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stainedglassthreads · 11 months

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One thing I think I just realized is, in addition to being dissatisfied with how stories deal with Toriel’s grief compared to Asgore’s and Asriel’s, and how I don’t see many instances of Toriel and Asgore’s quarrel being addressed in a way that satisfied me... I don’t think I see that many AUs that quite get the responsibility Asgore feels... right.

Yes, I’ve seen several that portray his grief, depression, and how badly he doesn’t want to be in this position well, even if it’s disappointing how not everyone seems to be aware of what you learn about him in a Neutral run where you’ve previously killed Flowey. A lot of people can get aspects of his characterization very well, the broken man, the goofy dad, the intimidating monarch. But I think the reason I don’t see people capture the weight of his responsibility quite as well in fanfics and comics is... well. Oddly enough it’s in the way the monsters treat him.

It’s not just the fandom that has issues with idolizing or demonizing characters. It’s also the Kingdom of Monsters themselves--and they all idolize Asgore. Yes, he’s a very grounded and compassionate individual who invites his subjects to share all their problems with him, and who Papyrus insists will just let you pass through the Barrier. But he’s also a bit of the subject of a cult of personality for his subjects. When they say he’ll absorb seven souls and become a GOD, it’s not an expression of his arrogance, but rather their own adoration. While out-of-universe the Angel is generally agreed to be either Asriel or Chara(or us), in-universe I wouldn’t be surprised if Asgore was considered the Angel.

It’s not long now. King Asgore will let us go. King Asgore will give us hope. King Asgore will save us all.

Yes, individual monsters may want to collect a human soul for their own individual wants and desires. But it’s only the capture of a human soul, or using a single soul for their own benefit, that they really aspire to. (With the exception of Toriel, who wants no souls, and Flowey, who is Flowey.) Of those area bosses who earnestly try to take just one soul, Papyrus and Undyne both want to hand you over to Asgore, and Mettaton wants to protect humanity FROM Asgore. Literally everyone in the Underground seems to fully believe that Asgore will be the one taking all the Souls and fulfilling his promises, and all are content. (Again, barring Toriel, MTT, Flowey.) No one seems to ever doubt he’ll do as he says, even his ex-wife, and no one’s greedy to take the power for themselves or take the burden of being a savior for themself, except his kid who has both a God Complex and a Savior Complex.

With Chara, and with Asgore. They take a person and turn them into a representation of something More than any singular person could ever be. And then in the worst route Chara does it again, to themself. Asgore is freedom and salvation and retribution itself, and everyone including the woman who was once married to him agrees and reinforces the role. Chara is the feeling of a number going up, and the fandom agrees and reinforces the role.

And I dunno. There are fics and AUs where Asgore never lost his kids and always remained an affable, friendly guy. There are AUs where Asgore is the main antagonist and an awful villain with few redeeming qualities. There are fics and AUs where Asgore gets to recover in a post-pacifist setting. But I’m not sure any fics or AUs have ever quite captured how everyone else just talks about the guy, for me. Toriel is simply ‘intimidating’. But Asgore is a GOD.

#undertale #undertale analysis #undertale meta #asgore #asgore dreemurr #this is why i think in post-pacifist asgore should live far away from all his subjects for a few years #be a normal guy. no responsibilities. let them calm down about the unwanted god-king stuff #like i've seen many stories successfully make asriel or chara feel othered and idolized by the underground but #somehow not asgore as much despite how everyone in-game treats him as a personification of his declaration of war #and lets that be the FIRST thing that influences how they treat him #even undyne to some extent. she's so psyched to free monsterkind. to get him to free monsterkind

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zykamiliah · 3 months

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since this post is doing the rounds again, i want to take a moment to remind everyone that saving lbh from the bullying disciples, saving lqg's life, almost sacrificing himself to protect the sect during the demon invasion, are things that sqq does without any ulterior motives. if he wanted to capitalize on his good deed, he would have revealed himself after protecting lbh. when he meets lqg in the lingxi caves, it surprises him to see him there, and it's after he's already rescued lqg from a qi deviation that it occurs to him that "hmmm, this is a good ally to have, just in case". and during the demon invasion, after getting poisoned, he was ready to self-detonate so that he could take out sha hualing.

like, yeah, sy!sqq is smart and cares about his own survival-- but he's also a big softie that can't stand seeing people hurt and do nothing

#svsss #svsss meta #shen yuan #shen qingqiu #zykamiliah-svsss #lol and this is just from the first arc i'm not even touching the post iac timeline #hey remember how mushroom qingqiu stayed in the borderlands instead of getting the fuck away from there #like the smarter thing would have been to beat it #run for the hills far away from the plot and everyone else #with his mushroom body he was overpowered enough to go anywhere do anything he wanted #but nooooooo he had to meddle #ooh disciples captured i must act i can't help himself #sqq you damn mother hen

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pharawee · 5 months

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Okay, buckle up fellow BL enjoyers and people who are at least a little bit curious about Pit Babe the novel. I'm now five (very long) chapters in, so get ready for some spoilers and details.

Only, there isn't much to tell. The chapters are long but very little happens. Well, except for the fact that Charlie and Babe are just constantly getting it on. If you thought that the Big Dragon novel was pwp then think again. Maybe the smut is the alphas we met along the way. Or something.

It starts very similar to the first ep of the series, with Babe partaking in some pre-racing fun - only it isn't very fun for him because he hates the scent of other alphas. As an alpha himself he has the whole heightened senses thing and that makes him super sensitive to all kinds of scents - omegas included, I guess (yes, they exist in this universe but that's about it). And because he himself is a power bottom that leaves him with a bit of a problem. But not too much of a problem because the novel mentions hundreds of hook-ups until Charlie comes along.

Things play out the same as in the series. Charlie wants a car, Babe is his idol and he'd do anything for a chance at racing. Cue to the first of many, many spicy scenes. Babe is delighted that Charlie has no scent. Charlie already jokes about impregnating him (I forgot that this novel has mprg, why am I doing this again?) but so far it's never mentioned again.

There's very little racing happpening. The only other character from the series that has shown up so far is Way and he's pretty much the same. Way wants Babe but he's too cowardly to make a move so they're stuck in this weird friendship where Babe is really comfortable with Way being all touchy-feely. This gets Charlie jealous because at this point Babe and him are pretty much exclusive (with Babe demanding that Charlie hide behind face masks and hats whenever they're out and about as to not taint Babe's reputation as a horndog). Cue to some angry sex. And then some more sex.

