#it's a sacrifice he's willing to make to keep others safe. which makes the fact that his name is isaac even tastier

[ruvviks]

bones please spare some isaac facts...tell me about the vibes and lore and everything you want. also what's his fave blood type to drink if he has one perhaps..(i'm taking notes)

HEHEHE THANK YOU SM i have so much to say about this man. but also he hasn't existed for very long in my brain yet so there's still many things missing from his lore currently. but here is a start for you :^)

isaac is a couple centuries old by now and from a (currently unnamed) bloodline that's a bit different from other bloodlines. all vampires have double fangs, their puncture fangs which are the regular ones they use to draw blood with, and their venomous fangs, which only come out when they want to change someone. for isaac's bloodline, the venomous fangs are a lot smaller which makes them less painful to extend and the process is quicker; but at the same time, even the smallest mistake in dosage could kill a victim rather than change them. this is why his bloodline is very small in comparison to others and changing a human into a vampire is always done in a big ritual rather than on impulse, to make sure they get the right dosage. this is how isaac was turned into a vampire :(

his bloodline is also more likely to have their feral sense (uncontrollable mode in which they hunt for blood until they're no longer feral) activated which is why they have to feed regularly and CANNOT miss any meals unlike other bloodlines who can usually miss a meal or two. their feral sense can sneak up on them without a warning and it will cause them to go feral until either their hunger or their "urge" (something vamps get sometimes when they want to change other humans. it's like a vampire ovulation) is sated. this is why many vampires of isaac's bloodline are pretty rich or important people who have other vampires working for them to provide them with enough blood so they'll never go feral by accident

isaac is VERY different from his bloodline though. he grew up in a modest family somewhere in the east of the united states and after he was turned he hid himself away in an old abandoned chapel for many many years, feeding on wildlife and the occasional unfortunate soul who wandered too far into the woods. he ended up hunted down by heavenly, my other oc for this story, who is a vampire hunter but at that point was still very young and on his first ever vampire hunt without his father; heavenly was unable to kill isaac and let him go, after which isaac moved to jericho :]

jericho is a big city on the west coast of the united states and it's essentially a vampire hub, in the sense that the government knows about the existence of vampires but isn't telling the general public but the general public tends to also know about the existence of vampires but it's also not uncommon to come across people who've never heard of them. but at the same time it's also not a huge shock to find out that vampires exist. and in jericho there's many of them and it's like a safe haven for them. am i making sense here

anyway isaac runs a church in jericho now! it's less used as an actual church and more just a homeless shelter and general shelter and community center and food bank AND blood bank all in one, for humans and vampires alike, and he's a very important member of the community he lives in :^) he really wants to help people and improve lives despite the reputation of his bloodline

it's at the same time pretty dangerous for him to be in such a lively place because if he misses a meal even once he could go on a murderous rampage. but it's a risk he's willing to take, knowing he's making a difference and not wanting people to lose their stability in life because he decides to leave or something like that

i don't have much for the story yet but the idea is that heavenly shows up in jericho give or take 2-3 decades after first meeting isaac and they reunite :^) heavenly ends up helping isaac with the blood shortage crisis and also ends up as his personal blood bag because he's a freak and a weirdo who likes getting his blood sucked by vampires. and also he's gay for isaac. and i get him. me too

[feefivefoe]

I like you sahsrau 👀✨ can we have more of it?

I'll probably go in region order bc if I don't I will forget who I have and haven't done-

But if you want a specific character, just request some in an ask and I won't mind. Max of 5 characters though.

Herta Space Station. Where 2 individuals awoke and b̵̢̛̻̙̗͚̝͚̥̣͕̆̉̊̌͆́ę̵̮̲̺̘͖͖̦̫͗̅̏͌̀̃̀̀͘g̸̰̜̠̰̞̉̽̈́̅͂̄ä̴̧̝͇͇̝̗̩͚́͆͛͝ͅn̵̡̯̙͇̼̣͍̪͂͛̔̀̃́ their journey across the cosmos. A place very recently attacked by the Antimatter Legion, dedicated to the Destruction.

Perhaps this is why you also found yourself awakening there, though already aboard the parked Express. Perhaps THEIR theory had some merit after all.

Asta

The head of the station is a busy woman, constantly juggling the academic and social issues from the researchers, whatever work Herta deems below even her puppets, and even more so after the security breach.

It isn't until a while after your awakening that she manages to actually meet you. There was gossip, sure. That a mortal incarnation of the being that shaped the universe was found on the famed Astral Express, while ported in their station. As if she didn't already have a millions missives directed her way...

That being said, there is something celestial about you that puts any doubts the astronomer might have at ease. There's no fear in your eyes as you wander the station. Whether that's because you believe the threat has been eliminated, or because you don't believe even the Legion would harm you? It isn't clear. Asta isn't even sure you know.

Still, it isn't often she gets the chance to speak with you personally. Expect her to have either Arlan or Peppy trailing you whenever you set foot on the station. Expect welcoming gifts any time you visit, expensive enough to make you sweat a little. She won't even notice.

For a non researcher, she sure does seem to dissect you with her eyes from across the room. Hint, she's mapping out constellations on your skin. Be it freckles, pimples, moles...she doesn't care. Any mark or blemish is just an undiscovered star. And Asta has always wanted to find stars that haven't been discovered and named yet.

Arlan

As the one who feels particularly at fault for the invasion, he's constantly a little paranoid that you may be hurt by some straggler. Just one intruder he or his department missed, one enemy that attacks the first person it sees. After so long, would any follower of Nanook even recognize you before striking?

He can't take that risk.

Meeting you in person gave him the same crushing sense of relief and hope that he had experienced in his younger days. A hungry child that was willing to fight people he didn't know FOR people he didn't know if it meant earning something to eat. Asta and her family took a chance on him, and now he was someone the station trusted to keep them safe.

And he failed at that. Sure, he did everything in his power. He saved people, even was willing to sacrifice his life if it meant protecting what staff he could. But the fact remains that some people died, and even more were hurt in some way. He can't fail like that again.

He had a second chance, his new beginning. And he will die before he loses it. Arlan, the more he sees you as an Aeon and less as a human, will start fusing his perception of you with his gratitude for his place in life. If anything happens to you, he'll die at best, and lose everything at worst.

He cares about you deeply, of course. As much as idolization will allow. You're entirely perfect. Which is why, as someone who has only been able to fight and not learn like the others, he will dedicate every bone in his body to protecting yours.

Herta (puppet)

Really? All that fuss, and the Beginning is just a human? A squishy meatsack like the rest of them? Not even a bizarre size?

For a while she's unimpressed, even seeing your existence as less interesting than the prospect of a person with a Stellaron inside them.

Ah. But what if the two correlate? What if you only made your appearance because of an intact, contained Stellaron? Oh, had the Destruction found a way to place direct essence into a weaponization of matter???

This hypothesis needed confirmed before anything else. But even she doesn't have direct access to the Cancer of All Worlds...

Off you go on the Express now, go on. She's sure you'll come across one eventually. And you make sure to come right back as soon as you do, okay? She'll even let you have top priority when you return. No waiting, no leaving a message. She's even set your specific number to alert her immediately when you text, bypassing the bot that sends messages for her.

It's a very special privilege to be able to contact a genius so readily, so don't abuse it, okay? Though, if you sprinkle in discoveries you make about your existence, she may be willing to chat a bit. Only for you, remember.

The Herta

And just as she predicted, you have a much different aura about you by the time she meets you in the flesh. Perhaps it's the time in Amphoreus, a land filled with 'divinity', but you hold yourself with the presence of an Aeon, now.

Someone who knows their companions would slit someone's stomach open merely because you asked them to, just to see if they would, and feel no guilt.

Droidhead suddenly seems much less impressive. She's wanted the Aeons to ask a question of her for a while now, tired of constantly being the one to seek answers. Herta feels those questions in your gaze, before you even open your mouth. She feels dissected, rearranged, and put back together with a single look.

It's a bit addicting, actually.

Oh, and the way you listen when you ask her something and she answers! It isn't like her to get so excited. It's out of character. It's wrong.

And that is precisely what makes it so fascinating. Just how dangerous will your presence be if this is after only a handful of encounters with a Stelleron? This isn't even a percentage of what you once were.

