#two theories so far

[unxpctedlygreat]

Left side of left foot hurts when I put pressure on it but I can't figure out how I could have hurt myself there

[fluentisonus]

working in a factory has you thinking so much about the insane chain of labor & transport that goes into making literally anything

[emdotcom]

Yeah, so while I was on my "I'm going to read into Vanny/Vanessa as much as possible" journey, I noticed an odd quirk in her animations in how she moves. At first, I thought it reminded me of a ballerina, 'cause she's kinda tip-toeing, & she has this way of keeping her head & chest in one place as she moves, but I looked again & realized --

That's not ballet! She's doing a tight-rope act. Like, look at this one:

This is like standing up on the wooden boards before you do the actual tight-rope walking, & the ring leader is hyping you up as you do some fun movement for the crowds. &, then, these:

These are all instances where she walks with one foot directly in front of the other. In that third, she's doing the "woaaah" wiggly-ass balance movements & everything, as if she's swaying up at the top of the tent, even though she's down on solid ground.

Idk, I feel like the way her feet are placed isn't accurate (pretty sure they should be pointed left & right, not both forwards...) doesn't make this 100% correct, but I like it. It also connects back with her first SB teaser, wherein she's up in the rafters.

[s0fter-sin]

one of my favourite aspects of supernatural that you very rarely see in paranormal shows is that sam and dean are already versed in the world they live in. there’s no sudden discovery of ghosts and demons and now they have to learn about them along with the audience; they are born into it and already know all about it. it allows the audience to follow their personal story instead of also trying to figure out this new world and its rules

the first season is full of knowledge we never see them learn; “w*ndigoes are in the minnesota woods or- or northern michigan. i’ve never even heard of one this far west.” […] “great. well then this [his gun] is useless.” (1x02), “you don’t break a curse. you get the hell out of its way.” (1x08), d: “it’s a god. a pagan god, anyway.” […] “the annual cycle of its killings? and the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman. like some kind of fertility right.” […] s: “the last meal. given to sacrificial victims. d: “yeah, i’m thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some pagan god.” (1x11)

almost every episode in the first season is a monster they’ve faced before that they then explain to the audience in a way that should feel patronising; like it’s the same speech given over and over again but instead, the audience almost feels included in the knowledge. it’s stated with such an innate confidence and comfort in said knowledge that it feels like we already knew it too; “spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors. if they want inside, they just go through the walls.” […] “the claws, the speed that it moves; could be a skinwalker, maybe a black dog.” (1x02), “it's biblical numerology. you know noah's ark, it rained for forty days. the number means death.” (1x04), “no no no, not the reaper, a reaper. there's reaper lore in pretty much every culture on earth, it goes by 100 different names.” […] “you said it yourself that the clock stopped, right? reapers stop time. and you can only see 'em when they're coming at you which is why i could see it and you couldn't.” (1x12)

they already know and, at least in the first season, already have what they need to kill whatever they’re hunting; already know to salt and burn bones for spirits, fire for a w*ndigo, exorcisms for demons, a silver bullet to the heart for shapeshifters. there’s only three times in the entire first season that they run into something new to them; 1x14 when sam gets his first vision that leads him to another psychic, 1x16 when dean calls caleb for help on the sigil he put together and he tells him about daevas, and 1x20 when they find out vampires are real- and they only don’t know that bc john thought they were hunted to extinction and not worth mentioning

(there’s also technically two half instances if you count one of them knowing something the other doesn’t - sam figuring out the tulpa in 1x17 and dean already knowing about the shtriga in 1x18 - but those still rely on sam and dean having prior knowledge)

even when they’re uncertain about facing something, it’s not bc they don’t know what it is; it’s precisely bc they know what it is and acknowledge that it’ll be a difficult hunt (“i don't know, man. this isn't our normal gig. i mean, demons, they don't want anything, just death and destruction for its own sake. this is big. and i wish dad was here.” 1x04)

so much of the tension in paranormal shows typically comes from the main character(s) not knowing what is happening to them/the people around them and having to find out how to resolve it. supernatural is unique in that it operates more like a police procedural. the tension comes from solving the clues and identifying patterns to figure out who (what) the killer is and intercepting before they can take another victim

it’s such a different tone to go for when compared to other shows that came both before, during, and after its run. it sets sam and dean on even footing with each other since they both have the same knowledge going in, and it puts them in a place of authority usually reserved for an outside character

the shows i compare spn to most is charmed, buffy and teen wolf; every main character in those shows are brought into the paranormal world knowing nothing, putting them on the same level as the audience, and they have their mc interact with others already knowledgeable about that world in order to overcome their problem/monster of the week. the audience organically learns about this new world as the characters learn about it. it’s a sound writing strategy that prevents “as we already know”-style exposition but something that complicates it is if your world building isn’t unique or intriguing enough, this slow introduction can become boring

we’ve seen shows like these before; sitting through the same tropes of characters learning to use their powers, struggling with no longer feeling normal/relating to the regular world around them, and not knowing how much they can trust the people already involved in this new world gets repetitive. all three shows eventually reach the same level of comfort with their new world that spn starts with but if the characters aren’t enough to draw you in, you can end up dropping it before they reach that point (and often, before the overarching plot can really kick in and evolve the show beyond the villain of the week format)

it’s the superhero origin movie in tv format; dragged out and overplayed. dropping the audience into an established world of course comes with its own problems but you also have the benefit of pre-existing established character dynamics that let the audience slot in like they’ve always been there instead of just getting to know all the characters while the characters also get to know each other

sam and dean already knowing about the supernatural lets the audience immediately get to the core of the story; the conflict between sam and dean, the search for their father, and the mystery of what killed their mother