But wait, somewhere along the way Babe catches feelings. He pretty much has Charlie move in with him, does some embarrassing stuff like calling him when he's gone for one (1) day and buys him a desk so he can work from his condo. They have a routine now. And so. much. sex. On every imaginable surface (some poor dudes car after Charlie win's a race where he himself was the bet) and occasion, several times a day.

Charlie is a little bit sus, though. Nothing's outright wrong, but sometimes Babe wonders if he's really the stupid boy he's grown to trust. Because sometimes Charlie reacts in ways that Babe can't quite explain but that are glossed over almost immediately because Charlie can be very distracting. One time he secretly follows him when Babe's out to buy something. He's about to get mugged and Charlie saves him (which doesn't fit with Charlie's whole personality at all). Another time Charlie's gone for a day, supposedly staying with his parents but he comes home smelling like alcohol and a strong, unpleasant scent (clearly something alpha-related) that Babe can't explain. But whatever, Pit Babe's horny and clearly Charlie is incapable of lying anyway because he's too stupid.

Yeah. 🤡

Oh, and as for the no kissing rule? Sadly that's abolished after the second sex scene in like, half a sentence.

And that's things so far. There's really very little talk about anything omegaverse, but mostly because it's just chapter after chapter of well-written smut. Babe constantly calls Charlie "his alpha" (not to his face) - but even though he's clearly in charge, Charlie has definitely taken a hold over him (and Charlie knows and uses this to his advantage). They have a really interesting dynamic. There's no power struggle at all, just a gradual shift of what their relationship means to either of them. There's definitely something up with Charlie though, but I'm surprised they're so open about it in the series.

And where does the rest of the cast even come from? Or the whole plot? Poor Winner is so sad and pathetic, he doesn't even seem to exist in the novel (just some dudes named Billy and Six who might or might not have previously hooked up with Babe).🤣

#pit babe the series #pit babe #jane watches stuff #bl meta #mind you i know nothing about a/b/o dynamics #i always stayed very far away from this side of the fandom #but i like thai bl novels and i'm super curious so

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lesbianredhoodedmercenary · 11 months

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happy father's day i'm thinking about this outis line again

I always thought it was a bit out of pocket considering this isn't too long after the events of Canto III, even with how Outis was being harsher this Canto.

But I then I remembered that Outis' son is the same age as Sinclair.

Her son, who thinks that she died in the Smoke War (the in universe equivalent to the Trojan War as depicted in the Iliad and the Odyssey) because she hasn't been home in years. Her son who cannot cry out to her. And her son, who is currently in much the same position as Sinclair regarding his self-perception and ability to fight, as Telemachus refers to himself as "a weakling knowing nothing of valor" (Book 2 of the Odyssey, line number and exact wording depend on translation).

I think this line reflects more on Outis and her anxieties about her family thinking that she's dead, as well as a reference to Telemachus experiencing his own journey to manhood, much like Sinclair.

I think there's also things to be said for the parallels between Sinclair and Telemachus, even just the ones imagined by Outis. Hell's Chicken had her showing a very paternal worry over his diet (raise your hand if your dad has ever said you'll be short forever if you don't eat right). Overall, even though Sinclair and Telemachus only share the bones of a coming of age narrative, Outis is seeing connections there because she misses her family.

As with this one. Again, she's showing her hand more than she means to. Though she's talking to Dongrang, I think she's also talking to herself. Trying to reassure herself that home will always be waiting. Dongrang, however, decides not to return, but to pursue glory no matter who he hurts in the process. The Odyssey also contrasts the pursuit of glory with the desire to return home. Odysseus has to choose humility in order to return.

Outis has been keeping up a careful persona around us, but it's slipping. Her desire to return home is seeping through even as she tries to assert herself by clinging to the glory from a war that's long since ended.

#limbus company #outis lcb #outis makes me insane i need to bite something #outis is canto 11 going by release order... that's so far away #penelope and telemachus i need to think about them and see them #rotating them in my mind every day #and. i can't unpack homeric ideals of masculinity with how the odyssey treats telemachus' coming of age and #how that's going to influence outis' writing and how she treats sinclair. because that would take way too long #but y'know #that's another post. and that's also a post about gender. like. i can see the title now #Homeric Masculinity. Butchness. and The Meaning of Manhood: a Closer Look at Outis' Gender in Limbus Company #i title my shit like academic articles do not @ me #like. i know gender isn't really a factor in the city. but from a meta-textual level i think it's interesting and i'm a butch lesbian so #also this is a scheduled post. i am scheduling it for fathers day because i would not remember otherwise. so hi from the past

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moongothic · 3 months

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So I'm confused about something. There was a cover story about Ms Goldenweek and other Baroque works agents breaking Crocodile out of prison but he just. Told them no? And stayed there with Mr 1 and Mr 2? I don't get why he wanted to go to Impel Down just to break out when he had the chance

I can't tell you 100% why Crocodile chose to stay in prison and go to Impel Down, but my best guess really is that he was just...

Taking the L with grace

More specifically. Crocodile had lost everything. I think deep inside he might've been literally too depressed to want to go free again.

Like he does literally say that. He gave up.

He had been building his reputation as "the Hero of Alabasta" for at least 10 years at this point. He had built not just a criminal organization that he had been running for four years, but also he had been running legal business stuff (like his casino) for probably longer than that. A decade's worth of work and effort to take over a country, and most importantly, get away with it. The reason he had orchestrated that whole rebellion was so that the rebels and the royal family could "take each other out", leaving the country wide open for a World Government Official such as himself to take up. The reason Baroque Works was doing this all in secret was so that the WG never found out, otherwise they wouldn't have let him have Alabasta.

But indeed, his plans were foiled by a kid in flipflops in less than 24 hours, just at the final moment before Crocodile would win. He lost everything. And the World Government found out about what he had been planning.

So even if he escaped from that prison with his former agents, what was he going to do?

