#it's about the symbolism thanks for coming to my ted talk

[titikookieslyth]

I am tired of pretending Uravity is not one of the greatest heroes of all time and she initiated most of the good changes in society.

Her whole character arc truly began when Night Eye died while she was the one who brought him out of Overhaul's underground maze. This is the moment where the whole "who will save heroes" ideal was cemented in her character. I have seen many people Say that this part of her personnality is a little naïve and came from nowhere, but it takes basis in her pure kindness and empathy. It got cemented by experiences and failure to save people but mostly heroes.

Her speech at UA to let Izuku rest permitted people to think more of heroes as human beings too. She put emphasis on how saving people and fighting are heroes' responsibility and not civilians' but they should also have the right to be treated fairly like human beings during tough times. Her speech is what moved people to take the first step towards each other. Nezu qualified this step as the most difficult and hardest one to take, but Uravity closed this gap and successfully invited people to do it. It was a Big first step for a better, more understanding and fairer society.

And after the timeskip, she created the alter counselling agency, to help people understand themselves and their alter better. All under the basis of better understanding and open-mind.

And I hate that all of what she does is widely interpreted as a "romantic" gesture to save the MC. Of course she would never abandon Izuku not any of the 1-A 'cause they are her Friend. And as a genuinely kind-hearted person, she would always help them.

Also, there are heroes who win and there are some who save. But a type of heroes that are Always a little bit forgotten yet bring great impact into society are the heroes who sustain hope and actively create a better future. And that is Uravity. She is a winner, she is a savior, but most of all, she is Hope, she is a hero.

[toothlickpick]

the conclave book constantly emphasizes how being a pope is basically a lonely death sentence. cardinals close to being elected pope are isolated out of respect and awe, popes can't go out to eat at their favorite restaurants or go on strolls, they're constantly targeted as the head of the church etc..

the book frames benitez as, literally and symbolically, a 60ish year old boy who has no idea what hes getting into. he stumbles to think of a name when he gets elected pope, begs lomelli to stay with him to guide him, and even the smallest papal clothes literally do not fit him because he's so tiny. he's framed with a childlike awe and openness needed to lead the church through dark and cynical times

i think another genius moment for the movie is that it frames benitez in almost the opposite direction. movie benitez is quiet and contemplative. he likes lomelli, but in the same way an angel would favor a prophet. he's the only one to care about His Holiness' turtles and see their virtue despite their apparent stupidity, which is obviously a reflection of how His Holiness saw the cardinals and the rest of the Kingdom of God. From the very beginning, he is isolated from the other cardinals, never really shown to discuss things with anyone other than lawrence. In the end when he scolds tedesco, you dont get the impression of a wise childlike figure speaking up against a bully, you get the impression of moses telling ramses to let his people go.

and in the end when movie benitez is elected pope, he pauses. he refuses to get dressed until lawrence sees him about the one issue he knows will be a problem. he comes into the papacy knowing he will make a great sacrifice, and he treats it that way.

tldr book benitez is a 60ish year old boy wearing papal clothes too big for him to fully handle, movie benitez is a man walking up cavalry hill, both are my babies, thank you for coming to my ted talk

[dyleeart]

bloody polites compilation

rant below:

The bandages drawing was loosely based on the headcanon that polites was a medic (please ignore any inaccuracies). Some use this hc as an explanation to why he stayed ‘innocent’ throughout the 10-year war, since he wouldn’t have had to fight or kill.

However, I like this hc for another reason. While I still think it makes a good baseline for his mindset, but implies it can be more of a coping mechanism. Being a war medic does not mean one does not have to witness bloodshed; rather, they would have to see blood and injuries on the daily while keeping a level head and make hard decisions when choosing which patient to treat first even when multiple are in obvious pain. This role would have been a huge responsibility for him, and given his personality he would have tried his best to be the emotional support / morale for the patients. 

The war ends, and it seems like there’s no need to worry about getting hurt or killed, but every other soldier is tired and traumatized. It makes sense he would try to step into the role of healer again, this time mostly emotionally/mentally (especially for his best friend who looks very guilty of something he doesn’t want to talk about). So comes Open Arms. He knows it’s not always possible but wants himself and his friends to have hope for the world after everything. 