She tried to recreate you in the Simulated Universe, sending the Trailblazers (as your constant leeches companions) through over and over again, just to see how your AI acts, and growing more and more frustrated when it doesn't live up to the real thing. Maybe she needs more time to study the original in person...

[anarchy-and-piglins]

do you have more c technoblade analysis? your thoughts are really well articulated and usually i agree with you

i wasnt there for dsmp stuff so you can talk about anything you’d like

Oh boy, I have a ton of cTechno thoughts all the time, but I feel like I'm bad at pulling them out randomly unless people want to ask/hear about anything specific (which, for the record, I very much embrace; I love cTechno lore questions)

HOWEVER, you're in luck today. Because I did have thoughts this morning!

Specifically, I am thinking once again about cTechno's conversation with cTubbo about the Red Festival during their Saving Michael stream.

Techno's situation during the Red Festival is kind of interesting to me because we know it is a fight Techno would have lost, and thus he decided not to engage with it. We see this as a returning character trait. Techno isn't only a good fighter, he's a smart fighter. He's not reckless.

That is to say, cTechno and ccTechno have both confirmed that in the case of the Red Festival, Techno pulled the trigger on Tubbo (AFTER trying to get out of the situation, dissuade Schlatt of the entire affair, and stall for time so their allies could come help, none of which worked) because he knew that if he refused, then he'd be entering a fight he could not win. He would not have been able to keep Tubbo and himself safe against a crowd of armored and armed people, especially as Tubbo was completely without weapons and armor. The most likely outcome would have been for them both to just be killed anyway, or maybe if they're lucky for one of them to die and the other escape.

And Techno only has one life.

Now, a few characters (mainly cTommy) do believe Techno could have fought his way out of that situation easy-peasy. The problem is that Tommy is in this case wrong. Again, both cTechno and ccTechno confirmed he could not have won, and in fact, we see that Techno's health dropped significantly and he almost died, leaving him to flee, and that is after shooting Tubbo. So yeah, no way would he have made it out with both of their lives intact. (Sadly, some of the fandom also decided to take Tommy's word for it despite cTommy being extremely wrong in this case but that's another post)

Here's why I'm talking about all this. During the Saving Michael stream, Techno apologizes to Tubbo about the events of the Red Festival, but these are the exact words he uses:

"I should have been willing to die for my beliefs back then"

This line still drives me up the wall and makes me chew the isolation /pos. Techno isn't saying he would have survived the Red Festival. He's not saying that he lied about being able to win that fight. HE'S SAYING HE SHOULD HAVE TRIED ANYWAY EVEN IF IT KILLS HIM.

And this comes literally minutes after he admits he only has one life.

Techno's 'belief' in this case is in reference to anarchy, obviously. I could write full dissertations about how Techno's understanding of the concept that is anarchy evolves to be more nuanced and complex throughout the dsmp, and how it is one of my favorite arcs, and why it makes him such a compelling character, but the main point for this post is that Techno got others involved in his cause.

Anarchy is not just Techno's thing anymore. It's the Syndicate's thing. Techno's friends. And one of Techno's defying character traits is that while he's not reckless, he's very much willing to put himself in danger for his friends. So now he feels that he should have put himself in harm's way during the Red Festival because that's what he would do now, after his character development.

He's not apologizing for being unable to save Tubbo - because he still doesn't think he'd be able to, and he's probably right about that. He's apologizing because he has one life and he was unwilling to sacrifice it. But now he is.

[marvelstars]

There´s always a price to pay

Anakin Skywalker

Anakin didn´t have an attachment problem before his mother died. In fact Anakin became attached because his mother died and that lead to his fall in ROTS when he tried to keep Padme alive by any means neccesary. Anakin didn´t get his balance back until ROTJ.

I see a lot of fans, especially anti-anakin fans talk about how his "attachment" problem was the main reason why he could never be a good Jedi, they usually go back to George Lucas commentary about him being fearing for Padme in ROTS because he was attached but if this is their inspiration they are unaware or forget Lucas comments about Anakin on EP I and EPII.

Because Anakin pretty much had to "let go" of his mother in slavery on EP I when he was 9 to become a Jedi. At 9 Anakin wasn´t just compassionate, he was self- sacrificical as well, he did that out of love for his family and for his friends. His only problem was the he loved too much(acording to lucas) and to the Jedi Order eyes.

Anakin was asked to leave his mother behind and never contact her again as the price to become a Jedi, that was what he was asked to do, to truly become a Jedi and he did it.

Anakin wasnt "attached" to his mother, Anakin LOVED his mother just like he loved Padme, that´s different but Jedi teachings didn´t approve of love, you can have "compassion" (even when I can´t remember any Jedi in the actual movies made by Lucas having compassion for anybody in particular, except Luke and Anakin) but you can´t love, that always has been part of their beliefs and fandom needs to remember that, because that´s central to the story.

EP II: Anakin discovers that this singular action of doing everything the Jedi way cost his mother her life, because he wasn´t there to protect her, she got herself a loving family for herself but she was left vulnerable to Tatooine´s dangers while her Jedi Son wasn´t allowed to contact her for 10 years. THIS was the beggining of Anakin´s "attachment issues" THIS was also the beggining of Anakin´s fall to the darkside when he killed the tusken raiders who kidnaped and tortured his mother for weeks in revenge.

Acording to Lucas commentary this singular event unbalanced Anakin for the rest of his life right until Return of the Jedi.

Because from Anakin´s perspective being a Jedi lead to him abandoning his mother and letting her die, that was a mistake he wasn´t willing to allow again. He became fixated on keeping Padme, Rex, his soldiers, fellow padawans, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Palpatine, whoever was under his care alive by any means neccesary and he no longer cared about being the pefect Jedi because being that killed his mother. Still a lot of his efforts were not enough to keep them alive especially during the clone wars, which convinced him he needed to become more powerful to keep them safe, which was the trap Palpatine put to make him fall "Help me destroy the Jedi Order and I will teach you how to save you wife and keep the galaxy at peace, we will have peace" It was a faustian exchange and Anakin agreed, just like he agreed to leave his mother behind so many years ago.

In both the clone wars series and official novels, other characters including Sith like Count Dooku made the comment there was a growing darkness in Anakin post EPII and the reason for this was because he was already using the darkside at the time of the clone wars but he didn´t fall fully into it until ROTS, he used it when he tought he needded it to protect his loved ones or end more quickly a battle in the clone wars.

You know how Lucas enjoys making his narrative ryhme? and both Luke and Anakin stories were made to ryhme.

Luke was presented with this same choice, stay, sacrifice your friends lifes and become a Jedi or leave to rescue your friends. Luke choose to rescue his friends even if it cost him his hand, promising he would come back. Because he feelt more free to do so as a young adult than Anakin at 9. Luke wasn´t the perfect Jedi in Yoda and Obi-Wan´s eyes because he cared for his friends and family but for Luke that was alright because that was the right thing to do.

Luke was presented with another choice, kill your sith father and his master the Emperor to truly become a Jedi. Luke choose to save his father and have compassion for him because for him doing the contrary was cruel and a sure way to fall to the darkside.

This doesnt mean Luke didn´t have doubts or darkside temptations, remember when he force chocked Jabba´s guards and told Jabba he was going to kill him? remember when he almost killed Vader to protect Leia? he was using the darkside to save his loved ones, just like his father did at his age. The difference was that having friends around who supported him unconditionally, not because of duty but because of love, helped to ground him. This gave him the idea that if this worked for him, it could work for his father as well, if only anyone showed him compassion again, not because of duty, not as a quid pro quo but because of plain unconditional love.

This action was enough to awake in Vader himself the desire to have compassion and love again, for his child and for the galaxy, this was the reason why he became self-sacrifical again, just like when he was young and he was willing to throw away his life and the last person he loved, the Emperor, to their deaths if it meant Luke´s Jedi ideology survived everyone. He could not let that die.

So if the fandom is going to talk about how Anakin was "evil" from the beggining and twisted using Lucas arguments about the difference between attachment and love, it would be nice if once in a while they didn´t erase the commentary Lucas made about the real origin of Anakin´s attachment.

[miamc]

byler rant incoming sorry guys.