[multiheadcanons]

TF2 MERCS AND FAMILY

scout: he loves his ma. he loves his ma so much if you even think about thinking about making a your mom joke he is genuinely on the verge of losing his shit. his ma is not a joke. she was a wonderful lady who did the best she could at all times and everyone better respect it before he respectfully shoves his foot so far up their asses they’ll be tasting his toes until christmas. he didn’t know his dad, so he doesn’t care. insult the fact he doesn’t have a dad all you want. but keep his ma’s name out your fuckin mouth. i know people like to think he’s got brothers, frankly i think he’s got cousins. all boys, from his ma’s side. about four of them. the genes are very strong on his ma’s side, so they look like they could be brothers. they were hellions. couple of them have chilled out at this point, and scout respects them for it. even if it is weird with them being dads and shit. couple of them haven’t, and he respects that too. at least they didn’t bother to lie about it.

soldier: soldier had decent parents. his dad was a drunk, and was pretty emotionally distant, but as far as he knows was never a mean or violent person. his mom was a nice old lady. no nonsense, no coddling. she was a woman with a good head on her shoulders surrounded by fools. they had both passed by the time he took the job in teufort. he misses them sometimes, but he’s glad his parents are able to rest. comforted snipes when he heard about his parents. he knows snipes really loved them. only child; his parents had fertility issues and didn’t try again after they succeeded with him. they just didn’t have the heart for it. he sees the team as his brothers. he fights with those guys (and pyro), sometimes he actively fights those guys (and pyro), and frankly is that not what brothers do?

pyro: pyro doesn’t really remember their mom or dad, but they remember their older sister! about twelve years older than them, they did most of the parenting. it wasn’t good parenting, and they argued and physically fought a lot with their sister, but as pyro grew up pyro came to understand that their parents… probably weren’t good people if their sister had to raise them. they don’t know where their sister is, but they did take the time to locate their parents, with the support of the team behind them, helping lead the charge. it was a disheartening, frankly frightening experience to see them withering away in a nursing home, but they barely knew them. they don’t know why it aches so much. they don’t know why they’re so scared. they see the team as their family. those are the people who have shown pyro they will always be there. they don’t think the team would just leave them somewhere to die. the team loves them for who they are. and they love the team. most of the team. no, no, all of the team, all of them. they just love some of them more than others.

demo: demo’s dad passed about a decade before he took the job. a jolly man. a drunk. easygoing. down for anything. demo realized after he passed he was the one who kept his mom from imploding with neuroticism. but he loves his mom. the firecracker she is. he remembers her when he was really young. she was a woman who was simply always on the ball. intelligent, creative, brutal. a giantess of a woman, though she stands five feet two. they’re on good terms as long as he’s got a job. most of the degroots are chemists of the explosive subvariety; few made it to retirement. so he cherishes his mom. he’s glad to have her around. he had a lover at one point. genevieve. a wild woman, sporadic in her time in his life and explosive when she was in it. she brought life into him, more than he thought he could contain. any day with her was a total mindset shift for tavish. quite a few years his senior; one of the brightest chemists he grew to know in his higher educational, perhaps his professional life in general. a flame he could not stay away from. she was magnetic. she passed at 30, cutting their budding romance short. breast cancer. he couldn’t make it to her hometown to attend the funeral. he sent flowers to the next of kin. it floored him. he didn’t know how she would go, but he never thought it would be from something so mundane. thinks of her often.

heavy: heavy loved his dad, he supposes. very quiet man. it was hard when he passed. it was hard being the only man in a sudden matriarchy. and in a way, he was almost blinded. he didn’t see how well his mother actually had a handle on things as he grew to fill his father’s role. so as he matured, and took the job in teufort, he was constantly worried about them. he loves his mother. he honors his mother, prays the lord blesses her every step so she may leave nothing but life and light in her wake. he will actually fucking kill you if you even speak about his mother without his express permission. and his sisters… god help them. it has taken him a very long time to accept his sisters’ absolute abysmal tastes in men. he can’t even think about it he starts to gag. he loves his niece and nephew though.

engineer: engie comes from a big family of bright and creative minds. his mama had her masters in music theory, his dad had been an engineer, as his father before him, as his father before him. middle child of four. two boys, two girls. his younger brother became a hotshot doctor, his baby sister’s a vet; his older sister does underwater welding, and family reunions are hell to plan. he’s very proud of the family he comes from. he just wishes he wasn’t the one who got roped into the mann business. but he wouldn’t wish this on his siblings either. the siblings do a conference call every couple of months to make sure everyone’s still alive. they last maybe 30 minutes before someone is called away. his mom passed about three years into the job, and they cremated her because nobody could get the time to go to the funeral. their father followed shortly after; which they understood. he wasn’t the same man without her around.