He wouldn't be able to take over Alabasta anymore because he did not have manpower (as he had lost all his goons), and having lost his financial empire he wouldn't be able to build a new army any time soon. And even if he did, now that they knew what he had done the people of Alabasta would not accept him as their new king, even if he personally assasinated Cobra and the entire family. Not to mention, the WG finding out about his plans meant that they had every fucking reason to try and stop Crocodile if he did as much as set foot on that island again. By which I mean, they could launch a Buster Call on his ass. Send all the fucking Admirals after him. And so, even if Crocodile still believed Pluton was somewhere in Alabasta and that he just had to comb through the entire desert to find it... Between the Alabastan people and the WG in the way, finding Pluton would not be easy. Especially when Robin wouldn't even be there to just point him directly to it. It could take years, if not decades, while fighting off the WG by himself. And that's while assuming Pluton was somewhere in Alabasta. Like WE the readers now know Pluton is in Wano, but since Robin didn't tell him that. All Robin said was that the Poneglyph "didn't mention the weapon", and Cobra's reaction to the name merely proved the weapon's existence in Crocodile's mind. But surely, because Crocodile is a smart young man, he'd understand there was a risk that Pluton could exist, but just not be in Alabasta, right? Like that would be a possibility too, right?

I think this is why Crocodile has given up on Alabasta. He had one opportunity at seizing the country, and he failed. And without Robin, he could spend the rest of his life combing through a haystack for a needle when there's no needle, and he'd have no idea. I think is why he explicitly says in Impel Down he no longer has "interest in that country". He won't be able to pull off another stunt like this, ever.

And that leads us back to "why not escape earlier and avoid going to Impel Down to begin with". Thanks to his status as a Shichibukai, Crocodile hasn't been on the run from the WG for like two decades. And the past 10 or so years he has seemingly lived a life of luxury in his funny little casino. But now, having lost everything, he'd be back on the run. And because he's a world famous former "hero of the people", there would be nowhere he'd be able to go where people would not recognize him and send the marines after him. So he'd be on the run, for the rest of his life or until he'd get capture again. And mind you, the guy does not trust anyone, so he'd be on the run alone. Without any purpose or goal.

And you might be thinking, "Daz and the rest of BW was still there!", yeah, arguably true. But at this point Crocodile had no reason to trust any of them. Like personally, I think the reason Crocodile ended up taking a liking to Daz was BECAUSE he chose to follow him to Impel Down when he really did not have to. Like Daz showed an unusual level of loyalty to Crocodile, and I think Crocodile recognized that. That's why Daz is still with Croc, post-timeskip. But Miss Goldenweek and co? Crocodile had no reason to believe they wouldn't betray him if given a chance and a reason. And if the WG would come chasing his ass, they'd have plenty of reason to try and betray Croc (handing Crocodile over to spare their own lives). Not to mention, when they come release their former boss from jail, what did Miss Goldenweek say?

"Let's do Baroque Works again"

As I've already explained in detail, I think we might know why Crocodile wasn't interested in being Baroque Works' "boss" again.

So. Yeah. If in Crocodile's mind he'd be on the run from the Government for the first time in two decades all alone, in a situation where rebuilding what he had before would be bloody hard if not downright impossible, and he wouldn't be able to obtain what he had spent the last decade working for regardless...

Taking the L and just going to prison might've been the easier option

#Moon posting #Asks #OP Meta #Sir Crocodile #Long post #Mind you Crocodile only *left* jail because he saw AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY for petty revenge #Like had it not been for that war bringing Whitebeard out he probably would not have bothered to try and fight WB again #Otherwise he could've just escaped prison with Goldenweek and co and travelled to the New World to fight the old man right away #((Also theoretically Crocodile might've been slightly suicidal with the ''taking WB's head'' thing))#Also worth noting that Crocodile choosing to stay in prison could've had two other purposes re:the former agents #It could've been a test of loyalty (to see if anyone would stay with him or would they all abandon him)#Which could be important to Mr Trust Issues (and to be fair he did find at least one loyal subordinate in Daz)#((Like if they had all told Croc they'd stay with him...... Who knows. Maybe he might've chosen to escape after all?))#Other option: Crocodile escaping with them would mean the agents would be in much more danger than they'd be without him #Like the WG wouldn't send tons of marines after the individual agents if they all scattered to the winds #But if they all stuck together they'd become a bigger target. And even more so if Crocodile was there to lead them #And like. IDK if Crocodile was willing to leave out Goldenweek from the assassination order and spare her... Maybe this was the same #Maybe he wanted to spare Goldenweek (and the rest?) from being put into danger by going with them?#I dunno man this reptile has far too many layers to him I can't tell what's going on in his head

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setsailforthestars · 1 year

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Vex and Vax get it so right.

Being a twin, and an identical one at that, is having a part of your soul detached and walking around in a different body. “Do not go far from me” is not a request but a demand, because you cannot bear it.

It’s a disorienting feeling looking at another person and seeing a mirror of yourself, but you blink and they’re just a few steps sideways of who you are. They’ve always been there, as constant as your own reflection, and nearly as accurate. They’ve always been who you wish you were.

When you grow up joined at the hip against the world, sometimes with no one else but them, it feels like every fight, every disagreement pushing you apart is the most devastating hurt you can imagine. It feels unfixable, until you cannot bear to be apart any longer and you fall back together like you were meant to be.

There is an incandescent rage flickering in your heart on their behalf at all times, even at the mere thought of an injustice against them. And when they’re hurt, or worse, of course you’re going to do everything you can to make it right. To fix them.

There is also sorrow. The knowledge that someday, somehow, inevitably, you will be the only one left. And you will be alone, and only half a person because you could not bear to make yourself whole when that would mean separating yourself from them.

And maybe one of you is the strong one, maybe one of you needs the other more, maybe you both think that about yourselves.

Maybe you would sacrifice yourself over and over so the other may live — selflessly, but also secretly selfish — so you don’t have to be the one left behind at the end of it. You don’t have to be the one who is alone.

#okay this got away from me but fuckkkkkkkkkkkk #I’m sorry to my twin who has to read this #they’ve died before fun fact I kinda know what it’s like #critical role #the legend of vox machina #tlovm spoilers #tlovm #TLOVM meta #cr meta #vex and Vax #vex’ahlia #vax’ildan #the sneak twins #do not go far from me

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meraki-yao · 7 months

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RWRB Movie Analysis: The Kensington Confrontation, on life, love and patience

Some things happened in my personal life and I had an epiphany on certain stuff, and subsequently, I started to see this scene in a different, clearer light.

“My life is the crown, and yours is politics, and I will not trade one prison for another.”