“mike isn’t good enough for will”. will said that mike makes him feel like he’s not a mistake. those are literally words from his mouth. like do you understand how serious that is. despite everything, mike still makes will feel like he isn’t a mistake, like he’s better for being different. his words, not mine. i mean for someone to make a closeted gay kid in the 1980s feel that way? accepted? that’s a huge deal.

okay first of all will loves mike so much. like. he loves him so much that he’s willing to sacrifice his own happiness if it means that mike will be happy. like this kid is 14. i would expect him to be a little selfish. he has a crush on his best friend who is dating someone else. it would be normal if he was jealous or harboured some kind of resentment towards el. but he doesn’t. or at least he cares too much about mike and el to allow those feelings to grow. will doesn’t just have a crush on mike, he’s in love with him. his life is so strong that. he just doesn’t have it in him to be selfish. that’s just not who he is.

i don’t think enough of you guys realize that most people, especially most kids, wouldn’t have done that. think about it from his perspective. a literal monster kidnaps him and takes him to another dimension and when he comes back his best friend, who he’s in love with, keeps on talking about a girl he’s never met who apparently saved his life. and then a year later she’s back and will doesn’t really know what to do about that. she’s back and she likes mike and mike likes her. and then mike and her start dating and his best friend of 8 years starts ignoring him. he literally had a year of things going “back to normal” and even then he had severe ptsd from the upside down. like just because he was safe, doesn’t mean he was happy. oh and he also got possessed let’s not forget about that. and then after everything he had to move to california with el. she’s just a part of his family now and she’s still dating mike. like that would be so confusing honestly. not that el did anything wrong but the whole situation is just bizarre. will’s entire life changed after he went missing. and now he has to leave his friends and the girl that saved his life and is dating mike is his new sister?

it’s just weird like. will loves mike so selflessly and purely. even when mike acts like an asshole will loves him. the show hasn’t shown that el loves mike like that. in fact, they’ve shown the opposite. after their “break up”, which was completely comical and honestly liberating for el, she was laughing with max and looking at cute boys. i’m not faulting her for that but she just doesn’t love mike in the same way that will loves him. the show wants us to know this.

so… why? even though mike and el are basically the main couple of the show, the duffers want us to know that el doesn’t love mike nearly as much as will does? why would they want to end the show like that?? like do i even have to explain any further??? like hey yeah mike and el are together but did you know that will loves mike way more than el does? yeah we just randomly added that to the story. no it doesn’t really have any lasting impact on anything. yeah we’re ending the series like that actually. like?? really guys. is that plausible?

does el even know what mike likes to do and vice versa? have they ever hung out with each other and i don’t know, watched a movie? or played a game? they literally just made out and could barely hold a conversations with each other a few months later in lenora. it’s easy to forget that mike and el weren’t actually together for that long. they never really even had time to get to know each other. yes they’ve bonded because of the events of the show and they care about each other a lot. but that doesn’t mean they should date and it certainly doesn’t mean they’re in love with each other. but you know, she’s a girl and he’s a boy. everybody would think it was weird if they didn’t date. so they do. rewatch the first season. rewatch their first kiss. you can’t even call it romantic. they’re both little kids and el didn’t even know what a kiss was. like it’s just so crazy this shit is undeniable honestly. the show literally tells us all of this. and yet some people can’t accept that byler is at the very least a possibility?? and i’m not even mentioning the mountain of byler evidence. like i’m just examining the show at surface level… whatever

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#56: The Real CRM (1.06)

gif cred: @andy-clutterbuck

Will the real CRM please stand up? 😁 The thing I most liked about these Rick and Beale exchanges is that while Beale was peeling back the curtain on what the CRM is really about, Rick got to let Beale know about the only CRM he and I recognize - and y’all, that’s Carl, Rick, Michonne. 💅🏽😌...

Beale sees major potential in Rick as he tells him he thinks the next decade's leader might be Rick Grimes. It’s like Okafor said, even though Rick has never wanted power, it’s undeniable that he has it and is a natural-born leader. But I think this natural-born leader is very eager to retire and just be a family man and the world should finally let him. 🙏🏽

Beale notes how Rick came back to them even after so many escape attempts and even despite having had the perfect out because they thought he was dead. They cut to several moments of Rick during his time in the CRM and then Beale says that Rick has become a powerful story that they can essentially parade around to others to convince them of why the CRM is the answer.

Even saying that is so detached and reductive - treating Rick as not a person but a persuasive story.

gif cred: @taiturner

Beale talks about how he and Okafor have sacrificed and he says Rick has already sacrificed too as he holds up his prosthetic, a reminder of Rick's willingness to sacrifice his own hand for his family.

Then Beale gets personal yet still seems so detached as he asks, “Who’s the person closest to you who’s died in all of this?” And Andy’s acting is so good as he pauses for a moment and then says, “My son.” I could shed several tears from those two words alone. 🥺

One; I love how often Carl was acknowledged in TOWL. He’s so impactful to Rick and Michonne so it’s only right. And the way Rick says 'my son' here, it's viscerally evident how personal this is to him. I love how there’s this vulnerability to the way he says it while also trying to keep a guard up.

Rick somberly says, “He’s who I saved tearing out that man’s throat.” Because truly there isn’t anything Rick wouldn’t do for Carl. 😭 And the pain on Rick's face when he says this hits hard. It's like you can visibly see him mentally returning to two extremely heavy moments from his past - the night he killed those Claimers to save Carl and the night he lost Carl in Alexandria.

And then, despite the fact that this is clearly an extremely hard loss and not easy to talk about, Beale seems like he doesn’t have a heart with his insensitive response.

Beale says, “But you couldn’t save him in the end.” And him disrespecting Rick and Carl had me wanting to swing on the Major General tbh. 🥊

After Beale's unfeeling remark, they show a quick clip of Rick and Michonne standing at Carl’s grave. 💔 Then Rick shakes his head and somberly answers, “No.” Which is just 🥺🥺🥺. 

A big element of the pain of this is that, before Carl passed, Rick viewed the weighted act of killing a man with his teeth as an act that kept Carl alive. But now, when he thinks about that moment he also has to think about how Carl still didn't make it, even despite what Rick was willing to do to protect him. 😞

I guess normally this would be an effective tactic from Beale. He gets the soldiers thinking about the person they most loved and lost and how they couldn’t save them, convincing them that committing to the CRM would be a way to prevent those losses and that pain from ever happening again.

But fortunately, after some heart-to-hearts in a crumbling apartment with Michonne, Rick is no longer susceptible to thinking the CRM can’t be beat so they must be joined.

Beale says, “What if I told you, you would never have to suffer that kind of loss again, that wherever you were running to, whoever you were running to…you could keep them safe, you could bring them to us?” For some reason, I doubt the sincerity of this offer.

And it seems Rick isn't buying it either. Plus, even if it was a legit offer, Rick would never just be content with keeping his people safe while the CRM exterminates mass amounts of other innocent people.

When Beale says, “Family, friends, a love…I don’t give a damn.” the not giving a damn part is clear. You can tell Beale has been so far removed from having people he loves for a long while.

Somewhat adjacent to a mindset that Rick nearly adopted before Michonne helped him return to himself, Beale thinks protecting people is a sufficient replacement for loving people.

Beale says he’ll spare the people Rick loves because he’s willing to take that chance on him. Rick continues to hang onto his knife under the table and Beale can’t tell that he has an increasingly feral Rick in front of him.

Like the way Rick looks at Beale...it was clear that the Major General was about to meet Red Machete Rick real soon. 👌🏽

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Beale goes on to tell Rick about how “The Next World will begin” and my extra self just liked hearing the title of Richonne’s s6 canon episode in TOWL lol. 😊

The time finally comes for Rick to swear on the sword and then we’re brought back to the moment in ep 1 when Beale wanted to ask a question and get the answer by looking in Rick eyes. And then here in the finale, Beale also gets an answer from Rick’s eyes because rather than swear on the sword and 'not let it take' like Okafor advised, Rick refuses to swear on the sword at all.

Rick's done playing along. So after they show a series of clips of Rick and Michonne taking down opponents in TWD, Beale quickly realizes that he’s got the wrong one as Rick’s expression shifts. He can tell Rick is very clearly in kill mode as Beale then grabs his weapon and says, “No.” But it’s too late.

gif cred: @coltseavrs

Rick chuck’s his knife at Beale and slides across the desk to tackle him down. 👏🏽

Beale and Rick get into some hand-to-hand combat, with Rick’s prosthetic again shielding him from getting cut up when Beale swings his sword. Beale wants to know why Rick came back if he hadn’t really conformed. Rick doesn’t believe the world is gonna end and Beale says the world won’t but he’s trying to make sure that the human race doesn’t end.

