#also why does he keep getting described as a 'young man' when he's ... not

[eff-plays]

Controversial statement: I do not get the thirst for Gortash. Just like ... visually. He's a cool enough villain to thirst over in theory, and his style is absolutely enviable (zing), but like ... He's just not doing it for me. Even after I heard the drider's nasty and creepy voice and saw his face up close I thought he was kinda fuckable. But Gortash?

#bg3 #bg3 spoilers #he just kinda looks like ... he's an old guy trying to pull off an emo look to fit in with the kids ya know? #also why does he keep getting described as a 'young man' when he's ... not #someone uploaded a yassified gortash to nexus and ngl i am tempted #just to not get that cognitive dissonance of 'young man' and it's just a geezer on screen #even astarion being called 'boy' i let slide because yeah that's my boy #but gortash is not a 'young man' by any stretch of the imagination

[turbulentscrawl]

In the poly post you said that ithaqua is as close as it get to a yandere may I ask why you think that ? Or any headcanons related to that if that's okay with you (sorry if the English is bad )

As luck would have it, Ithaqua is one of the few Hunters I think I have a decent grasp on rn so I was also able to crank this out quickly! (To my other request-ees: I'm working on HC requests for several other characters rn! I should have them ready to spam-post sometime this weekend <3)

So here's some general and sfw relationship hcs for Ithaqua ;)

-A first small note, his exact age is not listed, but he’s described as a “young adult,” so I imagine him to be somewhere between 18-22.

-Ithaqua is a man who has entirely rejected society. He wants nothing more to do with it, with anyone, and any instance of breaching his territory is met with wind-swift punishment.

-It all fits when you consider the major events of his life. He was abandoned in a snowstorm, left for dead, because he was thought to be a devil. He was saved and raised by a “witch,” a kind woman who stood outside of society’s norms and was feared and hated for it. Their solitary home was trespassed on in the night, defiled, and his mother was kidnapped, tortured, and broken by a man with his exact face. Every small bit of comfort he ever had was destroyed by a mirror image of himself that was raised in “civilized” society. If that doesn’t cement the idea that people from that world can’t be given a chance, I don’t know what would.

-And I think on some level he questions the reality of it all. Did he do it? Did he destroy his own life? Was his so-called brother actually a copy of himself? Was Nathaniel supposed to be the better or the worse version? Was he himself evil before…or is he evil now? None of it matters in the long run, though. His only remaining goal in life is to defend his home and his mother’s resting place from interlopers. But he does get this distant, sour expression sometimes when he contemplates these things.

-I think he’s close to an as-is yandere because, if we assume he’s still capable of bonding with someone on a genuine level, that person would be a one true exception to his otherwise all-consuming distrust and hatred for society. He could not be “led to water”, so to speak, even by a partner who exemplified everything good left in the world. He’s just not capable of making that leap anymore.

-So again, he’s territorial, and that would 1000% extend to a partner. He’s not a master and you’re not his pet, but god would he try to keep you in his clutches. Use every sweet word and convincing anecdote in his arsenal to convince you to stay in the forest. The thing that keeps him from being all-out controlling is that his mother let him make his decisions for himself. She taught him how to survive in the wilderness, and she taught him about the rest of society, and she let him decide for himself if he ever wanted to get involved in it. He didn’t of course, because how could a place that shunned his mother be good for him? You deserve to make those choices too, even if he disagrees with what you pick.

-He will, however, watch you like a hawk. To not sugarcoat it, he’ll stalk you. Ithaqua wants to be prepared for the moment everything goes wrong. The moment he knows for certain will come, when you see he’s right about other people. When that happens, he’ll swoop in to save you. He refuses to be late again, like he was for his mother.

-He doesn’t leave the forest unattended often, but when you spend longer stints at your home in a village, you’ll notice the weather gradually becoming worse and worse. It seems to snow every day, and the wind is so harsh that walking outside is deafening and blinding. When you return to visit Ithaqua, the village mysteriously returns to its normal weather patterns.

-Ithaqua hates when other people interact with you. No one is no one is safe enough, trustworthy enough for him to not worry for your safety. They don’t deserve to even stand near you. But he won’t do anything until they do…or you say he can.

-Anyone he takes as a partner would have to remind him of his mother, at least a little. She’s the only example he has of a “good person” so he’s not likely to give people with divergent personality types much of a chance. He’s also more likely to trust a woman over a man, by a small margin.

-He won’t stand for being doted on or babied by anyone other than his mother or partner. he won't fall for other people's faux-gentleness! Don’t you know who he is? What he is? Call him cute or pitiful again and your blood will stain the snow red.

-His lips are always chapped to hell and back, sorry. Sharp kisses only for you.

#idv x reader #identity v x reader #idv night watch #ithaqua x reader #idv ithaqua #turbulentscraw #almost yandere...

[ketterdamskaelishprince]

ada's spectre, and why i'll likely always feel sad about it

here is the promised analysis/talk about ada's spectre. going to preface this by saying i obviously don't know the true intent behind everything and her design, i just like to look, giggle and then make sad little observations which just help me love this silly webcomic even more. so if you disagree with me on something– totally ok! i love to learn and i love to see different interpretations.

there's also a few bits i missed out because i wrote this all last night in a bit of a haze, and i cannot be bothered to expand on some of my ideas, especially when it's just stuff like "BROS SO PARANOID AND RAW RIGHT NOW".

anyways, here we go :) @mugcereal this one's for u pookie <3

so i think with ada's spectre, we first need to look at the instance as to how she gets it, because that always makes things way more sad!

to specify, she turns into her spectre at episode 69, and i think it's really sad how she does it. she basically gets a string of roasts from prospero that go along the lines of calling her "conceited" "twadry" and "... and stupid!" – effectively throwing back in ada's face what she believes everyone thinks of her.

(obviously, as a very big and glaring sidenote, i believe prospero is aro/ace or just aromantic so OBVIOUSLY i am not bashing him for this. bros told her so many times that he doesn't want to be with her, let alone to be touched. that is a flaw in ada's character and is a reminder to us on the importance of boundaries!!!!)

so, ada is basically there, collapsed on the floor in a robe– effectively showing the most intimate and private part of herself as an insecure and lonely girl. and that's when she transforms.

i think it's interesting to understand how this most likely links to her life and how she died. so we know she was killed with an axe, most likely by the man she fell in love with and worked for, and how prospero's words in this situation, hurt her just the same as the words before her death. why?

because they remind ada of what she knows and fears she is: just a stupid, fake and cheap person who will never have the same status and respect as the people she pretends to be and surrounds herself by.

i think it's also interesting that she's clutching her stomach/torso here, and correct me if i'm wrong but that could be a potential signal to the part of her that was axed to death (?). no idea if that's a good shout or not but it's what i first thought!

anyways! now we move onto her spectre design!

first of all, her spectre design eats. like just a personal side note, i love it. it's just so gorgeous and i don't care if she's terrifying to some because to ME? to me, she's my gorgeous little pookie who can scream and show people their worst fears and she looks amazing whilst she does it <3

ok anyways, actual design.

to first understand her design, i thought i'd show you what banshee's traditionally in folklore look like!

typically, they are described in two ways. the first way is a youthful women with long black hair, blue eyes and just super pale. this description could also lose the blue eyes and just keep the black hair– either way the first depiction of a banshee is a super young woman.

this is not the one we're focussing on today folks!

we're going to focus on the second depiction. a hag/ old woman, with red cheeks, a grey cloak and a green dress, often seen to be combing her hair. banshee's throughout folklore are known to wail, scream and cry when a family member had died. to most, the banshee was a sign that death was coming to your household and they are known in myths and folklore as a predictor of death.

now, hold onto the green dress and look at ada's design real quick for me.

here we see a lot of green, which yay! definitely shows signs it comes from the second depiction. i think, on top of it being a nod to the second depiction, i think it could also be an allusion to something else: jealousy.

green symbolism in media can often vary, from meaning new life, luck and also jealousy. and i think if we take in the things ada screams whilst in her spectre form, such as this from episode 82:

you see there definitely is some sort of jealousy there, but this isn't something i necessarily want to focus on, it's just an observation i made that may or may not be true!

anyways, to continue, i want to look at ada's outfit when she's a banshee. i'm going to basically be making my notes i took last night look nicer.

(keep in mind that when i wrote these, my ideas were literally bouncing off my brain and sometimes they're a bit contradictory, but i think that's the beauty of my crack theory analysis!)

i think the act of almost showing her bones to the outside, there's a level of rawness to ada we don't usually see. her spectre form essentially gives her the power to scream out her anger, and by seeing her bones it's almost as if to say this is the ada she doesn't show people. this is the ada that she keeps to herself because god forbid anybody love her (because in life and death it's become abundantly apparent to her that nobody does seem to love that ada).

but then, what i thought was also a super cool thing as how the bones almost act like a corset!

then i got sad because i looked at the bows, and because something dawned on me and it made me start to frown. there was a sad realization to me as i looked at ada's spectre design that even in this all powerful form, she hasn't lost her insecurities, they just become more prevellant. because for all of the traditional wrinkles, hag-like appearance a banshee is meant to have, ada barely has any.

obviously this could be in part to character design and stuff, and yeah probably– but let me be sad!

because ada carries her frills and bows from life here because she doesn't want to be ugly, she doesn't want to be this creeping monster who rips apart people. because if she's not got her intelligence or status or anything going for her, she has her appearance and by god she's not going to let that go to waste. so here her spectre form is, a banshee.

so what must ada do? she must takes her frills and keep her insecurities, her fears and her crippling need to be loved.

another aspect which is super interesting is the stitching on her body. one one hand, it could be an allusion to her violent death, suggesting the man she fell in love with didn't just stop at axing her once, but just kept on fucking going (which, you know: fuck you, whoever you are).

but on the other hand, it could be a metaphor for ada's thinly veiled facade she puts on of being a prim and proper lady (which we actually, interestingly enough, see she looses a lot the more time she spends with montresor– opting to take parts of his language like "ain't" and "beggin'". this sort of leads on from previous ideas people have made of ada willing to change herself to be loved. she swaps civility for the wild wild west all for a bit of love).

ada offers up parts of herself in this metaphor. that's what she always does. she offers herself to the rich man she fell in love with, she offers herself up to prospero (again, look at the. side note. bro wasn't wrong for rejecting her he literally can't like her) and she offers herself up to the acolytes and she fucking barks for them (because i'm not over that).

piece by piece, she strips away everything she is until she literally is just skin and bone. and once she's torn herself apart, she needs to stitch herself back together– because it's against the facade she's put on to look so broken and messy. and so she repeats the cycle again, giving more and more until she is literally hanging on by a thread.

her powers are also super cool. traditionally, as i said, banshees wail when a family member is soon to die/has died, and is often like an omen/predictor of death. so yeah, ada having a banshee scream makes sense. but the whole 'fear itself' is also super cool. i kind of like that she has this– because its sort of satisfying for her, the girl who's been pushed over but still comes running back, to watch as people become paralysed with fear. idk, retribution or whatever.

i'm going to leave you with this not very profound thing i wrote last night (and then just some other mumblings):

i think that although spectres are super powerful and also just a very fantastic concept, they're also fragile. spectres are quite literally the monster inside of you. yet here ada's monster is, and with all her bows and revamped dress of a banshee (or potentially an allusion to her life as a maid) she tries desperately to be anything but that. because to here it's ugly and it's too much of her on display. and with some much of you on display comes the very fear that if you are hated, disliked or something repulsive, you no longer have anything to blame on anybody else. you just have yourself to blame.

(as morella says here in episode 88).

i'm not saying ada isn't deeply flawed, because she is. she has so much fucking baggage and insecurities that they literally forbid her from doing the right thing sometimes. i don't think she's a good person, but i also think that she has the opportunity to be a good person/ do a semi-good/ non-bad thing, and all she has to do is take it. but i also think it's nice how that's shown in her spectre design.

and, you know, if none of this makes sense, that's also fine!

anyways, yeah. somebody tell me never to make a random analysis at night again because it's a bit of a bitch to translate in the morning.

#ada nevermore #nevermore webtoon #annabel lee nevermore #nevermore #ada #ada nevermore analysis #nevermore character analysis #character analysis #adas spectre #is that even how you spell it #anyways i love her for who she is #my precious little screaming meow meow #LMAO #ok idk what i'm talking about anymore LMOA #forgive if there are typos because at this point i am TOO TIRED to do anything about it

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

Taking this out of Faith's notes because it's not fair to clog them up but seriously I feel like Tilney is very often boiled down to charming man who knows about muslin but to me honestly the people who are like "hmm seems like a fake flakey guy" are more right because it's definitely got this underlying cynicism to it which put together with the charm gives a fairly calculating feel. But to me it's like! Imagine your mother dies and your father didn't murder her but when you describe it later you say he as good as killed her by his slow cruelty and disinterest, and you're left with your sister, your older brother who is also AWFUL, and that same father in an old obscure abbey. What do you do? a. you stop really liking or trusting many people because 2/3 of the people you're meant to like and trust are awful, and b. you get Really Good at being liked. Because that's going to get you out of that house, and it's also going to, as much as possible, save you when you are still in that house. It's not the ONLY response to an essentially emotionally abusive situation like that, but it is a clear response.

