#literally still watching this episode i just had to speak now

[spiralsublime]

if oisin hakinvar has a hundred fans, i am one of them. if oisin hakinvar has one fan, it is me. if oisin hakinvar has no fans, i am dead.

[genderqueerdykes]

this summer has been brutally hot. while you're trying to stay cool, please consider giving cups or bottles of water to any homeless people you see. i honestly don't care what your stance on homelessness is: just do it. if you've never had heat exhaustion or heat stroke, you have no idea how utterly miserable overheating is, and it gets worse when you're dehydrated. now consider how much worse it gets when you don't have a consistent source of shade to lower your body temperature. nobody "Deserves" heat exhaustion or heat stroke, leave your "they have to earn shelter" shit at the door. no one's listening.

i live in what's regarded as the worst part of town, dubbed "the war zone". i have countless homeless people walking by my apartment daily, and whenever i'm on the porch, I do my best to offer what I can. some folks turn me down for food, not every person who comes across my block needs narcan, but water is always gratefully accepted. please try to give water instead of sugary drinks if possible and avoid caffeine, as that is a diuretic and can cause people to dehydrate faster. if all you have is juice or soda, go ahead, but please give water when and where possible.

i have never had anyone get belligerent with me even despite the awful nickname this part of town has gained. if someone seems like they are in the middle of a psychotic episode (speaking to someone you can't see, irritable outbursts, confusion, reacting to cues you can't see, and so on) and are visibly agitated or angry, give them space and don't force them into anything. DO NOT CALL THE COPS ON THEM. don't call the cops on ANY homeless people. when a psychotic person is in the middle of an episode, what they are seeing, hearing and feeling are real to them, and can be perceived as life-threatening. sometimes someone in the middle of a psychotic episode cannot parse that you are not a threat, especially if they are in the middle of a particularly paranoid episode, which happens extremely easily when you have nowhere safe to rest your head at night. constantly having to watch over your own shoulder can easily lead to someone feeling constantly persecuted.

my neighbors have been handing out food, water, and cigarettes too, without any provocation from me. now that I've moved in, we have someone to hand out narcan, too. we can build a more compassionate world. if everyone on my block wordlessly helps the homeless folk who walk past without any provocation from someone else, the whole world can be this kind. i promise it can. you can possibly save a life just by reaching out. we all have the power to make a change for the better. a simple glass of water can literally save a life. your unsheltered neighbors are still your neighbors.

[whatdidtheydotomygirljinx]

Jinx just never really liked Vander that much.

One of the things that, to me, seemed like a main theme in Jinx's arc in season 1 was the contrast between her two families, and how her switch from Vander's daughter to Silco's drastically changes the way her personality takes shape.

And I hate that the fandom, and now the show, too, has reduced Silco to an unhealthy influence in Jinx's life, pushing her towards her "bad" side (being Jinx) when, for all his flaws... he gives her a better childhood than she ever had with Vander. The first three episodes of the first season, to me, when I watched them, illustrate quite clearly that Powder feels unhappy in her family life. She is the most mal-adjusted of Vander's kids. Her older brother constantly berates her, and it's quite clearly having a big effect on her self-image. She later takes up the Jinx name and persona once she feels like she has become irredeemable as a person. Her other brother never defends her. Vi is the only one who is there for her, and they care for each other, but at the same time you can see there's still a little insecurity in their relationship. Vi is worried that maybe Powder is indeed too weak, and Powder worries that maybe Vi does indeed see her as a Jinx like her brother does.

And when it comes to Vander... he's just not really all that present in her life. And I don't blame him, the man has four kids to take care of, on top of keeping things running in the Undercity. It's clearly not his intention. But it doesn't change the fact that he's not there for Powder, not as much as she needs. To me, when I watched the first season, it seemed like Vander was a figure that felt far away to Powder, someone that she admired but also feared being completely herself around, and someone that she ultimately wished to be closer to than she actually was. It's worth mentioning that Jinx never says his name post time skip, and he is not a hallucination for her, not until Vi brings him up in the finale. Hell, Claggor is somehow a hallucination for her and he never even speaks. Vander was just not an influential figure in Jinx's life.

I always found the scene at the end of ep3 of s1 fascinating, because Powder never once mourns Vander. She never once cries for him and never once says his name. When she sees his dead body, she becomes shocked and starts crying, but it's not actually what breaks her. What breaks her is Vi's rejection. Had it just been that she accidentally caused the deaths of her brothers and adoptive father, she would not have crumbled mentally. It's Vi's rejection that destroys her. Now, of course, a little girl that cares more about her sister's affection towards her than the lives of her family members is kinda messed up, but that's what makes her character interesting. And we can see that that little girl doesn't go anywhere, as Jinx displays the exact same one-mindness about her sister. Because Jinx and Powder were never really that different, after all.

She is quite clearly placed with her back to Vander's body, that she never turns to, barely looks at, only enough to recognize him and see he's dead, and never says the name of. She's turned towards Vi, calling for Vi, crying because of Vi, and no one else. Heck, Vi had just been crying over his body a few moment ago. Vi is clearly distraught over his death. Vi is devastated, she literally punches her sister and curses her in the exact worst possible way she can, in the way she know it will hurt her sister the most. But Powder... she just honestly dgaf.

So to then hear Jinx say this line in season 2...

...is just straight up jarring. I was pulled out of the story when I heard this. This is Jinx saying this to Vi. This kinda makes it seem like it was Jinx who was most attached to Vander, or at least that she was just as attached to him as Vi was. Which is just not how things seemed in the story at literally any point until this one. And then season 2 continues this way, and somehow makes Jinx seem like the closest daughter to Vander. Flipping Warwick literally acts more attached to Jinx than Vander ever did to Powder. Like literally. Season 1 clearly sets up that Vi is the favorite daughter, and then they just... flip it?? Warwick cares more for Jinx and responds better to her than to Vi. It's actually insane. It's true they sanitized Jinx's character to hell and back this season, but this is a straight-up rewrite. I can't wrap my mind around why they did this. Plus, the entirety of act 2 they set up this weird and pointless arc of Jinx rekindling her relationship with Vander or something... and like literally her story was genuinely never about that.

(This COULD have been Vi's story. And that might have actually been cool, and made sense. Maybe Vi is the one who finds him, and she is the one who helps him calm down. And then she brings Jinx, and maybe Jinx is terrified because she was never that close to Vander, and then she literally killed him, so seeing him again is the last thing she wants. Maybe VI is the one who tells Jinx that "he was your dad, too", which would make A LOT more sense, and maybe that's the first time that Jinx thinks that oh, yeah, he was... And then maybe they have a cute moment where Vander forgives her. Or maybe she sees the state he's in right now and loses it completely. Or maybe they look at each other and they both see the monster each of them has become. And then maybe Vi looks down at the enforcer uniform she's wearing, and, privately, sees it too. Idk. The things we could have had.)

Silco was actually a good dad to Jinx, in all the ways that Vander wasn't. He gives her all the attention that she never had before. He not only listens to her, but actively asks for her side of the story. He never insults her, and he defends her against Sevika. He trusts her and gives her opportunities to prove she's capable. She goes from being one of four siblings, and getting lost in the shuffle and often ending up feeling forgotten and alone, to being the most important child, always taken into consideration and almost put on a pedestal by her dad (this, like, has to have cured some inner wounds, i think).

Silco understands Jinx better than any other character in the show, and I'm genuinely sad that we didn't get to see any flashback of Jinx growing up with him. Because their relationship was so unique, and so integral to Jinx's character and to the rest of the story, that the fact that we never get to see any other glimpse into their bond is just...

As a final note, I'd also like to add that I dislike when people say that Silco "groomed" Jinx. I think a much more realistic analysis is that he enabled her. And as for all the times he tells Jinx that Vi "betrayed her", that's just a reflection of his own trauma, and also because he fears that if Jinx knew Vi was alive, she would go back to her and leave him (which, considering what goes down in the s1 finale, not an unfounded fear). It's wrong that he does that, but it's not out of malicious intent (also tbh Jinx never really seems to believe him anyway).

And for all the people who say that Silco "turned Jinx into a terrorist" (dumbest people in this fandom fr, im sorry), that's just straight up not true. Powder was already like that. That is quite literally why Silco adopts her. Because he sees that she's like him. Silco would not have taken Powder in if he thought she was just a cute, innocent kid who was orphaned (to, what, raise her for years so that, MAYBE when she's older, she MIGHT be useful to him? when they meet he doesn't know she's the one that caused the explosion, he just knows that she's been abandoned by Vi). This is the kid who thought playing around with explosives was a fun hobby. This is the kid who giggled at the thought of hurting others. This is the kid who already suffered from explosive emotions. This is the kid who saw her father and her brothers dead, because of her, and all she cared about was whether her sister was mad at her because of it. This is the kid who throws herself at the first person she sees, someone who her sister hates, who is the cause of all this destruction, and with an anger that shocks most viewers, declares that Vi is not her sister anymore. She is livid in that one moment.

Powder already had it in her from the beginning. And it's also ok to like a character (and to write one) even if they are not 100% morally pure in every single way under the sun, cause that is quite literally what stories are for.

[yn-experience]

I love cool, mysterious Sung Jinwoo as much as the next person, but I also believe this guy is an absolute dumbass.

He’s so socially unaware that he could literally be in a dark room with people swinging a light as a guide and he’d still choose to walk straight into a wall in the dark because “what the fuck is that??”

If we’re looking at this romantically then the earliest example is novel Sung Jinwoo literally AVOIDING the nurses text messages. The same nurse who requested his phone number before he was discharged.

He couldn’t even fathom the idea of being known (whether romantically or not), but decided that he wasn’t going to touch that and immediately deleted the messages.

That might be the trauma talking for him, but it’s just so funny. The man literally said “nah” and returned to doing his own thing.

Now, I’m still going through the novel, finished the manwha, and have gone through the episodes of the anime so I’m still feeling him out — but I feel like Sung Jinwoo getting together with Chae Hae-in was simply because Hae-in matched his dumbass and just never left.

But with all that said, it’s why I can see him just unintentionally causing so much angst with his Reader.

And it’s all because he just DOESNT see it.

Reader could be so obviously pining and this guy would just shoulder pat cause “yeah, you’re also my friend I guess” and then turns away because a new shining notification popped up in front of his eyes.