When Rick gets a hold of Beale’s sword he plunges it right through Beale’s hand and Beale’s first response is one of regret that he trusted Okafor enough to give Rick a chance. Cuz clearly that didn't work out too well for Mister Beale. 🙂

And then, after Beale’s long speeches and disrespect throughout this ep, it was finally Rick’s turn to speak. 😌

gif cred: @nobleriver

Rick lets Beale know, “I never lost my son. I lost myself. He brought me back.” 😭 I love how Rick now knows his son was always with him, even when he thought he lost him. And even after losing himself, his son was still able to bring him back.

Carl brought Rick back so many times as he lived and it’s heartwarming to know he continues to do that from the other side.

gif cred: @nobleriver

And then y’all already know I am beyond here for the fact that Rick then says, “My wife brought me back.” The way he puts that emphasis on “my wife.” 🔥 Oh he meant this. 💯

And you know it probably felt extra great for Rick to now be able to say 'my wife' knowing he's finally been able to give Michonne a ring like he wanted. ��😌

gif cred: @machonnes

Hearing Rick call Michonne his wife will always be music to my ears. And I love that he can't help but say it with so much passion each time. 😊

And once again Rick has a perfect track record of giving Michonne her flowers. He knows the reason he’s here, and back to being himself, and fighting this fight, is because of his wife. Fighting for him, believing in him, and bringing him back are some of the many ways Michonne saved Rick's life.

I love the way this connects back to Michonne telling Carl that he and Rick brought her back in their heartfelt season 4 finale scene. Carl, Rick, and Michonne all brought each other back. 😭

(And little does Beale know that the wife Rick’s talking about is one Consignee Bethune. Looks like Beale was right to have her on his radar. 😋)

Rick says, “We’re the sword that kills. We’re the sword that gives life. One life. One unstoppable life.” I like that Rick gets to tell Beale this after the CRM thought they were the only answer.

gif cred: @likeafantasy

Again, he’s letting Beale know who the real C.R.M is and it was moving to see Rick doing this in the name of Carl and Michonne. His son and wife. He represented the Golden Trio well here. 🥹

(And I know some people wanted/expected TOWL to be super focused on CRM content. But the way I see it - it was.👌🏽 Because Carl, Rick, & Michonne sure got a whole lot of focus. 😌)

Rick's final scene with Beale made it ultra clear that Michonne and Carl give Rick so much strength. They did back then and they still do years later. His wife and kids are why he fights. 👌🏽

And I like that Rick reframed Beale’s mantra to see that it’s the people you love who really are the ones who give life. Hearing Rick say “one unstoppable life” also made me think about how he mentioned in the TWD series finale that Michonne showed him that they’re one unstoppable life.

And that’s why they don’t have to succumb to the doomsday fear of the world ending again because, as this apocalypse has shown, - their one unstoppable life doesn’t end even when the world does. 

gif cred: @likeafantasy

Then Rick concludes by saying, “We’re not dead…You are.” as he, in a bit of poetic irony, kills Beale with his own sword. It’s nice hearing Rick declare “We’re not dead” having lived the last few years feeling like a dead man. The real Rick is alive and well now. 🙌🏽

And the real Rick is also a little crazy, but that’s how it’s always been and we love him for it. 😌

Also, the snarl with that delivery.👏🏽❤️‍🔥 Rick can be at his most feral and every time I'm still just like...

Killing the CRM’s most powerful leader right here and now certainly qualifies as putting a major wrench in Richonne's plan, and so Rick has to quickly cover his tracks by telling Pearl that Beale went to the woods alone.

gif cred: @andy-clutterbuck

Then he sees a crate and gets an idea on how to remove the body which leads to another elevator scene. And while that lovely elevator scene in episode 4 was lighthearted and steamy, this next elevator scene is pure suspense. 😨👌🏽

[animekpopsimp]

Honkai Star Rail as your big brother

Dan Heng

Dan Heng is a very calm, yet caring older brother

Since being banished from his home, you're the only person he's got left

He doesn't trust most people, but you're one of them

The two of you spend a lot of time together

Dan Heng is also a protective older brother

He's always keeping an eye on you, making sure your safe

He would hate himself if anything happened to you

While he seems quiet, Dan Heng is great at comforting you

You can always turn to him when you need to

Welt

Welt is a very responsible older brother

He can seem a bit harsh at times, but all he wants is to make sure you're safe

He knows you can be reckless, and he wants to make sure you don't get hurt

He also makes sure that you are taking care of yourself

Welt makes sure to let you know that he's there for you when you're feeling upset

He teaches you how to protect yourself since he knows that he can't always be there

He refused to let anything happen to you if he can do anything about it

Argenti

Argenti is a very kind older brother

He cares about you a lot

He pays close attention to your well being at all times

He knows when you're feeling upset and need comfort

He knows when you aren't taking care of yourself

You can't keep anything from him

He's great at comforting you, so you never feel upset for long

He's also very protective, not wanting anyone to hurt you

You're his precious little sister and he wants the best for you

Sunday

It goes without saying, but he's a super protective older brother

That goes for you and Robin

He's always got an eye on you

If anyone ever thinks about trying to hurt you, he'll take care of it

He also spoils you, even if you tell him to stop

He's a very scary older brother

Gepard

Gepard is a very sweet brother

He may be busy most of the time, but he still makes sure to spend time with you when he can

He does feel bad that he can't spend time with you and your other siblings, but he also knows that he has a duty to keep Belabog safe

Gepard knows you can take care of yourself, but he still feels the need to keep you safe

Though, he won't be overbearing since he knows you don't like it

He just really cares about you

Boothill

The fact that you're the only person Boothill has left means he's protective

Both of you having witnessed your home being destroyed means you both rely on each other a lot

You rarely leave each other's side

You're also very protective of each other

Neither of you want to lose each other

Between the two of you however, he's the more protective one

Boothill feels that since he's older, it's his responsibility to take care of you

He's more than willing to put himself in danger for your sake

You are also willing to do the same, even if he doesn't like it when you do

Both of you just want the other to be safe

Adventurine

You and your brother had a rough life

Your home had been destroyed and you were both made into slaves

During that time, Adventurine did his best to keep you safe, even if it wasn't easy

Even when you both started working for the IPC, he still didn't let up on his protectiveness

You two are often together

You both get nervous when you're away from each other due to the things you've endured

You also have nightmares, which Adventurine is always there to comfort you

You're precious to him and all he wants if you to have freedome, even if he has to sacrifice himself

Jing Yuang

He's a more relaxed older brother, but still protective

He won't always keep an eye on you, he trusts that you can handle taking care of yourself

He may also have someone else looking out for you if he feels like he needs to

He also trains you to be able to protect yourself since he knows it's an important skill

He also makes sure to spend quality time with you since he doesn't want you to feel lonely

If you ever start dating, he will be keeping a close eye on you

He won't let you get hurt if he has anything to do with it

[fduck0]

Im also gonna put my little ramble here bc its silly (also go follow Catherine)

(Quick thing, i have kind of big problem with putting my thoughts into words so keep that inmind pls)

I wanna talk ab how sacrifice is a really important part of Wendy's character. Abigail is summoned in DS through blood sacrifice, which is now translated into DST with the shadow Abby buff by having Wendy murder mobs to boost her damage. Telling Wigfrid she can "take her heart" when she examines her ghost, implying that Wendy is willing to die to bring her back. Harming herself while trying to revive Abby with the new skilltree altar and by making telltale hearts for spectral cure-alls. Along with sacrificing her whole life by going into the constant just to be with her sister.

(We can also talk ab how Abby does the same, constantly getting herself killed just to keep Wendy safe, which creates a cycle BUT NOT THE TOPIC RN)

This all gives us a pretty good picture of Wendys view the world and on herself. Sacrifice is not only one of the only ways her bond with Abigail stays alive but is also a way to show Wendy's poor self image. She is willing to harm herself both mentally and phisically for the sake of the people close to her. We already know that in her own eyes, Wendy thinks she's worthless , so its not a really big surprise that she'd throw away her life to bring back someone that's "useful" and that actually wants to live.

AND THIS IS WHERE WEBBER COMES IN. The moon stone quote "Perhaps it thirsts for a sacrifice. Where's Webber..." MAY seem like a slap in the face to what i just said ab keeping ppl safe BUT ITS NOT.

