#that’s my emotional support mcu show

[buildoblivion]

I miss moon knight :(

[21loveatfirstsight]

My ted talk about Rio Vidal

Facts that we can’t or won’t deny:

She is the MCU incarnation of Death.

She is Agatha’s ex (wife).

Now let’s talk about her characteristics and behavior in Agatha All Along.

Episode 1: She shows nothing but love for Agatha when she “visits”.

We now know that Agatha gets a different version of what people say to her, or sometimes none at all or people stays silent but she gets a response in her version, only dialogue with pure, strong emotions come through; so maybe all of Rio’s dialogues are not completely what it seems. I assume all the dialogues about the case is the spelled version, or Agatha self-inserted dialogues to keep her in the “detective” persona; so let’s talk about some that seems out of place or have double meaning, because I think some of it actually get through the spell:

If you want to be in control, you can be + Is this really how you see yourself? Rio is showing support, encouragement, or at least that is how Agatha interprets it.

That’s not why I came over. I think this line got changed a bit to fit the scenario, but it still carries some of Rio’s intention, which is to break Agatha out of Wanda’s spell (to kill, marry, kiss her).

Do you remember why you hate me? This line may get delivered in a different tone in reality (Rio laughing, mockingly says it maybe).

Are you hiding evidence + Well, you’re only lying to yourself. This seems out of place. The reality version could be: are you hiding something from me (thought? Sus af).

These out of place lines show Rio caring about Agatha, or it could mean that’s how Agatha interprets Rio. Nonetheless, if they decided to show Rio’s pov, I will get back to this.

There’s nothing that needs to be said about the morgue scene, except maybe Rio stays and watches her ex-wife put on a show for her, lmao (I need someone to draw her making money rain as Agatha distressingly get out of the spell).

I suspect the painting has something to do with their past. I will wait for more information.

Yes, I know she came at Agatha all stabby stabby after Agatha woke up, but let’s be honest, that could just be how Death expresses love. And her words in this conversation also shows caring and love, it’s only Agatha expressed hatred toward her.

Also, I rewatched episode 1 and now just realize Billy witness all that domestic chaos bet them, yikes (kinda feel lucky that he can’t read their mind, because damn, that’ll definitely be something).

Episode 4: This is the episode that explores their dynamic the most.

Agatha knew Rio doesn’t belong in the coven, she can’t be part of any coven. But to show up in front of her now, she looks extremely angry and upset at Rio.

In the trials, apart from Agatha tricking Rio into saying “get my bodies”, I found 2 interesting exchanges between them.

Agatha told Rio “No”. She knows Rio’s identity, so I think she thinks Rio is here to collect someone’s soul (at the time, it’s “Teen” who she suspects being Nicholas).

Agatha told Rio “You’re too early”. Given the new trailer having Alice look alive and well, with that dialogue, maybe witches won’t die within the trials, everyone will come back at the ends or the last trial and that’s when things go batshit crazy and Lady Death comes to collect “her bodies” (could possible that’s how Agatha and Rio met too).

Now, let’s talk about the moment Billy is injured.

Agatha is panicked and upset, and she is showing it. When she told Rio “Don’t” (take him away again!), Rio changes from silently watching the witches fussing to slightly surprised, and then her eyes look down at Billy, look at Agatha like she is thinking something. She knows who Billy is, and now with how Agatha behaves, she knows Agatha actually thinks he’s Nicholas and cares about him. That can’t be good. So now she has to do what she hates: hurt Agatha, aka telling her the truth, which is like taking Nicholas from Agatha all over again. And what annoying the most is that she is the only one knowing and Agatha will trust with that kind of information.

There is nothing needed to explore about the “She’s my scar” scene, lol. So let’s dissect the hug scene. That hug is Agatha expresses her gratitude to Rio (for not taking her son), Rio takes a moment to enjoy it but she has to stop at the almost-kiss. Because she knows, if they kissed, Agatha will hate her more after she knows Billy’s identity. Better to rip off that band-aid early, right? Rio’s face after is showing that she still dislikes it though.

Episode 5: She is at her best, chaotic evil entity who is in love with Agatha.

I mean, she really enjoys Agatha’s trial at first, because she likes to see strangers trying to torture Agatha (like they possibly can anyway, lol). But the moment Evanora shows up, her demeanor changes. Yes, strangers can hurt Agatha, because they can barely scrape the surface even if they throw everything they have in. And Agatha can do what she does best, trick them into handling over their power, and Rio gets the bodies. Not to mention Rio can see Agatha’s emotions if those witches can poke through the bear (their relationship is so poisoned, i love it). But not the MIL, because Agatha will actually become vulnerable, which Rio won’t absolutely allow. Because that will hit Agatha deep, and that will make her fall, and Rio will lose her.

Also there is a small scene where Agatha climbs out of the trial, Rio’s look and music is kinda strange. Let’s wait to see what they will show us.

I won’t look past how Rio mysteriously disappears whenever the coven is in crisis, maybe being Death, she can’t intervene with what decides the fate of the coven.

[percheduphere]

I'm kinda curious, especially since a lot of people have very different views on this: How do you think Loki and Mobius would be in an actual, official, romantic relationship? I kinda think they would keep doing what they're doing but I don't really know what level of romantic stuff they would do. They're already pretty physically affectionate, but would they do that in public since both of 'em are pretty secretive about their normal emotion? They compliment each other but would they use things like honey and dear in a serious way? Etc. So...How do you think this time couple would be like?

I adore this ask because all my headcanons about Loki and Mobius being in an established relationship are SOFT. The best part is, canon supports this.

While I do agree that Loki and Mobius's dynamic will continue the way it has been, I also think a certain level of emotional intensity will be brought into the mix, increasing their general chemistry in front of others ten-fold. The banter, the idea spit-balling, the lack of personal space, the smiles, laughs, and long gazes ... imagine all of that dialed up. Loki loves as hard as he hates and is a hedonistic show off. Mobius has loved Loki since Day 1 and repressed his feelings for long enough. Are they really going to be reserved around each other once they're securely in a relationship?

No! They will be the most sickeningly lovey-dovey couple in the MCU.

WORDS OF AFFIRMATION

S1 had Mobius advocating for and complimenting Loki in private and in front of others. S2 had Loki reciprocating. It is not hard to imagine them becoming fiercely protective of one another on and off the field. Cross one, the other is crossed. They are a two-package deal, and both are vicious when it comes to wielding words on behalf of the other's dignity.

As for terms of endearment, I can imagine Loki calling Mobius "Darling" on spare, particularly emotional occasions. Mobius, on the other hand, still has Don in him. "Sweetheart" and "Honey" are very in-character pet names he would use. Both reserve usage of these names in private as Loki hates blushing in front of others, though Mobius has a tendency to slip when he's multitasking at work.

PHYSICAL TOUCH

The hug in S1E5 seems to have opened the door for physical affection come S2E1. Loki and Mobius (especially Mobius) touch one another with affection, attentiveness, and protectiveness on instinct. Despite not being romantically involved in S2, they move around one another the way two lovers in a small kitchen might. Once in a relationship, they will continue to do this but certain gestures will hold more meaning, in particular: holding hands.

One of Mobius's first gestures of kindness, which Loki initial rejected, was a handshake in S1E1.