He’s going to unintentionally friend zone SO hard to the SUN, and Reader is trying not to push, to not force anything on Jinwoo, he doesn’t even know that you like him so it’s not his fault, it’s just the way Sung Jinwoo is —

And then you hear about two S-rank hunters on a date at the amusement park.

You hear about Sung Jinwoo and Chae Hae-in together, his shadows standing at station to give them privacy.

…A date?

That didn’t sound like Jinwoo.

It had to be a friendly get together!

Jinwoo had never mentioned her before.

Jinwoo — Jinwoo has never really shown interest in others that way.

There is always a distance, a boundary of friendliness but never more.

You should know. Always the friend, never the lover. Having watched him since forever, not only with you but with others. You had come to expect the way Sung Jinwoo would avoid romance like a blind man trying to view the sun.

You knew —

But then you see them.

There’s a closeness there. It’s almost how it is between Jinwoo and you, but something is different. Something is… strange there.

Is it the way Cha Hae-in looks at the man with a softness in her gaze, a warmth that speaks of care?

Or is it the way Jinwoo is looking straight back at the woman, his gaze steady, unwavering, a smile that seemed just as fond?

You knew Jinwoo, you knew Sung Jinwoo, but had he ever once shown a face like that before? As if he was so very comfortable where he was?

… Oh.

Oh.

You understood now.

It wasn’t that Jinwoo didn’t know you liked him, it was that he didn’t want to be with you.

[delphi-shield]

OLD FOLKS HOME ↪ age gap hcs

the people you love & the shit they do that reminds you of the dreaded Gap (tm). characters included: leon kennedy, chris redfield, jill valentine, claire redfield, rebecca chambers no warnings to speak of. remember kids, if you're gonna date people in their 30s and 40s, you're gonna have different cultural contexts and, most likely, different senses of humor.

Leon is eight levels of irony deep. He started doing Old Guy Shit just to mess with you, and now it's all come full circle. 

It turns out he actually likes watching the weather channel. He’s monitoring storms that are miles and miles away from you, pointing out the feeder bands like it’s some kind of sporting event. 

He's genuinely invested in Ice Road Truckers. He asks you to TiVo it for him when he's gone. You do not have TiVo. In fact, you're pretty sure no one still has TiVo. 

Or you were, until Leon once again committed to the bit and got TiVo.

Really, genuinely annoying about old movies, actors, and directors.

”What do you mean you don’t know who Robert Redford is? The Candidate? Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? C’mon. He was even in an episode of The Twilight Zone. You’ll know him when you see him.”

At least you get movie dates out of it.

Movie dates that he will pepper with trivia about the film, by the way. You don't need the commentary track. He is the commentary.

I'm so, so sorry about this. 🤪 is his favorite emoji. I know. I'm sorry.

Chris cannot fucking hear. To be honest, I think most of them have some degree of hearing loss - but Chris in particular seems to have very subjective hearing loss.

Yes, you were just having a full-fledged conversation. No, he didn’t hear you ask him to take out the trash. He didn’t forget, he just didn’t hear you. Sorry, you were standing on his right - come on, you know that’s his bad side.

Explains basic technology to you because he’s not sure if you know what it is. Then, in the same breath, crams in so many military acronyms he may as well be reciting the alphabet. Does not explain the acronyms.

Like, yeah, Chris. I know what a landline is. Dial-up internet, too. Now, what the fuck is an ORE?

Have you ever gotten ‘ok’ in response to a nude? You’re about to. Completely demoralizing, by the way.

He didn't know you wanted him to compose a poem dedicated to your beauty, okay? He tries to get better, but winds up sending shit like 'wow 👍'

Does the dad thing where he insists he's not interested in watching what's on TV and then stands with his hands on his hips in the middle of the living room, enthralled by the show.

Jill does not understand your music. She will not make an attempt to understand your music. If you see her tapping her foot to the beat, no you do not. She is not interested in expanding her musical horizons.

She only bought you tickets to that concert because she knew you would love it. She only went with you because you’re cute when you’re so into this stuff. She only bought that t-shirt because it would be a good souvenir, and eventually, a good grease rag.

Generalized distrust of social media. Do not show her a tiktok. She will ignore the video and lecture you about data safety. Jill, please. Just watch the fucking cat video.

And then she turns around and opts in to literally everything on the McDonald's app.

If there’s a rewards program, she’s in. Already sold. Didn’t even read the fine print. All that shit she was telling you about how you need to be more careful is right out the window for some free fries.

Anything for the thrill of a good deal. If she had more time on her hands, she would be couponing.

Buys in bulk. No, it doesn't matter if the two of you could not physically eat that much rice. It's cheaper to buy it like this. It's fine. It's good for you.

Gotta stock up on non-perishables, too. You gotta be prepared in case something happens. "Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."

Claire cannot stop shopping from QVC. She's in the kitchen with David. It Takes Two with Mary and Sandra? Wrong. It actually takes three. Mary, Sandra, and Claire.

Infomercials have got her by the throat. You have so many gadgets and gizmos around your home that are just collecting dust.

Gets wine drunk and goes online shopping. Legitimately does not remember what she’s bought.

Absolutely will not let you open the packages. (“Some of this stuff could be for you, you know.” “Claire, last time it was a 10,000 count package of googly eyes.” “And I used all 10,000. You still haven’t found them all.”)

Uses every piece of technology until it’s about to fall apart. Absolutely not interested in having the latest and greatest. She’s one of those people who insists that as long as her phone can make calls and send texts, she doesn’t need a new one.

Speaking of texts. Somehow, she got it into her head that a read receipt is equivalent to a reply. She doesn't get what the problem is. You know she saw your text. Why does she have to reply?

Genuinely doesn't mean anything malicious by it - but also, if you did that to her, you would never hear the end of it.

Rebecca legitimately has facebook humor. They all have some degree of facebook humor, but she's got it the worst. 

Will blow up your notifications tagging you in shit that is just straight up not funny. I’m talking full on tagging you with “😂😂😂”

Unironically sent you a minion meme once.

It's not that she's disconnected. She teaches undergrads. She knows what’s in, even if it’s only from the periphery. It’s just that she doesn’t care. She has no interest in keeping up with trends just for the sake of it. She’s so used to being the youngest person in the room and having to keep up expectations that she just absolutely does not care anymore. She's glad she's not one of the kids anymore.

If it made her laugh it made her laugh, her enjoyment isn’t shackled by feelings of shame!!

If you have a group chat on any platform with your friends please invite her. She's just happy to be included. She'll make a discord if she has to, and she'll brag about it to her students.

Yeah, she says pupper and doggo. She does. Look at her.

[burningcheese-merchant]

I WILL NOW BE PRESENTING MY BURNINGCHEESE EVIDENCE TO THE COURT

It is Sunday. I have free time. There are people out there who still do not ship BurningCheese/GoldenSpice. This offends me. You all must now endure Maximum Annoyance in retaliation.

Exhibit A: The description of Burning Spice's throne decor ends with this line: "Now, after tasting the sweet joy of destruction and chaos, Burning Spice Cookie sits and meditates... waiting for the perfect moment to hunt down his prey."

This is most likely referring to Golden Cheese herself. She is constantly, directly called "prey" (and also "bird") by the Wild Spices throughout the story. Burning Spice himself calls his seeking of her "the bird hunt".

Smoked Cheese also remarks at one point that Burning Spice could probably go after them whenever he wishes; he's just toying with them, watching them go. Playing cat-and-mouse.

Two things can be drawn from all of this:

Burning Spice talks about Golden Cheese so often, and calls her "bird" and "prey" so often, that his forces have adopted these nicknames he's given her and now think of her as them themselves

Burning Spice has been sitting on his throne and watching/keeping track of her for literal hours, if not even longer than that. And he does that instead of just getting up and going after her immediately because he likes watching and chasing her. (ADDITIONAL NOTE: He yells "ALL THE WAITING I'VE ENDURED... FOR THIS?!" at her later on, further proving that he's spent for-fucking-ever just thinking about her and their meeting/fight. I will address this line again later.)

Exhibit B: As soon as Golden Cheese appears within his line of sight, he stops caring about anything else. Nutmeg Tiger speaks directly to him and he completely ignores her. He does not acknowledge Smoked Cheese in any way. He does not acknowledge the Spice Swarm in any way. The entire episode, the Wild Spices are combing every inch of their territory in search of her, claiming over and over again that if they bring her to Burning Spice, he will shower them with praise and glory. But when this finally happens, when they succeed in holding her in place and stalling for time for Burning Spice to arrive, no such thing happens. Burning Spice acknowledges nothing and no one except for her. It's as if time has stopped. Like the earth has ceased to rotate on its axis. All that exists in the universe is himself and Golden Cheese.

Exhibit C: First thing he says to her is "Finally... we meet." An expression of joy and relief that he finally gets to be face-to-face with her. Second thing is calling her the thief who stole the other half of his Soul Jam. THIRD THING IS A GODDAMN COMPLIMENT.

Of all the words of tongue and pen he could have chosen to give her. The cruel insults. The petty jabs. The cocky assertion of his impending victory over her. Even a single nod and commendation of his soldiers' hard work, even in passing. Nope. No, sir. All that time he spent waiting to meet her, all the time he had to think of something to say to her, and he chooses to say "hey, you did a sweet job of beating the shit out of my general, I fucking loved it" (and he honestly said it super weird. Go back and listen to the line. Listen closely to his tone. He sounds borderline flirtatious/seductive, I swear to God)

Exhibit D: Mr. Creepshot over here starts his gacha animation doing the yin-yang pose with Golden Cheese, and the way he opens his eyes and looks at her almost makes it look like he's either trying to peek up her collar at her chest, or trying to peek up her skirt:

Look at that twinkle in his eye. The predatory grin on his face. He is ZEROED IN on her. He looks like he wants to eat her for every meal of the day (and I don't just mean literally). Jail. Immediately.

Exhibit E: He does not stop smiling ONCE during their entire interaction, from the second he shows up to the end of their fight (and then he goes back to smiling like a maniac at her soon after anyway). He is grinning at her like he's the Joker and she's his Batman (and we all know how... attached to Batman Joker is lol). He looks like this - like she - is the only fun he's had in a long, long time. He is HAPPY to see her, even in this evil, deranged way.

Exhibit F: He looks at her like this:

No man that looks at a woman like this has holy intentions, I'm telling you. Wrath's not the only sin on his mind right now. Line directly below may or may not be related :)

Exhibit G: Some of his overworld dialogue seems to allude to Golden Cheese specifically.