From other quotes, its clear that Wendy values her life as much or less then the creatures around her MOST of the time. As much as she kills butterflies, she also wants monsters like bearger to kill her. To Wendy, death is the only present she wants.Cue to conclusion number 1. Webbers sacrifice can be seen as Wendy trying to give Webber the only thing she wants in life, which is dying.

BUT THERES MORE. Human sacrifice is a bit of a mixed bag, since it can either be "i will sacrifice someone dear to me" or "fuck this criminal im gonna send them to hell" depending on the culture. CONSIDERING THE "you could never be a monster, Webber" quote, the general dynamic and context, its clearly the first one thankfully. This leaves us with conclusion number 2. Wendy views Webber as someone dear to her and worth sacrificing.

But now we get into the deep shit bc this is Wendy. And like this is the most headcanon-y one so if this makes no sense idk beat me with sticks ANYWAYS.

We have to remember her fear of attachment. I've already talked in another post about Wendy's nihilism being a defense mechanism and all of that so im not gonna repeat it, (i havent uploaded that thread on tumblr and its 4 am rambles) but i feel like this can also be part of it. Webber represents exactly what shes avoiding, which includes moving on and vulnerability. While Wendy is constantly driving herself crazy over Abigail's death in fear of forgetting her, Webber tries to make the best out of his situation and enjoy his life, even when lets be honest, it also sucks ass. Its the opposites attract trope. BUT I FEEL LIKE IN THIS SITUATION THERES ALSO THE COMPLEXITY OF THAT AVOIDANCE.

In DS this mf considers bandages pointless because "she'll only get hurt again" and says in dst that its "too painful" to get a pet kitcoon because of that fear of losing it. From this we could easily point to the fact Wendy is probably not only scared of losing Webber, but also the fact being around him DOES make her happy. So the solution for that?

3. Sacrifice him. He's too good for the constant, so the least Wendy could do is try to free him from the pain of living, losing him both to try to do him a favour in her eyes, along with keeping herself safe by sticking to her miserable life instead of trying to work on getting better. BUT OOPS CLEARLY YOU CANT DO THAT SOOOO. That and the way dst has progressed their friendship over the years its kind of too late for that by now so L Wendy. BUT YEAH final conclusion, I think Wendy seeing Webber as someone worth sacrificing is sweet in her own insane way.Like that mf would probably die for Webber, kill for him and sacrifice him on an altar.

Gold star to whoever read all of this insanity ig

[heyclickadee]

Okay, but what about Crosshair’s sacrifice? Because he makes one, and it’s a doozy.

He’s being tortured. He takes advantage of the one lull in the pain and attention from the guards to break out. He could try to escape, whatever Emerie says, but he doesn’t. He knows he’s being held by a monster who sees him as property. He knows he’s a non-person in the empire’s eyes. He knows that they’re just going to keep hurting him until he talks, and still. He throws his one chance at getting away from all of that—maybe even his one chance at ever seeing his family again and making things right, as far as he knows at the time—to send a message and warn the batch about what’s coming.

And then, far from talking once he’s recaptured, he determines that he’s going to keep silent and protect his family, believing at the time that Hemlock is going to torture him to death if he does.

It’s a sacrifice every bit as heroic and selfless as what Tech does in Plan 99. What’s more, Crosshair maybe has an actual choice where Tech doesn’t. Tech is going to fall one way or another, his real choice is just making sure the others don’t take that risk with him; Crosshair is told the suffering will stop if he just tells Hemlock how to find Omega. And he still chooses to stay quiet because he wants to keep the people he loves safe.

But it doesn’t work.

Now, I’d argue that Tech’s sacrifice doesn’t work either, or that it’s at least not exactly an unambiguous success. He gets the others to safety, but it’s barely, and things immediately go wrong. Everyone’s badly hurt, Omega almost dies, they lose any chance they had at finding and saving Crosshair, the whole mission was pointless, Omega gets taken, and then they spend months floundering around because the guy who knew how to do the things they need to do got thrown off a train. In fact…contrary to almost every other entry in wars, none of the self sacrifices in TBB are total successes, and many make things worse—though more on that in another post.

But Crosshair’s sacrifice? Crosshair’s sacrifice is a disaster. The message he sends with the intent to warn his family only low is exactly what brings them out of their sanctuary to find him. It’s why Tech was on Eriadu to make his sacrifice in the first place. It gets a kid Crosshair loved so much even at that point that he was willing to, again, be tortured to death if it would keep her safe captured by the exact person he was trying to save her from.

He makes a choice at the end of season one that breaks his family apart a little more than it already was; he makes a choice here to protect them with the best of intentions, and no hope of escape or reward, and it just makes everything worse. It’s like he can’t outrun that first terrible mistake of choosing to stay with the empire. No wonder he hits a point where he wants to die.

And then we leave him there. Thinking that the bravest thing he ever did just compounded his first terrible mistake of choosing to stay with the empire, and broke his family forever, saying that it’s his fault and he needs to die for it—without actually unpacking that or allowing the trajectory of his arc to bring him to a point where he’s at peace with himself.

This one of the reasons why I think we’re not quite done with this story or these characters*. You can actually play with historical irony and have a character’s intentions backfire like this, but you do actually have to deal with it after the fact. You need to lean into it. Force the viewer to look how awful it is in the eye. And if you’re doing it with a character like Crosshair, with an arc like Crosshair’s, you do have to do it in a way that allows the character to come to some kind of terms with themselves. Offer self-reconciliation, or, alternatively, go full in on the other direction, and make it explicitly clear that reconciliation is impossible.

But if you are completing the arc—which, given the trajectory and given that this is still a Star Wars show for kids, I have to think they eventually are, even if they haven’t done so yet…at least let us know for sure that he’s not a suicidal, non-functioning alcoholic whose only reason for not walking into the sea is that it would make Omega sad because literally that is the most likely outcome for him given where we left him IF we don’t get more story in the intervening time period and what the hell did we do all this for if Crosshair is just going to keep suffering forever. Finish off his arc and tie up his threads at the very least.

But they don’t. In fact, they sidestep any opportunity to do so, and any closure with Crosshair besides solidifying the fact that Hunter and Omega trust him beyond words, by not giving him any lines after Tantiss, not making him part of the “Whatever we want, kid,” conversation (he and Wrecker walk in after that part—they’re talking with Echo and the other clones in a conversation we don’t get to hear), and never having him say anything about himself after declaring that he deserves to die.

Which is fine as long as there’s more story to tell; leaving certain things off as an unmitigated and unpacked disaster is actually very Empire Strikes Back. I just think that leaving Crosshair (and the audience) thinking that his sacrifice was useless is unlikely.

*Just to clarify, when I say that I think there’s more to this story, and that we hit the end of a chapter and not the final ending, I’m not saying that I think the next show is going to be TBB 2: Too Bad Two Batch or anything like that. I don’t think it will be. I think it’ll be a show following mostly Rex and Echo, maybe with a new POV protagonist as an audience touchstone (young Hera pllllssss though that’s just a wishlist item), in which the bad batch characters appear in and out (some more than others) and in which their unfinished arcs and threads from TBB fold into and serve a larger clone story that actually ties up this era. That’s what I mean when I think there’s more and that TBB was a sort of middle chapter designed to get everyone to where they needed to be for the next one.

[betaray-jones]

Since epic tye musical still has me in its grip and since I keep seeing takes on mutiny here are my thoughts on Odysseus sacrificing the six men to Scylla.

Firstly, how informed was the crew that they were going to face Scylla?

I think it is reasonable to assume that the crew had no idea. When the Siren told Odysseus about Scylla he immediately knew the sacrifice this path required, which in my opinion makes it reasonable to assume that at least Eurylochus would also have heard about Scylla and the fact that her six heads required the sacrifice of six men. Additionally Eurylochus calls Scylla by name at no point instead saying that "something approaches" which further suggests he didn't know where exactly they were going. Also the crew all had wax in their ears during the Siren scene so unless Odysseus told them afterwards there is no way for them to know about Scylla. So why didn't he?

I feel like Odysseus has a good grasp on the spirit of the crew and knows how disillusioned they have become. Based on Eurylochus in mutiny it's safe to assume that at least some members have given up on reaching home. Odysseus knows that if he asks this crew to now further sacrifice six men that chances are good that the crew will refuse, so he doesn't tell them and just tells them that the sirens revealed a way to make it home.