Plus it’s nice rpg game logic in a literal and symbolic way — kill the healer first and the rest of the team will slowly fall apart one way or another.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk

[marsmaximoff]

🦑 hwang jun-ho; headcanons 〇△□

content warning: gn!reader. fluff. mentions of death, coma and jealousy. pet names. no season 2 spoilers. let me know if i missed anything.

word count: 941

author’s note: well, my man is back, and i had to write some headcanons for him. the OBSESSION that i had back in 2021 needs to be studied, omg. anyway, as always, constructive criticism is welcomed, english is my third language, so i apologize for any mistakes. in case i don’t post anything else this year, happy 2025 everybody!! enjoy! 🩷

divider by @k1ssyoursister

〇 pre-games

best. boyfriend. ever.

that’s it, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk

🙃🙃🙃

his love languages are:

1) quality time

he may be a police detective, but he ALWAYS tries to make time for you 

and see you every day, and if he can’t, he’ll save some minutes to call you

loves to hear about your day

big on communication, that’s key on your relationship 

type of boyfriend that picks you up after work, or anything really

he just wants to see your cute face :3

takes you out on cool dates

to the park, to eat, to cute animal cafés

he’s okay with staying in too, just cuddling, talking, watching something….

and 2) acts of service 

will drive you anywhere you need

you get ‘good morning/night’ texts every single day you’re not together

makes you breakfast 

and has no problem with cooking for you

opens doors for you 

pulls out the chair at the restaurant ☝🏻

he’ll simply do anything you need

loves coming home to you, it doesn't matter how shitty or overwhelming his day was, you just put a smile on his face

his favorite thing to do with you is eating

it may sound boring, but he loves to see you taking care of yourself, well-fed and happy

takes you to meet his family

his mom loves you

even his brother likes you

he’s a tease and enjoys seeing you all flustered

i feel like he’d be the type to have many pics of you on his phone that he goes back to whenever he misses you

you’re probably his wallpaper, perhaps even on his wallet too 🤭

some pet names like: “honey”, “love”, “beautiful”, “cutie”

would never cheat

a guard dog

not super jealous -a bit tho- but won't hesitate to step up if someone acts stupid 

(picture that one scene in season 2 when that man mocked him and didn’t believe he was an actual police detective hehe)

shows you off 🤩

checks you out :p

his hand is on you in some way when you’re out

has good emotional intelligence

big spoon

reminds you to take your make up off before bed if you wear any -he may even do it himself if you're too tired

or to take meds

he is just really caring and supportive

doesn't like seeing you worried or anxious because of his job

absolutely hates to see you suffer

doesn’t mind that you may be struggling financially, it won’t change what he feels

will help you with whatever it is

just don’t hide it, he hates secrets and lies

i hate doing it, but there always has to be some 🚩 

he’s the first one that would do it (lying and hiding stuff) to ensure you’re okay and don’t get worried

on a particularly overwhelming day, he will raise his voice at you

can get really overprotective 

some days you may not hear from him, or at least not much

will sometimes struggle to open up about his issues or what’s upsetting him

△ during the games

after your sudden disappearance, worry and fear ate him up

while checking your house he found a weird card

and once he discovered the exact same one at his brother’s, he knew something was going on

heard gi-hun at the police station rambling about some weird symbols and immediately recognized the design

interrogated him about you, desperate to know about your whereabouts 

as soon as he successfully infiltrated the games, he began your search

almost had a heart attack when he spotted you

had to make the effort of his life to stay calm and not run to you

would somehow manage to get you two alone so he can get you out of there (i wrote about this)

almost gets caught

feels betrayed you didn’t tell him and quite angry you’d risk your own life like this

but mostly relieved you’re okay (and still alive)

watches you like a hawk from the distance, ensuring your safety

constantly around, you continuously sense his presence close by 

□ post-games (you died)

had to see your death and practically went numb

blurry vision, ringing in his ears, shortness of breath, sting in his throat

the worst thing tho, was finding out his brother had been behind everything

how could he have done this to you? you trusted him! 

feels completely disgusted

after his coma, he blames himself for everything

your name was his first word after waking up

dreams about you 

gets you a cenotaph given that your body will forever remain strayed

nevertheless, he still talks to you like you’re there

tells you about his recovery and his progress finding the island

you are his strongest motivation

he’s doing this for you, to provide the love of his life a much deserving peaceful rest

gets you new flowers every few days

he’ll never stop feeling guilty

〇 post-games (you survived)

has nightmares he failed and left you to meet your demise on those cursed games

always there when you have them, and so is his shoulder if you need to cry

reassurance king

hides the identity of his attacker from you

becomes even more overprotective

shared location on at all times

gets paranoid if you don’t text him all day

he swore to never miss a single detail of your possible struggles. not again

you can still tell he holds himself responsible for your time on that island

stays awake at night just watching you sleep safe and sound (will never say it tho)

babies you

bigger spoon

doesn’t let you go out on your own if it’s late, afraid that something may happen and those psychopaths will reach you again

[ghostf1ux]

YES YES YES THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING THIS IDEA THAT'S BEEN LIVING RENT FREE IN MY BRAIN FOR FUCKING MONTHS

We all know the parallels, the comparisons that can be made between Jason and wolves. He's big, he's loud, he's a scared dog in an alley that lashes out as a defense mechanism because that's how he was raised. That's how he survived. If he bites first, then no one else has the opportunity to hurt him when he's not expecting it, so he does it first. He doesn't know why he bites, not fully, but he does. He bites and he barks and he howls because how else will he be heard, how else can he be understood?