medic: medic has been surrounded by intelligent, wild, wonderful women his entire life. he is the result of a teenage pregnancy, and he is his moms best friend. she had him when she was 16. with all credit to the man, his father did stick around. he struggled for them. but they did pretty okay as medic grew up. normally went with his mom to university and was cooed over. his dad died when he was 16 from a work accident. it rocked the home. he and his mother leaned on each other heavily in the grief, and he entered adulthood with a dear friend instead of a mother. but that’s okay, because he truly needed that. he loves his mother to death. and she is very proud of her son. she’s a zany woman, with a wild imagination. fully aware of what her son has become, and is simply happy that he found a place for himself that treats him well and isn’t jail. they call each other all the time to chat, and normally will entirely halt what they’re doing to spend time with each other. heavy’s met the woman. they have the same smile. he married his childhood best friend young. another pathologically high spirited, highly gifted woman. a chemist. genevieve. something about it never felt right (he’s gay.) but nobody could deny he loved that woman with every fiber of his being that he could spare. they were two peas in a pod. you couldn’t see one without seeing the other. the first person he came out to. she passed at 30. breast cancer. it destroyed him. he didn’t think he would survive to find someone he truly loved like her. keeps their wedding photo in his wallet.

snipes: oh man. ohhhhh man. do we have to go into it. he loves his stepparents so much. he loves them so much it hurts. he just wants to do right by them. the idea he’s failing them or has failed them or will fail them genuinely eats away at his soul. he knew he wasn’t gonna have long with them, that they were on the older side when he fell into their lap, and he was grateful for every moment he got with them. it wrecked him when they passed. and nobody was there to comfort him through it. as far as he knew, nobody tried to reach out. his real parents can get fucked though. he doesn’t hate them, but he does wish he didn’t spend so much time thinking about them either.

spy: youngest of two sons. came from a decent home. both parents were hard working and supportive. he and his brother were just brutes. they argued all the time, and his parents didn’t know how to even begin pacifying them both. his mother was a schoolteacher, and his father did paperwork for a nearby firm. they were fine, honorable jobs. made enough to live comfortably. it just wasn’t enough for him. for either of them. it wasn’t enough for one of them alone. his parents passed shortly after he reached adulthood, and he hasn’t spoken to his brother since the funeral. in a way, the team is his family. he has nothing left to go back to, that he knows of. he wouldn’t know who else to even turn to if he needed some backup muscle, or a medication, or a differing perspective, or a soundboard, or entertainment, or company, or support. the team has taken care of him, and in a way loved him, truly, for years. even if they weren’t explicitly in the room, they’ve seen him at his absolute worst. they’ve seen him at his absolute best! and stayed. and even if they don’t think it’s true, spy would be there for them if they needed him.

[rosesofenvy]

How Far We’ve Come - Music Theory Analysis

[Disclaimer: I went to university for music as a violin primary and have the most confidence with classical strings. I passed my piano proficiency courses, but that is the extent of my piano knowledge. It has been a few years since I have done an in-depth composition analysis of any piece, let alone transcribing a piece by ear and then analyzing it. Music theory has never been my strong suit! Please excuse any mistakes in notation, and any inaccuracies in my transcription or analysis. I did my best and this was purely for fun *shaky thumbs up*]

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'How Far We’ve Come' by Harlan Guthrie is a duet between Grand Piano and Cello. This piece opens with solo piano, either in a pickup measure or in a single measure of 2/4 before transitioning to 4/4 time in measure 2. Throughout its entirety there are many moments of rubato which have been notated as ritardando and a subsequent a tempo. To most accurately follow the phrasing, listening to the recording is highly recommended.

This piece begins in the key of F#M or the enharmonic spelling of GbM. Although unpleasant to look at with either 6 sharps or 6 flats, depending on which spelling is followed, this key is often used by composers to invoke emotions of a conquest story, evoking relief, triumph, victory, and clarity. As we know from our story in Malevolent so far, this meaning is not lost on us. I have chosen to keep this piece as F#M since that is how I originally began transcribing it. I have also attached the GbM version at the end of the post, however all the analysis follows F#M spelling.

The lone piano begins on the third of our I chord with a hesitant, heavily rubato 8th note pickup into measure 1. The transition from measure to measure in this first phrase gains little confidence, especially with the transition from the pickup into m. 1 as this is the only instance in the piece where the set of 8th notes in the left hand do not lend itself into the next right hand pickup (four 8th notes instead of five). Each lead-in to the downbeat is stretched, pedal held throughout the measure to allow the sound to linger. Each press of the keys is deliberate, yet maintains a mezzo dynamic as the sound fades. m.2 is introduced with a vi chord, creating a hint of unease before resolving in m.3 to a IV(add7). We end our first phrase with a half cadence to a V chord, leading into a V7 as our next phrase begins with a B. 

As we enter our second phrase it is similar to our first with  m.5 beginning with a I chord, m.6 expands our vi chord compared to its first iteration, resulting in a more confident feel as we continue into m.7 with yet another expansion to our IV(add7). M.8 ends this phrase as we reach another half cadence V chord almost V7. 

Beginning m.9 the piece has a few possible paths of analysis, we arrive on a vi chord if we are remaining in F#M, which unlike our other initial starting phrases this throws us into a melancholic mood. There is a possibility of modulation to the relative minor (D#m), however I believe it remains in F#M and utilizes inversions of our chords and will continue with this assumption for the next phrase.

Remaining in F#M, m.10 could be a vi(4/2) inversion, or a I(6/4) inversion. Because Measure 11 moves to a ii chord, I believe it makes more harmonic sense for m.10 to be a vi(4/2) inversion as moving from a I(6/4) - ii is less common than a vi(6/4) to a ii. 

