Kinda like how they added Falco having a dream back in episode 1. For now, let's just see.

I suppose the new change is a little contradictory because Magath dislikes Marley’s reliance on Titan power and rather just wishes th ey had prowess in other ways.

Realistically eating him makes more sense for them to eat Eren so they gain control of the Founder but I think Magath accepting the age of Titans is now done for is more in character.

It obviously makes more sense logistically, but I think it's important for Magath to stand opposed to Marley national policy on this front, like, symbolically.

BETWEEN UDO AND ZOFIA, WHO WOULD YOU HAVE LIKED TO SURVIVE TO RECEIVE MORE STORY IN THE MANGA? 304 Responses

Though they are minor characters, the anime seems to have made some of the fandom a bit more fond of them. Still, 38.5% wouldn’t change anything about their fates, stating that they were necessary for Gabi to develop further as a character. 28% would rather neither of them died and are curious about how they would have developed if they lived to see another day. 23.7% say if they had to pick only one of them, it would be Udo due to his relevant commentary. A handful leaned toward Zofia, wishing they could have learned more about her.

Udo. But at the same time Isayama can barely handle all the characters that are still alive so Udo probably wouldn't get a lot of screen time anyway.

Zofia. I didn't care about her while reading the manga, but in the anime she was more unique. I liked her stoic voice a lot. Zofia and Gabi should have switch the places.

None cus i don't like Gabi

Both or neither. One would be just a third wheel to Gabi and Falco. I would love to see more of Udo and Zofia but I think their deaths were important

Udo and zofia's deaths hurt so bad. I didn't particularly care for either of them when reading the manga but i grown attracted to them in the anime. Udo's in particular breaks me. He was such a energic kid and he... got trampled to death. I'm just...

Neither. Both were serving an enemy nation and deserved what they got.

They weren't important to me so I don't really care

OPINION ON HOW THE ATTACK ON LIBERIO WAS PORTRAYED? 306 Responses

47.1% of respondents didn’t want to pick sides, stating that the attack was tragic in both mediums of the story-telling. 25.8% felt that it was much more devastating in animated form alongside the sound, music and voice acting. 18.3% felt a bigger impact while reading the manga.

Both versions are devastating, but Manga hit harder bc I just was so confused and couldn't stop trying to figure out wtf Eren was doing and why. Watching it knowing what I know made it somehow more devastating and yet also more palatable (bc I have a better understanding.)

It was more devastating in the manga. Especially Udo's death scene

I think I have to wait until the battle is over. So far it's alright.

Loved it

It gave me more emotions in the manga.

They got what they deserved

It was far more devastating in trailer 🙄

WE FINALLY HAVE A NAME FOR LADY TYBUR - LARA! THOUGHTS? 307 Responses

One of the few characters left with no name after the large guidebook released a few years ago, Lady Tybur was all we could call her (aside from fan-given names). Now she has an official name! 26.7% found it neat that we finally got this official detail. 25.4% feel that now they can finally sleep at night. 17.6% are forever grateful for the name drop and hated waiting so long for it. 15.3% don’t care at all and 11.7% feel this confirms that Isayama is a fan of Tomb Raider.

Not what I was expecting and wasn't expecting her to get a name. At least people can stop calling her Emma or those other dumbass meme names.

Cool. Next up: names for the Blouse kids, right? Right right?

I'm not kidding when I say I literally jumped up and screeched "SHE HAS A NAME!!!"

she didn't need it. she was the mysterious lady t.

Lara was more lucky than Traute, who got more panels in the manga but her name was mentioned only in the guidebook.

Still died

WHICH SCENE FROM THE PREVIEW ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? 306 Responses

Of all the shots in the preview, 45.1% of respondents were most looking forward to Levi’s staged attack on Zeke. 17% favored seeing Mikasa assist Eren, 15% were most looking forward to seeing Falco emerge from the basement to see the carnage outside. 10.1% were stoked to see Pieck enter the battlefield. The episode has aired as of the publishing of these poll results - we hope these scenes lived up to the hype (even though we guessed one wrong lol).

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

I enjoyed the episode very much. I felt that the CGI was handled fairly well given the time restraints. However, there were a few instances where it was a bit jarring like Eren eating Willy, Eren pulling the WHT's cord, Mikasa landing on Eren, and Jean climbing up on the roof. Also some of the CGI models looked a bit weird for the scouts. I'm hoping some of these issues can be improved on in the Blue-ray version. Overall, these issues were noticeable but didn't take too much away from my enjoyment of the episode.

As much as I don't like the CGI, episode was great.

Just that it was fantastic and I can't wait for the next one!

The music is top notch. I love it. Especially the new version of XL TT near the end

After re-visiting the trailer we got for this season, it's just....saddening. Everyone was wondering how Mappa was gonna animate AoT and after seeing that trailer, all that effort by the animators, I thought "it's in good hands!". Now that we're getting the episodes and it's underwhelming. I don't blame the Mappa animators at all and cgi is unavoidable at some moments. But whoever are the higher ups who said "animate this in the shortest amount of time" ARE the assholes. It's so upsetting for this anime and the workers of it to be brought down like this :'(

Continuing to enjoy the pictures on the page come to life in the anime.

It was pretty amazing, I was waiting for so long to see this part animated! Aaand I'm so happy I got to see again the scouts! (expecially Connie, my personal fav)

Erwin should had lived instead of Armin, so Erwin can nuke Marley dropping from a blimp

I really liked it! I don't understand all the critics about the animation. It looks really neat and smooth

the SC backlit in that final scene was sickkkkk

It was different from the manga, but all the differences just improved the storytelling and fleshed out the people in Marley. Well done, MAPPA!

aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

I’m just grateful Mappa actually gives a shit about adapting the story properly. That alone makes this season a 9/10 for me cause that’s rare to see in the anime industry these days.

THE OST WAS FIRE

Gabi's voice acting was amazing this episode ! Also, it feels good to hear the ODM gear sound effect again. The CGI didn't keep me from enjoying the fight, we got awesome camera movements and good choreography, I'm very hopeful for next episode ! Also best boy Onyankopon might appear soon ?

I seriously do not know why people are complaining. It was amazing! Can't wait for the next episodes, it's going to be action-packed and intense!

I don't know if I liked the episode or not. I usually prefer manga so even episodes I like I prefer their manga versions but there is something in off with the episode and usually, Titans fight are more excited but this one Nah it was not at all. War hammer was great in animation it served a better understanding of its powers but the fight, in general, was like boring?? idk maybe because I am a manga reader so the titan power/character's introduction was not as thrilling as they were when I've read the chapters. anyways, there is still more of the attack on liberio in the next episode so I'll give my final thought when we conclude the arc

I really enjoyed and the CGI doesn't bother me.

I think the reason Attack Titan looks a bit off is it looks a bit thinner! Warhammer looks amazing because it's a true copy of the manga. If Attack Titan was a bit buff, I think nobody would have that much of a problem. Overall the chapter is amazing!

as much as i adored everything else i must admit... what is wrong with the character design? what happened to everyone's jaws?? i think jean, mikasa and pieck were the worst drawn. in the manga, they look flawless.

I just hope we would get actual discussions in the sub instead of circle jerking or bitching about the cgi/ost etc.

The soundtrack was epic as hell

Mappa is doing a good job, with the little time they had. But sadly, they had the capacity to do way better and I will always regret this situation. And the Jojo memes on Mikasa are on point: in that specific panel, she looks ugly and unlike her cute face in the manga. For the rest of the episode, she's well portrayed

I think this episode is a taste of what is to come. It’s one thing to read still, silent pictures of complete devastation, and it’s another thing to hear the explosions, the screaming and crying. Seeing the blood painted red instead of black and white. When Eren rumbles the world, more people will realize how evil it is, how completely irredeemable. Less people will be #teameren once they get to see it in the anime. I can’t wait to see what MAPPA has in store.

So many nice details in the battle that weren’t there in the manga, the war hammer animation was particularly great

I feel bad complaining, but this was the first episode of the season that has disappointed me at all. Every other episode I feel has elevated the manga. I don't want (and never expected) to be that person, but the CGI, especially on the humans (WHY??) was so awkward it was distracting. We also lost a little bit of expressiveness from Eren, which is kind of a big deal when there's so little from him to begin with.

