#not the shippiest but still ha

[storfulsten]

You don't have to...but I wanna see Whitty listening to music with headphones in, and Bf is just curious about what he's listening to. Also they're on a bench, and Bf is sitting next to him looking confused as to what he's listening to.

(My guess? It's a Corpse Husband song, since in my opinion, it goes that way for Whitty.)

sorry it's so sloppy and lazy and probably not quite what you wanted but here

whitty's just vibin and bf is just hella confused bc yea.. hearing some dude that sounds almost exactly like your crush singing about choking and other such things sounds totally groovy and not all that awkward at all no sir lol

[opensesamepandemonium]

#3

Osamu Dazai x Ryuunosuke Akutagawa - Bungo Stray Dogs

I am well aware that this is an unpopular pairing - so firstly, don't @ me about it, because I KNOW.

Addressing the elephant in the room, yes, I know that this an immensly unhealthy relationship. Dazai straight up abused Akutagawa and then continued to torment him after leaving the Port Mafia, (ie; rubbing in his face how much better Atsushi is when the goth king is clearly besotted with you).

Dazai is an incredibly complex character and has severely toxic traits that honestly don't translate well into any potential relationship. Even in my shippiest of yaoi ship heart, I can't even imagine a happy relationship between the two of them.

THAT BEING SAID: I am a sucker for a doomed romance and anything that screams "he's horrible, but I still love him". Anyone who has ever been in an abusive relationship will empathise with a lot of Akutagawa's actions and feelings towards Dazai.

Whilst Akutagawa is clearly a victim of abuse, it doesn't make him a good person by default. Dude straight up murders people. And his crazed obsession with Dazai dictates nearly all his choices throughout the series; putting Dazai above any other loyalties or alliances.

This is one of my favourite BSD ships because, imo, this is one of the most realistic relationship dynamics that translate into real life. It's ugly, cruel, desperate, and complex. It showcases a kind of love that hurts everyone and fulfills no-one.

Art by: Denimecho

[toushindai]

Are the rumors that you are writing a new ganauru one-shot true? I'm on my knees 🛐

Yyyyes. Theoretically? Actually technically not because it’s set in the first few days of Ganondorf’s stay at Hyrule Castle so they have not gotten together just yet; the shippiest it’s gonna be is Ganondorf wondering why the hell does this guy keep staring at me like that. The problem I’m having is that I don’t know where to go with it.

The idea is that Rauru invites Ganondorf to go hunting with him. And this is, as I said, in the first few of their getting to know each other so Ganondorf is still a little surprised at the brazenness of Rauru’s attempts to control him/the Gerudo; he was expecting something much more covert and genteel than you’re not leaving and I’m going to demand everything you tribe has in negotiations. Which ties back to the idea of hunting as a leisure activity—which ties back to my theory that the Zonai disavowed the boar/power aspect of the triforce (you won’t find any boar statues in Faron) but continued to operate in power-aligned ways and just called it something else. It all goes together!! Now if only I could make it. go.

[crackships-osc]

Fanmotepie (Fanny from BFDI (not Fan from II), Remote and Pie)

It ain't gonna be crackshippy enough if you make it crackshippy

So like Fanny would be this angsty, hot headed Starbucks employee with a bad temper that lashes out at anyone that triggers her but she finds calmness in doing art

Remote would be this stoner twitch streamer V-tuber that smokes weed and plays the weirdest video games and her twitch audience is trying to appeal to stoners. She also pirates Netflix since she has no money and she also posts on reddit and edits Fandom pages for fun

Pie would be this former therapist that helped people with their issue to a sassy, girly diva that likes social media, getting her nails done, RNB music or some shit like that. She still helps Fanny with her issues

Yeah that's the most crack shippiest ship I can do

Remote sounds cool.

[mythicalshipping]

do you have any gmm/more episodes you keep re-watching because it has rhinky content in them?

Well anon, I got into this fandom 17 years after Rhett and Link started on YouTube lmao XD I was always kind of tangentially aware of them but didn't start watching until September 2021 so I'm still in the process of first time watching. So, I'll recommend (imo) the shippiest vid from each year since September 2021:

2021: GMM #2064 - Will It Gummy? Taste Test 2022: GMM#2105 - Will It Umbrella? 2023 (so far): GMM#2323 - Try To Squeeze Into This Challenge

If anyone else wants to recommend any, please do! :3

[val-of-the-north]

Name your 5 favorite Bloodborne ships and justify your opinion! (Also if you take too long to respond this ask I will cast a curse on you that will make every pizza slice you hold to sprout pineapple pieces from within AHAHAHAHA! When I am late to reply - this is stress and busy life, when you are late to reply - this is being lazy booboo the fool xD)

This is a hard one for me!!! I am not the shippiest of people (I am more for different scenarios than fixed ships more often than not), but I shall try my best! They aren't in any particular order.

5) Gatekeeper x Dores

This one makes sense but basically no one ships them because they are two obscure characters that don’t really impact the story all that much. Fully reasonable lmao. Sadly, I am ALL for obscure characters so they did not escape my radar. I just think they’d have a very fun dynamic, seeing as she is feral and creepy while he is incredibly paranoid and strict. They are into some weird ass shit too, after all they are both insane lol.

4) Damian x Micolash

It was pretty much one of the introductory ships lmao, and it makes great sense too. I view Damian as one of Micolash’s greater enforcers and perhaps even enabler. He is kind of Micolash’s muscle because the scholar wasn’t particularly strong back in the day, and his power only comes from close contact with the Arcane. Damian was probably the least disposable of the people in Yahar’gul which is saying something when it comes to Micolash lol. This one doesn’t end very well though, as the two of them part ways after Damian finally listens to his conscience...

3) Brador x Laurence

This ship has some veeeery good angst potential, and that is one of the aspects that draws me to it. Brador would do anything for Laurence, and the vicar is incredibly greatful for it, despite this attitude somewhat spoiling him in the long run. However, I don’t picture this ship as reciprocated, Laurence only views him as a close, devoted friend, and Brador accepts this despite wishing for so much more... of course he is driven mad by having to kill Laurence, and vows to keep his name and legacy clear for as long as he lives and even beyond. It’s some inhuman dedication that Laurence will never bear witness to.

