#visions s2 i am your mother

[paynomind-iamnotreal]

[#accurate ... #except England #they're fine and get to be goofy]

I'd argue that England is also included in this, perhaps less so than the others, but it's definitely still there! Since the majority of the harassment that Anni and her mother face from the Van Reeples is derived from their working class status, with class conflict and classism being an issue that (I'm pretty sure) is extremely pronounced in England— past and present.

[neyafromfrance95]

I understand some might be frustrated but I for one think that what the showrunners are doing with Sauron x Galadriel in S2 is absolutely insane, and I never thought they would actually go there? The yearning, the heartbreak, the angst? Am I alone in this? Everyone knows this is doomship, and the only possible solace is for Sauron and Galadriel to be reunited in Valinor/Aman at the end of it all (literally). But we are being served, nonetheless.

you definitely aren't alone, anon! well, at least i'm with you!

i'm loving the slow-burn, the gradual build-up to their reunion. i believe that keeping them apart for an entire season while having them be obsessed with each other is going to make for an extremely explosive climax.

i understand the frustration, but i wish we did not immediately jump to negativity when we don't get an instant gratification fix, that's what the fanfics are for after all!

what we are getting with sauron x galadriel isn't the "crumbs", it is a very intentional and significant build-up.

we witness galadriel, betrayed and motivated by revenge, be shaken to her core by her taboo feelings for sauron. this dichotomy needs to seep in well.

we need to see sauron for a cold master manipulator that he is with others and then see how his facade falls when it comes to galadriel. we see him call her in her vision, i believe he even sends her the vision of his whereabouts in eregion as well, we see him think of her longingly just bc someone's hair reminded him of her. he is obsessed.

now, it all does come down to the ending. this structure of development is going to work only if they aren't as separated in s3 anymore.

also, fandoms are fun spaces to share your excitement with, but smtms they tend to be toxic and confusing. i have a much better experience when i decide by myself if i liked an ep or not after watching it instead of jumping to social media to tell me if it was good. for example, you have the lorebros with their misogyny screaming about how galadriel should be a docile decent wife/mother instead of fighting and having romance with sauron when 1) celeborn is missing/celebrian isn't born 2) galadriel has always been fighting sauron in lotr even when she had a family. these "complaints" never entered my mind before going on social media for trop fandom stuff, and they do nothing except for ruin my excitement, tbh. so just pay less attention to the useless discourses that have nothing to do with anything that's actually going on in the show.

and yeah, the valinor reunion idea is interesting bc i keep thinking how galadriel takes nenya to valinor and how now trop entirely recontextualizes this detail! bc for galadriel, nenya intrinsically represents her connection to sauron!

my point is, let's enjoy the slow-burn and in the meantime let's write those galadriel x sauron reunion in valinor aus!

[sporadicthingcollection]

Last Thoughts (Tech x F!Reader)

Summary: A man's last thoughts are of love.

Pairing: Tech x F!Reader

Rating: None.

Word Count: 739.

Warnings: Spoilers for TBB s2 finale. Character death, description of injuries.

Notes: Thought I'd break your hearts a little. Recommended listening is "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic.

---

He was hoping the fall would kill him -- a quick, painless splat, to put it crudely. Or, if that didn’t work, the several tons of durasteel would crush his skull and it would be over just as fast.

But sheer dumb luck kicked in just a moment too late to actually save his life. The fall did not kill him. The tram did not crush him. So here he lies at the bottom of a gorge, waiting for death.

He can’t move his legs -- based on the angles, they’re shattered irreparably -- but he feels no pain, meaning his spinal column is partly severed.

He’ll either bleed out internally or his lungs will stop working. Or he’ll succumb to the elements. He’s heard hypothermia isn’t a terrible way to go, all things considered. Hallucinations and paradoxical undressing.

It’s only a matter of waiting.

Hunter and Echo will be fine. They’re well-adjusted soldiers, conditioned from birth to accept death whenever it may come. They will mourn, but it will pass.

It’s Wrecker he’s worried about. Soft-hearted Wrecker. This certainly won’t help his fear of heights.

And Omega. She’s a child. Children shouldn’t have to watch their loved ones die. He doesn’t regret his decision, but he wishes she hadn’t had to watch. You’ve said as much in the past--

His blood chills and his heart jumps into his throat.

You.

Ah, you.

How could he forget about you?

Intelligent, persistent, prescient, patient you?

First love. First kiss. First time.

Never again will he see the sparkle in your eyes as he explains something to you. Never again will he hear your laugh as he says something he didn’t realize would be amusing. Never again will he feel your soft lips against his own as you, in your words, “shut him up.”

He wants to slap himself. This was supposed to be quick, so he didn’t bother with a proper farewell. A brief message while you were asleep, telling you he’d see you in later.

It is now later, and he lies at the bottom of a gorge, waiting for death.

Idiot.

His arm is leaden, but he manages to lay it atop his wristcom. Moving his fingers stings, but he’s able to access his files with little trouble. Recordings, visual, cultural... there it is.

Peninsular Pantoran Wedding Song, dated two months ago.

He opens it. You appear, your hair up in a bonnet and clad in your lounging clothes. You look stunning.

"--you sure it's recording?" you're asking. "The light's not on."

"I am certain." He doesn't mind the sound of his own voice. He's heard it enough over the years.

You inhale, then pause. "Tech, I feel silly."

"Why? This is a document of your culture's traditional choral practices. It is an underrepresented--"

You frown. "My mom is the chantress. Why don't you get her to sing it?"

Here’s his favorite part. He still pats himself on the back for this response. “In addition to her not being here right now, I do not find your mother half as attractive as you.”

And the reason it’s his favorite part? Because your cheeks darken as your gaze turns upwards, and your lips curl into a bashful smile. Little dimples appear -- probably his favorite feature of yours.

And, with a deep breath, you begin to sing in your native tongue. Melodic and rhythmic, punctuated by pops and clicks you make with your tongue.

He doesn’t know the words. And, for the first and only time in his life, he is content to not know. He doesn’t need to know what it means. He just needs to see your beautiful lips move, your lovely eyes sparkle, your weight shifting from foot to foot as you suppress the urge to dance.

He plays the recording again. His fingers hurt.

Void nips at the edges of his mind. His thoughts loosen and crumble to pieces. His vision swirls, twisting and turning like Omega’s Serennan kaleidoscope.

He plays the recording again. Breathing is hard.

He sees you in wedding attire, veiled in a rainbow of beads, your face painted to highlight your eyes, your hair woven with gold threads. 

He plays the recording again. He can’t focus his eyes.

Tears appear. Rips in his vision and in time. Visions of what was and what will never be. Peace. War. Strife. Satisfaction. Love. Hate. Rage. Redemption.

He plays the recording again.

He slips slowly into a long, dreamless sleep.

---

⬅⬅⬅ | "Filled With Things to Say" Masterpost | To the Mastahpost | Tip Jar | ➡➡➡

[utilitycaster]

you getting push back on that post is crazy to me isn't it enough to watch and get invested in something for what it is currently rather than what it will be? I have so many unfinished projects in my own life it'd be crazy to demand polished completion from everything I watch/read. my unfinished sketches and embroidery and abandoned dnd campaigns still brought joy and growth without having a polished thing to present at the end

So what's funny to me is like. I have referenced this before here and elsewhere but like, as a child, I was SO bad at ambiguous and sad endings and my mother was like, not unkind about this, but neither did she coddle it, and I think that laid a groundwork that was really necessary.