Soundtrack was lit!!!!

It is what it is. But after I finished the episode I went back to watch the trailer and got sad that the season just isn't going to look like that. It's not bad by any means and I understand that these are people, not robots working on this with an extremely tight schedule. This entitled fanbase is super embarrassing with it's behavior and harassment of the people working on it. I kind of hope the final arc doesn't get animated now because these people don't deserve it.

Awesome! I was a bit distracted how the pacing was, cutting a bit weirdly from one episode to another, but I really enjoyed it!

That closeup of Eren's Titan after he nom'd Willy is NUTS.

It was emotionless and almost boring. The sound director keeps fucking up big time. I didnt feel anything close to the hype I felt watching the Armored/Colossal reveal animated. There were no exciting goosebumps, or tears. Nothing. Also the CGI was terrible. There were good things, but I expected much more for suck a climatic episode

It was a good episode after all, graphic was ok but i think that if they continued with the same titan 2d animation of first episodes and maybe changed a bit some sound it would have been waaay better. Still a good episode imho

The episode was very average. I'm not trying to complain, I know that the anime is mostly for anime-onlines, while we have a manga, but I expected better. I imagined the titan fight to be smooth, but in reality both - WHT and AT - moved like two, fat elephants. In the manga I felt that WHT was fast like a wind. In the anime Lara was slow, she looked like she had a hard time to even hold her hammer. The moment between Eren and Mikasa was disappointing. In the anime when Mikasa was upset about Eren's actions, he was completely unfeeling, while in the manga we see him being full of emotions and almost crying. I know he will turn into a cold bastard but MAPPA shouldn't dehumanize Eren so much now. I was surprised by Connie's glow up. MAPPA has done better job with him. In the manga he still looks like a kid, while MAPPA made him more mature-looking and masculine. That's good for underrated Connie. I'm grateful for the scene between Willy and his children. This way he feels more sympathetic and isn't ""just a guy who declared a war and was eaten by Eren"".

I really like how the warriors and Marleyans seem to be getting a somewhat equal amount of screen time as the scouts have gotten after they've come into the picture. I hope this helps to make clear for the anime-onlies that understanding the experiences, emotions and the development of the other side is just as important as understanding those of the scouts/Paradis.

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 279 Responses

Thank you again to everyone who participated!

#snk poll #snk polls #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #snk #aot #snk s4

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anonniemousefics · 4 years

Text

My Dearest Inej | Chapter Eleven

Chapter Masterlist

Originally posted on AO3

Rating: Teen And Up

Synopsis: A series of letters kept among the personal belongings of Captain Inej Ghafa.

Chapter Eleven: A Balancing Act

My darling Inej,

Don’t think for a minute I don’t know what you’re aiming at with this letter full of questions. You may have my heart, but you can’t be privy to all of my schemes, especially when I’m now aware that your birthday is next month. Did you think I would forget? My dear, I forget nothing.

So, no, to all of your questions. I’m not telling you what I’ve been plotting lately. I’m not telling you what has been on my mind. I’m not telling you if I’ve been visiting Jesper and Wylan’s more than usual. You must wait in suspense just as Jesper did. That’s part of the experience.

And don’t make that scoffing sound when you read this. I remind you that this whole birthday gift experience business was all your idea. You have no one to blame but yourself.

How do I sleep at night, you asked? Noisily, I’ve been told, but just fine, thank you.

With all of my scheming heart,

Kaz

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To my favorite Inej,

Has he said anything at all to you – regarding the incident in my last letter? We found him on the couch again this morning. It’s at least becoming less startling when it happens. I just wish I understood it. He has that uncanny ability to vanish without explanations, and Wylan and I aren’t sure how to bring it up since he’s so clearly bent on pretending it’s not happening.

I suppose if our sofa and our dog are what he needs right now for whatever is happening inside that ridiculous brain of his, then I’m glad we’re able to help in some small way. He’s not taking advantage of much. We only wish he’d trust us with more.

I mean, we’ve all have nearly died for his schemes on more than one occasion. Should I remind him of that? What could possibly be too much to ask of us at this point?

All my love,

Jesper

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To our feared and beloved Captain

For her twenty-first birthday:

Cake and kvas and mysteries galore

Are awaiting your arrival

Return to Ketterdam if you wish to know more

Your presence is requested at the enclosed address, at 3 bells the 18th of October.

No questions. All will be revealed in time.

Love,

Your favorite Crows

(addition in Kaz’s handwriting)

That gods-awful poem was Jesper and Wylan’s idea. Withhold judgment until after the evening. I’ll make it worth your while.

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Dear Nina,

I’m sailing away from Ketterdam today having nearly every single one of my birthday wishes fulfilled but one. But I won’t hold it against you. I know why you couldn’t have been there, or at least, I understand why I don’t know the specifics of why you couldn’t be there. Just know that, at the time of writing this and always, you are sorely missed.

You would be so proud, though, with how our boys outdid themselves. I am impressed and moved and, frankly, still a little speechless. I’m honestly still replaying the memories and recalling the half-starved scrappy little things we all were seven years ago, and the two images side-by-side could not be any more different. I hope, wherever you are, the passage of time is bringing you similar new hopes. You deserve that and so much more, Nina.

Where to begin? You know, years ago, just before we started the Ice Court, Kaz made me this lofty, insane promise. That, if we did it right, we’d be kings and queens. I’ll be damned if he wasn’t right.

The day started at a dressmaker’s shop. I’d been given an address and a time to arrive, and that alone was a little jaw-dropping. It was in The Lid – an absolute premier spot I’d never even heard of when I lived in Ketterdam. I was grossly underdressed when I arrived. It’s not that I have anything against dresses – you know this. They’re just not at all practical for my line of work, and so I have none. I confess that sometimes I’ll admire them in a shop window when I’m out and about in a port town, but why in the world would I ever spend the coin on one? I wouldn’t even know what suits me anymore.

This dressmaker, though, Nina. She knew all everything about the right fabrics, the right cut, the right make. They’d booked me the entire shop all to myself, just me and the dressmaker. She found me an absolute perfect gown – I’m staring at it right now. I have no idea what the hell I’m supposed to do with it now that my birthday’s over. Maybe I’ll prop it up in my desk chair and have tea with it every once and awhile. It’s this breathtaking light, pastel yellow, like sunshine, with all this detailed beadwork and exposed shoulders and what the dressmaker called an A-line waist. You might know what that means. I think it’s just dressmaker code for very pretty. She tailored me into it right there in the shop and fitted me with shoes and a cloak to match.

(My one regret was having no idea what to do with my hair. You’d cringe, but I left it in the braid. A minor detail the boys overlooked.)

It took a good few hours to get fixed up in the dress, and it was nearly evening by then. The dressmaker assured me it was all paid for, and right about that time, a black carriage pulled up in front of the shop. And Jesper and Wylan had their heads out the windows, shouting like madmen at me from the streets. I think the entirety of The Lid knew then about my birthday.

Kaz was in the carriage, too, hiding his enthusiasm as he does so well. I have to tell you, though, Nina, I won’t ever forget the look on his face when I got into the carriage. He was clearly trying his best to remain cool and unaffected, but I saw it, the way his jaw dropped slightly and his breath caught. This is obviously why I can never get rid of this dress. I’m just imagining what he’s going to end up writing in his letter after this, since, verbally, he actually managed to mumble that I looked beautiful, right there in front of Jesper and Wylan.

You know, it’s interesting. When he says it, it’s not at all like hearing a man in the Menagerie say it. When he says it, it’s like it’s not just the dress. I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s the same words, and yet it’s so very different.

And it only got better from there. The city was getting dusky, and the lamps were being lit. We were still in The Lid, amongst carriages and carriages of the filthy rich from the Financial District, the Government District, and tourists from all over. I kept leaning my head out the window to figure out what was coming next.

Nina – they had bought us all ticket to the Cirque Euphoric.

Maybe this means nothing to you. But it’s only the most ancient, most elite, most elaborate traveling circus in the world. It can only be afforded anymore by the wealthiest of tourists. And they were there doing an entire season in The Lid in Ketterdam, under a big top the size of two city blocks.

