#there are so many parallels between these two shows 👀👀👀

[telomeke]

THE SIGN EPISODE 7 – NAGARUDA AND THE VISUALS OF SEX

The coming together of the naga and the garuda in The Sign was long foretold (since Tharn has the power of clairvoyance, and the series already showed us his sexually-charged premonition of Phaya and him coupling in the shower, in Episode 4).

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 19.47

This post isn't about narrative analysis or the significance of any plot development though; I'm just noting down some of the visual details resounding rhetorically in the scene where Phaya and Tharn finally give in to the swelling sexual tension and get it on. 👀

The prelude (foreplay?) to their first sexual encounter (at least in this lifetime) was by the pool in Phaya's home. And the subtitles also tell us that the background music is echoing their fated bond through time:

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 13.04

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By the pool of Phaya's house though, Tharn is already part-way in the water (his comfort zone) even as Phaya offers him liquid refreshment:

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 13.21

While the pool may represent the naga (and his watery origins), the glowing lights on the trees and statuary in the background are symbolic of the garuda (given his alignment with the sun, flames and light). There is a respectful distance between these symbolic elements, even as there is still a respectful distance between garuda Phaya and naga Tharn.

But the lights are reflected in the water, and Phaya and Tharn have already exchanged colors (Phaya is in a murky sea-green top whose color reflects the naga's homeland, while Tharn is wearing a saffron t-shirt that calls to mind the warm glow of the fiery garuda). So we know that in this scene they are already inextricably in each other's business.

When they give in to their primal urges though, we start to see the various naga and garuda elements become more enmeshed and overlapping, even as the two breach their boundaries and unite physically.

They start things off in the shower, and the water is unmistakably a reference to the naga's overflowing passions.

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5]

But all around them are candle flames, a sign of the fiery lust overpowering garuda Phaya for his fated lover Tharn:

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 18.53

Even as water (symbolic of the naga) showers down upon them both, we see orbs of light (a reference to the garuda) flickering and overlapping the action. (I only recently found out that this out-of-focus effect with the lighting is called bokeh – a term of Japanese origin – from this super-excellent breakdown of the parallels between PhayaTharn's imagined and actual lovemaking by @wen-kexing-apologist, linked here; please do read it for more information on the lighting and its significance. 👍🤩)

Now a bit more about the lighting color though: many have noted that when Phaya and Tharn interact on a more elemental level, the lighting seems to turn very pink.

In my opinion, their previous encounters where more primal instincts held sway (e.g., at Ep.2 [4/4] 10.36 and Ep.4[3‌/4] 15.51) were actually lit with an interplay of blue light (calling out to the marine colors of the naga's homeland) and red light (a nod at the fiery garuda's alignment with the sun and flame). And the lighting was blue and red in the main, and only turned pinkish on occasion when the hues overlapped, just as moments of sporadic intimacy happened only randomly between the star-crossed but still separate Phaya and Tharn.

However, here in PhayaTharn's sex scene, we're not seeing separate blue and red lighting dancing around – the two colors have been blended, just as Phaya and Tharn's lovemaking has united them physically.

And technically the color is not pink. When blue and red light come together, we get magenta lighting, and that truly is the blended hue that bathes the conjoined PhayaTharn (nagaruda), as their bodies come together as one. The separate blues and reds are nowhere to be seen now:

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 19.56

So The Sign then ends this sequence with an illuminated little flourish, at the climax of the scene (and presumably that of PhayaTharn's lovemaking too). As the naga writhes ecstatically on a bed of aquamarine, the garuda tenses and thrusts, and we see a brilliant flare of light, his elemental life-force, flash above the curve of his naked rear:

(top) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 20.04; (bottom) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 20.05

As always, the props, art direction and lighting have come together to tell a visual story in The Sign, and here they've strongly echoed the passionate and emotionally authentic coupling between Phaya and Tharn, fearlessly brought to life by Billy and Babe. 💖👍 I thoroughly enjoyed this scene, and not just for the reasons one might think. 🤩

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[accio-victuuri]

xiao zhan’s mfw interview clues, talismans and matching ads. 🎤

based from the ones released today: v magazine, tencent fashion, tod’s and mr. bags. nothing too big, just some connection/s to already established cpns. feel free to appreciate and enjoy the interviews for what they are even without clowning. 🫶🏼

* V Magazine China

when he talked about superpowers, he has changed his answer from being invisible, he just wishes that there will be no disputes in the world. tho the topic is really about what he wants a parallel world to be like. interesting answer. i’m gonna wait for wyb to have an interview with a similar question and see if they will match 😂😂😂

he also answered that his style is more casual and comfortable which is exactly the same as wyb answered a similar question. not that we ever doubted how similar their personal style is. they may choose or prefer different pieces, but it has the same feel. this is who they steal each other clothes and blend in when they want to.

how he answered the question what he learned about style is to subtract. which may mean less is more or something like that. it matches what wyb said he learned about a different thing — acting. so i see this as a similarity between them, they don’t do overdo things.

🎤: If you had two hours of free time, where would you like to spend it?

🐰: Just strolling around. A city-walk.

I hope he does this with WYB! We was this happen in a lot of ZZ’s vlogs.

🎤: What is the most surprising thing from Gucci 2024 Autumn/Winter Women’s Wear show?

🐰: I think the biggest surprise is the bag. I like it very much, the shape of the bag is very avant-grade and bold.

His interest in bags is here again 👀 In his 2019 interview for MFW, he was asked about what his favorite accessory and he answered bag. The CPN happened because WYB was asked in an interview of his promotion of a jewelry brand (Emphasis ) about what jewelry he will give to his loved one. he answered a bag. lol. the question is about a jewelry but he still answered something different. who is he thinking about? a certain someone who loves bags?

🎤: Do you have any unforgettable anecdotes during the Chinese New Year that you can share with everyone?

🐰: There seems to be no Chinese New Year because I spent the Chinese New Year with the crew.

A confirmation what we already know, that he spent CNY in HD. the thing we won’t ever know tho is if WYB was there. Tho some clues point to the answer being yes.

* Tencent Fashion interview

Not much here but he just repeated how he loves bags. Lol. && how his priority is to film. I imagine the same is true for WYB.

* Tod’s interview

I didn’t share the translation for that. sorry! here it is in all it’s glory. not much cpn tho because the questions are centered on his clothes and the show.

🎤: After watching the first show of Tod's new creative director Matteo, can you share with us your first impressions?

