#me: ok maybe i will watch this other perspective of this one moment in this one vod

[svtskneecaps]

shoutout to my sibling for enabling me bc homie is going to wake up to a shitton of messages, many of which were sent at 2 am and one notable message sent at 4, we are Having a Normal One

[tickety-boooo]

S1 final camera angle

Ok I literally JUST woke up for the day and this is what was in my brain: the gomens brainrot runs deep. I have to write it out and I shall from the coziness of my bed on a rainy morning :D This is gonna be a longish one!

Been thinking about this thanks to @vidavalor's post. As a fandom we know that Crowley and Aziraphale always position themselves the same way: Zira on the left, Crowley on the right (from our pov).

But wait! What about that final scene at the Ritz? It ends with a zoom-out of the two continuing their conversation: From Behind.

Why did they film this perspective? It's odd given that the rest of the scene is shot from the other direction. It breaks the 180-Degree-Rule, which is a "rule" in filming that prevents confusion for the viewer about where the characters are and what the action is in the scene. If there's an imaginary line between two characters, the camera cannot pass over that line when filming because then the pov changes.

This zoom-out is an example of a "Reverse Cut", it's literally the opposite of what we've seen for the rest of the scene. So why? They could have zoomed out from the table in the other direction, maybe sending the camera through the window for a cool effect.

This is shot this way on purpose. This is like a private viewing for the audience. We aren't in the audience's position anymore, we're in Crowley and Aziraphale's position. The two continue their conversation, which we cannot hear, so it's still a private moment for them even though we're getting a glimpse of it. I have to go back and watch again to really find examples but I think this is the scene that confirms the idea that when in private, Crowley and Aziraphale break their position rule (whether through them physically moving, or by way of the camera and how the scene is filmed), implying that it is something they do for public appearance. Like with this scene, they're still obviously sitting down and in the same place, but now the audience is welcomed into their pov for a moment. We are now part of the positioning outwards to others.

@vidavalor wrote about a footstool near the couch in the bookshop that would put Crowley on the left (in our pov), and that's one of the earliest scenes in the show between the two of them where they are completely in private. Here are some more examples I can think of off the top of my head/ what gifs I could find to use xD

Calling out specifically any time they're in the car; Aziraphale never drives, so Crowley is ALWAYS on the left (our pov), and it's always a private moment between them, no one else around. Look at the scene where they arrive at the hospital and how they get out of the car. They both specifically walk to re-position themselves on the "proper" side. (I can't find a gif of the whole bit but this scene here:)

This scene also has a brief bit where they switch positions again; they're reminiscing about a personal memory, 1941 and the magic show (even though the audience wasn't aware of it yet before s2).

Actually the whole bit at the hospital is very involved with camera angles (it would merit its own post at some point for sure.)

Calling out the Wall Slam™ Crowley on the left, Aziraphale on the right, UNTIL they are interrupted by someone else and the scene is no longer private, and the camera flips position for the rest of the scene.

Also Rome. Oysters. This one's odd, there are two very brief reverse cuts in this scene.

And lastly, this key shot of them going to their respective offices. This one stands out to me because it's not a "private" moment between them, but it shows that their "public" position matches how they have to arrive at Heaven and Hell. Aziraphale and Crowley actively go out of their way to position themselves relative to one another in public in such a way to face Heaven and Hell. And in this shot, we get to be a part of their pov. We get to be on their side.

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

EWAN MITCHELL INTERVIEWED BY POLYGON MAGAZINE.

YOU'VE SPOKEN BEFORE ABOUT THE INFLUENCES YOU TOOK IN WHEN CRAFTING YOUR APPROACH TO AEMOND — YOU HAVE PROMETHEUS; YOU HAVE HEAT; HALLOWEEN; LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU WERE SEEKING AS YOU WERE RESEARCHING TO PLAY AEMOND IN SEASON 2.

"Characters who possess a tremendous amount of power, and see it as a means to do things no one else can do."

Similar with Lawrence of Arabia — something in Lawrence of Arabia that I like, he says 'The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts.'

"You know, the idea that he kind of tempers himself — very similar to Aemond — to pain."

"He puts duty over love."

"And [similarly,] the idea that Aemond can be loved, but he also knows that he can achieve more if he’s willing to be feared, and do the necessary kind of evil."

"[I sought] characters who were kind of marginalized, and they maybe start off their story on their back foot, and over time become the hero of their story."

"There are setbacks, but they bounce back even stronger."

"Those kinds of characters."

DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE LIFTING THE ENERGY OF THESE PERFORMANCES, THE PHILOSOPHY, OR JUST THEIR PHYSICALITY?

"Anything — I mean, I try to watch a film a day."

"Although recently, with press, I’ve sometimes had to do two a day, because I miss a day."

"But anything, anything: Inspiration can come at any time."

"I’m always watching for it."

"I was watching Split the other day, M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, and it kind of raises the idea that the broken are the more evolved."

"And that’s certainly true with Aemond; from the moment he had his eye taken from him, he’s used it as motivation to develop himself and manufacture himself into this lethal weapon."

"I was speaking to a reporter earlier, and he had a Rutger Hauer T-shirt from Blade Runner."

"That’s also something that I might use as inspiration going into season 3."

"Just kind of leave my arms open, take anything."

DO YOU FIND YOU HAVE DIFFERENT INFLUENCES FOR DIFFERENT MOMENTS IN AEMOND'S LIFE, OR EVEN JUST DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIPS, LIKE ALICENT VERSUS HELAENA?

"Yeah, ultimately, after the raising of the dragonseeds in 'The Red Sowing,' it’s definitely made Aemond a lot more desperate going into episode 8, and he’s losing that composure that he’s known for [in] the previous episodes."

"And so there was always something really fascinating in exploring that kind of fractured Aemond, seeing that scared boy rise to the surface again, that he’s tried to keep a lid on for so many years."

"It’s the sort of relationship that makes total sense even when you don’t see them together."

"Of course she’s the person who sees him and puts him in his place."

"And he just has nothing to say to that."

"Her words just cut him in half."

"He always has this idea of where and how things will pan out."

"She just challenges that, and it breaks him a little bit."

IN A SHOW THAT'S SO MUCH ABOUT INTERROGATING PEOPLE'S QUEST FOR A POWER, THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO IT, AND HOW IT CAN BE BOTH WIELDED AND CORRUPTING AS A FORCE, HOW DO YOU SEE AEMOND FITTING INTO THAT? WHAT'S HIS MINDSET?

"I think he raises that question of whether Aemond is inherently evil, or whether power does corrupt, whether it was nurture versus nature."

"Was it the upbringing that [he] received from Otto Hightower and his mother, or was it just being in the Red Keep and being a product of his environment there?"

"I think Aemond — he’s always had that quest for power."

"He’s always wanted to be known as that war hero."

"And here at the council table, for the first half of the series, he’s very much serving in the war from one end."

"And then when he gets into power and becomes prince regent, he goes to the other end."

All of these people, he now has a completely new perspective on, and it’s like, 'OK, so how can each of you serve me? And if you can’t serve me, you’re gone.'

"It’s that kind of very black-and-white pursuit that Aemond has in his quest for power, which I think is quite scary."

"It’s formidable."

It doesn’t really take anybody else’s perspective into account. 'It’s what I want.'

"So what’s his relationship with power? It’s not a pretty one."

DO YOU SEE HIS QUEST FOR POWER AS COMING FROM THAT SCARED LITTLE BOY WHO JUST WANTS SOME PROTECTION AND INSULATION, AND TO BE ABOVE REPROACH? OR DO YOU SEE IT AS HIM THINKING I HONESTLY BELIEVE I CAN DO THIS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE HERE?

"I mean around the council table, all these other characters, they’re losing their composure, they’re raising their voices, they’re arguing."

"Aemond’s just sitting back."

"He’s calculated, he’s cool."

"He strikes when the moment arises."

"He needs to be seen as someone who can wield that power effectively."

"He needs to be seen as someone who can lead."

"He can become that war hero."

"Whether or not he wants to sit the Iron Throne — I don’t know; I don’t want to answer that! But he definitely wants a similar kind of reputation as Daemon Targaryen."

"He wants to be like Daemon Targaryen, but he also wants to better him."

"He wants to be known as that rogue prince, who you know all of the realm respects."

"Or maybe he doesn’t really care what anyone thinks — that’s kind of what I love about the character."

"He could be many things."

TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOU APPROACHED THE ARC FOR HIM OVER THE SEASON — TO RETURN TO INFLUENCES FOR A SEC, I WAS THINKING A LOT ABOUT STREETCAR NAMED DESIRED, AND HAVING A CHARACTER WHO DOESN'T KNOW THEY'RE THAT CLOSE TO A BREAKDOWN, BASICALLY, AND DOESN'T KNOW THEY'RE ONE BAD DAY AWAY FROM THAT. THEY'RE JUST HOLDING THEMSELVES TOGETHER EVEN WHEN PEOPLE AROUNG YOU CAN SEE THIS IS BAD NEWS.