The second time Mobius offers his hand, Loki takes it and uses Mobius's compassion as an opportunity to steal the time twister from his pocket.

Mobius offers another handshake in S1E5, which Loki declines in favor of a heartfelt embrace that he extends to Mobius and Mobius happily accepts.

Physically (and symbolically), Loki and Mobius's relationship was founded on Mobius extending a hand and Loki refusing it, betraying it, and finally taking it. I therefore see them holding hands regularly, every day, because holding onto one another is grounding, comforting, and reminds them of these earlier moments in their relationship that they've overcome together.

As these two are not shy about tight embraces in public, I doubt either would feel shy about chaste kisses either. They are so in-sync and adoring of another that it goes without saying that when they have sex, they make love passionately. They communicate with touching just as much as words, so heteronormative "bottom and top" designations are thrown out the window and into the dumpster (where they belong). How they have sex conveys how they feel about one another in that specific moment.

PDA

Among others, I can see them being nauseatingly sweet. We already know what bystanders look like when they tease and bicker with one another:

And make no mistake that Loki would up the dramatics with PDA just to gross Thor out. Thor making a "barfing gesture" cracks Loki up every time, and Mobius, resigned, goes along with it because who doesn't want to get peppered with kisses?

QUALITY TIME

I haven't seen anyone point this out yet, but it's hilarious to me that S2E3 starts in broad daylight and cuts to evening by the time Loki and Mobius stroll out with cracker jacks in their hands.

Loki looks a little annoyed but he is going along with it for Mobius's sake. Sightseeing at the World's Fair makes Mobius happy, and whatever makes Mobius happy, Loki will indulge even if he's not interested. Like that key lime pie he didn't eat.

If this is their relationship when it's platonic, then be ready for Mobius to take date night very seriously.

Dinner and a night at the opera? Naturally.

Eating pastries and drinking coffee while people-watching in Paris? Absolutely.

Biking side-by-side along the Dutch Coastal Route in the Netherlands? Of course!

Mobius will take care of all the planning and Loki will enjoy sharing new experiences together. On (frequent) occasion, Mobius will surprise Loki by choosing an activity he knows Loki will enjoy, such as visiting an ancient library or perusing fine clothes at a bazaar.

Point being, these two have always enjoyed each other's company and have fun together. In a relationship, they will actively take time out of their schedule to bond more purposefully!

ACTS OF SERVICE

Both Loki and Mobius are strong when it comes to communicating love through acts of service. Where Mobius is a little higher on words of affirmation, I believe Loki is slightly higher here. Loki pays attention to Mobius's interests, habits, and creature comforts. He will commit to memory the exact way Mobius prefers his steaks, sandwiches, salads, and coffee prepared.

Mobius, for his part, will take care of things Loki doesn't like doing. Taking out the garbage? Done. Washing the car and filling it with gas? Did it while you were asleep. Filling out paperwork? Say no more.

Sadly, I don't think either of them have a talent for cooking. Loki grew up with palace servants. Mobius relied on the TVA cafeteria. They will attempt to conquer the kitchen together, but the end result is always either a fire or a flood. It's okay. Loki can name Mobius's top 5 take-out places off the top of his head.

GIFTS

Neither Loki nor Mobius strike me as big on gifts, but when they feel the sentiment, they give one another meaningful things that only they understand.

I think Mobius may be slightly more inclined for gift-giving. He knows what material objects mean most to Loki and why. Loki, meanwhile, might feel challenged in this area. Not for a lack of enthusiasm, mind, but because Mobius doesn't have many material desires beyond a jet ski. Loki would like to think he's more creative than getting Mobius a new one once a year.

In short, Loki and Mobius already engage in the 5 love languages. Being together will only strengthen what they do for one another, much to their friends' longsuffering annoyance.

[stackthedeck]

I've been saying this for years but I've finally found the funniest way to say it, in the MCU Tony Stark isn't so much Peter Parker's father figure as he is his deadbeat dad figure. Like Tony shows up once a year to take Peter to a baseball game kinda vibe. Tony in homecoming is like hey kid I know I haven't seen or spoken to you in months but I bought you something and that's basically the same as emotional support. Tony taking Peter to Germany in civil war is like when your deadbeat dad tells your mom you're having father-son time but he's really just taking you to his guys' poker night and trying to get you to cheat for him. When Tony says you're nothing without the suit then you shouldn't have it, it's like when your dad says if you're not going to follow my rules in my house you can leave, I put a roof over our heads what else could you possibly want from me. Tony mourning Peter after infinity war and calling him his kid is like when your dad only wants to hang out with you after he's lost custody. Like well and truly deadbeat behavior no wonder the fanon is like that

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 22 – MCU

Can't start a fire without a spark by gottalovev

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 36,493 Tags: Medical Issues, Pining, Threesome F/M/M

Summary: The Avengers might be reunited, but they are holding together with a Band-Aid and a severe case of Tony pretending nothing happened. The superficial truce is shattered the day Steve takes control of Tony's suit and forces him to go to medical in a tense situation. When Tony is ordered to take a vacation, Steve volunteers to go with him.

Reasons why I love it: Who doesn't love an angsty road trip to fix a strained relationship? The entire plot is great, but especially the way Steve and Tony eventually tumble into bed together. The steps that lead them there feel so natural, it's really impressive storytelling. Plus, the smut is scorchingly hot. In unrelated news, emotional support Bucky is fantastic. And there are some really cute comic panels interspersed through the fic that I adore. So yeah, I love this fic, and I highly encourage you to read it!

Good For You by youcancallmearrow

Pairing: Steve/Tony, Clint/Bruce Rating: T Words: 41,616 Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Tony Stark Defense Squad, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Steve doesn't understand why Tony dates people who treat him poorly. Tony doesn't understand why Steve cares. The rest is bad choices, good choices, rehab, milkshakes, paintball, YouTube videos, couples therapy and learning to put the past in the past. Or: How Tony finds his happy ending.

Reasons why I love it: This fic is incredibly well-written. I love the friendship between Steve, Natasha and Clint, and how Steve isn't afraid to show everyone that he's a person with opinions that might not fit the goody-two-shoes Captain America persona. And Steve getting initiated into the Tony Stark Protection Squad is so great. We don't get enough of Steve in cahoots with Pepper and Rhodey in this fandom, so I'm really happy that it's included here. Plus, the recovery arc towards the end of the fic is incredibly satisfying after all the angst. It makes me tear up in a few places every time I read it. I adore this fic, and I bet you will too!

Out of Many Waters by Arukou

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 43,904 Tags: PTSD, Hurt Tony, Getting Together

Summary: A freak accident sends Tony and Steve hurtling onto an alien planet. They've only each other for survival, and both have an unfortunate tendency towards monumentally stupid self-sacrifice.

Reasons why I love it: Fuck, the Tony whump in this is excellent. The descriptions of his injuries and his inner monologue regarding them are so well-written that they make my skin crawl in the best way possible. And the reveal of where they actually are is so good, holy shit. Protective Steve is amazing too. This fic is wonderful, and if you haven't read it yet, you should get on that right now!