My tags, which got lost bc I did NOT expect that post to break containment, do actually touch on how Netflix and other streaming services canceling things to avoid paying people a fair wage fucking suck but yeah here's a list of creative endeavors I participated in or watched/listened to/read that do not as of this posting have endings and I still liked, and many of them aren't even directly attributable to capitalism because this is just a fact of life and art.

As mentioned, both A Song of Ice and Fire and the Kingkiller Chronicles.

Multiple D&D campaigns for sure (I actually don't make D&D characters without a game in mind and find it weird that people do and so I'm like why am I the one arguing for the beauty of the incomplete).

Multiple fics, both mine and others.

King Falls AM, a podcast I binged in like 2018-2019 and despite being a mystery never actually completed bc the creators couldn't agree.

I think Battlestar Galactica 2003 is one of the most brilliant shows of its era and also the finale, which happened when the creators intended it to, is really dumb, and that doesn't undo the fact that I loved everything else.

How I Met Your Mother ends really poorly in a way that arguably undercuts the whole series, but like, I still liked that too.

Ditto for Chuck, which also struggles in that it was on the chopping block most seasons so they kept ending in ways that probably weren't true to whatever the original vision may have been.

I saw Firefly on DVD after it had already been canceled, I think Serenity is good but I don't love all the choices, and Joss Whedon has since been revealed to be a dick but like, I enjoyed myself greatly while watching it.

As mentioned, Heroes. I didn't watch much TV until my teens anyway because we didn't have cable and our reception sucked and we were very much a book household, and this was one of the first series I recall watching from season 1 and it's also the first TV series where I was like yeah I don't care anymore, and it went on for 4 seasons and I think I gave up either late S2 or early S3.

I didn't watch Supernatural, Game of Thrones, nor Grey's Anatomy but all of those are famous for outstaying their welcome, sometimes it's better to burn out than fade away, etc.

I had already long outgrown Harry Potter and started to see its limitations by the time Rowling's transphobia became public but like, now it's not something I would ever recommend to my friends' kids or anything, and that doesn't undo the fact that I did greatly enjoy it as a child and teenager; it was indirectly the reason why I was introduced to the superior fantasy of Diana Wynne Jones, which I do still reread from time to time. (I think the "well I never liked it" mentality about works from artists who end up being terrible people is tied into the "I can't get invested in anything that might end in an unsatisfying manner." Tumblr University's media studies grads are not the brightest stars in the firmament, that's for sure.)

Like, cancellation (let alone cancellation specifically because of the unique shittiness of streaming services) is just one of the many reason things might end in a way you dislike or become difficult for you to enjoy at a later date, and that's just talking about television. Are you really going to deny yourself the joy of anticipation and watching a story unfold in real-time because the thought of something not satisfying you at every single turn is so unfathomable?

(oh, and because this is, as we know, a CR blog much of the time, I should add that this mentality is really pervasive which is wild because your average 3-season canceled Netflix show is probably the equivalent of maybe 9-10 CR episodes; thinking about how many people who now claim C2 is terrible watched 141 episodes and also the person who is iconic to me who unironically asked me what the point was in getting invested in characters who will die re: Chetney)

[thetargaryenbride]

Nail To The Coffin - S2 - Chapter 6

Warnings: none

Pairing: Steve Harrington x f!Byers!Reader

Word Count: 3788

A.N: We like Steve…but we don’t love Steve…We like Nancy…but we don’t love Nancy... 😉 ~ As always, please do make me know if I’ve written certain characters OOC and if you think there is something that can be corrected within the story. Thank you for reading. Hope you like it! 🖤 🥀

Masterlist || Chapter 5 || Chapter 7

“She’s coming to!”

“Hey, kid, can you hear me?”

You could hear the voices of different people calling out to you but they were all muffled as if coming from underwater and the more you strained to hear better, the louder the ringing in your ears got.

“Where am I?” you uttered as your eyes fluttered open but you were tempted to close them again because the harsh light shining into them was enhancing your already painful headache.

“We’re on our way to Hawkins Lab,” informed you Hopper, and you shot up in a sitting position, regretting it almost instantly as a sharp pain hit you, making you wince. “Hey, hey, careful now,” he scolded you as he tried to get you to lie back down. “Get that light away,” he harshly pushed the hand of the soldier away from you and the light disappeared.

“Hey, I’m trying to do my job here and do a check-up.”

“I’ll give you check-up.”

As time went by, you gained full consciousness and your vision cleared and adjusted. You were able to think straight again and tried to recall the events from yesterday and today.

You tried to push aside the throbbing headache as the vehicle finally came to a stop and the soldiers brought you outside. You saw your mother getting out of another vehicle with your brother – who was screaming in pain and convulsing – being carried away. You shouted in panic, gaining Joyce’s attention.

“Y/N! Hopper!” she ran towards you but was stopped by a soldier who obstructed her way and directed her to go elsewhere while another grabbed you by the arm and ushered you and Hopper inside the lab despite your mother’s protests. Everything happened so fast and it was so chaotic that you got dizzy and couldn’t find your bearings as you let people push and drag you around.    

A group of female doctors and soldiers took you in their care. They brought you to a separate room, undressed you, and hosed you down from head to toe. So much filth was sliding off you and onto the light blue tiles that you almost blushed in embarrassment as if being naked wasn’t embarrassing enough already. They gave you clean underwear and a hospital scrub that you clumsily put on before they dragged you away into an office so they could inspect the wound on your head, clean it and wrap it up.

It wasn’t a big wound. The place where you had hit your head was grazed, a bit beat up, and swollen. The blood had stopped flowing long ago though and it didn’t need stitches which you were grateful for.

“Alright, now follow my finger,” instructed a nurse.

“Yes, yes, I can follow your goddamn finger very well but if you don’t take me to my brother, you’ll find out where that finger goes!” you snapped and she jumped away from you, eyes wide in shock.

That had done the trick because shortly after, a soldier was guiding you to your brother’s room. You weren’t exactly proud of your attitude and the way you had barked at her because she was just doing her job but you were in pain, you were irritated, you were scared like hell and you were very, very worried for your brother so all you wanted was for you to go join your family. 

When you entered, your mother immediately rushed to you and engulfed you in a tight hug.

“Oh, sweetie, a-are you alright?” she sniffed as she turned your head sideways to look at the wrapped-up wound and you nodded.

“I’m fine, mom. I just have a headache,” you reassured her and she caressed your face, placing a kiss on your temple. “How’s Will?” you asked and she stepped away, allowing you to get a better look at the boy who was lying in a bed, in a hospital gown, with EEGs attached to his head.

Your heart clenched at the sight.

You sat next to him on the bed and caressed the side of his head as you battled tears. Yet again your baby brother was suffering and you were unable to do anything about it.

“Why him?” you whispered but you didn’t receive an answer. You didn’t expect an answer because none of you had one.

Your mother had to go speak to the doctors shortly after this and you had moved to a chair by Will’s bed. Mike had brought you a blanket and that was the first time you actually noticed his presence. You had been so out of it.