Nina, you don’t understand. My entire childhood, I kept posters and drawings and any relic that made its way to the markets from the Cirque Euphoric. Their high wire artists set the standard for all other performers in the business. The things they do in the sky, Nina, are things I haven’t even begun to imagine yet.

Sufficed to say, as soon as I figured out where we were going, I lost it. I did not know what to do with myself. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I burst into tears. It was a horrifying few moments for everyone involved. They were fairly certain they’d done something horribly wrong, instead of so wonderfully right. But that only last a couple minutes. I was able to get it together before Kaz could yell at the driver to take us back to East Stave. And then the merriment resumed, soaked handkerchief and all.

Oh, Saints, Nina, it was everything I’d ever imagined and more.

I don’t know how he knew this, but Kaz had reserved us the very best seats. You don’t want to sit too high at a circus or you’ll miss entertainment on the ground. Sitting too low presents a problem, too, because you want to be able to see the footwork the high wire artists can do. We were right in the middle, just where I’d have picked seats myself. Sankta Alina, I felt like a little girl again. I haven’t been that happy in years. I’d almost forgotten what it was to be that happy. And to watch it all with such beloved friends, who knew me well enough to know I would like this, to watch and hear their reactions to the performances. They might have loved it almost as much as I did. Almost.

We took another carriage ride after, hours later, when it was dark and the streets were bustling with very different crowds. I would have assumed that was the end of it, but Kaz had made us reservations in a private dining room at a fine dining club I’d never heard of.

My entire crew from The Wraith was waiting in the dining room. We ate a meal there fit for royalty, with drinks and a cake big enough that even you might have gotten sick of it after awhile. I don’t think I’ll need to eat again for weeks.

It must have been around midnight or past when we finally rolled ourselves out of the club. We took another carriage ride, stopping first at the Van Eck mansion so Wylan could haul a decently-sloshed Jesper off to bed and hopefully not to the toilet bowl. I actually never heard how he ended up faring that night.

And then it was finally just Kaz and me. If I hadn’t been so tired then, I think I’d have tried to snog his face off the whole way home. I’d been noticing his smug little smirk all evening. He’d planned the whole thing. Like I said, kings and queens. He’d made good on his word at last.

But we were both exhausted on that final carriage ride – he’d booked me a room at the Geldrenner. And it’s not like I needed anything else at that point. The whole experience had already exceeded my expectations. He leaned back against the window, and I rested against him under his arm. We both dozed off there before the end of the ride.

Which is another point I realize I haven’t mentioned to you yet. This has been happening lately. Kaz falling asleep in unusual places. Jesper’s been worrying about it for weeks now. I was having a hard time believing it until I witnessed it myself. Tell me this isn’t weird:

We got to the Geldrenner, and I asked him to come up. Oh, calm down. Are we really going to pretend like this is shocking at this point? Frankly, given the number of years, it’s shocking we weren’t sneaking into hotel rooms four years ago. And it’s not like we do much more than kiss. Although, I thought about it. It was my birthday after all, and he had just gifted me the experience of a lifetime and a luxury hotel room to boot. I was definitely thinking about it.

But that’s not the weird part. Let’s agree that’s not the weird part, anyway. We came up, and we did very little talking. There’d been plenty of talking happening all night, and I was more interested in other things he can do with his mouth. Kissing, Nina, Saints. I can sense you doing that waggling thing with your eyebrows. I’m talking about just a lot of kissing, as soon as he let me get my hands on him. The kind of kissing every grown woman should have on her birthday, kisses that slide into more kisses, like there’s nothing else in the world happening but this.

But then the weird part happened. We’re lying on the bed (fully clothed, Nina, he even still had his gloves on), or at least, he’s lying back on the pillows and I’m kissing him, and then I notice he wasn’t really moving. And I sat back a moment, and I swear to you, he had fallen asleep. Believe me, I called him out on it right then, literally – “Are you sleeping?!” And he flinched right awake and apologized and blamed it on the kvas, and I might have even believed him.

Except Jesper keeps talking about this strange new habit of his. And, as I replay the night’s memories in my head, it does feel like something was off. He seemed paler. He seemed quieter. He seemed – well, tired.

Now I can’t kick this feeling like there’s something more happening behind the scenes. I wish you were here, Nina, and you could work your magic like you do and just squeeze the truth out of his brain somehow. I’ll have to settle for my own magic, I guess.

When I look over my letters from him, he’s off-handedly mentioned feeling overwhelmed, particularly since this kid Artie joined the Dregs. And, don’t get me wrong, the kid is kind of handful. His moods swing wide between murderous rage and affectionate admiration. But he’s not Kaz’s sole responsibility. Pim and Anika do a lot to keep him on task and out of the bad kind of trouble. I wouldn’t think this would be enough to drive him to exhaustion.

But then again, Artie is the same age Jordie was. I wonder how much that gets to him. I wonder how much time he spends avoiding that. I wonder if he allows himself to think of it at all. Would that be enough to push him to the edge? Or is it something more?

It couldn’t be me, could it? Am I becoming exhausting?

Ugh, Nina, come squeeze this out of my brain, too. And then come dress shopping with me, because it is much more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

Missing you terribly,

Inej

#six of crows #soc #crooked kingdom #grishaverse #leigh bardugo #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #nina zenik #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #ketterdam #kanej #kanej fanfic #kaz brekker x inej ghafa #kaz x inej #fanfic #fanfiction

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finallyaniguana · 5 years

Text

Watch The Eyes: Honesty to an Extent [11]

[10] masterpost ao3 [12]

"I'm sorry I couldn't make yours too, Adrien," she looked over at him, still standing in the doorway.

He clicked the door shut.

"That's okay, Mari. You know how my père is. Can't have the face of his company repping another designer. Especially one no one knows the identity of yet," he winked.

Her face warmed with pride. She was making a name for MDC in the entertainment industry, mostly doing tour pieces here and there for Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale. Those outfits were starting to get recognition by designers wanting to recruit the new up and coming talent.

After she was done showing off Marinette's hard work, Alya cleared her throat and looked at the designer meaningfully.

Marinette met her gaze, standing a little taller as if in challenge. Alya quirked an eyebrow, meaning the behavior did not go unnoticed. There was a solid ten seconds of staring before Nino cleared his throat too, trying to end the silent stand off.

Just as quiet as the stare down started, Marinette conceded, agreeing to share her news with the boys with a nod.

"I just recently found out I have a soulmate," she said matter of factly.

If Nino had been drinking something, he would have choked. Adrien was rather convincing pretending he didn't already know.

"What?! This is huge!" Nino exclaimed, excited for his childhood friend. "How did you find out?"

Alya glared down at her.

"On my birthday-"

Nino interrupted.

"But that was two weeks ago!"

Adrien shushed him, ignoring Alya's squint, imploring Marinette to go on.

"I switched bodies with him."

The boys thought for a second before Adrien spoke.

"I think I've heard of that... it's super rare," he said with the last of the awe summoned from the first time she told him.

"That would definitely explain why you don't have any marks or anything. Wow. I can't believe it, Mari. Congratulations," Nino said.

"So," Alya prompted. "What's the next step to finding him?"

Marinette scrunched up her nose at Alya's questioning. She sighed.

"Well, all the information I could find on this bond says I should meet them this year. I don't have to go find him or anything like that," she offered.

"Anything else?" she asked innocently.

"He does not have blue eyes." 'They're green.'

Alya looked confused before frowning at her and raising her eyebrows.

Marinette sighed again.

"He is from the United States. So, I will most likely meet him here. In Gotham. Since, you know, I don't have any other trips planned."

Nino stood stock still, his eyes blown wide.

"So soon?" he croaked out.

Alya nodded with a wicked smile.

"Which means Marinette has to leave the hotel everyday looking like the absolute goddess she is! We are watching out for our girl these next few weeks. He is going to love her!" the reporter said with conviction.

Marinette was grateful to have such... passionate friends. But there was the whole "secret identity" issue to work past. That was something she hadn't even told Adrien about. She didn't want to betray his trust before she ever had it. There was no telling whether or not 'Robin' would be accepting of her as an addition to his life. He wouldn't be the first to reject their soulmate and probably not the last. It was always sad when that happened. She didn't want that to be her, so she was going to do every she could to earn the vigilante's trust.