[gizkasparadise]

also while im here, top dramas of the year ive seen so far (roughly in order)

lost you forever (cdrama)

this is the year of "dramas on paper i hate become immediate most favorite dramas." i was meh or actively disliked a good chunk of the cast before watching it, and wasnt going to bother. tumblr!posts intrigued me and i immediately got hooked. great female lead, great love interests and character development. reverse harem done right!!

moving (kdrama)

i am so sick of superhero shit due to mcu hypersaturation, so this was another one i wasnt going to bother with. but i liked the cast, so i gave it a shot and omg. it's a character study and intergenerational trauma (and intergenerational hope!!) hidden as a superhero movie. the definition of legacy being seeds you plant so your children can see flowers bloom. the family relationships are so good and this show made me cry like 3 times

the glory, part 2

i support women's rights but more importantly i support women's wrongs. a satisfying second half to one of my favorite dramas!

perfect marriage revenge

not even halfway done but i just love it. over the top, extra makjang plot from like 2008 with pocket lint for a budget but executed so well and knows what it's about

upcoming 2023 dramas im excited for

death's game (kdrama)

welcome to samdalri (kdrama)

sweet home season 2!!! (kdrama)

2023 dramas i havent watched yet but got high hopes for

twinkling watermelon

my dearest

story of kunning palace

wonderland of love

call it love

an ancient love song

west out of yumen

2023 biggest letdowns

arthdal chronicles s2. we couldve had it all, and i was excited about recasts. what we got was tedious side plots that took too long, illogical deus ex machinas all over the place, and inconsistent or underused characters. some highlights, but it didnt meet my hype for it :(

worst of evil. incredible ride, dud of an ending

my journey to you. someone will punch me for this, but it was way too slow for me and i couldnt stand the sound/auditory levels for dialogue (everyone. slowly. whispers. everything. all. the. time)

till the end of the moon. LOOK I REALLY LOVED PARTS OF IT. but i hated about the same number of parts and the ending was stupid. a seesaw of emotions.

[random-imagines-blog]

Imagine being a DC actor and getting married to Elizabeth Olsen.

“Therefore, it is my privilege, by the authority given to me by the State of California, to pronounce that you are husband and wife. Y/N, you may now kiss your bride.”

This was really happening. This wasn’t a play, it wasn’t a movie being shot, it wasn’t a television show or a rehearsal. This was real. Your wife, Elizabeth Olsen, was beaming at you, looking more beautiful than she ever had before in her white gown. And you went in for that kiss, wrapping your arms around her and making sure not to let go.

Cheers erupted from both sides of the room. Both filled to the brim with family and celebrities, anyone who didn’t make it into the bridal or the grooms’ party. On Elizabeth’s side was basically the entire cast of the MCU, filling up the benches to capacity. Her own-screen husband, Paul Bettany, was wolf-whistling her marriage to her now in real-life husband, you. And on your side, you had many DC actors - including almost everyone who ever played Batman before you, Gal, Jason, Henry. A full standing ovation for the kiss that a lot of movie geeks on the internet had been bitching and moaning about.

After the ceremony and all of the pictures, it was almost time for the big entrance. You both waited in the hallway, hearing the music coming from the large room. You took hold of your wife’s hands, waiting for the Emcee to announce you. “Have I told you today that you look gorgeous?” You asked.

“Hmmm - once or twice,” She said, teasingly, since it’s all you said throughout the photoshoots.

“Oh, well in that case, let me tell you again. You’re gorgeous.”

With the emotions high, the good mood seemingly never running out, she grabbed the back of your neck and pulled you down to her 5‘5 height and laid a thick one right on you, just as the doors swung open to prepare for your arrival. Laughter and cat-calls was what you were greeted with, as you raised yourself back up with a bashful face. Elizabeth fixed your bowtie, and sheepishly, you both entered to the room filled with the most supportive people that you could ever imagine having in your life. Even if you did start to overhear a couple of arguments after drinks were had about which movie universe was better, this was the best night of your life.

Requested by: Anonymous

[blorboazula]

Thank you got calling out the bullshit about w@nd@ and the gargoyle that's supposedly her son. I haaate that the show and fandom is getting overtaken by them. Like we have QWOC and older queer women and yall want to drool over the whitewashed abuser and her white boy mini me? People once again gushing for m/m crap with that twerp and his bf when we might not even get a kiss from the canon f/f couple due to censorship? Ugh. Not even touching people villainixong Agatha immediately again.

So, I try to not be as vocal as I can be about how much I don't like Wanda and her stans, but here we go. I won't even tag her and such so don't come at me (or come, if you want). Little rant:

Yeah, like, I really, really don't like the way I'm seeing way too many people talking about him as if he's the main character of the show.

Like, yeah, sure, be excited about a character you like. I was jumping in joy when Carol showed up in the post credit scene of Ms. Marvel. I was talking about it on Twitter a lot but I also talked about the other stuff. I used to have a MCU side-blog and the majority of my posts weren't about that one thing. (Even if lots of my theories involved her since 1. The Marvels a movie I've been waiting and 2. she was one of the main characters in the direct sequel to Ms. Marvel). I still enjoyed the show for who the show was about even if my favorite character of the 'verse showed up + the series was very much connected to it.

(In the same vein, you don't need to consume every media with characters you like. I didn't watch WandaVision even if Monica was there.)

Agatha is the main character of the show, it's in the fucking name of the show. Sure, it's a trilogy and whatever (or so I heard), this part isn't about fucking Wanda, for fucks sake. It's Agatha All Along, not Wanda & Her Spontaneous Creations All Along.

But I knew it was going to happen. I've seen people tearing apart every non-Teen-is-Billy theory to shreds as if those were personally offensive. I'm sorry some people liked the theory that Teen was, somehow, the protagonist's kid. You know, because the protagonist is the character in which the story revolves around and the protagonist is the most important character because she's the FUCKING PROTAGONIST.

Queer representation is important, yup, and they fucked it up before (Loki anyone?). And the one in Eternals is almost a blink and you'll miss. But even if I'm not a lesbian/sapphic myself, I'm here like "come on, let the lesbians have this for ONCE". It was going so well, the jokes about lesbian witches and their emotional support emo twink, it was going so well.

I knew the moment that we had the identity reveal, the Wanda stans would be even louder and ruin the enjoyment of the others. I genuinely liked Teen and I still think that he was a pretty nice character before that fucking episode end – even if I wouldn't be surprised that he was manipulating them all this time, an evil little bitch like his mom (and that would be fun if it wasn't 1. for the twisted morals & 2. the fact that I ended up really liking Agatha).

About how they talk about Agatha: only Wanda is allowed to be mean, bitchy, evil, cruel and blame it all on her trauma. Every other villain? They're just evil. It's the kind of thing Ms. Volunteer-to-be-Experimented-on-by-HYDRA believes, considering her bullshit line to Strange.

Like, Wanda stans are really the fucking worse.