“Hey, kiddo. How did you get here?” you asked as you took the blanket and he let out a long exhale as he walked back to his chair on the other side of Will’s bed and plopped down.

“Well…you called us yesterday and said things were ok but you also said you were afraid they might get worse. And…when you didn’t call again, we got worried,” he explained. “So, after school, I decided to visit you, and…the rest is history.”

“I see…I hate that you got mixed into this again,” you sent him an apologetic look.

He shook his head and stated firmly, “Will is my best friend. I’m not walking out of this, no matter what.”

“Well, that’s certainly very brave of you, little knight,” you smiled and he blushed, looking at his feet.

At one point, you had crossed your arms on the bed and laid your head on them which resulted in you dozing off. You had been stuck between dreams and reality, managing to sort of hear your mother and Bob’s conversation although it was all just very muffled and dreamlike.

That’s when you felt fingers run over a spot on your bandaged forehead and your eyes opened. You sobered up immediately when you saw that Will had woken up and was looking at you with so many mixed emotions but the overwhelming ones were fear and concern. Your hand went to grasp his and pull it away from your head as you placed a kiss on it.

“Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?” you asked which drew the attention of everyone in the room. 

“I’m okay,” he muttered and you gave him an encouraging smile, leaning to place a kiss on his temple.

“Sweetie, how are you feeling? You ok?” asked Joyce as she rushed to the bedside with Bob. Mike also jerked awake when he heard the talking and everyone gathered around your brother.

“Who is that?” asked Will as he stared at Bob in confusion and everyone’s happy, relieved faces fell. You paled and you felt as if someone just threw a bucket of cold water on you.   

“What?”

“It’s me, big guy. It’s Bob,” chuckled the man quietly as he sent Will a smile but you could see he was trying to hide his worry. He reached to grasp the boy’s hand but he moved it away.

“Are you a…doctor?”

“No…No, it’s just me…Just… just Bob.”

“Do you know your name?” asked Dr. Owens after he finished the manual check-up.

“Will.”

“Your full name?”

“William Byers.”

“Do you know who I am?”

“A doctor.”

A bunch of doctors, Hopper, Mike, Joyce, and Bob had gathered around Will, expectantly and worriedly observing what was happening. You were nearby – standing by the windows on Will’s left – with arms crossed and eyes constantly darting between your brother and the scenery outside. You didn’t want to watch him like a hawk –like the others were doing – afraid to not make him even more nervous. You supposed they were contributing to that more than enough. You were so jumpy and so worried that you didn’t know what to do and where to focus. Your foot was bouncing and shaking as your brain went on overload and your teeth broke the skin of your lower lip to the point of bleeding.

“Have we met before?” continued Owens.

“I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember me? Ok. How about…this guy here?” he pointed towards Mike and Will blinked, trying to put memory to the face. “Know who that is?...It’s alright, take your time.”

“That’s…my friend…Mike,” he finally spoke out and everyone let out small smiles. You also wanted to breathe out in relief but your chest was so tight and your gut – twisted.

“What about me, kid? You remember me?” asked Hopper hopefully but Will shook his head. “They tell me you helped save me and your sister last night. You remember that?” he tried again, voice soft as if speaking to a wounded animal and filled with gratitude but the answer was negative yet again.

“Do you remember anything about last night? About what happened?”

“I remember they hurt me,” he finally spoke and you squeezed your eyes shut, eyebrows furrowing. Your mother had filled you in earlier when you had been finally allowed to reunite. She told you all about that night and how Will had gotten hurt and had to be urgently brought to the lab. She had described his cries and pain with such a heartbroken expression that you had almost sobbed, your artistic, creative imagination being able to paint the horrific picture in your mind.

“You mean the doctors?”

“No…The soldiers,” his voice got more serious and now your eyes fully focused on him. “They shouldn’t have done that…It upset him,” he almost spat out and your forehead wrinkled in concern as you looked at your mother who looked back at you with the same emotions showing on her face.

Then, Dr. Owens pulled out a picture and showed it to Will, asking if the creature he had drawn was the one he was referring to. And now everyone knew for sure.

“Okay. Okay, I wanna try something. It’s gonna seem a little odd at first but I think it’s really gonna help us understand what’s going on,” he offered and Joyce looked at Bob and Hopper in hesitation but eventually agreed and so did Will.

Shortly after, a scientist came into the room, pushing a stroller. He stopped in front of you and you could see that the transparent container on the stroller contained a small part of the creature that had attacked you last night. And it was moving too.

“Now, Will, I want you to just let us know if you feel anything, ok?” instructed the doctor and Will nodded. He was keeping his composure but you knew he was afraid. He was just a kid after all.

He gave a signal to the other scientist and he took a blowtorch, lighting it up. He placed it high above the vine and began lowering it down very slowly.

“Do you feel anything?”

“Little stinging,” answered the boy and you frowned.

“Stings? Where?”

“My chest,” he whined as he clutched the hospital gown at his chest and you and your mother exchanged worried looks. After another signal from Owens, the other man lowered the blowtorch even more and your brother’s breathing increased.

“How about now?”

“It…it burns!” he shot straight up and cried out. “It burns!”

“Where?”

“Everywhere!” he screamed in pain and you couldn’t take it anymore.

“Alright, that’s enough!” you yelled, Hopper and your mom joining in, as you took a step forward and grabbed the man by his collar, pulling him away from the container with the vine. “Knock it off!” you growled in his face as you roughly pushed him away and he stumbled backward. You whirled to look at your brother, noticing that he had calmed down a bit which meant the pain had stopped. He looked at you through glistening eyes with heavy eye bags and you returned to his side, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling him to your side. He wrapped his arms around you, laying his head on your chest as you hugged him tightly.

“It’s ok, sweetie. It’s over,” you murmured in his hair as you looked at your mother and Hopper, all of you sharing concerned expressions and rapidly beating hearts. Dr. Owens signaled at you to meet him outside and you pulled away from Will, telling him you’d come back in a couple of minutes before following the doctor alongside Jim and Joyce.

“Our best guess right now is it’s some kind of virus which is causing this neurological disorder,” explained Owens after you had gathered outside. “Now, when a typical virus attaches itself to its host it duplicates, right? It spreads, essentially hijacking the host. A virus is alive. It has intelligence. That’s not… That’s not unusual.”

“Yeah, except what’s unusual in this particular situation is that we’re talking about a shadow alien monster that has possessed my brother,” you drawled and the doctor lifted his hands.

“True. And I think that…thing is the reason for the anomalies happening with Will. Now, this…virus, I’m just gonna call it virus…The infected hosts seem to be communicating. It has some sort of a hive intelligence and it’s connecting all the hosts.”

“So what does that mean? That whatever happens to those vines and God knows what else is going to reflect on Will too? Like the shit show we saw back in the room?” you asked, voice raising with each question and the man nodded.

“I’m afraid that is the case,” he agreed grimly and your mother’s hand flew to her mouth, eyes watering. “The good news is that a virus can be cured. We’re gonna continue to run tests. We’re gonna see what we find,” he tried to calm you all down.

“What happens when he can’t remember anything? When there’s nothing else there?” whimpered Joyce. “What happens when my boy is gone?”

“I think we should spend some time thinking on how to get that thing out of Will... right?” you asked as you looked at everyone one by one. “I mean once it’s out, we wouldn’t have to worry about the connection between Will and the other hosts and you can go on a rampage burning those things for good,” you explained your point of view and Dr. Owens nodded.