M.11 into m.12 is a fascinating progression. We have a V with the (g) in m.11, then we are descending to a Dnat, A#, E# progression. The Dnat is what has thrown me off the most, as it is a minor chord of sorts but doesn’t exist within our key of F#M, or relative D#m. The E# A# progression I believe is a I(4/2) chord, as it is leading us back into the next phrase. Even spelling enharmonically as a A#, Cx, E# chord it does not naturally occur within our existing key. After many hours of checking theory textbooks, writing out possible modulations, and playthroughs of the chords, I’m choosing to leave this as a V-I(4/2) progression and accepting my loss that I do not know what chord exists in the downbeat of m.12. However, I can say that resolving to something that is not a root tonic further creates this sense of melancholy.

Bringing us to our next phrase at m.13, similar to our previous phrase a vi chord but instead of resolving to an A# it resolves to the root D#. M.14 is identical to m.10 with the exception of the lower octave A#3 before resolving in m.15 to a ii chord until the fourth beat of the measure which leads us into measure 16 - resolving to a IV-V half cadence by the end of the measure. 

Reaching m.18 we are returning to our original phrase. This is where our cello enters for the duet, in which I have some observations about musicality first. As the piano is using a significant amount of pedal to sustain the sound, the cello utilizes a wide vibrato to create a warm sound. Notably, this doesn’t occur as significantly when entering with the lower notes. The cello is confident, encouraging the piano forward and maintaining a solid momentum even with the hesitance the piano has shown. 

M.18 we begin on a I chord, supported by the cello playing a low F# as the root. In the pause between phrases, it's as if you can feel the performers breathing together before they move to m.19, our vi(add7) chord. 

Measure 20 I have quite a bit to talk about. Stacked chord analysis is not my forte (pun intended). From what I could hear, there is a B1, F#2, B2, F#3 in the cello, while the piano continues with a IV(add7) chord. B1 is impossible to play on a cello with traditional tuning, in order to achieve this note they would have to tune their lowest string - their C string - down a half step. The chord B1/F#2/B2/F#3 is also impossible to play on a single instrument. If one cello tuned their C down to a B, then they could feasibly play the bottom chord, possibly the two B’s in octaves. It is possible for a cellist to play an F#/B/F# chord, however it would be uncomfortable and not result in a good tonality with it being a triple stop - but, the second cello could split the chord and play a different combination (F#2,B2 or B2,F#) with success. Other solutions to this could be having a double bass play the pedal B, as it would be within their ability on and remain in the correct octave, or having the piano cover the pedal B. This massive chord then resolves simply to a half cadence V chord in measure 21. 

Entering our last section, m.22, we return to a phrase similar to the beginning, with a confident I chord. With each measure we go to a more traditional chord progression to a V-IV-V in measures 23, 24, and 25 respectively. In an exciting turn of events, we land on a I chord in our final measure. The first PAC in the entire piece, and yet, it doesn’t sound as if the piece is finished. Throughout its entirety, all the phrases have been a form of inauthentic cadence. We end on a Perfect Authentic Cadence, a V-I, it should sound resolved. And yet, it continues on. The notes ring, and if left on repeat (as I have done for this analysis), it makes sense for it to continue. 

In conclusion, I believe this duet is in an general AABBAA format, with A being Major key tonality and B encompassing a minor key tonality. This piece is a conversation, it’s full of emotion and hesitance and is a fantastic representation of everything we’ve seen Arthur and John go through so far in the podcast. I can’t help but think of “I’ve come so far…and I have miles to go before I sleep” with this piece as a reflection of that. This composition is saying “Look, see how far we’ve come, what we’ve done to get here. How we’ve changed and grown.” All this to say, it’s an amazing story and an amazing composition. If you made it this far, I’m glad you came along in this musical journey with me and feel free to add anything I may have missed (or possibly mistaken). 

[r0semultiverse]

Eida knows Sarada & Sumire are immune to her abilities.

Whats weird to me is that Eida just doesn't further question that Sarada & Sumire are acting so normal, like I would have never bought Sumire's excuse. NO SHOT!

I think Eida is protecting those two from her clingy little brother.

She has stated before that she wants to have actual friends, but probably knows Daemon would try to kill them potentially if he figures it out (that part isn't so much stated but it's the way he's looking at Sarada & Sumire when he's considering they may not be affected).

He's overprotective, clingy, & overpowered; a terrible combination for her to be around in this case where she would like some actual friends. He's also very eager to fight people!

She 100% went along with Sumire's bullshit excuse to keep those two safe from her brother. She literally pauses for a moment before agreeing with them!

We'll see how good the excuse is when the official translation is out, but I think Eida's playing along so she can have actual friends around her. She knows whats actually going on here, she isn't a fool.

[slyandthefamilybook]

I think we need to have a serious re-evaluation of what "leftist" means bc there ain't no fuckin way authcoms are on the same left as me lmao

[sorinethemastermind]

Snake Boi Callum Week 3.0 | Prompt: I Did It For You / Necessary

Callum had imagined this a million times. Dreamed it waking and sleeping; an eternal nightmare, custom made to torment him. Sometimes it was him holding the knife, other times it was Viren or Claudia. Often it was Aaravos. But even though he’d imagined it a million times, nothing had prepared him for this. Nothing could have.

 The hand that held the knife - Rayla’s knife - was purple, skin shimmering with a thousand tiny stars. He didn’t need a blade. He'd made that clear enough when he fought them; tore their plan to shreds and sent them flying with a mere flick of his hand. Callum had faced cursed army’s, corrupted banthers, dark mages, and more. Yet nothing had prepared him for this. Not even Claudia’s inside knowledge of the elf’s plans and most powerful spells had been able to turn the tide in their favor. Aaravos hadn’t even needed to try.