And this also explains why Tilney doesn't seem to take things seriously very often, because making a joke out of everything is also a tried and true way of surviving a life like that. If you laugh at it then it won't hurt you so he laughs at his family and he laughs at the shitty parts of society and at the Thorpes and at everything.

Except Catherine then turns up and she's not calculated, she's the opposite of calculated. She's charming because she's so honest, she runs up and pours out how sorry she is that she didn't make the walk and how much she wanted to and had been whisked away, and she tells it without an inch of propriety and it's impossible to keep being angry with her. She's silly but she's also inexplicable clear-eyed, she sees the unhappiness at Northanger so clearly even if she imagines the source wrong! That's always been so important to me as part of her character that she was RIGHT there WAS something rotten in the state of General Tilney!!! It just wasn't Literal Murder. And I think Tilney sees that and he loves that because it's so different from the twisted nature of his own past and upbringing, because it's true and honest and good and he still strives for those things (because even if his charmingness IS calculated, he still sees young women and their chaperones unhappy and abandoned and immediately steps in! he is still very much kind! I might speculate about how it's possible to live an identity for so long that it becomes true, but in this case that would just be speculation because we don't have enough information so I won't.) And then I think he does come to love Cathy properly with more time and all, but the original attraction I think is how straightforward she is.

And I KNOW this isn't the only interpretation of the characters but it's the one that makes Tilney make sense to me, he's too cynical and slightly bitter to truly be the perfectly kind charming man he makes himself out to be, but he genuinely cares too much to be a fraud. I think the complexities arise from the survival mechanisms he's created which make sense given his background, and how they intersect and interact with the rest of his nature and the outside world.

#northanger abbey #when I tell you I met this man lowkey in the middle of still living with my parents when it was Bad and I thought ough mood

[roseghoul26]

Chapter 2: Grieving For The Living

Arthur Morgan x fem!Reader

Synopsis: A fic based off the song “ivy” by Taylor Swift. After a startling introduction to the man, Arthur Morgan became the most important part of your life. Married at a young age to an older, wealthy man to help your family, you were trapped in a loveless marriage, your only sense of escape with the rugged cowboy. Will you be able to keep your affair hidden, or will your husband find out, and destroy the last thing that made you happy? Tags: Fluff, Angst, Smut, Strangers To Lovers, Infidelity, Fem!Reader, She/Her Pronouns Used For Reader, Period Typical Misogyny, Emotional Manipulative Relationship (not with Arthur)

Author's Note:  i feel like i gotta say that i do not condone cheating…. but arthur morgan <3 also, this story does describe a very emotionally manipulative and abusive relationship, so please be mindful when you’re reading. the way the husband treats the reader is not right, in any instance, and cannot be tolerated.

Taglist: @ultraporcelainpig @lokiofasgard12

Chapter List

The first thing you noticed when he turned was that he had blue eyes.

Strikingly blue eyes, the kind that got lighter when the sun hit them, dazzling like diamonds. They widened comically when they saw you, a flash of panic crossing his features. So he did remember you. 

You smiled warmly at the group of men. “Good mornin’, gentlemen.”

The bearded man responded with a ‘good morning’,  and the well dressed one walked forward to meet you, extending a hand out to you. He was practically oozing with charisma, kissing the back of your hand when you grabbed it with a saccharine smile. “Well, good morning, ma’am,” he drawled, and you swore you saw the bearded man roll his eyes behind him.

“You remember Hans?” Leigh asked, and the man holding your hand led you into the small circle that had formed at the base of the stairs, bringing you into the conversation. “This here’s his wife. Been married for, what is it, two years now?”

You nodded, hiding the sadness that sentence made you feel. 

Leigh continued on. “Did y’all know she’s the daughter of the tobacco farmers up north, the Van Buren’s. Wealth practically runs in her blood!”

That seemed to get the mens’ attention, but the black haired one seemed especially interested. You couldn’t help the small sigh that escaped you; of course they only cared about your wealth. You highly doubt Leigh even knew your first name. All that you are to him is an extension of your husband.

“Is that so?” The black haired man asked, turning to look at you. Begrudgingly, you nodded, and you watched the three newcomers pass looks to each other. 

Leigh, ever the observant man, didn’t notice this. He continued to talk about your family, how it shocked everyone when you and Hans got married, and other things that you blocked out. Your attention was solely on the man beside you, the one with the hat and blue eyes.

Much like his voice, you weren’t expecting to see that beautiful of a face under the bandana. He was rugged, sure, but still quite pleasant to look at. God, why did he have to be handsome? He wasn’t the kind of handsome that you’d see in the high reaches of society, or plastered on a giant sign. No, he was the kind of handsome that you’d see from across the street, haunting your thoughts after one glance. 

With tanned skin and a small clustering of freckles across his cheeks, he had a short beard, trimmed and very clearly taken care of. His nose was crooked, a broken nose that was never set right, and the slight creases on his face told you that despite appearing to be on the younger side, he had a tough life. A black bandana similar to the one he wore last night tied around his neck, and he had swapped his blue shirt for a red one, the top two buttons undone. You flushed when the bandana shifted and exposed his chest to you, tufts of hair peeking out.

Leigh was still talking, spinning some tall tale of sorts, you’re sure, but you cut him off. “What did you say their names were, Sheriff Gray?” You knew damn well that he hadn’t introduced them to you, but you were tired of hearing about your own life from the lips of a liar. 

The sheriff faltered for a moment, before gesturing to the black hair man beside him. “This here’s Dutch,” he began, and you reshook his hand. The once too-sweet smile had turned into something more cunning, making you feel like you’d just walked into some elaborate trap. 

Trying to not feel too worried, you turned to the next man as Leigh introduced them. “This is Bill.” Like with Dutch, you shook his hand.

“It’s a pleasure, ma’am,” you heard Bill say, and you smiled politely.

Finally, Leight turned to the final person in the small group, the man’s whose eyes, you noticed, had barely left you during the entire discussion. “And this is Arthur.”

Arthur. The name echoed in your mind as you shook his hand. He was staring at you warily, and you realized that he had no idea if you knew who he was or not. It almost made you laugh. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all, gentlemen.” Arthur nodded, tipping his head forward slightly in greeting. 

“Now, forgive me if this sounds rude,” you began, “but what’re you three doin’ here in Rhodes?” It had become apparent quite quickly that Dutch had some sort of authority or power over the two other men, and you figured that he must’ve dragged them along to the town. 

Leigh spoke before the three others could. “These men here are goin’ to be the new deputies of Rhodes, Mrs. Kerrigan.”

You had to bite back laughter. Sure, Leigh was dedicated to protecting Rhodes, but he couldn’t see a ploy even if they spelled it out for him. “Oh, are they now?” If only Leigh knew that one of his new deputies had broken into your house last night. It was hardly noticeable, but Arthur stiffened his posture after you spoke. 

Leigh nodded, a proud smile on his face. “The town's in safe hands now. Well, not that it wasn’t before…” Leigh quickly backtracked.

“Do you think they’ll be able to help me with my problem?” You asked almost conspiratorially, making sure to keep an eye on Arthur. 

“Your… problem? Mrs. Kerrigan, I had no idea you were having-”

“It’s new,” you cut him off again. “See, I’ve been havin’ issues with break-ins lately. Normally we scare them off, but I’d like for someone to scare them off permanently, you know?”

It was Dutch who responded this time, nodding earnestly. “We can take care of that, don’t you worry, ma’am. How ‘bout one of you boys-”

“I’ll do it.” For the first time since you joined in the conversation, Arthur spoke.

The bearded man, Bill, tried to interject, but Arthur silenced him with a look.

With an expression that said that he expected Arthur to do this, Dutch clapped his hands together, before turning his attention to you. “Now, Mrs. Kerrigan, Arthur’ll fix this problem of yours in no time, mark my words. In the meantime, I would love to get acquainted with your husband.”

Of course. “He’s in the bank right now,” you explained. “You can wait outside for him, but I can’t tell you how long that’ll be.”

“I don’t mind waitin’. Bill, come with me to meet Mr. Kerrigan. Arthur, you go ahead and talk with this wonderful woman and see if you can’t solve her troubles.” You felt Dutch clasp your hand between his. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kerrigan. I sincerely hope this isn’t the last time we meet.”

“I hope so, too.”

Dutch began to walk away soon after, and after nodding to you one last time, Bill followed after Dutch, the two of them heading to the bank side by side. You knew Hans was gonna get quite a fright when he left; two heavily armed men demanding to speak with him. You almost wanted to stay outside just to watch. 

It was only you, Leigh, and Arthur remaining, and the sheriff quickly excused himself to the office, offering you a quick ‘have a good morning’ before disappearing, finally leaving you and Arthur alone. 

Glancing up at him, he looked back expenctantly, like he was just waiting for you to run back inside and spill everything to Leigh. He was visibly stunned when you turned away from the office and started heading back to the store, gesturing for Arthur to follow you. Funnily enough, you were able to hear his spurs this time, clinking against the dusty ground with each step as he followed behind. 

“You really ought to wear a less recognizable hat,” you teased once he was close enough, turning your head over your shoulder to look at him. You watched him take his hat off, examining it with scrutiny. Golden browns locks tumbled freely, more softer looking than you anticipated. Everything about this man surprised you.

“So you did recognize me,” Arthur muttered, and you laughed.

“No offense, but I think anyone in my shoes would be able to recognize you.”

Scoffing, you watched Arthur plant the hat back on with a little too much force than was necessary. He moved up so that he now walked alongside you, keeping a good foot between your bodies. “Your voice also gave you away,” you added, smiling when exasperation clouded his face. 

“I know that. I wasn’t plannin’ on speakin’ last night, but I wasn’t plannin’ on havin’ someone run into me.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t be breakin’ into people’s houses in the middle of the night.”

He couldn’t come up with a response to that, so he just shook his head, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. “You got me there,” he sighed. “So why didn’t you turn me in?”

“I’m askin’ myself the same question.”

“Well, if you change your mind,” he moved further away from you, keeping his hands up, “I won’t stop you from runnin’ straight to the sheriff.”

The rational and sane people would, first, not even be in the situation, having already turned Arthur in, but secondly, would also be taking him up on his “offer”. You decided that at that moment you were neither rational nor sane, so you continued to make your way to the general store. 

After a few more beats of tense silence, you finally reached the entrance. Turning with your hands on your hips, you fully faced Arthur, within distance to touch him if you so tried. Up close, it really put his size into perspective, the man towering a good couple of inches above you. He was broad shouldered, with a similar body type to someone who worked on the farms, which was a complete opposite of the frail physique of Hans. 

“Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot,” you stated, and you heard him hum in agreement. “Let’s start over.” Sticking out your hand for him to shake, you introduced yourself with your name. Not Mrs. Kerrigan. Not Miss. Van Buren. Just you.

Your name sounded awfully nice coming from him, you realized as he repeated it back to you. “Arthur Morgan,” he responded, giving your hand one last shake in his much larger one before letting go. 

“A pleasure, Mr. Morgan.”

“Call me Arthur,” he responded, that raspy drawl music to your ears. 

“Alright, Arthur. Then you don’t get to call me Mrs. Kerrigan. At least, in private,” you added with a glance around. There was no one else around, everyone either far enough away to not hear, or preoccupied with something else. For the moment, you didn’t have to keep up appearances. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he responded playfully, and you rolled your eyes. Walking in, you pretended to not feel the way your heart fluttered.

The bell chimed as the door swung open, and a familiar face greeted you as you entered, Arthur following in behind. “Good morning, Mr. Banks.” So much for not having to keep up appearances. 

Balding with a large handlebar mustache, A.J. Banks had been the sole operator of the general store in Rhodes for as long as you could remember. “Hello, Mrs. Kerrigan!” He chirped out, eyes nearly disappearing behind a smile. Out of all the shop owners in Rhodes, he was your favorite. “Who’s this?” You heard him ask, gesturing to the man behind you. 

“His name’s Arthur. Leigh’s appointed him as a deputy.”

Mr. Banks hummed with indifference. If it wasn’t about the feud between the Grays and Braithwaites, or about the general store, then he didn’t care. “Well, you know where everything is. Holler if you need somethin’!” And with that, he disappeared into the storage room behind him, once again leaving you and Arthur alone. 

“You’re quite popular,” you heard Arthur comment, and you shrugged as you picked up one of the sacks to fill with goods, slinging your own bag over your shoulder.

“I mean, I’ve known both of them for a good while now…”

“I ain’t just talkin’ about them.” Arthur stood beside you, absentmindedly examined various canned goods on the shelves, putting them back with thinly veiled disgust. “Probably every head on the street turned when you walked by. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice that.”

“I try to block them out,” you admitted, grabbing a few assorted cans of fruits and vegetables. “I have to.”

Arthur didn’t respond to that, and so you moved to the fresh produce, grabbing a variety of items, not really paying much attention to it. You had no idea if you actually needed any of these items, but it would be suspicious if you went to the store claiming you needed items and then leaving with hardly any. 

You could feel Arthur’s eyes on you as you shopped, likely teeming with questions, but he kept his mouth shut. “Do you need anything?” You asked, nearly laughing when you realized how similar it was to the question you asked last night. 