For the majority of the crew the captain not sharing the route would probably not be noteworthy but I think Eurylochus as second in command would normally have insisted on knowing. Here of course Eurylochus guilt about the last time he didn't follow orders would then play in Odysseus favor, keeping him from questioning their direction and Odysseus plan.

This leads me to the second part, the torches.

In the Lifestream it was visible that Eurylochus was originally carrying one of the torches before dropping it in order to help a crew mate implying that Odysseus intended for Scylla to kill him. Most people I've seen discussing this proposed that this was revenge for opening the windbag on Odysseus part but I disagree.

Maybe I'm giving Odysseus too much credit for intelligence but I think this man-made monster Odysseus is too calculated for quick revenge.

But Odysseus knows Eurylochus and he knows that he is willing to question him more than any other character in Epic. I think at least subconsciously he knows that if he sacrifices six men to Scylla and Eurylochus figures out that this was on purpose that his next step will be mutiny. But he also knows that Eurylochus is the voice and acting arm of the crew and their concerns. Take him out of the equation and Odysseus might be able to keep control of the crew.

Therefore I do think that Odysseus did intend to sacrifice Eurylochus to Scylla though not necessarily for revenge (though Eurylochus confession probably worked as further justification in his mind). This would also explain why he was so resigned to Eurylochuses questioning in mutiny and why he didn't even try to defend himself when called out.

In conclusion, the mutiny was essentially just the last inevitable step in the paths both characters chose up to this point.

[arcadiabaytornado]

Hi! Happy Friday October 11 lol.

I’ve been hearing some people calling max and Chloe’s relationship codependent, and although I get the vibes, I was wondering if you could give some more in depth insight and explanations if you haven’t already/if you’re interested?

I am SO interested in talking about this! I love Pricefield, but easily the most unhealthy part of their relationship is the codependency they display.

Max will destroy herself for Chloe. I know that sounds like hyperbole.. but when you take lines like "I don't care what happens me. I have to make sure Chloe's safe." into account...it's not. And we see that it's not during the multiple times Max puts herself in danger on Chloe's behalf.

Just off the top of my head, Max: A: Tries to ambush Nathan during the Vortex Club party so Chloe can get her revenge, despite the fact that Max knows how dangerous he is. B: Confronts Frank at his RV to try and get information Chloe wants. C: Follows a weird text to the junkyard to try and protect the remains of someone Chloe cares about...which gets her kidnapped by Mark Jefferson. D: Drives through a dangerous storm to get to the diner so she can have the photo that will bring her back to Chloe.

There are more examples than the ones I listed above, but those are the four that first four that came to my head.

But it's not just herself Max will destroy for Chloe. She'll destroy the entire town. Which...LOOK. I always sacrifice Arcadia Bay. To ME that is the canon ending. HOWEVER...Max does bring a wave of death and destructive over a town to save the life of one person.

More Undercut

It's more complicated than that, of course. LIS is a game that asks the question "How far would you go for someone you love" and then waits for the player to answer. But like...at it's least nuanced core...the sacrifice Arcadia Bay ending is Max choosing mass destruction over letting Chloe go. Which does say something about their relationship that pairs uneasily with the fact that Max would also chose Chloe over herself.

Then we have Chloe. Chloe doesn't have time travel powers so she can't be quite as destructive as Max can...but she gives it a good effort. When Max leaves for five years without a word, Chloe spirals and becomes reckless and borderline suicidal. This is also because of the loss of her Father, but it's clear that Max's absence did a good amount of damage on it's own.

Chloe doesn't let Max go once in five years. She keeps photo's and memento's from their childhood strewn about her room, and when Max comes back, she becomes somewhat possessive over her presence. (EX: When she gets upset that Max answered Kate's phone call. And texting Warren to tell him that Max is off the table if they kiss.)

Chloe becomes just as dependent on Max as Max becomes on Chloe, which puts them in this cycle of dependency that lasts all the way until the end of episode 5. Where, ironically, Max saving Chloe and their relationship continues their pattern of codependency, while sacrificing Chloe breaks it in the most painful way possible.

So what does that mean for Pricefield if their relationship is codependent? Does it make their relationship unhealthy? Well...in my opinion as someone who loves Pricefield...I do think their relationship is unhealthy in a certain way. They're willing put each other before the world and before themselves....which is romantic on paper but when you really start digging into that it becomes not great.

However, I would also argue that their codependency is what makes their relationship so interesting to watch. After all, would it really be as compelling if Max just shrugged her shoulders and let Chloe go without a fight? Because I don't think it would be.

And I think that's really the entire point. Max and Chloe are two people willing to defy time and fate just to be together, and that makes them compelling. It also makes them destructive. But that destruction IS the intrigue.

[nowritingonthewall]

Hi Chrissie! You are the Queen of softness, and I was wondering what kind of partner do you think Richard would be? Like if he could settle into domestic bliss with the love of his life, what do you think it’d be like to be with him? 💔

My dearest gentle Nonnie, you are the sweetest, thank you so much 🥰🥰🥰

I think we can all agree on the fact that Richard would be the sweetest and softest and most caring partner in the universe 🥺

He put so much of his energy into improving the life of prisoners he wasn’t even responsible for, just imagine how much energy he would put into making the life of his loved ones a little better and a little brighter every day. (And by little I obviously mean a lot.)

He loves to pamper you so much, it’ll take quite some time and effort to convince him to let you take care of him once in a while. And he mostly (reluctantly) agrees to it only because he realizes how happy it makes you to pamper him for a change.

One of his favourite ways to recharge are soft and lazy days on the couch that’ll make you forget about the world and everyday problems for a little while. Snuggled up together you listen to whatever the other person is currently most passionate about or make up nonsense that make you so giggly it’ll give you the hiccups.

Talking about “giggly”: Richard is one of the most ticklish people you have ever met (he is an Oscar character, so of course he has to be ticklish). So tickle fights play an important role in your everyday life. Especially on those days when it’s extra hard to get up and out of bed. And if they happen during those lazy days, they give you the perfect excuse for not having to get up because you already had your workout for the day.

He loves to cook for you. He’s always loved to cook in general but finally having someone to cook for? He’ll go out of this way to turn every meal into an experience. You try to make up for it by being the first one to get up in the morning and wake him up with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. So he tries to make up for the coffee by giving you extra sweet good morning kisses. Which are usually followed by you climbing back into bed for another round of morning cuddles.

And he loves to cuddle. And the hugs (as long as they don’t make you feel uncomfortable, of course.) He claims that a day that doesn’t start with a hug by you, usually turns into a really shitty day. He also claims that your hugs are the best ones in the universe. Which you find hilarious because you are convinced that his hugs are the best ones in the universe. Whenever this debate is re-ignited, it turns into a mini field study which requires at least ten hug samples per side. It’s a sacrifice you are both willing to make. For science.

You have a little written-notes-chain going on. It started by you hiding a cute little love note in his sandwich wrapper. Which he responded to by leaving an even sweeter note under your dinner plate that evening. So he found the next note right by his razor that night. Neither of you talks about the notes. But both of you keep them going and with each new written note that you find, you both fall in love a little more.

It is close to impossible to fight with him. You won’t find a single aggressive cell in his body (not where you are concerned, anyway) and as soon as a problem arises, he’ll try to have a civilized discussion about it. Which doesn’t mean that things won’t get emotional now and then. But that’s okay. If one of you needs to cry, the other one is there to hold them and whisper gentle and soothing words until things will calm down or you’ll both fall asleep together.

He is your safe haven. And you try to be the same to him. There is nothing that you two can’t talk about. And even the most insurmountable problems become a little less scary as soon as you find yourself in his loving arms and the most comforting embrace in the universe.   

[soft-pine]

spn20rewatch: 3.16 no rest for the wicked

there is something so raw and animalistic about this episode opening with dean running frantically through the woods trying to escape the hellhounds. he is being hunted - not by demons with a plan but by dogs. he's prey. he's food.

i mentioned that 1.18 feels like an episode that helps organize all the characterization and narrative that has come before or will come after. that's how I feel about 3.16 as well. it contains so many little moments of patterns and themes which trace their fingers throughout spn.

not to belabor the point but again again dean is right about ruby. and he's so sure he's right he's willing to risk his own death to keep sam safe from her manipulation. there is something so soft about the way dean is begging both sam and bobby not to go off unprepared on this risky plan just to save him.