But then he's shoved in a family- maybe they're wolves, maybe they're birds, it depends on how you want to look at them. But the key thing is that no matter what, he's different. He doesn't fit in the same way he used to- maybe he never did. And they just don't get that. They can't handle the wolf that likes to prowl and hunt and hurt because he knows it's the best way to get things done. His paws are dirty and his fangs are blood-soaked because unlike the others, he doesn't fly over the city, looking down into it, prioritizing the whole rather than broken pieces littering the streets that scratch and tear into its very foundation.

They can't handle that, they can't handle him, so they force a muzzle on him. They make him bend his morals, his ideals, to fit their purposes and morality. They convince him he's the bad guy for doing the necessary, dirty tasks that needed to be done to solve the problems that plague the city. They berate him for the barking, the biting, the howling, until he finally breaks.

But he returns to his real home, immerses himself in the grime and the dirt that is Crime Alley, where he was born, and he protects it. He protects it, and the people in it, with everything he has. He uses his gruesome methods to try to help. The people recognize this. Whether they care about his methods or not, it's working, and he doesn't take advantage of them, doesn't ask for anything back. So those people, whether they work for him, or they just want to pay him back for the kindness, for the protection they've never been given, for the attempt to help them and make their lives better, they find their own ways to pay him back.

The people on his paycheck work to watch his back, to take care of the tasks he gives them, to look out for the little guys when they can. To make sure not everything falls on his shoulders, because they know he's far too young to shoulder all of that, no matter how much he's been through. Maybe because of it.

The working girls keep their ears out for information from their clients that helps steer him in the right direction of whatever he may be doing at the time. They whisper in the dark alleys, passing information along until it reaches his ears. This information saves his ass on so many occasions, and maybe he knows where it comes from, or maybe he doesn't, but he's grateful all the same.

The kids do the same, but they also bring him things they manage to pick up because they know how to find him, they know they can get what he needs straight to him. Evidence, information, tips, locations, secrets. People trust, or rather, underestimate, kids more than they do adults. He would never in a million years ask a kid to do this type of stuff for him, but they do it anyways because he protects them and frankly, he needs it sometimes. They do it because they know they're safe with him, and if they ever need help, he'll do everything in his power to help them.

People start whispering about the Big Bad Wolf of the Alley, the man who protects everyone in his territory with snarling words and bared fangs, who isn't afraid to kill to protect his people despite the bloody bat on his chest.

People start referring to the people of the Alley as his Crows, because crows work with wolves to find food, to get protection, to watch the lone wolf's back in case of danger. They share the spoils of the wolf's efforts, and they do what they can to help him in return.

And he was always a lone wolf at heart. Impulsive, angry, used too much force and made his own plans or just improvised on the fly. But now he's a muzzled dog (whether he is forced to be or if he truly believes he should be) who just wants to feel the peace, the safety, of the pack he was once part of despite how they will never really accept him.

But the crows of the Alley accept him. They know how it is. They know that life can't always work out in the ways you want it to. Sure, if he didn't have to kill, he wouldn't, he'd much rather give everyone a second chance. But he's seen how it doesn't always work. The people of the Alley have seen how it doesn't always work.

So he makes a new pack, a new community. One that watches his back while he defends them from the threats they aren't strong enough to face on their own.

I started rambling but the fucking SYMBOLISM guys. The lone wolf and the crows. It just makes so much sense, yknow?

‼️‼️JASON TODD LOVERS ATTENTION ‼️‼️

Attention all Jason Todd/Red Hood enjoyers, fans, simps, and everything in between!

Could we call ourselves crows? Hear me out on this!

So someone in a discord server was confused why it was called “The Crowbar” and thought we all just called ourselves crows. They just accepted that we called ourselves crows because a group is called a “murder”, and you know what Jason does. Someone else pointed out that since Jason is the “Big Bad WOLF” of Crime Alley, the people he protects and his intel suppliers could be his “crows”. HEAR ME OUT!