2) Rom x Ebrietas

It’s one of the more “abstract” of these ships since it’s probably really hard to understand a being like Ebrietas... however, she seems to have a connection with the Rom-like body, mourning it. I believe that to be Rom’s real world body, meaning Ebrietas had to be fond of her at some point. This becomes even more interesting when taking into account that all clues point to Rom having been human(oid) at some point and ascending. A being like Ebrietas caring for something so insignificant to her... even the Choir seems perplexed, wondering why she'd even weep for something like Rom. I think that’s really sweet, if not incredibly sad too... (I do not ignore that Rom could also be her surrogate child of sort, but Great Ones marrying mortals isn’t something entirely new, so who knows for sure?)

1) Two particular Yurie ships

Lol lmao. I could not choose between the ones I have. I’ve always appreciated Yurie, and thinking back at some of these ships makes me feel a bit fuzzy inside. They go waaaay back! The one that makes the most sense is of course her relationship with Rom. I imagine them being very close, and their bond being one of the reasons why she still protects her in Byrgenwerth. If Rom had any importance to the Choir as a whole, they’d probably send more of their ranks to protect her, but it’s just Yurie on her own. Another one is with Damian, and this one is pretty strange I admit ahah... it was a crackship of sorts, but I could ALSO see the potential in it, with both of them having fled their institutions to find themselves in the emptied halls of Byrgenwerth, reflecting upon their mistakes and perhaps bonding over them. Of course the only thing she CAN’T give up is Rom, so when Damian shows up with a curious hunter in tow, she knows what they are there to do and she won’t allow it.

Well, you may have noticed that these ships are all tragic (except Dores & Gatekeeper lol) and DON’T have happy endings... yeah that sounds about right for a Soulsborne game ahah, wish I could be less of a downer but the source material won’t let me :(

[tokiro07]

Cipher Academy ch.35 thoughts

[Prison Break]

...So Eteshite's gotta be huge to be able to move like an actual bear in that costume, yeah? Like she's deffo a monster under there, unless it's like...an animatronic suit or something. Which would be interesting, but I'd prefer she be jacked as hell. I want her to take off the bear head and she's just Isshin from Undead Unluck

Rikukeito storming Class A's stronghold to retrieve her friends wasn't totally unexpected, as I figured that Class A wasn't going to be able to maintain such an early lead for long, but seeing how seriously she ran in and demanded that her allies be returned, I'm reminded that the rest of the students aren't just brainwashed soldiers with a singular focus on victory for their "country," but children with interests and wants and, most importantly, friends

I've been saying that this is a Friendship arc for a while now, but somehow it didn't occur to me that we'd be seeing the current antagonists valuing their friends just as much as our protagonists

I imagine we're also likely to see someone devaluing Friendship in some way this arc, most likely whoever in Class F has a connection to Anonymity if I had to guess, which will result in a conflict of ideals between them and Iroha

Iroha says that he was inspired to go save Anonymity because of Rikukeito's actions, but honestly if he'd gotten the shackle off on his own, I'm confident he would have gone after her no matter what. Granted, guarding three hostages is probably more important than risking them to save just one, so maybe if she hadn't come he would have chosen to prioritize victory in accordance with Anonymity's wishes. Regardless, Iroha's experience as a hostage makes perfect sense as a motivator in this instance, even if it is effectively just a simulation. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll get to see a flashback about it?

Iroha swooping in to save Anonymity is the shippiest dang thing I've ever seen and I'm all about it. I said a while ago that I want her to just fall hopelessly and idiotically in love with him, and I stand by it. If this ends up a harem manga, I'll be down without question so long as Anonymity gets to be a dumbass in love

This chapter didn't really have a ton of introspection or much in the way of puzzles, so I don't really have much else to say about it, but before I sign off, I do want to talk about Rikukeito's statement: "you think we can't see people if their faces aren't visible?"

This lends into the Friendship theme pretty well, as that sentiment is about understanding people well enough to see them and their habits in their work or the after-effect of their actions. People aren't machines, they leave the fingerprints of their logic, their mentality, their experiences, their very life and soul in everything they do. Iroha is familiar with this concept, as it's how he was able to beat Anonymity in the first place; he recognized who drew which puzzle in Leaky Poker based on the way they were drawn and how they reflected their origins. However, at the time he couldn't read Anonymity herself very well because of Personal Package, which rendered her true face invisible, so despite familiarity with the concept, he still hasn't quite mastered the skills needed for it...until now!

Iroha just landed smack dab in the middle of THREE enemies with hidden faces, and therefore will give him similar trouble to what he had with Anonymity previously. Not much time has passed, but Iroha has shown to grow incredibly fast up to now, so this will be a good opportunity to see how else he's leveled up recently

Whatever happens, Anonymity is definitely the part I'm most excited about (surprising no one). Shame it'll be another week until we get to see what happens...

[randomfoggytiger]

I did a little writeup on the episode here if you're curious; but reading it is completely unnecessary, and my thoughts below should cover it.

If I recall, Morgan and Wong wanted Season 4 to create distance between Mulder and Scully because of that throwaway line: Scully, seeing that Mulder won't act, won't reassure, won't say that "it's my life, too", feels second to the quest and withdraws. It's not until the finale that Morgan and Wong would have reconciled them and, if I recall correctly, taken their relationship in a new direction. 

As much as Scully denies her actions aren't "about you" to Mulder, Never Again isn't solely about daddy issues or feeling trapped-- it's feeling trapped by being second best. Romance was explicitly written into the dna of this episode: she takes the rose from the grave-- someone's lasting legacy of their loved one's life-- extrapolates meaning from it behind Mulder's desk, and deflates when Mulder runs off to his vacation that even he rates as secondary to his quest. (Mulder missed her entire point: needing his reassurance and reinforcement, needing his speech in the FTF hallway; and Scully missed that he missed it.) When she meets Jerse, she's flattered by his sole focus on her, takes his card, but still plans to leave. Mulder has been calling, but when he reconnects and hides the fact he missed her behind "how's the quest going?", it kicks Scully in the shins and she decides to change plans and meet up with Ed. "The tattoo you deserve" and one night stand with Ed drags down Scully's view of herself, in hindsight-- how did she not see that he was psychotic?-- and the final scene in the basement is tinted with second guesses of her own character: more specifically, what Scully thinks she has the right to ask from Mulder, doubting her own judgment (a theme she continually struggles with throughout the series.) If she sits and remains in the basement, Scully has to accept that Mulder won't move them forward; and she does, choosing to be Starbuck to this (in her perspective) doomed (relation)ship because at least Mulder needs her... which is why The End and Fight the Future hit her so hard, convincing her she has no use in his life, period.