🐰: Excited! and then when I was watching the show, I have been taking pictures all the time. Because there are many coats which I like it very much, including the bags, and I think it’s a brand-new attempt. You can see the second show, which is very unique especially it is placed at the tram stop in Milan — I heard that this tram stop is still in active service, can still be used.

🎤: What are the highlights of today’s outfit? Can you introduce it to us?

🐰: Today’s outfit is a more elegant and low-key style. It is a design of the collar on this coat, in fact you can see that it is actually a leather material, this collar can stand up, then you can put it on here and put it on in another way. Then, include this pair of shoe which is also my favorite loafer and this belt, it is also has a very unique design, it has a hemp material and then combine it with leather.

🎤: If you were asked to recommend one of the most “Italian” items you saw on the show today, which one would you recommend?

🐰: Ah~ it’s so difficult! I think there is a lot of it — I think it’s leather, I think everything about leather, the coat including leather on it’s shoes and trousers.

🎤: What are the three must- have travel stuffs during fashion week?

🐰: phone, passport, also…also the (important) card.

🎤: In a series of film and television works, how do you think different costumes help shape the character’s image?

🐰: It does help yourself to get into the role better.

🎤: You have been to Milan Fashion Week many times. Compared with the first time, what changes do you feel this time?

🐰: This time I felt more relaxed and also more cordial. There is a feeling of going home, especially there is DDV Yeye ( Tod’s CEO ) just now, he always tell me how he always welcomed me back says “Welcome back!” I felt woah! that moment was very warm. Then, of course there is conscious lifestyles of Tods that can’t live without.

🎤: Not long ago, you sang “As You Wish” at the Beijing TV Spring Festival Gala. What kind of New Year wishes do you have for everyone?

🐰: (smooth and healthy) for everyone

* Interview with Mr. Bags

this is year 3 of his interview with him! it’s one i’m waiting for cause xz is comfortable with & i feel like he can get away with asking more personal questions.

🎤: Yes, then I saw your personal clothes later I did serious study and research of it on internet. I think our Xiao laoshi really have a personal style, is very good at dressing and I just found out that — for example you will wear some hats, then the scarf and then you will also wear some of these big coats?

XZ: That’s right.

🎤: It looks warm, it has a sense of youth.

XZ: In fact, I felt it safer and then it’s more comfortable because I’m actually myself, in terms of personal clothing I prefer not too many colors, It is mainly; gray, black series and white colors. Those that are comfortable to wear and can’t go wrong and also most effective.

same thing about his personal style and what colors he chooses which is very close to wyb’s.

🎤: I also heard that Xiao Zhan is actually a very homely person. If it weren’t for work then you would just stay at home so I wonder what you usually do when you are at home?

XZ: Actually, I can also play games, sometimes I will have fun, but for most of time I spend my time working out.

this matches some recent fake rumors. 😭😭😭 especially with the part about how xz prefers to stay-in. and then how he likes to play games! who does he play games with??? WYB. there are already a couple of fake rumors and interviews of them talking about the two playing! it’s so nice to hear it from xz.

THE ALLEGED TALISMAN. 💛

p1 is GG recently, from his flight back home and p2 is a not so clear photo of WYB’s phone during HB screening where you can see what looks like a yellow paper. I have no question that GG does this, we have seen it before. but i like the idea of WYB doing something similar, maybe GG even drawing one for him. and this may be the reason why they chose this type of card case.

Finally, the matching ads by Shu Uemura and Loreal. Two different brands and products but I can’t help but see the similarity with the ads 🥹🥹🥹

-END.

[ririsasy]

Thank you for answering my ask! Also, since you don't mind let me say;

That scene where Varadha lays his head on Deva's lap , especially the part where Deva puts his hand on varadha's chest, it is shown and shot through a veil-ish, net/rope whatever thingy which gives it an illusion of intimacy and privacy. Like there was no need for that split second scene but Mr. Blue directed it that way intentionally.

Also, Mr. Blue (in his barely colored world) really hammered it home with all the parallels between Varadha and Aadhya just to show that Varadha is the ideal one for Deva and not her. I loved that you talked about this too in your blog. You're doing amazing work with all the gifs and short fics. Kudos.

You are very welcome! You are right about the illusion of "veil" for privacy and intimacy, it was so damn intentional to make it more romantic. I mean look at the out of focus frame for a while letting the two men to have their time for themselves alone and we audiences shouldn't prey more for it. Add more with the fact that Deva keep looking down at Varadha's face inspecting him and even throwing his hand on Varadha's chest for a good measure. Like they're not just friends!! Friends didn't do what these two were doing. (I ASK YOU PRASHANTH NEEL HAVE YOU EVER LAY YOUR HEAD ON YOUR BESTFRIEND LAP while drunkenly called out his name . Wtf 😭😭) I refuse to believe with all my being that these two are not in love.

Rajamouli did the same thing in RRR by providing the "veil" during Ram and Bheem confession scene, just look at the shot above lmao that's intentionally gay your honor. 😭 I am so tired.

Also yes. Prashanth Neel consistently presented to us to our own faces that Aadhya got nothing on Varadha (the raw chili powder case and the don't touch my lover case) , Deva's true love interest. Haha if Prashanth planned on making Deva fall for Aadhya in Salaar 2 then he was making a bad job at convincing us in the first movie that there's something going on between them.

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I think part of the reason why everything not going according to the plan (see ugramm plot that got adaptated to Salaar) with Aadhya and Deva, it's because of Prithviraj Sukumaran himself 😂 Prashanth said in Rajamouli interview that he changed so many thing about their background and give more depth to Varadha and Deva's background relationship because of the way Prithvi act as Varadha. (I will make a comparison in another time how Varadha's Prithvi version take the spot of Aadhya role in Ugramm. Gosh this movie kicking my ass trying to crack code like fbi or anything 😂) ...

Also Prabhas basically said in that same interview that he fell in love more with Prithvi more than Shruti,

I know he meant as with their character. Prabhas is not a new actor he has played so many roles so he must be the one who knows the most how his own character would feel. So that's why when we watch Salaar we could feel how much Deva loves Varadha because that's exactly what Prabhas (and Prithviraj) were trying to convey about their characters. VARADEVA ARE IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER 📢📢

So far we truly win with Salaar. Lgbtq movie representation as far as I am concerned 👏👏👏 😌😌

.

.

(Thank you once again for appreciating my gifs and ficss...so far what's your favorite posts that I make? If I may know and what fic that you like most?👀👀 also Prashanth is called Mr. Blue? I didn't know that, why???)