 Callum tried not to think about Claudia and where she lay crumpled next to her brother. Or his own brother, and what might have happened to him. Because now it was just them. The way he’d somehow always known it would end up being.

 “So, what will it be?” The elf’s voice was syrupy, relaxed. He was already basking in his triumph. The blade’s tip wiggled where it hovered over Rayla’s chest. His mouth curved into a cruel smile. “Do the right thing.”

 Callum’s hands tightened around the staff as he held it out before him. He had never believed in destiny, but maybe that was because he’d known all along what his was. One hand drifted into his satchel, and Aaravos extended a hand expectantly. 

 “Good choice.”

 Callum’s fingers grazed the cube, went past it, grasped something small and flat and cold. 

 “I love you, Rayla.” His voice broke on her name, and her eyes widened for a moment, but she took a deep breath and smiled what she thought was a goodbye. She’d known this was a possibility. She was ready. She was always ready to sacrifice.

 “I love you too, Callum.”

 He supposed this was goodbye.

 “𝔈𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔢𝔯𝔱 𝔶𝔪 𝔰𝔦 𝔩𝔲𝔬𝔰 𝔯𝔲𝔬𝔶.” The words burned in his throat the first time he said them. 

 “𝔈𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔢𝔯𝔱 𝔶𝔪 𝔰𝔦 𝔩𝔲𝔬𝔰 𝔯𝔲𝔬𝔶.” The second time, Aaravos’ eyes widened, the blade dropping from his hand as he rushed to draw a protective rune in the air. 

 “𝔈𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔢𝔯𝔱 𝔶𝔪 𝔰𝔦 𝔩𝔲𝔬𝔰 𝔯𝔲𝔬𝔶.” The third time the air crackled with strands of color, and Aaravos staggered forward, what seemed to be his very essence bleeding into the air. Rayla screamed his name, but her voice was lost to the torrenting stream of magic caught between the two of them. The mage and his prey.

 “𝔈𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔢𝔯𝔱 𝔶𝔪 𝔰𝔦 𝔩𝔲𝔬𝔰 𝔯𝔲𝔬𝔶.” By the fourth time she was at his side, having staggered over despite her injured leg, hands trying desperately to pull the staff out of his hands. But it was like they had been fused together, his hands adhered to the cold metal of the Staff of Xiard. Like they had always belonged together. Always been destined for this.

 “𝔈𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔢𝔯𝔱 𝔶𝔪 𝔰𝔦 𝔩𝔲𝔬𝔰 𝔯𝔲𝔬𝔶.” After the fifth time, he could tell the spell was working. Aaravos was trying to return to his titan form, to flee, to squirm out of the siphoning spell’s grasp. But it was too late, too much of him had already been pulled in. The coin began to feel unnaturally heavy in Callum’s grip.

 “𝔈𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔢𝔯𝔱 𝔶𝔪 𝔰𝔦 𝔩𝔲𝔬𝔰 𝔯𝔲𝔬𝔶.” The sixth time the words came easily, naturally. As though he’d said them a thousand times before. He felt the familiar waves swelling up inside his mind, trying to swallow him. He fought towards the shore and the flicker of light that was still shining there. It opened it’s arms for him, voice calling his name. 

 “Callum! Callum! Callum, please!”

 “𝔈𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔢𝔯𝔱 𝔶𝔪 𝔰𝔦 𝔩𝔲𝔬𝔰 𝔯𝔲𝔬𝔶.” By the seventh time his mouth was filling with water as he tried to speak the words, struggling to get them out. He staggered forward with leaden arms, lungs heavy with water, chest burning. The light flickered. But that was okay, he wasn’t going to reach it. He just needed to finish the spell. 

 The final verse came out of his mouth in a stream of bubbles as he sank beneath the water. “𝔈𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔢𝔯𝔱 𝔶𝔪 𝔰𝔦 𝔩𝔲𝔬𝔰 𝔯𝔲𝔬𝔶.” 

 And then, with them spoken, silence descended. The light shone from the shore one last time before it snuffed out.

 I love you, Rayla. He thought one final time. I know you think this is a betrayal, but it isn't. You'll realize that. I know you will. I kept my promise; I did the right thing. And I did it for you. Because I love you, Rayla. And then the seafloor greeted him, and everything was still.

[acourtofquestions]

Rowaelin Chapter 41 Kingdom of Ash:

She'd rebuild it—what she had been.

Perhaps one last time, perhaps only for a little while, but she'd do it. If only for Terrasen.

Rowan swooped from the mast, shifting as he reached her side at the rail. He surveyed the night-black sea beyond them. "You should rest." She slid him a glance. "I'm not tired." Not a lie, not in some regards. "Want to spar?" He frowned. "Training can start tomorrow."

"Or tonight." She held his piercing stare, matched his dominance with her own.

"It can wait a few hours, Aelin."

"Every day counts." Against Erawan, even a day of training would count.

Rowan's jaw tightened. "True," he said at last. "But it can still wait. There are ... there are things we need to discuss." The silent words rose in his animal-bright eyes. About you and me.

Her mouth went dry. But Aelin nodded In silence, they strode into their spacious quarters, its only decoration the wall of windows that overlooked the churning sea behind them. A far cry from a queen's chamber, or any she might have purchased as Adarlan's assassin.

At least the bed built into the wall looked clean enough, the sheets crisp and stainless. But Aelin headed for the oak desk anchored to the floor, and leaned against it while Rowan shut the door.