This reflects nature where scavengers like ravens and crows have symbiotic relationships with wolves telling them where prey is and then the wolves break the food into pieces for the bird scavengers to eat more easily >:O 

Jason being a wolf also ties into how in his family he is the “lone wolf” and they don’t really appreciate him, so he finds solace in the crows that flutter around instead of the pack he isn’t accepted in…

AH MY BRAIN AND MY HEART ARE HURTING FOR THIS MAN

Don’t get me started on the muzzle… its like Jason will always believe that he needs to be muzzled because he bites too quick and barks too loud and AUGH. THE PAIN THIS MAN GOES THROUGH. MY SHAYLA 

So my plea goes out to all Jason enjoyers, WE ARE NOW CALLED CROWS! ONE OF US! ONE OF US!

@ghostf1ux @noideawhatshappeninghelp

[starry-eyed-enby]

Lavender Symbolism for Eddie Dear

Ok, I haven't seen anyone talk about this yet so you're getting it from me because this has been bouncing around in my head at light speed since the update dropped last night.

While I was listening to A Darling Broadcast, the segment that jumped out to me the most was Frank's interview with Eddie, in response to the question: "What sort of advice do you have for your neighbors who are unsure of what to plant for themselves for Springtime?":

Eddie's flower of choice is Lavender (aka, the gayest flora to ever gay)

Basically, before diving head first into floriography, I already knew lavender had heavy symbolism within the LGBTQIA+ community (hence the phrase "lavender marriage" referring to a straight-passing marriage in which one or both partners are queer).

A lavender marriage would fit most at home with Frank and Julie, especially considering how hard Frank was trying to get through his lines in Sweet Briar and how frequently the show tries to shoehorn them in as a couple.

BUT! We're not talking about everyone's favorite BFFs. No, this was an interaction between everyone's favorite Yaoi Puppet Bois so I did some more digging into the floriography of lavender and here's what I found:

According to this blog, "Purple lavender flowers symbolize purity, devotion, calmness, homosexuality, and royalty."

On the topic of homosexuality, the Fresh Trimmings blog dives in further:

"People have also used lavender as a symbol of the LGBTQ+ movement. This lavender meaning started sometime in the late 1800s when people began using purple as a symbol of homosexuality, since it was a mix of the traditionally masculine blue and feminine pink. Over time, people began using the color purple and the lavender flowers as a way to symbolize gay pride."

Eddie says that he recommends planting a flower that suits the kind of neighbor you are, or what suits your home. Tying this in with his sincere answer to the question, "any parting words for flowers looking to meet new fauna?"

My interpretation is that Eddie is not only signaling to his neighbors that the Post Office is a friendly place to be with a friendly mailman, but he is also saying "Frank, I'm gay too, and my Post Office is a safe space to be gay."

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk

[the-yappstronaut]

I don't think enough people talk about how revolutionary Byler Churchgate would be in s5.

Like, two boys sharing their first kiss and/or declaring their love in an abandoned church (especially after a massive fight where their sexualities were the main focus) would be such a massive "Fuck You" to homophobes. Why?

Because people would be angry.

Religious people would claim that it was "religious intolerance" or that it disrespected the Bible to have two men kiss in a place of worship, even if said place of worship was literally abandoned and overtaken by a very demonic force. It would make headlines on bigoted news sites and toxic people would shout "DON'T WATCH STRANGER THINGS!" from the rooftops.

You might be thinking, "How could controversy be good?"

But the entire moral premise of Stranger Things is based around anti-conformity and the celebration of people who are different in a hateful small town. It attempts to give a voice to the "different" (through biracial couples, queer people, "nerds," etc) and take away the voices of oppressors (racists, abusers, homophobes, etc). "Disrespecting" an establishment where a large amount of this forced conformity and discrimination has occurred would be so symbolic and culturally significant, especially when coupled with the amount of internalized homophobia that both of the boys have struggled with throughout the series. It would represent both the show's defiance towards discrimination as well as Mike and Will's.

A huge portion of the fanbase is already losing the entire point of the show (with Billy stans, Stobin shippers, etc) and it's ruining the message of the show entirely. Having such a controversial scene that is in favor of the minority would be astonishing.

It would also help remind the audience that forced conformity doesn't work. Homophobia could not keep Mike and Eleven's relationship together, and religion cannot make people straight. Two queer boys can still overcome the bigotry, and they can still express their love while in a bigoted establishment.

On the other hand, it would simultaneously make the point that the church isn't inherently bad. Religion doesn't need to be oppressive, and it is okay for you to be queer and religious.

On another note, Joyce and Hopper had that dramatic make-out session in a church in s4, and I don't recall many people having any lasting qualms with it. It would be such the perfect moment to call out the homophobia and contradictions that often appear in religion- Why is it OK for straight people to kiss in a place of worship, but not for two boys to do the same thing?

Having this carefully planned opposition towards homophobia in such a mainstream show, especially one that is not specifically labeled "queer," would be so impactful. I hope I converted some of y'all to being Churchgaters. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

TLDR: Byler Churchgate is cool.