[softpine]

I just remembered you haven't seen Twilight but I'm going to ask anyway! Do you know what teams your characters would be? Like team Edward or Team Jacob? Oh! Actually I'm also curious what Fandoms would they be in? I recent realized im a Bielieber

oh i have seen the first twilight movie!! i just wasn't a fan. but it was my best friend's favorite series so i do know a lot about it! was anyone actually team jacob? he's like gale in the hunger games. the only reason anyone would actually prefer them is because they're Not the main love interest (sorry to any galeheads out there...)

anyway now i want to imagine what fandoms each of them would be in, so:

🎭 caroline: well, she's a great artist and a monster fucker.. i don't think i have to spell out what she was doing online fjkjsdsj and she loved comic books as a kid, so i feel like at the start of the MCU madness she was really hype and then she got more and more angry with the state of things

💬 beth: she's written some star trek fanfiction more highly researched than her master's thesis and she loved nsync because what is a baby dyke without her emotional support boy band / comphet crushes

🎸 danny: music is the obvious answer, but i'm not familiar with musical history so i can't go into detail 😭 but his dad introduced him to bob dylan and taught him how to play guitar, then he learned piano, then he taught himself how to produce his own music from scratch. this was in the 90s btw so it wasn't very easy to learn. also he used to seriously follow skateboarding

⛅ mikaela: she loved old school country music from female artists like tanya tucker, reba mcintire, loretta lynn, etc. she's less interested in modern country but she looooves shania twain. and she's worked nights (first as a bartender, then a nurse) for most of her life, so she got really into daytime soaps

🌲 asa: he's literally the only one on this list where i'm like...... stumped. he doesn't pay attention to anything online, celebrities, music (he'll listen to whatever), movies (doesn't care), could never commit to watching a whole tv show, etc. he's very floaty and daydreamy? lmao he just doesn't have the headspace to get attached to fictional media like that

🎥 finn: we know he's always been a harrison ford fan boy and in any universe where he survives past the 80s he's a huge nirvana fan!! (if he and jules had a son, they would've named him kurt... he's deeply serious) he's also read every stephen king book that came out while he was alive. he was a big reader in general, particularly horror

��� stevie: canon seth rogen super fan, has seen every adam sandler movie (every last one of them) and i knowww she knows the fnaf lore... as soon as she finishes a show/movie she likes to find the weirdest fan art to terrorize her followers. also loves musicals and wants to see cats on broadway someday (a girl can dream)

🎀 elaine: she loves following celebrity news but she watches them like animals in the zoo; ie. she's observing from afar, she has no personal stake in them. she's a frequent flyer on gossip forums like fauxmoi. she was on the ground floor of lipstickgate and was SEATED for dramageddon. and she had a serious twilight phase

🎨 jada: SOMEONE on this list had to get assigned supernatural... i'm not saying it just to say it, i really think she would connect with (early seasons) sam what with the dead mom... fear of losing their humanity... having powers they don't understand... a hot girl manipulating them to use their abilities in sketchy ways... yeah. i'm sure she has favorite contemporary artists (painters specifically) that she'd be able to talk about on end but sadly i don't know anything about that world 😭 oh and she's kind of obsessed with hate-reading booktok books to feel alive

🏈 casper: sports count as fandoms and i don't want to hear a word about it!! his team is the patriots but he's kind of a fairweather fan (maine doesn't have an nfl team so he doesn't have that state loyalty factor). miley cyrus is his problematic fave forever but he's kind of a pop girlie in general

💋 coco: in high school she was a speedcuber if that gives you an idea of what we're working with here.... she grew up with pokemon, naruto, dragon ball z, she collected trading cards, etc. she still likes anime and video games and stuff, she just doesn't have the time to get invested like she used to, and it makes her sad because it reminds her of her late best friend liam. she makes time to play fortnite and minecraft with his little brother and she plays other games on twitch sometimes. has done a LOT of cosplay. she's a huge nerd basically

[i-write-boop-spoops]

How do you think Leon and Steven react to a singer s/o

No joke, somehow this ask has been in my drafts for over a year, basically done.... so sorry about this anon!

OMG anon you have given me such vivid ideas ok

Naturally, they would both be very in awe of your voice and presence on stage. They would be extremely supportive of you too, trying to attend as many performances of yours as possible.

But that’s not what I find interesting about this, instead I wanted to talk a bit about what kind of singer you are, and how that would affect the relationship.

So with Steven I can totally see you as a lounge singer, you know the sultry elegant kind, dressed in a beautiful sleek dress/suit, performing at a very exclusive club. The moment Steven first laid eyes on you, he was in love, the moment he first heard you sing, his jaw hit the floor. Now, of course, this wasn’t the first time a rich somebody had takena liking to you, your beauty and talent combined with your job often landed you in their lines of sight. But you felt he was different, genuine, quirky, sweet - maybe because your dear friend Wallace had gushed to you about how great he was.

Of course Wallace was also there that night, having invited Steven there to 1. get him to have a little fun and 2. meet you and fall in love, though obviously he didn’t mention the second part. After your performance he insisted to Steven that they both say hi to you, and very quickly he was ignored (the only time he was happy this happened btw), in favour of you and steven just instantly clicking and spending the rest of the evening chatting.

Since you do more lowkey work, despite rubbing elbows with a lot of famous and/or wealthy people, your life is pretty quiet for the most part, which suits both you and steven greatly.

He loves sitting at the front-most table with a drink in hand, smiling this proud, precious little smile that only you know the nature of, mesmerized by your voice and beauty.

And while usually quite humble, he can't help revel in the envy when you turn your admirers down. He loves the chance to swoop in and put a casual, but delicate hand on your back while someone tries to make a move on you.

Also he now supplies you with most of your jewellery. You love wearing pieces that incorporate stones and gems he’s collected for you.

With Leon, I love the idea of a celebrity couple trying to live a private life, like you’re a world-famous superstar singer and Leon’s the fucking unbeatable champion. I imagine a LOT of paparazzi photos of the two of you in the mcu-style baseball-cap-sunglasses disguise trying to grab coffee or something. You two are frequently the subject of gossip-columns and twitter-stan wars.

Wyndon stadium was being used to host one of your sold-out concerts, you arrived the day before, and were practising your choreo on the stage with your back-up dancers. Leon, finishing up at the in-stadium gym for the day, decided to come out to watch, being a fan of you. Being a fan of him too(especially in that tank-top he was wearing 👀), you gladly delighted in his presence, even taught him some of the moves. When you took a break, you got to flirting chatting and swapped numbers. You invited to come to your show the next day, and made sure he got VIP backstage access. The rest as they say, is history.

A plus of the both of you being famous, is that you're used to the spotlight, which means Leon gets to show you off at red carpets, promotional events, after-parties etc. A downside is, you're both very busy, you often tour abroad, but you always try your best to see each other and call everyday.

Not that your love songs were bad before you and Leon starting dating but they got so much more emotional, relatable and memorable after you started seeing the Galar Champ!

You've won best-dressed couple at the Poké-Met gala two years in a row (thanks to your stylist, you can't trust Lee with this kind of stuff).

[magpie-murder]

LITERALLY gay ppl. Upcoming spoilers for where mischief lies for anyone reading!!