[palaceoftears]

Mahi thinking about how forming a family outside the palace would be :c and Gulsah not being capable of letting go💔. They hsve been together for 10 years after all, she doesn't know better than serving her, Mahidevran IS her family as much as Suleyman and the rest is it for Mahi, and so that's why both master and servant were ready to do anything to keep their beloved ones, which only turned to divide them even more after their actions threatened not only a rival, but also the familiar in question (Mahi putting poison on Suleyman's table, Gulsah risking Mahidevran's position by attacking Gulnihal). The two of them also overstep their respective positions by doing so. Mahidevran, a concubine, requires from Suleyman the loyalty he should have for a wife, Gulsah wants to be valuable for Mahi but also to make decisions for both or them, equaling her humilliation to her sultana's when she's just her servant (maybe she also sees herself as Mahidevran's wife 👀, this dialogue is kind of confirming that atp she can't see herself as someone else's soo). And Mustafa works as some type of union between both Suly-Mahi & Mahi-Gulsah, ofc he's an stronger one for the first pair, he's their son, but I think his care for Gulsah recovering may also have influenced Mahidevran giving her other chance, she's been shown to be a second (or third, shall we make ibro and gulsah compete for the role?) mother for him after all, in certain way that makes all of them family too.

There's also the fact that Gulsah is someone her sultana can rely on, the only one that she could truly trust for so many time, she knows every little facet of hers and I think in a palace where you have to always put a facade on, it must be a relief. That's why this just comes as a sincere wish from Mahidevran (in contrast to later, when she just wants to get rid of her servant by marrying her off), for Gulsah to escape what she can't, and it parallels her letting go off Nergissah, only that this time she accepts Gulsah's useful loyalty and keeps her at her service, while in s4 she reachs that selfless stage for which she can actually send her closest ones away. Same that she wanted to do to the only one that serves her at that point, Fidan, even if the later refuses (and Fidan is another old woman so there's not many chances for her, similar to Sumbul/Hurrem but even w less posibilities since she's as poor as Mahi). But what both scenes share is Mahidevran's idea of family as a salvation from sorrow, a new start that she can't give to neither Gulsah or Nergissah and Fidan.

During e25 Mahi herself is trapped in a situation she can't do much against, only staying patient untill she explodes later in the season, while, after Mustafa's death, she's already experienced the happiness of the new start of a family, her granddaughter being all it's left from it... An orphan, in the "spring of her youth", sent to an unknown powerful future husband, whose child she could name Mustafa. It is a little similar to Mahidevran's own story, to the untold part of it and what we know of her before Suleyman's accession to the throne, that she took refuge in his love, they became a family, possibly the reason for her to begin again and never mention her past out loud (and seemingly not even remembering it). And with a new family it comes a new identity, makes a lot of sense Nur refers to Suleyman as a paternal figure for Mahidevran, he's the patriarch of the new household she goes to after all, he gives her life a new meaning, she's his "spring rose"/gulbahar and everything she does has to please him (he even says he's "proud" of her when she gives birth to Mustafa). It caught my attention that, as much as she takes on a maternal role during all of Nergissah's life, she also shows a little bit of that side to Gulsah here, who also shapes her identity in relation to Mahi, dedicating her life to make her happy and proud (and, like Plami pointed out here, Gulsah's name meaning forecasts her ambition for more while ties her all the most to her master). For both women, the struggle is they can't make more mistakes since the families they belong to could discard them (Mahi can send Gulsah outside, she sent her to Edirne once, same place Suleyman warns he could exile his haseki to in e23) but can't truly adapt to the new situation either, what they consider their home it's very unstable and it's doomed to break. As a result, Gulsah will eventually change sides and Mahidevran will redirect her efforts to Mustafa, they're going to become traitors, with the difference Mahi will have the opportunity to begin again far from Topkapi, to form another family with her son, even if once again it will prove to be unstable (tho this time not for internal factors between them, but for external ones).

In certain way, Mahidevran is a nomad through all the series, from an unknown place in the past before she was an slave, to wherever she may have gone to be educated, to Manisa's palace, to Topkapi, to Edirne, Topkapi again, Manisa again, to Amasya and later Bursa. And what's important about that for this post is that everytime she tasted the peace and happiness of family she had to lose it, being it via Suleyman falling out of love with her, the sudden deaths of baby Suleyman, Fatma hatun & Ibrahim pasha or by how the Amasya fam was murdered. She could never rely on the security and the simpleness of the family lives she describes to Gulsah and Nergissah. By the end of the show Mahidevran is symbolically an orphan not only of the parents we don't know, also of the men that gave different meanings to her life inside the system, Suleyman and Mustafa. Still, a little bit of her hope survives with Nergissah escaping this life full of suffering and I find it poetic and very telling that, while we see the damage the succession wars are bringing and Suleyman's obsession for loyalty, Mahi is ready to give up all she has (even if little, but she transfers the servants that remain with her to her granddaughter) for Nergissah to find peace in a new home.

[onepiece-polls]

One Piece Shipping War - Round 2 Side B

Propaganda under the cut.

Propaganda for Smoker x Law:

Their interactions on punk hazard are just hhhhnnnggghhhh. First they fight against each other and then they have to team up! The sexual tension is through the roof 👀 and they fight so well together too 👀 also law LITERALLY stole smoker's heart?? Sorry for being incoherent that's just what they do to me

I read it in a fic and it was compelling also it would be cool if they both knew rocinante

Law literally stole Smoker’s heart during the Punk Hazard Arc - they saved each other during the Punk Hazard Arc even if they were enemies - classic “Enemies to lovers” energy - perfect matching personalities (INTP x INTJ) - the thrill of a forbidden love between a marine and a pirate.

They have. SUCH a divorcee dynamic listen. - Law literally stole Smoker’s heart in the Punk Hazard arc. - Even though they were enemies, Smoker fought against Vergo and stole Law’s heart to give it back to him, hurting himself A LOT. - at the same time, Law saved Smoker from Vergo and gave Smoker’s heart back even if he didn’t have to. - the way Law smiles when fighting against him and getting on Smoker’s nerves (a lot of tension here hehe). - Smoker’s a marine and Law a pirate, what’s better than a forbidden relationship? - their personalities match perfectly (INTJ and INTP).