It's not until Mulder's "you made me a whole person" speech that Scully starts to push harder, again, for more. "Settle down, live something approaching a normal life" in Dreamland I, her speech in Rain King, her romantic crisis in Milagro and open flirting in The Unnatural, and her outright hostility and jealousy-- undisguised-- with other women (Kersh's secretary, Diana Fowley, Karin Berquist) form the backbone of S6.

Everything and everyone else being second best-- including Scully-- to Mulder's newest hyper-fixation is a Morgan and Wong episode staple (or can be read into most of them): even in One Breath, M and W wrote Melissa Scully to be a romantic option for Mulder (which, if I recall, Chris Carter nixed. Obviously.) Even Home, their shippiest episode (so to speak), deconstructed the happy ending Mulder wanted and Scully was, not-so-subtly, working herself into. Not only that, but there’s a clear moment in Home where Mulder himself barricades the door between their two motel rooms (not trusting a broken lock and his daydreams of a normal life in this seemingly idyllic small town, yes, but also explicitly setting up barriers even when there are none.)  

To conclude, the line definitely meant romance, or the realization that there would be none because Mulder won't act on it; and because Scully, as a person, needs to feel appreciated, sought after, and first place in someone's life-- hence her "was he proud of me?" with her father, hence her attraction to Ed Jerse, hence her almost return to Daniel Waterston-- and because Mulder is in (at this time) no place or headspace to actively pursue healthy romantic attachment (limiting himself by his search for the Truth) he stops talking, she gets it, and they coast.

That's why, personally, I like Leonard Betts after Never Again: just when Mulder and Scully recalibrate-- him choosing a case directly tied to her expertise (likely for her sake), she feeling in her element and vital to the work-- bam, cancer.

Those are my thoughts, anyway~.

'Never Again' revised script notes.... Mulder's inner monologue 😭💕

Her life has become his.

There it is. Definitive.

[shadamyheadcanons]

hi!! so i’ve watched all of shadow and amy’s canon in game interactions (which are very cute, he honestly treats her so much differently than the others ?? like he’s def in love) and, it made me wonder, is there any interactions in the comics between the two that are like, cute?? i dunno LOL. i just crave more semi-canon shadamy. whenever i try to search it just shows me fan-made comics

I don’t know the comics super well, but I do sometimes track down an issue or two if I know Shadow and Amy are in it. Archie has this cool spin-off series called Sonic Universe that tells the stories that go on in the background that Sonic isn’t there for. I love it because it lets other characters--Amy, Shadow, Blaze, Knuckles, you name it--shine. I love Sonic himself, but there are certain dynamics you just can’t see when he’s around, particularly with Amy because he draws so much of her attention. When Sonic’s not around, though, Amy immediately makes a beeline for Shadow. She consistently seeks him out just as she does in the games, and that sticks out to me.

The one I always recommend first is the Treasure Team Tango arc.

It’s Sonic Universe issues 21-24. It’s the shippiest one I’ve found and features Amy playing the role of Shadow’s moral compass just as she did in SA2. In it, Amy leads a pseudo Team Rose--Blaze, Cream, and herself--in search of a Sol Emerald. Team Dark is in pursuit of it, too, and it’s up to Amy to make Shadow see the light and let Blaze have the Emerald her world so desperately needs. Amy and Shadow are at their peak. Blaze is awesome and perfectly in character. Cream and Cheese are adorable as always. Omega is at his funniest for a few reasons I won’t spoil. Unfortunately, Rouge isn’t written very well here, but other than that, the characters, plot, humor, and art are all on-point.

It also has Bean.

I like Bean.

To read it, click here.

Another one I’d recommend is the Shattered arc. It runs from issues 87 to 90, also from the Sonic Universe collection. Amy and Knuckles work with Team Dark to find some Master Emerald shards. It’s not as shippy as the other one, but Amy seeks Shadow out once again, and the two of them do get to squeeze in some childish teasing at the beginning.

Cute. How many characters can make Shadow pout like that? They fight well together later on, too.

This story focuses more on the strained relations between Shadow and Knuckles. Rouge acts as a mediator and tries to get them to play nice, and you can easily read it as “I just want my best friend and my boyfriend to get along for, like, ten minutes.”

Well...I read it that way, at least. Don’t know about anyone else. Rouge also makes peace with Amy here. These things are necessary for any future Knuxouge/Shadamy double dates, y’know?

It’s got good platonic interactions between Shadow and Knuckles, who have more in common than they’d like to admit. Omega is hilarious again. Rouge is a good friend this time around, which is exactly the kind of Rouge I like to see. The end has a really heartwarming conversation between Knuckles and Amy, too.

Not much Shadamy, but still worth a read. Here’s the link.

That’s all I know about for Archie.

IDW has one or two interactions, but Sega’s put such strict mandates on Shadow’s portrayal that Ian Flynn doesn’t like writing him in IDW, so he doesn’t include Shadow often. It’s a damn shame, too, because IDW Amy is great. Love her.

I’m still only 8 issues in. I do know of a couple panels where they show up together later, though I don’t know the context. First off, she almost runs him over at the start of issue #33:

To an outsider, Rouge seems like she’s being sarcastic, but...no. This really IS nice for IDW Shadow, especially considering Amy almost ran him over. He’d snap at most people for that. Notice how he’s civil to Amy but doesn’t even acknowledge Rouge, who’s supposed to be his...*checks notes*...best friend. And she doesn’t seem surprised. Yeah, we’ve fallen pretty far from Archie Shadow:

(To be clear, I photoshopped Amy in there. She fits pretty well, though, doesn’t she?)