From Henry’s point of view, there is no changing, no escaping the life he’s in. He has his family, and the country’s adoration (considering he’s called the prince of England’s hearts, he might be the most popular royal in universe), and that’s all he knows, that’s all his has. He can’t straight up come out, the country will reject him, the king will berate him, he’ll be left with everything he had and knows taken away from him, he’ll be left with nothing, and he knows love can’t solve everything. If he comes out, gets more or less banished by his country and stay with Alex, with Alex’s ambitions of becoming a politician who has to be frequently judged and scrutinized by the public, as his partner he will be subjected to that too, which he doesn’t want, especially in such a case that he’s not even trained for.

To him, at that moment, there is literally, no possibility of him being true and happy. There is no way out.

“We can figure out a way to love each other on our own terms, no one else’s.”

Alex doesn’t see this as a binary choice. Henry doesn’t have to come out now. They can wait, and love each other while waiting. They can find a balance. Henry can push for smaller changes, like choosing to do charity projects on LGBT+ communities to test the water on how the public might react to a royal getting involved in the community as well as make the crown’s image more LGBT friendly so if he comes out later, there’s at least a portion of the public that will be supportive. (I am completely confused about how the royal family in RWRB works, but for the irl primary royal family members, besides some mandatory monarchy stuff, they can choose which topics to focus on, like Kate Middleton with early childhood development and Prince William with environmental conservation) Alex can find his footing in the political scene in the US and gain his own relatively stable standing before coming out, and with already established political work that hopefully will gain him a supporter base, later revealing his relationship won’t be as big as a hit.

Either way, in Alex’s perspective, and honestly, in reality, they don’t need to make a decision between two definitive choices. If the pre-set road doesn’t work, they’ll carve their own way out.

It’s just, that will be hard, and scary because that means breaking out of the space Henry’s in now. That space doesn’t suit him, and he’s fairly miserable stuck in that space, but it’s also all he knows. In that space, he knows what to do, he can predict outcomes, because that’s all he’s ever known.

Breaking out, carving a new path, means doing something no one’s done before. He’ll be alone in navigating the new life, he can’t predict outcomes, and there will be no one to guide him. (Alex will of course, still love and support him, but support and guidance are two very different things.) He might risk everything and only end in a big mistake.

“That is simply not possible, and you know it.”

That sentence isn’t true. But Henry is so fully-encompassed by the life he has now that he doesn’t dare to even think about a potential alternative.

“Fine. I’ll leave. And you can live in your tower and protect your heart for the rest of your life and nothing will ever happen to you.”

“But Henry.”

“Nothing will ever happen to you.”

I, without fail, always tear up at this line, and just sob through the rest of the scene.

Here’s the line in the book:

“Tell me you’re done with me. I’ll get back on the plane. That’s it. And you can live here in your tower and be miserable forever, write a whole book of sad fucking poems about it. Whatever. Just say it.”

Honestly, I kind of like the movie line better for two main reasons: 1, using the same line with distinctly, painfully different meanings is such clever dialogue writing, 2, just like the book line, it’s insinuating what Henry would be losing, but the first time Alex says it, it also insinuates what Henry thinks he’ll be saving, and the contrast between the two makes the lost more evident and painful.

The first “Nothing will ever happen to you” is about what Henry’s keeping by giving up his relationship and Alex. You can live in your tower like Rapunzel, stay in your cage like a trapped bird, you can maintain the status quo, the royal life you’ve been living for so long. You can protect your heart for the rest of your life because if you never allow yourself to fall in love, if you never give your heart away, no one will lose it, and no one will break it. Nothing will change from the life you’re living, for better or for worse. Nothing will change. Nothing bad, nothing dangerous, nothing new will ever happen to you.

The second “Nothing will ever happen to you”, is all the things Henry will be giving up by staying where he is, staying in the same space that the crown drew for him. Never changing, never breaking out, living day by day on orders and demands, never taking initiative. You don’t have the burdens and pressures of making choices, but you don’t get the freedom to make the choices you want either.

Most devastatingly, never getting to be honest about your sexuality, about your personality and thoughts. Never getting to date, laugh, kiss, have sex, fall in love with a man who truly loves and cherishes you, the man standing right behind you, who flew across an ocean and stormed a fucking castle to tell you he loves you.

All the unbridled joy you felt when you were with Alex, you will never get that again.

Yes, you might never get your heart broken again afterwards.

But you’ll also never get your heart to beat as wildly, as happily and as loudly as it did when you were with him, ever again.

Nothing will change.

Nothing new will ever happen to you.

But by refusing to change, nothing good will ever happen to you either, darling.

Nothing truly good, truly happy will ever happen to you either.

You will never, be truly happy again.

And hearing Alex’s ultimatum, makes Henry actually think.

Alex leaves, and he keeps this life. Never truly getting his heart broken after tonight, no soul-deep agony, but a constant heartache and discomfort he will carry for the rest of his life.

This exchange isn’t worth it.

There are a bunch of details that Henry hasn’t worked out, and is still scared to work out, but first and foremost, giving up the love of his life in exchange for a life that doesn’t suit him, it doesn’t feel like it’s worth it.

I originally thought the transition from the Kensington confrontation to going to the V&A was a bit too sharp and sudden, but I have another understanding of it now.

Henry needs to think. He also needs reassurance that if he chooses to do something, Alex will stay. He needs to be sure that Alex is it for him. That Alex is worth him taking risks, worth him upturning and changing his whole life.

Henry said it himself; he’s been dreaming about dancing with his love in V&A since he was young, this is what he imagined the peak of his own brand of romance would be. When he allows himself to dream of love, this is what he dreams of.

If he takes Alex to the V&A, and whatever happens there is everything he’s ever dreamt of, then this is it for him. Alex is it for him. He can’t let Alex go anymore.

And Alex, sweet, loving Alex, does fulfil his dreams of dancing with him, and it’s everything he’s ever dreamt of and more, and Henry has his primary answer.

I want him.

I want to keep being with him.

I love him.

He’s worth it.

They need to figure out what it means to keep being together and committed with the life they have. Henry is still scared about carving his own path in life for the first time. He needs time. He needs patience. He needs to be brave.

So he says:

“Please be patient with me, and I promise I will try and be brave for us.”

And of course, Alex, says yes.

“I love you.”

“I’ll be as patient as you need.”