[aficionadoenthusiast]

*me, with tears of frustration in my eyes* rick didn't include annabeth's crush on luke or luke's pseudo-crush on annabeth for no reason! it is not something that needs to be cut because it's 'gross'! it serves thematic purpose! it adds to characterization! guys! please!

annabeth is twelve, and luke is the guy she's looked up to since she was seven. she not only has that bond, but she has the admiration from him getting his own quest. she has a lot of hero worship going for him, and it's really not unreasonable that she would like him or even that she would think of him as more than a sibling. beyond that, it's a great example of how a person who has never received real, unconditional love can become unhealthily attached to someone who is not good for them just because they've been shown a modicum of respect. if you want to look at it from a percabeth perspective, it could even tie into how her character has to learn the difference between love and kindness from a place of love and respect (i.e. percy) vs love and kindness from a place of obligation and manipulation (i.e. luke as kronos' vessel)

on luke's side, especially with him calling her his little sister now (in the show) and him literally turning into kronos later, it's symbolism for how he's being pulled farther and farther onto the dark side. as kronos takes over his body, he sees her less and less as a sister and more and more of something else, something that would be considered dark and unhealthy by anyone not on the dark side (for good reason), until eventually she has to remind him of their years on the run when he considered her a sister: "Family, Luke. You promised."

you're supposed to be grossed out by it! that means the theme is working!

you're supposed to see a traumatized 12 year old with a crush on her 19 year old mentor and think, "hey, that's weird! i wonder if her not getting any love or attention until she met him plays a role in their relationship?" and eventually see a 24 year old get a villain-induced crush on a 16 year old and think, "hey, that's really weird! i wonder if his turn to the dark side and how that turn happened twisted his view of her?" and ultimately think, "i wonder what that says about the type of trauma that develops in kids who grew up thinking they were unloved, especially since the author specifically wrote the book for his son with disabilities, the author who used to be a teacher, a profession that regularly encounters kids that are actively being abused and neglected?"

anyway thanks for coming to my ted talk

edit: this post is not speculation! i'm not trying to say i don't think they're going to include annabeth's crush! i am perfectly aware that we are only two episodes in! this post is in response the people i keep seeing say they're glad because they think Luke's little sister comment means they're not going to include the "gross stuff from the books" (other's wording, not mine), and I was trying to explain why including it would be a positive. sorry, i really thought i made that clear

[arayapendragon]

the universe sends signs in funny ways 🤭

sometimes signs come in the way you least expect... so i was washing my hair today right (yes, on a saturday, sue me 😮‍💨), listening to music, reminiscing yesterday's amazing shift (*ahem*..... understatement of the year), thinking about my perfect and beautiful s/o and how i'm so lucky to have him. well, i collected my hair from the shower drain, and as i was about to put it away, i noticed it took the shape of the shifting symbol. yep, EXACTLY like the fucking shifting symbol, the resemblance was uncanny. it felt like a nudge from the universe, that i'm on the right path, that what happened yesterday (iykyk 🥰) happened for a reason. it truly felt like the universe was telling me that i'm meant for this, that it's no coincidence that shifting found me, and that i should never, ever give up on it no matter what. so, the moral of the story? pay attention to everything around you. you may not realize it at first but its most likely a message from the universe :) and with that, i end my ted talk. thank you for listening ahahah, i'm going to bless all of you with an image of my s/o's beautiful eyes 🩷 (i love you, my kotenok)

xoxo, araya 💋

[dasketcherz]

thought i'd share my thought process for this fun lil piece / outfit in full display that i whipped out for beckory on valentines cuz i really had a lotta fun making it <3

OKAY first off, big thanks to @leaky-heart for helpin me gather some really cool outfit refs and for lending me resources where I can find a ref for bonnie's guitar in a 3d space. Thank you bestie, yar a life saver <3

Second, @/littleleaflings' jacket—goated af, will never stop gushin bout it aaaaAAA <3

Okay so looking at freddy & bonnie's designs—i am in love with how their dominant and accent colors are opposite of each other like a yin and yang situation. So i absolutely tried to incorporate that when rearranging the palette unto beckory's outfit

Fronnie's colors arent the only contrasting elements about them. Aside from their earrings, even their symbols are a pair—i love how freddy's is a lighting bolt but he is also associated with stars on the side cuz of his branding. While bonnie's is a star but he also has lightning bolts on the side (the purple accent in his fit) to match freddy