When Theo and Loki both wished they could make the other accepted I wept. When Loki revealed he had the stones my mouth fell open and I had to put the book down. When Loki started his whole monologuing on how he caught Amora I needed a moment to be gay. This book has made me feel so many things and also the portrayal of Thor was so good because I feel it showed how much Odin really fucked up the relationship with him and Loki. Thor and Loki are brothers and Thor supported his brother when it didn't mean facing his father's wrath and the book just does this so well. The little moments of Thor going to apologize just after he threw Loki under the bus because with their father it's always "it's him or me"

i absolutely love all the asks about lwml, by the way ! i have not been doing so good lately and it's really nice to be able to discuss this book, it genuinely helps a lot

below the cut: spoilery ramble about the relationship between thor and loki pre-mcu (as shown in loki: where mischief lies) and how odin's abuse ripped apart and isolated the both of them

(rebloggers please do not tag as thorki)

oh my god the scene where thor throws loki under the bus... i could talk about that scene for HOURS.

this book gives so much nuance to thor as well, even though he's absent for the bulk of the plot. i absolutely adore it. and it's absolutely no wonder that loki ended up the way that he did, when he couldn't even find safety in his relationship with his own brother.

despite the fact that it was fucked up of him to do, and despite how deeply hurtful it was, it made so much sense for thor to do. and the implication that he is, on some level, just as afraid of odin as loki is, to the point that he'd be that quick to avoid sharing the blame??

thor KNOWS how poorly odin is willing to treat loki, and neither of them have the full picture, so he doesn't entirely understand WHY. it makes sense that he'd be terrified of odin, and i think that fact makes it hurt even more that he wouldn't protect loki in that moment. all loki had ever known from odin was being repeatedly and ruthlessly reminded that he is the second choice and the black sheep, and thor knows this on a deep enough level that he's terrified of being treated the same way, but he couldn't give loki aid at his own expense

i Love, Love, Love how impressive this book makes their mcu character arcs from Thor 1 through Dark World. even loki's death feels so heartbreaking, knowing how few moments in his life were spent having thor's full support, and he decided to give his life to save his brother anyway.

it makes their scenes in Avengers 1 so much more emotional to me. because loki, canonically under the influence of the mind stone, AND directly post-suicide attempt, is not at all in his right mind. i cannot imagine how it felt for thor, seeing him in that state. especially since that may have been one of the first times in his life that he wasn't afraid to protect loki, because for once, he was not having to protect him against ODIN. i assume the entire thing brought a LOT of thor's compartmentalized feelings about loki's position in his life to the surface.

god. this book really rekindled my love for these characters

[allandoflimbo]

My second announcement is kind of longer, but here goes.

There’s been a couple of factors that’s kept me from continuing to write aside from just my time, or lack thereof, and health complications that seem to always get in the way. Not complaints but relevant factors to those waiting on updates.

1. Getting hacked twice in a row sucked ASS.

2. I’ve started to drift a bit from Bucky in general. I still love him but the lack of content of him the MCU since Endgame, or even TFATWS, has been killer. No inspiration anymore. The fandom has changed.

3. This is one that has silently bothered me the most for quite some time even though it’s been so long but it mattered to me.

Something that has also been getting in the way of me updating Take It Back 2 has been the issues I had with the first one that I never got around to fixing or acknowledging.

If you’ve read book 2 at all you might understand this a little bit better.

Granted, I was younger when I wrote the first book and i’ve grown since then, and maybe that’s why I felt the need over time to make some certain changes or explain things in the story better. Who knows. But…

* I never liked how I made it seem like the reader (Or Riley Grace, if you’ve read the OC version) was very anti money, anti having anything material. That was never my intention. And I noticed that I made her seem that way. Yes, I wanted her to be concerned that her sister was putting those things first before everything else and also concerned that something was wrong, but not that Riley/Reader was against money or life in general. She isn’t by any means frugal or cheap.

* I didn’t make it clear enough in Book 1 that there was underlying things happening to Ashlyn that was pushing her “gold digger” tendencies, or for that to appear as so, to the forefront. There was more things happening to her.

* I didn’t like how little I let it show that her and Bucky do share this love and respect that Reader, and the actual readers themselves, haven’t seen. I feel like I made Ashlyn too cold and not as much mysterious.

* I always found Bucky and Reader a bit too self centered and conceited to themselves and what they thought was an issue and making their problems seem bigger than everyone else’s. As well as making what they thought what they thought was more important than Ashlyn herself or without considering her own life and her own emotions.

* Despite Ashlyn doing what she did and behaving the way she did, something always rubbed me the wrong way about how I made the girls view her in the story. Ashlyn might not be innocent, but I did not like how I made Reader/Riley appear like she was more supported by the other girls in the story when what she had done was also not good.

* How people let what Bucky and Reader did “let it slide.”

So they were little things, but things that always bothered me and was honestly getting in the way of me continuing the sequel. It was mostly my distaste I had on the Bucky/Reader front. I wanted them to love and love deeply, but not while disregarding Ashlyn as a human being and as a woman.

So the last few weeks, i’ve gone back and i’ve corrected some major grammatical issues in the first book, but i’ve also added some sentences here and there. I’ve also added on some dialogue to correct some of the issues I had that were listed above. So I didn’t remove anything, the story is still the same, but I did add onto it.

I’m much happier with the outcome and I think it will making going forward easier for me as a story teller.

The updated one is updated on Wattpad and AO3, the Bucky/Reader version. I haven’t posted the corrected one on Tumblr yet.

[clueless-fan-critic]

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Now That’s Moon Girl Magic!!!

 One 

In my opinion, Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is one of the best new Disney shows in the 2020s and I’ll calmly make an argument for anyone who thinks otherwise. It has popping color, even poppier music, excellent characters, and strong storytelling all wrapped up in this fun, groundbreaking Disney show. With Season 2 coming out, I thought it was time to share what I got to say about its revolutionary ways and how it may even set the bar for future Marvel projects and even MCU ideas.

The Characters

Lunella Lafayette, played by former X-Factor contestant Diamond White, is one of the most bombastic but relatable super-genius black girls at the time I write this. I love how her intelligence isn’t just her sole personality trait as she’s confident, sassy, and optimistic. Lunella is still a young teen who worries about fitting in, cares about her family, and tries to be the best person she can be.

I liked that they don’t make her into a bullied nerd like Peter Parker, which would contradict the whole message about protecting her community. She’s still pretty social around her fellow students but doesn’t have that social finesse which makes her have a lot of friends.

She’s a flawed character: she’s over-competitive and obsessed to the point of disregarding her work and other people. She does overcome and learn from those issues in order to become a better person in the end.

Devil Dinosaur is more than a pet sidekick meant to be cute or the comic-relief. He does get his time to shine from his insecurities of being too big to a fear of jellyfish. With basically growls and snarls made by Fred Tatasciore, Devil conveys a huge range of emotion from joy to sadness to anger.

Casey Calderon is the best friend and manager of Lunella whose savvy with fashion and social media. She’s pretty much what you expect from the girl who’s into social media as exuberant and charismatic, but never shallow or vain. She genuinely wants to use her skills to help Lunella’s message spread. She’s the support to the superheroics of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur in making the heroes more human in the eyes of the LES.

Many other characters have not only impacted the story but also the main cast itself with the Lafayette family and various members of the LES.

The Lafayettes have their times to shine in their own ways whether as shoulders for Lunella to get support from or voices of reason that plays into the lesson that she must face. Adria Lafayette acts as a strong moral compass for Lunella to follow like protecting the LES from gentrification. Both James Jr. and Pops aren’t as big as the Lafayette women, but they do get there times to shine throughout the show.

