#idk i just think it's really neat

[bacchuschucklefuck]

january month of yuugi

[thatsailormoonkinnie]

Ok, rewatching Merlin again. Just realizing the reason Arthur felt so betrayed about Merlin not telling him about his magic comes from episode two. In that episode when Merlin is trying to convince Arthur that Sir Valiant is using magic and when Arthur asks him if it’s true, Merlin responds, looking him dead in the eye and says, “I wouldn’t lie to you” and Arthur replies “Then I believe you.”

This was one of, if not Merlin and Arthur’s first real moments of bonding and trust and is clearly something that stuck with Arthur all the way to Camalan

[scriblesandbits]

So god created us in his image, right? And that’s cool and all but what if it turns out god, like, hates his own image??? What then????

[ofswordsandpens]

actually I do want to talk about Sally Jackson a tad more because one criticism I've been hearing about her book counterpart more recently is "book Sally is one-dimensional: the perfect mother with no flaws" and that just has me biting my cheek because one part of her book counterpart that I always thought was ripe with discussion and didn't make it to the show is that Sally states that it was selfish of her to keep Percy close. It's one of the last things she says to him before she's "killed" by the minotaur.

And there's so much that we don't know about Sally because we view her from Percy's eyes. From his perspective we know that she's exceedingly kind, she never raises her voice to him or even Gabe, and she endured a horrible and abusive relationship to protect her son from monsters (of a different kind).

But there are things we can piece together from the text: Sally has known about CHB for a long time, apparently since before Percy was even born because Poseidon told her he wanted to send Percy there; she was told that it was a mistake for her to keep Percy close - who told her that, we're not sure, she only uses the phrase they; she's been in contact with Grover through out the school year; she knows that she can't cross the camp boundary line, which means either Grover or someone else (Chiron? Poseidon?) told her that, and that she understood that there was place that Percy would be safe from monsters.

And all of these little details are so interesting because it does make you wonder just how much she did or didn't know. Was her self assessment right? Was it selfish of her to keep Percy close?

On one hand, she kept him close because she loved him, alongside the fear that if she sent him to camp, she would be saying goodbye for good -- so is it even fair to call the act of keeping him close selfish? Or perhaps, much like Chiron, she assumed keeping Percy in the dark would be safer?

But on the other hand, Percy had been attracting monsters all his childhood, she understood camp was a safe place from monsters, and she had apparently been told explicitly that it was a mistake for her to keep him close.

And then adding in the factors of: Percy is her only family in the entire world, she's been suffering with Gabe for years, sacrificing so much in order to keep Percy safe when he's at home... but even that has a touch of sad irony because when we meet Percy in tlt, its at point when he's not really home at all -- he's been regularly sent off to boarding schools, so much so that he's internalized it as his own short-coming.

And all of this isn't to say "Omg Sally is actually horrible" or to assert definitely that she is selfish... but more to speak to the fact that in the books, she's not an all-perfect 2-dimensional mother. And her self-assessment of selfishness is something that is really interesting to explore and debate given the implications of what she apparently did (or did not) know about the godly world. I feel there's even an argument to be made that Sally being "selfish" could be a reflection of Percy's fatal flaw.

[scalpelsister]

Amelia Collier The Outlast Trials (2024)

[otaku553]

Haha

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

not enough discussion about the gavins' complicated relationship with feminine-coded/beauty products, i don't think.

[unnamedcorvid]

I may be a bit delusional but. In Part 42, when Yorick first introduces the phrase “Dies Irae” (Day of Wrath), he says “It is your title. Your combined force.”

I know Kayne called what happened at the end of 52 their Day of Wrath, “You knew it all came down to this. Your Day of Wrath.” but I have a suggestion (based purely on a singular line and Hope) what if Dies Irae really was the name for John and Arthur’s combined force, and they just hadn’t been fully merged yet? What if Kayne, ripping them apart, gave them both the push/opening to fully become one? What if John, doing everything he can to save Arthur, fully merges with him, links their forms and beings, holds Arthur’s body together and irreversibly merges with him? Mend the gaps and tears and intertwines the two of them completely?

Kintsugi is the Japanese art process of using gold to fix cracks in broken pottery, mending the breakages and leaving gold seams where all the cracks had been, holding the pottery together. What if John fills in the breaks and pieces with gold/himself? Holding Arthur together, and binding the two of them?

This is really just a stab in the dark based pretty much just off of me remembering Kintsugi exists and going “ooh gold,, you know what else is gold,, John Malevolent Doe,, and you know what’s very very broken,, Arthur Lester” and hearing Yorick’s line in The Prince. My theories are really just based on hope and wishful thinking but,,,maybe?