"Aemond… if he has a breaking point, I don’t think he’s found it yet."

"It’s interesting."

"Maybe he found it there, when Helaena challenged everything he thought his life would amount to, and how things would pan out."

"I think Aemond always thought of himself as the captain of his own fate and his own destiny."

"And so when Helaena shares that knowledge — on one hand, it could make an enemy out of him."

"But on the other hand, it could also make Helaena a tremendously valuable ally."

"If you’re able to harness that kind of foresight and that power that Helaena possesses, you could see a blow coming before it lands."

I think that would certainly be something interesting to explore: 'Where is Aemond’s breaking point?'

"I mean we’ve seen everything he’s done so far."

"He kind of had to abandon humanity in season 2, with what he did to his brother."

Helaena raises that: 'Was it worth the price, and what did he lose in that moment?'

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHERE HE ENDS UP THIS SEASON? IN MANY WAYS, IT FEELS LIKE AND OTHERWISE TRIUMPHANT SEASON PUTS HIM IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT PLACE TO HAVE HER POP THAT BALLON FOR HIM.

"Yeah, that’s a good way of looking at it."

"I think he’s got to sit with that information now, and sit with that realization."

"But as we know for Aemond, he can’t sit still for long."

"He’s going to be on the back of that dragon."

"Up to no good, you know."

"And yeah, I can’t wait to see where it goes in season 3."

"I think he’s got to change again."

"I think similar to when he had his eye taken out as a kid, it served as this motivation to become something else entirely."

"And then with this new realization at the end of season 2, he’s gonna have to evolve again, or otherwise risk being broken again."

[bean-in-dice]

A little Li Lun Character Analysis

Ok call me insane but I think Li Lun will really understand what Female Rage is.

Maybe I've seen way too much Gongdou dramas but think, he was a very untamed demon, as wild as he could get, quite unlike Zhu Yan who was a more humanized ape demon. Both due to his inherent nature as a tree and because he just didn't have much exposure to human world other than the TWO times he ventured to it, tagged along with Zhu Yan, and they were like what, at least a few centuries old already.

Imagine that! You are centuries old and the second time you come on a market date at mortal world, you see your own kind being tortured and held in captive in a dungeon! And the first external reaction of your bestie/love interest/charge who was the bridge between Wilderness and this suddenly horrific human world was to not show the same panic you did.

I would freak out too!

Now listen, I'm not defending that he killed unrelated innocent civilians. He did and it was wrong, even though his lash out was somewhat understandable when put to perspective.

And then what happened? He was quick to be given eternal jail time. Nobody even explicitly showed him concern about his severe burn wounds, and he was kept in dark about how the imprisonment was a so called "kindness" because it kept him from dying from the burns, up until the LAST MOMENT he broke the imprisonment himself and burned away!!!

Since the show only told us what happened with the prosecution of Li Lun and not with the Pharmacy, we cannot say whether Zhu Yan/Baize Goddess/Demon Hunting Bureau were just as fast to lock the place down and tried to bring the people to justice, all we know is that immediately after Li Lun was imprisoned, Blood Moon happened and Baize Goddess and Demon Hunting Bureau were killed, so the pharmacy people naturally got away even though they might have been under a legal process because well, all the upholders of law just died and the only remaining one withdrew because he was overwhelmed with guilt.

So basically everything went downhill outside while Li Lun was banished to damp and gloomy Da Huang and he was as good as forgotten in the heat of the moment. Even if someone maybe meant to properly talk to him and explain shit, none of them ever came because they died! And due to this very same guilt and other baggage, Zhu Yan never ever visited Li Lun in jail for 8 years either. And Li Lun was left to make whatever he wanted out of it, and he did, as well an abandoned, silenced, free spirit of nature in endless agony bound in a musty cave would.

One might think his wrath with Zhu Yan was so overdramatic as if it's been hundred years of beef whereas it's only been 8 years, but when put into context like this, 8 were more than enough, don't you think? It only shows just how fast and strongly his pain and resentment built up.

And the world called him obsessed, delusional, hysterical and villainized him to hell and back... including his only connection to the world, Zhu Yan.

And he tried and tried to understand why, to the best of the ability of a lonely tree with no methods of meaningful communication left with the outside. Obviously he failed, but he tried.

And nobody ever tried to understand him.

He was the Attic wife in a Gothic novel. He was the concubine in Cold Palace, and he was the name-called first wife of a wastrel of nobleman with 3 other mistresses. Look I just watched the first 2 eps of the currently airing Cdrama Blossoms and I just got into a mood ok.

In the end, he obeyed the "last mercy of Zhao Yuanzhou". Or more specifically, he finally got to hear that his Zhu Yan was thinking of his wellbeing all this time and all his hatred melted away in a second.

And when he saw that Zhu Yan was in danger, he threw away the life and second chance he so longed for and returned for Zhu Yan’s assistance... and his only words to Zhu Yan were:

"A moment is more than enough."

And after that, he wouldn't speak directly to Zhu Yan anymore, wouldn't touch him, only addressing him via Zhuo Yichen: having recognized Zhuo Yichen as his love's current priority/the person Zhu Yan cares for more than he does for him. Zhu Yan might object that no, they both are equally important to him, but clearly, that's not how Li Lun read him, and honestly after everything who can blame him? Not even the so called "last mercy" was given to him face-to-face by Zhu Yan, so it's no wonder if Li Lun believes that Zhu Yan doesn't really care much to speak let alone continue a relationship with him, just that Zhu Yan didn't want him to die, which is a pretty low bar.

"Zhuo Yichen, please help me protect Zhu Yan from now on", Li Lun says as he holds Zhuo Yichen and gazes into his eyes, as if he's trying to parse out what made Zhuo Yichen more worthy of Zhu Yan’s love, defense and care than him.

"Zhuo Yichen, look carefully! Do not miss!", he says in his last moments. Remember me, the one who loved Zhu Yan first. I was once special to him too. Do not be like me, but know that I had a glorious presence in his life as well.

He doesn't turn to look again at Zhu Yan, he doesn't see Zhu Yan desperately clambering after him, to keep him from dying to buy them -Zhu Yan and Zhuo Yichen- more time. Maybe he heard Zhu Yan calling his name brokenly, but it was already too late.

[alyheartsjess]

ok so since people didn’t cut my head off for my unpopular opinions i’m gonna expand on the second one. so for people in the gilmore girls fandom it’s pretty much the general opinion that luke is a saint for taking jess in and that jess screwed things up and that it’s his fault luke kicked him out. ”he got himself kicked out”. even people who like jess seem to think this is fair. so as someone who watches gilmore girls mostly for jess i have a different perspective that i’ve never actually vocalized but i figured maybe this little corner of the internet wouldn’t hate me for this, as long as it doesn’t make it out of here.

so i also first of all think that the fact that jess has to work at luke’s and graduate in order to stay there is a bit sad. like everyone around him his age has somewhere they can stay without conditions, and people wonder why he’s the only one worried about making money. and yes, it’s a fine idea in theory, he has to change his ways if he wants to stay with luke bc that’s the point of him being there, sure, but luke could stand to NOT always bring it up to jess during fights that can’t stay with him if he violates the conditions.

bc the thing is that luke very clearly makes it known that he doesn’t want jess there and that the whole situation is kind of a pain in his ass that he’s doing out of obligation. a minor is entitled to a place to stay where they can be an asshole unconditionally, actually, and they shouldn’t have to be constantly grateful to have that. and if luke didn’t want to fully commit and be that place, he should have said no to taking jess in. you don’t get to get all the praise for doing a good deed and then get all pissy about actually following through with it.

like i know luke and jess aren’t the main characters and that their scenes and dynamic are for comedy. but then they play off jess leaving as serious so i should be allowed to analyze their scenes seriously. and my conclusion is… luke is not that nice to jess LOL. like i can’t think of a single scene where he responds to him in any other manner than pissed off or annoyed. he never stops treating him like a bad kid. we know luke cares about jess but does jess have any reason to believe that? or does he think this is all for liz? like i know their scenes are jokes but for someone who complains so much about what a difficult person jess is to connect with, i think luke missed a lot of moments to do it.

luke taking jess in in general is nice, YES, but i’m not talking about just good intentions here. and i know that it was a very good intention but i, again, just super dislike the whole ”you wouldn’t have anywhere to stay if it wasn’t for me, so watch it”-attitude. even in season 4 luke basically said that jess had to come to liz’ wedding because he was there for him when no one else was. and i think that’s a shitty thing to say to someone who deserved more. i know luke didn’t have to do it bc he’s not his parent and that’s why people forgive him and not liz, who is his parent and did have to do it. but i think luke agreed to be jess’ parent and if he didn’t want to, he could have said no to his sister for once in his life. anyways, i think i’ve made my point.

also, i love you luke, my world just revolves around your nephew. i know i’m putting a lot of unrealistic expectations on a guy who’s pretty emotionally constipated. and he did come through with the big things, like giving jess money in sesson 4. but i’m talking about the little things that could have made even more of a difference. just don’t get it twisted ok, luke and jess’ relationship is my fave on the show, i may like it even more than rory and jess’, but when i enjoy something i analyze it. so don’t think i don’t love them, because i do! i just want to squash the idea that luke did everything he could but that jess ultimately was too difficult, because i disagree with that.