And to sprinkle a bit of beckory flair, i put stripe lines across their pants (if you look back on my ref sheet for the squad, the three amigos all have stripes somewhere in their fits, i purposely designed that to be their thing) just to also unify the patterns from their top

i gave tony a scarf to match greg's bow tie accessory. Its a combo homage to bonnie's headband and bunny ears in a way (cuz the ribbons on its ends look like droopy rabbit ears) i gave them gloves to compensate being unable to add punk bracelets on em cuz it would be too much for the overall look (same logic applies to the star shades, its to match with the top hat)

Also this was such a pure coincidence but i also realized beckory wears their fazwatches in the same placement as fronnie wears their earrings on. That actually makes me very happy, i think its a really cool coincidence

And as yall can see, Greg's jacket initially had stars on his sleeves (like it does in the ref), but i decided against putting it in the final cuz im startin to think it might look cluttered and hard to read from afar and tbh, I really liked how the translucent sleeves turned out... I didnt want the star pattern to cover it up lol

And thats pretty much it, thank you coming to my ted talk!! <3

if youre interested to see more of my art process compilation like this you can check over on my ko-fi page, you can support me by buying me a latte cuz I am planning to post more exclusive stuff like this over there in the future so I hope yall look forward to that! I deeply appreciate yall and thank you so much in advance!!

[variberry]

question for the tts famdom:

am i alone in thinking that quirin kinda sucks?

- i mean first and foremost we have the destruction of Old Corona due to the black rocks. given that he’s been a part of the brotherhood since its inception, Quirin is 100% fully aware of what they are. Frederic is an ass but what was Quirin hoping to achieve by lying to him about the rocks? it seemed like he was fine with letting Old Corina be completely destroyed and just moving everyone somewhere else, which he knows WILL NOT WORK because the rocks will continue to chase the sundrop until they reunite!! what was he thinking??

- then we have the withholding information from Varian. i know he’s a kid, but from what the viewers can tell, Quirin is under no orders to keep quiet about what the rocks are. it would not kill him to be like “hey, the rocks are powered by a stone with the power to decay, so maybe don’t mess with them until we collectively come up with a definitive plan of action.” there is so little effort put in to keeping Varian in the loop that it borders on stupidity. of course he’s going to take matters into his own hands if you’re acting like nothing’s wrong

- lastly, and this isn’t necessarily Quirin’s fault (*side-eyes Chris*) but there is no way in HELL that long ass note he wrote to Varian before getting encased in the amber just said “i’m proud of you.” there’s no way. throughout the episode, there are obvious allusions to what Quirin might want to share with varian— 1) the zoom in on the family portrait signifies that it might be something to do with Ulla’s implied death/disappearance and 2) the repeated appearance of the brotherhood symbol on the chest, helmet, and marking on Quirin’s hand, alluding to his role in the current situation. and we see him write a literal scroll of text. there are several close up shots on the letter, so we, as the audience, assume that it’s important and will mean something to Varian later on. fast forward to the season 3 premiere where Quirin is finally freed, and the note disintegrates after Rapunzel uses the decay incantation. well, shit. but now Quirin is alive to explain everything! hooray! but when varian says he needs to know what was in the note, Quirin pauses before simply going: “i’m so proud of you, son.” HUH??!? no. there is simply no way. it’s implied in the finale that Varian is kind of aware of the brotherhood, but there’s no explanation as to how on earth he found out. Eugene even has to remind him that Quirin was a part of it! Varian then gets upset at the idea of his father being affected by the talisman like Adira and Hector, implying that he doesn’t really understand how the brotherhood is connected to the moonstone. he can’t know and not know at the same time. if i’m missing something, please lmk but from what I gathered, Quirin has not explained anything to Varian. it’s implied that he wrote it all down in a letter he assumed Varian would read after his own death, but for some reason, when given the chance to, he doesn’t explain a thing. why? why was Quirin content with Varian finding out in the event of his death but not while he’s still alive? did Chris forget what he wrote???

- extra random gripe, but how old is Quirin? in the present, he looks a little older than Fred tbh but in the ‘25 years ago’ flashbacks to the Dark Kingdom, he looks the same! is the gray streak in his hair just part of his design? idk why this bugs me but it does

in conclusion: Quirin just pisses me off

anyway, lmk what you all think. thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[danandfuckingjonlmao]

me, waking up drenched in sweat, violently sitting up in bed and letting out a gasp: IT'S A METAPHOR FOR BEING A YOUTUBER

idk if someone already thought of this and this is also probably the most obvious reading of it but here i go anyway: i was just walking a dog and listening to potato prints and when phil said "you've come a long way daniel" i was like "huh phil is in the teaching position in all of these just like he was for youtube" like phil just gives editing pro tips the whole time and it all parallels their story as a youtube duo.