[sincerelyrf]

me: *seeing people yell about how they did Glintshore & Percy's death in the show*

also me: ..................anyway

[ricky-mortis]

Hatchetfield @femslashfortnight Day 2: Retro

[miniimerry]

Asking u abt zosopp 🫵 they’re a super under rated duo imo

Okay, so I have to preface this by saying that in terms of straw hat ships, I’m not really a true love, soulmates person, and I’m also not really a they’re poly person, I just think they’re a little beyond categorization. So when I say zosopp, it’s a little bit of a catch all phrase. They’re pals, they each think the other is so supremely bizarre, they’re invading each other’s personal space, they might fool around… who could say!

But the thing I think is so fun about them is that Zoro is sort of immediately charmed by Usopp and thinks he’s fun. He calls him noble. I think he likes that Usopp asks him for protection, even if he is just playing when he does it. Where Sanji has the girls, Zoro has Usopp. In Little Garden, while Sanji is showing off for Nami and Vivi, Zoro is showing off for Usopp (and Usopp pretends he doesn’t give a shit, haha). I think it’s cute! Also, Usopp touches Zoro very easily. He throws his arms around him, and throws himself into Zoro’s arms, and man handles him like a little toy. Zoro also seems genuinely curious about Usopp and his little quirks and hobbies. A lot of people manhandle Luffy like he's their resident stressball, but really only Usopp gives Zoro that treatment. And Zoro lets him! They also tend to band together to be the "reasonable" ones (whatever that means on a crew like theirs).

Then, there's also the fact that when Zoro is defeated by Mihawk and they head to Cocoyashi, Usopp is the one that stays with him. It's because he's the only one who can at the time, but like. Usopp is the only one on the crew to have actually seen Zoro's face when he cried. Presumably, he's the one that patched Zoro up when they were en route to Cocoyashi. I feel like that's such a unique experience to have been connected by. There's something about the self-proclaimed weakest Straw Hat watching one of the Strongest at his lowest. How do two people not connect in a profound way after that?

I think that Zoro and Usopp give each other a little of what the other needs. Usopp brings out Zoro's whimsy, and Zoro pushes Usopp to be braver. And even though Usopp can be really loud and animated, especially when he's with Luffy and Chopper, I think that Usopp has a little streak of maturity that allows him to find kinship in Zoro's stillness. It's CUTE! Whether they're just being chums, or they're also sometimes smooching, I think it's CUTE!!

I started shipping them as a joke, by the way. Because of the amount of cover spreads that involved them hanging out. And now here we are.

[shark-bark]

Having a super normal reaction to the phasmid

[itadooori]

my slightly cohesive squid game s3 thoughts (SPOILERS)

obligatory disclaimer that i am NOT trying to tell anyone that they're stupid or illiterate if they don't agree with this. you're more than entitled to your own feelings about s3, these just happen to be mine. i'm not looking to fight with anyone, i just thought i'd share some things that may help someone come to peace with season three a little more. buckle up folks this is a YAPFEST

To preface this, I want to say that whenever I interact with a series and it makes a decision I don't like and/or don't understand, I try my hardest to figure out why it's there. This is essentially what this post is: me figuring out why the things that happened in squid game s3 happened. Some of the things still bother me despite the reasons I've seen, and some things I've made a bit of peace with.

Over the weekend I've been formulating my thoughts about s3 and the finale. I also read some interviews explaining certain choices, as well as posts from people who liked the ending/the season and people who disliked the ending/the season. I wanted to give myself a bit of time to post about this with a clearer head, and also wanted to try to understand the message HDH was trying to send.

I've given myself some time to process Gi-hun's death, and I think I'm actually okay with it? I've always kept his death as a real possibility in mind, so the fact he died didn't shock me, but did devastate me as he is my favorite character. I honestly loved the journey that Gi-hun's character went through this season as a whole, it was so full of grief and despair and was extremely heart-wrenching.

Some posts that helped ease my mind a bit about Gi-hun's choice (as well as some of the finale as a whole) are this and this.

(I also found this post to be interesting and it opened my mind up to some deeper thinking, so I'd give it a look if you're interested!)

Now. I want to admit: I am not as unhappy with the ending as much as I initially was. After reading some of HDH's words and other peoples' analysis on the ending, I'm starting to understand the angle it's going for, and I do appreciate it.

Obviously, my critiques haven't vanished -- I have my fair share of things I'm not happy about. I wish that In-ho had a bit more screen-time. I heavily dislike how Jun-ho's character was handled in s3. I also think that the pacing was off in places, notably in the latter half of the season. And of course, I do wish that the reveal scene had a bit More to it.

Also I just dislike the idea of an American spinoff so I was bound to dislike that last scene LMAO but that seems more like Netflix meddling than anything HDH wanted.