"I do enjoy my prey to have a little fight in them!" - he says this exact line directly to her face in the story

"Why, I, too, once had things I held dear." - He's talking to you, the player. This is something he says when you tap on him in his little lobby. But it can be argued that he's talking to Golden Cheese, as well. He might be thinking of her, referencing her specifically when he says this, because... that's her. SHE had things she held dear. Things she loved, things she lost. Things she grieves still. He knows this. He reminds her of it. He might almost be trying to acknowledge a connection with/to her, beyond them sharing the Light of Change. He was like her once. He had people he loved and lost. (Watch his interaction w/ Nutmeg Tiger in your kingdom, it'll all but tell you this.) They have a lot more in common than just a power source. Maybe he knows this. Maybe he's trying to express that, to you and to her.

"Abundance? Hah! More stuff to break..." - 555-COME-ON-NOW

"Sorry to break it to you... but nothing is eternal!" - Again, he's talking to you/us, but he could just as easily be talking to/thinking of her when he says this. Golden Cheese always championed her kingdom and her wealth as eternal. She essentially doubles down on this notion through her keeping them all alive inside a digital fantasy world. Episode 18 is literally titled "Goddess of Eternal Gold". He could be making a jab at her here.

"Cookies clinging to their little possessions... Pathetic!" and "In the end, everything becomes dust." - Double whammy. Him talking/thinking about her here can be further supported by what he says to her before he rips her wings off: "Ruler of a fallen kingdom. The Tide of Change will swallow you whole. You will crumble and become dust, like all those trinkets you treasured so." Again, he already knows her whole life story. He knows what happened to her. To her people. To everything and everyone she ever loved. He knows she loves trinkets. He knows she revels in opulence. He already knows her well enough to know what to say to her and how, to drive the knife in deepest. He calls her dust. He reminds her of all of her precious trinkets that she loved so damn much. She clings to her little possessions. She will become dust. Like her kingdom already did. Like everything one day will.

Exhibit H: When he wins their fight and he's holding her over the cliff, he yells "ALL THE WAITING I'VE ENDURED... FOR THIS?!" (we're back to this line, just like I said!) Before you bring up him wanting the Soul Jam back (which he does, I do not deny this), consider this: he makes no move whatsoever to take it back, even when he's got her in his grasp and the Soul Jam is inches from his face. He's got her beat, pinned, but he leaves it at that. He doesn't even mention the Soul Jam at all, not even once. All he does is yell and throw a huge tantrum about how their battle didn't go the way he wanted it to. He just go on and on about how it can't end like this. His bird hunt can't end like this. Where's the thrill? He honestly seems to care less about the Soul Jam and more about her. It's not the "the Soul Jam hunt", it's "the BIRD hunt". He wants his power back, of course. But that's not all he wants. He wants her. He's after her.

Additional point, that may or may not be enough to count as Exhibit I: In the beginning, Saffron Buffalo tells Golden Cheese that Burning Spice chose her. After she and Smoked Cheese kick his ass, he says now he understands WHY Burning Spice chose her, and he was wrong to doubt her and her strength.

It can be inferred from this, from Burning Spice's reaction to her, from his reaction to their fight, from his reaction to her swift loss, that Burning Spice thinks highly of her and her capabilities, at least in his own evil, violent way. Enough for it to be noticeable even to his subordinates. Enough that he would not bend the knee if and when questioned. Enough that he's beyond disappointed when their fight ends the way it does. He wanted more from her. He expected more from her. He had high hopes for her, right from the jump. And she let him down. Broke his dark heart.

Burning Spice has had Golden Cheese on his mind for God and the Witches know how long. He thought well enough of her to choose her. To proudly state that she meets his standards. He waited for her, again for who really knows how long. He sat and meditated on her, on his hunt for her, on their fated meeting and battle. He was beyond pleased when she once again proved her might to him by taking out his general (even better, he might have gotten to see it happen as he was approaching the scene). He all but purrs his words of contentment at her prowess at her (go back and listen to him when he says that line. Pay close attention to the tone and cadence of his voice. He sounds... a certain way when he's talking to her. He really does, I mean it). He's entirely too pleased to see her. He comes to life when they battle. He looks like this is the best day of his whole damn life so far. He's angry and bitter when she throws it all away to save an insignificant child. He's angry and bitter she's taken everything he's done, all the time and effort he's spent, for granted. He's bitter enough to take pot shots at her. To sprinkle some salt in her wounds, where he knows it'll hurt most. He KNOWS her. He WAITED for her. He expected so much of her. Of course he wants the Soul Jam back. But he's shown that he wants Golden Cheese herself just as much.

In conclusion:

[actuallyidontgiveadamn]

one thing I noticed after watching the pilot and the first three episodes back to back is how averse to touch Alastor has become

he literally couldn't stop touching people in the pilot. I guess it was to go with his intrusive and pushy personality and added one more reason to be put off by him

in the recent episodes he hasn't initiated contact once. he sits aside from others if he can help it, has conversations from sometimes ridiculous distances, dines alone, leans out if someone gets into his personal space. while talking he puts his arms behind his back or his staff between himself and the person he's speaking to. he went nuclear when his coat was touched

the most intrusive thing he does now is just leaning in, while still keeping distance. and there was that one time when he touched one of the egg bois with his staff.

the only moment he really touches someone is when he's trying to get Niffty off his back, but she was the one who started it and he was immediately trying to get rid of her

I wonder if the previous personal space violations were cut just because they were gross and inappropriate (but seriously he's a feared despicable demon, he could've had those as a treat) or this newly established distancing is to add to the character's mysteriousness or even might be some kind of foreshadowing. (and I hope it wasn't just done as a part of his aroace characterization, in my humble opinion that would be the lamest explanation and also a stereotype)

[stardustamaryllis78]

Hey, do you guys remember when these two were actually compelling characters?

Yeah, neither do I.

Bait is by far the most interesting character of these three and I'm not even joking.

But lets start at the beginning shall we?

Let's start off with Callum, the protagonist.

He is the son of Queen Sarai and step son of King Harrow 🐦 and the big brother of Prince or King Ezran, depends on which part of the show you're on. I guess spoiler if you haven't got past episode 3 where Pip dies and Harrow is forced to eat bird food for the rest of his life. (I have MASSIVE feelings about that "plot twist" but that's a potential post for another day.)

He struggles with the idea of being a prince because he believes he's not good at horse riding and sword fighting, things a prince should be good at.

Ignore the horse, Bait is the one clearly in charge, Callum doesn't know what he's doing.

All (kind of) jokes aside, he was dorky without being too annoying and him getting the Sky Primal Stone which in turn allowed him to use Sky magic which made him feel like he was for once good at something was interesting to watch, especially after he had to smash it to hatch a dying Zym and learn the Sky Arcanum through other means. A good well rounded character.

Then we have Rayla, who used to be one of my favourite characters.

Not anymore.

She was originally so snarky, sassy and feisty but in such a fascinating kind of way. She also had a kind and gentle heart and would do anything to help those in need. Plus, she had the inner struggle of being an assassin who cannot kill but that didn't really matter because she used her skills for the greater good anyway.

Its a shame her first and only kill in the show came in the form of herself.

Character assassination at its finest.

How did Rayla go from this:

To this:

Best Dragonguard of the century guys 👏

From a girl who would do anything to help others in need, even a dragon that would torch tons of innocent people to legit turning her back on a dragon in distress. This is not Rayla.

But how did it come to this you may ask? Well curious Tumblr reader, I have one simple answer. One simple answer that will burn so much of The Dragon Prince's fandom down and will cause an all out riot but let me just tell you, I'm speaking nothing but the truth.

The answer is:

Rayllum

Yep! Them becoming a duo literally murdered their characters and I still o7 them to this day 🫡

What was once two interesting characters who found solace in each other and set off together (and Ezran was there as the third wheel) to stop a war spanning centuries became a poorly written soap opera.

So where did it go wrong?

I'm gonna sound like a broken record in saying SEASON 4 📢 HAHA!

But no, not season 4, it was actually before that.

It starts with Rayla leaving Callum the nicest birthday present anyone could give someone - ghosting them.

Now you'd think that Rayla would at least wait a day or two after Callum's birthday so he can have an enjoyable day first but nope! She decides to dip on whats supposed to be a happy day for him and make it miserable. What a woman! 👏

Now you could be saying to me, "But she needed to go with full urgency!" To which, no she did not. She went because it was a mission of revenge, something she LITERALLY said herself so she could have waited a few days but she chose instead to make someone she's supposed to love miserable on a day of happiness.

But okay, she dips and leaves Callum sad and miserable on his birthday. Surely when she returns, she apologizes right?

...Right?

I don't think arc 2 Rayla would understand the word sorry if it bit her right up where the Moon don't shine.

Anyways, its two years later (Yes, you heard me, two years) and Rayla decides to finally unghost Callum.

Now, Callum is understandably upset with Rayla after taking off on his birthday and leaving without saying goodbye. So whats Rayla's stance on this? Is she understanding?

Of course not, this is arc 2 Rayla we're talking about.

Imagine letting the guy she let down have some room to sort things out in his head. Crazy right?

But anyway, he eventually relents to Rayla because she won't shut up in typical Rayla fashion and they both snooze on the couch.

This kind of soap opera drama goes on for THE ENTIRE SEASON while they just gradually "make up" and its just such contrived conflict. Especially as nothing came of Rayla leaving for those two years and it happened off screen.

Plus, her not taking accountability for her actions is a big deal.

Sadly the writers did it with this ship. ^

I love Red Herring story lines that are spent so much time on and are SUPER built up only to have literally no impact on the plot whatsoever. 🤗

Loved wasting my time on the Dark Magic Callum story line.

BUT HEY, he did get some great looking tooth-paste in his hair! 🪥 Looks great on you Callum. 🤥

Now however, I must talk about the most beloved of all seasons and no, I don't mean season 6 or 3.

Clearly I'm referring to season 7, aka, facing sucking the season.

Like seriously, if I ate a Moonberry Surprise every time Callum and Rayla snogged, I'd end up needing medical attention.

That's not the offender I'm talking about though. It's Rayla's super selfishness and Callum choosing her over his grieving brother.

Somehow, the writer's thought that was okay.

Remember, this is the same girl who left him for 2 whole years to put her need of revenge before his feelings.

Callum betrayed his brother for her.

But it's not even just that, it's just the selfish nature of Rayla in season 7. Ezran has just had Katolis burnt to a crisp, and all she can think about is herself and her own needs. Ezran's feelings? They don't matter. As long as she's happy, that's fine.