#rwrb #red white and royal blue #rwrb movie #firstprince #alex claremont diaz #henry hanover stuart fox #henry fox mountchristen windsor #rwrb thoughts #rwrb movie analysis #rwrb meta #i originally only planned on writing about the nothing will ever happen to you line #then i got carried away #and ended writing the entire conflict climax and resolution #i think this is my longest meta so far #applause to Alex being the best bf

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iwritenarrativesandstuff · 1 year

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Underrated adorable thing Kyouka does is when someone gives her something to do and/or tries to show her something new and she gives it her full, serious attention.

It could be a matter of life-or-death. It could be delivering an important document. It could be taking care of a cat. It could be mixing a little candy. Doesn't matter.

Someone: *showing Kyouka a thing*

Kyouka: *staring intently, laser-fucking-focused*

What makes this so good to me is that it's nothing to do with her mafia training - she tends to go numb and distant when her assassin instincts kick in. When she focuses like this, it's driven by her genuine want to learn how to do the thing and do it perfectly. And yeah, part of this is also likely to do with her want to prove that she can do good things, but there are a million different ways she could go about this and she chooses... to watch people. To listen and learn and try her hardest at every single little thing she does. Honestly, I don't think this is anything she picked up from anyone - I think she's just like that. She gives everything she does her full attention.

And yeah, sometimes she gets a little too into it (tasing the guy she was supposed to deliver the files to, making a gigantic tower of god grub...) but she's got the spirit.

You guys she's so cute. She's SO cute. And also I think so incredibly strong for this. I don't think Kyouka fully realizes how much of her recovery is due her own consistent dogged efforts. Atsushi and the Agency gave her an opportunity and a safe home base and she took it and ran with it through her own conviction (in spite of all the setbacks), making herself brighter in the process.

#now if only the story would directly acknowledge this...#or have kyouka have a major role or expanded interactions outside of her dynamic with atsushi...#listen her and atsushi's dynamic is so sweet but my favourite kyouka scenes remain the ones with her and kouyou or akutagawa #also that bit in wan where she was better than atsushi at complimenting lucy so they both ditched him lol #i miss herrrrrr #actually as far as i remember kyouka yosano lucy and poe are still unaccounted for #maybe they're working on some other part of the agency's plan?#i'd love it if yosano got to confront teruko tbfh #and lucy just tossing fukuchi in her room while poe cheers because he's mad his boyfriend was knocked out then manhandled like a kitten #and kyouka faces vampire akutagawa and or helps aya and bram get away #my crappy late night theorizing that is basically just a wishlist #anyways that's not the point of this post the point is that i love kyouka #bsd #idk does this count as meta? it's more just my unhinged rambling #bsd meta #i guess #bsd kyouka #storyrambles

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ospreyeamon · 8 months

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playing politics

It’s been said before, but there is a clear disparity in the way the Jedi Consular and Jedi Knight are treated when it comes to their promotion prospects. While both are knighted at the end of their prologues, the Consular is given the rank of Master at the start of Act 2 while the Knight is only maybe promoted again at the close of Act 3.

The Consular’s promotion to Master is political. They are being given the rank because the Jedi Council thinks it will be necessary for the Rift Alliance to take them seriously, not because of anything the Consular has achieved up to this point Hence why they are given the rank upon being given a mission rather than completing one. Which makes sense as the Consular’s achievements during Act 1 are pretty variable.

A Consular who has LS-choiced their way through Act 1’s achievements are very impressive, even if the stint on Alderaan is their only prior diplomatic experience that we know of. A Consular who – despite being asked to shield the afflicted Jedi – chooses to kill them at varying points before accidentally (or “accidentally”) causing the deaths of hundreds more Jedi offscreen by killing Lord Vivicar, I think, probably wouldn’t have been trusted with a sensitive diplomatic post if the Council thought they had a better option. Unfortunately, in this scenario, the better options were probably numbered among the now dead Jedi Masters.

Conversely, the Jedi Knight definitely succeeded in their overall mission in Act 1. They might have been a jerk, they might have passed up opportunities to save or spare people, they might have delayed rescuing Nasan Godera for a loot acquisition detour, but they still did (eventually) retrieve Dr Godera, stop the power-guard project, save Master Kiwiiks and Tatooine, help destroy the death-mark laser, and prevent Darth Angral from torching Tython. The Knight also helps (or “helps”) guide Kira Carsen to Knighthood; successfully training a Padawan is traditionally one of the main gauges the Council uses to determine who is ready to become a Master.

A DS!Knight proves considerably more effective in Act 1 than a DS!Consular, but the Consular is still the one promoted. The promotion isn’t given in recognition of their skills or as reward for their achievements. It isn’t withheld because of any action or shift in alignment. The Consular is promoted at the start of Act 2 because their new mission is to make nice with the politicians; the Knight isn’t because they are assisting other Jedi. If the Consular’s promotion truly was a matter of merit the Knight would have been promoted too.

The end of Act 3 has incredibly stark differences in how a Dark-aligned Consular and Knight are treated by the Jedi Council. Neither of them receives the promotion they would have if they had been Light-aligned, but of the behaviour of the Council towards them is markedly different. The Consular is publicly rewarded. The Knight is publicly snubbed.

“Your relentless pursuit of the First Son merits a unique position. We would like to make you our special military advisor. You will rank alongside us, but work with the Republic, to capture the remaining Children and prepare for any future threat from the Sith.” Jaric Kaedan “Rank alongside? So I would not be a member of the Jedi Council.” Jedi Consular, Option 3 “We would prefer you to focus on assisting the Republic, rather than on Council duties. But this is only a small reward beside the great service you have done, for all of us.” Jaric Kaedan

The post of the Jedi Council’s special military advisor is a promotion, even if it might not be the promotion the Consular wanted. Jaric Kaedan doesn’t say anything to suggest that a Council Seat could have been on the table under other circumstances; the idea is only brought up if the Consular brings it up.

The Consular has experienced a meteoric rise through the ranks; their class story takes place over about three years and they go from Padawan to Knight to Master to senior Master advising the Jedi Council. Going from Padawan to Master in the span of two years is (I think) the fastest turn around we are shown for any Jedi, and most members of the Order never sit on the High Council. Being promoted to Master without having trained a Padawan in any capacity is also highly unusual. The Consular has nothing to complain about.