"He should recognize any of you. It happened right before "we" all walked to the park," Marinette informed them.

"Hold up, hold up. We were with you? How did we not notice something was up?" Nino looked shocked.

"He must be a good actor?" Adrien supplied.

Nino looked as though his mind had been blown. Alya jumped up and down and started animatedly explaining her plan for success to the two boys. Marinette just sat shaking her head.

"There is a boy out there who knows all of our lovely faces except Marinette's! Do not let him go unnoticed!"

Their little group eventually parted ways after listening to nearly a half an hour of Alya instructing the two boys on how to watch out for her best friend to make sure her meeting with her soulmate was perfect. Unfortunately, neither Alya or Marinette could answer any of Nino's questions; Alya, because she didn't have the answers and Marinette because she was pretending to not have answers. Adrien elected to keep his mouth shut, lest Alya become suspicious of his extensive knowledge of this bond.

Back in the hallway, the taller of the two let out one last warning.

"If you don't walk out of that room tomorrow in your absolute best. I am turning you around and picking for you."

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Please, Alya, I doubt I'm going to be meeting my soulmate on a tour of Wayne Enterprises," she laughed.

"Better safe than sorry, babe. Goodnight!" Alya shut her door with a click.

MDC stared at the door her friend disappeared through, suddenly apprehensive knowing Lila was on the other side. She was probably going to ask about the dress. Alya shouldn't say anything. She knew what secrets she was supposed to keep. But it still worried her. She unlocked her own door and disappeared through it, the hallway now quiet.

"I'm glad Alya wasn't too mad at me, huh, Tikki," she said at last.

"Of course she wouldn't be too mad, Marinette! She's your best friend!" Tikki said back encouragingly.

As she got ready for bed, she finished unpacking the rest of her things, including the unfinished skirt and bodice of her gala dress, which she carefully hung in the closet.

"Tikki... have you seen my phone charger?" Marinette asked.

The little goddess blinked at her before shaking her head. The teen then proceeded to drop her face into her hands.

"Of course," she groaned around her fingers. "It's already almost 11 o'clock, so I don't think I'll be able to borrow from Alya."

Tikki flew over, patting her holder on the cheek.

"It's official, Tikki," she abandoned her face's perch in her hands in favor of staring deadpan at the ceiling. "I'm the disaster."

It was unclear to Tikki whether she should laugh or continue to comfort the girl. She she did both.

"It's not a big deal Marinette. We'll just get one tomorrow. I over heard Mlle. Bustier and Richard saying there is room on the schedule to look around Gotham for a bit. The safer parts of Gotham of course!" she giggled.

Marinette smiled gratefully at the little fairy before finishing up her routine, save plugging in her phone. She did set an alarm though, in hopes that what little battery she had left would last through the night.

Marinette laid out an outfit she was sure Alya wouldn't turn away. While packing, she had to resist the urge to pack much darker colors instead of her trademark pinks. She was going to tour Wayne Enterprises in a floral print grey skirt that ended a little above the knee paired with a soft pink sweater to match the flowers. She also set aside black tights and a pair of boot socks to complete it. Her comfortable black boots would be good for the amount of walking her class was sure to be going the next day. Nodding her head, satisfied, she turned her head to Tikki.

"What do you think? Good?"

Tikki smiled and nodded.

She laid it all out over the armchair in the corner. Stretching, she climbed under the covers of the full size bed. It was not near as comfortable as sleeping in her room, but it certainly exceeded expectations. She clicked off the bedside lamp she had been using.

Tikki settled down on the pillow next to the girl's head.

"Goodnight, Marinette."

"Goodnight, Tikki."

That night, Marinette had difficulty sleeping. All she could do was stare at the ceiling, straight as a board, thinking. She was suddenly uncomfortable in her usual sprawled out position that she usually slept in. Her mind was going a million miles a minute, running through every possibility for error and coming up with a contingency plan for every one. At three am, frustrated and tired, Marinette got up, leaving Tikki sleeping soundly on her pillow. She slipped on her flats, grabbing her room key and sketchbook on the way to the door. If she wasn't going to sleep, she might as well do something productive. Tiptoeing out into the hall, Marinette glanced around the dim passage.

The building was an eerie quiet. It reminded Marinette of the silence when an akuma is nowhere to be seen, but certainly nearby.

Perhaps it was because she was already tense about her soulmate, or maybe it was because she knew what lurked in Gotham's dark.

'You may not rest now, there are monsters nearby.'

She snorted and rolled her eyes at the bad joke she made to herself.

She wasn't dumb. In addition to her research on Bruce Wayne, the scholarship provider, she also tried to learn as much as she could about his city. Dangerous even during the daytime. Even more dangerous at night. Villains attacking every other day.

It used to be like that in Paris before Hawkmoth started taking fairly long breathers in between each attack.

The main difference was Gotham's heroes didn't have superpowers to protect them. No miraculous cure to bring back those caught up in the attack. If one of them lost their life out there... there was no coming back from it (presumably). That only increased her apprehension about meeting her elusive soulmate. Every day he put on a mask and jumped off a building. Being a vigilante is by no means safe. What if one day he goes out and never comes back and Marinette never gets the chance to meet him? She wasn't sure she could handle that.

She was sure footed down the hall way, evenly stepping where she was sure she wouldn't make any noise. The stealth was unexpected but involuntary, something in her encouraging her to blend into the shadows and not be seen. Her feet were moving of their own volition away from her room, no set course in mind. Marinette supposed she would wander the hotel until she found something of worth to bring out her creativity.

She found herself standing at a set of sliding glass doors leading to a balcony. Looking out, the city lights twinkling in the hazy blackness before her. No matter how creepy she thought Gotham looked in the day time, it was much worse at night. Beautiful in its own way but still creepy. But it was somehow refreshing to the unrelenting cheer and positivity The City of Lights instilled. Gotham had no such luxury and accepted as a whole its role in the world. It was a hub for crime.

Eyes unblinking, Marinette stared out over the city her soulmate lived in. Batman's city. She opened her sketch book to a new page and began to put down her ideas. A charcoal grey suit sewn with metallic silver accents. Sharp lines made way into a flowing dress beside it, halter with a low cut v neckline. The skirt of the dress carefully stitched with gold and silver beads for stars in a wide scatter at the bottom, following a line up to one side of the halter strap growing closer and closer together the higher you went.

An unexpected light flashed ahead of her in the night. The sky was lit up with a powerful spot that could only mean one thing. Batman was needed. Marinette waited, completely still.

Far in the distance, she saw them. Bounding over rooftops as if someone would catch them if they fell. Of course it was too dark and much too far away to see who was out there. He could be out there. A less observant person would have missed them all together, but after years of fighting akumas, she was adept at noticing the small things.

Suddenly overwhelmed, Marinette shut her sketchbook with a satisfying smack before turning on her heel and heading back down the hall the way she came. It was a wonder she hadn’t gotten herself lost. The hallways were even quieter than before, as though the walls themselves could witness her inner turmoil. She was hiding it well. All her emotions were carefully tucked away behind a neutral mask. Can't show weakness.

Back in her own hallway, she was startled out of her stupor by a figure standing there. Lila.

Marinette had no idea how Lila knew she would be awake or walking around. She was just standing there, hands behind her back, lifting herself up on her toes then back down again. She had her hair tied up in a neat sock bun.

'Ha. You look weird without your sausages.'

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lila snarled.

"Oh, did I say that out loud? Terribly rude of me," she gave the taller girl a tired smirk before attempting to walk on past her.

Lila put out her arms to prevent Mari from moving any further forward.

'End this.'

Marinette blinked that unexpected thought away. Aggression wasn't the answer.

"Where were you, Mari, sweetie? I was worried you'd gotten kidnapped by a villain or something!"

"Ugh. You wish. Excuse me, I'd like to return to my room."

Everything about this girl brought out the worst in the usually sweet designer.

"It really would be a shame if Mlle. Bustier found out her class president was wandering the halls at night. Come now, Marinette, you know that's against the rules."

She rolled her eyes at the weak threat. There wasn't much Lila could do to her, but if she thought this would make her trip even a degree worse, she would do it.