DEAN: What's the problem? Come on, where do I begin? I mean, first of all, we don't even know if Lilith holds my deal. We're going off of Bela's intel? Now when that bitch breathes, the air comes out crooked. Okay. Second, even if we could get to Lilith, we have no way to gank her. And third, isn't this the same Lilith that wants your giant head on a pike? Should I continue? BOBBY: Ain't you just bringing down the room. DEAN: Yeah, well, it's a gift. SAM: I'm sorry, so then what are we supposed to do, Dean? DEAN: Just 'cause I gotta die doesn't mean you have to, okay. Either we go in smart or we don't go in at all.

Dean's focus for a lot of this episode is trying to find a way to break the deal-making cycle he feels his family is trapped in. like my god. the layers to that. and the fact that he's fine with his death being what ends it. that that would be worth it.

DEAN: Don't you see a pattern here? Dad's deal, my deal, now this? I mean every time one of us is – is – is up the creek the other is begging to sell their soul. That's all this is, man. Ruby's just jerking your chain down the road. You know what it's paved with and you know where it's going.

i'm not claiming that dean never angrily raises his voice throughout this episode when sam and bobby are doing or suggesting things that scare him. but for the most part, his tone is soft. is pleading. he knows he's a pawn being moved on the board and he's desperately begging the people around him not to play the game.

if he has to die, so be it. but he wants it to end there. he wants his family's ensnarement in violence and revenge and sacrifice to end there. (a fascinating theme to think about for the upcoming seasons).

DEAN: Oh, bite me. I totally rehearsed that speech, too.

(*through wailing blubbers that make the words nearly unintelligible* he... rehearsed... the... speech.)

another example of repeat patterns is dean once again dealing with the corpses. sure he, sam, and bobby all conceal the cop's car and presumably corpse. but in the demon cul-de-sac, it's dean we see dragging a demon's body off into the bushes. less than an hour from his own death and he's the designated mortician. jesus.

he's also the designated bait. both when they're trying to infiltrate the town. and earlier when he intentionally provokes ruby into beating him up so he can lure her under a devil's trap and steal the demon knife.

before the hellhounds even get him, his face is still all cut up from her wailing on him.

RUBY: Oh, oh you – so you're just too stupid to live, is that it? Then fine! You deserve hell! I wish I could be there, Dean. I wish I could smell the flesh sizzle off your bones! I WISH I COULD BE THERE TO HEAR YOU SCREAM!! DEAN: And I wish you'd shut your pie hole, but we don't always get what we want.

we don't always get what we want. :(

of course the similarity between dean singing along to bon jovi in 3.16 just long enough to get sam to look away and start singing along so dean can let the fear slip back onto his face is so like dean practicing a smile in 7.11. what these private expressions reveal about the performance. the way the forced smiles slip off his face. the quaking lip. so so so much of dean is missed if you only look at how he is when he's "got his game face on" (2.03).

i'm sure folks who are more adept at symbolism could do a very interesting analysis about the impala's broken headlight at the end of the pilot versus it's broken taillight here. to me, it feels like the difference between heading into the future, a little worse for wear but still moving forward, and the moment where the past catches up to you.

and well, that's what this is.

SAM: Don't, Dean! I'm not gonna let you go to hell, Dean! DEAN: Yes, you are! ... Yes, you are.

his voice here actually ACTUALLY destroys me. he wants it to be over. he is trying to end the cycle as best as he can. and then, the next kicker, the next pattern; he apologizes:

DEAN: I'm sorry. I mean this is all my fault, I know that.

like to be crystal fucking clear. he's apologizing for the fact that he sold his soul to save sam's life and now he's going to hell. dean is apologizing to sam for that fact that dean is going to hell. i mean he's apologizing because sam is sad about it. but like you cannot in all seriousness claim dean doesn't take accountability for his actions or other people's emotions. he is both going to hell to save sam AND apologizing to sam about it.

and speaking of sam, lilith starts to assault him and immediately dean is needling her to try and move attention off sam (we see this also in 3.08 - dean's pattern of even when they're cornered trying to get the focus off sam and onto himself, usually by mouthing off).

DEAN: So, is this your big plan, huh? Drag me to hell. Kill Sam. And then what? Become queen bitch?

lilith replies, "I don't have to answer to puppy chow."

and so we circle back to dean as prey. he's splayed across the dining room table. he's food. the dogs catch him and. he's dinner.

dean screaming for help, strung up in hell gets me in the gut every time. and brings us to the the last pattern. dean dies wearing three layers on top - t-shirt, flannel, jacket. but he wakes up in hell in just the t-shirt. stripped down to just one, nearly torn to shreds.

in 2.14 meg describes the situation that led to bill harvelle's death like this:

That's just like John. Oh, I'll bet he dangled Bill like meat on a hook.

[quirkwizard]

I'm not sure why I made this. I just thought it would be fun to do and now all you have to see the fruits of my labor. So, without further ado, the Pro Hero Parent Tier List. Hope you all enjoy it and try not to take it too seriously.

F Tier: Gran Torino, Recovery Girl, and Yoroi Musha: The simple fact is that these three characters are way too old to be parents. Maybe if this were a grandparent tier list, they'd be higher, but it isn't, so they're all going in the F Tier.

D Tier: Endeavor: Look, do I even need to explain this one? You all know what he did. One of the biggest problems in the story is the result of all the messed up stuff Enji did as a dad. His attempt at redemption was to remove himself from his family. Easy bottom tier.

Nana: While I'm someone who tries to understand Nana's position and decisions in regards to her kid and her role as a "One For All" user, she still didn't seem like a very good parent even when she was around. She herself even admits that, so that is what puts her so low.

Gang Orca: What few interactions we see him having with kids is screaming about their failures and throwing them when he is dissatisfied with their answers. That is bound to cause some trauma later. Like some Pavlovain response when they think of Free Willy.

Hound Dog: He may be a guidance consular that works with kids, implying some understanding of child psychology, but if his first reaction is to yell and growl at any emotional problems in front of him, he probably isn't going to communicate with his own kids.

Thirteen: I get that Thirteen is someone who takes a lot of care and consideration with her power and is quite safe to be around. That being said, I don't think that someone who is at risk of destroying their own child at the atomic level should really be handling children.

C Tier: Edgeshot: There really isn't a lot to say about Edgeshot as we don't get a lot of personality outside of being stoic, which could certainly be an issue for a parent. That being said, being willing to sacrifice yourself for a kid does push him above the bottom of the tier list.

Mount Lady: If we're considering her early in the series, she'd definitely be at the lower tier given how irresponsible and self-centered she is. Though considering her development and how mature she's gotten in general, she barely scrapes by as an average parent.

Kaumi Woods: Kamui Woods is just kind of average. There just isn't a lot going on with him that could give or detract merit from the little hero work he's done. He's here by default. His inability to hug his kids without giving them splinters would certainly be an issue.

Manual: Again, he's average. The most we have is that he seemed to do pretty well with handling Iida's whole situation but didn't seem to notice it in the first place. Otherwise, he's pretty plain. I could see him being the lame dad his kids don't want to talk to or be around.

Miruko: Definite Tiger Mom. She'd be making her kids do all kinds of sports stuff and getting them to exercise all the time. She cares, but she shows it by trying to make her kids excel at what they're doing. Great if they're into that, but I can see it fostering a lot of resentment.

Sir Nighteye: Like Miruko, but at the other end of the spectrum. He would be the kind of dad to make his kid study a lot because that's what he would think would be best for them. Cares and can loosen up when needed, but is emotionally distant most times.

B Tier: Ms. Joke: She is a teacher, meaning she must have some understanding of kids. She'd definitely be the "Fun Mom". She'd always try to keep a smile on her kid's face, even if that meant making terrible mom jokes. Be ready, she has been working on them for years.

Ectoplasm: He seems to be pretty good with kids, but the real clencher is his power. No matter what, he could always be around to be present in his kid's life. And hey, family dynamics are always changing. Who is to say a family can't be just a kid and their thirty-six identical dads?

Ryukyu: She can be hard on herself, but she seems to have a soft spot for children and do well with her wards, given how well they have turned out, being commanding without being harsh. And let's be real: who wouldn't want to have a dragon for a parent? That alone would put her pretty high up here.