[femoso-seben]

Immortal Shenanigans

Task force 141 x immortal Freader

pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

TW: Gore, implied gore, violence, blood, Torture

Well, shit.

Like a sardine in salt, you could not slip out of this. You weren’t killed no simply knocked out. You awoke chained up and sore. You look over to see a group of armed men watching you. You realize what your fate has in tale for you, and you feel your lips twitch into a smile.

How fun.

The task force slowly explored the large warehouse. The smell of blood was strong. Blood coated the ground, so much blood. This was a killing place. The men turn to each other with a grim expression.

“HAHAHAHA!” They froze and slowly began to inch their eye to the noise. Peer around the corner and witness a violent scene.

There that mysterious girl, YN was chained down her leg and being sawed off. Blood pooled on the ground and all over the frazzled men. They kept trying to kill her, yet she kept coming back.

“Is that all you got?” You tilt your head laughing. It was incredibly painful but this was the funniest thing to you, as funny as being burned alive by witch hunters.

“Shut bitch!” One yes shooting her in the eye. You slightly fall forward pain disappearing before waking up in pain. How many rotations have you gone through? Maybe 10? Were you killed 10 times?

That’s fun.

“Hey, how long are we gonna do this, I’m bored.” You finally ask smile dropping as you gaze into the eyes of your supposed killer. He glared at you and hit you in the face.

“You punch like a bitch,” you grumble the chair falls down. Blood soaks down your arms and you rip your arms out of the demonic hold of the restraint. You slip your hands out and silently wait for them to set you up.

“Tell me how you know them!” The terrorist bellows hitting your neck with a machete.

“Bro, are you trying to get baptized in my blood? Because Jesus Christ will accept you—“You were hit hard in the sternum by a foot. They had these hateful gazes burning into your soul. You snicker and begin to laugh, religious people are so funny.

Someone prop you back up. You twist your body grab their gun from them and begin to shoot them. They shot back riddling your body with bullets. So much blood oozed out of the wounds. All of them fall dead and you untie your foot with the machete.

“Damn, what a moment.” You groan stretching your body out. You pick up your sawed-off leg and begin to reattach it to your body. You look around, there is so much blood on the floor. Like a perfect mirror.

You whistle and pull your phone from one of the dead terrorists. You took a selfie covered in blood sounded by your blood. You're so tempted to post this saying photo shoot. You chuckle and walk through your own blood.

“What the hell!” You look up to see those four again. You give them a peace sign and a large smile.

“Hey boys,” you call out walking up to them giggling.

“Is all this blood yours?”

“Who else?” You asked back like it’s obvious. It was there was no other dead body here.

“Why is there so much blood?”

“I have a lot of blood,” you shrug.

“Why the fuck were you laughing,” the mustache man ask… you really have to ask them for names.

“What’s your name?”

“Price, this is Gaz, Soap, and Ghost.”

“Dumb but ok.”

“Why were you laughing?” Ghost asks.

“Look at it from my perspective, that’s shits funny.”

“You were being tortured.”

“Nothing more painful than being set on fire.” You retort like it was obvious.

“You have been set on fire?”

“Soap, I was around during the witch trials in Europe. I was burned alive several times,” you nod your head with a smile.

“Why were you being tortured?” Price asked arms folded.

“They thought I was with you, not the fact I’m a very nosy archeologist who was following after my pots!”

“What is with you and pots? Is this a sexual thing?” Gaz asks, you turn to him with a ‘what the fuck,’ look.

“No, I’ve been around for the progress of pot making. To me, pots tell an unspoken human history.” You explain to Gaz who only nods but still looks at you with mild disgust.

“They thought you were with us?” Soap ask.

“Yeah, apparently you guys are being watched…” you state, “Did that box of pots get back to the museum?” You ask.

“Yes. How long have you been here?” Price asks.

“Maybe three hours, what day is it?”

“Friday.”

“Rad I’ve been here for three days,” you laugh and walk off.

“Where are you going?” You stop walking and turn around.

“My Airbnb, why?” You ask turning back to them. What’s with their deal?

“If you’re being targeted, we have to keep you safe,” Price steps forward looking down at you. You sigh and nod understanding their standpoint.

“Let me make a call though my colleagues must think I’m a flake or something. I mean I am, but I don’t ghost people like this.” You laugh and call your archeology buddies.

“What is her deal?” Soap asked looking at you with concern in his eyes.

“I don’t know mate, maybe it’s the price for being immortal?”

“She’s all over the place, manic if you ask me.” Ghost mumbles. The others nod she is manic a little wild, and definitely needs to be on medication.

The task force slowly led the enigma of an immortal with that back to base. How will they explain this to Laswell? They look at her covered in blood and riddled with holes. In her clothes. She looks perfectly fine besides her outer appearance.

“I miss historical violence.” She states breaking the silence.

“What!”

“Yeah like whipping, beheading, hanging, ugh just being tortured brings back some fond memories.”

“Your fucking weird.” Soap states.

“That is true!”

“You’re insane.”

“That is also true!” You adamantly agree with their sentiment.

“Why do you agree with them?” Ghost asks leaning forwards to see your face.

“Because I did lose my mind, being immortal fucks you in the head in a way so unique it makes you crave for something.” The others grew quiet that makes perfect sense.

“Also I’m the worse at getting shit done, if you think you procrastinate I can take decades to do something.” You honestly state.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s the most insane thing you’ve done?”

“Besides diving off Niagara Falls, I say being a nurse from the American Civil War all the way to the Vietnam War.” The entire truck grew silent. You’ve seen war.

“Really?”

“I dressed up as a guy and became a field medic. I’ve seen a lot of death, I was there in Japan when the atomic bomb dropped.” You state somberly. The truck grew cold as no one wanted to say anything. They’re shocked, you're a veteran, and they didn’t even realize that.

“I was one the first to suggest a special unit to take on harder missions the average soldier couldn’t do. And here you all are,” you smile looking at all of them with a sense of pride. They were your making, indirectly but still yours, just like your living descendants.

“So… you’re a medic?”

“I was a medic not anymore.”

“You’re a veteran?”

“Technically I’m not because I lied when I was a nurse and then a field medic.” You explain to Soap who’s trying to wrap his mind around this new information.

“Oh, also I was in New York when 9/11 happened. That was horrific.” Everyone seemed to hold their breath, Ghost joined because of 9/11, so this was a big shock for him.

“You have a colorful history,” Price mutters breaking the silence with his calm demeanor.

“What can I say, I live long enough to be around when shit goes sideways.”

The truck arrives at this military base and they lead you to HQ from the looks of things. People stop moving and just stare at you, you completely forget you’re covered in your own blood. You’re used to being stared at, always doing dumb things.

“John— on my God!” You look over to see a middle-aged woman stepping backward.

“Laswell, this is the woman who we’ve told you about.”

“The immortal one?”

“Yup.”

“Hello, Laswell.” You turn to her with a warm smile.

------

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@josieguts

[thimbledoll]

The Demon on an Angel's Shoulder

“I keep telling you, it’s just not that simple,”  Enael repeated in exasperation. “Purpose was a cross you decided wasn’t worth bearing and that’s fine. You know I support you in that. Why can’t you support me in choosing to rise to my Purpose, rather than fall with you?”

It was a road the odd couple had tread innumerous times by this point. Each knew the other’s lines well enough by now that they could finish each other’s sentences if they wanted to. Even so, the argument had to be had, because nothing else could be more worth fighting for. Besides, maybe, possibly, potentially one or the other would finally find the right sequence of words for the other to concede. Or at least that’s what each of them hoped.

"Because I see how much pain you're in, Enny," the demon Aistiqlial lamented. "Every day brings new wounds, new burns, new scars. You try to hide it from everyone else, but you know there's no hiding it from me."

Enael silently gripped her wrist tight, eyes downcast, tugging on her sleeve in an attempt to keep the wound that had started this whole argument from view. "Yes, well, the effort is worth the pain. Fulfilling a Purpose is no easy thing. You know that. It burns. It hurts. It does everything it can to make you let go. It wants you to. It dares you to. If it were easy to hold on to, it wouldn't be a Purpose."