HOWEVER, there were also several things this season that did hit me very hard, and that I hold close to my heart. Many, many people have brought up (and rightfully criticized) the things I mentioned above, and I feel that elaborating on those points would be regurgitating what's already out there. So I'll spend some time talking about the things I DID enjoy in s3:

• IDK if this is a hot take or not, but I really loved the Dae-ho and Gi-hun stuff. It was so fucking dark and the furthest we've ever seen Gi-hun fall and I enjoyed every second of it. I don't think Gi-hun was simply mad at Dae-ho about the ammo; that was only part of it. Dae-ho I think on a narrative level served as Gi-hun's internal monologue towards himself, and I think this is backed up by the fact Seon-nyeo tells him that killing Dae-ho will clear his bad karma. And in that altered state of mind, induced by a psychotic break, he believed that. Obviously, when he killed Dae-ho that caused some sort of Realization, which is why he switches from "it's your fault" to "it's my fault" as he attempts suicide again. Also, on the topic of Dae-ho, if you're upset about the military reveal, I'd recommend reading this post because Netflix fucked up the subtitles and I think the more accurate translation falls more in line with his character.

• As a trans person, I honestly liked how Hyun-ju's death was handled. Her death did not strike me as uniquely gore-y or horrible, nor was it tied to her transness. It was tied to her core traits of kindness and commitment to other people. Her death, imo, continued to humanize her. I hope that her existence helped open up some peoples' minds.

• I loved the callbacks to Sae-byeok. First, the more subtle one of Gi-hun telling Geum-ja that he's "not that kind of person" just hit me like a TRAIN. I teared up. And then when Gi-hun had an outright flashback to Sae-byeok when he once again thought about killing someone in their sleep, I actually bawled.

• The entire Gi-hun/In-ho flashback sequence with the dagger. I have no notes. That was beautifully done and one of the best scenes in the entire season imo.

• MIN-SU'S ENTIRE JOURNEY IN S3 WAS REALLY COMPELLING TO ME?? I already really liked him before, but I was absolutely enamored by what they did with him. The hallucinations were genuinely terrifying, and him finally taking Se-mi's hand in death actually made me tear up. I love that lil guy. He straight up went thru every circle of hell.

• Geum-ja's speech to Gi-hun was very very touching. Both of these characters just went through the worst day Ever and yet she still shows him kindness and a reason to keep going. I love all the subtle expressions LJJ displays in this scene too.

• I liked that No-eul got a good ending. She deserved it. I'm glad that she gets to reunite with her daughter, a reflection of something Gi-hun didn't get to do.

• The tragedy between Geum-ja and Yong-sik....goddddddddd I wept.

• Seeing Gi-hun carrying around Jun-hee's baby was like cocomelon to me. The way he smiled at her had me sooo weak I love him so much.

• Woo-seok's little side plot was fun and I liked seeing him get some spotlight.

• Jun-ho not wanting to become a cop again LMFAO I loved that the story still sticks to its dislike of cops and the justice system.

• Of course, as always, the cast's acting was absolutely phenomenal. Even for scenes I don't like, the actors did the best that they could and I think they deserve recognition for that.

There are some more things I could list, but this post is getting long enough lmfaoo

Now, I believe that my feelings on season three are more complex than they were initially. I feel a little isolated from the majority of the fandom right now because while I have my issues, I don't Hate it. Far from it, honestly. It feels more like a "i enjoy many things about this, and i understand and appreciate the message being sent, i just wish that some of it was done Better" type thing.

I've also been looking at squid game, especially season three, similarly to how I'd look at a Greek tragedy. Squid game shares a lot of key elements you see in them: dramatic irony, hubris, hamartia (a fatal flaw or lapse in judgement leading to a character's downfall), peripeteia (a sudden reversal of circumstances), catharsis (emotional release), and moral dilemmas. The themes also overlap, and I'm reminded of tragedies like Electra. And I think that some of s3's choices make a little bit of sense if you see the story as emulating a Greek tragedy; I'm not saying you have to like it, but for me it made me more understanding of the message being conveyed.

Finally, I want to say that my love for squid game hasn't diminished at all, and I won't be leaving the fandom any time soon. Even with my complicated feelings about s3, I still think s1 and s2 are incredible and it's worth sticking around even just for them.

TLDR; my thoughts are still complicated, but i don't think the season is as bad as i initially thought

[franzthemeerkat]

My pointless headcanon is that Daniel was raised Jewish and he got back into it when he was trying to get clean. He never believed in God and doesn't really pay that much attention to all the practices (definitely doesn't keep kosher), but all the recovery programs were Christian so he decided to try out a hippy dippy local synagogue and found that all the rituals really helped him. So he prays and lights shabbat candles and his daughters both had bat mitzvahs, and even though he hasn't kept kosher since he was a kid, he's still a little conflicted about drinking blood right when he gets turned.

[lucius-i-ran]

The first three books of Pjo are the introductions to the Big Three's kids. Tlo introduces Percy, SoM introduces Thalia, Ttc introduces Bianca and Nico.

[sorrelpaws]

no offense but i genuinely fear that their potential dynamic will go severely underutilized