SUCH a divorcee dynamic. - we all love a forbidden romance between marine and pirate - the way they interact with each other on Punk Hazard is at the same time easy but full of tension, they clearly have some familiarity w each other - ...and then later they manage to work together seamlessly despite those tensions and differences, and Smoker trusts Law to pick up the slack where he can't. And Law DOES follow through - after the battle Law TELLS Smoker what he's planning next - yeah it's all purposeful for his plans but it's such a clear and obvious manipulation. And yet Smoker does exactly that. - the guy sent to Dressrosa is Issho (which ok Sakazuki says he sent BUT what a funny coincidence still that it's the one guy who's most likely to help Law rather than hinder hmmmm) - when Doffy shows up after Law&co have left and demands to know things Smoker just straight up stonewalls him and lies to his face, with the full knowledge that it may cost him his life. Which yeah, Smoker hates pirates, but he doesn't actually have any reason to do that - if he really didn't care he wouldn't mind siccing the two warlords on each other and watching them destroy themselves so he at the very least must agree with Law if not outright want to help him - delicious narrative parallels! Bc fundamentally they're two sides of the same coin: both are absolutely driven by their personal moral codes and care DEEPLY about people and things. Law may be driven largely by more self-centered goals and focus his good on the smaller circle he chooses to surround himself with, while Smoker is drawn to more lofty pursuits of greater good and helping even those he will never meet or even know of, but at the core they share very similar ideals and values - and ykno. Law LITERALLY punches Smoker's heart out of his chest - also Law is a scrawny-ass twink and you cannot tell me he doesn't have a thing for buff dilfs who could bench press double his weight.

Propaganda for Law x Robin:

Their intelligent goth energy combined would be off the charts

Their backstories parallel each other perfectly! Home destroyed, hunted from a young age saved by a kind marine. Spoilers ahead: They're working together to figure out what the history of the Will of D is, and what happened in the void century! She was the only person Law trusted enough to reveal his middle initial! Also, they could do horrible things together if they decided to use their devil fruits as a team. So many limbs in places they shouldn't be.

Smart, sexy, sleek, intelligent, empathetic, humorous, *might get flustered on occasion*, hobbies: riling up Usopp. Terrific and morbid sense of humour. Just *get* one another. Very close to one another in both age and height!

[differenteagletragedy]

hi I just wanted to say I adore how far you've gone w the swap au (I sent the original ask lol) and I wanna ask: any hcs for cove/derek's route in the swap au? or any hcs for poly swap au? 👀

Thank you for all you have done for me, I will never forget it, Swap AU is my favorite place <3

-- Ok so usually what I've been doing is just thinking of random moments and then writing a story about them and building the universe that way so this will be very helpful!!!

-- Cliff had his shop, Baxter's dad was looking for local investment opportunities and they went into business together. I do not know anything about business, but they became ~business partners~ so Cliff would come over to the Ward house sometimes and he'd bring Cove, that's how he met Baxter

-- They were both only 13, so Baxter isn't going to do the very forward flirting that made Cove not like him so much in canon Step 3, so they make friends. In canon, Baxter likes Cove so much, he thinks he's so sweet and good so that's true here. He becomes Baxter's confidante, he's the only one he tells about MC.

-- Cove and MC never have a thing, but they are good friends! Close enough that when the business relationship between Baxter's dad and Cliff sours (Cliff finds out that he is NOT a good person and is fine with his business taking a little hit so that he doesn't associate with him anymore) Cove can go hang out with MC and Baxter can show up without Wards getting into a tizzy.

-- Which, btw, Wards haaaaate MC's moms with a passion for so many reasons, the list gets longer as the years go by. The reason they let Baxter hang out around there is because 1, Baxter is kind of a pain in the ass and would pester them to the ends of the earth if they didn't let him go, and 2, it's a little obvious if they don't let their kid hang out with the kid with two moms and they don't want to be THAT loud about their bigotry. They have plenty of remarks about MC's family to share behind closed doors.

-- Cove doesn't get all "no free time only school/sports" like Derek does, so there's never really a lull in the friendship. MC is Baxter's best friend, but Cove is high up there too.

-- Cove's route will obviously be a lot of beach stuff. Baxter is still scared of the ocean, so this is something you can share with Cove. It's a little hard to think of parallels between Derek's route and AU Cove's route because Derek's is all about his big family, but that first summer with Cove is fun and it keeps being fun after :)

-- Derek is different in Swap AU in that by the time he's 19, he hasn't had years of crushing on MC, he's just a guy that comes to town for training and happens to move across the street from a lil cutie. He's confident in his looks like he is in canon, and he's fine with some flirting in that way that very nice pretty people can be. He'll obviously be much busier than Baxter was in canon Step 3 and he can't drop everything for MC, but he does have a good time with them and Baxter.

-- He'd ask MC to take him sightseeing, and to go camping instead of to big fancy mountain lodge. He'd also be good with leading the search for an ice cream truck. He wouldn't be good with the themes, but he'd absolutely help with Miranda's party and wouldn't have the hang up where he felt like he couldn't stay for the festivities.

-- He actually wouldn't have many of his canon hang ups to deal with here because he's on his own. That means you get a free-wheeling, footloose and fancy free Derek, and how nice!

-- Cove is around forever, he's just that bud. He never stepped back, you never lost touch, he's the friend that lies in a different neighborhood.

-- Derek will keep in touch too, no need for a big reunion in five years!

-- Baxter and MC get married, Cove is Baxter's best man. It would be very cute if Derek's was MC's, but they have more people to choose from (Liz, etc.)

-- See now I'm thinking about Swap AU wedding and I have to go, this is the best universe!!!

[angst-is-love-angst-is-life]

director's commentary on Trophy please 👀👀

Trophy

Oh gods where do I even start-- my magnum opus, my beloved, the every-horrible-thing-I-could-think-of-happens-because-no-one-stopped-me (and boy did my best friend try) fic

This was so long I'm sorry-- as you can see, I always want to talk about this fic but have ✨anxiety✨. When asked about it though-- it's what my brain needs to allow it lmao. I do hope you enjoy :)

The first line was originally (as a thought) "I deserve this" , this was scrapped because the concept became irrelevant in later drafts (and now it may become relevant again-- who knows). The first bit before it cuts back to the race was originally the first of a back and forth kind of flashback thing. ex. chapter 2 would have taken place in the present with hints as to what happened, and chapter 3 would directly follow the events of chapter 1. If the way I explained that didn't make much sense-- that should be enough to show why this has since been changed💀

A single step away– but in the corner of his eye; a flash, a blur— and Zoom tackled him off the magnetar.

This was very intentional. I specifically wanted to mention just how close Barry was to winning as he did in canon. Makes everything that happens next all the sweeter, to me :)

There are many parts and lines that are going to hit so much harder later on and that's all I'll say about that matter for the moment.