Even if they do complain, Jaric’s justification is that they don’t want the Consular’s attention split between their work with the Republic and the duties of a Council Member. He is quick to praise the Consular again. No mention of their turn to the Dark Side is made.

“And then there is you. How do we even begin to account for the turns your life has taken since you first arrived on Tython? The dark side has cast its shadow over you. I sense your anger and ambition growing. I can no longer ignore it. I wanted so much for you to become a Jedi Master, but you are not ready.” Satele Shan “What have I done to deserve being passed over? I've saved trillions of people.” Jedi Knight, Option 1 “Your battles on Corellia cost us Master Kiwiiks and dozens of brave Jedi. Your leadership there was questionable, at best. You struck a great blow against the Sith, but the war goes on. There will be other opportunities for you to prove yourself worthy.” or “How much have you sacrificed on your path to victory? What emotions drove these decisions? These are the questions we must answer. You struck a great blow against the Sith, but the war goes on. There will be other opportunities for you to prove yourself worthy.” Satele Shan “Master Satele, this Jedi is one of the greatest war heroes I’ve ever met. He/she deserves recognition for his/her victories. By the authority of the Supreme Chancellor, I hereby grant you the honorary rank of Republic general.” Admiral Dabrin

In contrast, in a Dark-aligned Knight’s class story ending Satele Shan tells them that they are wrathful, power-hungry, under the influence of the Dark-Side of the Force, and not being promoted to Jedi Master. It’s a public humiliation at a ceremony intended to honour the Knight’s achievements. Small wonder Admiral Dabrin tries to patch things over by naming the Knight an honorary general.

Satele Shan did not have to manage the situation with the Knight this way. She could have quietly led the Knight off into a side room before the ceremony and asked them if they knew they were clouded by the Dark Side. She could have had the kind of talk with them that Orgus Din does on Rishi. Making a public spectacle was taking the nuclear option.

Satele can claim that the Knight isn’t being promoted because of their poor leadership on Corellia, but Satele was the one to put the Knight in charge of the Jedi forces on Corellia, possibly over the Knight’s objections. Besides, we the audience know it isn’t the truth. The Jedi Council’s refusal to grant them the rank of Master isn’t tied to any decision they could have taken on Corellia – it is solely determined by their alignment.

The denunciation being so public makes me feel that its motivation was either highly political or deeply personal. Did Satele feel betrayed by the Knight? Did the rest of the Jedi Council even know she was planning on going off script in front of the Republic brass? Was she convinced the Knight’s Dark-alignment was evidence they had done terrible things she would never be able to find proof of?

Was the decision to try to crack down hard on the Knight made because the Consular had also turned but couldn’t be reprimanded without insulting the Rift Alliance? Were Council concerned that members of the Order like Unaw Aharo were admiring a Dark Jedi? Was Satele under pressure to make a statement against Jedi drawing on the Dark-Side while fighting in the war?

But if a DS-choicing Knight got Jedi unnecessarily killed, then a DS-choicing Consular got more Jedi killed; hundreds compared to dozens. If it’s dangerous to have impressionable Jedi looking up to a Dark-aligned Hero of Tython, then it’s no less dangerous to have them admiring a Dark-aligned Barsen’thor. If a Dark Jedi shouldn’t be permitted to become a Master, then a Dark Consular should be demoted rather than set to advise the Council.

There is an incredible double-standard in how the Consular is treated in comparison to the Knight – and a double-standard in how the Consular is treated compared to the norms of the Order. This is surely something people in-universe have opinions about.

#Meanwhile in a Galaxy Far Far Away #swtor meta #jedi consular class story #jedi knight class story #Jedi Consular #Jedi Knight #star wars the old republic

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boylikeanangel · 10 months

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ok yknow what else. I am so glad they're acknowledging the 180. I haven't really voiced this cuz I was otherwise so excited for this season but I really was on the verge of indignation about them just deciding to make gabriel a goofy sidekick after he was literally the biggest villain of season 1. it really felt like they weren't willing to acknowledge just how much pain he's actually caused aziraphale and crowley and, to be honest, it seemed a little out of the blue that aziraphale would try to help him. but no. they're actually talking about it. it's a central point of conflict for them that crowley rightfully wants nothing to do with this because it's GABRIEL, he tried to kill aziraphale, he's still understandably terrified that heaven will try to hurt him again, and now he wants this guy nowhere near either of them, and cannot understand why aziraphale would have him in his bookship after what he's done. and as for why aziraphale wants to help him, that seems like it's actually going to be explored rather than just accepted for the sake of the plot moving forward. not only have they not forgotten just what gabriel did or tried to do last season, they're placing that lasting fear and apprehension towards him front and centre and are going to have aziraphale and crowley conflict over whether or not he deserves their help. I'm honestly so relieved because I had always been staunchly anti-gabriel and never really enjoyed the fandom's overly jovial attitude towards him, and was genuinely really skeptical when it seemed they were going to make him a sympathetic character in the new season, especially since the trailer played the comedic angle for all it was worth. but it's not just absurdity for absurdity's sake. it's actually something for our main couple to work through. the writing knows this is a difficult shift in dynamic to contend with. and they're directly employing it as an obstacle for aziraphale and crowley. it's really good and it's put a lot of my worries about the overall tone and messaging of this season to rest

#not even getting into how this is literally the same conflict from season 1 but with a slightly different power dynamic #like aziraphale and crowley have the power to say no now. they can move on with their lives and not feel obligated to involve themselves #in heaven and hells business. and no doubt crowley wants to stay as far out of it as possible #hes content to just be a human now basically. and hes frustrated that at the first opportunity aziraphale is diving back into it #and once again crowley is forced to close ranks and focus on only protecting aziraphale. only now its more frustrating because #aziraphale can say no! crowley tried to get them out of there before but of course aziraphale couldnt. and crowley understood that #to some extent anyways #and now theyre finally free to do as they wish like he wanted and aziraphale still cant fully break away #he just wants them both to be safe but aziraphale makes that very difficult. he loves him of course but its so frustrating for crowley #like WHY cant he just enjoy their freedom. why cant he seize it with both hands. thats all hes every wanted for them #its the same conflict as in 1x04 but worse now. because aziraphale can say no and he can choose crowley over heaven. so why isnt he #ohhhhh the interpersonal conflict. its so juicy. its gonna be so good i can just feel it in my bones in my SOUL #good omens #good omens spoilers #ineffable husbands #meta tag