Arthur also seemed to realize this too, and you heard him chuckle, barely even loud enough for you to hear. “Nah, I’m good.”

You were about to let it go until an amber colored bottle caught your attention. It wasn’t the best whiskey in the world, but something told you that these men didn’t drink alcohol for the taste. Without a second thought, you snatched it up, adding it to your now heavy bag. It was a short walk to the store counter, but you still felt your arms hurt as you brought it over, having to use both to carry it, and they hurt even more so when you lifted it up onto the counter. 

The loud noise alerted Mr. Banks, who appeared around the corner within seconds. As he began to count up the total, you leaned against the counter facing him. “So, would you say my problem is solved now?”

Arthur barked out a laugh, and you watched the corners of his eyes crinkle up as he genuinely, truly smiled. It was a divine sight, one that had you sucking in a gasp. “I think so, darlin’.” You don’t think you’ve ever heard someone talk to you like that, voice dripping with pure honey. 

So that he wouldn’t see how dark your cheeks had gotten, you turned back toward the counter. In your brain, you were scolding yourself. You were a married woman, for God’s sake. You should not be acting this way over another man. Even if you really didn’t love your husband, and he wanted as little as possible to do with you, you were still married to him. That had to mean something, right?

But you still found that you would do anything to hear him call you darling again, if not to feel like you were truly beloved by someone.

Mr. Banks reading out the total snapped you from your solitary pity-party. $17.35. Sliding him five five dollar bills from your bag, you went to try and pick up your sack of goods, but Arthur stepped in before your fingers could even touch the rough fabric of the bag. “Looks like you gave him a bit too much,” Arthur nodded toward the cash that Mr. Banks was now putting into the register. 

“No, I know, but thank you. Have a great day, Mr. Banks,” you called out as you headed out the door, a very confused Arthur following behind, holding the sack of goods effortlessly with one hand. 

“You’re a strange woman,” you heard Arthur say behind you as you began to walk toward the carriage that was still parked outside of the bank. You had never been called strange before. You were always the perfect one, the golden star, the prime example of what every eldest daughter should be. It was a mask, you knew that, forced to put on a false personality in order to charm and amaze.

For the first time in a very long time, you had been yourself, cracking jokes and talking back and everything that high society hated. Even though you’d been doing it for less than fifteen minutes, it felt like an impossible weight had been lifted from your chest. And it was all thanks to the man that broke into your house. 

What an odd turn of events. 

“I’ll take that as a compliment, Arthur.” Now that you were closer to the carriage, you were able to see that it was currently empty, except for the driver who sat atop it who tipped his hat at you when you got close. Opening the small storage area attached to the back of the carriage, you gestured for Arthur to set the bag there, the wood creaking when he set it down. “Thank you, Arthur.”

“It’s no problem at all, Mrs. Kerrigan.” And he remembers things, too. Where did this man come from?

Before you could forget, you grabbed the whiskey bottle from the top of the bag, and you presented it to Arthur. “It ain’t much of a surprise, but I figured our new ‘deputies’ might like a little gift.” In the back of your mind, you had an inkling of suspicion that Arthur and his presumed friends weren’t actually going to be deputies, but like before, appearances need to be kept up. 

“Well, ain’t that mighty kind of you,” his voice went lighter, moving to take the bottle from you gently. “Thank you.” You tried not to react when his fingers brushed against yours, sending shocks through your body. 

“Of course. It’s-”

Loud laughter from the bank had you both turning, then having to move around the carriage to see what the commotion was all about. Dutch and Bill were laughing heartily, with a very confused yet entertained Hans chuckling lightly. You had to give them props; it was hard to make him laugh.

Dutch saw you first, becoming you over with a broad wave of his hand. Hans glanced over to where he was looking, and as soon as those dull eyes landed on you, you felt that mask creep back up. Your once natural smile turned forced, and you quickly made your way over to the men, leaving Arthur to walk up slowly on his own. 

You stood beside Hans, and even though he didn’t touch you, you felt your muscles stiffen as if someone had just rested their hand on your back. “Hello, dear.” You heard Hans say.

“Hello.” Your voice that was just filled with joy sounded lifeless. 

“Did you get what you needed from the store?” You nodded, and as Arthur sauntered close, his eyes scanned over you, like he was searching for the person he was just talking to. “Have you met these fine men?”

“Leigh had the pleasure of introducing us,” Dutch piped in, his dark eyes narrowing as they bounced between you and Hans. 

Please don’t question why I was so close to the Sheriff's Office, you repeated in your mind, relieved when he didn’t speak.

“Where’d you get that, Arthur?”

Everyone’s eyes followed where Bill pointed, and you felt a wave of nausea-inducing anxiety crash over you. He was pointing at the whiskey bottle in Arthur’s hands, and the man holding it shifted uncomfortably, not expecting everyone to suddenly be watching him with wide eyes. “This?” He asked, holding it up slightly.

Bill had a disbelieving look on his face. “You bought whiskey, Morgan? Out of everythin’ you could’ve gotten-”

“Oh, like you wouldn’t have bought it yourself,” he huffed. “It was a gift from her!” Arthur explained, gesturing to you with the bottle. 

Now it was your turn to have everyone’s eyes on you. A majority of them were kind, gratitude filling them as they thanked you. You could barely hear them. Your ears were ringing too badly, and you could feel holes forming where Hans stared at you.

“Is that true?” Hans’ voice was even. Why was it always even? It would be so much better if he just screamed at you, like anyone else would. 

“Yes,” you whispered, looking down at the dusty skirts of your dress. 

“I can pay you back,” you heard Arthur offer, and if you weren’t so mortified, you would’ve thanked him. But even you knew that it wasn’t about the money. Not this time.

Hans ignored him, continuing his verbal reprimanding of you. “I never said you could buy gifts. You were only allowed to get what we needed for the home. I-” he sighed, “I don’t know how long it's going to take for you to learn.”

Like I’m some damn dog. “I’m sorry,” was what you said, keeping your head down. Because of this, you missed another set of looks the three men swapped, some amused, and some angry. 

Hans sighed again. “Go wait for me in the carriage. Besides, a lady shouldn’t be sitting in on conversations about business.”

Like a child being sent into timeout, you were cast away. Shame burned your cheeks, and you felt embarrassed tears threaten to spill from your eyes. Humiliation wasn’t something new when it came to Hans, but the sting of it hadn’t dulled over the past two years. 

You didn’t even look up at Arthur as you walked past, not wanting to know what he thought of the whole situation. You didn’t know what would be worse to see in his eyes, pity or enjoyment. You heard Hans make a comment at your dispense, and you heard only two voices make any sort of responding statement. 

Finally reaching the carriage, you slumped your head against the door, not quite wanting to get in yet. At least out here you felt like you could breathe. You were so caught up in your own emotions that you didn’t hear the sound of Arthur’s spurs as he approached you. “Mrs. Kerrigan?” 

You jumped, and you turned to face him, the tears delicately holding themselves in your eyes falling because of all the movement. “Yes, Arthur?” You quickly wiped away the falling tears, and you took a few steps away from the carriage and towards him.

“Are you… alright?” He cringed at his own question, as it was blatantly obvious that you weren’t. Still, you found his concern endearing, and you smiled as best you could.

“I will be. It ain’t the first time,” you chuckled humorlessly, and you saw a flash of something in his eyes. “You’d think I would’ve grown thicker skin by now.”

“You shouldn’t have to.”

You sighed. “I know.”

“So why are you-”

“I can’t go.” You shut down that question fast, the one that you pondered every single day. “It’s just… I can’t.” You weren’t about to dump your issues on the poor man.

Luckily he seemed to realize there was a bigger situation at play, but you could tell he wasn’t happy about it. You were about to say something until you heard the closely approaching voice of Hans, with Dutch adding in his own points intermittently. 

Faster than you could register, Arthur was slinking behind you, opening the carriage door for you, and extending a hand for you to take. The whiskey bottle sat upright beside the rear wheel, setting it down to help you. 

Even though Hans had done this for you hundreds of times, this felt completely different. It felt like it came from genuine want rather than a role he had to play, the role of the doting husband. As you set your hand in his rough palm, you felt those same sparks again, and you swore he felt them too. 

Once you were situated back in the carriage, you watched him pick up the whiskey bottle before handing it back to you with an apologetic look on his face. “Keep it,” you held your hand up, “I’ll be happy if I know you three are enjoyin’ that tonight. And, for what it’s worth,” you glanced behind you, making sure your husband still wasn’t in the vehicle, “it was nice meeting you while you weren’t trying to rob me.”

Another one of those beautiful smiles graced his face, and it momentarily made you forget your woes. “I can say the same, darlin’.”

Your heart soared. 

“If you don’t mind me askin’,” you said quietly, “why were you at our house last night?”

“Money.” He shrugged half-heartedly. “I was told there’d be no one home, too.”

“Well, I’m afraid whoever told you that is a liar.”

He scoffed. “You think?” The two of you exchanged light laughter. “I guess I can’t complain, though.”

“Why’s that, Arthur?”

“Because-”

The other carriage door opening caused Arthur to fall quiet, giving you a small smile before taking a step back. “See you later.” You kept it from sounding like a question, but Arthur still nodded. And with that, Arthur closed the door, the air becoming oppressive as soon as it latched shut. Keeping your gaze averted, you pretended to look out the window, rather than on Arthur, eyes locked there until he became a blur on the horizon. 

You swore he did the same.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

The ride back home was done in complete silence.

It was awkward and tense and you wanted nothing more than to just curl into a ball on the carriage floor. You kept your eyes locked on the window, even when Arthur was long out of sight, not able to bring yourself to look at Hans. 

It wasn’t until you were halfway back when he finally spoke, clearing his throat before doing so. “I’ll be leaving in a few days.”

That had your head turning, looking at him with confused eyes. It wasn’t unusual for him to leave, gone for days or weeks at a time, but it was never this sudden. “Oh… where?”

“Tumbleweed.” He practically spat out, clearly not excited to go. You wouldn’t be either, if what you heard about it was true. It was practically run by outlaws, and with cruel desert weather that inhabited even crueler animals. But the thing that struck you as odd was that Tumbleweed was practically a ghost town, falling into ruin a few years back. You had no idea why he would even be going there.

You didn’t bother to ask, knowing he wouldn’t give you an answer. So you fell back into tense silence, relieved when you saw the familiar woods surrounding your house. When the carriage came to a halt, Hans left first, and like he always did when he was upset at you, he left you to get out on your own, furthering the humiliation you felt. 

The chittering of animals helped to distract you as you got out, the feel of the soft dirt beneath your shoes further helping to ground you. Grabbing the goods from the back, you said a soft thanks to the driver before making your way inside, with some difficulty, the bag awkwardly heavy. And to think Arthur was carrying it with such ease.

Hans was already upstairs, and you heard the door to his office click shut. Standing in the entrance way, you almost let the bag drop, but you carried it over to the nearby kitchen counter. You dumped it and your personal bag unceremoniously there, and some of the produce rolled out, but you didn’t care.

After grabbing a bottle of wine, you slumped one of the chairs in the attached dining room. Alcohol was never in shortage here, and Hans didn’t drink wine, so you didn’t have any fear of being reprimanded again. 

The cork went missing, but you doubted you were going to need it. Pressing the bottle to your lips, you took a hearty drink, the taste of raspberries and orange barely noticeable to you. In your mind, you were going back over the trip to Rhodes, washing away the shame you felt with expensive wine.

But despite your embarrassment, you found that you couldn’t stop thinking about Arthur. Everything about him stuck out in your mind; his eyes, his voice, his body, his smile. 

Surprisingly, you felt a bit of guilt, causing you to take another big sip. You felt guilt for thinking about the other man like this, because despite your tense relationship, Hans was still your husband. You’d never be unfaithful to him… but not out of any moral reason. You didn’t want to risk losing something good for your family.

But you also felt guilty because it felt lecherous to think of Arthur like this. Here you were, grasping at the first man to show you any semblance of human connection like a fool. He wasn’t there to be your escape; he didn’t exist to solve your problems. 

You took another swig. 

And another. 

And more, until the bottle was empty, and a pleasant buzz filled your senses, your head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. Getting up was a challenge, and you used the counter for support as you made your way to the goods, slowly putting them away. 

But despite your pitiful attempt of drowning your thoughts, your treacherous mind kept going back to the rugged man, and those blue-eyes that had butterflies erupting in your stomach. It was almost juvenile, the way you had a crush on this man, and you’d only met him once. 

Well, twice, but you wouldn’t consider the first time a proper meeting.

A small piece of paper fell out the bag, falling like a feather would, before it settled near your foot. Bending down, you felt the blood rush to your face as you did so, and you investigated the paper. It was clearly ripped out of a journal of sorts, and the handwriting was quick, like whoever wrote it only had a few seconds to do so. 

Only two words adorned the page. Thank you. 

More blood rushed to your face. You were so screwed.

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #arthur morgan rdr2 #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader

[ciaonicole85]

Rewatching season 1 and finished ep.6 today. I'm BLOWN away that from where we are in episode 6 that by the end of episode 8, Carmy wants Sydney to be his CDC and right-hand girl.