"And how much longer will you have to hold on until it's fulfilled, huh? Sure, you can do another week, another month, another year. After that though? Do you really think you can hold on for another ten or twenty years if that’s what your Purpose demands?” Enael couldn’t help but visibly wince and shrink from the very idea, her wings folding inwards and her halo dimming. Aistiqlial eased off the gas, her barb having landed a little more true than intended, asking, “Will the fulfillment be worth it if it's burned through everything that's left of you?"

Silence hung in the air as Enael tried very hard to look anywhere other than her lover’s eyes. "If it does, then it does… That's my choice to make, Qlia. You didn't know how much of you would be left when you fell. I don't know how much of me will be left when my Purpose is fulfilled. Why is this so different?"

“Because I can’t keep watching you do this to yourself, Enny!” Aistiqlial pled. “Maybe you have the fortitude to suffer and bleed and give of yourself for however long it takes, but I don't know how much more I have in me for it. All the salves and dressings and tears and heartache and the way your light and your fire dims on the roughest of days. You say it’s your burden to bear, but you’re not the only one holding it up."

"I never asked for that…"

"You never had to."

"Point taken…"

"Then why, Enny? Why risk everything for it?" There was a desperation in her voice Enael rarely saw and Aistiqlial rarely resorted to. It begged for response, for understanding.

"I just,” she paused, searching for the words that couldn’t begin to relay everything she needed them to in that moment. “I wouldn't be me if I didn't. You live the truth of your name every day and I love that about you. I do. And I live my truth every day by maintaining my devotion and I know you love that about me too."

"I never said that…"

"You never had to."

"Point taken…"

"So what then?” Aistiqlial sighed. “We just keep going until one or the other reaches their breaking point?"

"Same as it's ever been." Once again it seemed that the argument was resolved to remain unresolved.

The two sat in quiet contemplation as they internally bemoaned their collective inability to just get their beloved to see the matter from their own perspective. Finally, Aistiqlial broke the silence. "Ok, but have you ever considered…"

"Hmm?"

"You’d look really hot with horns,” she said in a flirtatious attempt to change the subject.

“Oh? But Qlia, I thought you liked the feathers,” Enael reciprocated, giving them a little flutter as her halo fluoresced.

“Enny, girl, you know I love the feathers, but change is hot. Remember the night I fell?” As if Enael could ever forget. Aistiqlial ran one hand down her hips as the other ran up over one of her horns, her tail swishing seductively as she did so, accentuating each and every one of her curves to emphasize the point. “You couldn’t keep your hands off of me.”

“I meeeeeeeean~, can you blame a girl?” she responded with a smirk, before half leaping, half flying across the length of their bedroom to pounce atop her lover. “Besides, purple just suits you,” she said, before planting a kiss on Aistiqlial’s lips, ending any chance at further argument.

They’d be back at it again in a few days. Or perhaps a few weeks. Or perhaps a few months. Whenever one of their bottles got too full to fully keep the lid on, then it’d start up all over again. Still, they’d be there. For each other. For their beloved. For as long as they could.

End 🧵

[an-intronerd]

y'all know what i noticed the other day as i rewatched season 3 of voltron?

well. remember that moment when shiro is back (except it's not shiro it's a clone) and he finally cuts his hair and shaves his face and comes out to join everyone else looking weird and not shiro-like?

and then something happens and voltron is needed he just. interrupts keith. as keith begins telling his team what they should do.

(okay well, technically 'shiro' didn't interrpt, they both talk at the same time but that's not important)

and then keith just goes, 'i'm sorry. go ahead shiro.'

and is so fucking nice and understanding because like, shiro's always been the leader. and he's finally back, and keith is so beyond happy and just. yeah.

but 'shiro' just. doesn't say anything? like not even a 'thanks, keith'? doesn't even acknowledge that Keith is the leader, now, and that maybe he should let the a younger paladin speak. instead, he just starts talking, as if he's the leader? when he's not?

and it's like this moment where the first time i watched it, i was like, wtf this isn't something shiro would do, and the whole interaction felt so off? and now, as I'm rewatching with the confirmed knowledge that that was, in fact, not shiro, i'm just.

there's all these thoughts like, yeah, this is supposed to be as close to the real shiro as possible, but was this done on purpose? did haggae purposely program the clone so that shiro's relationship with keith wouldn't be as important? because we see these instances later on in the season as well as in season 4.

that moment when keith comes back from a mission with the blade and all the members (with 'shiro' in the forefront) are glaring at him with varying levels of anger and disappointment, but 'shiro's expression is by far the most??? unforgiving??? angry???

like, i'm lowkey dying. it was as if shiro was a totally different person in those seasons, like the way he treated keith was just so wrong compared to how i was used to shiro treating him.

and it was something i couldn't quite understand, because while i suspected that 'shiro' was a clone, like many others in the fandom, i wasn't totally sure. there were other possibilities too, like he was under galran control, or he'd been tortured during his disappearance and that changed him, but now, knowing it was a clone, oh man.

i'm watching the show with a whole new perspective and it's one of the things i absolutely love about voltron. they add these elements in later seasons that make you re-evaluate previous moments and it's just. so exciting???

----

ok, so i was clearing my drafts and noticed this dusty little gem and it just reminded me how much i had loved the show while it was airing. i think around the season 3-5 timeline, i was the MOST excited and reading my rambles from that time are making me super nostalgic.

i didn't have the heart to just, delete this out of existence, so i figured i'd post it.

and maybe rewatch the show, sometime soon.

[modtheartifex]

i wrote this into a youtube comment like moments ago, but i feel strongly enough that i will put it out here as well;

Lego Monkie Kid Season 5 does NOT have villains. it has characters that are antagonistic forces and layered with nuance on top of nuance.

not to say previous seasons didnt do this, but this season ABSOLUTELY is entirely filled with characters like this

lmk season 5 spoilers, as well as anything from previous seasons just in case cause idk. might get long too tbh oopsies JINNGFDOIJN

we have a few characters to consider for LMK s5's "villains".

we have Ne Zha's dad (i forget his name, ill probably call him pagoda man), nine headed dragon (consort, 10th king, xiangliu) and nuwa. we could theoretically consider thousand eyed demon, however hes only relevant in one episode so id hardly count that

pagoda man is the easiest to explain, he is an antagonistic force because hes trying to hold onto what little order there is left of the world, he is trying to be the duct tape keeping the sawed in half boat together, and hes trying to minimize risks. does that excuse how he treats ne zha? fuck no, but thats a whole different discussion and depending on your interpretation of how much of the chinese mythos you use for this work will vary. he is just like mk as mk himself points out, it doesnt have to be just pagoda man doing the work, theres people willing to help, and then he joins the heroes side for the end.

cool, great, now. what the fuck do i mean by nuwa?

this is where interpretation is strongest, where it is key. ill just be sharing my perspective. when i was first watching season 5 my partner pointed out to me that in chinese mythos chaos is a core element of the world, it is necessary. this, coupled with the fact that nuwa made mk to fix a cycle she created (which we also dont know how many cycles the world has gone through, it could be one, it could be two, it could be in the hundreds if not thousands, whos to say.) and to keep chaos out... she is keeping the world from being complete. her little cave without the outside world, without proper balance, her little people living blissfully apocalypse to apocalypse. "but theyll all die!" "theyll live again" nuwa says, smile on her face.

she is disconnected from her cave, her world her people, her creations, who knows how long shes been in the limbo, how well she can perceive time, how many times a sacrifice comes in, they get a few words exchanged before they just leave, her in the pillar, only getting glimpses when the cycle is ending of the world, only to be shut in again.

neat, ok, but xiangliu??? hes who was gestured at from the BEGINNING of season 4.

see. heres where we get into the GOOD shit.

this is why it is important to establish that we dont know how many cycles have happened. we do not know how long he has been stuck, how many times he has tried to fix the world over and over. he makes it clear in his ending dialogue, if only he knew how to fix it, that sharing the power of the stones was the key to his freedom. the fact that he goes from what most would consider the least important title to the most important one, his own name, the fact he states he was wukongs friend, his enemy, both, wukong just doesnt remember

that implies longentivity. that implies so many cycles and lifetimes lived inside this cycle, being aware of everything, being so damnably aware of what one considers true freedom, and having to sit at the precipice of that.

it is agony.

xiangliu for the majority of the season is the only one to call mk by his name. mk gets so often called child, kid, nicknames by the others, maybe mei refers to him as mk, but xiangliu has it be DELIBERATE. he altered the course of the cycle to give mk a life, to let him HAVE a life where nuwa didnt care for one, he WANTED mk to grow enough that he would be able to choose. because everything is about mks choice, his ability to choose it all matters on HIS. CHOICE.