In the dim lantern light, they stared at each other.

She'd endured Maeve and Cairn; she'd endured Endovier and countless other horrors and losses. She could have this conversation with him. The first step toward rebuilding herself.

Aelin knew Rowan could hear her thundering heart as the space between them went taut. She swallowed once. "Elide and Lorcan told you... told you everything that was said on that beach."

A curt nod, wariness flooding his eyes. "Everything that Maeve said." Another nod.

She braced herself. "That I'm-we're mates."

Understanding and something like relief replaced that wariness. "Yes."

"I'm your mate," she said, needing to voice it. "And you are mine."

Rowan crossed the room, but halted a few feet from the desk on which she leaned. "What of it, Aelin?" His question was low, rough.

"Don't you..." She scrubbed at her face. "You know what she did to you, to ..." She couldn't say her name. Lyria. "Because of it."

"I do know."

"And?"

"And what do you wish me to say?"

She pushed off the desk. "I wish you to tell me how you feel about it. If…"

"If what?"

"If you wish it wasn't so."

His brows narrowed. "Why would I ever wish that?"

She shook her head, unable to answer, and stared over her shoulder toward the sea.

It seemed like he would close the distance between them, but he remained where he was.

"Aelin." His voice turned hoarse. "Aelin."

She looked at him then, at the pain in his words.

"Do you know what I wish?" He exposed his palms, one tattooed, the other unmarked. "I wish that you had told me. When you realized it. I wish you had told me then."

She swallowed against the ache in her throat. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"Why would it ever hurt me to know the truth that was already in my heart? The truth I hoped for?"

"I didn't understand it. I didn't understand how it was possible. I thought maybe ... maybe you might be able to have two mates within a lifetime, but even then, I just ….." She blew out a breath. "I didn't want you to be distressed." His eyes softened. "Do I regret that Lyria was dragged into this, that the cost of Maeve's game was her life, and the life of the child we might have had? Yes. I regret that, and I wish it had never happened." He would bear the tattoo to remember it for the rest of his days. "But none of that was your fault. I will always carry some of the burden of it, always know I chose to leave her for war and glory, and that I played right into Maeve's hands."

"Maeve wanted to ensnare you to get to me, though."

"Then it is her choice, not yours."

Aelin ran a hand over the worn wood of the desk. "In those illusions she spun for me, she showed me variations on one more than all the others." The words were strained, but she forced them out. Forced herself to look at him. "She spun me one dreamscape that felt so real I could smell the wind off the Staghorns."

"What did she show you?" A breathless question.

Aelin had to swallow before she could answer. "She showed me what might have been—if there had been no Erawan, if Elena had dealt with him properly and banished him. If there had been no Lyria, none of that pain or despair you endured. She showed me Terrasen as it would have been today, with my father as king, and my childhood happy, and..." Her lips wobbled. "When I turned twenty, you came with a delegation of Fae to Terrasen, to make amends for the rift between my mother and Maeve. And you and I took one look at each other in my father's throne room, and we knew."

She didn't fight the stinging in her eyes. "I wanted to believe that was the true world. That this was the nightmare from which I'd awaken. I wanted to believe that there was a place where you and I had never known this suffering and loss, where we'd take one look at each other and know we were mates. Maeve told me she could make it so. If I gave her the keys, she'd make it all possible." She wiped at her cheek, at the tear that escaped down it. "She spun me realities where you were dead, where you'd been killed by Erawan and only in handing over the keys to her would I be able to avenge you. But those realities made me ... I stopped being useful to her when she told me you were gone. She couldn't get me to talk, to think. Yet in the ones where you and I met, where things were as they should have been ... that was when I came the closest."

His swallow was audible. "What stopped you?"

She wiped at her face again. "The male I fell in love with was you. It was you, who knew pain as I did, and who walked with me through it, back to the light. Maeve didn't understand that. That even if she could create that perfect world, it wouldn't be you with me. And I'd never trade that, trade this. Not for anything." He extended his hand. An offer and invitation.

Aelin laid hers atop his, and his callused fingers squeezed gently. "I wanted it to be you," he breathed, closing his eyes. "For months and months, even in Wendlyn, I wondered why you weren't my mate instead. It tore me up, wondering it, but I still did." He opened his eyes, and they burned like green fire. "All this time, I wanted it to be you."

She lowered her gaze, but he hooked a thumb and forefinger around her chin and lifted her face.

"I know you are tired, Fireheart. I know that the burden on your shoulders is more than anyone should endure." He took their joined hands and laid them on his heart. "But we'll face this together. Erawan, the Lock, all of it.

"We'll face it together. And when we are done, when you Settle, we will have a thousand years together. Longer."

A small sound came out of her. "Elena said the Lock requires—"

"We'll face it together," he swore again.

"And if the cost of it truly is you, then we'll pay it together. As one soul in two bodies.

Her heart strained to the point of cleaving. "Terrasen needs a king."

"I have no intention of ruling Terrasen without you. Aedion can have the job."

She scanned his face. He meant every word He brushed the hair from her face, his other hand still clasping hers to his chest, where his heart pounded a steady, unfaltering rhythm.

"Even if I had my choice of any dream-realities, any perfect illusions, I would still choose you, too."

She felt the truth of his words echo into the unbreakable thing that bound their very souls, and tilted her face up toward his. But he made no move beyond it.

She frowned. "Why aren't you kissing me?"

"I thought you might want to be asked first."

"That never stopped you before."