So, here's a recap. in Ep. 6 Sydney is zealously trying to convince Carmy to let her add a new dish to the menu and the to-go menu. Despite him repeatedly asking her to discuss it later, Syd keeps going, and he has to go into boss mode, basically telling her that her prior employers described her as talented but impatient and VERY GREEN. He promises to consider her suggestions, but he also wants to enjoy the relative peace they've finally established at The Beef.

Then later she presents him with the dish, this time considerately asking him if it's a good time to try it. He does calling it tremendous, but the sauce is a little tight. It's also not perfect and it's not there yet...Her face is cracked, but she soldiers on. Later he apologizes if he was " being sh***** earlier (he wasn't imo). Sydney answers, "It's all good" and he asks, "Yeah?" and she confirms they're good. Baby boy doesn't go around apologizing to even Natalie unless she confronts him.

Anyways...episode 7 is the to-go debacle, Sydney quitting in the middle of it, and then returning at the end of episode 8. This is when Carmy decides that this impatient and VERY GREEN young woman will be the CDC of his restaurant, The Bear, the dream he wanted to share with Mikey.

Yes, Sydney helped a lot with getting The Beef running more smoothly, but this is his dream since forever and his $$ on the line. Why not keep her as the sous when he has access to an elite culinary network? Someone might be willing to take a risk now that he's opening The Bear. Heck, he could even use ZipRecruiter. Either Chris Storer & Co. are writing a fairy-tale where a successful, award-winning, Michelin-retaining male chef will put all his trust in a significantly less experienced, stubborn female chef he's known for maybe a 3-6 months tops OR this man is at least subconsciously down bad for Sydney.

Like if this stays platonic, this is the most Disney-fied unrealistic platonic partnership I've ever seen. We love these characters for how real and flawed they are, but that decision is hard to swallow unless there's something complicated underneath.

#sydcarmy #the bear #yeah platonic is more realistic for sure #sydney x carmy #carmy the bear #carmen berzatto #carmy berzatto #syd adamu #sydney adamu #be for real #the bear fx

[ghouljams]

Ghoul ghoul ghoul, idk if you've listened to the new Hozier song "too sweet" yet but I'm having some SEVERE brain wormies and I need them out before they consume me. It's just ugh- At first I was like- oh man, this is totally a Ghost song and it could still kinda be a Ghost song. But then Hozier himself dropped from the clouds and slammed my head into the radio and that's when I realized, this isn't a Ghost song. No no. This is a Price song. I could see this as him rejecting a much younger person.

He likes you, he does. You're this sweet, young thing who's just fallen head over heels and he's flattered. Really! But... you're too young. Too sweet. Maybe one day when you've grown up a bit more, gotten some more life experience or maybe never. In truth, you may never be bitter enough for him. He needs someone that's aged like him, someone who can match his stride. Just AHHHHHHH it's so Price coded I swear I'm gonna cry.

- 🦈 anon

OK FIRST OF ALL

All day baby, we're on 48 hour Unreal Unearth Unheard lockdown. I'm studying these songs like I'm a gonna write a thesis on them. "Too Sweet" is a Ghost song baby, but it can apply to Price as well. Here's my interpretation of it. I was going to include how it relates to the boys but uh... this got long...

I don't think it's about a younger partner at all, I also see this as a song more about the narrator than the subject...

Diving in with Verse 1

It can't be said I'm an early bird It's 10 o'clock before I say a word Baby, I can never tell How do you sleep so well? You keep tellin' me to live right To go to bed before the daylight But then you wake up for the sunrise You know you don't gotta pretend Baby, now and then

Our subject is a morning person, they're up early while the narrator is sleeping in. The narrator clearly doesn't sleep well, for one reason or another, they even ask how the subject sleeps so well. But then we get this line that defines the whole song.

"You keep tellin' me to live right"

The subject isn't just an early bird, they're the sort of person who sees this as a health issue. They go to bed, sleep well, and wake up with the sunrise to enjoy the day. By contrast the narrator goes to bed in the wee hours of the morning and is clearly living a life that isn't healthy in the subjects eyes.

But the narrator also doesn't believe that the subject is truly the healthy person they "pretend" to be.

[Pre-Chorus] Don't you just wanna wake up Dark as a lake Smellin' like a bonfire Lost in a haze? If you're drunk on life, babe I think it's great But while in this world

Here the narrator describes his nights spend out in the darkness partying. Lost in a haze of booze or drugs, he says it's great that the subject is "drunk on life" but he'd prefer to get "lost in a haze." He questions why the subject wouldn't want to join him in this lifestyle, we go into the chorus with the understanding that the narrator is "enjoying" life through his unhealthy habits.

[Chorus] I think I'll take my whiskey neat My coffee black and my bed at three You're too sweet for me You're too sweet for me I take my whiskеy neat My coffee black and my bed at three You're too sweet for mе You're too sweet for me

He takes his whiskey neat, which gives this wonderful impression of masculinity and sounds very clean, but in reality he may as well be pulling straight from the bottle. Whiskey neat just means no ice, no nothing to distill the liquor down. Then he takes his coffee black, again we get this sort of rich bitterness, but he contrasts it, he drinks it in his bed at 3. There's no good 3 at which he's drinking black coffee, pm or am.

The narrator lives his life in bitterness, in unhealthy habits. Of course his subject is "too sweet" for him, they're healthy and seem happy. In contrast the narrator doesn't seem happy so much as he feels pre-destined to this life. He doesn't want to change his habits because this life feels almost deserving to him. He's lost in the haze, he's taking pulls straight from the bottle and waking up late in the day only to do it all over again.

[Verse 2] I aim low I aim true, and the ground's where I go I work late where I'm free from the phone And the job gets done But you worry some, I know But who wants to live forever, babe? You treat your mouth as if it's Heaven's gate The rest of you like you're the TSA I wish that I could go along Babe, don't get me wrong

Oof verse 2. This is where I think we really see where the narrator sees their lives diverging. "The ground's where I go" his life is going downhill, he's headed for an early grave, but he can't divert the arrow. He is forced to lower his aim because this is the cycle. Hozier himself said this song was meant for the circle of gluttony, and I hear it. The idea that his consumption, his over consumption is going to kill him one day.

And he tries to justify it! "I work late... the job gets done" he's away from his phone, the subject can't reach him, healthy habits can't reach him. But he deserves to let loose, because he's getting the job done. He sees this as a freedom, as a reward, and yet he knows it worries the subject, but by his own words "who wants to live forever"? If he's already destined for the grave why shouldn't he enjoy it?

Contrasted again by the subject. "You treat your mouth as if it's heaven's gate" he sees the subject as preachy, they keep trying to offer him salvation he doesn't want, and the words hit him as almost fictitious. He's so deep in the hole that even the hand held out to him seems like it's coming from heaven, so far is he from his baby. "The rest of you like it's the TSA" regimented, the subject has rules that they follow dutifully, they have a routine, they're strict with what they let through their filters. And the narrator wishes he could go along with it! He admires it, but for one reason or another he can't.

[Pre-Chorus] You know you're bright as the morning As soft as the rain Pretty as a vine As sweet as a grape If you can sit in a barrel Maybe I'll wait Until that day

Ok this is the part I think makes people imagine it's about a younger person. The lines "If you can sit in a barrel/ Maybe I'll wait" people think is about aging, but I disagree. I think it's about embittering the subject. Grapes are sweet, wine is dry and bitter, it's hot in the blood. The narrator is saying that if the subject can grow to be as bitter (and alcoholic) as he is then maybe he'd be able to stick to them.

BUT in the background going to the chorus we hear church bells, we hear wedding bells. The narrator is vividly in love with the subject even though they're such opposites. I think he wants the subject to save him, but he can't find the strength to ask. He's telling them that he loves them, they're all these wonderful opposites to him, but they don't understand his bitterness for one reason or another. He can imagine a future with them, he can hear the wedding bells, but he can't stop pushing them away. He knows they're right, knows they're good for him, but he's not ready to be saved yet.

[Chorus] I'd rather take my whiskey neat My coffee black and my bed at three You're too sweet for me You're too sweet for me I take my whiskey neat My coffee black and my bed at three You're too sweet for me You're too sweet for me

This last chorus really seals it for me. It's so powerfully sung, again the narrator is justifying his lifestyle to the subject, but it's more desperate. He's trying to convince himself as much as them. The wedding bells ring, the narrator pushes this too sweet person away because he knows he's bad for them. He wants to make them bitter, he wants to make them more like himself instead of changing his habits, and he knows that's wrong. It's a declaration, "You're too sweet for me" find someone else, find someone that doesn't drink from the bottle, that can wake up with you and go to bed with you, find someone that doesn't want to ruin you the way I do.

I think the fact that the bells ring all the way through the end of the last chorus lines signals that the subject sticks around, that they're determined to help the narrator, and finally when the song ends (rather abruptly) the narrator gives in. His life of debauchery ends, and that pretty thing, soft as the rain, is no longer too sweet for him.

#ghoul speaks #hozier #hozier analysis #unreal unearth #ghoul's hozier bullshit #ghoul's pretentious hozier bullshit #I think that's the tag lol

[taeloke]

Overanalyzing 4KOTA Chapter 142 instead of just waiting for more info (2/2)

Part 1

This is the part where I talk about King and no one else. Also, this is more ramble than analysis by the end, and I'm making myself not worry about length this time, so...you have been warned :) As for Mertyl, I'll definitely talk about him again over the next chapter, though I might not say as much as I did the first time.

Firstly, look at this face. Remember all those seasons ago, when everything was peaceful for like a single week? How sweet and thoughtful this little guy was, especially against his own personal wishes?

This is King--regardless of how he's like on the outside.

Elaine herself described him as someone who tries to act tough but is really a crybaby. He's someone who can't seem to stop wearing his heart on his sleeve. He always tries to hide his feelings to keep everyone else from worrying, but try as he might, anyone will see through his "tough act" if they're around him for long enough. Awakened or not, he's not King if he's not a highly emotional character like that. He's just a lot better at putting a cover over those feelings now. He's grown up for real.

If you read these last few 4KOTA chapters without remembering the original Seven Deadly Sins story, it only makes sense to look at him more like an ass of a father right now. There's a lot to his perspective that we just haven't gotten to witness yet, and one of the easiest conclusions to make from all of that unknown space is "King loves Nasiens more than the adopted son he raised." For crying out loud, he's giving an immensely scarce cure-all to a young man who introduced himself as a human without an explanation for why Myrtel hasn't received it yet. We don't even know for sure if he's tried using the Drug of Yore to treat Myrtel's condition in the past right now.

There's just one problem about that conclusion: King isn't like that at all. It only looks like he is because this family drama is fatally poisoned with tension and misunderstandings at this point. It's starting to explode.

Remember how way back in the series, King first thought Diane without her memories of him would be better off without him at all?

I think that's a lot similar to what he's thinking with Nasiens right now. If King didn't play a part in their present happiness, then what right does he have to want their love? He'd label that as too greedy or selfish in a way that he can't allow himself to be. He thinks he knows his place, and that place is somewhere forever distanced from his first-born kid.

But he can't just do nothing for Nasiens. Maybe just one totally subtle yet significant expression of love can slide, right? What could he, seemingly as nothing more than a ruler, possibly give to Nasiens to make him happy? Maybe if he gives Nasiens just one perfect gift, Harlequin will feel like he was good for his son at least once. He'll feel like he's finally atoned for losing Nasiens for too long and failing him as a father, and then he can let that "sin" go. Surely, Nasiens wouldn't be happy knowing the truth anyway. He'll be better off never learning about his true relations, since he's built his life without it already. Assuming that "logic" is what King's going through, a lot of his actions make sense to me.

And yet he still almost slipped up and spilled the beans.

Nice save, King, but if you gave Nasiens more time to think he would have realized what you really meant. Tioreh gave him time to realize she believed he's a fairy and his initial freeze then was the exact same.

None of this is easy for King. It isn't easy for any of them. In some ways, those past 2 years must have felt like forever to him. Precious time to have his first-born kid around that he'll never get back. And after 2 years of keeping distance...

"Sorry, I couldn't help but follow you."

"I just wanted to help you out, in any way I could."

King can't keep his distance anymore. His true feelings are starting to break free.

"Hee hee... Don't be shy, now. I just want to be of assistance."

Sure, King. Saying it like that totally doesn't make it sound like there's more to this, even with your confident/amused chuckle.

Of all the gifts he could give Nasiens, I'm sure King believed this was the one thing Nasiens couldn't refuse to accept from him. A powerful healing drug that he advertised as one-of-a-kind and a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. With it presented not only as that, but also as something that might bring Percival back, how could Nasiens reject such a gift? Right?

...And then Nasiens rejects the gift. Immediately, King gets so nervous that he breaks character.

He immediately started sweating too. King prepared everything up to this moment, and he has no excuse as Nasiens questions him and calls him out.

And Nasiens is right to call him out because of how this looks.

Nasiens, just like us, doesn't yet know what the truth here is. He's right to be suspicious and King needs to realize that plans in how the changeling duo is handled need to change right now. Ready or not--telling the truth is the only way to save what's actively starting to cave in.

But the sad thing is...I have a feeling that it's too late already.

Things are only going to get worse from here... I don't know how, and in a way that makes this feel more awful.