and obviously the entertainment industry is rife (not proper usage of that word but it Feels Right so fuck you) with satanic symbolism/imagery/iconography/motifs. being an entertainer is "selling your soul to the devil" etc etc and we know dan hates being a youtuber and does feel that way. you gotta upload twice a day every day in order to be the number one art channel on youtube dot com after all. you gotta make those crafts for satan. bo burnham has a ton of lyrics/songs that i'm thinking about rn like "you used to do comedy when you felt like being funny but now you're contractually obligated so dance you fucking monkeeeey DANCE MONKEY DAAAANCE" and in "repeat stuff" which is a commentary of how mainstream pop love songs and pop stars have to be really superficial and unoriginal because they need to appeal to everyone and at one point he sucks satan off lmao and is like AHFRUEHQFWIIO I AM A VESSEL IDUSHISKA 666 KAJSDFI ILLUMINATI UIGDFSAHIO FREEMASONS. highly recommend looking at the lyrics to that song if you're into that kind of thing.

also the (very rightful) dig at phannies for the "don't cry craft" spamming like "we love all of our crafty audience that spread the message of this channel on all the other videos on the internet! everywhere! everybody enjoyed that!" is how creators who want to keep status have to address their audiences no matter how annoying or harmful they're being. thinking of the ajr line "stay out of politics, stay on the fence / stay out of all of it to keep half your fans" because like,, yeah if a creator ever expresses an opinion that declares their feelings on one side of an issue then they will lose support (smosh is a perfect example of a bunch of people never ever ever expressing an opinion if it could be considered controversial among their audience, like refusing to address the genocide happening right now and just taking their zionist member who the fans are mad at out of some videos to be like "shhhhh nothing to see here we don't know what you're talking about"), ESPECIALLY if that issue is the behaviour of their audience.

obviously the first dapc video was not made with any intended meaning, they just woke up and were like "let's be weird and freak people out" and they did that, and then adding in symbolism and making it all mean something developed with time. but i'm gonna pretend that it has always had consistent meaning because i'm neurodivergent and love overanalysing silly little media.

i am so jhfbvdahfkiufadkhlj right now so if anyone has more theories or things to add lmk and thank you for coming to my ted talk

[edelgards]

i had a train of thought about saint seiros and catholic canonization and ended up yapping about how rhea's sainthood isn't a symbol of her divinity but is an allegory of her humanity instead.

sainthood in the catholic church is the recognition of people who performed miracles, did acts of goodwill, etc. in the name of god. these individuals are then canonized by the church who acknowledge their good deeds and are now considered as holy people, the closest we—original sin bearers, according to them—get to divinity i guess and a lot of canonized saints were people who weren't the best nor the ones you'd expect to be saint.

in fe3h, of course we know the church was not exactly what we thought it was and such rules might or might not be in the seiros doctrines. seiros is a self declared saint lol yes, it was a ruse but it made me think and compare that situation to catholic canonizations.

rhea was born a divine being, a child of the goddess. she doesn't need to be elevated to sainthood, she IS divine. you don't need to sanctify what is pure from the very beginning. that's like calling an angel a saint or something and implying that a divine entity had been a sinner/impure and is only holy because of canonization which i think, from a religious fanatic pov, is an insult. anyways seiros, however, is called a saint... which i'd like to think implies the opposite of the catholic church's meaning of sainthood.

rhea/seiros' sainthood is a symbol of her humanity.

of her being flawed, her imperfections. everything that happened after zanado was her, a divine being, becoming human. her vengeance, righteous fury, her grief and most of all, her kindness despite all that's happened are what makes her human.

honestly don't know where i'm going with this but i guess you could look at the tragedy being her rebirth? from "holy" to human. her humanity began the second she lost her mother. it spiraled her grief and drove her to vengeance—her war with nemesis and his 10 elites. and then, there's her church. what started out as damage control and a self-preservation driven lie turned into something genuine that allowed her to learn to love the people that killed her own.

her continued service to the people (albeit morally questionable at times i have to admit) is, to me, her continued acceptance of her humanity–whether conscious, not, or figuratively. as opposed to indech and macuil yeeting out of human affairs the moment the war was over, a refusal of their "humanity" and choosing "divinity" instead.

ok, that's all. my point is rhea's humanity is what makes her holy. her ability to be kind after all that she went through is what makes her a saint and that makes me insane sometimes because can you imagine losing your people and you're the only one that knows, surrounded by the mirror image of the people that took your own?? anyways, talking to empty chairs: thanks for coming to my ted talk.

[glitter-stained]

Reasons I need Red Hood and the Crimson Avenger to be part of the same team

#1 accidental parallels:

Jill's literal first appearance ever is a three panels epilogue where she kills a drug dealer for selling "poison" to kids. Is it war-on-drugs-ish? Yeeesh. Is the parallel intended? Wouldn't bet a cent on it. But still it's important to me.