��You really thought you could defeat me?” His low whine turned into a howl as Zoom pressed harder on an evidently broken rib. “Forgotten I’m the fastest man alive?” Zoom leaned further down and Barry bit his cheek to prevent a shriek. “Don’t worry.” Tone laced with venom, he wrapped a hand around Barry’s windpipe. Zoom’s mask was inches from his face, blocking the breach. “You’ll have plenty of time to remember.” He clawed at the hand desperately, struggling for air. 

This is one of my favorite scenes ngl. I wrote this whole excerpt after rewatching the Enter Zoom scene and wrote nothing else for the rest of that night lmao. Tis where you get the parallels between those first two lines and ones in that episode "You really thought you could defeat me?" is just slightly changed from "{Harrison Wells}, you thought you could defeat me {with this}?" And as I type this, I have discovered another layer to that parallel that is extremely relevant to the story. Holy shit this is awesome (I will not be saying. spoilers.) ANYWAYS; the other parallel line. "Forgotten I'm the fastest man alive?" comes from "Never forget, I am the fastest man alive." I love parallels. Let's just say that Zoom is very irritated and a little offended that Barry seems to think he {Zoom}'s less powerful than he is. May need a couple more reminders...

Knew I needed another really bad injury besides the broken rib to both bring the Enter Zoom parallels to a climax, and to make the next scene/s work. I thought "Hey! Speedsters can't run if their leg is broken!" and that was that.

“Now you can watch your precious multiverse die. Knowing you’re the one who destroyed it.”

This might be my favorite line and it is the only anything from the first draft of chapter 1 that made it to the final draft. Also I wrote it at 5 am because of course I did.

Somewhere behind the two speedsters, there was a scream

The person who screamed will not be revealed in this fic but I do know who it was and there is an in-universe reason for it besides simply directing the attention away from Barry. I wrote a companion piece off of that reason-- may post it if I feel like cleaning it up a little. But for now, feel free to theorize :)

And finally, to round out the chapter 1 fun facts and commentary-- something I've wanted to say since that fateful day it was posted.

Around 50% of chapter 1 was written on March 14th from 5-11 pm with no food, no water, and no bathroom breaks. I had the power of whump and the speedforce on my side and I was DETERMINED to post it on Barry's birthday and it fucking worked.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ASKING AND ENABLING ME BECAUSE I HAVE PUT WAY TO MUCH THOUGHT INTO THIS FIC AND AM DELIGHTED TO SHARE IT!!!

Fanfic Writers: Director's Cut

[nowmemoriees]

BYLER × YASAMMY parallels

Sooo... I finished Camp Cretaceous and it was so interesting how many parallels I have found between these two ships! It's so important because they're both queer ships from Netflix shows 👀

- Will from Mike's sight / Sammy from Yas' sight.

The lightning, the sun🥺

And there's more...

[melien]

Hi!!! Your most recent post has got me wondering, are Freya and Keegan still together in the character verse? I know you said they both have other partners so I needed to ask because I'm still obsessed with those characters and their love story! 🥰

(I hope this isn't too nosy or anything! I just love your updates about the character verse and seeing how all these characters I love from your legacies develop and change!)

Hey Payte! Thank you for the question😭 I really appreciate the interest and that you remember the characters, even though I'm well aware it's a bit of a mess right now as I'm mostly posting photoshoots, and without a proper story it's hard to get attached to them. But I'm planning something quite big and impressive that will connect a lot of characters and it's really looking great so far! I feel like things have changed so much in my life in the past couple of years, I'm now in a better place mentally but also has been through a bunch of life-altering events and I think this reflects on my current storytelling, I know I would definitely write some things differently now so I want to show it. I love rewriting stuff from today's perspective and revisiting characters and having them grow with me. But I've learned to appreciate my old stuff as a learning curve as well.

Regarding Freya and Keegan, yes they're still a couple (still one of my favourites too, I would die for them😭) and their story would be very similar to their berry versions in the legacy! I will probably not give too many spoilers in case I do write that (the rewrite of it will also be included in that new big thing with many characters, I'm super excited about it), but basically Delphi replaces Freya's old Chinese mentor (what a coincidence, they're even Chinese!) but instead of a wise old man they're also a regular young human, a couple years older than Freya, with their own worries that parallel Freya's (they're a psychic and it can often be a burden) and they bond over it and have a lot of deep profound conversations. So the whole Freya and Keegan stuff remains the same, Freya loves Keegan deeply, and Delphi also will have a partner who they cherish and they'd have quite an emotional story together. But I've been feeling some chemistry between Freya and Delphi and thought of Freya later on starting to feel this pull towards Delphi that's more than friendly and she's aware they both have partners but can't ignore it, and Keegan picks up on it (maybe sees the pining look that she usually gives Delphi) and even encourages her to explore it. And well, Freya has two hands, right? I'm still working out the specifics but I'm pretty sure this storyline will happen, I ship them too much.

Also the irony is that a couple years ago I got an ask related to Freya and how she would possibly feel about polyamory and I think I said she would be open to it and look how things turned out. 👀

[sketching-shark]

care to elaborate on swk x nmw scraps in the american born chinese show??? 👀

afghrtgea OKAY so forgive the abstract nature of this response since it's been awhile since I watched it and it's really just one but a pretty lengthy scene. So for a multitude of episodes Jin Wang's mother and father had been getting into increasingly heated arguments mainly over Mr. Wang being extremely hesitant to try and get a higher position in the company he worked at even though he had been there for many years and kept getting passed over for promotions, with Mrs. Wang telling Mr. Wang that he would do really well in a higher position and then that his hesitance was showing him up as a coward. Then later on there's a scene from the distant past where Sun Wukong and Niú Mówáng--who are here positioned as extremely close--get into a party in heaven, and the entire time they're having a pretty similar argument to Mr. and Mrs. Wang, where SWK is presented as the more bold and audacious person who's encouraging in an increasingly pushy manner a very hesitant NMW to be brave and do what he must to present his idea--WHICH IT TURNS OUT IS THE JOURNEY WEST ITSELF--to the deities. If I'm remembering it correctly SWK even tells NMW that he deserves to be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, which is here presented as a literal legitimate title asfdgerf. It also ends really badly when it's SWK who gets declared the Great Sage instead, with NMW feeling really betrayed, the two of them getting into a huge argument where terrible things are said, and if I'm remembering correctly ending when NMW runs off in tears. In any case, the parallels between the humans and the yaoguai are in this regard are honestly pretty clear, so I think you could count that as another tick in the "media with very subtle hints that there was/is a potential romance between the Monkey King and one of his closest companions from the og classic" box lol.