I don't even want to talk about them all buddying up in the Silvergrove happily while Ezran is still dealing with Katolis' fallout.

Plus remember, at this point, Callum still believes that Runaan killed Harrow. I get forgiving someone but bro is literally choosing the guy who assassinated the guy who raised him over his grieving brother. It's actual insanity to me.

There is much more I have missed but I have reached my Rayllum limit for the day. This ship is as fun as watching paint dry so I want to do something that is going to actually bring me joy.

Have a good day everyone! Peace! 🫡

[chvoswxtch]

I wrote all this in my notes app while I was watching the finale so this is basically me coming to you live from my couch while freaking the fuck out but if you know me you know chaotic rambling is what I do best

matt saying karen’s name when he woke up in the hospital was just like alex saying izzy’s name and that was all the confirmation I needed that whatever they had going on ended right then and there and it was never real to begin with

also how are you gonna leave your man that just got shot in the hospital?? notice how kirsten didn’t 👀

fisk not giving a single fuck that matt saved him and trying to kill him anyway is COLD

“a dead hero is better than a live vigilante” I see the season 3 writers are in the fucking building

also what is it with fisk and trying to poison people in hospitals?? sorry buck but you’ll never be westley that diva was one of a kind

frank showing up at matt’s apartment bitching about there not being any coffee is so special to me you don’t understand

“nightgown man” “blind boy” I don't think frank has ever called matt by his actual name it's always red or a bitchy insult and I love that for them

“aftershave and a haircut? that all for me?” / “yeah I did it for you” AND IM SUPPOSED TO BE NORMAL ABOUT THAT ???

“you’re not gonna do it with your ass out?” frank out here asking the real questions. I wish he would’ve. like charlie has no problem with nudity we couldn't get one quick ass shot as a treat for all our pain and suffering??

also frank looking at matt’s bare ass while saying that makes it even fucking funnier (alexa play that should be me)

I knew as soon as frank said he got a call it was karen and when she showed up I fucking SCREAMED MY BABY IS BACK

frank redecorating matt’s whole apartment with blood and brain matter was wild and his feral yelling throughout the whole sequence had my basement flooding if ya know what I mean

they might as well have jumped off that roof holding hands and GOD I missed their bickering I want a whole season just of that

karen literally pulled up like a disappointed mother that had to come pick up her two dumbass sons that got suspended for fighting I was dying laughing

GODDAMNIT JUST LET THEM FUCKING KISS ITS BEEN A DECADE I CANT HANDLE THE YEARNING MY HEART CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE FOR FUCKS SAKE

matt being a jealous bitch boy pls you had your shot

"you couldn't call me?" uh I don't know matthew, maybe bc there's three seasons of evidence of you not answering the fucking phone when karen calls??? you know who does answer the phone?? FRANK

also you literally heard both of their heartbeats you know they’re in love get a grip you have bigger problems right now and your ass needs to stay single until you get medicated

“avocados at law” just fucking shoot me in kneecap it would hurt less

THE FUCKING SKULL SHOWING UP IN THE DARKNESS?? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

frank ripping through the task force and calling them fucking clowns is so *chefs kiss* 5 stars, no notes, all the awards

they were literally like omg we’re your biggest fans and he was like bitch fuck you

“you think you know my pain? you think you know my loss?” y’all didn’t have to do that how much emotional trauma can you fit in one episode was it a fucking game

that whole scene with frank and the task force reminded me a lot of the scene with billy and rawlins from s1 of the punisher and when I tell you I need frank to take powell out in a way that would make fisk clutch his pearls i’m not exaggerating

speaking of, I think fisk popping gallo’s head takes the cake for his most brutal kill over the head decapitation from s1 with the car door like my jaw DROPPED (not bc of the scene itself, but bc they actually allowed that) like that was some terrifier shit and i’m here for it spectacular gimme 14 more of em right now

heather girl I wanted to like you but you can kiss my ass and kick rocks bye

kirsten baby i’m still rooting for you go get your man (pls for the love of god make him go to therapy first)

bb honey pls be careful you’re doing amazing

that whole scene of matt talking about losing his sight with karen and then his ending monologue oh my GOD we are so fucking back (but seriously stab me it would hurt less)

now i’m wondering does josie now know about matt??? like does she know he’s daredevil???? or did karen show up with him like this is my friend daredevil and josie was like yeah he helped fuck up my bar but I guess he can stay he’s gotta pay for his drinks though repairs ain’t cheap

matt telling karen he’s glad she’s back was speaking for all of us welcome home karen the kids missed you

i’m sorry but if you keep francis david castiglione alive knowing that man runs on black coffee and blood thirty vengeance you’re a fucking dipshit what did y’all think was gonna happen

“you know about me?” frank LAUGHING is so real bc you know who this man is and what he did and yet you think he wants to shake your hand and be friends?? anthony from jersey you dumb whore

“we need an army” BITCHHHHHHH LETS FUCKING GO BABY

it’s the defenders. i’m calling it. the defenders are getting back together and they’re gonna be main ones leading the fight against fisk

the shot of matt as daredevil through the door of josie’s fucking CINEMA

are we gonna talk about how daniel's suspenders look suspiciously familiar to muse's??? I really thought bastian was a red herring for muse, bc there was an ep where there was a shot of muse's eyes and then daniel's eyes (or vice versa, I can't remember) and then the recap for this episode included clips of muse...but then no muse at all, not even mentioned in passing. usually something isn't included in a recap unless it has relevance to that episode. also the whole muse storyline was too rushed and tied up too neatly, I think bastian may have been a copycat or maybe hired by vanessa but I don't think bastian was the real muse and daniel is clearly a fucking psycho

also I am still in denial about foggy hear me out what if they switched up the vanessa storyline from the comics and brett was the one put foggy into witpro after learning what he knew about the port (with the help of madani) and they all show up next season 🤔 let me be delusional and live my fantasy

I don’t know if frank will be in the next season since they’re doing that solo punisher thing, so i’m wondering if we’re getting a dex and matt team up next season?? the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that jazz. bc one, dex basically told vanessa it’s always on sight when he sees fisk, and two, if foggy isn’t actually dead, then I feel like matt might be open to letting dex help take down fisk (very reluctantly, but desperate times)

I have so many thoughts and feelings but i’m just so fucking excited to see what they do next now that we have the right team handling this next season but also I have no idea what the fuck to do with myself now

also nick fury, honey, it’s time to come home. another bald man in a sleek suit is trying to take over new york. pls come back to earth and help matt assemble some new besties thx

[exactlymaximumgarden]

117 w/schlatt! 🩵

117. interrupt - the garden (link to req info here)

ted's vision might not be 20/20, but his hindsight sure is. and now, as he sits between you and schlatt on the chuckle sammy set, he realizes that maybe letting you be this week's guest wasn't the best idea.

it's not any fault of your own, of course. schlatt had been the one to propose the idea in the first place. the two of you had been dating for quite some time now but only recently decided to hard launch considering you both valued your privacy. and so, in light of the launch, schlatt had eagerly asked ted if he could invite you on the podcast's upcoming episode.

"c'mon, ted!" he'd so desperately pleaded. "the viewers are gonna want us to talk about it eventually. (y/n) would make a great guest, too. y'know that!"

it's true. you and ted have been longtime friends due to schlatt introducing you two. the chemistry is all-around great, so naturally he had no qualms with you coming on the podcast. that is, until now, as he watches you and schlatt lightheartedly bicker among each other.

"wait! just- don't speak."

"just let me speak!"

"you cut me off!"

"guys!" ted finally cuts in, his voice laced with an almost bewildered laugh. "may i remind you that literally all i asked was how you two met. you've been arguing over the smallest details for the last, fuckin'..." he briefly checks his watch. "seven minutes. this has been going on for seven minutes."

"yo! not my fault (y/n)'s memory sucks ass," schlatt retorts, an impish grin adorning his features.

"my memory sucks?" you gasp at your boyfriend, feigning offense as your jaw drops. "you've been telling the story all wrong this whole time!"

"maybe 'cause you've been interrupting me, toots. i get distracted!"

it's obvious this is all playful banter. still, ted waves a hand dismissively. "fuckin' christ, you two. forget i asked! how 'bout we revisit this question when you guys have a consistent narrative of how it happened, alright?"

"fine by me," schlatt responds slyly. he wiggles his brows at you. "that okay with you, doll?"

"perfect." you stick your tongue out at him.

ted is satisfied with this response. he's quick to redirect the conversation, spitting out a slew of topics at you. you're doing your best to keep up with him, but your train of thought is still continually disrupted by schlatt. however, this time, it's through the text notifications you see popping up from him on your lockscreen.

>> schlutt 💙: just fyi i totally would've kissed you to shut you up if we weren't recording rn >> schlutt 💙: thought you oughta know

from across the table, he can see your face heat up as you read the notifications. meanwhile, you're doing your best to discreetly type out your responses.

>> (y/n): thanks brah >> schlutt 💙: yo lock in >> schlutt 💙: i see you reading these u ain't slick >> (y/n): fuck u >> (y/n): u keep distracting me boy stfu >> (y/n): this is a setup >> schlutt 💙: ok >> (y/n): u are my #1 opp >> (y/n): hard left can i get that kiss later tho >> schlutt 💙: obviously

[theyanderespecialist]

(Remake) Base Yandere Alastor Headcanons (Part1) Hazbin Hotel

[Hello, My Sexy Muffins! Now That the show is out (The first four episodes) this is the remade Headcanons for Alastor, The Radio Demon! As we know more about his character. Though I feel we will learn more about him, so this is just part 1. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter here!] 

(DISCLAIMER: Alastor is AroAce but in this headcanons and possible scenario and video (on YouTube) he is yandere which means love sick. So the love he has for the reader or listener is not romantic and is more obsession and possession than anything. Asexuals and Aromantic or anyone on those spectrums are NOT like this in reality! Thank you! 

DISCLAIMER 2: Alastor is not yandere in canon. This is just for fun and not to be taken seriously at all! Simping for fictional characters and yanderes is fine, just do not be illegal or gross about it! Yanderes are not ideal partners to have in real life, and neither are demons! Please remember to separate fiction from reality and headcanon from canon! Thank you!) 

-Remade Base Yandere Headcanons With Alastor, The Radio Demon Part 1- 

.Alastor he is not interested in sex or romance. 