Sixtus should tell King that Mertyl saw him offer the Drug of Yore to Nasiens. There's no doubt in my mind that King will realize the problem once he has that information and try to do whatever he can to make things right. PLEASE don't make him too late again. At least give him a chance to talk to Mertyl before things fall apart if that's where all of this is headed.

#nnt king #4kota #mokushiroku no yonkishi #nanatsu no taizai #nnt #ramblings #I feel like I have even more to say #but i cant think of any more #and i want to send this today soo

[purple-plum-petals]

⊱ TWST Characters’ Reactions to Yuu Calling Their Dorm Leader “Hot” ⊰ || Multiple Character Scenario

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      Character(s): Ace Trappola, Deuce Spade, Trey Clover, Cater Diamond, Jack Howl, Ruggie Bucchi, Jade Leech, Floyd Leech, Jamil Viper, Epel Felmier, Rook Hunt, Ortho Shroud, Lilia Vanrouge, Silver, Sebek Zigvolt (Twisted Wonderland)       Reader Type: Human, Ramshackle Prefect (Gender-Neutral Pronouns)       Warning(s): Nothing! I also always use the Japanese TWST Terms (Dorm Leader instead of Housewarden, Madols instead of Thaumarks, etc.) in my writing.       Genre: Scenario, Attempt at Comedy       Word Count: ~500 words       Scenario: They were just minding their own business when you asked suddenly, sighing out loud, “Man, why does your dorm leader have to be so hot?”       Author’s Note: This idea just popped into my mind and I thought it would be a nice, fun, short thing to write! I’d definitely be willing to write a more in-depth idea of this scenario, but right now I just wanted to post something since it’s been a while. I’ve been job-searching but, because I don’t have my transcripts or diploma at the moment, it’s been a bit difficult to get a job in my field. 😭

→ If you enjoyed my work, please reblog it if you can! Exposure on Tumblr is based on reblogging content rather than liking it, so your support would be much appreciated!  ♡ ╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

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Pretends that he didn’t hear you. Nope, he was not dealing with that today – especially when all he’s trying to do is mind his own business. Kind of dies a bit on the inside when those words leave your mouth, though. All he can think is why would you even tell him about that in the first place? Did you expect him to help you or something?

Trey, Jack, Jamil

Has to make sure he heard you right. Are you sure you meant his dorm leader (even though most of the others aren’t the greatest boyfriend material either)? Oh, so he did hear you correctly… Well, that’s a bit strange. You certainly have interesting taste in men, they suppose. Nothing entirely wrong with that, but they don’t see the appeal.

Deuce, Cater, Jade, Floyd

Goes off on you for your horrible taste in men. Out of all the people at NRC that you could find attractive, it’s their dorm leader?? Doesn’t understand the appeal of them or your taste in men, and they make sure you know how much they disagree with your opinion about the attractiveness of their dorm leaders.

Ace, Ruggie, Epel

Starts laughing – like, laughing out loud as they hold their sides from the stitches your confession is giving them. How embarrassing for you, huh?  Man, your taste in men is absolutely abysmal if you somehow find their dorm leader of all people appealing. A part of them finds it kind of sad, but that feeling is completely overwritten by the amount of entertainment they get out of the situation.

Ace, Ruggie, Floyd

Found it a bit strange to be telling him that, but he‘s glad you find his brother attractive! He sees you as a dear friend of his, so he wouldn’t mind seeing you and his brother together! If anything, that would make him one of the happiest people on the planet!

Ortho

Agrees with you wholeheartedly! Their dorm leader is a very handsome young man with a lot of talent and future potential, so they agree – you certainly have great taste! Now, while they might not appreciate the words you chose to describe their dorm leader, they don’t disagree (cough Sebek cough) with your statement.

Rook, Lilia, Silver, Sebek

After their initial reaction(s), they also decide to tease you a bit. You just willingly gave them perfect blackmail material, you know. Now, why would you go and do that? …Because you trust them? Now that was a foolish reason. Since it’s you, though, they might keep this information to themselves.

Ace, Cater, Ruggie, Jade, Floyd

After their initial reaction(s), they decided to play wingman and try to get you to confess your feelings to their respective dorm leader. Whether it’s because they think you’ll legit be a good match together or if they’re doing it just for fun, you’ll never know. The help is much appreciated, though.

Trey, Cater, Ruggie, Jade, Floyd, Rook, Ortho, Lilia

#🌸 . Plum Writes #twisted wonderland #twst wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #twst yuu #heartslabyul #savannaclaw #octavinelle #scarabia #pomefiore #ignihyde #diasomnia #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland scenario #twst imagines #twst scenarios #ace trapolla #deuce spade #trey clover #cater diamond #ruggie bucchi #jack howl #jade leech #floyd leech #jamil viper #epel felmier #rook hunt

[animentality]

So one thing I wish we’d seen fleshed out a bit more is whether or not Gortash is actually decent in combat. The fight against him is pretty lame at least compared to other bosses and while we know he’s adept with his crossbow we don’t see it get significant use. We know that he hired Karlach as a bodyguard, implying that he may not be confident enough in his skills to keep himself safe from threats. I think she also described him as an indoorsy type at one point, or something to that effect. He relies heavily on the steel watch and guards for safety, which feels pretty par for the course for a wanna be dictator to be fair, but also suggests that he’d rather not end up in direct combat himself. Iirc he also doesn’t have a backup weapon apart from the arbalest but I may be blanking on that.

However, we also know that Durge considered the Hall of Wonders heist a means of testing his mettle in combat, and the fact that they went on to work closely with him suggests that he proved himself in one way or another. The fact that he got his start in Baldurs Gate in a gang before moving on to smuggling and arms dealing seems to suggest a likelihood of some type of fighting proficiency, even if just in knowing how to brawl. And while we don’t know much about the Mephistopheles heist, it’s hard to imagine Durge walking into the Hells next to someone who is useless if shit hits the proverbial fan.

All this to say it almost feels wishy washy as far as if we’re supposed to take away the idea that without outside help is Gortash basically all but defenseless, or he’s dangerous and would just rather not get blood on his hands. The Orin fight is a little disappointing too, but we know from the game just how dangerous she’s supposed to be, likewise with Ketheric. Part of me blames the fact that he doesn’t have an (official in the game) class for us to make better assumptions off of. In fact, all of this really makes me warm up to the idea that he should have been an artificer with a gun, because that seems like the perfect fit for his character.

ANON, Gortash makes no fucking sense stat wise.

He has BOOSTED stats even though he's like an Artificer and his best stat SHOULD BE intelligence.

He used a magical crossbow, EXCEPT HE HAS GAUNTLETS FOR PUNCHING WITH HIS BARE HANDS?

He technically belonged to a gang back when he was young, but you expect me to believe a dude who plays with ranged toys really wants to GRAPPLE with people?

EXCEPT THAT HE DOES?

Which is so weird.

Plus he seems to love traps and buffs and debuffs, and relying on the Steel Watch, but then it still doesn't make sense with the gauntlets????

So I don't know.

He SEEMS like a squishy little wizard nerd, but the game thinks he has amazing stats even though he looks like a pathetic wet kitten that spilled its milk bowl on itself.

Look at this fucker's stats???

Why does he have high strength and dex and intelligence and wisdom and charisma????

Excuse me?

This freak?????

NO.

His intelligence and charisma, fine, but his wisdom and dex should be 10.

Strength I'll give him only because I suspect he has to at least marginally lift shit to work on in his workshop, maybe.

But dex???? No.

This man does NOT get up out of his office chair. His spine is deforming.

Plus this bitch ain't wise! He's intelligent, but he's not WISE.

Just look what happened with the netherbrain. Didn't see that shit coming, now did he?

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #enver gortash

[newtthetranswriter]

Dayquil, Curses, and Soulmates

Paring: Toge inumaki x gn! reader

Summary: In a world where soulmates are real, you get a bond that is quite annoying per say, you feel each other's pain, and your soulmate happens to be the one guy in the world that has a lifetime supply of throat medicine.

Word count: 1698 

Warnings: talk of explosion, talk of medicine, talk of pain, putting these just in case cause you never know

A/n: thought this was a fun idea, let me know how you like it, and big thanks to @just-jordie-things​ for the bit about bumping into each other buying cough medicine. Also if you catch my reference you get a cookie. please ignore any typos, i might come back and fix it later. If I mention school I mean college.  MINORS AND AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT

 For as long as i could remember i have always got random pain in my throat. I couldn’t explain it but I would describe it as if I swallowed sandpaper. When I was younger it used to happen all of the time. One moment I was fine and being a happy kid and the next I was coughing like I hadn't had water in days. Around the age of five though my parents took me to the doctor to see if they could figure it out. Turns out that out of all the soulmate connections I could have, I’m stuck sharing pain with my soulmate. I couldn’t help but wonder what my soulmate was doing at such a young age to cause such pain so often.

 At around the age of ten or so it stopped happening as often, but when it happened it sucked. I got used to always carrying around a bottle of cough medicine for when it happened so I could at least talk with less pain. I still have no clue as to what my soulmate does to give us such terrible sore throats but I'm at least glad they slowed down a bit. 

  Today was a normal Saturday which means going out to check the shops for any cool trinkets I might want and get some snacks. Even though I was going out to get fun things, my first stop was the corner store to pick up some more cough medicine as I ran out last week and forgot to get more. 

  I swear when I meet my soulmate they are paying me back for all this cough medicine I have to buy. I thought to myself as I entered the store I have been a regular at for the past two years since starting school. I waved at the shop keeper as I walked off to the medicine aisle to grab my usual travel bottle of cough syrup and an extra just in case. As I reached for the medicine my hand bumped into someone else who seemed to be reaching for the same thing as me. 

  “Oh, I’m sorry you were here first; you can go ahead.” I said looking up at the stranger. Looking at them I would guess that they were a boy about my age with fluffy white hair and beautiful purple eyes. I also noticed he was wearing a school uniform with what looked like an extra-long collar covering the lower half of his face. Even though I was confused by it, I tried not to stare at the handsome stranger in front of me.

  He looked almost shocked when I spoke to him. He gave me a small nod, grabbed the medicine and walked away. I couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t said anything but brushed it off as him being shy. After he reached the register, I finally snapped out of my trance and grabbed my own bottles of cough medicine and headed to the front.

   “Hey, there Y/n. Soulmate causing trouble again?” asked Ukai, the owner of the small business who is used to me coming in every couple week.

   “Yeah, I wonder what they keep doing to cause this cause it's so annoying not being able to talk for an hour because of the pain.” I responded not noticing the stranger from earlier freezing up for a second before leaving the store.

  “Well kiddo, I hope you find them soon so you get some answers.” He responded as he handed me my bag. “Have a good day and good luck with the soulmate.”

     After waving goodbye to the man behind the counter who was always kind to me I made my way towards the shops for the day. I was ready to just enjoy my time alone with my thoughts, mostly plotting revenge on my soulmate for this pain, but also just enjoying the fresh air.

  After a few hours I noticed it starting to get dark and decided it was probably best to head home before my parents get concerned. I also don’t really enjoy being out when it gets dark. I don't know how to explain it but other than the annoying soulmate connection, ever since I was kid I could see these weird creatures. As I got older I started ignoring them but whenever I go out at night it seems like there's a lot more, and they give me the creeps.

  As I was passing an alleyway I heard rustling and paused to look and see if it was an animal or something, boy was I wrong. As I looked down the alleyway towards the sound one of the creatures, that I feel like only I can see, lunged towards me. Long dark claws stretched out towards me, right as it was about to sink its claws into my arm I heard what sounded like someone running up from the side, and a voice yelling to move. I’m not sure what came over me, it was like my feet had a mind of their own and I jumped out of the way.

 “EXPLODE” was the next thing I heard the voice say before the creature did just that. It exploded in a large cloud of smoke. Almost immediately after that thing exploded, I was thrown into my own terrible coughing fits, but what was even weirder was I could make out the sound of someone else coughing as well. I reached for the cough medicine I bought earlier and drank half of the first bottle, as large amounts were the only thing that helped.

  “What the hell was that?” I rasped out as best I could waiting for the medicine to start working. The person who had saved me looked up at me with a look of shock on his face. It was at that moment I recognized that it was the same guy from earlier. I could tell it was him from his white hair and uniform jacket that now had the collar unzipped, with the collar no longer hiding the lower half of his face. I could make out what looked like strange tattoos on either side of his mouth. 

  I probably also had a look of shock on my face as I pieced everything together. One this guy could see the weird creatures as well, two he somehow made me move and that thing explode with just words. Last and most important, this guy is my soulmate, it just makes sense it can’t be a coincidence that my soulmate would get a throat pain right as this guy saves me, causing his own coughing fit. I was sure of it and judging by the look on his face he figured it out as well.

  I waited for a moment as I watched him scramble for something in his pocket, and he let out a sound of triumph as he pulled out his phone and walked closer to me while typing out a message. He motioned for me to look at the screen. Sorry for making you spend so much on cough medicine, It's part of my job kinda. I looked at him slightly confused as he started typing again.

  “Why do you keep typing, why not voice what's up instead?” I asked, not understanding fully why this guy who just made something explode with his voice is now refusing to talk. I watched as he shook his head at me and pointed to his phone again. My throat is still messed up, but I also can’t talk like you do. I could explain more over dinner tomorrow if that's ok with you? He asked me using his phone's note app. I looked at him skeptically for a second, but the agreed and gave him my phone number to text me the details.