[rainbowolfe]

I have a sneaking suspicion that Ratau's crew is supposed to be a parallel of the Bishops on some level. Because why is there a crow in the ocean biome. Not that any of them seem to belong to the biome you find them in, unless everyone really does just live in a tent. There's also my belief that there's a sixth Bishop, missing for some reason. Which aligns with the missing sixth member of Ratau's crew, bargained away in a deal that made Ratau abandon his duties.

So, what would the implications be...

-Narinder is the force that brought this dysfunctional family together. (I know a lot of people assume Shamura played this role, because they're the eldest) The Bishops (+ the missing one would make five) were likely apart of different sects of one group that Narinder later took them/saved them from.

-Heket was indebted to many people (I would take that to mean she struck many bargains she never fulfilled her end of the deal for) but also had many people indebted to her. Those indebted to her may be the souls she literally devoured, represented by the eye symbols on her chest/neck.

-Heket is immune to poison, but also produces it herself (poison may not be in a literal sense here). The [Mithridatism] card would also affirm that Narinder took issue with what she had to say. The card is telling her not to fear what passes her lips, for it is the true word. ((But was it really?))

-Flinky talks funny.... Heket talks funny.... need I say more?

-Kallamar and Leshy were a duo. The dynamic between a crow and a worm would imply that Leshy was to be Kallamar's prey. I would take that to mean that Kallamar probably killed other weaker gods/crown vessels on sight, but made an exception for this one.

-[Strength From Without] is interesting as both a tarot card and in relation to Kallamar (and also possibly Leshy). As a concept it means your sense of self worth comes from and depends on those around you. As a tarot card, it gives you fervor when you're hit. Fervour is a power source that is usually gained from killing others, so to be able to (effectively) harvest your own power when someone hurts you.... I forget where I was going with that, but it makes me think if Yang's ability from RWBY.

-HOWEVER, if the earthworm isn't meant to be a stand in for the Leshyworm, then the "worm" is whoever is in Kallamar's crown. Or maybe what Kallamar's crown is made out of, hint hint, wink wink. Squids' natural prey are fish, crabs, and shrimp. And it's crabs that still persist in Anchordeep, marked with the top half of the Old Faith symbol. This would also mean that Leshy represents the follower that was lost to a bargain. Maybe the situation that brought his crown to him was just an unforeseen result of something greater going on.

-Kallamar always went overboard with his "betting" ie bargaining. Maybe he bargained with someone he shouldn't have, or he bargained away too much/something important. I bet he bargained away his Bop 👀

-Shamura has little respect for other crown bearers. They know the crowns can change people, and they're bitter about it. Of course they are, it turned the One They Loved Most against them.

-[Strength From Within] is also a non-standard way of interacting with Fervour. It replenishes over time, so you're once again using only your own power and no one else's. Fervour seems to be the physical/magical manifestation of anger and rage, which in turn fuels the use of curses. The two cards also mirror each other. Strength from Within has the enlightened/divine Sun above the clock, Strength from Without seems to put that sun inside the clock and now the skull from Ichor Earned is above it.

-sidenote, Shrumy is the only one to show a clear preference for Ratau over other crown bearers. The power, the adoration—it changes people, most likely for the worst. Something about the crowns guarantee followers, and that would even make a god a little haughty.

-Kallamar lost something to Shamura in a bargain. Hands usually represent strength or power, but it can also represent the giving of blessings or even 'ability'. So Kallamar lost half his power (only 1/4th of his power if he's got four arms truly) to Shamura, but the dynamic would imply he's more than allowed to earn/win it back. ALT: Shamura has Kallamar's other ear 😂

-Shrumy carries three accessories: Klunko's hand, a bottle of black liquid, and a knife/dagger. The knife is marked with an X, and the bottle looks sussily similar to the potion shown in The Path. Kinda funny that the turtle has the movement speed potion XD But ya know, Shamura is also notably fast. I think it's a fair assumption to make that the other two items were won from Flinky and Ratau. Maybe the potion is made from Ratau, as he does use a walking stick. And the knife would've belonged to Flinky, but don't ask me how he wielded it... but all that is to say that means that Shamura holds items that belong to their siblings, gained through bets/bargains/deals. Kallamar's (and maybe Leshy's) power, Narinder's speed/will (as in, will to keep going), and Heket's might (physical strength opposed to magical/cursed abilities).

-a sadder interpretation of that is that a deal was struck to save Shamura after a certain Waiter yoinked their skull from its proper place. And the cost were those three things. A chunk of Kallamar's power, the ability for Heket to fight, and Narinder's freedom (his free will/ability to follow his will/however you want to take that). OR. It was VERY LITERAL. And the cost was Kallamar's hands, Heket's weapons, and Narinder's feet

-Leshy, Kallamar, and Narinder are red-aligned. Shamura and Heket are purple-aligned. This could be referring to allegiance to a crown, but it could also be referring to power levels. Regular demons are red, powerful demons purple.

[tabswrites]

Happy Storyteller Saturday!

Today I'll send two questions (which are connected):

Question 1 - Imagine that your characters enter a magic labyrinth that shows them their biggest dream (s) come true. What do they see? Is their dream something they can achieve in real life?

Question 2 - In the same labyrinth, your characters enter a room that puts them face to face with (an illusion of) the person they hate the most or their worst fear. How do they react? Are they able to put up a fight against the illusion or do they need to be rescued? How do they feel in the aftermath of the confrontation?

Happy STS! You don’t know what you’ve done to yourself. Question 2 is ToL. But we’ll start with #1.

Adrin: At the place he is right now, he has no dreams of his own. He dreams of his sister, alive and well. His ambitions kind of died with her.

Mara: She would see herself in a massive library surrounded by every magical text she could get her hands on. And in that library would be a separate wing for all the cool inventions and magical artifacts she collects.

Oliver: Oliver…would be married to Mara, in a little village away from the city and his family’s legacy. He would make an honest living as a blacksmith and Mara would be running little experiments around their house.

Hettie: Much like Adrin, Hettie doesn’t have any ambitions for herself. Her life is dedicated to helping others, especially her mother. I think she would see her mother, happy and thriving in a nicer house, and her stepfather, who is a lot nicer and less drunk in her dreams.

Question #2

Okay, so I can’t exactly answer this question without spoiling 50% of what I have written 😂 Here’s why:

ToL Magic System (A Sneaky Little Peek 👀)

Tagging @outpost51 @writernopal in case you guys are curious (please ask to be +/- from ToL updates!)