"This first time, I wanted to make sure you were ... ready." After Cairn and Maeve. After months of having no choices whatsoever.

She smiled despite that truth. "I'm ready to be kissed again, Prince."

He let out a dark chuckle and muttered, "Thank the gods," before he lowered his mouth to hers.

"You're my mate." Her words were a breathless rush. "And I am yours."

The world might have been burning around them for all she cared, all he cared, too.

"Together, Aelin," he promised, and she heard the rest of the words in every place their bodies joined. Together they would face this, together they would find a way.

Together we'll find a way, their mingling breaths, the crashing sea, seemed to echo.

Together.

[tiredgoblingalore]

I’ve noticed that, when Metatron mentions the Second Coming, it’s like Aziraphale freezes. At that moment something changes. His smile drops and he seems mortified. After looking at the elevator and the Metatron, he looks like he’s just realized something. And that’s when he looks back to Crowley. Then, before he enters the elevator, he sighs and puts on a smile. 

So what if, at that moment, Aziraphale realized he has no choice but to go? Heaven’s planning the Second Coming. He wouldn’t have known that if he hadn’t said yes to Metatron’s offer. The Metatron said they’ll need someone who knows how Earth and humans work, and that’s Aziraphale, so he believes that, as someone well-versed in Earthly matters, he'll have insider knowledge about what precisely the Second Coming entails (whether that's true or not is a whole different thing). So now, he has to go, even if he doesn’t want to, because he has to know what they’re planning. Because the Second Coming includes a complete transfiguration of the universe. And so when he hears this, he’s asking himself what does that entail? What will happen to the Earth? And to the humans? And, most importantly, what will happen to Crowley? He knows he can’t protect Crowley if he stays because he would have no idea what Heaven is planning and what exactly will happen. So he goes to Heaven. Because that’s the only way he’ll be able to protect Crowley and the Earth from what’s coming. Because otherwise, he wouldn’t have known about anything before it was too late.

I think Aziraphale still has a lot of work to do to break out of the mental framework that Heaven built in his mind. I think he still wants to change Heaven. I think that the black-and-white worldview that has been pounded into his skull is still there and that he's still struggling with it. Aziraphale may be naive and traumatized, but he's not stupid. He's clever and I think that when he hears about the Second Coming, he has a new motive to return to Heaven.

[husbants]

exhausted of existing ✌️

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

btw someone remind me to write out my thoughts on how Love From the Other Side is a conversation between two people but sung by one

[loving-jack-kelly]

reddit keeps sending me to a subreddit all about complaining abt taylor swift and like. i don't believe in ethical billionaires and i think she's not a good person and i disagree with a lot of her actions. but man you guys are not winning the "we are not misogynists" war when every other post is just "lol she sucks at singing and her clothes are ugly and i hate her hair and all she does is whine and complain" with no actual critique of like. her actions. the way she treats her fans. her constant money grabbing. her reliance on a thin shield of performative feminism without even the most basic speaking up to back it. her refusal to acknowledge genocide. her refusal to back down on her personal impact on climate change re her private jet usage. saying lol she's ugly is not the same as those things and you are not cool for saying it.

[nashishishi]

i've seen a lot of theories about what the virtual singers signify to each character. the two main theories i've been seeing are that they're either symbolic of what the members of the sekai need to grow, or are just milestones of their growth and/or their desires. i'm not quite sure which camp i fall into personally, but i do think both theories are really interesting. especially since, when you think about it, what do the wonderlands x showtime virtual singers signify?

first of all, we have miku. miku is a bubbly younger sister type character. she's curious about everything, thinks everything is wonderful and amazing, and she literally has stars in her eyes all the time. she talks in onomatopoeias and is high energy. she was part of the sekai when tsukasa first discovered it.

then we have kaito. kaito is a parental/older sibling figure. he takes care of the plushies in the sekai, takes care of the other virtual singers, takes care of the unit members, and basically takes care of the sekai as a whole. he's shown bits of being a workaholic as well. he was also part of the sekai when tsukasa discovered it.

next is len. len is curious about anything he finds interesting. he's willing to learn from others, constantly spouts about how cool everyone is, and is always looking for ways to improve himself in the things he likes doing. he manifests right after the main wxs story ends, but only makes his actual first appearance in the story during "It's On! Wonder Halloween!".

after that is meiko. her characterization is the trickiest. she seems to be a "supporting role" kind of person, happy to be on the sidelines helping out, instead if being the center of attention. she first appears in "On This Holy Night, I Sing".

next is rin. she "completes" len, in that she's curious about her friends. she always wants to learn more things about them so they can be better friends. she first appears in "Musical Twilight Parade" (which isn't actually a wxs-centric event but they are there).

and last but not least is luka. she's always sleeping. she's said to sleep when everyone is happy, because she can rest knowing everyone is doing well. she appears during the "Doll Festival at the Tenma's" event (which is a tenma siblings centric event).

so. what do they symbolize? well, the easiest ones are len and rin.

like i said, len first manifests right after the main story of wxs, and him being curious of things he finds interesting could be symbolic of tsukasa actually making new friends after like. a decade. which i WILL get back to.

it works with both theories. tsukasa needs to be more curious to get his friends to open up/get himself to open up to his friends, but it could also signify tsukasa Actually Being Curious About His Friends. he's never known anyone like emu, or rui, or nene, so he wants to get to know them and what they do. it also fits that len's first proper appearance was during the halloween event (or, if you remember events by the songs, the Becoming Potatoes event), because that's the same event where tsukasa gets injured by one of rui's robots, rui shuts down, and tsukasa has to reassure him that it's okay.

rin is basically the same. she's symbolic of love, care, and curiosity for her friends. i haven't read the twilight parade story in full, so i'm not exactly sure how she ties into the story, but it makes sense that she'd show up then, because right before her was meiko.