"How would you know I was wandering the halls unless you were too?" she asked lightly.

The liar's expression soured.

"You aren’t going to ruin this trip for me, so I’m going to give you one last chance. It wouldn't hurt to just play along, would it? It's not like you have any proof. It's your word against mine and who would believe a nobody like you?" Lila taunted.

"Move."

"How do you want to go down? As the worst class president in history? Worst friend in history? I can make that happen. Just keep up your little charade and it won't be a problem."

Marinette's frown deepened.

"I'm not the one playing charades. You are. And you look ridiculous."

Lila scoffed with disdain at the insult.

"I wouldn't even bother getting up tomorrow. You and your little trashy designs aren't going to impress anyone. That's probably why you don't have a soulmate. Nobody would be able to put up with your self righteous crap," Lila sniffed.

Marinette stood straight, staring past the Italian and down the hallway. Her eyes narrowed the more she spoke.

"How much do you think it will take to make Alya hate you? Would you like to find out? I can start on that tomo-"

"Stop speaking."

She looked into the girl's contempt filled olive green eyes.

"I'm not some little girl who you can intimidate, Rossi. I would suggest backing off before you end up regretting your actions."

She brushed past the girl, leaving her struck frozen in the hallway. She had no idea where that burst of angry confidence came from. She only hoped it would help and not hurt whatever came next.

@vixen-uchiha @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @violatiger8 @mochinek0 @constancetruggle @yamadochie @seraphichana @captainmac6 @nataladriana9 @iggy-of-fans @riarkle-felinettelove @luciferge @mystery-5-5 @mellownieice @northernbluetongue @imanerddealwith @ayuchan07 @poshplumcot @annabellabrookes @legendaryneckjudgestudent @chez-pezeater @friedchickening @da-tasuky @crazylittlemunchkin @g-arya @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff @witchbitch1998 @theatreandcomicfreak @lysslovsanime @zalladane @tbehartoo @goggles-mcgee @tumbling-down-hills-and-stuff @kanamexzeroyaoifangirl @melicmusicmagic @reichi-vogart @ladybug-182 @chaosace @mariae2900 @vivilakitty @xxmadamjinxx @akbtch @7701deathlyhalfbloodprincess @elspethshadow @danielslilangel @tinyterror333 @maynora @anjuschiffer @creator-josie @thecatnipmademedoit @jessigurl-design @allolale @caffeine-theory @zerotosiki @draco-kasai @schrodingers25 @cassiejaydee @synnesstra @oscarwilde-hellyeah @valeks-princess @winter-gardenflower @novicevoice @cadencehood @sassy-spocko @rogueptoridactyl @dast218 @kae690 @thequestionablyhuman @18-fandoms-unite-08 @beaversuenightly @graduatedmelon @dur55 @gaylord1027 @fertileleaf @bamagirl513 @kurogaya913 @littleblue5mcdork @completelypeccable @sassydepression @resignedcatservant @batmans-attic @linnyalou @shreky-boi @actual-disaster-human @kandi-pie @gingersnapnoir @disneyfoxuniverse @souleateralicestein @kand-roo

so I figured out the reason my tag list was getting capped is because I was using mobile. so I decided not to be a dumb dumb anymore and will do my best to update from my computer instead. im working on a masterlist so stay tuned for that. I hope you enjoyed!

#maribat #daminette

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surveys-at-your-service · 4 years