#2: this scenario :

Villain: Who do you think you are?

Red Hood (wearing a red hood): you get one guess, buddy.

Villain : uh, guns, red get up, vengeful attitude, talk about undeath... Ooh you're that Crimson Avenger guy aren't you?

*red smoke fills the room as Jill appears behind te villain*

Red Hood: aw shucks you went and summoned her.

(☝️ this is not how Jill's powers work Jason is just acting cute)

#3 nickname sharing:

Fun fact: idk if she heard it, but Jill has actually been nicknamed little red riding hood in canon once. Anyway I like the idea of:

-someone saying "little red riding hood" and red hood and crimson avenger turning around at the same time

-someone calling "Red!" and Jason, Jill and Eddie all turning and saying "yes?" at the same time.

#4 bonding activities :

Idk I just think Jason nerding after Jill's guns while she's still viewing them as the symbol of her loss of agency/ Jill and Jason doing shooting practice together after she gains some control over the guns

#5 debate club

They should be having philosophical debates about ethics politics and shit I'm sure she misses it and Jason never got to join clubs at uni they should get to reclaim it and found the most theatrical/dramatic debate club ever within the Outlaws and then anyone can join or stand and watch popcorn. (Mia definitely jumps into the debate arena, also nicknamed The Pit, in her identity crisis arc to debate ethics with them.)

That's all for today, thank you for coming to my ted talk. As always, here's the chronological Jill reading list complete with links!

[hivemuthur]

How do you think Viktor would propose? Not necessarily a request, but it can be if you want, really I just wanted to hear your thoughts. Cause like, I would imagine him being the kind of guy to make his partner an engagement ring himself, maybe even the wedding rings (maybe he makes on for his partner, and his partner makes one for him)

Anon, what a great question! Without much spoilers, you caught me on the day, when I am actually thinking about it heavily, stars aligned (or you weirdly match my freak exactly when the freak occurred).

I think no matter the circumstances, it would still be... huge for Viktor. Like, if we are talking Jayvik situation, I think we all know how this would happen lol (when you know you know).

And in any other... I think it would be rehearsed for ages, thought about for millennia, practiced in his head, because in front of the mirror makes it too real. Made to look effortless, while inside Viktor is screaming stop what are you doing, stop this, stop this, made to look normal because the fact that Viktor is proposing is abnormal enough.

The fact that Viktor thinks about forever with someone in such a way is so strange, that the act of asking is special enough, even if he does it over breakfast, in bed, blurts it out all of a sudden when you are brushing your teeth. And he would probably be up all night before doing it and like super weird for the whole day. Fidgety and restless, and insisting on changing locations, because the current one is not good enough for something as huge as this. And they you would go back home and he would be like shit, now or never.

As for the ring - I am a sucker for symbolism, and here again, I am giving something away, but you don't know what yet, so it's almost like I am not. So, totally the ring would be hand made. And I love those:

An engagement ring with meteorite, you literally get to wear a star on your finger as a symbol of what your partner is ready to give you and it's cosmos. And the way it's imperfect, it's just... ah, I can't. That is what I think, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[notquite-docbirdy]

Little things from the 1993 Falsettos that I love

Literally anything Chip Zein does

Bitching at the bed

The almost kisses are torture

Mavin introducing Jason to Whizzer

They're so fucking dramatic

These karate moves

More drama

I love that at the end of this one of them goes "MWAH!"

"It's queer Mr. Marvin..oops" and when Marvin says "What gives with you today?" (and basically all of Marvin at the psychiatrist)

Pinch

The way Michael Rupert sings "That's what pretty boys should do!"

I love Breaking Down in the revival but something about this staging just gets me

Honestly same Mendel

This little heel kick

Whatever the fuckl this is

More fantastic staging

Marvin throwing a tantrum

Stop I love them

I don't know what this choreography is but I love it

Get it Jason

"What was the name of that BITCH?"

"I wanna see the BALD SPOT!"

Cordelia braiding Charlotte's hair in Everything Will be Alright

The way Heather MacRae sings "Do you know how great my life is."

Boop

Marvin's little victory lap

"You people are so white."

"Look at your couch it's homo-baroque."

I wish this was in the revival

:,)

Marvin whispering "Stop, stop" during this scene always gets me

This little I love you gesture breaks my heart

He's so fucking over this

Guy's we're in a hospital keep it down, jesus

Marvin's soft "Oh, fuck." at the end of Something Bad is Happening (reprise)

When Whizzer leaves the stage for the final time he doesn't exit through the door and I don't know the symbolism in that just makes me sob

I probably overall prefer the pacing and staging of the revival, but the obc is so so fucking good. Thank you for coming to my TED talk