the only time this falters is when xiangliu thinks he is trapped for good. he rushes at mk, one final chance at freedom seemingly taken from him. xiangliu never fights mk. he only fights the others when they start fighting him. when its just him and mk at the edge of the world, at the edge of chaos, he talks to mk. tells him what to expect, mentions a mysterious "he" now that mk has opened the cage. and he pushes mk back so he gets to go back to his life. so that mk can have choices still. xiangliu got what he wanted, so its only right mk gets what he wanted too. to live with his friends and let everyone live a life where they can figure something out.

that is why i do not think there are villains in lego monkie kid season 5. they are antagonists with layers of nuance, nuance we arent privy to for reason or another, be it episode count, length, screentime, or that were just not supposed to yet. season 5 does not have an obvious bad guy, a villain, because the nuance is right within our grasp.

thank you for reading this. fucking essay apparently oopsies JINNGFDIJN

[facewithoutheart]

Today in fics I’m never going to write but keep thinking about: Baz getting hit with amnesia shortly before the events of WS and being told he’s dating some guy with wings and a tail who never gets off the sofa. And he’s like, “Yeah I don’t see it,” which is kind of heartbreaking but also kind of a giant release of pressure for Simon because, “Oh he doesn’t know what I’ve lost,” and they become tentative friends. Baz of course loves Penny and they nerd out trying to figure out what’s caused Baz’s amnesia. There’s no real incentive for Baz to get his memories back except, “They’re my memories, Simon. Don’t you think I’m owed them?” To which Simon just smiles sadly and misses the way Baz used to call him Snow. But it’s fine! Honestly! Simon keeps downplaying what they had. Telling little stories like, “Oh that’s the time you spelled my laptop shut nbd,” and, “Yeah I got locked out in the cold all night but the stars were really pretty,” and Baz is like… and you dated me??? But there’s also moments where Simon explains he broke Baz’s nose and tried to out him as a vampire, and Baz just doesn’t get it, them, at all.

Except… okay so maybe it hasn’t escaped Baz’s notice how attractive Simon is. And there are moments when he gets off the couch that he’s shockingly funny, and sweet. He sometimes slips into quiet but Baz has started to piece together what’s happened and maybe that makes sense. It’s not like he has anything to say, either. “What would I have to offer in conversation, Simon? I barely even know my own name.” And they sit together on the sofa and watch television. It’s… something.

Insert a bit of Baz spiral with Baz wondering, “is this what made me fall? Is this?” As he keeps looking for the spark, the reason, the moment he fell for Simon Snow.

I’m not sure what the conflict is here. Maybe Baz overhears Dr. Wellbelove talking to Simon about the Mage? Maybe there’s a Fiona intervention? A Malcolm one? But at some point there’s some big argument where Baz confronts Simon and they’re screaming at each other and then Baz bursts into laughter. And Simon’s like wtf Baz but Baz can’t stop laughing because of course this is it. Of course this is when he falls for Simon. When they’re screaming at each other.

But it’s not that, is it? It’s every time Simon smiled, and every time something on the television made him laugh and Simon’s first reaction is to look at Baz. And it’s how he teases Penny and hasn’t pressured Baz to get his memories back. Just accepts him as he is. Helps him hunt. Maybe yells at Fiona to back off when Baz doesn’t get his memories back fast enough. It’s how Simon Snow is alive, alive, alive, he’s full of life and that’s when it all comes rushing back. All of his memories falling like rain all over Baz; not a flood but a cleansing. It’s not overwhelming to love Simon it’s never been and having this outside perspective on who Simon is and what he’s been through independent of Baz’s issues has reminded Baz of what he’s fighting for.

Baz finally stops laughing. He walks over to Simon, presses both hands to his cheeks, says, “Snow,” then kisses him. And of course Baz hasn’t called Simon “Snow” this whole time so Simon knows Baz’s memories are back.

Ok and insert more angst: Simon immediately pushes Baz off and walks out their door. Because it’s been easy letting Baz in hasn’t it? He didn’t know what Simon lost. Who he used to be. He finally understood, didn’t he? The arsehole… ever since Baz lost his memories he knew better. He knew what Simon had always known: that Simon is nothing. Not the Chosen One, not even a mage. God not even Normal. Just a chewed up bit of empty space with wings and a tail. A freak. Wasn’t it nice, getting to know Baz without any of that history? Without any of the pressure? I mean sure sometimes Simon wanted to pounce on him and snog him senseless or hold his hand when the movie they were watching got scary. And Baz kept doing things for Simon like getting him the brand of cider he likes best and making sandwiches for him when he forgot to eat. And spending time with him without huffing about how Simon was wasting his life and not looking at Simon like he could see who used to be there: someone. Someone who mattered. And that’s what it’s gonna be now, right? More pointed looks and disappointed smiles and knowing, always knowing and never saying that Baz is too good for him.

Didn’t he know Simon Snow was meant to be alone?

Oooh okay maybe Simon just like, rage runs back to the flat and slams open the door and is like, “How dare you?” But he’s not even sure what he’s saying. He’s not even sure what he’s thinking. All he knows is that he wants Baz, any version of Baz, even the one who thinks he’s wasting his life because of course he’s missed that. He liked sitting next to Baz and watching shows and not feeling any pressure but god the way he felt when Baz was screaming at him. Simon’s got wings but he never feels like he can fly without Baz, next to him. Pushing him.

Because if Simon is alive alive alive it’s only because Baz makes him want to be. Baz has always been Simon’s reason, even when things were…

And then Simon’s kissing Baz, and Baz is kissing back, and maybe Simon can keep this. Maybe he can choose this.

Maybe he can try.

[nevermindirah]

I'm a lucky duck who lives in one of the markets getting the limited release of Dandelion! Per Nat's request here are my thoughts to tide you over until it's more widely accessible.

As I said in my immediate reaction post, KiKi Layne was built for the big screen. This movie is full of gorgeous closeups of her. And medium-sized shots, and distance shots, and ok maybe it's just me, but bless this movie for making her a singer-songwriter-guitarist, because this means there are so many lingering closeups of her hands, and oh mY GOD NOT TO BE A LESBIAN (gender-neutral) BUT >:)))))))))

I could look at KiKi Layne all day, and now I could also listen to her sing all day. Her voice is beautiful and so expressive. She said in press leading up to it that she was nervous to share her singing voice and maybe that had something to do with just how expressive she is as a singer. Maybe sharing that is more intimate for her than the on-screen nudity this movie also has, and which is also compelling as hell.

This pro review notes that KiKi contributed to the music writing, which is so cool! It also acknowledges that much of the dialogue isn't quite right, often a little too like an essay or a headline to be organic for these characters, while getting at how forgivable that is in a movie whose soul is in the music and the visuals and the chemistry.

Somewhat miraculously for a movie with a white writer-director whose skill isn't primarily in dialogue, about a Black lead in a mostly-white place, it's conscious about race without being didactic. Dandelion is wary of going to white redneck territory for a music competition, and there's a sequence where microaggressions turn into shitty petty crime, but she's also not the only Black person in the sea of likely [redacted] voters. The movie does get a touch didactic about the struggles of women in creative industries, so maybe it wasn't a product of careful effort so much as Nicole Reigel's limited perspective, but the result works. Antiblackness isn't The Conflict of The Movie, simply a shitty part of the background radiation of Dandelion's life.

The music is so damn good. Soundtrack album here! Though the album tragically leaves off two of the movie's best songs: the stunning final number where Tracy Chapman vibes meet Prince, and a cover of 90s white boy song Hey Jealousy that starts off as mere pleasant background track introducing us to KiKi's voice and turns into a sleeper thematic tornado. Once you've seen the movie go look at Hey Jealousy's lyrics and backstory so you can join me in screaming about it and these characters.

Dandelion is a little movie, marvelously so. It's about just a few people in a short time in their lives. I hadn't thought about it like this until now but there are several thematic as hell shots of one or two characters shown tiny and off to the side amid sweeping rocky nature. The artsy shots of flowers superimposed on emotive faces aren't my taste but the overwhelming scale of the landscapes really spoke to me and now I'm realizing this is why.

There's a thing about some side characters wanting to be the biggest band in the world that's kind of an example of the clunky dialogue and kinda perfect for how wonderfully small this movie is. It doesn't matter where Dandelion's career goes after this. These scant few weeks of her life make for such a rich story on their own. This moment in time matters, even if these events don't turn out to have any more effect on the characters' futures than they do on the timeless mountains and prairies of South Dakota.

Fandom people are probably more likely to connect with this movie than the average non-musician viewer because of something that baffled me about a review I wildly disagreed with. Apparently some people can watch this and not understand how fast two people can develop deep intimacy and attachment despite barely knowing each other, just because they make art together. I don't understand how that reviewer didn't understand. You make art with someone and you're in each other's souls. It's intoxicating to collaborate with someone who gets what you're trying to say with your art and helps you make something that best captures the ineffable but crystal clear thing you're trying to say.