Ian Flynn clearly knows how to write this guy, so I don’t know why Sega won’t let him do his thing. I’m still holding out hope that the third movie will nail Shadow’s character the way the second one did for Knuckles. Maybe then Sega could see the value of a more nuanced Shadow. It could happen, right?

The only other bit I know is this panel from issue #36:

I mean...I’m not quite in the camp of “Shadow is definitely in love with Amy” yet, but...if he’s not jealous, then what is this reaction? ;)

[erstwhilesparrow]

trying to put some thoughts in order. under the cut for length.

0: soulmates as straightforward romantic trope

i mean, i get it. sometimes i get sad and go read the sappiest, shippiest, fluffiest fic i can find and it does help. (and yeah, i know it's more complicated than that sometimes but this isn't the point.) it'd be really fucking nice if there was someone out there 'meant for you'. convenient. a little less lonely. someone who gets it when no one else does. someone you can be sure of. someone you can pour your whole heart into, knowing you're doing exactly what you're meant to.

1: soulmates as assigned seating

no frills or bells. you meet them and you know and that's it. what you do with that information is entirely up to you. is it any different from group project assignments handed out by a teacher? is it any different from meeting a person and deciding you like them enough to stick around? what undeniable truth can mark something as ephemeral as a relationship? is it nice just to have someone or something else make the choice for you? would you have even looked at each other without the prompting? did you fail to look at others because you were not prompted? do you wish it was someone else but resign yourself to this anyway because it's not like it matters, you don't have to choose to stick with them? does that become half the reason you're still here, because you could still leave any day now?

2: soulmates as unwelcome imposition

a reaction to an unpleasant intrusion on your life. something binds you to them, and it doesn't feel right or good or any of the things soulmate is supposed to mean when people tell you about those. can you get rid of it? if it can, what does it mean that something supposed to tie you together forever can be removed? if it can't, can you love someone when given no choice? what can you hold on to that is solely your own, once a relationship begins to define you? where do you fit into the worlds of people who are not bothered? do you overcorrect in the other direction and hurt someone who did not mean to inflict this on you? are you being less harsh than you should be because you have been told this is supposed to be good, because you know what it will look like? what will you be made to do to "make up for it"? what evidence will you have to collect to prove you don't want or need this?

3: soulmates as unforgiving want

that thing where you don't realize you're hungry until you're presented with food, but with a whole person, and there is no satisfying that particular hunger. did they meet you and find you lacking? are you somehow lacking because you cannot be sated by what has been given to you? or is it instead that it is supposed to wear on you like this? would you have been this discomfited if it had never been pointed out to you what you could have had? how do you moderate your expectations back to "reasonable", if such a thing exists when it comes to soulmates? will any relationship you have after this measure up now that you know the depth and intensity of feeling you are capable of? have you ruined every pleasure you could experience by indulging too much here? have you ruined it for yourself by refusing to take? does it really get worse the longer you hold back? are you refusing to let go, to let time soothe this ache for you?

4: soulmates as unremarkable prologue

it works. it's good, actually. it's how you met. no preconceptions, only both your futures ahead of you. is this better than all of your previous relationships? what makes it better? would you call any of those previous relationships "real" love now? who did you leave behind in going through with this? do you wish you could have had this sooner? would you rather have had them all your life? is all of this more real because you followed the rules? what might have happened if you had pushed in any direction other than the one you were meant to? could you have done this with another person, a different one that no one chose except you? are you relieved to have the uncertainty taken away from you? do you feel there is another uncertainty about how willing you would have been to care for this person if you hadn't started this relationship knowing? are you going to ask your soulmate these questions? what are you relying on to keep the two of you together?

5: soulmates as pretty veneer

it looks like it works. maybe for a little while it even does. but something's going wrong, though it wouldn't look it from the outside. can you pin it down, to the day, to the hour, to the second? can there be a satisfaction to seeing clearly your coming end? can true love of the kind you were told stories of be like a chain? were you kind of expecting it to be? does true love go sour in that way, or were you always faking it? are you faking it now? are you faking it well enough? is it a kind of love still, to look the enemy of your enemy in the eyes and agree to their proposal? do you understand the shape of your mutual adversary? are you too busy making it all look right so you can finally get that happiness you were promised? do you believe it, when other people say they want what you have? do you believe that they could? do you believe it could have ever worked out? does believing anything help with the reality of it?

6: soulmates as open wounds

you can't forget them; you aren't allowed to. the mark it leaves on you is obvious, and the absence of your other half even more so. does being told you were born incomplete make it so? is there really something wrong with you? does being hurt by something meant to help mean you're the one who failed? is there something to fail? in what ways do people find themselves indelibly bound to one another for the worse? is it better than forgetting, than being forgotten? does defiance come easier from this? is this punishment for defiance? what do the people who look at you say about that visible absence? will you look past them to something outside their concerns? is there anything out there? is this safer in its consistency?

7: soulmates as puppets that can see their own strings

the question is not one of circumstance or of compatibility or of care. the question is structural, is composed of people pressing buttons and flicking levers in a system where they will never see the end result. does it need to be two? does it need to be love? are any of the words you're using to describe this relationship necessary to talking about what is happening to you? how deeply embedded in romance is the language around relationships? does this simplify aspects of your navigation around and into each other's lives? does it smooth away important nuances? do you find yourself wishing for uglier words to describe this situation? do you find those words? do you find the script? do you recognize it for what it is, or will you keep playing the role it sets out for you? what story ends up getting told here? what does it mean for you?