In the finales “O.M.G. Issue 1 and 2”, we get the reveal of Lunella’s grandmother Mimi, played by MCU alum Alfre Woodard, is the Original Moon Girl or O.M.G. who helped build the portal generator that Lunella rebuilt years later. It gives us a deep look into how the super-genius doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The Beyonder, voiced by the famous Laurence Fishburne, is a fun and interesting character that acts more of a reality warping nuisance to Lunella than an actual villain. Combined with Fishburne’s comedic delivery and stylish  animation, the Beyonder is a hilarious trickster learning about humanity the best way he knows: messing with superheroes.

The Villains do create a dynamic with Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur by creating various conflicts both externally, internally, even symbolically. The first villain of the show Aftershock was an electrical villain who literally stole power from the LES, putting businesses at risk of closing, which can be interpreted as someone taking away others’ autonomy from their homes. Another set of villains were the Muzzlers, basically high-powered tech giants wanting to gentrify the LES and take away anything unique from the people. They even “silenced” the people with their tech and rendered them voiceless, but the people prevailed together.

The show not only showcases obscure Marvel characters in new, refreshing ways, but also creates their own stellar ones that put together what it can showcase.

The Animation Style

The most eye-popping way it stands out is the animation. The colors and style beautifully blends with the music. Every time a fight scene happens, the colors become much more vibrant with heart-pumping music from various artists. You can really tell that the animators put a lot of love and passion into making something both familiar but also standout with its fight scenes.

One of my favorite scenes is in Episode 3 “Run the Rink” with Moon Girl fighting Gravitas to a Childish Gambino song. A Childish Gambino Song! You know that you got a hit when you get a hit song from a famous rapper.

All the musical scenes play into the story in an entertaining way while fueling the animation on a higher level.

The Stories

Almost every story plays into Lunella’s development throughout the first season from self-love and self-acceptance to fighting for one’s community. One of my favorite episodes is “Hair Today Gone Tomorrow” that perfectly addresses various issues about one’s hair. I think a lot of people, especially black women, can understand how we can get insecure about themselves. “O.M.G. Issue 1 and 2″ highlights how people of color, especially those in STEM fields, were essentially erased from the work they did and all credit was taken from them by the higher-ups. The main villain of the finales Maris Morlak is both a terrifying and relatable person whose motivations are sympathetic in how his work was taken from him and was erased.

What’s Next For Moon Girl?

With Season 2 coming out of woodworks, I’m hoping to see more adventures, heart, and fly music that elevates Moon Girl to a different level and even set more bars in terms of storytelling and animation for both Marvel projects and even the MCU itself.

[deeneedsaname]

Loki: Science/Fiction

CRYING SOBBING THROWING UP

Okay, okay. BEFORE I get into everything with Sylki, let’s start with general stuff.

Cinematography was off the charts!!! So well done throughout the whole episode. And B-15 being a doctor fits her so well! But Casey’s was so sad. I wonder if him trying to escape Alcatraz is what led to him getting pruned the first time? And Mobius! His jetskis!!! OB is still adorable and still the smartest person in the room.

The themes were so themeing. AND LOKI IS A HERO!!! This is the hero arc we’ve been waiting for!! My boy is a hero!! And he loves his friends!!! OFFIAL FOUND FAMILY HOURS

Finally, to Sylki. I don’t know if the portion of the fandom is dislikes Sylki (no offense, no one has to like it, but I’m speaking from the perspective of a die-hard shipper) was loud enough that the show decided to de-emphasize the romance element? It would be really disappointing, and kind of stupid? I mean, the novel that was just released had tons of explicitly romantic content in it, and if they were really trying to pull away from that, wouldn’t they have not released the book? And season 1 was already romantic! It happened already!!

I’m holding out hope for the finale. And squeezing my emotional support rainbow grim reaper plush. And look, as long as everyone’s alive, and as long as I have bREATH IN MY BODY, I will headcanon that they do still get together officially. But I’m holding out hope and faith in marvel…despite the MCU breaking my heart several times over.

[klaineharmony]

Why We Love: Trinity (The Matrix)

I wrote a post the other day about Why We Ship Trinity and Neo, and in the course of that, I said that it would take a whole other post to talk about Trinity. And then I promised @tickety-boo-af that I would write it, so here we are. :)

I will start by saying that for a lot of us who loved these films from the beginning, I think there was a sense that Trinity was just as much the hero of the story as Neo was, or perhaps even more so. And I think Resurrections bore that out in a lot of ways - I'll get to that. There is what Trinity was (and is) to the story, and what she meant to me personally, and some of that overlaps, but not all of it. I'll try to talk about why she's important in a story sense and in a cultural sense first.

In a cultural sense, I think Trinity was very much the beginning of the strong woman action hero character on a big movie screen. Of course, these types of women have existed in comics for a long time, and we had one great example of that in the television realm when the Wonder Woman television show with Lynda Carter aired. But in the modern, 21st century, action movie sense, Trinity is the first woman character I remember who got to be fully onscreen, integral to the narrative, and just as much of a badass as the men around her. We didn't have the MCU yet. We didn't even get the first Lara Croft movie, with Angelina Jolie, for another two years after The Matrix. (Although, like in comics, there had been more representation of action-oriented women in video games up to that point, I think). Trinity was a breath of fresh air - or a whirlwind. She was so new and different for 1999! Seeing her be so uber-comptent and skilled and swift and ruthless was exhilarating in the best way.

As I said in the post about Neo and Trinity, I also don't think Trinity's importance to the narrative of The Matrix franchise can be overstated. She is the one who finds Neo, who comes to retrieve him from the Matrix, and she is the reason he becomes The One: she loves him, therefore he is The One. It is her love and support and belief that make his power possible, make it a reality.

But, Trinity is also so strong on her own terms. She is not just a support for Neo; she has been fighting for years to take down the Matrix with Morpheus and the others, and she has spent so much of her life fighting for that freedom, for herself and everyone else. I love watching her operate in the Matrix in the original fims - she has so much strength and control and absolute determination to succeed, no matter how much danger she is in. When Lexy, in Resurrections, says, "All I ever wanted to be was as fearless as Trinity," I felt that in my soul! We all wanted to be that brave and fearless, and when I was a much younger person, that felt impossible. I wasn't very brave then (though I hope I've gotten a little braver in the past 25 years), and the idea of having that kind of courage was so enthralling. I desperately wanted to be stronger and more confident in myself, and Trinity showed me it was possible.

However, the other thing I loved about Trinity (and still love) is her softness. That might seem like a contradiction, but her vulnerability with and love for Neo also meant the world to me as a young person. She is as fierce as you would expect in terms of the strength of her love for him, but when she is with him, you can see the openness and vulnerability and emotion all over her. She can be scared with him, in a way that she can't be in the Matrix (because fear, when you're inside, is a pretty swift path to death). That was important to me, too, for it showed me that you could be both - you could be strong and fearless when required, but also be soft and emotionally open with someone you loved so much, even if you had to be a strong person in the rest of your life. That was a rare sort of portrayal in the late '90s and early '00s, and I would go so far as to say it's still pretty rare now. (It's one of the amazing things about Keanu Reeves' portrayal of Neo, as well - he is always open and vulnerable with her, in a way he is with no one else).