.He is a bit of a chaotic evil or neutral (It is up for debate) 

.Though when he did see you, he got this strange feeling in his chest, a feeling he had NEVER felt before. 

.It made him feel unnerve like you had done something to him. 

.So he would start to watch you, like a hawk, having his shadow watch you at all times. 

.Sooner or later he realizes that he wants you, not sexually or romantic. No. 

.But he does want you to be HIS to own you and to have companionship with you 

.To spend the rest of eternity together. 

.It is very less romantic and more controlling and possessive. 

.Where he very much sees you as a prize and as HIS And HIS ALONE! 

.He would want to keep you though, and he would learn that sex and romantic acts help his cause of courting you to be his. 

.He also does like that when he does these things for you it makes you happy. 

.So even though sex and romance are not his thing, he does them for you! cause they make you happy. 

(Mid-headcanon disclaimer: Asexuals can choose to have sex and physically enjoy it (Sex is a physical act and anyone can do it regardless of attraction) Asexuality is a lack of sexual attraction. Choosing to have sex while on the ace spectrum is being sex favorable. And you can still choose to do romantic acts as an aromantic. Asexuality is a spectrum. Aromantic I am not 100 percent sure how that works but I know that Aromantic can still want to have a life partner and or closeness to other people just without the romantic parts, now! Back to headcanons!) 

.He does want you to be happy and content with him and he is willing to do those things cause of his twisted version of what is, for him. That is the closest he will ever feel to romance. 

.Of course, he is a yandere so there are some toxic traits as well. 

.Such as he is a tad bit controlling and very manipulative. 

.Using his charm and affection to manipulate you to want only him. 

.And also manipulate you from being near anyone who could try and trick you into being with them. 

.Cause let's be for real, Alastor has a bit of an ego and he for sure is confident that he is the best option for you. 

.That he is the only one that is good enough for you. 

.So there is no chance that lesser demons will be able to woo you. 

.But he knows that you, his sweet darling, could be manipulated and tricked into being with another demon or WORSE giving your soul to another demon. 

.Speaking of which, he will very much make a contract with you for your soul there is no way he is going to let that chance to have you bound to him and where he Will QUITE LITERALLY OWNS YOU! 

.So yeah, be ready for that. 

.He will of course not have it be a normal contract, but instead a marriage contract where you will be made his spouse. 

.That way you belong to him. And also, will be his life partner. 

.Still, he would have your soul, so it would not matter what you do, you will be his spouse FOREVER! 

.Now back to how else he would be as a yandere! He is beyond PETTY. 

.If he had rivals (Which he does not consider to be rivals) he would be SO Petty with them. 

.Always showing them and you, how much better of a partner he could be and how pathetic they are! 

.He is willing to humiliate them. 

.Though he does have a bit of a possessive jealous side of him. 

.If someone was to try and kiss you or touch you? Well, he is going to rip them from limb to limb. 

.He would take sick pleasure in destroying anyone who would DARE To defile you with even something as small as kissing your cheek or holding your hand! 

.It is unforgivable. 

.Though he fully outright denies being the jealous type. (He may even gaslight you into believing he is not the jealous type) 

.He loves to cook for you, and will slowly condition you to eating deer meat. 

.Do not worry he is not going to give you a bloody dead deer right away. He will cook it for you. 

.It makes him feel connected to you and feels a stronger bond and closeness to you when he cooks you a meal. 

.He may even teach you to cook, another bonding experience. 

.Though I am sorry vegans and vegetarians he is going to make meat for you and most likely trick you into liking it. He just would he is a cannibal he is for sure not going to let you eat like that! 

.Side note he may even take bites of you, maybe even during sex. 

.And lastly, for part one, I will go deeper into other things and dynamics he would be a bit more okay with you touching him. 

.THOUGH He prefers to initiate physical touch with you, as he would still tense up if you caught him off guard, but he would not fling you away. More just accepts it as he is a little uncomfortable. (I am pretty sure he is a touch-adverse AroAce and is only fine if HE is the one touching!) 

[YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Part one is done, I hope that you all enjoyed this and, stay sexy, all of my sexy muffins!] 

[bye-bye-sugar-blue-eyes]

As soon as Buddie becomes canon I want to see ALL the domestic moments between them:

Eddie jolts awake from a nightmare (about Shannon or his time in combat) and Buck just rolls over and holds him tight, foreheads pressed together, whispering calming words until he falls asleep.

I don't think they'd have pet names. Other than when they're teasing each other. But I do think someone (probably Buck) would try one out.

"Thanks babe." "Ew— what? No. Stop that." And that was the end of that. Yet (and Eddie would never admit this) he doesn't seem to mind certain terms of endearment during sexy times.

They still have their ✨kitchen moments✨, they're just cuter now. They talk about their problems while doing the dishes together, if one of them is doing something like chopping vegetables or stirring a pot the other most likely has their arms wrapped around them from behind with their chin on their shoulder, one of the cabinet doors is now broken due to being shoved into it while making out one too many times.

Buck LOVES when Eddie speaks Spanish. Whether it's first thing in the morning in a groggy voice or shouted at him during a fight. And Eddie has learned to use it to his advantage, getting Buck to do things by buttering him up in Spanish. Though he could literally just be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and Buck would never know.

So they start to do little daily Spanish lessons. Starting with words or phrases of the day on the way to work (think similar to when May and Eddie would discuss the word of the day). But Buck has a hard time rolling his R's and it just makes Eddie laugh and stare at him fondly. One time he was so amused that he pulled a Fez from That 70s show: ("You know how Fez sometimes rolls his R's? Well that's what he did in my mouth!") and smirks, saying "Do it more like that." and Buck is stunned silent for a full minute. Eddie gets out of the car, opens Buck's door and had to unbuckle his seatbelt before Buck realizes where he is.

Whenever one of them is fuming from a fight with their parents the other pushes them down into a chair or the couch and stands behind them to rub their shoulders

One day Buck accidentally grabs the wrong 118 shirt and ends up wearing 'DIAZ' on his back all day and once he realizes he starts to strut around with a proud grin. Since then, he starts to purposely wear Eddie's clothes to tease him, knowing full well that it gets Eddie all hot and bothered.

Buck also gets more handsy at home since they're not allowed to show PDA at work. Sometimes he literally waits until the second they've stepped foot off the 118 property to grab Eddie's ass.

When Buck starts spiraling, going on and on about how he's not good enough and that's why everyone leaves him, Eddie will just subtly place a hand on his thigh or lower back. And it usually immediately calms him down.

If Buck can't sleep Eddie will wake up in the middle of the night and find him baking in the kitchen. He just sits at the table watching him, asking quietly, "Do you wanna talk about it?" Sometimes he does and other times Buck just shakes his head. So, while in comfortable silence, Eddie measures out the ingredients and hands them over when needed.

Eddie is embarrassed about just how many times he's tried to reach for something on a high shelf, tippy-toes and all, only to have Buck either lift him up so he can get it OR grab the item and hold it captive until Eddie gives him a kiss.

Very dramatic declarations of love or betrayal:

"I can't believe this." "Buck..." "I thought you loved me." "I do." "I once saw a long life together in the future. Now I'm not so sure..." "Okay, I'm sorry I watched the new episode without you!" "...I'm gonna need a minute."

"Buck, have I ever told you how goddamn perfect you are?" "Maybe. Might as well say it again. ☺️" "I'm serious. You can do nothing wrong and anyone who says otherwise can fight me." "Okay calm down. Do you fall in love with everyone who gives you an orgasm and then cooks for you afterward?" "...yes."

[cbrownjc]

Thoughts and Speculation after 2x07 (Spoilers):

A lot of people have said that this moment from the Season 2 trailers might actually be caused by a fight between Louis and Armand in the penthouse:

gif credit: @hermit-frog

And I have to say, after watching episode 2x07? I think they might be right.

Because if you know the book, you know that it is at the very end of it, like literally the last few pages, where it's revealed that Louis knew the whole time about Armand's role in what happened to Claudia. And they break up.

And so I think the same thing is coming next week on the show. Only in the show's regard, Louis knew of Armand's role, as we saw here -- but then was made to forget the actual full context of just how involved Armand was.

Because, as I pointed out on Twitter, this image from the trial --

-- is quite something. You have both the writer and director for the Théâtre des Vampires not on stage for this whole thing. Very much underlying the fact that this is a theatrical play that is being put on. As we saw, there was even a real, actual SCRIPT for this whole thing!

Like, how much more could the show have been pointing to what was really going on here? Trust a writing staff of playwrights to be meta about all of this. 🙃

Because the ending of this trial was written and locked in long ago. And who is the one that usually says when a play or film is locked in and finished?

The Director. (And yes I know producers and studios do too, but Armand is very much all of that wrt his role for their little theater as well).

BTW, Santiago and the coven did NOT expect Armand to do that to the audience. Saving Louis was very much off-script. And if Armand really had no power here, the coven could have just taken Louis off stage and killed him another way. The only reason they didn't was because Armand was very much not powerless in all of this.

Like, I love Armand's character, I really do -- now. But that is something that only came about after I read the books from Queen of the Damned forward. For the first two books, I very much did not like him. And, particularly when it comes to the Paris part of this story, that is where we are with his character right now. I know why he's doing what he's doing, I understand it. But I can't defend it.

Louis probably figured things out before San Francisco in 1973. He probably knew Armand's full role in what went down, same as in the book, after it all happened. But it was his suicide attempt that had Armand redact that knowledge from Louis' mind. The clues for that being the case are all there after episode 2x05.

Because, at the end of the day, even knowing Armand's full role in Claudia's death, Louis still mostly blamed himself for it all.

As we see, things are slowly starting to come back to Louis, but he's not fully there yet. And I think this whole memory thing is a more literal interpretation of the veil that descended over Louis' mind after Paris in the books.

A veil that only began to lift once Armand revealed to Louis that Lestat was alive. As we've seen, Louis knew Lestat was alive back in 1973. I'm not sure if he does so now. But maybe this isn't about knowing if Lestat is alive or not. Maybe it's just Louis thinking he needed to be punished because of his own role in failing Claudia -- and staying away from Lestat was part of that self-punishment. Because that view is a feeling I got when watching episode 2x05 and Louis not wanting to speak to Lestat. His refusal to speak wasn't out of anger IMO, but more fear and even sorrow.

The show is very much sticking to the beats of the book with all of this, and not revealing things about what happened that were revealed in later books. So I don't think Louis fully knows what was going on with Lestat during that trial. I wouldn't be surprised if we learn he still doesn't, since he never learned it in the first book.