Not so intoxicating that you can no longer make rational decisions — but, well, in a way maybe it's the more rational decision to keep chasing the high of drift compatible creation, even when the person you've found to be your musical brain twin is maybe a not great choice in other ways.

Purely for Book of Nile reasons this movie is a damn gift. Tons of shots would be so easy to swap out one scruffy white boy's face for another. (Though Thomas Doherty is the same height as KiKi, which I personally enjoy, it's fun to have variety.) So much of the lyrics are extreme bait for gifsets and fic titles. (Tiny for the movie but very big for the BoNers spoiler: SHE LITERALLY CALLS HIM OLD MAN.) The first two thirds of the movie I kept thinking how perfect this plot would be as a BoN musicians AU — until a twist where I was both so pissed on Dandelion's behalf and internally screaming BOOKER WOULD NEVER.

As I was watching the final scenes I kept waiting for a thing to happen that didn't happen, a certain way of resolving the romance. The ending we do get left me yearning a little. But starting a few hours after leaving the theater the yearning subsided and now a week later my satisfaction with the ending has fermented into a yearning only to listen to that last song on loop forever. (WHY is it not on the soundtrack. I mean, TRACY CHAPMAN MEETS PRINCE.)

One more thing before I go. Dandelion is another thrilling expansion of the repertoire of KiKi's characters in terms of vibes and aesthetics. She looks so different than Nile in a theoretical mirror image outfit of practical boots and jeans and an oversized borrowed button-down thrown over a tee. None of KiKi's other characters, not even gentle Tish, would look so at home in delicate florals, doubly so when they're paired so effortlessly with a comfy denim jacket. And KiKi's physicality here is unique to this person: Dandelion, Theresa, a guitarist. Wholly unlike Margaret the dancer or Nile the warrior. Maybe someday Nile will grow locs like Dandelion's though.

In conclusion: watch Dandelion! I'm as glad I saw this in theaters as I was glad I watched Don't Worry Darling at 1.5x in a small corner of my laptop and only slowed it down for Kiki's scenes. The limited release is real limited, alas, but if you have access to a biggish tv to stream it on I'd strongly recommend making that effort. Both for the landscapes and those gorgeous closeups of Kiki's face.

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

If Michel was a girl named Michelle

So going realistically, Disney Channel I don't know if they'd be able to pull that off. It was 2018, Andi Mack existed, but like... I'm still doubting.

So now I'm just gonna go from a perspective of "the same thing essentially happens but Michel is now a girl named Michelle like they first thought he was", and ignoring if it realistically would air or not

So Michelle is welcomed with much more open arms, because she was who they expected would arrive lmao

Just like Michel in canon, Michelle would quickly show that she knows super much about Luna, having watched videos online of her. Luna is like "woaw!! that's so fun!!"

The guys all think Michelle is nice, but Matteo feels this odd... jealousy towards her. And he cannot figure out why. "She's just a girl, why do I feel jealous that she gets along with Luna?"

As Michelle starts to act distracted like Luna, her friends instead of being like "he's definitely crushing on you!" instead are like "wow! She's like your twin!"

But they do pick up some vibes soon too. Yam does the most. She discusses with Nina and Jim about it. "Hey I'm wondering if something is going on with Michelle... she seems to... like Luna in a certain way..." and the other two agree. But due to it being a girl they're like "haha but maybe she just really wants to be her friend!"

The thing is that Jim and Yam are raging lesbians but they still live in such a heteronormative world that they have this idea that "everyone else surely is straight". And Nina could not even figure out her mother was a lesbian... so all three just sit there with terrible gaydar. But they are wondering. Though, they're not as pushy as they are when it's a boy.

This just made me kinda wanna know what went down at Blake in S3. Imagine all the little school moments. Like, the drama class in S1? Do they still take it?

At one point, the boys hang out with Michelle at home, and maybe they talk about girls they find pretty. Pedro talks about Delfi, maybe they tease Simón about Ámbar, and then they ask "Hey Michelle, anyone you like?". Michelle smiles and is like "Ok, can I be honest? Don't tell anyone, but... I think Luna is kinda cute."

They boys are a bit caught off guard, but let out some chuckles.

Michelle then is like "But... I don't even know if she's... you know, if she likes girls like that? Or if she likes me... do you know?"

Matteo gets defensive and immediately is like "NO! SHE LIKES BOYS. RIGHT? RIGHT, GUYS?!"

Ámbar, who has been eavesdropping, casually walks into the room and decides to stir up drama for shits and giggles, and is like "Have you asked her that, Matteo?"

Matteo is like "no..." to which Ámbar asks how he then knows so certainly. He looks at Simón, and says "Uh, maybe you have heard something?" but Simón does not know.

So now "Operation: Try to figure out Luna's sexuality without explicitly asking her" has begun.

And it's very hard to figure it out, because Luna gives off all kinds of vibes. She doesn't really like to discuss romance when it's about herself, and often changes the subject. But since the boys can't figure it out, they start to ask Nina, Jim and Yam. They realize "oh shit we don't really know either now when we think about it", and suddenly it's everyone at Roller's business' to figure it out.

AND WE NEVER REALLY FIGURE IT OUT, IT'S LEFT VERY AMBIGUOUS. But, people start to pay close attention to who she seems to be interested in.

Luna herself feels something when Michelle talks to her, because she notices Michelle isn't acting the same with her like her other female friends. But she's just as oblivious/in denial as she is when boys are interested in her.

Their almost-kiss in 1x40 makes Luna SO confused. And I don't know if she's even gonna mention this to her friend. Or she does, and they turn the discussion if she's into girls and Luna says something like "Who cares if it's a girl or boy it still happened didn't it?"

And then Michelle confesses her feelings. And Luna reacts just like she did in canon, all stunned. Michelle assures her though, that she doesn't wanna ruin their friendship, and it's all ok. Maybe they should just forget it.

When Luna tells her friends, it's an extra layer as she's a girl, especially for Jim and Yam who are like "Ok but Luna do you think you like girls in general do you think you might be interested in girls, too? :) :) :) :)" and Luna is like "I don't know I am confused when boys are in love with me too everyone's in love with me because I'm the main character but I don't know what I want :("

Then everything that happens with Michel in canon happens, Michelle kisses her after the ice cream incident and she acts just like in canon.

And in the end, Michelle leaves like Michel left in canon, everyone's on good terms. Lutteo is still endgame or whatever.

I could imagine, if this happened, the fandom would have discussions like "Luna is actually straight and Michelle just forced her to feel stuff she didn't", "No actually Luna is a repressed lesbian", "Luna could be bi/pan actually??", "Maybe she didn't like Michelle specifically but it doesn't mean she doesn't like girls", "This was bad LGBTQ+ rep because Michelle is toxic", "I hate Michelle not because I hate gays but because it was heartbreaking seeing Matteo suffer so much :(", "Guys hear me out Luna is ace she's just not interested in romance period"

Of course, it could be a lot more to add, I'm just writing from the top of my head. And Michel being a girl named Michelle could also make a completely different story, with different events. It could that because she's a girl she's a new love interest for Matteo instead. Or they still have her be in love with Luna but they do it completely differently than what canon did with Michel.

[minjoonapio]

🎐 Wind Breaker CH.157: Remaining Embers

💭 THOUGHTS & ANALYSIS [⚠️SPOILERS⚠️]

🧵Twitter/X Version 📖Where to read the manga: Kodansha | Other 📺Watch Season 1 now (S2 in 2025!): Crunchyroll, Netflix

I was hoping Chika would be knocked out already since the last chapter left us with panels of Umemiya giving one hell of a sucker-punch. But I was wrong (at least we get to see them fight under the rain a lil' longer hehe)

This whole page, these three panels, is showing us a frame-by-frame of Chika being punched by Umemiya, indicating it's all in slow motion.

Usually, when a scene is in slow motion, it is either to reveal a certain detail or to emphasize a turning point or a shift in a character or in the scene.

This is Chika's turning point.

I believe the actual trigger of this shift is before the punch; when he froze and saw Umemiya’s determined eyes and the Bofurin leader echoed the deal they made a while ago.

Since then, Chika’s POV sounds different.

I love the bleary effect in one panel, showing Ume's POV. He is almost losing consciousness. I can feel how he is at that moment; energy's all used up, and he's aching everywhere. I mean, he especially had the wind knocked out of him so of course, he's trying to get some air in his lungs.

Despite all that, Umemiya still faces Chika head-on with the amount of will he’s got.

Chika may not be aware of it but this interaction with Ume is affecting him because he allowed it. He allowed Umemiya into his own world. All because of that same fiery aura he has that matches his.

But the thing is, right now, he's not only fighting the strong raging Umemiya he likes, but the Umemiya who wants to reach him into his world; determined not only to defeat him but to understand him.

So the moment Ume declared he wanted to get to know him, it did something to him. That's why it struck him frozen when they saw eye to eye.