Moreover, I think one of the amazing things about Resurrections is that so much of the story is Trinity's story. We see her take front and center in a way that feels completely natural - Lana gives us the conclusion we had all reached ages ago, which is that Trinity is the center of Neo's heart and abilities, and therefore the center around which the whole story revolves. We finally get to see her access her powers to their full extent, and they are just as fearsome and amazing as Neo's ever were.

I also love that Trinity is the one who helps Neo find his powers again; before she is freed in Resurrections, Neo's love for her is the only thing that lets him access his power as The One, and after Trinity has been saved again by Neo and the crew, we see her fly before we see Neo fly with her, at the very end. The implication is that her belief in herself and in Neo is stronger than his, at this point in their lives - and no wonder, when Neo has essentially been told he's crazy and mentally unstable for six decades. She helps him find himself again, supporting him with all the love and belief she's always had, while stepping forward and taking her own share of being part of The One. She finally has her own full (and immense) powers by the end of Resurrections, and by the Goddess, she is going to use them to fix as much of the Matrix and the real world as she possibly can. I love that for her, and for us - that we finally got all of the Trinity we all saw from the beginning. There's a franchise-long arc there abour her belief in herself, too - she always thinks, in the earlier films, that she is more expendable and not as powerful as Neo, and I think in Resurrections we finally see that shift. We've always known she is just as powerful as he is, and by the end of Resurrections she knows it too, and embraces it.

I'm so grateful Trinity exists, in so many ways. She means the world to me, for her strength and bravery and and vulnerability and her immense ability to love, in addition to her awe-inspiring fighting skills. I'm grateful to Carrie-Anne for giving her to us. I'm grateful that Trinity reminds us all that one can cultivate strength and power, one can learn to be brave in the face of immense odds, and one can love with one's whole heart and soul, all at the same time.

[waheelawhisperer]

Slogged through V9E6, thoughts are under the cut

As always, I am worried that Jaune’s arrival means he’s going to start sucking focus away from the other characters again. Here’s hoping the writers remember he’s best used as a supporting character.

Jaune why did you grab the weird thing that looks like a clock what did you think was going to happen

Don't touch weird shit you idiot it's like rule #1

I hate the Ever After so much

So did he just sit there for years until he got DILFed? Lmao.

I'm sure this change will have long-lasting ramifications for both Jaune's characterization and the narrative as a whole.

Well, this was a wonderful, touching moment until it was immediately ruined by Weiss’s daddy kink

Like seriously who the fuck thought it was a good idea to have Jaune admit that he’d gone through a horribly traumatic experience and been incredibly lonely for what’s indicated to be literally decades based on his physical changes and then have Weiss immediately start thirsting for him like we literally see his eyes watering and then not seven seconds later Weiss is looking at him with do-me eyes

These writers genuinely have zero understanding of tone or how to set and maintain it effectively it’s amazing it's like they watched the MCU and the only lesson they took away from it was that every moment that might possibly have any kind of emotional impact needs to be undermined by a snappy quip as quickly as possible because otherwise someone might make the mistake of assuming your show is sincere about anything

Anyway girliepop’s showing her whole ass right now way to keep your fetish under wraps Weiss

Yang’s looking at her like “I know what you are”

Nice try Yang like I didn’t see you eyeing up Jaune too feast on the crumbs my fellow pan Yang truthers

Miles is genuinely never beating the “Jaune is a self-insert” allegations holy shit

Like if you want people to believe that the character you voice, who's received a disproportionate amount of narrative focus throughout the series already and has received repeated criticism for it, who's already been presented as attractive on at least one occasion, isn't a self-insert, maybe don't have one of the mains openly thirsting after him once you've written an excuse for him to be aged up so that he's both closer to your age and significantly older than she is after you've already posed for a picture with a body pillow of an underage girl from the show you write for and your coworker has posted that picture online with the caption "She's still only 16, don't get too comfortable". Like maybe consider the optics for 5 seconds. It'd be 5 seconds longer than you typically think through your writing choices, at any rate.

Wow, finally someone is engaging with the fall of Atlas, Team RWBY’s part in it, and the ramifications of both the previous things. Only took half the fucking Volume.

I actually like the pretty distinct perspectives and the conflict between Weiss and Blow. Weiss is the one who has the most reason to be attached with Atlas and Blow has the most reason to feel negatively about that Kingdom, so having them be the ones arguing here is a good choice.

Yeah, Weiss, you did fail, but it wasn’t just you. Most of the blame rests on the shoulders of Ironwood and these dumbass fucking writers.

That said, you guys didn’t exactly pass your trials with flying colors.

Good point, Ruby.

Yang is the first one to engage with Ruby’s distress again, even if she’s not exactly on the money here either in terms of her actual position on Ironwood or how to help Ruby.

I feel like this is one of the few moments of actual substance we've gotten this Volume and I really wish we'd spent more time digging into it. Unfortunately, He-Jaune, Master of the Universe, cuts it short. Not a fan of that choice unless we pick this up again at a later date.

He-Man’s a little bit of a jerk. Interesting. I kinda want to see where this goes.

He also doesn’t seem to like the Cat. He gets points for that.

He-Man, Master of the Jauniverse, does not want them going to the Tree. Given what apparently happened to the Herbalist, this implies something sinister about the Tree and Ascension.

You read my mind, Weiss.

Jaune has a very different perspective on Ascension than the Cat. On the one hand, the Cat is a denizen of the Ever After and probably knows more about how it works than Jaune does. On the other hand, Jaune is far more inherently trustworthy as a character we’ve known for 8+ Volumes, whereas the Cat is sinister as fuck. They've been creeping me out since their introduction.

Once again, Ascension is equated with death – you lose your memories, lose who you are. Whatever you used to be is gone.

Good pun, Yang.

Who the fuck is Lewis?

Oh, wonderful, Alyx had a brother. An irrelevant character had another irrelevant character to hang out with. Can we please stop expanding the cast?

Go off, Weiss (and Yang)

What the fuck did the Cat just do

I love you Weiss. There really is just no end to the Ever After’s bullshit, is there?

Where the hell are Blow and Yang?

You walked right into that one, Weiss.

Love how He-Man’s just done with everything. I am too, buddy, I am too.

Here it comes, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Maybe we’ll get something decent out of this Volume after all.

YOU GUYS CAN LITERALLY DOUBLE JUMP WHY DOES EVERY SCENE IN THIS VOLUME THAT DOESN’T INVOLVE COMBAT INSIST ON FORGETTING THAT THE CHARACTERS HAVE MOBILITY TOOLS

I could cross that shit and I don’t even have superpowers

You have perfectly good ropes right there

Yes I get that it’s a metaphor for taking the next step in their relationship blah blah blah but the metaphor is shit

This Volume really likes presenting challenges as insurmountable when Team RWBY has regularly handled far more difficult ones it keeps breaking my willing suspension of disbelief

I'm normally pretty willing to buy into what a show is going for but I just can't do it for this Volume

Was that Summer in the reflection?

Looks like the reflections show everyone’s issues – Summer for Ruby, Penny for Jaune, Atlas for Weiss

Oh, so Alyx was a little shitter, huh? I’m sure there’s nothing negative about the choice to portray a (female) character of color this way, especially in a show known for being racist produced by a company known for being racist.