The ToL gang have many similarities with one another, but the one common factor to pay attention to is: Legacy.

Adrin: Son of the former High Guard captain

Mara: Adopted child/protégée of a council elder, the highest position in their government

Oliver: Descendant of Victor Rothe, the man who destroyed magic and founded the city of Rothar.

Hettie: The daughter of an infamous traitor who was executed for starting a rebellion.

The Forest of Eternity, or Eternity as it’s usually referred to, is (basically) a parallel world. Without revealing too much, it’s just shy of a sentient being, and it reaches out to people they think might be able to wield its power and spread its energy. The way it connects to people is through their worst memories and/or fears. When faced with true darkness, how they react will determine not only if they are worthy of the magic, but which element of magic they are able to wield. The specific memories and fears they face have very much to do with their legacies. There’s a LOT more to explain but, spoilers…

So far only 3/4 characters have been tested, and that takes place between chapters 3-7!

[henrysglock]

Hey so I have totally fallen down the hole here in regards to Henry-Will Phantomgate! I blame you hahaha! And so when I saw some interesting tidbits yesterday they hit me even harder than usual.

So I was just on twitter and saw someone tweet a screen cap of Will in the California school, and it was a screencap of when he was being flirted with by his pretty classmate. They were talking about how in the show they block characters with things right behind them, behind their head etc, that are often clues to the plot and whatnot, and I’ve seen this mentioned before and seen other examples where this very much fits. Well this screencap, where’s Will is being overtly flirted with and looks very uncomfortable, he has a book right behind his head with the word HENRY in bold letters! I was shook! :0

and then remember that tweet going around from the strangers writers? let’s start a new party you and me? what if that line we have been teased about, and many assumed would be byler and come from Mike, is actually said by VECNA instead? 

vecna to will after he takes him to the upside down again and tries to convince will to join him: let’s start a new party, you and me. !!

it’s the perfect way for phantom!vecna to try and woo Will when he already feels isolated from his friends/the party anyways. It’s also subtextual still but a lot more romantically coded (so romantically coded everyone assumed it was said by Mike) so it won’t go totally unnoticed by those catching on to the themes. It’s also a great call back to mike asking: what if you want to join a new party? and will says: not possible. like sorry vecna!

also not even gonna touch on all the 👀 things Jamie has said in his interviews about Will and Henry… oh yea something is up lol

I take it this is the big POTO ask the other anon was referring to! So at long last I have an answer for you, Nonnie!

First - I have Many thoughts about that scene in Cali. It's something that's been running circles in my head. Because if, per timeline theory, Edward Creel is Vecna/One, and Vecna doesn't mention Will at all, then why is Henry right behind Will's Mindflayer spot? And how does that tie in with the Everything Else?

It goes back to something I've done deep dives about re: costuming but only touched on briefly re: narratives...and it's that they are different guys:

like...undeniably. In both face and costuming. Mindflayer guy in symbiosis is also referred to as "the shadow/shadow monster". So if Edward is Vecna, he and Henry are each other's Jungian shadows, and the Mindflayer is the shadow while being separate from Vecward...then it stands to reason that a version of Henry be the leading figure here (I have thoughts about this re: who went where, because there are at least two copies and there's some stuff about absorption that I need to flesh out more).

It would also track with something else I have a full post coming about, which is the Billy-Heather duality. They're special from the rest of the flayed, and while Billy acts distinctly Edward...Heather not so much. She's similar, almost enough to be mistaken as an extension of Billy, but she's clearly different from the rest of them. I'm particularly intrigued by the line "She could have killed me" from Billy, and Heather's response being "Yes, but not us" before panning to a number of dormant flayed...which she, for some reason, is separate from.

And when she finally does merge with the flayed, Billy remains entirely autonomous from the fleshflayer. The whole season feels like a merger between Vecna and the Mindflayer, especially with the emergence of the clawed tentacle face grab stuff.

Thus, Henry showing up Will's Mindflayer spot...would track. Hard. It would tie up the loose ends re: Heather, attack imagery swaps (invasive tentacle penetration vs external mouth grabbing with an orific/suck-pumping behavior more similar to Vecna's claw), character paralleling (Will and Henry being paralleled behaviorally, but El being more behaviorally similar to our Edward figure), and lack of associations (Vecna as we know him presently not being visually associated with Will or the Shadow, only El, but the first 2 seasons being almost insanely Will-specific).

This would also set us up for Will confronting the guy who actually did the POTO-coded stuff: Mindflayer Guy. Vecna as we know him presently doesn't have quite as much Phantom coding as Mindflayer Guy does. They both do, just in unequal amounts re: Will.

So...tl;dr: Distinction between Vecna and Mindflayer Guy!!

I could absolutely see a situation where mostly-human Mindflayer Guy pulls the Big Sad Wet Eyes and tries to pull Will to his side with his (admittedly gut-wrenching) backstory and the "we're the same, you and I/surely you understand/etc." sales pitch (whether he truly believes it or not, it is still a sales pitch). And while we all know it probably wouldn't win Will over, it would definitely be enough to make him even more conflicted about using violence/brutality.

The whole thing in POTO is that Christine chooses to "start her new party" (so to speak) with Raoul rather than the Phantom, and after she shows him compassion, he realizes the harm he's done and the monster he's become. Her goodness is the mirror. So while I don't think the words "let's start a new party, you and me" would come from the HenFlayer (imo they sound more Mike in tone than Henry)...the vibe is definitely there. And the whole thing is definitely cast in a romantic light, especially if Will were made to choose between his love interest and the HenFlayer.

Which, I agree: that would totally solidify all the shit from previous seasons that has been left up in the air as to intent, even if the actions themselves are blatant SA.

AND JAMIE SDKFJDKSJFH God okay so. Here's the thing. The film is the Thing, and what actors say reflects their current understanding of their characters (i.e. not necessarily reflective of ST5). However. That, in conjunction with Noah joking about rizzing up Vecna...I see them. I see them.

Something is definitely up, and it's going to be gut wrenching either way. Will deserves his confrontation, even if it won't end in violence the way some fans think it will.