“Well, what do you suggest?”

“It’s a-a shadow monster that got into him. This is not just…a clump of parasitic cells. It’s a living creature that seems to be much smarter than all of us put together and it seems like it has some kinda…I don’t know, goal in its mind. Otherwise, why would it work in such a well-orchestrated way?” you nibbled at the skin on your finger. “I don’t know, maybe we should get an exorcist at this point or something,” you threw your hands in frustration and helplessness before letting them dangle at your sides in defeat. “Maybe we should…create harsh conditions for it so it would be unable to survive. I don’t know,” you sighed as you put a hand on your hip while the other went to rub your temple, eyes squeezing shut at the throbbing pain you were feeling right now.

“Those are valid suggestions that we’ll definitely look into. But…I’m afraid I’m not finished…that’s not all there is,” said the doctor with a tired sigh and your eyes snapped open as you lifted your head to look at the man, giving him your full attention. He kept silent for some time and you lowered the hand that was buried in your hair, looking at your mother and Hopper who looked back at you with shared confusion and concern.

“Well, what is it?”

“You are also…threatened, Y/N,” finally spoke the man and the three of you blanched.

“Wha-what do you mean by that?” asked Hopper unsettled.

“The examinations we did on you came through. Your condition is…similar yet different from Will’s,” explained Owens.

“I feel fine,” you responded flatly, eyes unblinking, and he shook his head.

“For now you do, yes… But it seems to me like this virus either wants to transfer to another host or is trying to seize control of multiple hosts at once and spread even more. Now, I don’t yet know if you’re infected the same way your brother is or if you’d develop a similar connection to that thing but even if you don’t… you are certainly marked,” revealed the man grimly and Joyce put a hand over her heart while the other went to grasp your shoulder while Hopper sent you a concerned look. You stood there for a couple of seconds, staring at the floor before you looked up. 

“Never mind me…Focus on Will,” you told him as you stared into his eyes for a while before slowly turning around and entering back inside.

Joyce let out a muffled sob as she leaned on Hopper and he wrapped his arms around her.

“It’s gonna be fine. We’ll fix this.”

Steve and Dustin had been walking for what seemed to be ages, throwing meat pieces all over the abandoned railroad. And they had just finished having the ‘girl talk’, which left Steve emotionally drained. Dustin however didn’t seem to want to end the topic so after talking about Nancy he chose to go in another direction.

“What about…Y/N?” asked the boy hesitantly and Steve did a double-take.

“Y/N? Why-why are you bringing Y/N into this?

“I don’t know, man, there’s just something between you two. Like…that sexual electricity you were talking about-

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” cried out the boy as he halted and whirled to look at his companion. “Se-sexual electricity?

“Yeah,” shrugged Dustin. “I mean, I don’t know but I can’t just…see you as only friends, you know what I’m sayin’?” he inquired and Steve stood there in silence before letting out a sigh and resuming his walking, slower this time.

“Look, I’ll tell you something about Y/N that I haven’t told anyone about and if you let it slip, you’ll be as dead and as sliced as the meat we’re carrying,” threatened Steve and Dustin gulped, curiosity flooding him.

“I’m silent as the grave,” reassured Dustin as he crossed a finger over his heart and Steve let out another long sigh.

“Fuck,” he whispered as he scrunched up his nose and looked around before back on the road ahead. “I love Y/N,” he finally barked out and Dustin’s eyes widened as he came to a sudden stop.

“What!?” he yelled and Steve ran the back of his gloved hand over his forehead, as if wiping invisible sweat.

“It’s weird…I know,” he grumbled and the two kept on walking. “Honestly, I don’t even remember when this all started. I mean I’ve felt this way pretty much since I first met her.”

“Then why didn’t you confess?”

“I don’t know… I think… I didn’t wanna ruin our friendship, ya know,” he shrugged. “And she never seemed interested in dating. You know her. She’s always busy studying. Besides, she has her hands full taking care of her family soo… I didn’t think she’d have the energy to deal with a boyfriend,” he rambled out and Dustin hummed.

“Yeah, I see… But then why did you start dating Nancy?”

“Well…I guess I…needed to fall out of love,” he revealed pitifully. “Nancy is amazing! She’s different than the other girls and I really do like her a lot as a person…So I thought that…if I focused on my feelings for her, they’d grow even more over time and…I’ll fall out of love for Y/N and fall in love with Nancy.”

“Well, that didn’t exactly work out, did it?” huffed out a laugh Dustin and Steve shot him the stink eye, making him tighten his lips and clear his throat.

“Honestly, at this point…I don’t think Nancy loves me either. Likes? Yeah…but not loves. I suppose we are the same in that regard. So if she wants to…officially break up and date Jonathan…I’ll let her go,” confessed the boy as he threw a piece of meat on the ground.

“But then what will happen with you and Y/N? I mean, she’s not stupid. She’s gonna realize you have feelings for her sooner or later.”

“I’ll tell her the truth,” he declared and Dustin’s eyes widened. “But when we graduate!” he half whirled and pointed. “Cause at least we’ll go on separate ways after that and it won’t be embarrassing when she rejects me,” groaned the boy as he kicked a pebble.

“I think that both of you are blind idiots.”

“Come again, Henderson!?”

“Nothing! I said nothing!”

A few hours later

There was something odd about this whole situation.

The moment your brother had told everyone that he knew of a way to defeat the creature, a gnawing feeling settled in the pits of your stomach. And it only got worse the more time went by.

Now you were standing in the control room alongside Hopper and Dr. Owens, having insisted on joining them and observing the mission the soldiers had set out on.

Your brows furrowed as panic settled once you saw familiar tunnels and judging by Hopper’s expression, you weren’t the only one.

“Wait. That’s where we were!” Hopper beat you to it and Owens looked at him surprised. 

“What?”

“It’s that damn graveyard.”

“Sir, there’s nothing here.”

“Looks like your kid’s full of shit, doc,” commented one of the scientists, and you shot him a glare that could kill, making him recoil and choke on his snickers, smile faltering.

“Got some kind of fog moving in now.”

“We’ve got movement!” exclaimed a woman and you saw multiple red dots on the radar, closing in on the soldiers.

“It’s a trap,” you whispered as the sudden realization dawned on you but nobody was listening to you as they all focused on the monitors. “It’s a trap!” you shouted. “Get them out of there! Now!”

The whole room erupted in chaos as the soldiers began screaming. You could hear the sound of distant shooting as you grabbed Hopper by the arm, the two of you exchanging panicked looks.

Dead silence suffocated the room after the last living soldier screamed before he was torn apart – a drastic, scary contrast to the previous chaos. Hopper let go of you as he approached the monitor and your eyes widened when you saw the red dots clumping together and going in a certain direction.

“There’s no way they can get in here, right?” you asked wobbly. “Right, doc?” you asked again and Owens opened and closed his mouth, not knowing what answer to give to you.

Then you heard it – a horrifying, familiar sound that was much too close for comfort.

The growling of monsters. 

Hopper rushed to the glass and you followed after him, the two of you looking down the hellish hole. And you almost jumped in fright when you saw a clawed hand shoot out of it.