  “I’m Y/n, by the way, if we’re soulmates I figure we should probably know each other's names” I said as he started typing again. It's nice to meet you Y/n, I’m Toge Inumaki, but you can just call me Toge. After I finished reading the message on his phone I looked up into his kind purple eyes and knew that this was the start of something great. “I can’t wait to go out tomorrow, and also find out whats up with that thing that you blew up.” I said with a chuckle 

  “Salmon” I heard the boy next to me rasp out, his voice sounding more messed up than mine did when I first spoke a minute ago. I looked at him confused for a second before I felt my phone go off in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a message from an unknown number. Hey, it's me, your soulmate, what I mean by salmon is I can't wait for tomorrow either. I also promise to explain everything, I bet this is all kinda weird :)  I read the message and smiled back at him as his face lit up with one of the brightest smiles I had ever seen. 

  “Well it's getting late, I should be getting home. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye Toge.” I said waving to him as I walked off hearing a small “salmon” and catching him waving before zipping his collar and walking the opposite direction.

   I was a few blocks away and almost home when my phone went off again: get homesafe, if you need me text please. Have a goodnight.  I smiled at the message and responded with an ok, you too. After the small text exchange I finally made it home, I went up stairs and went to bed happy with how the day went. I may have been almost attacked by a weird creature that most people apparently can’t see, but I finally met my soulmate. I can’t wait to get to know him and maybe find out why i was saying salmon so much but hey that's a problem for tomorrow.

  I drifted off to sleep with the thoughts of my soulmate and some slight planning on how to get revenge for the non stop sore throats without causing pain, cause that would be counterproductive.

#toge inumaki x reader #toge inumaki #inumaki x reader #jjk x reader #soulmates #jjk soulmate au #toge inumaki x reader soulmate au #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu toge #jujustsu kaisen x reader

[anna-scribbles]

can you share some of your writing/planning process for thirteen? i adore the non-linear format - how do you decide what scenes to put where?

ahh thank you!! idk how much of a defined process I have, but there's definitely a lot of planning that goes into it and i can show you some of that.

i keep all the chapters in one doc organized by month, and then i plan everything out in bullet points in a timeline at the beginning. here i just have october and november as examples bc after december things started to get more detailed/messy

all of the scenes (especially at the beginning) set the stage for things i’ve planned to happen later, or establish something that feels relevant to adrien’s character by the time we meet him in canon. the task of condensing an entire month into about 2-3 scenes has been a bit difficult; i’ve found out that i’m a very present-moment kind of writer so it’s harder for me to describe the passage of, like, weeks of time. so i’ve been pinpointing specific threads of adrien’s story that i want to be sure to tell and choosing scenes from each month that build on that.

i’ve had the idea for this fic in the back of my mind since about 2021 so i’ve had several scenes cemented in my mind, ways i’ve decided things played out, etc. some of the writing process has been building the narrative around those things or figuring out how we get there. that’s what i love about prequels in general, honestly - it’s inevitable where we’re going to end up, but how do we get there?

adrien’s situation, at the moment we meet him in origins, is SO endlessly fascinating to me. he is in the process of doing something reckless and rebellious and bold - running away - against the will of his father, a man he spends the rest of the series struggling with his compulsion to submit to. we find out, via the rest of the show, exactly how difficult it is for adrien to stand up to his father. and yet, in his very first appearance, adrien is running away from him.

how did he get here? what, exactly, pushed him to this point? was this the final escalation of a steady build of rebellious behaviors, or an impulsive breakthrough after one awful day too many? what has this small boy been through in the last year, and why does public school seem to be his only fathomable escape?

and WHY, if his circumstances are so dire as to compell him to rebel so boldly in the first place, does he still throw it away to help the old man in the road? what makes him so kind, when he has everything to lose? what happened? how did he get here?

i’m interested, obviously, in the character of émilie. i think that the hole she leaves in the narrative is a compelling silhouette and i’ve been having a blast trying to pencil in its details. it’s obvious that adrien loved her deeply and had a stronger connection to her than with gabriel. but also, adrien was still shut off from the world while she was alive. he was still, presumably, an exploited child star while she was alive. she was an actress and a mother and died by broken magic and never told her son the truth about any of it. figuring out who i think she was and then how to show that through young adrien’s eyes has been a huge part of planning this story for me.

as far as the twenty three year old adrien sections, those have been less involved as far as planning goes. i only recently mapped out which areas of the house i want him to visit during the different months. i wanted his sections to line up at least thematically, if not physically, where thirteen year old adrien is at in his story. for example, in december twenty three year old adrien cleans out the dining room where thirteen year old adrien was having terrible christmas dinner. and in january they’re both in the garden, etc.

it’s a bit harder to map out twenty three adrien just because it has to also make sense geographically - i can’t have him running back and forth up and down the stairs, let’s be real he doesn’t have the energy for that. i’ve also opened up the agreste mansion page on the miraculous wiki so many times while trying to map this out 💔💔 did you know that apparently there’s a third floor we never see in the show. yeah i have to figure out what to do with that now

ANYWAY long story short: the planning process for thirteen is kind of a mess, but the whole story is built around some central plot points that i knew i wanted to hit from the beginning. the details change a lot (as you can see from the outline above - it’s not quite right) but i keep the end in mind. just have to figure out how we get there.

thank you for asking!! mwah<3

#thirteen #anna rambles #asks #sorry for writing SO MUCH #in my defense i’m sleepy #and i just started rambling #adrien agreste…..kissing your forehead my love. tucking you into bed. agreeing with you about tamaharu #i don’t even know if this answered the question this is just truly my process #the process is that i think about adrien agreste and then write it down #ml

[notfreetoday]

MPW Ep 3 Subtitle Corrections

EP 1 || EP 2 Cultural/Language Tidbits: EP 2

Same translation disclaimer applies. Thanks again for indulging my crazy long t/n, please keep geeking out with me in the notes!

We've got a change of director this episode - to Funabiki Shinju (twitter linked here) who was the scriptwriter for Jack Frost. This date is also a drama-only episode and does not appear in the manga. So, we have quite a few ad-libs here! I'll point out these out, as well as any interesting comments by the director and the producer from the Ep 3 twitter space as we go on. (Due to tumblr's image space limitations, some of these scenes will have no pics, just a description)

Ep 3, let's go! (If you read nothing in this post, please just read Yoh's monologue)

Since this is the theme of this episode, and Yoh's favourite word, let's talk a little more about it. I've mentioned it previously, but both "嫌い (kirai)" and "大嫌い (dai kirai)" are often translated as "hate/really hate", when they really function more as the opposite of "(suki)", ie "to like". That said, the amount of emotional weight this word carries depends on the context. It can accurately convey the pain/anger of hating someone, but it can also be used very mildly. For eg, it's often used by kids in the "I hate homework/vegetables/the rain/etc" form, or by teens/young adults in the "I don't want everyone to hate me" form, as opposed to other synonyms. When introducing yourself/getting to know someone, it's not uncommon to be asked "what are your suki/kirai?"

In other words, overuse of this word can actually come off as slightly childish, because kids/young people are usually the ones using this word to reject small things/express themselves. Yoh's constant insistence that he hates Segasaki pretty much sounds like this - which is why Man-san expresses doubt about it, and why when Segasaki repeats this line back to Yoh, Yoh understands that Segasaki is teasing him. (The word "love" is considered too heavy and precious of a concept to be thrown around easily, so "suki" is the default go to even in committed relationships.)

Y: 相変わらずすごいよ、この人の外面モード。 Y: As always, this person's "public mode" is amazing.

"外面 (soto zura)" literally refers to the "outside face", and when used to describe a person means someone who puts up a certain personality/attitude depending on who they're speaking to/the situation.

The reason Yoh's saying this is because Segasaki is speaking to him in a much nicer way than he usually does at home 🤣He's using plain forms yes, but he's also praising him and smiling at him and actually saying a whole, proper sentence as opposed to the one-word sickness he has at home🤣 This is most obvious right before Segasaki leaves, when he warns Yoh to be careful when drawing other people - he says "気をつけてね~ (ki o tsukete ne~)", ending with a ne~ which is sweet and cute and which he almost never does with Yoh at home 🤣🤣

Twitter Space Note (TSN): They decided that since they finally got to shoot an "outdoor scene" for Yoh, they'd try to make him look a little more fashionable with a shirt instead of a hoodie 🤣

Y: いってらっしゃい Y: Itterasshai - this is a standard greeting that you say when someone is leaving the house (or the office, if they're going out on a business errand). Basically, the one leaving says "ittekimasu" and the one staying behind says "itterasshai". They mean "(I'll) go and come back/Go safely and return well" When returning, you say "tadaima" and the one welcoming you back says "okaerinasai" meaning: "(I have) just now (returned)/ (you have) returned safely". Unlike Yoh, Segasaki does none of these standard greetings (which Yoh complained about in Ep 1 whilst chopping onions).

Y: だからね、気持ちが通じ合った*っていう描写が必要だと思うんだよおれは Y: だからこそ、体が盛り上がる**、的な？ M: はーん。中高生処女みたいなこといってろ Original: Y: That's why I think it's necessary to depict the feeling of "mutual understanding" Y: That's how the physical aspect also gets exciting... or something like that? M: Hmm.. talking about it like a high school virgin, huh? Mine: Y: So that's why, I think it's important - showing that (the characters') have this unspoken understanding* of each other's feelings. Y: It's precisely because of that, that you get physically excited** - something like that? M: Mm.... you're saying things a high-school virgin would say **体が盛り上がる - literally, "the body gets excited/heated up/lively etc" - given that they are talking about erotica, he probably means physically aroused here, but this term also works to explain the feeling of excitement or emotion just swelling in your chest for eg *通じ合った - is not just "mutual understanding" - it specifically refers to a situation in which both parties understand each other without having to say a word - like when you look at someone and just get them, or like in sports, you just look at your team mate and you know.

This is an important distinction because in this line, Yoh again emphasizes "I" - at the end of the sentence he ends off with the pronoun "俺 (ore)" marked by the subject particle "は (wa)" - which means that in this sentence Yoh is emphasizing that this is his opinion - that he himself thinks it's important to show that 2 people simply get each other, because that's exactly what translates to that sensation you feel in your body. This is what Yoh wants - he wants to understand Segasaki, and he wants Segasaki to understand him, without them having to actually say anything. Which at the moment, only Segasaki is achieving, ironically.

[ Man-san's dialogue, where she says "a sex scene follows]

TSN: Man-san actually only says “se-“ here, and then mutes herself (because they’re in public). In the script, it was supposed to be the full “sex” word, but they weren't sure whether it would be ok (it's not clear whether they mean ok for the actress to say this or ok for the show in general) so in the end it became "se-". Yes it's an odd place to be concerned about given the whole Ep2 but #Japan

Again, the word here used is “kirai” but translated as “dislike” instead of hate 😉

TSN: Between this scene and the start of the next scene, they praised how Acchan uses his eyes to convey Yoh's dejection and how he expresses Yoh's emotions very sensitively through his gaze (and I agree!)

TSN: The director mentioned that she had thought it would look good if Segasaki to put his hand up like this on the ceiling partition, but the moment Kouhei walked in, he just did it naturally without her having to say anything, and so she was really amazed.

S: じゃ、出かけるぞ (Jya, dekakeru zo) S: Then, we’re going out.

“Let’s go out” would be more of "じゃ、でかけましょう (Jya, dekakemashou)" – by using the ending form “(-ma)shou”, the listener is included in the action of going out as an equal to the speaker, the same way “let’s” is used in English. It is by far the most common way Japanese people make a statement without trying to sound too overbearing. But here, Segasaki once again demonstrates his habit of simply stating what they’re going to do, and speaking for Yoh. The sentence-final particle “zo” at the end of his sentence is an assertive one that doesn’t leave much room for argument.

TSN: Again they talked about how they emphasised to Acchan to do the housework improperly, since Yoh isn't supposed to be good at it. Also, when Yoh thinks, "what's with this, all of a sudden?", the director asked that he move his hands "more" as he folded the clothes, like he was still happy to be asked out.

Y: デート自体ないんだよ Y: I’ve never even been on a date.

Y: 俺、いま一体何してんだろう Y: What am I even doing right now?

Yoh’s not wondering what they’re doing, he’s questioning his own actions, like "why am I even here, doing this, what am I supposed to do" etc, because you know, he's never even been on a date before and he has no clue whether this actually is one.

[The scene with the 2 of them on the bench, and Segasaki asks Yoh what he'd like to eat]

TSN: The script only went up to Yoh answering that he wanted to eat “Chinese food”, and this whole bit afterward just happened naturally when they let the camera run.