[douwatahima]

tag 9 people you want to get to know better!

thank you @thermoskind for tagging me!

three four ships: look, i tried to narrow this down to three but i thought of these four and got sad at the thought of not including them all so y'all are getting an extra one.

doumeki/watanuki/himawari (xxxholic) - MY BABIES WHO I LITERALLY NAMED MYSELF AFTER!!! listen, my son watanuki deserves to have a stoic but protective boyfriend and a sunshiney girlfriend who hug him lots and help him see he's worth loving. AND my daughter himawari deserves to be loved without fear of accidentally doing harm. AND my son doumeki deserves to be with the people he cares about despite the fact that they're both self sacrificing as fuck. this is the trio of my dreams and i will love them until i die.

satoshi/daisuke (dn angel) - so like...this ship is from a manga that a) isn't popular and b) i would not recommend despite the fact that it had a vice grip on me as a fourteen year old. that being said these two anime boys are truly THE BLUEPRINT against which i compared all other ships for YEARS. like, there was a time where how much i loved a ship could be directly correlated to how much they reminded me of satoshi and daisuke. they were IT. and this ship truly gave us everything! the romeo and juliet parallels of them coming from feuding families!!! the enemies to friends (to lovers in my heart) of it all!!! they are THEE fire and ice ship!!! THEE sunshine one and stoic one!!! literally never talk to me about the canonical dn angel ending i want to believe in my imagined ending where they were allowed to be in love.

nico/karolina (runaways) - this is specifically about the comic book version but the tv show version is also good! i remember reading the first few comics series like...a decade ago and OHHHH MAN these two messy girls really got me. i remember reading the first conversation that implied karolina was a lesbian and becoming the living embodiment of this emoji 👀. and then nico's whole mess of a sexuality crisis after karolina leaves? poetic cinema if i've ever seen it. i spent so many years holding a torch for these two that when they actually got together in the comics in 2018 i legit bawled my eyes out. i read the words "i'm not confused anymore, karrie. i'm not scared. i know what i want" and i DIED. their first kiss has been the background on my phone for nearly five years. they are my everything i am soooo serious.

ed/stede (ofmd) - OH YOU KNOW THE GAY PIRATES HAD TO BE HERE. when i say they rewired my brain that is in no way and exaggeration. i can vividly recall scrolling through tumblr and seeing how much people were talking about this show and thinking "okay but is it really gay or is this just another tumblr thing?" LIKE. I HAD NO IDEA. staying up until two a.m. to watch episodes 9 and 10 and feeling every human emotion all at once is a moment i will never recreate. i could've done anything that night. i could've fought god and won. it's ten months later and i still think about these two every fucking day. i truly can't wait to see more of them. david jenkins thank you for my life.

first ever ship:

arnold/helga (hey arnold) - i was like...seven and didn't know what fandom was yet but i watched every episode with baited breath waiting for these two to get together lmao. the romeo and juliet episode is burned into my brain for all time. when the jungle movie came out and they finally got together after OVER A DECADE of waiting i literally went out and bought a cake to celebrate.

last song:

grace kelly by felix hagan & the family - what can i say? this song is a bop!

last film:

glass onion - listen, i would watch benoit blanc solve murders for another fifty movies and never get bored. also janelle monae i am free on thursday if you are also free on thursday and want to meet up on thursday when i am free.

currently reading:

i'm between books at the moment but the one i most recently finished was lost boy by christina henry. it was genuinely the most five out of ten book i've ever read. like...not bad by any means but so meh i have no words.

my plan is to read the magicians by lev grossman next because i miss those characters more than i can say but like hell am i gonna watch the show again after...all that. i heard the books are worse soooooo we'll see how far i get.

currently watching:

the mayfair witches - i recently watched the first two episodes and i really enjoyed them! i've never read the books so everything is new and exciting to me. i'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes!

currently consuming:

a caramilk bar. ❤

currently craving:

the ofmd season 2 trailer. please djenks i need to see ed again my crops are dying.

tagging:

i feel like most of the people i would tag have already done this so instead i'm gonna do a cop out and say if you're reading this consider yourself tagged!

[igarbagecannoteven]

hi megs i'm a little late but! if you'd like to answer i'd like to know 🤘🧠 and 👀 please (also!!!! i've read preach electric to a microphone before!!! that's a good one!) -hazel

hiya hazel! no such thing as late here on igarbagecannoteven 😊and omg that's so cool that you've read it too!! fic buddies :))

🤘: first song i'm gonna rec is Candy by Joe Mama which is like if a spaghetti western was also a musical this might be the villain's/morally grey character's solo but also it's not like that at all bc it's also kinda an anti-war song? among other things that i don't fully understand but it slaps so! yeah! completely switching gears we've got Teeth by Small Talks (which is not a cover of the 5sos song) which is just kinda vibey!

👀: well since you read some hellcheer i gotta mention counting flowers on the wall by HearJessRoar which is a hellcheer ghost au i read recently! (i kinda fell down a hellcheer rabbit hole a few weeks ago lol) to keep with the theme of giving everyone two fics from different fandoms, there's An Antonym for Serenade by ForsythiaRising which is a riverdale fic with aro-spec betty!

🧠: guess what i'm going to talk about. just guess. (hint: it's riverdale again)

listen listen listen the fact that if you watch season one after you finish season seven it almost feels as though you're supposed to do that. they really said 'we will make a show about being trapped in the narrative' and they did!!! all the parallels btwn s1 and s7 are honestly too many to count and while i've seen some people say "watching s1 after s7 makes s1 seem so realistic" and like sure there isn't an angel who had to fight with time itself in order to keep a mass extinction event from happening but also in some ways s7 is looking at things in s1 through a looking glass where maybe sometimes some of the people will do the right thing or do the wrong thing but minus the murder or things are fucked up and murdery/nuclear bomb-related but it didn't completely rip the town apart the way it did in the presentpast of s1 and etc or what if more of them were explicitly queer actually. like yes several things are worse in s7 than s1 (arguably veronica's parents, obvs the homophobia and racism, the threat of the cold war, etc.) and there's no "but" to that sentence so yeah! the parallels!!! the returning to old plotlines!! cheryl trying to use archie as a beard/way to win her parent's approval kinda, mrs grundy appearing (altho the dynamic is completely different), mr blossom being the murderer, cheerleader leadership drama, mrs cooper wanting betty to act perfect to make up for polly's "mistakes", archie's struggle between balancing sports and art, etc etc etc. and then they all die and go to heaven (back to riverdale as teenagers again) and jughead is the one narrator to rule them all (since the other jugheads have presumably all been destroyed when tabitha merged everything into one single timeline) and maybe they're taking a position on how time travel works (the philosophical position that time is actually a circle and that the heat death of the universe will lead to the big bang and everything will play out the same way all over again) but they're definitely taking a stance on determinism and AAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! absolutely buckwild anyway.

[maggiecheungs]

he’s coming to me (dir. backaof noppharnach, 2019) || a tale of thousand stars (dir. backaof noppharnach, 2021)