[storfulsten]

Whitty And Bf Personality Swap? Lovely Art By The Way, Truly Inspiring. ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

hm I guess k, not feeling the most creative but here lol

idk lol

mostly based on this bc idk thought the vibes looked fitting in theory lmao:

[yangsbandana]

since i'm here i'm also wondering about the jabberwalker of it all. looks like it's going to be fighting at least Yang in the next episode,,, which reminds me of the still-unanswered question about how yang came to fight it in the first episode? it seems to be searching for something,,, did it attack yang because it thinks yang might have what it is searching for? while it seemed to consider attacking neo, it didn't ultimately make any aggressive moves,,,, did yang have some reason to attack it first? i'd be curious if in the next episode the jabberwalker ends up being a general kind of antagonist or if it does end up having to do a bit more with whatever yang has going on this volume.

my real guess is that it will be a more general antagonist connected to neo in an ongoing way,,,,, but in my wackiest, shippiest mindset i like entertaining the baseless idea that it's searching for a heart or soul that knows what it's like to feel loved (connecting to what jinxy asked from yang) and that whatever encounter they're gonna have with the jabberwalker in episode 5 will somehow play into beevelopments,,,

gonna throw a v9 prediction out there just because it feels plausible. we've seen the everafter begin to rain twice now when ruby is feeling strongly about penny's loss. i suspect we'll see the return of both jaune and penny's blade (round 2) in the episode tomorrow based on the trailer. seems likely to me that ruby may learn about the full story of penny's death and potentially bring about a very, VERY powerful storm in response leading to some of the cloudy situations we've seen elsewhere in the op and the trailer.

also bumbleby kiss

[vic-chaos]

I’m gonna reply to a couple of asks all in one go here just so I don’t fill people’s dashboards too much!!

(re: my recent post) Yeah this is a good point actually!! I forgot about Marjorine haha, it’s interesting that they liked him when they didn’t know it was him. Or well, they didn’t like him at first but they managed to reconcile and then have fun together. So maybe something like that could happen with regular Butters, for them to change their minds about him...

My favourite scene from awesom-o is Cartman eating toothpaste in the bathroom, even though its not a buttman moment its SO funny 😭😭😭 like it really is up there as one of the funniest moments in the whole show for me jdjgsdjfgjsdfgjdf

Also YESSS there’s so much otp fuel in that episode 🙏 I'm obsessed with how awesom-o sounds and acts exactly like Cartman, and Butters is instantly like "oh for some reason I love him more than anything in the world" pleaseeee....

But now that I’m thinking of their shippiest episodes....... it’s hard to pick just one bc there’s like 4 or 5 that are impossible to choose from lmao?? My personal fav buttman episode is actually let them eat goo, its kind of average/mediocre plot wise etc. but they behave like SUCH a married couple throughout the entire thing its legit just a buttman fluff fanfic lmao 😭 super fun time does come a very close second too though.

This is an interesting hc omg......... I think I like, semi-agree with you?? Stephen is definitely the kind of person who would be more relieved to see Butters having a friend than caring about what kind of person that friend was or whether they’re a good influence, which is probably why he hasn’t tried to stop him from spending so much time with Cartman lmao. He only seems to have a fairly surface level understanding of Butters’ life and his personality/friends/interests etc because he doesn’t really pay attention to much other than when he’s looking for random things to punish him for.

Stephen is also... hmm.... I want to say less homophobic than he’s usually characterised in fanon, but maybe its just in different ways?? For instance I don’t think he’d ever kick Butters out of the house or beat him up specifically for being gay, which are all things I see super commonly in fic. I can understand why people go for this so often bc of the drama it provides, but it just doesn’t feel so in character to me?

The most glaring example of homophobia from him is obviously sending Butters to that conversion camp, so I think his worst possible reaction would be something else along those lines again, eg. taking him to talk to someone from the church or whatever to try and 'help' him. But this also seems unlikely to me since he supposedly learned why he was wrong at the end of the ep. If I remember right he does scold Butters for “getting gay with his friend” in the ungroundable (the way its always Cartman he’s doing these things with jjdsfjsjdfsdfjsdf 😭) but its a much milder reaction in comparison.

My own hc is like..... since he’s developed as the show has gone on he cares a lot more about appearances now and he wants people in town and the other parents to think he’s progressive. So he would probably make a weird attempt at being accepting, but do it really badly because despite being gay/bi himself, the way he thinks about same sex attraction is still totally backwards. I think he would have a hard time taking the relationship “seriously”? Like, he’d be okay with Butters having a boyfriend but he’d act like it’s just a phase that he’s gonna move on from, and would still expect him to eventually settle down with some nice girl and have a typical nuclear family. To follow in his own footsteps basically.

I don’t know if millionaire (/money in general) would matter at all.... but I do agree with you in how his approval would be different when it was just a boyfriend vs. something as serious as wanting to get married.

Maybe he’d be able to understand and accept it in time, but I think there would definitely be loads of internal family tension and arguments over it. Plus Cartman has a bad temper and 0 patience for anybody, so they’d probably butt heads a lot. Semi-related but I still can’t believe they robbed us of that scene with the two of them arguing in the pandemic special trailer 😭 I’m so desperate to see some kind of conflict between them LMAO.... I love Stephen being genuinely scared for a second there jsdjfsjdfgjdfg

OK LAST ASK I’m so sorry to anyone still reading for how long this is getting, I just have so many thoughts ghsdjksd 😭

Jsksjdkskdks anon you are gonna get us both in trouble with all of those people who insist buttman is irredeemably problematic and evil, and the (entirely different people somehow?) who think you can't ship it unless you accept that it's inherently toxic otherwise you're just denying reality. "Reality" here being their subjective interpretation of the show of course lmao.

Personally - my own subjective interpretation here lmao - I genuinely don't see their current friendship in canon as toxic. I think they've reached a point of mutual trust and communication that's legit good for both of them, and I do think they absolutely have the potential to be in a healthy relationship (at least as much as is possible with Cartman) though they do have a deeply problematic and abusive past of course, I think it's developed past that point now.

I think buttman has a reputation as a generally kind of messed up relationship, which IS rightfully earned. But there's also like you said a surprising amount of sweetness to it that doesn't get acknowledged as often?? And yes to them always coming back to each other 🥺❤ I love how unexpectedly soft they can be with each other, especially like you said in comparison to how horrible the world of sp is, but also with how little of that kind of connection they both have elsewhere in their lives. In a lot of ways they’re two very traumatised kids helping each other heal, which is something I love exploring a lot.

And the fact that they’ve managed to come so far over the years too, and create something genuine out of their relationship the longer they spent together........ jsjdfskfds they may be a bit insane but they both found someone perfect for them.......