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ryehouses · 1 year

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I don't remember clone wars SUPER well, but wasn't Bo's whole goal to get Viszla on the Mando throne, not Maul? She did accidentally help Maul get there, but it was never her goal, and she did immediately fight to dethrone him. Like Qui-gon is pretty responsible for creating Darth Vader but we don't blame him. Am I missing something???

hold on let me put on my philosophy hat! star wars meta under the cut, because this is way better than looking at contracts:

tldr, for folks that don't want to read a treatise: clone wars era bo-katan is like the shocked pikachu meme, in which bo-katan is running around with a bunch of terrorists, doing terrorist things, and then is surprised when doing those terrorist things has led to, like, the socio-political collapse of mandalore's government. she's the "'but i didn't think the leopards would eat my face!' sobbed the woman who voted for the face-eating leopards party" woman, except the face-eating leopard is a sith lord with attachment issues and moderate megalomania who kills bo-katan's sister to make his already desperately sad archenemy even sadder. she's an australia that has introduced a non-native cane toad to control a native beetle in order to more efficiently maximize a brutal capitalist system and now is upset that her house is full of huge toads with no natural predators. the toads are poisonous and the ecosystem is collapsing. i got carried away here, but you get the gist.

too long did read, for my reasoning: in this case, i'd argue that no matter what bo-katan's reason for going along with the maul plan is -- possibly installing pre vizsla to the throne of mandalore, but mostly just destablizing the neutral mandalorian government -- her reasoning is secondary to the action because she is fully and consciously participating in death watch, which is doing terrible things (not just on mandalore, mind; there's a whole little arc with ahsoka and... the one kid... lux? where death watch has just casually taken over an enslaved a random settlement because they can and think that they deserve to).

whatever bo-katan's original intentions were, be they good intentions (also arbitrary; the neutral mandalorians would disagree than any attempt to return to mandalore's more violent ways is not good, while dw could and does argue that they're just upholding their cultural traditions and fending off a government they didn't elect or support, how can that not be a good?) or not, intention is secondary to an action that does harm, especially to an action that does intentional harm. maul's name, like, means intentional harm. it's very on the nose. even if maul usupring vizsla was a surprise, the whole "building a super crime syndicate" thing is objectively a bad, immoral action, and imo it's pretty hard to "the ends justify the means" that away just because bo-katan didn't mean for what maul did to happen.

also, leaving morality aside for a minute, imo bo-katan holds additional culpability for what maul does because she knows that it's a bad idea to ally with him from the start, but knuckles under and lets it happen in order to get what she wants from the situation. i could be misremembering, but i'm pretty sure she knows that sith lords are bad news and tells pre vizsla as much, but ultimately falls in line because she wants what maul is offering. that's a conscious choice that she makes.

i think it's also important to remember that she does not abandon death watch because she thinks that maul's actions are immoral or bad -- she leaves because she doesn't want an outsider to rule mandalore. she says it out loud, to the viewer -- it's only after maul takes over and betrays pre vizsla that she bolts and lets obi-wan go, presumably to that obi-wan can rally some jedi to help him pry maul off of mandalore.

(I'm not touching the qui-gon thing until after I've shared it with the discord, because we've honestly never seen a "qui-gon is pretty responsible for darth vader" take and have to dissect it over the course of 4-5 buisness days.)

#a meta far far away #ask box #i think the key difference is that bo-katan doesn't accidentally let maul take over mandalore;#she intentionally agrees to ally with him in order to get what she wants and then underestimates maul's ability to rock pre vizsla's shit #yes pre vizsla is the one who makes the alliance in the first place #but bo-katan goes along with it and only bails AFTER she realizes that dw collectively miscalculated #all of this to say: bo is a complicated awful person and disney trying to pretend that she's not awful does a disservice to her character

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sarah-cam · 8 months

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This is the same anon that just messaged about Jeremiah/Conrad! I forgot to add sort of in the analysis Jelly/Bonrad and why you think one is "better" analysis-wise or even personal-preference-wise 😊

alright i’m going to start this with just my personal preference and then get into an analytical side. a lot of my opinions on the ships revolve around my opinions of conrad vs jeremiah, because a lot of the reasons i don't like jere have to do with jelly (that post is here)

again, i want to start this by saying that if you ship jelly that’s awesome for you but to be blunt lbr y’all are delulu if you genuinely believe that bonrad won’t be endgame 😂

jenny han spent several years and three books building the relationship between belly and conrad, and now two seasons of a show where not only are belly and conrad ALWAYS the underlying relationship, but conrad is imo clearly the lead male over jeremiah. he continuously has storylines outside of his relationship with belly, vs jere's focus pretty much only revolving around that so far. she’s not going to change the endgame… she’s just not 🤷🏻‍♀️

first things first — i don’t choose the ship, the ships choose me 🙏🏼 it’s pretty simple and probably is for a lot of people, i just get all the tingly feelings and that’s that

from that first slow motion walk up, the chemistry was CHEM👏🏼IS👏🏼TRY👏🏼ING👏🏼!!! lola and chris have such amazing chemistry in every single scene, even when they don’t even say anything, and that chemistry is romantic straight from that very first scene

and i will admit, lola and gavin have good chemistry too!! (lola honestly has such great, unique chemistry with every other actor) even though i have my issues with it, the scene between belly and jeremiah on the side of the road DID hit me in the feels. the issue for me though is that the vibes i get are just not romantic in the same way as it is with conrad, its bestie vibes. at the very least, they start the show with bestie vibes and romantic vibes "develop". it just feels forced in a way, especially since belly and conrad is just always there.