Yoh says “たっか(taka)!” which is short for “高い(takai)” aka “expensive!” but his voice is so cute here I’m dying. (It really is bloody expensive, these things are usually anywhere between 180 yen – 300 yen pre-pandemic. Even with the big one they have here, I don’t think anyone would sell this above 500 yen)

TSN: They said they searched for a 1200 yen steamed pork bun but couldn’t find one, and in actuality the store sells them at a really reasonable price, so to please go give it a try 🤣🤣

[The scene of them walking and sharing the chicken cutlet]

TSN: This scene, as well as them walking along they alley way looking at the shops, was mostly ad-libbed (which is probably why we see Acchan smiling so much here hahaha I’m guessing the question about which he liked better was probably an adlib, which surprised Acchan). For the alleyway, they were told that their conversation was not going to be used, so they were quite relaxed (and that explains the audio fade out lol)

[The scene of them drinking Boba/Bubble Tea]

About Gyaru - when Boba/Bubble Tea first came to Japan, it became pretty popular amongst Gyaru, and quickly became associated with Gyaru culture - hence why they both felt it was something only Gyaru drank. It's similar to the idea that only ladies eat sweets/desserts that was briefly mentioned in OFC (which makes Nozue feel awkward about 2 men eating cake in a dessert cafe) - here they mean they both felt too embarrassed to try Boba out before due to the idea that it's a "Gyaru" drink (and I love how Yoh looks at Segasaki then, like he only just realises that even Segasaki might get embarrassed/feel awkward sometimes).

S: 乗るぞ (noru zo)

Again, this is “we’re riding it” instead of “let’s”.

Y: 思ったよりすごく透明で Y: (The cabin) is more transparent than I thought

The floor of the cabin is actually clear, so you can see right down through to the bottom, which is why Yoh is a little freaked out here. Not because he thought glass wasn’t transparent.

TSN: Acchan is also afraid of heights, so the stiffness you see here is real, he really didn’t like it, but they went 4 rounds in total to finish this scene. (Kouhei apparently was fine and enjoyed looking right through the glass, though I can’t remember which interview this was mentioned in, sorry!)

S: ほら S: See?

ほら (hora) is commonly used to draw the listener’s attention to something, so here Segasaki really just means “look (I was right)”

TSN: They apparently redid the scene where Segasaki dismisses the store attendant many times so they could make sure it was done in a way that looked natural and wouldn’t be off-putting.

We’re back to one of Segasaki’s humming sounds – the “hmm…?” here again conveys the “oh, really/is that so?” sort of lazy drawl that can easily be mistaken as Segasaki being bored – which is why Yoh immediately suggests they go do their own thing.

Y: そっちも、好きなところいっていいから Y: You too, it’s okay (if you go) to the places you like so…

Yoh uses “そっち” here to refer to Segasaki - which literally means “your/that side” and is another way in which Yoh avoids addressing Segasaki directly (remember, in Japan we don’t like being direct, and “you” is sometimes too direct).

Fun fact: Depending on which part of Japan you’re in, this can either be seen as a totally normal way of speaking, or it might annoy you a little to be referred to as if you were an object/place, or you might feel like the speaker was treating you a little like an “outsider”. The divide in opinion seems to be somewhere between the northeast regions, and the western regions. Tokyo and the rest of the Kantou region (where the show is based, judging by the lack of an obvious accent) are sort of 50-50.

Y: もしあれ*だったら、あ、あの、こっちはこっちで、好きにやってるし Original: Y: Ah, if you want to. Well… we’re both doing our own things… Mine: Y: If (you feel) that way*, then, ah, umm, I can… do as I like, by myself too...

*that way - this refers to that sort of awkward, uncomfortable feeling you get that is hard to describe when you’ve been put on the spot. So, this makes it clear that Yoh is offering Segasaki an “out” from this uncomfortable, weird position he thinks Segasaki is in.

Similar to his earlier sentence, Yoh refers to himself as “こっち (this side)”, and the phrase he uses pretty much means “I can entertain myself”. This is an example of kizukai – or at least, what Yoh thinks is kizukai - which is a concept where you do your best to think of the other person’s needs and wants, so you can anticipate what help they might need and so you don’t inadvertently inconvenience them. Ok, now get ready for some mental gymnastics:

From Yoh's POV, Segasaki wants to buy clothes, and has brought Yoh along to carry the bags. Therefore, Segasaki’s offer to buy him a shirt, and asking him if he is having fun, is Segasaki’s kizukai – Segasaki is going out of his way to make sure Yoh is taken care of. But! Yoh doesn’t want Segasaki to feel inconvenienced (similar to how in EP 2, Yoh said he doesn’t want Segasaki to dislike him), so he instead almost reflexively rejects Segasaki’s offer, then encourages Segasaki to go enjoy himself, and in response to Segasaki’s “Ha!?”, doubles down and says he’s totally ok by himself - This is Yoh’s kizukai.

Tired yet? This is a normal consideration in daily interactions! You can see why the phrase “yokei na kizukai (excessive/unwanted kizukai)” also exists in Japanese lolol 🤣

S: ああ。せっかくの休日に、大嫌いな俺*と一緒にいてのはたのしくない？ Original: S: Ah. So spending a day with someone you hate on your precious day off isn’t enjoyable? Mine: S: Ah. On your precious day off, being together with me – who you hate* – isn’t fun?

*“大嫌いな俺 (dai kirai na ore)” is literally “the ‘me’ that you hate”, or “me who is hated by you” - emphasis on "me", the person standing right in front of you.

Y: いや、それは…違。。。あ、その。。。 Y: No, that’s…not-…- ah.. um…

“A, so” again.

S: 五時にここ集合*な (goji ni koko shuugou *na) S: We’ll meet here at 5, *yea?

*Ending with “na” is softer than “zo” – this statement is still pretty much an order, as with his other statements that ended with “zo”, but it’s gentler, and softens the fact that he’s walking away from Yoh here.

TSN: Pretty much everyone was just going on and on about “oh, poor thing!” in response to Segasaki getting rejected and chased away, and how even though he’s sad here he’s still sweet and gentle with Yoh. Yes, that’s right, everyone loves Segasaki.

[The scene of Yoh spilling water on his shirt]

TSN: This was apparently pretty difficult to shoot in a way the camera could see the water spilling, but the wardrobe team came to the rescue with hairdryers so they could keep reshooting 🤣🤣

S: じゃ、帰んぞ  (Jya, kaen zo) S: Then, we’re going back

“zo” is back! Sorry for being so pedantic about tiny things like this, but I do think it gives us insight into Segasaki's character and how he may be feeling.

This line is the most important correction in this post.

Y: 本当はさ、ずっと、ささいな表情とか、しぐさとか、 俺が言うこと聞くとちょっと嬉しそうにするのとか、 晴れの予報を告げる優しい声とか、 全部バカみたいに俺ばっかり。 毎日俺ばっかり心臓大暴れさせてるみたいで　 嫌だった Y: むかつくとこ拾い集めて　大嫌いだって思ってないと　 その気持ちの不釣り合いに　息ができなくなってしまいそうで 嫌だった Y: 嫌いじゃない　嫌いじゃないよ Original: Y: Actually, all these times, your expressions, gestures, the way you look kind of happy when you listen to me, and your gentle voice forecasting good weather. All of them, make my heart beat as if it’s coming out. I don’t like it. Y: I gathered everything that annoyed me, thinking that if I didn’t, the imbalance of my feelings would suffocate me. I don’t like it. Y: I don’t hate you. I really don’t. Mine: Y: In truth, all this while, the little expressions you make, the gestures you do, the way you seem just that little bit happier when I listen to you, and the gentle voice with which you announce the sunny weather… All of that - like an idiot, it's just me who… It feels like it's just me whose heart has been made to pound and race wildly and - I didn't like that. Y: If I didn't gather up all the things that frustrated me and told myself "I hate this" then, the disparity (between us) in those feelings would suffocate me, making me feel like I could hardly breathe and - I didn't like that. Y: I don't hate you. I really don't hate you.

TSN: This was ad-libbed too. It just happened that the metal post was coming up in between them as they walked, and Acchan saw it and planned to go around it, because he felt that emotionally there was a gap forming between Yoh and Segasaki at this point. But right as he was about to do that, Kouhei grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him over, which Acchan was really surprised by, because they both had the same thought to ad-lib something about that post, and they both did it as their characters would do it, but it was the exact opposite action. The director said that when the 2 were walking back towards the start point they were both smiling a little, and then asked the director “how was that?” to which she replied “It’s really great!”, and then Acchan looked a little frustrated (in a sorta arrgh I got it wrong sort of way) whereas Kouhei was all “I was definitely right” (Acchan mentioned he was abit worried about the ad-lib, so I’m guessing they both were discussing as they walked back and finally decided to settle it by asking the director hahaha)

Y: すいません S: なにが Y: その。。。いろいろ S: だからなにが Original: Y: I’m sorry S: For what? Y: Well, for everything S: What do you mean? Mine: Y: I’m sorry S: About what? Y: That… for many things S: And (I said,), about what?

Yoh uses the formal "すいません (suimasen)" here, as opposed to his usual and more casual "gomen" or "gomen nasai", because this line is important to him, and he means it. "Sorry" in Japanese does not always carry the meaning of regret/remorse - it can be used to express gratitude as well. You''ll often here people say "Sorry that you had to (go through the trouble)" after they've accepted a gift, or "Sorry, I've caused you much trouble" as a way of thanking someone for their care. So, Yoh says "sorry" here after accepting Segasaki's gift, which could be seen as a thank you, but he also means he's sorry that he's like this, that he can't be honest/straightforward about his feelings (a theme that is brought up in Ep 4), that Segasaki has to care for him like this etc. "For many things" is a common way to encompass all of these mixed feelings, and yet not say them out directly.

Y: どうせ口じゃ、うまく言えないから Original: No matter what, I don’t dare say it Mine: Since I can't get the words out of my mouth properly anyway

S: よくできました (yoku dekimashita)

This is a formal way of saying “well done”, and if you did well in your work/test in elementary school you’d get a stamp that says just this, or your teacher would draw you a flower. The more elaborate the flower, the better you did. This is the only time thus far that Segasaki has said anything formal to Yoh at all. The sudden shift, and the imagery this phrase evokes – a literal stamp of approval – emphasises not just Segasaki’s approval, but also his role in Yoh’s life (ie, his role as Yoh’s provider, or well, maybe keeper is more accurate. Honestly Dom makes the most sense, but I’m not qualified to talk about that so see @lutawolf posts for more!). We’ll talk more about how both Segasaki and Yoh acknowledge the power dynamic between them in the way the speak in the language analysis post (that will come after this, before Ep 4's).

Y: この人、もしかして本当はめっちゃ俺のこと。。。？ Y: This person… could it be that he actually…really is… …me?

Y: 信じていい？ Y: Is it ok if I believe? sue me, I think believe and trust carry different nuances.

S: よかったな* (yokatta *na) S: シーツ買ったからいっぱいできんじゃん、大好きなセックス S: まあ　残念ながら　相手は大嫌いな俺**ですけど Original: S: Great, S: with more sheets, we can do it more often. Your beloved sex S: Well, unfortunately the other person is someone you hate Mine: S: Isn't this nice* S: Since you bought more sheets, we can do it a lot - the sex that you love so much S: Well, unfortunately, your partner is me - who you hate **so much

*The use of "na" here is slightly different from the one earlier - here it is used more for emphasis, and the downward tone carries a hint of mockery.

Again, Segasaki uses the same "the me who you hate" phrasing as he did earlier, emphasizing to Yoh once again that Segasaki is the one Yoh hates. Except here, he also ends off the sentence with "ですけど (desukedo)", and the whole phrasing of this line too, from the word "unfortunately" onwards, just feels business-like. As before, the shift in style gives the statement more weight- Segasaki is really not letting Yoh get away with this line here, and Yoh feels this acutely. The sharpness of the line makes him turn away abruptly in shock and even some anger.

S: お前が好きにしていいって言うんだから S: 好きにさせてもらうけど　*な (na)？ S: お前　本当バーカ Original: S: You told me to do as I like, S: then I’ll do what I want. Okay? S: You really are… an idiot Mine: S: You said I could do as I wish so, S: I'll gratefully do as I please... *yea? S: You're...really an idiot

*The "na" used here is similar to the one Segasaki used when telling Yoh to meet back at 5, in that it assumes the listener will agree with the speaker. This time it's not so much used to soften an imperative, but rather, to soften the teasing of the preceeding line - "I'll gratefully do as I please".

The phrase used here is "~させてもらう (~sasete morau)". "Sasete" means "to do" something, with the permission of the other person, and "morau" means "to receive (with thanks/gratefulness)" so together this phrase means that you're going to "do something (with the permission of the other person)", and you are thankful to have received that permission. It's usually used for things like asking your boss "May I please go home early with your kind permission" sorta thing, or telling someone that you "ate a meal someone provided for you that you are grateful for".

So here, Segasaki is pretty much saying "I'll do as I please since you so kindly told me I could, didn't you?" which is why he smirks as he says it.

/////

And we're finally done with EP 3!! Finally! Now I can finally talk about their general speech styles and what it means when they choose to switch between them. Thanks for joining me! Also, shout out to @eralkfang for tagging me in their meta post - I'm really glad these posts are helpful that way!!

#my personal weatherman #taikan yohou #体感予報 #MPW subtitle corrections #mytranslations #this was the episode that made me start this series #some of the subs are wrong in crucial places #and that hurts me #sorry it's late #we'll catch up during this 2wk break before Ep 6 #HOW IS THERE A 30 IMAGE LIMIT PER POST

[spacehostilityy]

rewatching the OVAs (netflix s2)

low key one of my fave intros art wise (we all know howling by granrodeo is my fave intro song lol) like the suits !! are so !! cute!!!

and this frame is adorable !!