[urlocallesbiab]

observation on amanda brotzman, wakti wapnasi, and the "acceptance & commitment" therapy model

so, last december i'd been reading the wikipedia article on "self as context", a fundamental concept from AC-therapy, and i'd noticed some parallels between the ideas it introduced to me & some of the dghda s2 dialogue!

first, a few excerpts from the article to serve as context:

Self-as-context, one of the core principles in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), is the concept that people are not the content of their thoughts or feelings, but rather are the consciousness experiencing or observing the thoughts and feelings. Self-as-context is distinguished from self-as-content, defined in ACT as the social scripts people maintain about who they are and how they operate in the world.

+

The conceptual self is a person's self-as-content. A personal narrative, the conceptual self includes objective facts (name, age, sex, cultural background, marital status, occupation, etc.), subjective details (likes, dislikes, hopes, fears, and perceived strengths and weaknesses), social roles (friend, spouse, parent, child), and gender roles (mother, father, daughter, son)

+

In ACT cognitive defusion exercises are utilized to demonstrate how thoughts have no literal power over action, thereby increasing mental flexibility. If someone thinks "I am the worst," for example, a cognitive defusion exercise would observe "I am having the thought that I am the worst."

+

Experientially, the observational self is the part of consciousness that hears one's inner voice, and sees images in the mind's eye.

now, the dialogue between wakti wapnasi and amanda brotzman, from season 2 episode 5 "shapes and colors", word for word, lifted directly from a subtitle listing website (im only adding names cause the website doesnt have them):

amanda: So you know how my visions work? wakti: Mm-hmm. amanda: Are you the one that causes them? wakti: No, no, no. You see through your inner eye. amanda: My inner eye? Seriously? Come on... wakti: Answer a question... who are you? amanda: Amanda Brotzman? wakti: That is just a noise people can make to refer to you. You're not your name. Who are you? amanda: I'm... from Oregon? I, uh... When I was 20, I-I had... wakti: These are just things that happened to your body. Who are you? amanda: Um, when I think, I hear a voice in my head? I am the brain having those thoughts? wakti: If you're the one hearing the voice in your head, then who are you? amanda: I... am the consciousness that controls the body of, sees through the eyes of, and hears the thoughts of Amanda Brotzman. wakti: That thing, your consciousness, is very special. amanda: The visions that I see, they aren't me. They're just something the Rowdy 3 do to me. wakti: They give you access to something deeper. Underneath your pain, your fear, even your thoughts, there is a power.

and sO, THEY'RE LITERALLY ACTUALLY DOING A-C-T EXERCISES. not saying that this vindicates wakti, cause therapy without informed consent is just mordernized, authority-approved gaslighting — but HOT DAMN i didn't know there was a specific word for techniques she used!!!

[aq2003]

sw visions s2 review! i overall enjoyed this season more than the first, the variety in animation mediums was amazing and a lot of these were just fucking stunning to look at. thoughts and ranking under the cut:

9. sith

i have beef with this one. i think this by default takes the spot as my overall least favorite star wars visions episode across both seasons just because of how it does the dumb "you can use both the light side AND the dark side :) dont worry about it" trope. the animation is cool in some places but (likely due to disney+ deep frying the video quality?) it felt weirdly hard to look at in others. i do love the painting aesthetic but it feels the least true to the star wars spirit. i think the duel from season 1 executed the "darksider vs former sith" idea much better

8. i am your mother

this one being so low on the ranking is just a testament to how much i enjoyed all of the other episodes. i think this short succeeded fully with what it set out to do, it's just a fun story about a mother-daughter pilot duo which is great! simple and enjoyable.

7. aau's song

this one was just really adorable. i loved the aesthetic and the animation, the characters felt so.. fuzzy. huggable. really nice breather to end off a volume of really good stories. loved the visuals for the crystals and the character design for the jedi in this episode especially

6. the pit

bruh i was so fucking sad when THAT happened . i get why they did it but it felt so unfairrrrr aaaaaaaaaaaaaa. i liked the animation and character designs and this one also has some really creative visuals for the settings. but i thought the resolution to the conflict felt a little too .. easy isnt the right word for it. but i think some of the writing falls a little short in an otherwise really good story.

5. the bandits of golak

and i KNOW the people that made this were fans of tcw/rebels. (was that sabine's phoenix symbol i saw on the side of the train????). loved the dynamic between charuk and rani, i get why they had to part ways but i got sad when they did nevertheless. the texturing on the models feels very reminiscent of tcw's style and it tickled my brain <3 except i think the character designs blow tcw out of the water <333

4. journey to the dark head

FUCKING SUE ME. i loved this one. studio mir put everything and i mean EVERYTHING into the animation on this one. toul and ara are great characters and i love how they played off of each other. bichan's character design went HARD AS HELL i literally don't care if some of the story didn't make sense to me because ouhghhhhh this was just a whole MEAL for my eyes . if that makes sense. studio mir i love you

3. 2. the spy dancer

i CANNOT in good faith put this at any spot below a 2 so i guess we'll have a tie here. the animation was absolutely fucking STUNNING and the fight scenes were also, like journey into the dark head, complete and utter bangers. loi'e is probably my favorite protagonist out of all the episodes this season, just the concept for her being a performer and also a spy for the rebels is [chefs kiss]. i also do love a good ironic twist and this one Has it <3

2. screecher's reach

perhaps this one is ranked so high because it was placed right after my disappointment from episode 1 and perhaps it's because it struck such a chord within me that i truly cannot explain. daal and her friends were so cute and the colors and backgrounds were truly beautiful to look at and god. the story on this one. fully fucked me up. crazy how a story this dark and upsetting made me feel better than episode 1 but it gave me Such a level of tragic catharsis. (is that the right word for it? it's unsatisfying but on purpose and i love it) this one probably isn't going to be as high on other people's rankings but i don't care. i love it. it's dear to me.

in the stars

this one just straight up made me cry. i don't why it hit me that hard but it definitely has to count for something. this one is also really fucking beautiful to look at like the rest of my top 4 but this one has an aesthetic that lends itself really really well to the storytelling. the scene of the painting telling their mother's backstory is just.. ugh my heart. i love koten and tichina so much it's unreal. the final scene where they stared down the walker mirroring the painting made me fucking lose my mind. perhaps i was not feeling very hopeful for their fates after what happened in episode 2 but i was so happy when it did end on a happy note. also them finally seeing their mom's star in the sky.. i just.. ugh. lay me into the ground!!!!!

[goldoriole]

HotD S2 EP 1 A Son for a Son

My thoughts on the season 2 premiere

So lovely to see Winterfell again

When Cregan's actor was cast, I was not really feeling it, but did such a great job.

Also, I see the Cregan x Jace vision

ALYSANNE MENTION?

Meleys & Rhaenys <3 my queens

DAEMON LEAVE HER ALONE...SHE'S PATROLLING 100 MILES OF SEA WHILE YOU DO NOTHING!!!! DON'T TOUCH HER!!

LAENA VELARYON MENTION?? IN MY HOTD??

The fact that mentioning Laena and Rhaenys' grief while waiting for her remains to come home to Driftmark immediately shuts Daemon up - good!

"It's a command."

"Would that you were the king." Daemon Targaryen found dead on Dragonstone

CORLYS!!!!

is that Alyn washing the deck

IT IS ALYN!!!!!!!!!!