But as I said here, it was clear as day that Lestat wasn't himself during that trial. Physically and especially mentally. I didn't even guess that the show would be that obvious about it, but they were. All very much hinting about what was really going on with his appearance here.

And Louis himself might, just might figure that out for himself. Especially if Dreamstat might appear to be back in his mind again. Because Dreamstat is very much Louis' subconscious. And I think Louis' subconscious knows something important is missing wrt all of this.

It was nice that, at least in the end, someone chose Claudia. Madeleine could have escaped this but chose to die with Claudia instead when she didn't have to. Her little middle finger to the crowd gave me a smile.

They did not do the full reveal of Claudia's diaries and what was in them on stage, which I seriously thought they would. They gave a hint about it, but more so in episode 2x05 than in here. Which means that, in a later season, we're still looking at that reveal from Merrick happening it seems. But then again . . . there were some things I suspect got left out on purpose because the actual (attempted) murder of Lestat was very much glossed over for us, the audience, during that trial sequence. We are very much set to revisit that whole thing during The Vampire Lestat adaptation in Season 3, of course. But I think even more will be revealed about that there then I originally thought.

And finally, Claudia. They said in the Inside The Episode they wanted her to go out with as much strength and defiance as she could and yeah, she did. But in the end, I still think she was angry, sad, and hurt by it all, which she had every right to be. Because at the end of the day, she never should have been made and was made for all the wrong reasons. But being turned so young made her a fierce and pure vampire though and though because she never had enough time to have lived a human life to have those types of morals and outlooks fully imprinted on her. That was always one of Claudia's core traits wrt her being turned so young, and she still had it here. And yes girl, you will haunt things after this -- particularly your parents.

In fact, it probably very much was your voice Louis heard calling him back in 2x05, wasn't it?

So, for a penultimate episode, this was very, very good. And things are very much going to explode next week. I knew Louis going Carrie/Firestarter on the coven would happen in 2x08. That moment always screamed "season finale" to me. Santiago picking up Claudia's yellow dress is also significant, as I think we'll see Louis' POV of that moment with Lestat about it.

And the break up between Louis and Armand might just be much more violent than it was in the book as well.

[hypercentralsilly]

TW CREAK HATE POST AND ILL TRY AND KEEP THE BAD LANGUAGE TO A MINIMUM BUT HE PISSES ME OFF.

Sorry. I fucking HATE Creek. (Talking about trolls creek just to clarify.)

THIS THING RIGHT HERE ^

YEAH. FUCK THAT GUY.

Okay, so, Originally I didn’t actually hate him when I watched the first movie when I was younger and I didn’t really hate him when I would rewatch it a few times. Yeah he sucked for betraying them but he was dead. And I was okay with that. I watched him get set on fire and then get eaten with the mountain monster and that was that.

Ignorance is bliss or something..

Well then I was informed that he had in fact somehow LIVED and was in the 2D animated series (the beat goes on)

He returns at the end of season one in the half episode titled “creek week”

….

Fuming.

Okay, I’m a branch enthusiast, alright? Let’s get that outta the way. Branch is awesome. I love branch.

So to have CREEK come back in such an episode was.. a Choice! To say the least.

The entire is branch RIGHTFULLY not wanting to forgive creek right away and being “paranoid” the entire episode.

Everyone immediately forgive creek which is fine if that’s what they wanna do but they’re like shaming branch the ENTIRE episode and getting mad at him for not wanting to forgive creek.

This triggers branch to prove that creek is the same as he was before so all of his would stop talking being annoying about him not forgiving creek.

Branch hikes will all his friends over to where creek is meditating beside a waterfall.

Branch throws himself in and pretends to be in danger.

Creek being the only one close enough, branch yells for creek to save him. Creek says that the current looks too strong and doesn’t want to get sucked in

Branch says he thought creek said he’d risk his life for any and all of them (something creek said earlier in the episode)

Branch reveals that he’s fine and that he was testing creek to prove to his friends that they shouldn’t really trust creek.

Creek yells that he’s still a coward and he can’t believe that branch would expose him like that in front of everyone etc etc..

Well Branch’s friends call branch mean and get mad with him because it turns out they KNEW creek was the same and still a coward but decided to give him a chance anyway. They get mad at branch and refuse to speak with him until creek forgives him.

So branch goes and finds the bastard and creek is over there being petty and drawing branch’s face in the sand big and crossed out.

Branch feels uncomfortable but apologizes and creek says he forgives him.

Branch needs creek to tell the others so they’ll believe him

Well creek decided to be a fucking CUNT bitch and had a whole song at the ready for branch to sing to him in front of everyone and embarrass himself just so creek will forgive him.

Branch does this and creek complains that it wasn’t exactly how he wanted but he accepts it anyway.

Poppy says what branch did was very nice because she knows creek can be a lot

When I tell you I felt SO BAD for branch this entire episode and literally hid my head when he was forced to sing in front of everyone…

And normally I wouldn’t hate on poppy like I love poppy but TF WAS SHE DOING THIS EPISODE?!?? LIKE??? HES YOUR FRIEND DUDE!! (At this point in the timeline anyway (please correct me if I’m wrong))

They’re all so mean to branch the entire episode for no damn reason and literally choose the side of a traitor instead of their friend literally just because they wanted him to do yoga week and omfg I hate him I hate him so so much he pisses me off like he should’ve stayed dead and he didn’t and I’m pissed and this would be typed in caps if I wasn’t so mad and actually took two seconds to click caps but I’m too pissed to do that because he pisses me off that much !!!!

He’s so annoying dude. I have more words but this is long enough for now

I’ll probably talk shit about him on YouTube when I finish making those videos so erm

TOODLES

(If anyone who sees this likes creek please explain the appeal because I’m genuinely curious. I’m not gonna argue with someone about who their favorite character should and shouldn’t be and I genuinely wanna know the appeal.)

[l0stglitch]

What if there daughter started to drift a lot from them and what would they do to stop it and what pre cautions they would take to make sure it doesn’t happen again?tysmmm

The aftermath

Platonic Yandere lost boys x reader

The first half of this ask is kind of answered in this fic so I’m only gonna write about the second part.

Warnings- Physical and emotional abuse | Obsessive relationships

• They’d be pretty cautious after your depressive episode. Seeing you so fragile and broken made them hyper aware of how delicate your sanity and mental health are.

• They also don’t want to push you away again in the future. Adopting that cat you had found had certainly helped bring you closer to your fathers after the punishment, but you’d never truly be the same again.

• I think they’d become a lot more overbearing, particularly Dwayne and Marko (who have always been the most involved in your life). They’ve seen what isolation will do to you, and are determined for you to never be alone again.

• David would start to lose some of his previous control over how you are parented- particularly when it comes to punishments. The whole event would sort of shift the pack dynamics. David had always been the leader, as he had a much more dominating personality, however being the oldest, Dwayne also had a claim to power.

• Things are easier for you when Dwayne calls the shots. You aren’t punished as harshly over minor mistakes, however you don’t really have a choice in how you spend your free time. If Dwayne wants you to hang out with them, you better listen or Marko will get involved.

• Speaking of Marko, he’d definitely take advantage of his newfound freedom. Without David to keep him in check, he becomes WAY worse than normal.

• He’s already pretty bad with boundaries, but now that he has more power, he literally won’t leave you alone. Like this man will straight up come into your room and lie there next to you when you’re trying to sleep. He claims it’s because he’s worried you’ll become detached again if you’re left by yourself for too long, but really he’s just become extra clingy after your episode of disassociation.

• You can’t complain about it to Dwayne, because he’s got the same attitude as Marko. You need to be supervised and watched, or else you’ll drift away from them again.

• Even Paul gets dragged into it. When it comes to parenting you, he’s never really formed his own opinion on anything. He’ll just agree with whatever Marko says, unless it’s something extreme that might bring you harm. He just wants you to be happy, because when you’re happy, you’re more fun to be around.

• Surprisingly, you find yourself seeking out David’s company. It’s not that you feel bad for the way the others seemed to have lost respect for him, but rather he’s the only one that isn’t excessively coddling you.

• You can always tell by that smug look on his face that this is exactly what he wants- for you to come crawling right back to him. It doesn’t bother you much though. Maybe once the others realise that their overbearing nature is only pushing you away, they’ll drop the act and return back to normal.

• Of course, this new order is only temporary. There’s only so much David will put up with before he decides to take back his rightful position as pack leader.

• Once he’s back in charge, things begin to settle down again. Marko wouldn’t have as much control over you, but Dwayne would still he pretty needy.

• Even after David gains back the respect of the others, the way they punish you in the future would change. They decided it would be be more of a group decision rather than David having the final say.

• Unfortunately, the boys don’t really stick to this. They find it too much of a hassle to figure out a suitable punishment every time you do something wrong, so instead each of them just takes it into their own hands.

• David and Marko start resorting to physical violence as a way of keeping you in line. David thinks that the only way of teaching you a lesson is by eliciting fear from you. He’s always careful not to take things too far (for fear of breaking your fragile mental state) but one beating every now and again won’t cause any lasting damage.

• Marko has always been the most physically abusive, so things only get worse after this. He’s less restrained with his punishments than David- often throwing you into furniture or twisting your limbs until you swear you can feel your joints popping. He’ll scare you into staying silent about it, threatening you with even more pain if you go crying to Dwayne. Marko LOVES hearing you whimper and cry, but only when it’s because of him. If it’s because of David then he’ll hold you tight and stroke your hair, telling you that everything will be alright, and that he’ll always take of you.

• Paul kind of knows about how they treat you, but he doesn’t do anything about it. He doesn’t know the extent of the abuse, but he’s aware that something’s going on (he accidentally walked in on you getting changed and saw the bruises). If you fuck up around Paul, he won’t really do much. Sometimes he’ll threaten to report you to David, but never actually does it because he can tell that the thought of David punishing you makes you terrified, and he doesn’t want you to fear him.

• Dwayne is the only one who actually sticks to the whole ‘group punishment’ idea. It would be pretty hypocritical if he went against it considering he was the one who came up with the idea. It’ll usually be basic stuff like not being allowed to go to the boardwalk or not being allowed any dinner that day.

• All in all, they would certainly try to change their methods of parenting, but that’s not to say it actually works. They’ve solved the issue of you being distant, but now you’re skittish and nervous, especially around Marko and David.