SPEAKING OF MEIKO! meiko is also relatively easy to figure out. like i said, she's a "supporting role". there to help out when needed, not to take the lead. it makes sense that she'd show up during the christmas event because the event isn't tsukasa-centric. it largely doesn't involve him. but meiko is also loving and caring and, as i said before, supportive. she's symbolic of always wanting to help and support friends, even if from a distance. tsukasa reflects this by complimenting nene in the event, often saying things like "that's our diva!" and such.

again, this works in both theories. nene needed support and, seeing this and (likely) wanting to help (idk like i said he isn't shown much lol), meiko manifested. but she could also be symbolic of how tsukasa has grown past his earlier actions in the main story, where he yells at nene for messing up the show. meiko is a symbol of how he's come to care for her, and genuinely wants to help her.

luka is. a bit trickier. as i said, she sleeps when everyone is happy. that means, if she's wide awake, someone is upset. she first appears in the doll festival event which is. worrying.

in the doll festival event, tsukasa misinterprets a memory from his childhood. when he was younger, he wanted to give his little sister saki these 2 dolls, but on his way to the hospital, he trips and ruins them. when he shows them to saki, she cries. he misinterprets this to mean that she hates him for it, when in reality she was touched by the gesture.

luka's appearance in an event like this is... concerning, because tsukasa is also shown as a bit of a workaholic at times (kinda like kaito). he doesn't stop until he reaches his goal, and even then, he quickly moves on to an even greater goal. this means, depending on which theory we're following, luka could either signify

a.) how tsukasa needs to rest every once in a while. how he doesn't need to shoulder everything on his own. how he's Allowed to Rest When Everyone's Happy. or

b.) how tsukasa FINALLY LEARNS EVERYTHING IN A.

so then. we get to the last 2. the duo that had been there from the very start. miku and kaito.

miku and kaito are kind of polar opposites. one is bouncy and bubbly and full of energy, while the other is calm and collected. one is a playful little sister figure, while the other is a responsible older brother or parental figure.

i want to briefly talk about another theory (or rather, headcanon), separate from this, that has become quite popular lately: the theory that miku and whoever else was there since the discovery of the sekai has been there since the unit members were children. i mention this theory because...

miku is a little sibling. she thinks everything is wonderful. she thinks everything is amazing. she literally has stars in her eyes.

she could have only been made when tsukasa was a child because, depending on the theory, she's either:

a.) a manifestation of how tsukasa needs to let loose and have fun and enjoy life like a kid would?? (which doesn't make sense bc of kaito)

b.) a manifestation of either tsukasa's childlike wonder, tsukasa's Want to experience childlike wonder, and/or his want to spend more time with saki

and kaito is an older brother/parental figure. he's responsible. he's calm and collected. he's cool. so depending on the theory, he's either:

a.) a manifestation of tsukasa needing to be a reliable/responsible older brother figure for everyone around him (which is worrying)

b.) tsukasa's need for a parental unit in his life, or tsukasa's desire to be seen as a reliable older brother figure (Which Are Both Worrying (seeing as kaito seems to be a workaholic and tsukasa has also been shown to be a workaholic as well!!))

which brings me to my next point: the designs of some of the virtual singers.

miku, rin, and luka are designed a bit specially in comparison to the others. they all have elements of animals in them, implying their designs are supposed to resemble plushies. (which makes sense considering how many "fluffy" elements and pompoms they have in comparison to all the other characters.) miku is a cat plushie, rin is a bunny plushie, and luka is a sheep plushie. but.

why?

why is miku, the embodiment of childlike wonder, a plushie?

why is rin, the embodiment of excitement and love and care for friends, a plushie?

why is luka, the embodiment of resting well knowing everyone is happy and healthy, a plushie?

actually, why are plushies way more important to tsukasa than they ever were to saki?

tsukasa's sekai is all made of things he made for SAKI, right? all of the things, from the giant train in the sky to the singing flowers, were for SAKI, right?

but saki barely ever mentions it in her story. in fact, it only ever comes up when TSUKASA is involved. saki sees them as nothing more than toys, meanwhile tsukasa has personified them. it may just be because of his sekai, but let's not forget...

while these were SAKI'S plushies, they were also TSUKASA'S co-stars. they were with him when he put on all those shows for saki in the hospital. they were with him when the plushies were brought back home.

and what else is a lonely little boy at home, with no family and no friends, supposed to do, other than to anthropomorphize inanimate objects to keep him company.

suddenly, we have a reason why miku, the embodiment of childlike wonder, is a Plushie. we have a reason why luka, the embodiment of being able to Rest now that Everyone is Happy, is a Plushie. we have a reason why rin, the embodiment of the Excitement of Friendship, is a Plushie.

because tsukasa's childlike wonder Started with plushies. he made them act out scenes from the wonders created in his brain, and the plushies were there to bring them to life.

because tsukasa always used plushies to cheer people up (like in the shows he put on for saki). because the plushies were always there to cheer Him up.

because for the longest time, for maybe a decade, or more, for most of tsukasa's childhood...

his only friends

were

the plushies.

[lavenderjewels]

unapologetically becoming interested in sukuna only when he’s in his original form