[ichayalovesyou]

El Hotel De Los Secretos Ep. 12 Reaction

We now return to Julio spewing some absolutely vile but true shit about the Alarcón family at the only living member who isn’t acting freaking awful toward him. Luckily he has Andrés holding him back. Honestly neither of those boys should be going anywhere without the other, inevitably they do stupid shit or have bad things happen to them when separated, case and point? This!

Losing my mind that no matter how prickly and destructive Julio gets Andrés refuses to choose anything other than kindness, than to heal him, than to persist. “Let’s patch the wounds on your body because the wounds on your soul…” I’m gonna lose it!! Julio is throwing an absolute tantrum and all that’s doing is letting Andrés see how badly Julio needs help I can’t DO this 😭😭😭

That being said at least Andrés has the good sense to step away. Seriously tho “I bet you’re glad [Isabel and I] are more than 40 centimeters apart now!” As he pulls himself apart from Andrés is such an UGH. It could be interpreted so many goddamn ways hnnn the queer lense is strong with this one! AGH the gay it hurts!! “Let’s just go to our room, please.” Before he finally gives up and let’s Julio burn himself out? OWW! HELLO??? Is anybody else reading into this?! 👀🔥🔥🔥😫😵‍💫🏳️‍🌈

No… NO! NO!! That’s not real?!?!! That’s some actual fan fiction bullshit! What happened Andrés?? Couldn’t bear another night staring at Julio’s empty bed even though you know he’s at least physically safe and not dead in a ditch somewhere? So you went back to the kitchen, calling him an idiot and HEA in his mostly unconscious state feebly attempts to help you CARRY him back to y’all’s dorm?! Is this REAL??? Oh my god oh my GOD WHAT?! We’re just gonna cross fade to the morning somewhere else after that?! HELLO???

Ah we are back to Chef Lupe struggling to be a good single dad and trying to tell Jacinto trying to explain to his son love isn’t only suffering. Like the teen he is blames Lupe for his mom being gone (guessing she didn’t die) but Lupe still thinks highly of her so like, who knows what the deal is with Lupe’s wife??? Man, it’s in the name of the show but damn EVERYBODY has got secrets around here.

Isabel hiding from Diego in Matilde’s room as she SHOULD. Matilde is all like “you like him don’t you” and she looks her dead in the eyes and tells her “We Are Just Friends” and honestly? Good for her (even if there’s some denial there)!! Definitely not gonna lose it over the fact that Matilde says “I hope you’re right for your sake, whoever gets involved with that waiter will need an endless amount of love to face such rage” as if Andrés didn’t just ‘face such rage’ then carry Julio to bed TWO SCENES AGO! It’s really not just the onscreen chemistry that’s making this shit feel gay, it’s the frickin narrative! I love it!! 😍

“Good morning” Julio says like a kicked puppy “there’s nothing good about it, I couldn’t sleep last night because of you!” OKAY we’re just gonna leave this here. Andrés it’s okay to say “I love you I was worried about you” DAMNIT why are they like this?! I’m gonna eat my teeth about these two idiots, istg this has been THE shippiest episode since episode since they were both walking on air about being reunited in ep.8 fr fr

Oh boy, Mercedes and Felipe are finally getting in trouble with their parents about their little escapades. Now it seems that Elisa (Alfredo’s mother) is missing?? Belén is already using her new position to get a room to herself back, I assume she was sharing with Victoria up until just now after Elisa got here.

Okay not to be Like That but I KNEW IT! I knew Andrés’s whole thing had very to actually do with Belén and mostly to do with really, REALLY wanting to be a dad and not letting that baby (or Belén) to go through the same trauma he and his mother did. He’s also apparently been told his dad was a soldier and died in the war and god this kid has such a complicated relationship with masculinity.

It’s also kinda sad really because Andrés isn’t actively being like, directly sexist, but also it’s 1908. Honey, there’s more to a relationship than being physically attracted to your wife/fiancé and her being the mother of your kid. Now granted Belén isn’t really letting it be anything other than that (because she doesn’t love him either) and that’s such a ‘young kid whose never been in a relationship in their life’ mistake. You have relationships with people of both genders that are closer to what you’re looking for baby she ain’t it! This ain’t gonna fix your daddy issues!! Bitches be out here playing house…

Oh okay LUPE was eavesdropping so now I’m starting to think maybe, is he??? Does he have a thing for Ángela cuz, uhhhhhhh 👀 the way he shoos away Benjamin all protectively that was, hmmm 🤔

Elisa wants to take Sofia to an obstetrician ohhhhh BOY 😬 now Teresa and Doctor Lazaro Vicario (what a cool name, up there with Serapio Ayala) are conspiring to make sure Sofía is not removed from the Hotel at all. Teresa has offered to “keep him company” very flirtatiously among the other things she’s offering him. Listen I hate both of these people but also Evil Couples are inherently sexy and I’d totally be here for that if they’re implying what I think they are 👀

Okay okay okay so Ayala is informing Dagoberto that Julio’s tattoo is from a high security prison reserved for violent offenders who are considered enemies of the state?! Julio is a convict??? Okay okay okay LORE 🌙 (also Werewolf!Julio is so real in my brain now lmfao).

In this show we don’t say I love you we say “I don’t mind if you get me in trouble” apparently. Andrés do you understand how fully and totally Insane you and Julio are about each other I mean, like, seriously?! Y’all have known each other for less than a month and You Are Like This? Hello?? Ffs this bitches gay, good for them good for them.

Every time part of me goes “well maybe somehow and some point maybe Belén has just a tiny lil’ smidge of genuine care for Andrés in her own deeply fucked up way” but then she goes and calls Andrés a fool to Diego while flirting and making out with him as he puts her raise on the record books and then I go “Nevermind I Am Going To Fucking Kill Her 😀” my loathing for Señorita Belén Aguará García knows no fucking bounds for reasons that are much tmi but it’s FINE.