i should be able to see it - you shouldn't have to tell me. most notably, when trusky goes on that weird rant about their "vibes" when they were literally just standing next to each other, worrying about conrad, and jere was rolling his eyes about conrad being depressed over belly. they constantly talk about their "ESP" but when it comes time to show how well he knows her, it's not even just that he doesn't know her favorite candy is sour patch kids - he literally doesn't know that she hates swedish fish

taking some points from my conrad/jeremiah analysis, i don't like the way jeremiah is manipulative and constantly makes belly feel guilty for being happy or simply just existing next to conrad. rolling his eyes when she seems a little jealous of sophie and when she has a little smile when she learns conrad was staring at pictures of her, constantly eyeing them when belly worries about conrad in "love fool", interrupts them with an angry look when they talk in the store in "love fest", brings her up in his fight with conrad also in "love fest", keeps giving nasty looks in "love triangle" when conrad gives her his sweatshirt, the stuff with the candy, and when their hands BARELY touch at the motel. in that same lane, i just feel like he invalidates her feelings a lot, shames her for loving conrad, and dismisses/shuts her down when she tries to talk about it (which was funny when lola said in an interview that jere made belly feel more heard 😂 she's fighting for her life out there)

the episode with his narration was PAINFUL. i'm sorry but he gave off the biggest incel vibes. everything he said revolved around hating on conrad or victimizing himself, like "doesn't she know i would treat her so much better?? doesn't she know how much i want to be sitting next to her?? conrad had no right to date her after ignoring her for years." IT WAS GROSS. and also, not true. jere said himself that he started liking her after she 'turned pretty' which... i don't even believe. he only started liking her after he saw her almost kiss conrad. he is supportive of cam cameron and encourages their relationship. he's only jealous of conrad.

to conrad, this isn't a competition or a game. and if it was, he would voluntarily lose if it meant belly would be happy.

and in case you were still doubting the iconic soulmatism that only occurs in the ultimate endgames - here ya go!!

tropes: i found an amazing list laid out here and picked out some of the best ones

all girls want bad boys

anguished declaration of love (more so the 3rd book so it hasn't happened yet)

childhood friends/best friends to lovers (yes because conrad is ALSO her best friend)

childhood crush

everyone can see it

first love/first guy wins

i want my beloved to be happy

settle for sibling

single-target sexuality (conrad only ever loves belly and lbr she only ever truly loves him)

unrequited/secretly-requited love

music: like... come on... it's pretty clear (and before you bring up delicate, don't: "this ain't for the best" "we can't make any promises")

lover, "can we always be this close forever and ever?"

the way i loved you, "and i never knew i could feel that much"

this love, "these hands had to let it go free and this love came back to me"

false god, "we'd still worship this love"

august, "for me, it was enough to live for the hope of it all"

back to december, "it turns out freedom ain’t nothing but missing you"

last kiss, "i never thought we'd have a last kiss"

invisible string, "all along there was some invisible string tying you to me"

sweet nothing, "i find myself running home to your sweet nothings"

snow on the beach, "time can't stop me quite like you did"

exile, "we always walked a very thin line"

when the party's over, "i've learned to lose you, can't afford to"

drivers license, "how could i ever love someone else?

deja vu, "she thinks it's special but it's all reused"

never really over, "just because it's over doesn't mean it's really over"

steal my girl, "we want the same things we dream the same dreams"

i'm kissing you, "but watching stars without you my soul cried"

little things:

conrad was the only one growing up that ever included her

they have their own handshake in the volleyball game (vs belly teaching jere her and taylor’s)

he gets her meaningful presents (junior mint, glass unicorn, infinity necklace, bouquet of candy)

he always knows and gets her favorite things (muffins, candy)

they call each other all the time

he gives her his sweaters even when she says she's not cold, because he knows she doesn't mind the cold but likes being cozy

pictures of the two of them are constantly showed (belly's phone, her room, the polaroid)

conrad is the leader but they also look to belly as a leader too (deciding to throw the party, boardwalk, team belly/team conrad)

conrad cheers for steven to fight milo but breaks it up as soon as belly tells him to

always worrying about each other (conrad jumps in to defend laurel from adam when belly gets upset, she always looks to him first when something bad happens)

he can tell that she's awake in the motel because she isn't snoring

they have the same dream of the future (coming back to cousins)

and most of all, susannah, laurel, AND steven ship it 👑

parallels:

first off, the flashbacks typically mirror what's going on in present day and almost every flashback is of something important with conrad

the pool scenes with belly swimming while conrad has his feet in

she dreams of him kissing her in the beginning of s2 in the same way he kisses her when they are in front of the fireplace

they continuously have important scenes on the beach

he picks her up the same way the last time they were on the beach as a couple and the first time since their breakup

her wearing his cousins rowing shirt and then still having it, wearing his sweater/sweatshirt, wearing his t-shirt even when broken up

she brings up how he helped her with trig during 'shoot your shot'

he always plays with her hair/brushes it from her face

the infinity necklace and junior mint always being there

constant parallels to staylor (i made a post about them here), jenny has literally said that steven is taylor's conrad

quotes:

conrad - "i'm glad that it was me" "i do want you" "you're it for me" "my chest physically hurts to not be able to tell her that i'm in love with her" "i don't think i could ever get over you" "[you're cold-hearted] for everyone else maybe, not for you"

belly - "you were great" "being with you is all i'ver ever wanted" "i want it to be with you" "there's only you, there's only ever been you" "i was in love, steven, like, out of my mind in love" "he made it so hard not to love him" "i loved conrad longer and truer than anyone in my whole life" "i'll probably never love anyone like that again" "i would've fought for you" "i don't regret any of the times we were together"

laurel - "for belly, conrad is the sun, and when the sun comes out, the stars disappear", saying that a cozy campfire (jeremiah) is not enough compared to fireworks (conrad)

steven - "conrad's her soulmate"

susannah - "i knew it" "take care of him", the letters she's writing in her last scene

foreshadowing:

most obviously, infinity - like it's pretty hard to argue with. also, when conrad explains infinity he compares it to a racetrack, and at the boardwalk him and belly cross the finish line of the racetrack together

dancing - all of the times belly dances, it's with conrad. the deb ball dance especially foreshadows a first dance at a wedding

venus - it is an evening star before it disappears, and then it returns as a morning star. conrad disappears from her life before returning

belly flops - conrad is always holding her under the arms, by her heart

rollerblades - belly talks about her feelings for conrad being tucked away like her rollerblades, which came out of storage in s2

staylor - belly and taylor's conversation about forgetting first loves and then taylor immediately ignoring that and getting with steven... she's so real

deja vu - belly constantly sees things that remind her of conrad, especially when she is with jeremiah. the song literally plays while she's in the car with him. like again... "it's all reused" 😂

names- isabel susannah conklin and conrad beck fisher... talk about fate amirite

lighting - the motel scene... enough said

#this is so long and i could still say more 😂#answered #anon #bonrad #anti jelly #anti jeremiah fisher #the summer i turned pretty #tsitp meta #this is why as much as i say conrad needs to get far away from them #i will always be a bonrad endgame truther

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