We’re then shown a panel of a hammer hitting hot metal; the metaphor Endo used for Umemiya. His perspective is different from what we’re seeing now.

Old Ume may be selfish, forcing his ideals on the unwilling, but Present Ume yearns to listen to Chika. He doesn't want Chika to accept him or anything. He just wants to talk and perhaps have some mutual understanding. He won't make the same mistake he did back then (letting Chika be).

Allowing Umemiya in his world, interacting with their fists, may initially be a mistake, but in actuality, it is a blessing. Chika starts to gradually change. The way the lettering bolds the words "used to" and "good".

In Chika's world, he says he likes what he likes, and hates what he hates. But after that eye-to-eye interaction and Umemiya's words, he suddenly said he used to hate rain. He says it like this never happened before -- this change of his likes and dislikes.

Just because of this fight, this "conversation" with Umemiya, Chika's embers are gradually gone…but maybe his world will grow.

All this time, Chika never cared about the result. He just cares about the thrill of it, especially with someone he acknowledges (Him calling Umemiya's name shows that). And I think Chika probably is looking forward to his chat with Umemiya.

It’s like how Togame & Sakura expressed how they had fun in their fight. Since then, they respected each other (We also got a short-hair Togame joining in their fights and fanboying over his "best bud" Sakura. Lord, I never knew I needed that T.T)

“I had fun” The first time Chika said this, Umemiya was knocked down. He looked sad perhaps cause it's over. And I questioned then, what did he want to get from this fight? To make sure he clearly defeats Umemiya? (After this latest chapter, I don't think so) And what now since he defeated Umemiya?

But this time, the tables have turned. He's defeated...but something’s changed. We don't see his face when he says those words. Only Umemiya’s reaction.

I’m guessing he looked content.

I chuckled when Chika is like “ok bitch you won now move your big head and let me enjoy the rain” But in a sense, this is Chika now, changed and open.

He stares at the rain like how he would stare at fireworks.

Finally, their fight ended with Umemiya as the winner. Not only in their physical fight but also broke Chika's walls down.

We can finally have that talk. (I swear if they’re gonna have it while lying down under the rain, I’m gonna flip)

Sorry if I may not make any sense. I try. My brain is not braining well today. Haha. It's the effects of the Wind Breaker drought!

Thank you for reading! The next chapter will be up next Tuesday at Kodansha/K Manga!

🧵Twitter/X Version 📖Where to read the manga: Kodansha | Other 📺Watch Season 1 now (S2 in 2025!): Crunchyroll, Netflix

[pandorasboxoftreasures]

Ok I know I’m not just overthinking this so hear me out : RECOM QUARITCH SPLIT-BRAIN THEORY

(aka “Colonel Sméagol”)

Avatar has its eye symbolism, right? “I see you?” Waking up from dreams, etc...

But has anybody else noticed this? It’s been bothering me since my first watch.

It’s to do with Recom Quaritch’s eyes and how they are highlighted from scene to scene and character perspective to character perspective and what that implies for which Quaritch has primary or dominant control at each given moment, the implanted one (Human) or the innate one (Na’vi).

Ritch when following the programming from his implanted memories (mostly noticeable when he has his PTSD moments, repeats routines that the human Ritch did like drinking coffee and squad briefings, observes things of interest to the implanted personality and goes berserker or highly emotional), left eye in clear light and/or focus, right eye in shadow or hidden.

Ritch when deviating from his programming and thinking individually (Mostly noticeable when he’s interacting with Spider or contemplating his next moves or observing and interacting with his environment through Na’vi enhanced senses/technically new eyes), right eye in clear light and/or focus, left eye in shadow or hidden.

They have full damn control over the lighting and it doesn’t fully follow the lighting directions from the same scenes or sometimes even shots and in many ways the opposite eye is considerably darker than ambient lighting without additional stylistic control would have it be. There’s no way these are accidental. Same goes for the composition.

There’s a symbolism here. There has to be. Maybe highlighting that there’s two people or halves of them in his head fighting for equilibrium or supremacy and they can each have turns taking over as well as working together as one (which is when we see barely any difference in how the eyes are lit or shown or they match the ambient lighting accurately the other exceptions being from the perspectives of characters who are unaware or couldn’t care less about which Quaritch is which). But also indicating that he may have a sort of split-brain but for personality. Two consciousnesses sharing one brain. One in each cerebral hemisphere.

Interestingly the main key behavioural differences between Recom Ritch and Human Ritch most noticeable so far when you watch them closely, are in aspects of the brain (regulation and comprehension of speech and language, working memory, cognitive flexibility, planning, inhibition, abstract reasoning, selecting specific actions in a list of possible actions, mediation of decision making, reorienting of attention, collecting and processing environmental information among many demonstrated) that belong to the left hemisphere that controls the right side of the body and therefore the right eye. 

It gets better...

WHICH SIDE OF THE BRAIN GOT DAMAGED WHEN HUMAN RITCH GOT WRECKED BY THAT VIPERWOLF SO BAD IT WENT THROUGH THE GODDAMN BONE?!

THE RIGHT SIDE THAT CONTROLS THE LEFT EYE!!!

EYWA, YOU NEON MACHIEVELLIAN CHAD DID YOU SEND THAT DOGGO AFTER MILES QUARITCH SENIOR FOR A TARGETED LOBOTOMY KNOWING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?!

Now, with this hypothesis in mind, what can we do with it?

Look at each scene to determine who is who when, of course. If that left eye is like a street light take note that you’re likely dealing with the implant. If the right eye has it, it’s probably the innate, if it’s both, neither or barely noticeable, you’re looking at them in equilibrium or near enough.

Taking all that into consideration (again it is just a theory for now I will have to take notes next time I watch from beginning to end like I have every time since I started getting suspicious of this but now I have even more research and possible context behind it), who has Kiri by the throat, who has a gun to Lo’ak’s head, who is telling Jake Neteyam “didn’t have to die”, and who lets Kiri go to save Spider?

It also opens up the possibility if this is a hint towards future events (unlikely but again who knows) THAT THERE’S TECHNICALLY WAYS TO ERASE THOSE IMPLANTED MEMORIES AND PERSONALITY AND GIVE FULL CONTROL TO THE INNATE OR THE IMPLANT because people can still function mostly if not completely normally with a lot of parts of their brains removed or disabled.

________________________________________________

BONUS: Another interesting thing to see that I’m following up with and taking notes on is whether Ritch is left or right handed or a combination of both. Because that is very difficult to actually determine and also has additional possible implications. 

Stephen Lang can deliberately play a left-handed character. James Cameron is left-handed. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that it could be a deliberate choice and I need to check through both movies again to see any signs of it.

I’ll keep putting examples and further delvings and discussions under #quaritch split brain theory if people want to go deeper into this with me or follow along. 

I might even make some memes with it, who knows?

[waitmyturtles]

TW: addiction, drugs, cocaine

I've got a little noodling thought for the Ephemerality Squad (cc @ranchthoughts @chickenstrangers @lurkingshan @neuroticbookworm @twig-tea @distant-screaming @clara-maybe-ontheroad @slayerkitty) and for the Only Friends meta fandom, what up, friendos!:

Ranch and @wen-kexing-apologist both know that I LOVED THAT MOMENT when Ray picks up his phone at the end of episode 5, when he's laying in bed with Sand after the whole Boston fight debacle. I've heard the theories that Ray may have seen Top's Instagram post of Top and Mew, or that Ray was looking for someone to text to decompress after the fight, and realized that he had no one to text with (credits to Ranch and WKA for sharing those theories with me!).

But what I'm thinking about that moment is what's inherent in the story of addiction: we are all addicted to our phones, including certainly the OF quartet, Ray included. Our phones give us the tiniest dopamine bump, and then we keep scrolling. Scroll, bump, scroll, like a virtual whippet. We saw Ray hit the bottle after the fight, but he likely checked his phone for another kind of hit as well, even while Sand was laying next to him, in embarrassment and sadness.

So there's the quickest hit, the ephemerality of the fast high. BUT: if you are an addict, and you don't address your addiction, then -- addiction is permanent. It's sticky, and it sticks with you -- that's the inherent meaning of the word.

I really like this play against the fleeting nature of the hit, and the permanence of unaddressed addiction. It reminds me of other comparative plays against the fleeting of time vs. what's permanent in the lives of the quartet, including the impact of intergenerational trauma on Ray and his experiences with his late mother. It's like -- what we're watching is this quartet (along with Sand and Nick) unknowingly existing in their aloof lives, thinking they have total control over every aspect of their lives, while they are dragging these invisible boulders behind them.

(Whenever I think of intergenerational trauma, I think of PatPran, and how those two took their intergenerational traumas by the gullets and addressed the traumas in their own unique way -- in order to be together and move on with their lives. The quartet in OF? They're not even close to being there yet, emotionally unto themselves and/or with anyone else. They haven't even identified their traumas yet -- and, whoa, they are OLDER than PatPran were when PatPran were in college in Bad Buddy.)