Text

Survey #328

okay i’m going the fuck to bed now. @_@

Have you ever worn fake eyelashes? No; the only time I ever will will possibly be my wedding, if even then. Could you possibly write a successful novel? I think I'm capable, but I don't believe it will happen. Who’s the last person you video-chatted with? My therapy group via Zoom. Do ski lifts make you nervous or do you like them? Never been in one, but they seem cool. Have you ever had dandruff? I have dandruff AND a dry scalp. Nice combo. Do you think sleeve tattoos look trashy? Please explain to me how ANY tattoo inherently equates to being "trashy." I actually love sleeve tats. Have you ever gone through a phase of crushing on EVERYONE? No. I experienced a few crushes my freshman year of high school, but they weren't just anybody. If you had to get a portrait tattoo, who would it be of? I may or may not get a tattoo of Darkiplier doing his i c o n i c debut smile somewhere, but idk. I already have one tattoo related to Mark and would kill for another with his handwriting, so having three would be a bit... wild, haha. Do you have any stickers on any of your electronic devices? No. Do you like the smell of men’s colognes better than woman’s perfumes? Usually. Can you remember what you last clapped for? Yes; everyone in group clapped for one of the women taking a big step against her agoraphobia. Is your hair damaged? No, it's actually super healthy. Are you in charge of cleaning anything in your household? The litterbox and my room in general. Ever carved/written anything on a park bench? No. Most interesting place you’ve ever visited? Chicago was a big shock to me. I am FAR from used to cities that incredible and stocked. Do you keep your eyebrows more thick or thin? I don't groom them, so they're on the thicker end. Do you always wear a bra? Not at home and if there's no company. Do your shoulder blades protrude? No. Have you ever won on one of those grabber machine things? Yeah, a few times. Are you gonna French kiss your hubby at your wedding? Who says I'm marrying a man? But whatever, no. Keep that behind closed doors. How many bananas have you ever eaten in a row? No more than two. I usually don't even have two. Have you ever had sex outside? No. Have you ever been outside naked? No. Have you ever been in a shrubbery maze? No. You ever like someone who liked you back, but didn’t want a relationship?: That's pretty much where I'm at now. Have you ever fallen for someone who didn’t feel the same? No. Are you financially stable? No. Mom can barely afford rent right now; I had to pay it last month with gifted money. Are you emotionally stable? hunny Do you think kids these days are growing up too quickly? I kinda think so, yeah. It's funny how different kids are now compared to when I was whatever age they are. I try to be open-minded about it, though; times change, and I don't expect my generation to be the only "right" way to have grown up. I just think kids are chasing the power of "maturity" with much more vigor. Are you a rebel? Not really. Do you like when people use proper grammar on the Internet? Yeah. I like conversing with people who type just how they talk, like me. Have you ever driven or been a passenger on a motorcycle? Neither. I don't want to ride one. Do you use standard time, or 24 hour time? Standard time. Do you enjoy NASCAR? "HE'S MAKIN ANOTHER LEFT TURRRRRRN!" Lol no, I really don't. Who is the most fascinating person you’ve met? Probably Sara, honestly. What amazing adventures have you been on? What's this "adventure" you speak of? What would you do if had enough money to not need a job? Lots of traveling with my camera, still selling art anyway. What TV series do you keep coming back to and re-watching? None. What would your perfect vacation look like? Y'know, one of those glass dome ceiling cabin... things in the mountains with Sara would be so, SO cool. So much nature for us to explore. What are some obscure things that you are or were really into? Most of my interests honestly, haha. The strangest is probably "vulture culture," in which the remains (typically the bones) of a naturally deceased wild animal are basically recycled for some sort of artistic purpose. You could consider my roadkill photography an example. What are some things everyone should try at least once? I dunno, man. Depends on what you're into. What would your perfect morning be like? Cuddles with an s/o watching some funny videos or something like that to get in some morning laughter. What are you always game for? Video games, haha. What do you do to unwind? Watch YouTube. What’s your favorite piece of furniture you’ve ever owned? I don't have a fave. What would be the best city to live in? I don't want to live in a city. What would you like to know more about, but haven’t had the time to look into it? Time isn't an issue; I just haven't. There's lots of stuff. I'm a very curious person. How have you changed from when you were in high school? I'm less depressed, but more confused, scared, and much less motivated. Imagine a chicken wandering around with its head chopped off. Where is the most fun place around where you live? Nothing, really... Where would your friends or family be most surprised to find you? Like, a strip club or something. What’s expensive but totally worth it? This depends on what's important to you. For me, a quality DSLR camera. When do you feel most out of place? Whenever I'm some place fancy. What’s the most recent thing you’ve done for the first time? No idea. What small seemingly insignificant decision had a massive impact on your life? Accepting Jason's friend request on Facebook because I thought it was a different Jason I actually knew. What did you do last summer? Nothing, just stayed indoors trying not to melt into a sizzling puddle. What are you most grateful for? My mom. What’s the most essential part of a friendship? Trust, maybe. When was the last time you walked for more than an hour? Many, many years ago when I used to walk outside for hours with my iPod. All modesty aside, what are you better at than 90% of people? It doesn’t have to be useful or serious, it can be something ridiculous. 90% is a lot, man. Maybe bonding with animals? What’s the strangest phone conversation you’ve ever had? I don’t know. What do you like but are kind of embarrassed to admit? If I'm embarrassed by it, I have no interest in sharing it. What skill or ability have you always wanted to learn? Even just a smidge of social skills. What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? Probably the spicy shrimp fritas at Olive Garden. I adore those sooooooooo so much. Where was your favorite place to go when you were a kid? The zoo. We didn't go often at all, but I would frequently nag Mom about going. What’s something that most people haven’t done, but you have? Fed a freshly severed rat to a vulture. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I wanna go back to that bird rescue... What says the most about a person? How they treat others. What machine or appliance in your house aggravates you the most? The dryer. It can take a few rounds to fully dry something. What places have you visited that exceeded your expectations? Chicago, that I actually remember. Disney World probably did, but I was just a little kid and only have faint memories of the trip. What’s the worst advice someone has given you? I don't know. Besides your home and your work, where do you spend most of your time? People leave their houses? What are your top 3 favorite things to talk about? Mark, meerkats, and video games. When you were a kid, what seemed like the best thing about being a grown up? No one could tell me no for "stupid" reasons. What’s the strangest way you’ve become friends with someone? Strange way? I haven't got a clue. What’s your favorite band NAME (not necessarily your favorite band)? Maybe Cradle of Filth. Badass metal name. There are a lot of good ones, though. What’s your favorite thing to do outdoors? Take pictures of flowers or animals. How often do you dance? Silly/ironic dancing counts. Essentially never. Who besides your parents taught you the most about life? Jason, I guess. What’s been the most significant plot twist in your own life? The breakup that I thought was physically impossible, entirely unfathomable. Where did you take family vacations to when you were younger? We didn't really go on vacations. If you could instantly receive a Ph.D. in any discipline including all the knowledge and experience that goes along with it, what would your Ph.D. be in? Biology. What are the top three social situations you try to avoid most? Anywhere where I have to speak publicly; parties/get-togethers involving people I don't know; anywhere that is extremely crowded. Just social situations in general, really... What friendship you’ve had has impacted you the most? My friendship with Sara. What’s something you’re interested in that most people wouldn’t expect? Uhhh I don't know, really. What’s the hardest you’ve worked for something? My recovery from the breakup. What took you way too long to figure out? The only person who had any right to control my happiness and will to live was myself. What nicknames have you had throughout your life? If you include online ones as well, there's Britt, Britt-Britt, Twinkie, Bee, Flower, Ruby, Mozart2, Ozz(y), Alessa, and uhhh... I wanna say that's it? What do you do differently than most people? I deconstruct my breakfast biscuits to eat one part at a time... haha. Where’s the last place you’d ever go? Prison. What fact floored you when you heard it? That my dad did some hard drugs before us kids were born. I was entirely speechless. Have you ever watched a needle go into your own skin? Yeah, it doesn't bother me. Have you ever spent more than two weeks in a wheelchair? No. Does weed smell good? Or no? Ugh, no. It smells awful. Do you blow dry your hair or do you let it air out? Air dry. Do you catch lizards? No; I don't like the idea of catching wild animals just to pick up and check out. That poor critter is terrified. I'd rather just take pictures of it and let it go about its day. Would you rather get a big tattoo or small tattoo? I want my next tattoo to be a big'n. How many pills do you take every morning? I absolutely do not want to count. A whole lot. What was the last parade you went to? /shrug What theme would you choose for a baby’s nursery? If I was hypothetically having kids, let's see. A son, absolutely dinosaurs. A daughter, maybe meadowy with baby animals. My baby blanket was full of baby animals, so it'd be kinda cute, that connection. What color would you paint a baby girl’s nursery? Not because of gender norms, but by personal choice, pastel pink. Does your first crush know that he/she was your first crush? No. What is the last thing you missed out on that you wanted to go to? Hm. Who do you wish were your best friend? I am perfectly happy with who already is my best friend. Who do you wish you could go on another date with? She knows. Who was the last friend of yours to have a baby, and what’s the baby’s name? I'm not sure, but my high school friend Megan is due to have her daughter Persephone soon! She won the naming game. Like damn, how badass would it feel for your name to be Persephone. Do you have a favorite M&M? Just the classic ones. Is it easy to make you cry? OHHHHH YES IT IS. Have you ever snuck out? Nah. Who was the last person to comment you? On Facebook? My friend Lyndsey commented on a photo I shared. What song reminds you of being in middle school? "All Signs Point to Lauderdale" by A Day To Remember is the anthem for going through puberty in school and trying to figure yourself out. What was the first thing you learned how to cook? Scrambled eggs. What’s something really basic that you’re terrible at? Cooking. Are you pale or tan? I'm very pale. When’s the last time you were kissed? On the lips, like two or so years ago. Do you like the movie Grease? Never seen it, actually. What’s your favorite Jim Carrey movie? The Mask, probably. What was the last baby animal you saw in the wild? I think a fawn. Have you been binge-watching any shows lately? If so, what? No. What’s the best physical feeling in the entire universe? I meeeaaan... Do you have bad anxiety? If so, do you take any kind of medication for it? Yes and yes. If you could, would you work from home? Do you think that would make you more or less productive? Well, it's complicated. I don't, but I also want to be a freelance photographer, so I kinda would. I like the idea of having an office in my house purely for productive activities to prevent becoming lazy because I'd be at home. Would you ever be an organ donor? I am one.

#survey #surveys #questions

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starline148 · 4 years

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who are your top ten favorite black bulls & ships? talk about them!

Hi Anon, thank you very much for the question. It's going to be a long answer so I hope you feel like reading.

Top Ten Black Bulls Members:

Since there are actually 14 including Yami, instead of making the Top10, I will include everyone. I will say now that I really like everyone a lot despite having to do the ranking, like everyone to me are sceptional characters that deserves de world.

N01. Asta: It might be typical considering he's the main character, but Asta really seems like a very interesting character to me and he's my favorite of the Black Bulls. His way of facing the world, wanting to fight to protect his beloved people but respecting and empathizing with his rivals came to me from the beginning. Thanks to Asta we realize that the bad guys are not so bad, that maybe they have their reasons (I follow the Anime, so I don't know if it will continue to be like that in the manga, I've seen something but I don't want to spoil myself). Honestly Asta is not only the member of the Black Bulls that I like the most, but he is one of my favorite characters of all the time. In Black Clover only Julius surpasses him.

N02. Gordon: This one might be more surprising considering he's a secondary or even tertiary character, he's one of the Black Bulls with less screen time and I still love him. He seems to me to be a very tender character and with whom I feel identified. In the end, all he wants is to have friends and protect them and that goes straight to my heart. The first time he appears he looks like he's going to be a cool, serious character, but it turns out he's a cinnamon roll.

N03. Charmy: I think people like Charmy in general and I admit that I fell into her “charms” too, she is a funny character without being grotesque or humiliating and at the same time she is super strong and great. I love her magic and her laid back personality. Charmy knows how to make people love her and I love the battle scenes she has. Also, the fact that she wants to share her food even with her enemies says a lot about her for me, she is a wonderful girl and I hope they show more development of her.

N04. Yami: Yami is a magnificent character, I love his personality and the way he fights. The magic of darkness could have easily fallen into the cliché, but as with the other characters, Tabata manages to make him unique. His fights fascinate me, he is seriously a character that you would like to see and know more about. His story with Julius and William is very tender and the fact that he embraces those people who others reject because he knows how to see the true potential of people, in my eyes makes him the best leader of all. And honestly, I would love for him to be the one to become the Wizard King. Although of course, it does not fit very well with his personality.