While Alyn and Addam are meant to be the same age as Luke and Jace, I don't mind that they've aged them up so dramatically. Clearly, the show is going more Corlys' bastard sons rather than be more ambigious. The actor for Alyn is killing it!!

YOUR BROTHER!! ADDAM OF HULL COME HOME SOON

Alyn rescued Corlys in the Stepstones?? By diving off the ship?? Another The Water Between Us win!!

Love that Helaena is a floor girl

Aegon coming to look for his kids - so cute!!

SER CRISTON COLE!!!!!!!!!!

I knew this would happen because of the leaks but still, the hard cut to Alicent x Cole in the middle of it!! Insane!!!

Alicent putting on his cloak for him?? Insert complex marriage cloak metaphor here.

Jaehaerys at the small council... :(

Aegon grinning at his son the entire time....

Tyland Lannister Terrorizing Hours

"Mine are bigger."

Aegon slumping in his chair, playing with the marble - this is exactly how I've characterized him in my head. I keep on winning.

"They no longer breathe our air." Iconic Larys moment.

I really enjoy how the show keeps cutting to Rhaenyra for these quiet, emotionally tense moments. Amazing.

HER FINDING ARRAX'S WING

Rushing off Syrax but then immediately slowing because she's afraid to see. Oh god!

Luke's cloak!!!!

Syrax coming to comfort and mourn with her. OOOOOH

"Aegon the Magnanimous!"

Love Aegon's entourage! Who are your friends??

Aegon's direct and gentle nature when speaking directly to the smallfolk. Oh gods. Did he feel horribly guilty after the Rhaenys' busted through the floor of the Dragonpit?

HUGH HAMMER???? IN THE RED KEEP??????

WHAT???

I am so intrigued by this interpretation of Hugh.

"Our victory depends of the efforts of the smallfolk." YES!!!

Larys sowing discord wherever he can. Love.

Alicent describing Aegon as eager to prove himself.

THE VELARYON THEME KICKING IN!! YES!!

Mysaria is on this boat, isn't she.

SHE IS.

DAEMON DON'T TOUCH HER!!!!

She's so beautiful

RHAENYRA IS BACK!

BAELA AND RHAENA ALERT. BAELA AND RHAENA ALERT! MY GIRLS!

Her very first words being "I want Aemond Targaryen."

Daemon sitting down right beside Mysaria on the bed. You know he's only doing this because she's his ex.

Jace is home! Baela with him.

Jace trying to hold it together to give his mother the report. This is so sad!! I was tearing up.

Alicent lighting a candle for her mom out of love, lighting a candle for Viserys out of obligation, and lighting one for Luke out of...guilt?

Rhaena crying at Luke's funeral. :(

JACE HOLDING JOFFREY.....

Daemon skipping Luke's funeral (couldn't spot him so my bad if he was) to go arrange a hit on a toddler.

Wait, this is insane. He requested Aemond and it's just going to be a mistake that Jaehaerys gets killed?

How often do you think Criston and Aemond hang out.

Calling your mother by your first name, SHAME AEMOND.

Criston Cole caught slacking by his manager Otto Hightower.

Love that whenever a door opens Criston automatically reaches for his sword.

How often do you think Otto and Aemond hang out, lol.

Aegon and his buddies sloshed on the throne. So funny.

Even while drunk, his commitment to the people is so strong? Crazy. Love it.

Helaena!!

Okay. Blood and Cheese not as emotionally impactful as I thought.

"They killed the boy." THAT'S ALL?

THAT'S YOUR SON??

ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY??

All in all, phenomenal episode with a sort of strange, aborted ending. I think they wanted to avoid being overly violent with depicting a graphic decapitation of a baby, but still. Kind of fell flat??

[errantindy]

So! I watched Star Wars Visions S2, and after coming across "I Am Your Mother," I knew I had to write something from Wedge's perspective of the whole event and in the universe of Sand Becomes Pearls. I had a lot of fun with a whistful, discontent Wedge doing his post-Endor duty and hating it, well, most of it.

[bearpillowmonster]

Star Wars: Visions S2

Instead of doing awards, I'll just do thoughts.

The Sith - It's up and down for me because I really like the aesthetic and it looks gorgeous at times almost like spiderverse but also very corrupted, like I get why everything's a canvas and how the colors change depending on what's happening but I actually wasn't sure if it was supposed to look like that at first, it looked corrupted or glitched and I had to look up some more footage to make sure. Weird.

Screecher's Reach - I feel like there's a trend with these shorts where there's a potential Jedi, a Sith shows up, they defeat it, the end. Like, I get that you're pressed for time but I've thought of all kinds of diverse shorts in general. Here's one right now, have someone scarred by a lightsaber keep one in their drawer, scared of the thing. They challenge themselves more and more to look at this thing, to touch it, to even go as far as to grab it but nothing more, we never see any colors. Then there's a disaster (house crumbles on the pet Massiff or something) and they have to use the lightsaber to cut them out of the rubble. They begin to learn new ways and uses for it. Cutting crops, starting a fire, etc. Really push the limit of what a lightsaber can be used for and how it reacts in certain situations. Anyways, as for Screecher's Reach, the style is unique and it's an interesting ending but nothing beyond that, just like half a prologue. Don't just bank on a twist or sequel, give me flavor.

In the Stars - Easily the best one so far, and I do mean that for both seasons. Other than Tales of the Jedi, this is the best thing I've seen in Star Wars in a while. The claymation, the hieroglyphics and the tribal-like setting, the characters, the plot, the scenery, it all just works. Give me this. I'll be surprised if anything surpasses it in this season.

I Am Your Mother - Play on the- I don't have to explain it but it sounds cool already. Not sure how they could top the last one though. It was good though, another claymation with british humor AND IS THAT AARDMAN?! FINALLY! It'd be a lot funnier if the mom was evil though and that's why the daughter is embarrassed. (Creates mini Death star) "Mom!" "I can't help it honey, it's how I was raised."

Journey to the Dark Head - Film level. Wow. Had to shut everything else out after this one so it could consume my thoughts. And people were disappointed with this??

The Spy Dancer - That sounds...really cool actually but eh. I see that they followed tradition in a way, a lot closer to something you'd see in S1 but I imagine it better as a Clone Wars episode where they're watching the opera (like in ROTS) and the performers use that to extract information whereas in this one, the actual spy part was a failed attempt because we didn't get to see what would've happened with that, we can only imagine. Fight dancing is cool and all but I just think it could've been delivered better.

The Bandits of Golak - 3D, fancy shaders, could've been about anything. Might've had a more interesting dynamic should he have resented her for her powers, idk.

The Pit - Sarlacc? No, a dark little oppression short. I'm not too sure what to think about this one, definitely interesting. The whole chanting thing was a bit cheesy though.

Aau's Song - Big finale. What'd they save for last? The Halo theme is magical, I'll tell you what. I'm interested in these creatures, I want to see more of them in the Star Wars universe, perhaps even Aau herself but the plot remains an AU. Its a strong premise, though different from Star Wars lore, it makes sense that the kybers would have a voice since they "scream" at ignition and its implied that being in its raw form can cause damage as well, making the saber the tool that grants it a voice and manipulates it. I always love the exploration of kybers in general from quests to get them in TCW and Fallen Order to having them be a part of Jedi Knight II in weird, unconventional ways. And the styling of this short is neat, they have set models for everything, just change the eyes and switch out the heads sparingly to accommodate the mouths and such. It reminds me of something you'd see out of Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio.