Nooooo now that’s just fucked, Melinda is kicking the shot out of poor pregnant Violeta, Jacinto saves the day thank god. I hope she didn’t kill the baby because I mean, that’s fucking awful obviously. Violeta baby I hope whatever happens you end up somewhere better than here cuz this shot is ROCK. BOTTOM. You know what, maybe I take back what I said, Jacinto’s got a good head on his shoulders, probably

Wow Victoria (Elisa’s pastel pink guard dog) will really just flirt with ANYONE huh? First Pascual, then the new desk guy, and now Natalia! I wonder what Elisa meant by “do what we agreed?” That was ominous as hell. Natalia is honestly terrible with secrets (like Andrés) and just let slip Ángela was there when Sofia fell, hopefully this doesn’t come back to bite the poor dear!

Wow! Doctor Vicario may be aligned with Teresa (which makes him fucking shady and maybe even evil in my book) but he’s surprisingly not sexist for the times! I mean he’s STILL sexist but like, comparatively (kinda like Andrés y’know)? He even calls Isabel his colleague. Although I do have to wonder if he’s doing that specifically to maneuver Isabel into trusting him so that she gives him the benefit of the doubt when he inevitably dies shady shit for Teresa later? 🤔

Yet another interlude of Felipe and Mercedes being insane and horny for each other, this time with window climbing like it’s a teen movie from the 80s! Back to Ayala getting the Lore on Julio! Ohhh okay, so he’s one of the ringleaders of the Cananea riots (looking THAT up later). He’s not only a convict but an escaped one! Ayala pls don’t go ACAB on me (I have a feeling he won’t, he’s a smart guy, not just smart but wise, and the wise hate the rich because THAT is good sense).

Jacinto is having Dr. Vicario save Violeta! Vicario is helping her without question. Hey maybe I misjudged Vicario too, if nothing else he’s willing to lie for patients but he seems to want to help people idk idk he’s interesting, there’s a lot of conflicting facts about him laced together and I am Intrigued by this cagey but nice doctor 👀

So the file on Julio Olmedo says that he wasn’t a political agitator but killed an American Ranger who was trying to control the riot he was part of! That he died before he came to the prison did Julio fake his death?? I hope that doesn’t mean he lied to Andrés about his worried mom (probably not). But also… WHAT?!

Oh right, Julio got picked to serve Diego and Isabel’s little surprise romantic dinner… AWKWARD. 😂😬 ooooof.

[ineffable-endearments]

Blah blah blah more future talk don't read if you don't wanna see discussion about S2 and A Hypothetical Season 3.

Might revise this a little bit as I think about it.

So if I'm correct and the overall story structure is meant to be a three-act structure, delineated here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-act_structure then there are some more guesses I could maybe make about the story.

First of all, each season obviously has to have its own arc. For example, season 1 clearly is its own standalone story. The novel is a standalone story, but they also couldn't be sure there would be a sequel. But then the arcs in each season probably come together to make a larger, overarching arc. In this sense, you could maybe say that the total trilogy would be something like nine acts. But each trio of acts becomes its own singular act. Whatever, I think you get it.

I think that larger, overarching arc could possibly be a gentle suggestion about the place of humanity in a creation where "higher powers" exist. If we phrase it as a "yes" or "no" question, there are a few ways it can go, and I'm probably missing a bunch.

Is there any real way for humanity to survive in a universe where we're the weakest life forms? Or, more simply put, can humanity survive both Heaven and Hell?

Can Aziraphale and Crowley's peaceful existence last, even if the powers that be decide they've had enough of it?

If angels and demons were "meant" to guide humans toward good or evil, then is there a place for them in the universe if they stop doing so?

Can angels and demons adjust to the idea that maybe they don't have to enact any sort of Plan?

Can Hell be abolished?

Can a soul, human or otherwise, leave Hell once it's there?

Can the angelic and demonic, or any sort of opposites, coexist permanently?

If predestination is real, is there any way to break out of it?

I'm saying these are questions I see being explored because act one essentially is establishing everything about the universe of Good Omens. Then, Crowley drops a big bomb on us for the second time: "For my money, the really big one is gonna be all of us against all of them." What????? Oh nvm let's go have lunch :) But the fact that Crowley brought that up suggests that the series' central question will continue to involve humanity and Heaven and Hell.

If we go by the notions suggested on the Wikipedia page, then act one set up a lot of important stuff, but culminated in, basically, this one question that can be posed a number of ways.

And act two is going to be full of escalation of that question.

I still think the amnesiac angel could be Ligur-returned-to-his-pre-fall-state. It could also be a different angel, or it could be an entirely new character (a very sensible move and a common one in sequels; look at how new witches start to feature in the Tiffany Aching novels even as the core characters remain consistent). But it would be incredibly cool if it was Ligur because I don't know, I just like the idea. I liked Ligur and I love the idea that there is literally, objectively no meaningful difference between demons and angels besides perhaps what they believe about themselves, so a demon brought "back to life" is literally just an angel. There would also be the idea that before Heaven and Hell were "invented" as such, a "dead" immortal being would instead just...lose something, I guess, maybe get sort of moldy out of a sense of having been defeated, but would not disappear like a dead human body does.

Casting Ariyon Bakare also wouldn't actually give anything away, because before we know the story, we can't assume that he isn't just playing Ligur's demon form in flashbacks or time travel sequences. Even when the story starts, the amnesiac angel is going to present us with a mystery, apparently, so we could find out the angel is Ligur in the first minute of the show and then immediately be presented with another mystery to chase, possibly because of a message he delivers or an object he has or any number of things. And that's not even considering the wardrobe department's potential ability to disguise people.

Anyway, Wikipedia says there's probably a core question that ties the whole series together, and there's a whole universe of fascinating questions out there.

Also, while this doesn't look like the shippiest of scenarios on its surface, the implications for Aziraphale and Crowley now that they've chosen to side with humanity are really intense.

[nzvalley]

Rewatching some Star Trek: Enterprise

It’s been a long time since I have done one of these posts. What I kind of expected to happen did happen: once I hit season 3 and saw the network meddling, Trip/T’Pol, and the radical shift in tone of the series, it was hard to keep going. But I’m hoping to power through this season, and get to the much improved fourth season.

Just to remind anyone who is here for the first time. I’m doing a rewatch/analysis around the Archer/T’Pol friendship/partnership/relationship, based on my favorite episodes. I will be focusing on them, because that’s the aspect of the show in which I’m more interested.

Catch up on my previous rewatch posts here!