N05. Noelle: Female protagonist who is useful, strong and made to fight alongside the male protagonist without any fear. Superb. I honestly love her. Her personality, her story, and her resolve to avenge her mother. The development with her family was unexpected (honestly, I really disliked her brothers until it shows why Nozel does what he does, was it the best he could do? No, but that's the great thing. People don't always do their best and that makes him more human). The only thing I don't like is that she attacks Asta out of shyness, I know it's comedy but hmm, well; It is sure to improve as her relationship with Asta develops (if at all). As a bonus, the Valkirie Dress looks amazing to me, I love the design of the armor.

N06. Magna: I adore Magna, I honestly think he is a great character. He is not as strong as his peers and everyone knows it, yet he still strives to train and not be left behind. His scenes seem very emotional to me and his character is very funny. He has the design that I like the most of all the Black Bulls and I love that his magic is based on baseball when it does not exist (or so I think) in that world. I hope they develop him more, because for now they have left their background a little aside compared to the others, although if they do not do it I will not complain either because for me Magna is the average character that makes you want to try harder and harder for your dreams even if your skills are not the best; and that as such makes him one of the best characters.

N07. Finral:

Finral is a lovely character, I like him a lot, he makes me very tender and makes me want to hug him every time he appears. His background touched my heart very much, his whole relationship with his family (his brother) and wanting to improve himself after having been lost and feeling worthless. I think he is the character with the most precious heart (aside from Asta), and I hope he can achieve his goal and be happy with Finesse.

N08. Grey:

Grey is a precious baby, as a character she is so shy that sometimes she is exaggerated for comedy. But being a very introverted and shy person myself, I understand Grey perfectly. I adore her relationship with others and she is a character that I like to see in action to see how she surpasses her limits. Her magic is very interesting to me, so I hope I can see a lot more of her.

N09. Henry:

Honestly, his design was very curious to me from the beginning, when I saw it and nothing was known about him yet. But his personality is super sweet. I love his story and how Yami saves his life by bringing noisy people to his house. Despite his limitation and absorbing the power of others, he manage to deal with them and that is wonderful to me, their scenes are very emotional for me. Although sometimes I get stressed because he speaks very slowly (surely that in the manga I would take it better).

N10. Secre:

Her design is super super nice, I love that she has little horns because of the forbidden magic and her personality is so calm… It makes a lot of contrast with the rest of her teammates. Her magic is one of the most interesting in my opinion. But above all it is her story with the first Wizard King that shocks me, so many years waiting to be able to be in peace… I imagined that Nero would be important for the story but wow, she exceeded my expectations. Anyway it makes me sad that she can't go with Lemiel.

N11. Luck:

Luck, despite not entering the Top10, is a character that I really like, the problem is that I like everyone a lot, hehe. He is a character that I find funny and irritating at the saime time, which for me is part of his charm. I like his magic and his determination to get into any battle; although sometimes I would like them to give his character a little more depth and that is why he is at number 11. But it is just my opinion, and as I say despite that I love Luck.

N12. Vanessa:

I have to say that even though I understand her background and the reasons behind it, I don't quite like the idea that she's always practically naked and drinking. It is the only thing for me, and I equally respect and love her character; But it happens to me like with Luck, sometimes I see them somewhat flat personality. However I know that it is not like that and that she is a quite complex character, I really like when she enters battle, her determination and her love for her friends is really incredible (I really liked the battle of Vanessa, Finral and Asta against Vetto, it is one of my favorite battles)

N13. Gauche:

If he wasn't so creepy with Marie he would have the 5th position on my list ... I mean, I understand that they do it for comedy and that there really is no incest or anything, he is just an overprotective brother (and I understand his reasons because his story explains everything very good), but I think the way to carry that humor gets a little out of hand sometimes. At least it sometimes makes me uncomfortable even though I know that there is no bad intention or anything, he is just a boy who lost everything and who only had his sister to protect. Apart from that, I find him a spectacular character and I have a lot of affection for him despite being almost at the bottom of the list.

N14. Zora:

As they work on his development I imagine that I will like him more, but for now he is the member that I like the least. Still, I repeat, I like them all so ... on a scale of 1 to 10, it would be 7.5, which is high. Only the others are more. Zora is a very curious character and his magic is too, but honestly for now I like his father more than him, Zara is a character that impacted me a lot and deserved the world. Anyway Zora fighting for his father's dreams is precious too.

Top10 Black Clover Ships:

Let's see… I'm not so much involved in Black Clover ships but here are my favorites:

N01. Mars x Fana: I find them especially adorable, after their hard childhood and all they have to go through, I sincerely hope they can end up happy together. Super cute this couple.

N02. Yami x Charlotte:sincerely I hope that it becomes canon because they have a dynamic that I love, I hope I can see development of both and that Charlotte overcomes her panic about being in Yami's presence and that Yami is interested in her, because sometimes he has the sensitivity of a shoe.

N03. Asta x Noelle:

Although I adore Mimosa and I hope she can be happy with someone if she wants to, the couple that I like the most is Asta and Noelle, Asta really cares a lot about Noelle, I hope that little by little he will find out more about his love side and not just friendship, I know that Black Clover is a shounen and such; but hey, who knows.

N04. Gauche x Grey:

They're so cute, aw, when Grey says she wants Gauche to look at her more… she stole my heart. I hope they develop them and that they can end up together.

N05. Magna x Luck: Mm, I like this couple although I am fine whether it develops (which I doubt) or if they stay in great friends because friendship is also something precious)

N06. Finral x Finesse:

Until Finesse appeared I liked Finral and Vanessa, but aww, how can one not be moved by these two? Finesse is a heaven of person and Finral more.

N07. Lemiel x Secre: I suffered a lot when Lemiel "dies" leaving Secre alone and tells her to live and be happy because pff, wow. Without having to be a couple or anything, losing someone so important ... But hey, it's a couple that I really like. Maybe in their next life they can be happy together.

N08. Litch x Tetia: Although they don't appear so much, they are one of the main pivots of the first arc. I cried a lot with their background but they are one of the couples that I like the most.

N09. Fuegoleon x Nozel:

These types of relationships are one of my weaknesses, I really like their dynamics a lot and I wouldn't mind if they became a real couple; although again it would be rare for it to happen in a shounen.

N10. Yuno x Charmy:

I find this couple very funny, it's not that Yuno is one of my favorite characters in any case; but I love how Charmy interacts with him by giving him food.

#black clover #asta #noelle #yami #charlotte #finral #vanessa #gordon #gauche #grey #henry #charmy #zora #luck #magna #secre

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youwontlikethisblog · 3 years

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I'm not a woman of my word lol

LMBO SCREW IT I'LL TALK ABOUT MORE THAN ONCE SCENE JUST DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE GOOD(honestly I want to binge watch the entire show but then see one thing and I'm like this deserves an entire post!)

Betty brings him his caldo and he gets in the way and takes it from her hands and thanks her. The phone rings and she rushes to her office and Mario mocks him by saying "Oh but she spoils you" Armando then turns to look at Betty's office like he realized that she is like that with him.

However the moment is ruined, remember again how when Mario told Armando that Nicolas was after their money even then Armando didn't want to continue with the plan but now that he hears Betty's conversation with Nicolas all of a sudden 'it's for the good for the company I must make her fall in love'. This clashes stupidly with the actions before.

"Ay Betty, I don't know if I woke up with my liver or brain because everything is still party, praty, point is I woke up with a pretty bad hangover."

Betty not once has gotten mad, showed annoyance or really indicated to Armando that she personally cares about him and his hangover as she tells him that the caldo is only because he needs to be on his best for the sake of the company's benefit.

Now Armando hears Betty upset with Nicolas over his drinking as she says:

"Ay no, Nicolas. Don't tell me you started to drink with him."

Nicolas goes on to say he is an easy prey to peer pressure and that the word no is not in his vocab that if she sees it floating around there to send it his way.

"I just don't like for you to go into those kinds of places where you spend it drinking." now Armando seems annoyed and Mario looks at him shocked at what he's hearing.

Armando and Mario have now first hand witnessed the dynamic of Nicolas and Betty in the work world. Nicolas informs Betty of the situation Eco Moda/Terra Moda is facing and Betty calls the shots. Just like Betty had told them two days before.

So it shouldn't be a cause of concern as now Betty proceeds to tell them exactly what went down, again showing that they are trustworthy.