• The only thing they actually learned from the months of you being isolated is that they don’t like leaving you alone. It fucks with your head, and it also means that they don’t get to spend as much time with you. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that they love you, but they’re always quick to remind you when you try to run away. One mention of a life without them and they’ll all guilt trip you about it for days.

Tag list- @purple-lemon-8 @xjesterxjacksx @whatispopping69 @simplyreading96 @lostbetweenvampiresandmusic @humbuginmybones

[nabi-unveiled]

Catching Up: Love for Love's Sake (Ep 2)

Other Reacts: Ep 1

When we left off Myung-ha was on a mission to make Yeowoon happy (and himself) in this alternate reality. The catch - he's got 300 days or bad bad stuff happens. I haven't really had any new epiphanies or insights at this point so I'm just going to jump right into episode 2.

(Note: I am filtering tags related to this show and these characters as I knew it'd start popping up more once I posted about it.)

We start off with a dripping faucet and a sighing Yeowoon. I get it. The boy has been through a lot in the past couple of days, and it looks like there was more in the past (like the bullying) that we aren't fully aware of at this point.

Myung-ha's sudden presence in his life has to be confusing. I do love that Myung-ha is using outdated emoticons. That's a nice dose of realism in an alternate reality. Different generations often use different emoticons and slang. I'm often the translator between my husband and our kids in that regard. Yeowoon is giving a small smile though so he must find it amusing.

We didn't continue with our episodes being named for emotions. So I'm going to go with the titles having something to do with the quests. The mission in episode 1 was to make Yeowoon happy ("Happiness") so maybe the mission in this episode will be to become friends. I do wonder if the mission will be to befriend Yeowoon or actually to make friends with some of our other NPCs. I feel like the latter could be useful. But I may just be biased because I want more of my adorkable cutie.

Our affection level is still at -7 the following morning and apparently Yeowoon lives in the rooftop apartment. So we will probably have more rooftop scenes. I typically enjoy them, but the jumping potential in episode 1 has me a little leery of it at the moment.

I love that we have translation notes! It's not something I see nearly as much now as when I first started watching dramas

Myung-ha was grinning over grandma, but then got an abrupt reminder. 299 days...or death.

That's my question Myung-ha. There are so many possibilities of what that penalty could actually mean. I have my preferred theories, but it's really pretty open at this point.

The fact that Myung-ha interpreted it as going back to the real world tells you just how negatively he views his "real" life. He doesn't want to go back. But crap. That was my preferred theory. If they're stating it outright like this, then it's not right. So Yeowoon's death then? That was my back-up. Delaying the jump. In some ways that feels like a more natural consequence since the mission is to make Yeowoon happy.

I figure he's asking these questions to determine how to make Yeowoon happy, but it makes me love him a little that this is the route he's taking for information. I disagree with many, many things the elders in my community believe and promote, but I do love hearing their stories. And those stories get lost if they're not told.

Lol. He's like war? Nope. I'm out.

Myung-ha, I need you save my cutie. Apparently he has no friends and talks about himself as "someone like me". 🥺

Thank you for speaking facts and telling him to stop talking nonsense. Other people may not see your worth, but it's important to be your own biggest fan. That's hard in high school though. It's hard at any age. This line made me love Myung-ha even more than his interactions with Yeowoon so far. This move wasn't just about the mission. He's befriending Kyung-hoon and offering to defend him just because he feels he should and he wants to do so.

I do find it interesting that he has these kinds of beliefs and yet seems to dislike his real life so much. It makes one wonder what all has went on in his real life.

Lol. Myung-ha bolted when he got the Love Zone warning.

Yeowoon has Myung-ha's number though. Both literally and figuratively. He knows that he's being avoided. I do love a smart man. I'm reminded again just how direct he is with Myung-ha. It's refreshing.

Myung-ha says he wasn't avoiding Yeowoon.

I already said it. Yeowoon is smart. You're not avoiding me? Fine. Let's eat lunch together. He asks for a treat from the snack store.

So not only is Yeowoon living in the small rooftop apartment. He can't afford the school's meal plan. Which sucks. But it also makes me remember how he still gave money to Myung-ha yesterday and paid for his bus fare. I'm really hoping Myung-ha found some money in this alternate world. It looks like our boy Yeowoon needs support.

Myung-ha getting run over by the horde as he went to the snack store was funny. I guess he found his money, but I'm also amused that he bought pizza bread. That's also the type of bread discussed in the last episode of Let Free the Curse. I swear I see so many things that remind me of that show now. And just like when they discussed it in that show, I'm jealous. That sounds so much better than the beef jerky I had for supper.

Roughly "Why would you risk your life?" "I'm just trying to feed you well." "Why?" "Because I like it." Yeah...that's not going to cause any misunderstandings. There's an air of sadness to Yeowoon that seems to do with something more than his grandma passing.

Myung-ha asks Yeowoon why he dislikes him. I feel like a broken record, but they are so direct with each other.

🤣 Ok Yeowoon - so you are one of THOSE people. You know what. I get it. It takes me a really long time to warm up to people in real life. In general, I just don't trust people. I hope for the best. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I assume people do things with good intentions and mean well with their asinine comments. But actually trust them? Nope. There are very few people that I'm comfortable enough around to relax fully.

I'm not sure whether that trait will make Myung-ha's mission harder or easier. Because he's already been creeping up the affection scale. Once that door is open and you start to let someone in, it's hard to shut it. Yeowoon is already leaving the door cracked which is a positive. However, it makes me nervous too. It means Yeowoon is going to be very easy to hurt if he feels his trust has been betrayed. I'm figuring that's going to happen at some point.

We could start a whole collection at this point of things Myung-ha says that are going to be taken the wrong way even though he's being completely sincere and direct.

Oof. This feels very true to what we know of his character so far. Especially now that the one person he relied on is gone. It also tells us something about his past. He's been hurt in the past. I'm not sure why, but the bully from ep 1 is coming to my mind. I'm wondering if they used to be friends and he betrayed Yeowoon. It's very likely that I'm just building a fanfic-style head canon in my mind though.

This line could also be foreshadowing. I figure Myung-ha's reliability will help the affection score go up initially. But will it come to pass that he doesn't see Myung-ha as reliable? Or rather will Myung-ha have to do things in pursuit of the quests/missions that cause him to actually be unreliable. I need to keep moving. I'm developing a lot of hypotheses without solid evidence at this point.

"Isn't that totally me?" I love Myung-ha's little grin here. It seems so different than what we saw of him in the bar scene. I still feel like this is foreshadowing that he's going to be unreliable at some point.

Myung-ha states he is Yeowoon's fan again. Yeowoon does not seem to like that answer. That's definitely an interaction I could make a list of - people who do not like someone stating they are their "fan" when they want a different style of relationship. And Myung-ha comes out with another romance line that is not meant to be a romance line. I'm just rolling my eyes at this point. I don't think I could say such things without cringing.

Aww. The cringe is working though. His affection level is up to -5. But a debuff is now in play. A falling leaf? That seems mild. There has to be more to it than that. My brain is quickly flipping through possibilities, but I'm not landing on anything that feels right. Maybe it's mild because the levels are not very negative. That doesn't feel right though. Because why is a falling leaf an issue really? Moving on.

All I do know is that the longer I think about it, the more annoyed the gamer in me is that the debuff impacts Yeowoon. In a game, the debuff should impact the player (unless it's a whole group debuff). So Myung-ha should be the one impacted by the debuff. He should be the one experiencing the negative consequences.

Regardless, I'm not liking that the purple aura is now around Myung-ha's arm. That feels like absorption of negative energy which could mean all kinds of bad things. However, it says nullification so I'll go with that mechanic for now. In games, nullification magic has a cost. Sometimes it's a material cost. Sometime it's energy. There are always limits. So what are the rules in this game? It remains to be seen.

Cutie is calling. But this seems like bad news. We cut to a scene where a "fight" is going to occur. Someone asks if Myung-ha messed with the bully.

Ah, this must be our mystery top dog. Anyone want to lay bets that we break our word earlier about fighting kids? And will this type of interaction make Myung-ha seem more or less reliable in Yeowoon's eyes?

Ok. I know we're early in this show, but I can see why Myung-ha was on so many people's lists in the tag game. He really does have a delightful energy. Our top dog says that the bully is his brother, and Myung-ha says "love knows no bounds". LMAO. This feels like full-on shade of the step-brother trope.

Ah. This isn't top dog. Top dog must be the one whose pink-clad feet was shown. I'm kinda glad. This dude seems lame. It makes me nervous that we're up on the roof and fighting though. Why are the rooftops making me so nervous in this show??? I might need to ponder what in the set-up is causing me to have that gut reaction. It's probably something in the camera work.

It does seem like Myung-ha does have fighting skills. So that must have been true in real life too. The music is hilarious to me. Very old movie duel. And Myung-ha hits. Called that one. The hits are mild though. You can see that he's largely controlling himself. Enough to defuse, not enough to cause real harm.

🤣 I already said that fighting on the roof was foreboding. However, I definitely didn't expect this type of kdrama twirling save. Way to melt my anxiety down to nothing in the funniest way possible. I like that they didn't prolong the save. The comedic timing is better this way. I'm hoping Myung-ha just drops him now though.

Aww. No such luck.

It's top dog's turn to play. I do love that he's wearing pink shoes. It's a bold choice in this scenario. He threatens Myung-ha and apparently has "crazy eyes" while calling him "bro". I'm not really caring.

I'm more concerned by why our resident cutie, Kyunghoon, seems distressed. There's more to this than being taken hostage. There's something personal going on. But we aren't going to advance any further for now. Teacher has interrupted.

I'm torn between being proud of Yeowoon for calling the teacher and being distressed that he was dumb enough to stand beside the rooftop exit door so everyone knew it was him. Except we already know he's not dumb. This is purposeful and a public act of solidarity with Myung-ha. I just don't know why he's making this choice.

There are rumors about him being a loyal friend? Interesting. Who was the friend? That's another hint that something has happened in Yeowoon's past. Shouldn't Myung-ha already know about whatever event is in the past? Or was the cause of the rumors not part of the book? Is the game an unfaithful adaptation perhaps? 🤔 I'm probably overthinking this 😅. Either way, this action shows that Yeowoon has already made a choice about Myung-ha. He cares.

And now my favorite NPC is giving us all of the necessary backstory for Sangwon. He gets to bend the rules, because his mom is a bigshot at a sports brand. He's famous for fighting too. Although it seems odd that two "famous" fighters at the same school wouldn't have run into each other previously. I mean - I guess it's possible? My high school had over 2100 students and included a really wide geographic area. I didn't know everyone. But I didn't think schools were generally that big in S. Korea.