[b-rainlet]

First of all thank you for your service being an out and proud greencest enthusiast 💚💚

The only blog I can see is lemonhemlock so it's great that there's two!!

I am obsessed with the vision that the green sibs are possessive and obsessed of their mother. It doesn't help that aligon and alimond fics are so well written! Shame there isn't really a helicent and daericent fics 😢 I want the whole family bonding, I can't wait for the daeron dynamics next season.

The dynamics between all of them are so good that I can't help shipping all of them 😂 I hope we see more interactions next season.

Hey lovely anon!

I am sure there are way more greencest fans out there, just based on how many asks I get regarding Helaegon/Helaegond (and how many people interact with those posts) but yeah @/lemonhemlock is potentially the biggest greencest blog (especially if you like Aligon/Alimond).

But I also gotta be honest: Besides the few people I am mutuals with, I don't particularly know much about the Fandom, so to me, everybody is a team green fan and also pro-incest, whereas the majority is probably team black and against greencest (but then I'm always like: What do you ship then? If you don't like any of the greens? There's not really much left - if you're looking for better developed characters at least).

I am also so very excited to see Daeron! This morning I was looking for Daeron centric fics because I wanted our resident forgotten child to be part of all the greencest too! I hope he gets to have lots of interactions with his family, at least with his Mother and Brothers (I don't know if they'll include Helaena more, or if she dies having had like two scenes with her Mum and no scene whatsoever with her own husband, I don't expect much when it comes to her).

Maybe once S2 rolls around, they'll ramp up all the Mummy Issues Aegon and Aemond have and more people will start shipping them, if not, I am still here, proclaiming the truth.

And for your consideration anon: Helaena being nervous about her wedding night and somehow messing up, so her Mother has to show her what to do👀👀

[oswildin]

Okay good, I’m not the only one who sees this.

I went into HOTD thinking I’d like Aemond, but I like Daemon, and it made sense why. Daemon, to me anyway, is the more sympathetic character out of the pair. They’re very similar, but also very different in how they are portrayed/written. I don’t hold nearly as much empathy for Aemond as I do Daemon, and I think it’s because the show (S2) does a fantastic job at showing us Daemon’s inner turmoil and plight regarding his guilt.

And whilst Loki & Daemon are also portrayed very differently (Loki is more of a manipulator, Daemon is more of a fighter - although both have those traits), they share the same resentment/need (or what they perceive as a right) for the throne, they both love their brothers dearly but made wrong choices and hurt them - whether intentionally or not.

I think Thor The Dark World would’ve been far more interesting if we had gotten a similar play with Loki regarding having visions or memories as a manifestation of his guilt, because we know he has some to some degree - especially when Frigga is killed.

“I remember a shadow, living in the shade of your greatness.” & “To prove to father that I am the worthy son.” - Loki

“A second son who stands to inherit nothing he doesn’t seize for himself.” - Daemon (along with his vision in S2 with his mother who was feeding his ambition for the throne, regarding him the more ‘fit’ out of the brothers to rule).

They’re cut from the same cloth, but in rather contrasting ways. It’s a very interesting character comparison. Neither are entirely good nor bad, they have done awful things to get what they want, have hurt those they love with their own selfish desires and ambition and in the end are paying the price for their actions in their own ways.

This explains a lot 🤷🏼‍♀️.

If MCU had more... explicit content, I imagine Loki would be similar to Daemon.

[weirsight]

hotd 2.06

i would much rather his reason for alicent leaving is due to king's landing being in disarray and he wants to keep his mother safe after what happened to aegon at rook's rest. but then that would require aemond not attempting fractricide!

it was only a matter of time before viserys made an appearance. would've been weird to have another daemon vision without him. so, not much of a surprise. nice to see ya' paddy! 👍

i am not sure how i feel about daemon being vulnerable enough to let his guard down around alys. then again, he's been put into an environment that is inherently supernatural. like, the castle (and alys) is actively tormenting him with nightmares and visions. eh, i'm willing to let it slide.

"daemon targaryen asking for help." ...she said not even 30 seconds after i thought it. don't wink at the camera, show. 😒

rip, sir steffon.

i mean, rhaenyra's always idealized warrior women like visenya and nymeria. so, it's not out of character for her to start carrying a sword around and being more assertive. ⚔️

didn't think they would bother to showcase the hull brothers having valyrian ancestry, but i appreciate it being present in an episode that focused on the dragonseeds.

no surprise when you consider the already disappointing track record that asoiaf television adaptations have when it comes to race. they truly thought they were doing something inclusive when they casts the velaryons, but to cut out nettles and shoehorn her entire storyline to rhaena, who they purposefully racebent, is nothing short of abysmal. there's sure to be even more backlash now that it's officially been made show!canon, and i can't say it's undeserved.

when your expectations are so low that you're surprised when a seemingly forgotten plot thread is actually brought up. i see you house beesbury.

otto paralleling viserys in having a favorite child? more likely than you think.

"my son daeron." ok...were these reshoots? because the way they keep mentioning daeron is signaling to the audience HeY, gUeSs WhAt EvErYbOdY? aLiCeNt HaS aNoThEr ChIlD! 🙄

i am so tired of seeing that fucking dog. 🐕

that riot scene felt even more visceral than the one in got s2. well done.

i know that we had lyonel strong for only, what, 6 episodes back in s1, but he never struck me as the type of guy who look at a deformity and make a big deal out of it. larys is on some bs, because if that were true, then lyonel wouldn't have brought him to court alongside harwin "breakbones."

"you have seen me as worthy, as an equal, even. because of that, i will serve you." oof, that line needed a rewrite.

all that time coding the rhaenicent dynamic as sapphic to the point of warping the motivations of either character and even the story itself...........only to shove rhaenyra/mysaria in my face. no thanks.

until they show the rest of the dragons all throughout the dance, syrax might be the ugliest. vhagar is definitely up there, but i genuinely like vhagar because i like her riders. syrax just isn't doing it for me.

[cosmicfan776]

abruptly reminded of visions s2 and how damn good it was. Like Sith had such an awesome animation and style, screecher's reach was a tight and amazing story, Dark Head was admittedly rushed but just had such a distinct and awe inspiring feel to me seemed to put the entire core story of the franchise into perspective, I am your mother was hilarious, the spy dancer was weirdly beautiful and elegant in both its writing and animation, and the other 4 while not sticking with me as much were still very enjoyable pieces of animation and Star Wars.

Star Wars really seems to be on roll recently (bar mando s3, i didn't watch much of it so can't properly comment however personally wasn't a fan of what i saw) between obviously Andor, tales of the jedi which just god the dooku episodes are the prequels content that i've been begging for, and The Bad Batch s2 which did everything i hoped it would do after a promising but inconsistent first season. I really, really hope it keeps up this momentum, Ahsoka be good i'm begging you

[ibrokeeverything]

Here's my personal ranking of the Star Wars Visions S2 shorts that no one cares about but I feel like sharing anyway!