Okay yeah Jaune you probably fucked up here trying to railroad her into the book’s storyline. Somebody’s never played D&D before and it shows

Poor guy’s really hurting though, can’t blame him for feeling like a failure

I’d like the show to unpack all this but I don’t even trust it to handle Team RWBY’s issues (or even address them in a meaningful way) so we’ll see

I feel like we have to take everything Jaune says about the Cat and the Tree and the Ever After with a grain of salt, but the Cat is genuinely creepy as shit, so I feel like there’s some validity to this, at least.

So Jaune thinks the Cat fed Lewis to the Tree. Is he right? Who the fuck knows?

But it does set up some sinister implications about the Tree, the Cat, and the nature of the Ever After. If the Tree’s not an option, how does the gang get home?

I get the feeling that Jaune is at least partially wrong about how the Tree works, but what he's saying makes sense based on what he knows.

Yang you fucking dork

Anyway if Blow has a really good brain it’d be nice to see more examples of it beyond “she’s the bookworm”, I’m sure setting her own house on fire was a great demonstration of intelligence. I feel like this is another indication that I’m right when I say that RWBY would’ve really benefited from another Beacon Volume to really build the relationships between the core cast that the show tries to convince us exist.

Also, Yang is smart even if Blow makes her brain turn to mush. She seems to have figured out the trick here. She sounds so sweet and sincere when she mentions liking Blow’s ears, though I feel like this is another instance where the show isn’t taking Blow’s status as a minority seriously, what with the potential elements of fetishization here. Still, I’ll try to go with the writing’s intent here.

Honestly it probably wouldn’t even bother me if this Volume hadn’t insisted on continually comparing Blow to a cat

You did, in fact, nail it, Yang. Such a fucking dork I love her

Okay, Blow, maybe you do have a really good brain after all. Again, would’ve been nice to establish this a bit earlier, but oh well.

Yang you fucking dork lmao

Damn, Blake went hard here. Yang went with the surface-level stuff and was probably expecting the same in return and Blake just started pouring her heart out. I love the way Yang’s eyes and face just softened the moment Blake said she was an extraordinary person. Girlie was not expecting that at all.

“I like that you’ve never been intimidated by me” BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Yang she fucking flinches like a dog expecting to be beaten every time you raise your voice around her she’s the only one in your friend group who’s ever been intimidated by you even Jaune is fine around you and that boy’s afraid of his own shadow

Jk I lied the other abuse victim on your team also has negative reactions when you act aggressive

Anyway I guess we know why we got that line about Yang not being scary (even though she could be if she wants to) back in Episode 1.

Yang how are you missing with every line Blow gave up on Adam and the White Fang and that was a good thing because it let her escape his abuse hello?

Oh and she sure as hell gave up on Qrow and Ironwood when Qrow crawled into a bottle and Ironwood decided to raise Atlas, and she was literally the only person on her team who didn’t believe in Yang’s innocence when Cinder framed Yang during the Vytal Festival (guess who was ride or die for Yang in that moment? I'll give you a hint: her name starts with a W), and she ran away from her entire team when Weiss was racist for two episodes. Finding her was the whole fucking plot of the V1 finale. Like I’m not even arguing that she was wrong or unjustified for any of that but if you want her to be the one who never gives up on anyone then maybe fucking show her never giving up on anyone

Does Blake really know what matters to her, Yang? It sure as hell wasn’t Faunus rights during the Atlas Volumes.

That fucking lighting lmao

Just spit it out you idiots lets get this over with my expectations are dropping with every line

God Yang is such a fucking dork I genuinely love this for her it would’ve been so easy to make her the cocky flirty one all the time and they didn’t

For all my frustrations with this show I do genuinely like that.

I like how Yang hesitated a bit and didn’t quite commit but Blake went full-bore.

Oh my God it’s so sappy and cheesy and romantic

I can understand why people love it even if for me it crosses the line to narm like honestly this scene just feels ridiculous but that's just a personal taste thing, it feels too over-the-top for me but there's some charm to it as well

I feel a little bad for the Cat but honestly they strike me as manipulative more than anything

Every scene just gives me bad vibes

Damn, they were makin out, hands changed positions and everything

Nice little leg pop Blow

You and the fandom both, Jaune.

Kinda wonder when you figured it out though because you were not picking up on it in Volume 8 ("Ruby?" "Yeah... Ruby.")

Good to know the Bees thought confessing their feelings was more important than getting home or stopping Salem. I like both characters less every time they treat the Ever After as a vacation.

The little hand touch is cute though.

Okay, Ruby is not reacting well to the return of Crimson Rose, probably because it represents the burden of being a leader and a Huntress.

She's pushing her insecurities down again. That's gonna burst out sooner or later.

Jaune thinks Alyx traded Lewis to the Tree in order to leave. My guess is that either Jaune or Ruby tries to trade themselves to the Tree so the others can go home.

Damn, Ruby’s rejecting Crescent Rose pretty emphatically there.

Music is still forgettable I don’t think there’s been a single song that I’ve remembered a not of when it’s not actually playing for 6 whole episodes

Miles gave a solid performance here and so did whoever voices the Cat.

Okay, so, here it is: the scene we’ve all been waiting for since Volume 2 at the latest. The Bees are an item now, and it’s really obvious that it meant a lot to CRWBY. They put a lot of love into that scene, and it shows. Visually, it’s gorgeous, the voice actresses clearly put their hearts and souls into it, the music is meant to scream romance...

Unfortunately, I don’t like it. Perhaps this is just a nitpick on my end because I’m a stubborn ornery cantankerous bastard who hates being told what to do, but this confession doesn’t feel organic. It feels like they were forced into it by outside factors (the stupid fucking punderstorm that wouldn’t let them leave until they told each other their feelings. If I'd been in their place, I would've sat my stubborn Texan ass down and told that fucking weather condition that it could let me out right now or move along on its own time, but I'm staying right here until it does. Ain't no fuckin rain clouds gonna tell me what to do).

I don’t like that in and of itself, but it gets worse when you consider that both characters are A) queer and B) were only coded and not explicitly confirmed as queer within the show prior to this scene. It feels like two queer characters are being forced out of the closet, which would be bad enough on its own, but gets infinitely worse when the company behind the show named itself after a homophobic slur and then built a company culture around bullying and bigotry and the lead writer on the show has been openly biphobic and fetishized bi women in the past. Good job, morons, you managed to take a ship I’ve supported since the characters involved met in the Emerald Forest and make it feel gross to me. Between this and Blake’s jokes about Yang’s arm in Episode 2, I’m officially not a Bumbleby shipper anymore. You’ve fumbled the bag that badly. Please never hold a job in any creative industry again.

Overall rating: Horrendously Bad And Specifically Disappointing On Top Of That/10

Amazed that I can't definitively declare this a bottom three episode of the Volume because 3 of the 5 others I've watched so far were also this fucking bad. Truly an accomplishment.

Everything that wasn't Weiss's thirst for DILFs and the Bumbleby confession was okay (not amazing), but the writers fucked up so badly with the parts that sucked that they accomplished something incredible: they executed a scene I've been waiting for for ages so incompetently that I don't ship Bumbleby anymore.