There will also be spoilers, not just for this episode but for the whole show.

Twilight (3x08)

Even though this is easily the shippiest episode for Archer/T’Pol, this isn’t one I automatically turn on when I’m doing a rewatch.

In part, it’s just too sad to rewatch frequently. Partly because it gets total forgotten with no impact on canon. It’s also just an annoying reminder of when the show and these characters were in a much better place.

However, it’s a really great episode overall and for Archer/T’Pol. It reminds the audience of how devoted T’Pol is to Archer specifically, calling back to T’Pol’s speech to Archer before following him into the Expanse. It feels out of place to the rest of the season, like it could have been written before the network mandates.

Just next episode (“Similitude”) we get a T/T’P plot that is equally a standout episode, but which is fully in everybody’s memories and has lasting impacts on the season. This contrast illustrates the suddenly differing priorities of this season.

Up until now, it’s worth reminding, the backbone of the show was how the relationship between Archer and T’Pol (and Shran!) shaped the formation of the Federation. But even in the worst of times, there seems to be a contingent in the writers room who still felt as strongly about Archer/T’Pol as they did in the first two seasons.

The start hooks you in immediately, with Archer’s confusion mirroring our own. Archer stumbles (shirtless!) into Captain T’Pol’s bridge. Seeing T’Pol commanding in her own right is so cool.

After the frantic and engaging teaser, we get a massive time jump. A gray-haired Archer wakes and makes his way through a home he doesn’t remember. He finds a devoted… caretaker… whose effort he can’t fully appreciate yet.

The altered dynamic immediately apparent between Archer and T’Pol, and the obvious changes in her look and demeanor, set the tone for the rest of the episode. Jolene Blalock is amazing as usual. She can play any version of T’Pol. There are great performances throughout, especially by Jolene and Scott.

Pretty much everything in this episode, barring the initial crisis itself and T’Pol’s accident, aren’t canon. As far as I can tell, not even the main two remember the alternate timeline, except maybe on an unconscious level. It’s one of those stories that gets completely stricken from the record, which is why it’s hard to fully appreciate.

Archer saving T’Pol at his own expense reminds the audience of how much he cares. Although it gets erased T’Pol repays that sacrifice in turn, devoting her life to his care.

Phlox’s dedication to finding a cure for Archer, and his overall concern, is another aspect of this episode that’s awesome. For me, the trio of Arhcer/T’Pol/Phlox was always the most interesting.

This episode shows one nearly concrete future where the Xindi win, showing how fragile the mission remains. The slow reveal of how complete the Xindi victory was, and the fragility of their settlement, is nice. This storyline was ahead of its time. Just a few years later BSG told a similar story, though much better and in a much-expanded manner.

Jolene does a good job, but has to explain so much story in so little time. This story seems like it should have been given more time to breathe, like it should’ve played out over 3 or 4 episodes. At least one more!’

T’Pol and Soval always have great scenes.

T’Pol: I won’t leave them. Soval: Them? Or Him?

T’Pol reiterates her choice of Archer and the humans over her own species, much as she did when initially choosing to join the mission to the Expanse.

T’Pol reveals she knows Archer’s deepest secrets now, even the proposal that was rejected because Margaret Mullen didn’t want to become a Starfleet widow. Has T’Pol made herself into a kind of Starfleet widow?

“Our relationship has… evolved over the years.”

Future Phlox is looking sharp. T’Pol’s hope about the treatment shines through.

Captain Tucker! Malcolm’s goatee!

Given the seeming romantic bias of the writer, it’s not all that surprising Trip/T’Pol sours pretty quickly in this timeline. Not only did T’pol and Trip’s dalliance fall apart, but they have seemingly stayed apart for years. T’Pol and her concern continues to follow Archer.

I may have missed similar instances before, but T’Pol’s casual, intimate, comforting touch in private is so cute. And a great visual indicator of how much T’Pol has grown. Archer seems on the verge of broaching the topic of the intimacy when he starts, “If this works…”

T’Pol once again turns down a chance to leave Archer’s side, even after he has seemingly healed.

Phlox: I understand I may have a passenger on my voyage home T’Pol: I’m remaining at the settlement for the time being. He may need my help during his recovery. Phlox: Have you told the Captain how you feel about him? It’s obvious you’ve become quite attached.

The blitz of exposition from Phlox and T’Pol to Trip about changing the past… there’s just so much going on in this episode. This story needed at least one more episode… Or maybe this could have been the plot to an Enterprise movie. Which still could work, given that the narrative necessitates the actors be older for most of it.

General Shran!

The bridge is gone. There are so many intense and devastating moments here… and then it all gets totally erased! Ugh.

Archer remains self-sacrificing to the end, deciding to just blow himself up if that’ll destroy the parasites. Ultimately saving the timeline through the same impulse that set it astray in the first place. He tries to get Phlox and T’Pol to save themselves, but they remain as steadfastly loyal as they have ever been. I love these three so much!

All three die carrying through the mission to the end. Phlox, then T’Pol, then Archer. Archer and T’Pol fall together and are laying together when this timeline comes to and end. The closest the ship ever came to being canon… and poof it’s gone.

There’s a tag at the end that’s real, with T’Pol admonishing Archer that he should have left her in the hallway accident that initially debilitated him. This calls back to her similar claim after her experiences on the Selaya. Archer, who has been isolating himself and becoming more ruthless, reverts back to his old self when it comes to T’Pol.

T’Pol: You could have been seriously injured. I told you to leave me behind. Archer: Fortunately, I don’t take orders from you. T’Pol: I believe you wanted to see this? Archer: Rosemary’s Baby? T’Pol: You were obviously looking forward to it. And since you’re not going to be able to attend tonight… Archer: Thanks.

T’Pol is always there for her Captain, whatever the situation! But the second half of the scene kind of ruins the sentiment. For as good as the rest of the episode is, this end scene is muddled in terms of what tone the writer was going for. I don’t think the actors quite got it either. It seems like Archer repays T’Pol’s kindness by being a brat. And when he drops a ‘nurse’ line… do they remember on some level? Or was that just for the audience? Either way, it’s a weirdly comedic end to a heart-wrenching and emotional episode.