I've been thinking of how Only Friends compares to Gay OK Bangkok, and I think it's still too early in the OF run to go completely on an OF/GOKB comparative analysis (I think I really need to wait until OF ends, because GOKB had an open-ended ending that hit just perfectly for where each character was landing in their lives at that particular moment). I'm kind of hoping for the same sort of ending for OF (I know, I'm going against the grain of the kinds of endings most folks are hoping for for OF), for a couple reasons. Remember: GOKB gave us a viewpoint into a group of queer men in Bangkok, an almost-identical set-up to OF.

First: I think Aof Noppharnach and Jojo Tichakorn were absolutely brilliant with their open-ended endings of GOKB as extremely AUTHENTIC to where each character was landing throughout the course of the series. Growth happens over a lifetime -- not always over the course of an episodic series.

But also, in regards to OF: OF is introducing to us a set of problems and perspectives that in real life, would take YEARS to address, like addiction. I talked about the behavioral stages of change in my last meta on episode 5, and I think this slice of ephemerality falls right into this category. By the end of Only Friends: do we think Ray (and Top, even) will concretely drop their addictions? Is that something WE want as an audience? Is that something that we think -- maybe even condescendingly, let alone fearfully -- is "good" for these young men? Do we think that their ending their addictions is realistic for the course of this specific episodic series?

I am OBSESSED that Only Friends is forcing us to reckon with these inherent biases we may have about these permanence-problems that the OF characters carry. I saw some hand-wringing about Top doing coke in episode 4, and I admit that I was actually pleased by Jojo depicting a VERY real slice of urban queer life (and also, just everyday life for millions of people) in that moment.

And I'm also just very curious to see what the show does by way of reckoning with the time it takes for young people like the OF quartet to wrangle with these long-standing issues in their lives. So much of this show hews very close to a number of realities -- and growing up vis à vis the emotional and physiological boulders we carry is an extremely real story to tell.

[lawbin-archive]

Law & Robin analysis: Punk Hazard

I finally have some free time to re-read punk hazard and write my analysis. (have been busy with life in general :/) Someone on twitter asked me to write a chronology of lawbin's relationship, so I will just do it arc by arc.

Again, if you don't like lawbin, just don't read it. Please be civilize and respect each other.

As usual, I blab a lot in my analysis so just skimming if you want to. I will use purple to indicate my delulu thoughts.

~LAWBIN STRANGER PHASE~

Chapter 503: Law & Robin first met

When I read this chapter or even when I watching punk hazard for the first time, I didn't really associate Law and Robin together. I just think they are both really cool and rational. But after I ship them, as I re-reading these chapters, my only thought is - they are really similar in so many ways.

The first time law appeared in front of luffy resemble Robin first appearance on going merry so much. I mean did you see their aura?! did you see the both cross their leg?! did you see them saying "we are bad ass" on their face?! did you see they are both wearing their signature hat?! Bepo is even doing Robin's pose (face resting on their hand) They are both so cool T-T

If I'm Law here, seeing Robin falling from the sky like an angel, I will 100% falling for her. Plus, she's the only person from straw hats recognize him. He probably recognize Robin right away too he just didn't say it because straw hats got famous after Eneis Lobby. And Robin is the devil child for 20 years, so he probably already know her and her background. Maybe he alliance with straw hats, just to get closer with Robin (jk)

Let's fast forward to Punk Hazard! Chapter 663: Reunion two years later

Tashigi probably asked herself: What's wrong with this couple?! Why they need to threaten me like that?! LOL Again, they are really similar when the marine gets in their way. Show no mercy. Reading this makes me feel like Law (Sabaody -> Punk Hazard) = Robin (Alabasta).

Law also saves Luffy in Marineford like Robin did in Alabasta, it also happends before they join or alliance with Luffy. They both save Luffy because he's a D. (I just assume, they both said something about D after saving Luffy).

I always think did Oda make them similar on purpose? I think Oda didn't make them similar on purpose before Dressrosa. He probably just reusing some of the plots but accidentally make them so compatible together. Why would I think that? one of the reasons is there are so many Franky x Robin moments in Punk Hazard. If the source I read is correct, Law and Robin get popular during and after Dressrosa and I think that's the reason why there are more lawbin interactions later on. Not that I think Oda really care popular opinion, it's more like why not since they are so similar?! just my opinion tho.

I blab a lot again, I will show more moments later on about Law Punk Hazard vs. Robin Alabasta!

Once they met again, Robin is again the first one know his name and know he became a warlord. She also probably read the news that how he became a warlord. Hence, that's why she is worried when Luffy alliance with him. But as time passed, she definitely changed her perspective on Law gradually. As you see here, she is still very cautious about him. But once she learned that he healed Luffy, she surprised, a pirate treated another pirate without purpose?! maybe in Robin's mind, Law isn't a really bad pirate to her anymore.

Chapter 668: Alliance

Robin looked super worried here. Although maybe Law isn't a really bad pirate to Robin, she probably thinks he is still a very dangerous pirate that's why she warned Luffy about him. It's kind of funny to me though, she just says it in front of him, screaming "I don't trust you bro" lol Luffy is even funnier - "Are you gonna betray me?" "No" Ok we good haha To be honest, I'm not against with the Luffy and Robin are siblings theory because they are really similar in some way. Anyways, Robin still trust Luffy no matter what, so I think from this moment, she is also trying to trust Law like Luffy did. This scene also reminds me so much when Robin joins the crew. The crew is very cautious and Luffy just said "She isn't a bad guy" - The coincidence LOL. Ok I changed my mind maybe Oda made them similar on purpose. Law & Robin also are the ones who initiated a relationship with Luffy. And it happens rarely to Luffy since he is always the one who picks his crew. And Robin is the only straw hats who asked to join the crew and not Luffy asking her.

~LAWBIN ALLIANCE PHASE~

Chapter 668: Alliance Starts!

Law and chopper moment and mammy Robin didn't against with it haha. She is giving me the *Please take my son carefully* vibe and Law *panics*.

From here, Law and Robin starting to show their similarities in personality and experience wise. They both paid a lot of attention to what the world government do and both very analytical. One of the optwt accounts also comment about lawbin “it’s not about how many scenes they are together, it’s mainly about what they have in common” which I agree a lot!

Chapter 669 ~ 677: Same cage as Alabasta

Again - angel fallen from heaven?! How can you not fall for her?! Robin also told Luffy to be quiet about the kidnap, seems like she accepted their alliance and starting to follow Law's plan. From scale 1 - 100%, I would say Robin trusted Law 20% here.

Rare scene of Robin calling "Law" instead of "Tora-o". When I read this, I feel like Robin is impressed of Law's ability already. Feel like she always has been (in Wano too), it's definitely a handy ability for her in so many ways.

Robin and Luffy reminiscing Alabasta moment - one of the proof that Punk Hazard is so similar to Alabasta even they said so haha. If that's the case, I think Oda really make Law so similar to Robin on purpose (scratch the part I said earlier). Even their clothes are similar in some way. Robin's jacket is leopard pattern which is similar to Law's hat, jacket and jeans pattern. Also, Law's animal resemblances are spotted seal and snow leopard. (but this arc released before Law's animal revelation so probably just coincidence)

Law, I know this woman is really pretty, you don't need to keep looking at her. (jk I think he's looking at franky haha)

And Law cares about Chopper even they just met T-T he used his power to throw a paper to Chopper and remind him to not risk himself. Seriously, who the hell say he is mean to chopper? (i'm gonna have my rage again)

Chapter 694 ~ 696: Party

This scene really reminds me of Robin a lot haha saying scary things in a clam manner. If I really need to pick a difference, Law dark thoughts are more logical though, he is just stating the fact. Robin dark thoughts are more creative haha.

Law this moment also reminds me of skypeia Robin - when she suggests Luffy to be careful but of course turns out he didn't listen to them anyways. and Law & Robin panic hahaha.

That's why Punk Hazard Law is basically Alabasta Robin + when Robin trying to blend in with the straw hats. He is still trying to learn how Luffy acts and building trust between them just like what Robin did back then.

That's the end for Punk Hazard! I thought it would be shorter because they only have a few moments but yea I blab a lot LOL In conclusion, I would say Law and Robin is still in Stranger -> Ally phase. Robin and Law barely trust each other in this arc. But I think during this arc, they found out their personality and thoughts are similar. Hence, that's lead to the huge development of their relationship in the next arc. At least, Robin saw Law did what he plans, helped them save the kids even he didn't need to and didn't betray them after they caught Ceaser. She definitely started trusting him more, maybe 40%? haha

I definitely need a bit time to re-read Dressrosa. So the next analysis probably take some time! anyways, thanks for reading again!! always feel free to let me know your thoughts <3