1. Screechers Reach

2. I Am Your Mother

3. Journey to the Dark Head

4. The Spy Dancer

5. In the Stars

6. Aau's Song

7. Sith

8. The Pit

9. The Bandits of Golak

[moonlayl]

for the five things ask, 5 aos episodes:

Nothing personal (1x20)

Melinda (2x17)

Spacetime (3x15)

The Ghost (4x01)

Fun and Games (5x06)

Ooh, this is a good one! (also not me remembering everything about those episodes immediately 😂)

Anyway, I love every single one of these episodes so much, but I’m going to have to rank them, aren’t I?

So…for some of these, if you’d ask me this right after I finished watching the whole show, before any rewatches, I would’ve placed them higher. But going back and rewatching, while I still love the episodes, they’re greater when it’s the first time you’re seeing it, so I’m ranking based on what I like now, and what I would want to rewatch (and edit. And write fics about) now.

1. The Ghost (4.01)

It’s the one that’s easiest to rewatch. The angst is >>>> (I love it when my faves suffer) and it’s when Robbie first appears. We get Daisy and Elena interacting. We get a feel of what Daisy’s been going through (she’s a vigilante now!!!) and all of Ghost Rider’s scenes aren’t just mesmerizing to look at (seriously, flaming skull looks so good) but Gabriel Luna is such a good actor. We’re back to “Coulson is no longer director” which I LOVE, because it brings back certain obstacles from s1, where the team actually had to go BEHIND the director in order to save people, and Coulson is more of a rebel. Elena was just amazing in that episode. I love Daisy’s beanie. I love all of Daisy’s badass scenes and powers, and I love all her scenes with Robbie. There was a “mystery” feel to s4, and it started with the first episode. It was like a new era of the show beginning and the start of something new :)

2. Melinda (2.17)

We finally learn May’s backstory. Everything about those flashbacks, seeing more of Andrew (and Mildrew), seeing May from before, her fight scenes, her humour, and than the horrifying realization that it was the little girl the entire time? Holy crap, that was good, and completely makes everything we knew about May before, make sense. It was also very smart, the way it connected back to inhumans. Almost every mystery of s1 was connected, and idk but that was very satisfying to watch.

In the same episode, we get Daisy and Jiaying. (Which before s7 came out, I wouldn’t have been as appreciative of, but now I am.) Daisy finds her mom, after a lifetime of searching (and Jiaying finds her daughter, after decades). Unlike when she first comes face to face with her dad, her scene with Jiaying was so emotional, so beautiful, and they were both crying (which made me want to cry). We also get a little call back to s1 Daisy.

“Hoping for something and losing it, hurts more than never hoping for anything” (s1) and “deep down I think you knew [that I’m your mother]” “I was too afraid to hope” (s2)

Daisy opens up about her past a bit, about being sent away, about never spending more than 2 years anywhere (and she’s probably also emotional because she lost shield) which is also similar to that scene in s1, where she mentions she called a foster mom “mom” and how she gets sent away (but in this scene, she actually finds her mom!!!) it’s just…so bittersweet and amazing. Jiaying makes her promises (that she doesn’t keep, but they were GOOD in the moment) and Daisy finally feels at home in Afterlife. Jiaying helps her with her powers, and Daisy actually starts to control them without hurting herself. The “I moved a mountain scene”!!! Jiaying explaining Daisy’s powers, Lincoln being a sweetheart, Daisy making music. It was a good episode!

3. Spacetime (3.15)

Despite s3 being my least favourite season, (no matter the amount of meta I read or how often I rewatch episodes) this episode is one that I really love. I love how Daisy centric it is.

The entire thing about seeing visions and trying to prevent them from happening and being confused about them all, but each one making sense in the end? It was really well written.

The fact that it involves the whole team, that scene between Daisy and Coulson before she heads off. Coulson shooting the mirror, and us realizing it wouldn’t have made sense if he’d actually shot her! Coulson trying so hard to prevent it all (and failing spectacularly)

Daisy’s promise to protect Robin, how each scene led to the next, the final vision that leads to the rest of the season (who will die?) Daisy and May’s parallel fight scenes!

The entire team bonding while attempting to set up Daisy’s vision and act it out (that was so good!!) Fitz trying to explain science stuff but doing a terrible job, and he and Simmons disagreeing!

The whole first scene with the man calling out Daisy’s name and then dying in front of Daisy and her absolute horror and fear once she realizes the actual inhuman man was in danger. (Lincoln being very 💕 and holding her and trying to help her when she panics)

Many others have talked about this episode and why it’s so good (I haven’t done as good of a job 😅) but yeah it was just a really good episode. How it was written, and shot, and how each scene leads to the next, and how much focus Daisy got.

4. Nothing Personal (1.20)

I thought it would’ve been higher up in the list, because it has one of my favourite daisy scenes ever, but oh well.

I’m just going to talk about that scene specifically. One thing I will always love about this show and give it so much credit for, is how they DIDN’T make their female hero and protagonist “forgive” the terrible “misunderstood” attractive male character, or compromise her morals because she has feelings for him. Daisy cared for him, yes, but him ending up being a traitor, killing Koenig, and being HYDRA, was crossing a line, and immediately caused her to push him away and not want anything to do with him, her feelings be damned. Even after he admitted that he DOES actually care for her, her reaction is to turn away and say “I think I’m going to throw up” WHICH MAKES SENSE!!! That’s how a normal person would react to finding out a murderer and traitor has feelings for them. Ward’s look of utter shock and disbelief will NEVER not be funny. I’m so so glad the writers made THAT be her reaction (it was the moment I truly realized she wasn’t going to be written like all those other female protagonists written by men) because it was needed. Even despite the amount of Skyeward skippers, and despite the fact that them as a couple was something clearly the show was leading up to, they had her reject him (and keep rejecting him).

I loved when she hit him and insulted him. When she refused to help him, and her look of disgust and shock when he started going on and on about how “difficult it was for him”, 10/10!!

Her lines: “you did NOT just say that. It wasn’t PERSONAL? God, you might actually believe that. THAT, is the twisted logic they teach you even you sign up to be a nazi.”

and “I’m a survivor” “You are a serial killer”

and “because that was part of the mission, right? Just gonna kick back, and watch ME bleed, until it’s your turn to pull the trigger”

were perfect! Such perfect lines!! I was mentally applauding every word she said, every expression she made, that entire episode.

5. Fun & Games (5.06)

Unpopular opinion, I know, but I actually really loved and enjoyed the first half of s5. It’s disappointing what happened later, but that first half? Amazing. (Not many would agree lol)

In this episode, we finally get multiple reunions after the team’s been separated. It’s super easy to rewatch, feels fun (even while there are high stakes) and I just loved every moment. Daisy’s entire new look, and the arena fight. She looked so good and was such a badass. May also gets an arena fight, and like Daisy, was super badass despite being INJURED and having no powers! That whole scene where Daisy flies, Jemma slits a man’s throat, jumps with Fitz and they land and than all three run off to try and escape? It was amazing. Then they run into Deke, and both fitz and simmons are like immediately defending Daisy (for one episode, I thought fitz and simmons were back to being characters I enjoyed watching. I loved the dynamic between those three in that one episode alone). It was just really cool and the first time I watched it, I was definitely grinning because FINALLY Daisy and Jemma aren’t stuck with Kasius anymore.

So yeah, that’s my ranking. (I write too much XD) this was fun, thank you!