Eraserhead: This may be a controversial pick putting him so low, but hear me out. I think Aizawa would try to be a good dad, but he's married to his job, being too tired and absent to really make it work. And did you see what he bought for Eri to wear? What self-respecting father would ever do this his child?

Fourth Kind: A good role model to any kid who tries to foster strong moral foundations and understanding of community in his wards. All around, a pretty stand-up guy to have as a dad. He loses points because punching kids is not a good way to punish them, even if it hurts him more than it hurts them.

Midnight: This could be because I read Vigilantes, but Midnight actually shows quite a few parental traits, like being highly empathic and understanding of those younger than her. Then again, I can only imagine the kind of teasing and general awkwardness that would come from having the R-Rated Heroine as a mom.

A Tier: All Might: If we're counting him without "One For All", otherwise he'd be working too much to be a dad, I think that he'd be a parent. If his students are anything to go by, he'd be a pretty effective parent. We can also tell that he plays favorites with his kids, and that knocks off a few points.

Present Mic: This may be a surprise pick, but I can see him doing pretty well as a parent. He can be the fun, comic dad that plays with his kids and can get on their level, but he can instantly go into serious mode if he needs to. The fact that he can do both so well, which you kind of need as a parent, puts him pretty high on the list.

Best Jeanist: Another stand-up guy, just trying to be a good role model and look amazing while doing it. I mean, the guy had an actual positive impact on early series Bakugou. That has got to count for something. Probably has all kinds of weirdly good life advice if you can understand fashion metaphors.

Rock Lock: One of the few real parents on this list, Rock Lock just seems like a responsible parent. He did try to call out the kids for being on missions, but he was kind of right in that regard and just looking out for them. Probably try to keep his kid from doing stupid stuff. He'd be a good, but restrictive father.

Hawks: Like Present Mic, I could see Hawks being a chill dad who doesn't seem to know what's going on but actually knows everything that happens and always has one eye open when it comes to his kids. He'll give his kids their freedom, but he's going to be there to catch and guide them when they really need him.

S Tier: Mandalay: Another one of the few real parents here, and one with a pretty bad hand. Mandalay not only had to take over as a guardian out of nowhere but had to do it with a heavily traumatized child while trying to lead a team as a pro-hero. The fact that she seems to be doing as well as she is puts her this high without question.

Fat Gum: No one should be surprised that Fat Gum is this high. He's super protective without being overbearing, tries to instill valuable lessons to make them develop, and does his best to encourage his wards to be the best they could be. And could you imagine him giving hugs? That would make any problem vanish.

Tensei: Tensei is just such a good guy. He's a good role model and leader for his team without it being detrimental. He knew Koichi for about a day and he was able to understand Koichi and tried to set him up for success. Imagine how well he'd do with his own kid. Plus, he's an older brother. That's like a being a parent with training wheels.

[meta-squash]

I'm obsessed with the parallels between Small Worlds and Children Of Earth.

For Jack specifically, CoE is the same events as Small Worlds played out on a much larger scale.

Something is happening with a child/children (Jasmine/the world's children). Turns out, it's an alien enemy Jack has seen before (Lahore 1909/Scotland 1965). It is established that the alien enemy is very very powerful and difficult to beat, and that they have made threats to the entire human race if their demands are not met. Both enemies demand children, and promise that the children they want will "live forever." A man is sacrificed as, essentially, a warning or an attempt to keep Torchwood away (Mark/Rupesh). Torchwood attempt to figure out different ways of beating the enemy. In retaliation, the enemy kills Jack's lover (Estelle/Ianto). The alien enemy also kills another person in its way (Roy/Clem) despite attempts to prevent the death. All this forces Jack to realize the extent of the threat and his grief also emotionally backs him into a corner. When he is faced with an ultimatum, he ends up painfully sacrificing a single child (Jasmine/Steven) for the good of the world, despite the pain it causes himself and the child's mother. He leaves feeling helpless, feeling like he had no other choice, with everyone angry at him and angry at himself as well.

I think what gets me the most about the parallels is the death of Jack's lover. It's obvious that Jack did and still does genuinely love Estelle. He says as much to Gwen. And he definitely feels guilt about her death; if he hadn't reunited with her, she would have been safe. I think his guilt and his feelings of responsibility towards both her and Jasmine and, ultimately, the world, are what cause him to sacrifice Jasmine to the faeries so readily instead of trying to negotiate or find another way. He's mourning the loss of Estelle and because of that grief I think he knows that he has to let Jasmine go. If he doesn't, more people will die, whether it's people he loves or strangers.

Similarly, Jack definitely feels guilty for Ianto's death, and I think there's guilt there that if Ianto hadn't come with him to Thames House he'd still be alive. In mourning the loss of Ianto, he's backed into a corner again, and he knows that no one else is going to sacrifice their own children to save the world. He sacrifices Steven despite the fact that it essentially destroys him completely, because he knows that if he doesn't, the whole world is at stake.

Every version of the parallel in Children of Earth is way, way more personal and in close proximity than in Small Worlds. In Small Worlds, everyone is a stranger, except Estelle. But while she was once Jack's lover, that's over 50 years in the past with all that time between them. After he sacrifices Jasmine, he's feels helpless, guilty, but she's a stranger and she wanted to go, in a way. He's blames himself but it's something he can bounce back from; he has distance. In Children of Earth, it is Jack's home and family that are destroyed or threatened, it is his current lover that is killed, and it is his own grandson that he has to sacrifice. All of those losses and sacrifices and guilts and everything totally break him, they're so close and personal and like he says to Gwen before he leaves, he has nothing left.

It establishes a certain kind of reaction in Jack. That when faced with a huge personal loss, if he finds himself trapped or in a difficult situation, he's willing to make a huge and often painful second sacrifice in order to protect the greater good, presumably because he's already in enough pain that this new loss seems like it can't make things that much worse (which ultimately ends up being untrue, but isn't necessarily the point), and because by showing emotional weakness, whatever he's up against can exploit him further by using that.

I wonder if the Torchwood writers noticed the parallels at all. The person who wrote Small Worlds was not involved in CoE at all. But it is interesting to have such similar storylines, yet one is played out on a much grander scale and with Jack made helpless in many different ways throughout the story rather than just at the end by the power of the alien itself.

[thebennettdiaries]

If you could invent/create Bonnie’s family(/family situation), keeping as much or none of what the show had to say about the Bennetts, how would you design things?

Ohh! Great question!

First of all, I like the set up of the Bennetts (both as the nuclear family for Bonnie and the mythology set up around them). I definitely think they should have played up the power of the Bennetts more. They set them up to be such a powerful line of witches, used Bonnie as their get out of jail free card when they wrote themselves in a corner (meaning only magic could solve it) but they never gave the Bennetts the in universe respect that they deserved. Other witches should have been a bit awestruck of the Bennetts. Vampires should have been wary of them more. They had the set up there but they dropped the ball (predictably because they were never really interested in Bonnie beyond the magic fix it role they put her in).

When it comes to her family, I like the idea that her mother had to leave after doing what she did to Mikael. We should have seen her father more --- right from the beginning. He was never around much even though he was the active parent. They should have built that bond and had him grapple with the fact that his daughter was a witch (which cost him his wife years before). I think in terms of death, Bonnie should have lost her Grams or her father but not both. It felt cheap to take both of those away from her especially since they killed her father when she was dead herself so she didn't even get to properly mourn him. I do think losing one of them is a good push in her story but two just feels like overkill, especially since they weren't going to invest in a proper fallout.

As for her mother, I like the idea of them reconnecting later in life but she should have stayed a part of Bonnie's life. She should have worked her ass off to be in Bonnie's life. The idea that she moved on, and became a mother figure to someone else was a bit of a slap to the face. Abby sacrificed a lot to keep Mystic Falls safe. I would have had her carrying that sacrifice with guilt, moving place to place trying to cope with missing out on Bonnie's life. If Grams was the one who died, then I would have had her come back then and try her best to make things right with her daughter.

Jamie would have never existed because the fact that Plec created a stepbrother just to have Bonnie make out with him was disgusting.

I would have had Lucy play a larger role. I would have shown other Bennetts. Bonnie needed witch support and family --- having both of those combined would have been nice.

Overall, I think the show had a nice set up but they obviously weren't willing to invest in the Bennetts or Bonnie really.