Myung-ha calls Sangwon a thug. But cutie disagrees. I recognize Sangwon from the intro. Is this thug going to join our gaming party? Snap judgment is getting me here. I'm neutral about thug as a person, but I feel like they're setting this up as a side couple. I just want to yell "No!!! Cutie you deserve better!". But it's not like I really know the dude yet. I guess I'll give our "bro" a break for now.

It's intriguing that "bro" goes to Yeowoon for information about Myung-ha. It hadn't seemed like he had known Yeowoon either. He recognized his nametag not him.

Sangwon asks Yeowoon why Myung-ha is hanging out with him. I'm trying to figure out why Sangwon is curious. Is this idol worship of some kind? Admiration for an older fighter? Is that why he keeps calling him "hyung"? Hmm. Things to think about.

Yeowoon is not direct with Sangwon in the same way he is with Myung-ha. His walls are up. He's not giving information for free. The flashbacks do remind us that Myung-ha called himself a fan, and that Yeowoon does not like that. It feels like Yeowoon is already falling for our boy Myung-ha. Boy? Man? He's 30, but he's 19? Ahhh. Not important. Time jinks are in play.

I can't imagine walking with someone like this. Note, I don't see it as romantic or saved for romance. I'm just not a touchy person. The thought of someone's arm slung around me like that causes me no small amount of anxiety. Anyways, it's nice to see that their friendship is off to a great start. My lovely NPC is already predicting some of Myung-ha's thoughts and knows he wants to watch the runners.

We've zoomed in on the blocks. I'm just not sure why. Is it the shoes? Or does he have issues coming off of the blocks that slows his run times? Or is this foreboding a future injury coming off of the blocks? This shot feels important. It's out of line with the other camerawork so far.

Apparently, it was the shoes. We already knew Yeowoon had financial issues. But this right here makes me see red. 😡 Any coach worth his salt should be helping him out and getting him better shoes if that's the problem instead of berating him. I know that's cultural bias on my part though.

Side note - I really like Yeowoon's running outfit. I'd take a screenshot...but I'm only halfway through. I doubt I have many screenshots left. Yikes. Better choose sparingly.

Oooh. A side quest. Although this really feels like a subquest within the main quest. Not important. It does appear that the "Friends" in the title was about the quest. Except now I'm thinking that it has more to do with getting Yeowoon some friends.

The fact that the answer is in Myung-ha's handwriting is REALLY interesting. He's writing the book in a way. He's determining what's important. Senior had asked him how he would've written it. And we all know that this is really about BOTH Yeowoon and Myung-ha. It's his quest to become happy too. He just doesn't know it. Wait...did I mistake senior's intentions? DOES he care about Myung-ha and sent him on this quest for happiness? 🤔 I don't know. I still don't like his vibes.

I love that there are hints. The gaming aspect really is well integrated into the show. LOL. EVERYONE is at -20 or lower. That really does mean that Myung-ha was pretty high. Bully is at -60!

😿😿😿 My giddy mood over bully being at -60 has very quickly dissipated. Our boy Yeowoon hates himself. This means our potential jump wasn't just over grief, feeling trapped in circumstances, etc. Does it have something to do with the rumors? Idk. I do know - Myung-ha's task just became Herculean.

Myung-ha is dragging Yeowoon to dinner with Kyung-hoon. Yeowoon is being grumpy about it. I want to laugh, and the video game music is probably supposed to lighten my mood. But I'm still stuck on that -100.

WAIT!! The -100 is in red. Myung-ha's numbers are in white. Is THAT why the debuffs are happening to Yeowoon instead of Myung-ha?!?! Hmm. I don't know that it makes sense on second thought. Bully should be getting debuffs in that case too, and I'm not sure why Myung-ha's presence would trigger it. 🤔UNLESS we're only seeing the debuffs that occur when Myung-ha is around and they are actually happening at other times too. At times when Myung-ha isn't there to nullify the debuff. And ok...I'm now scaring myself and spiraling. I need to rein myself back in before I go 100 mph into conspiracy theories based on nothing but video game mechanics 😅.

Anyways, back to the tteokbokki. Myung-ha strong arms the two others into eating and insists Yeowoon likes tteokbokki (even though he says he doesn't). A debuff has been cast.

Kyung-hoon and Yeowoon are awkward with each other. Myung-ha tells them "this isn't a blind date". I really do appreciate his sass. I love tteokbokki. This is the second time this episode that I'm jealous over the food.

But NO! The purple aura is poisoning the tteokbokki. How rude! Don't mess with food like that. Shared meals are IMPORTANT.

Well, I guess we can bond over bad food too. No nullification notice this time.

Myung-ha gives Yeowoon milk and asks him if he's dead/come back to life. Yeowoon tells him to watch his words. I'm with Yeowoon here.

Yeowoon says he's going to quit running. Myung-ha asks him if he's ever been happy running. Yeowoon says yes. But Myung-ha says Yeowoon is lying. Is this why Yeowoon doesn't like it when Myung-ha says he's a fan? Because he doesn't actually like running?

Cutie's home, but the pictures of the kids in martial arts uniforms has me curious. I guess it's the sister.

Aw sad. Yeowoon has to keep running, because it's the way he gets to stay in high school and go to college. Eesh. Society sucks. Myung-ha tells him when he reaches the point he wants to quit and even forsake his scholarship to let him know. He'll help.

It's actually really important that Myung-ha states this directly. When I was regularly working with teenagers, it's one of the strategies we taught them. To go ahead and identify who their people were. When they lost hope or wanted to give up on everything, who were they going to reach out to about it? It sounds odd, but it's something you need to know before reaching your breaking point. When you're at breaking point, it's hard to think. OK. Getting off my soapbox now. Suicide prevention is just a really big and personal deal to me.

Affection level is 0. Guess we'll get to test my random (and likely incorrect) theory about the debuffs being related to Yeowoon's level rather than Myung-ha's soon enough.

Myung-ha overestimated how much money he had back in the day. I'm sure it felt like a lot as a teenager. I do really appreciate how the show is balancing the more intense moments with these comedic beats. And the actor playing Myung-ha is doing a great job of transitioning between the two tones.

Kyung-hoon is wealthy. He offers to help Myung-ha. Myung-ha refuses money, but he agrees to a part time job.

I love it that our cutie is still acting like the informational NPC. Presenting options and letting Myung-ha chooses between them. They aren't directly framing it as gaming behavior, but the elements are still there if you know them.

Sangwon has busted into the house. Kyung-hoon's sister seems like a delight. Read the sarcasm there. If we're relying on my snap judgments, I already dislike her. But then she got riled up on her brother's behalf when she thought Myung-ha was bullying him...so she'll probably grow on me.

I'm actually liking Sangwon's energy here, and his interaction with the sister. Fine, I guess you can get with cutie. I'm still getting the "hero worship" vibes when he's interacting with Myung-ha.

Yeowoon calls, and Myung-ha rushes out.

Oh wait...is he actually INTERESTED in Myung-ha? Him getting tiffed about being ignored definitely isn't hero worship. It's a different type of worship. Yeah, I had missed that cue.

The gaming interface has designated Sangwon as a potential friend. I wonder what his affection level would be.

Yeowoon has collapsed on the floor. The conspiracy theorist in me says that a debuff has been cast, and Myung-ha wasn't around to nullify it. I'm fully in a clown car at this point that the debuffs are related to Yeowoon's levels and not Myung-ha's. It makes the gamer in me happy as the debuffs are impacting the relevant player, and that puts Myung-ha in the "magic" role with healing abilities. Which...he is both magical and playing support to Yeowoon at this point. This clown car theory is probably complete bs, but it's fun to think about.

THE DOCTOR SAID IT'S MALNUTRITION. Have I said how much society sucks? This is really emphasizing again that it was a big deal for Yeowoon to help pay for the ice cream and bus fare. The boy doesn't even have money for food. Let me also say - malnutrition is a legitimate reason to have subpar athletic performance. I'm getting angry at coach again. People may disagree, but adults in those types of roles have a duty to care for their kids.

This is a BIG problem. It's may be the first time I'm glad that Myung-ha is actually 30, because he'll have more experience to figure out how to handle this type of issue. Actually, I better not think about him as 30 when Yeowoon is a sophomore in high school. That way lies a lot of ick and insanity. This is why alternate realities and time jumps can be so tricky. He's 19. With a preloaded database that gives him more insight, but he's 19. Got it brain? Good.

Myung-ha asks Yeowoon to stay with him. Yeowoon is wondering if this is pity. Myung-ha asks if he needs a reason to care. He starts to get emotional, but then stops himself to regroup. I'm not sure if I can express how much I loved that part of the discussion. Because that's what happens naturally. Emotions start to get the better of you.

Myung-ha says it's just something that happens. He says people sometimes care "unconditionally". All I know is that this has got to be an emotional roller coaster for Yeowoon who just wants someone to rely on but who doesn't trust that he actually CAN rely on anyone.

AHHHH. There's ICE CREAM again! Food symbolism is in the house!! But I'm out of screenshots. Dang. It's okay. I'll delete an earlier one.

Myung-ha asks if he wants to go for ice cream. Yeowoon asks why he likes ice cream so much. Myung-ha returns with this line that not's meant to be a line but could be perceived as a line. That said, considering that Yeowoon hates himself, it's absolutely necessary that Myung-ha keeps stating that he LIKES Yeowoon. It's going to cause cognitive dissonance for Yeowoon, but the boy needs that dissonance to face himself and hopefully heal.

Sangwon is waiting on the rooftop. I doubt Yeowoon is going to like that. It's HIS personal space. The framing and music here cue that this is actually a love triangle of some kind. I'll just be over here hoping that Sangwon gets a clue pretty quickly.

That said, I actually think that Kyunghoon may be the only one of our current trio of friends with any romantic feelings at this point. I'm predicting he has feelings for Sangwon. Myung-ha/Yeowoon may be intrigued. They care about each other. But we're not deep diving straight into a romantic relationship which...I appreciate. That feels natural. Both Myung-ha and Yeowoon have a lot of stuff to unpack and process.

Overall, I enjoyed this episode. It looks like we'll be officially adding a fourth member to our gaming party soon. I just want Sangwon to bring more of the energy he had with the sister and less of whatever this energy is on the rooftop. Let the countdown to consequences continue.