I don't have to explain once more who is concerned and worry about who and what. *See the Betty, My Betty posts 1-3

Mario then tells Armando(After he[Mario] sent off a guilty Betty to get some paperwork from Marcela) that he doesn't like that Nicolas is becoming friends with the lawyers and he needs to prepare for a sober night with Betty.

Armando doesn't say anything.

Again, it could not be more clear who is actually distrusting in this situation.

Betty walks into Marcela's office and after she sees she's busy she goes off on a daydream, more like a day-nightmare as we see the penance of her guilty conscious accuse her in the form of Marcela.

As Betty returns to their offices Patty stops her and asks when she's getting her paycheck, to which Betty replies that she doesn't know but sometime that weekend and goes to Armando's office.

In there she gently shuts the door and in a low tone tells him that Marcela didn't have the papers. Armando now turns away from her and gives her his back, again this could show guilt but also anger(that she showed more concern over Nic being hungover than him) as he doesn't want to see her. Betty then proceeds to ask him if he's alright to which he replies that he has a hellish headache.

Betty tells him she'll get him some pain relief and picks up the tray of dishes to take with her. In this moment as Betty nears the door Patty opens the doors loudly and starts to yell.

Betty looks mad at Patty as she is yelling at Armando.

Why does she?

Betty has been very, extremely, attentive to Armando, more than the usual. She's taken notice of his demeanor, respected his evasiveness, spoken in a more hushed voice, gotten him food to get him to feel better, hasn't made much noise knowing that he's hungover and trying to keep his office peaceful and calm as well as instantly telling him she'd get him some relief for his headache but in an instant all of her efforts to keep him well are brought down by Patty who goes to at yell at him for her paycheck.

One: well she legit threw away all her work to keep Armando at peace

Two: she doesn't like that Patty is yelling at him and accusing her.

"[...] Betty when will it be possible to pay this...bleach blonde?"

Betty clears her throat and gently speaks "until this weekend. I had already talked to her about it, Sir."

More talking, Armando asks Betty to bring him what she promised and she tells him "right away" and leaves, Patty then pushes her away and Betty gently shuts his office doors.

She returns with the alka-seltzer and a glass of water for him and sets it in front of him. He once again keeps his eyes low.

Betty jokingly tells him that she warn him not too drink too much and now he's got a bad hangover and she laughs lightly. She then tells him she'll go get the paperwork from Marcela once more and asks if Mario has his too.

As she leaves the office Armando looks in pain because of his headache and again, guilty.

Betty stands outside Marcela's office door as she hear her and Patty talk bad about how she's dressed and how embarrassing it must've been for Armando to be seen with her the night before. They start to insult her and downplay Betty and she visibly looks upset but not in a sad way but angry.

This pushes Betty to not feel guilty over the entire situation(affair to be) with Armando.

This is her first mistake.

Her second being she is permitting herself to be involved and a willing participant in an affair with an engaged man. Armando isn't the only one to blame about this. They are both responsible and at fault for the dissolving of a (toxic) relationship and engagement. Did he make the first advances? Yes but at the end when the ball was in her court she willinging decided to throw her shot. This was her biggest sin, up to this point.

Betty is now talking about the sales report that Marcela gave her and the money they have to pay the banks. She then tells him that she'd like to talk to Mario regarding his reports. Armando has his shades, covering with his hand around his eyes, again he isn't able to make eye contact with Betty and doesn't want her to see him.

He then removes his shades and while explaining that Mario might be busy he tries to make eye contact but again looks away from her.

They both agree to wait for Mario and FINALLY after everything that has happened they make eye contact.

The previous times that Armando and Betty have had to wait for someone to call, or show up to the office Betty stared at Armando who would then catch her and tell her to get going or basically kicked her out of his office however this time it plays out differently.

They make eye contact for a minute or so.

While Armando is tense but staring at Betty she starts to get fidgety in her seat and says "I'll go wait in my office, Sir."

This time Betty is the one that removes herself and not Armando basically kicking her out or sending her away from him.

(I just realized I finished my cheese crackers and this makes me sad)

Armando then calls Mario to please get to his office that he can't be by himself with Betty anymore.

Now something happened with Sofia bla bla bla.

Mario shows up at Armando's office and asks if anything has happened, if she has exceeded herself with bla bla bla and Armando tells him that nothings happened.

"She talks about the banks, the payroll, about the loans, she talks about everything minus what we need to talk about." Armando (WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE KISS WITH BETTY HE WANTS TO BE VULNERABLE WITH HER. Okay now that my irrational side has let lose let's get to the objective writer side.) displays a classic behavior of confusion and sadness.

"Which is?" Mario shrugs.

"Well what happened last night. Calderon, I don't know if this is right or wrong but I'm starting to feel really awful. I feel really uncomfortable when I'm by myself with her. The only thing she's scolded me for is this hellish hangover I've got."

Armando isn't scared that Betty is going to take advantage of him or cross lines. He feels uncomfortable because Betty won't talk about it, like it's not a big deal or important to her. He feels uncomfortable with the silence of it all and he's having to fill in the blanks.

Now Marcela and Sofia are talking about about Jasmine and Sofia getting fired.

The other day I was writing a draft for Armando's toxic behavior(I said I'd write a post dedicated to just his toxic/abusive tendencies) and hit this wall of realization. While to some degree I connect with Marcela being a victim of gaslighting, to another it's really hard to understand why she is in the relationship even though she shows no sign of insecurity or bad self-image/worth or threaten to stay. See when I was in this terrible toxic friendship I was gaslit to the point that their perception of me became mine I still remember the exact day I looked at myself in the mirror and broke down in tears calling myself ugly(I'm fine now lol) and I still remember the feelings I felt every time I was given the cold-shoulder and silent treatments as a form of punishment for calling the out on their lies while having witnesses(Now I wasn't a saint sometimes my anger would blind me and I'd say pretty mean stuff. This is why I call it a toxic friendship). To this day I feel shame for that and find ways to blame myself for it all. Gaslighting isn't just manipulation it is the warping of someone's reality and their understanding of the world surrounding them. It really messes you up.

So as much as I want to be understanding of Marcela and find excuses as to why she stays that don't have to do with her ego, I can't.

The thing is that when you are a victim of abuse you don't have an ego. You don't stay with the person because you believe they're the only person you'll ever love, no, you stay because you believe they are the only person who will ever love you and these are two very different mindsets.

In this episode you can see that. Marcela doesn't have bad self-image or self-worth. She thinks she's above the women that Armando sleeps with. She believes she's above Betty. She has a pretty big ego. She often places herself before anyone. She takes Armando's decisions as personal attacks which means she believes to be the center of his universe. All of these are characteristics of someone with a big ego. She doesn't compare herself to Armando's conquest but rather blames them for his affairs. They're the bad ones because they decided to sleep with him(yes they are to blame because they are aware of his relationship statues but so is Armando and she needs to hold that fool accountable as well) because Armando is just a fool who likes to shove it where he can, as long as they've got statues. She knows Armando has a strict palate for women and the fact the he is marrying her means she's the best of the best, even with affairs being involved.

I can go on and on about this which is why I'm dedicating a post to Marcela just about this(It's in my drafts. I need to watch the rest of the show to really understand her character. I don't just want to be like "Marcela is the only abuser" because she's not. ) Anyway this scene just reminded me of that because here she displays that boastful attitude as she tells Sofia to behave and have dignity regarding Jasmine working there and that she'll talk to Guti Guti regarding the cuartel being fired for standing with Sofia but that she'll accept Betty's resignation letter.

(Honestly watching Bertha eat Ruffles makes me crave them rn)

The ending of this episode is Marcela kissing Armando good-bye and telling him she'll wait for him at her apartment.

This wasn't a heavily emotional episode so there isn't much to breakdown however the small bits we do get move the plot forward and are details that are important to the coming episodes.

The one scene I am really looking forward to breaking down, that totally highlights this whole "Armando is in denial" plot is the one where he fights Roman and his friends.

But until then I'll see y'all next time!

#armando mendoza #don armando #armando ysblf #analysis of ysblf #betty #beatriz pinzon solano #betty pinzón solano #betty ysblf #betty la fea #yo soy betty la fea #marcela valencia #mario calderon #nicolas mora #i need to go to sleep

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