I love the search for hawk sm theyre all so fucking cute

Meliodas casually dropping “you are my purpose in life” to Elizabeth like a month after they met is INSANE. Bc from his side, makes sense. Fell in love when they were young from opposite sides of a war, risked everything to be together, have been finding and losing each other for 3000 years. But from her side, he is a cool guy she has a crush on (who is at least 15ish years older than her) who she might have known as a child. He also just described her as his entire life’s purpose. Like bro THATS CRAZYYY

Seeing Meliodas destroy the horn of cernunos is such a badass moment to me. The way he responds to her taunting with direct action and violence rather than his usual merciful beating around the bush. My favorite Mel moments are when he is using his silly goofy little guy façade and suddenly has to drop it. This is when we see a glimpse of who he was when leading the 10 commandments: arrogant, powerful, and constantly full of rage

it just so happens that arrogant, powerful, and constantly full of rage are my most prized qualities in any character

WAIT HOLY SHIT IS THE “HEINOUS SIN” MELIODAS IS CONSIDERING THAT THE GODDESS SAYS WILL DRIVE EVERYONE HE LOVES AWAY REFERRING TO HIS PLAN TO BECOME THE DEMON KING ?!?!?!?

THAT WOULD MAKE SO MUCH SENSE AND ADDS LOWKEY A TON CHARACTER MOTIVATION TO EVERYTHING ELSE MEL DOES FROM HERE ON OUT

maybe everyone knew this and im late to the game but damn that would be so cool

im pretty sure ban switches out his red leather for the long burgundy coat is bc he keeps getting stabbed front to back and the coat has a hole in the back so the weapon wont tear it lolll😭

i feel like their faces (esp meliodas’s) look a tiny bit janky in the OVAs

once again appreciating the intro 😌

They’re so fucking cute !!

Merlin and Ban clearly don’t rlly like each other much yet and it’s so funny to me

Like these are Meliodas’s closest friends and they just kinda annoy each other a lot

it’s like fuckin icarly

Gustav: the captain and one of his fellow sins going one on one? We might neve see something like this again!

hahahahaha nooo. i mean gustav didn’t, he’s dead. but the rest will el ol el

Gil is the biggest dork to ever live and howzer is concerned. Mans is crying at watching them fight and howzer is just like … ok ??

Bartra: where the fuck is my daughter

his daughter: literally watching a cage fight

MELIODAS RIPS OFF BAN’S FUCKING ARM AND SMACKS HIM WITH IT AHSDBFKSKFSDHFFK LOLLLL

theyre literally the cutest

bestiesss (boyfriends)

every one of these bitches is a fucking alcoholic

ban’s whole character is that he’s a depressed, violent alcoholic and I love him

my horrible secret is that im skipping through a lot of ova 3 bc im just not a kiane girlie😔

i do love diane tho she so babygirl

nakaba’s not even thinly veiled size kink strikes again. Seriously, i can fuck with it, but its so funny that every single main ship has a significant/abnormal height difference

hendy and dreyfus are so gay for each other im genuinely surprised it’s not canon

like look at this scene and tell me something lgbt is not happening here

omg my pfp !!

Howzer’s dad is such a dick i love it

Meliodas using the sugar spoon to full counter is literally so fucking cute, i love when they have to use dumb weapons

but also vivian lost to a tiny spoon hehe

bet gil regrets not killing vivian after she kidnaps and permanently fucks up his son ahaha🥲

Merlin being fucking terrifying saying that vivian should have realized that she is a monster is why im gay

Meanwhile Meliodas:

I love when his face does that he’s so baby

KASDBFKLHDFNWDKF GIL, HOWZER, AND GRIAMOR ALL BEGING HORNY ABT “MATURE WOMAN” MERLIN

anyway time to start season 2!!

#tess rambles on her nnt rewatch #tess rambles #nnt #elizabeth nnt #merlin nnt #bandit ban #banlaine #melban #ban nnt #7ds #meliodas #nanatsu no taizai #seven deadly sins #diane nnt #king nnt #elizabeth liones #bamf!elizabeth

[lionheartedmusings]

with mousey and bad together on the server, there's been a lot of talking about her as satan (it's been clarified by mousey that all she remembers is that she's a demon from hell) and her as bad's boss, and i wanted to do a bit of a deep dive on bad's demon lore through both a "pop culture" view and a more traditional biblical view.

in pop culture we've had a lot of mixing up of demon lore in general, with the prevalent idea that demons are creations of hell, and not all of them necessarily fallen angels or previously heavenly beings — it's a perfectly valid analysis, but i'm firmly convinced that bad's character is not just any demon, but instead very much a powerful demon that was once an angel.

let's start with what we do know of q!bad's personal history and slot things into their proper place. we know he's around 11600 years old (making his "date of birth" somewhere around 9577 BC. we also know he arrived in this world (which in this case we have to assume is whichever dimension qsmp is held in) in 9600 BC which means he lived the majority of his life away from his home — he was barely 23 when he "moved".

we also know that he didn't come to this dimension willingly, that he was summoned and in that summoning he caused serious destruction — it's been made pretty apparent that the man sunk atlantis, and frankly there's still a question as to whether he did it on accident or not, or the reason why he keeps it hidden. according to bonnie the horse, he sent them a lot of "salty souls" once, and bonnie has also dubbed bad "death of the sea". it doesn't matter whether bad is hiding because what he did made him famous, or because he feels terrible — what matters here is that one singular demon was able to cause the destruction and sinking of a whole civilization singlehandedly. he was also able to do it at a pretty young age.

we also know that bad has eaten souls before (as well as anything he can get in his mouth, apparently), that he's got a way to avoid being summoned (as he told dapper he'd let him know later) and that for better or for worse, he's immortal. so, it's safe to say that bad is an extremely powerful being that cannot be killed by any means, and who has enough control over himself to not only hide his true nature but also contain himself to the highest degree.

speaking of death, bad's relationship with it is very interesting on a few levels. we know he's employed as a grim reaper (and that being a grim reaper is completely removed from his origins, it's just a job) and that to one degree or another, he's acknowledged mumza as the goddess of death as being canonical to him as well (yesterday tallulah spoke about death as a beautiful woman, and bad confirmed to chat she meant mumza).

but what is a grim reaper?

traditionally, grim reapers (or those who served their role) were nothing more than physical manifestations of death with the purpose of easing humans from one plane into the next. they're friendly and kind, and historically for the longest time (up until the middle ages and the plague) they were positive figures, reminiscent at many times of angels.

now, onto angels. angels biblically are far from the cherubic vision we see most often — they're whatever they're needed for. they can be kind-hearted messengers, but they're also warriors and if need be, and they can be incredibly dangerous to humans. why did some fall? simple enough, they sinned. there are passages in the bible regarding the fall of angels and they're described as losing the war in heaven, being cast down with "satan" (while satan and lucifer are not entirely interchangeable and they're often considered two different people, biblically today they're presumed to be the same so let's just roll with it for now) into hell. other passages speak of angels who sinned against god and who await judgement in hell.

but what does any of this have to do with badboyhalo, you ask? well… more than it seems at first if you put it all together. on a basic level, bad wouldn't be considered your average demon — yes, he's full of mischief, has an odd moral compass, and can be incredibly violent, but he's also very kind, and very gentle, and very very loving. there are contradictions in his personality that could be discounted as meta… but the evidence continues to pile up. bad is full of angel iconography, from the actual halo in his name and in his preferred design, but his new build in his home is really beating us over the head with it — he build two statues that can only be described as holy warriors, dark and demon-y but with a golden halo and beautiful white wings.

then, there's "the chair". which is not a chair, it's very much a throne, but for whatever reason bad seems vehemently opposed to admitting that it is, in fact, a throne — it's huge, and full of dark and red blocks, fire… and behind it? huge angel wings. now, one could argue that they're bones, but there are details in the blocks that very clearly allude to feathers — the idea of white feathery wings is a direct parallel to angels, and i think it's very intentional.

who, then, is badboyhalo? i'd put my money on his personal lore being connected to the demonology idea of "the princes of hell" — angels who fell from the grace of god, and took up their kingdoms in hell. i'm fully convinced that bad is a prince of hell. now, which one? that's trickier, and not something we know enough to real pinpoint, especially when you consider that the identity of the princes of hell is pretty fluid — there's a lot of different texts who name different demons, so i'm choosing to simplify it until we get more information.

tl;dr - badboyhalo is not just any ol' demon, but a fallen angel — one of the "princes of hell".

a special thanks to @comradeboyhalo because this post was very handy!

#qsmp #q!badboyhalo #qsmp theory #qsmp analysis #qsmp badboyhalo #long post #this is..... too long and convoluted but here we go

[always-outlander]

Outlander 7x04 Spoilers & Easter Eggs “A Most Uncomfortable Woman”

Lallybroch

Jemmy is older! New actors and actresses have arrived and two years have passed. They are fixing up Lallybroch and restoring the inside. My question is how are they affording all this?

The preview at the end of the opening credits shows a desk which is very important for the Bree and Roger storyline.

Jamie and Claire on the road

Why are these two SO CUTE?! These two have done a wonderful job conveying elements of their younger selves. Ian is worried about Arch Bug following him around and it is beginning to haunt him.

William!

William and his cousin are in Wilmington discussing the excitement of the looming war and their eagerness to partake. William has been assigned to a post in New York. We get a horrific fire ship scene from the books which in all honesty made me cry in the books. It’s just as horrific in the show but thankfully they made it less gruesome visually than described. This is the first scene where Williams honor is in display and he does the right thing.

Captain Richardson assigns William as a messenger through to great Dismal Swamp/Town. The names he’s instructed to deliver the notes to are Samuel Cartwright, Henry Carver, Joshua Harrington. In the books, he’s also given the name Washington (!!!). After that assignment he is to travel to New York to meet with the rest of the men. Book readers know that he has a bit of an adventure and detour before that happens, however.

While in the forest Williams horse is spooked by a snake and he falls and is injured by a stick through his arm. In the books this poor guy is constantly lost, constantly being heckled, constantly complaining. He wanders through the woods for days before he is uncovered by Ian and Rollo. The scene between Ian and William was one of my favorites of this episode, and Young Ian is easily one of my favorite characters.

While they switched up some minor details, the shows version of this encounter is still very insightful into Ian’s time with the Mohawk, and William asks him questions about the Mohawk’s thoughts on showing fear or distress. He himself is trying to be brave while injured and Ian tells him of the death song. when thinking about what he would sing, William calls himself by his full name, then at one point says ‘William James’ and you can tell Ian is having very complicated feelings about it. William James was the name Jamie had given to him as a child in Helwater, his secret papist name. I loved this detail in both the show and books. Jamie is still having an impact on him, even without him realizing it.

Book on Time Travel

Roger is writing a book on time travel for Jemmy and Mandy, documenting all they know about it. He discovers that the musket ball is gold and mull over asking Jemmy about it. Jemmy claims pixies took a clock apart and Roger and Bree know he’s lying.

Bree is interviewing for her new job at the Hydro plant with a very frustrating man who completely underestimates her abilities. This was actually a great scene for her to show off her brains. I think most people have forgotten just how smart Bree is. She gets the job but comes home to a distraught Roger who feels like he’s failing to support their family in the traditional ways. Their experience going back in time has shaken his beliefs of God, and he has felt like he is breaking his promise to Jamie and Claire to provide for her and their kids.

Jemmy continues to behave strangely and tells Roger and Bree there’s a nuckelavee in their yard. They have a discussion about his powers and his believe in magic and how to foster that while still keeping it a secret.

Wilmington

Cornelius Harnet reappears and is tied back into the war by a blackmail. He conscripts Jamie to go to Fort Ticonderoga in New York. I love the scene we get from the season preview where Jamie states that he wants to fight for his family and because he couldn’t ask for anyone else to fight in his place. Claire can provide him with the confidence that this is a war they will win.

I think Sam has been outstanding this season. He has done a great job of subtlety in his acting. Ian wants to fight for the land too, and be a part of the change for the Indians. Claire promises she will go with Jamie and provide her medical expertise.

When in Wilmington Tom plants a mighty kiss on Claire which shocks her to near silence. Tom acknowledges the fire and that her and Jamie are not dead as he believed. He admits to placing the obituary in the papers as he could not leave flowers on her grave. He calls Claire A Most Uncomfortable Woman and admits he has only loved two woman, his wife and Claire. The loving of her has led him to his salvation, but the loving of her will bring him no peace while she lives. He absolutely knocked this scene out of the park.

Tom asks if Jamie knows about his feelings towards Claire, and Claire has a very awkward conversation about his love towards her. Tom tells her how he escaped with his mind and literacy, and was employed as a secretary thanks to his ability to write. Tom also heard that Allan had left the Ridge but Claire omits to tell him the truth of that matter.

Jamie & Claire

I have to crack up over Jamie and Claire discussing the kiss and Tom’s love for her. This scene was great at providing a moment for them to reconnect, while also adding some humor. The moment between them in the window was adorable. They also touch upon her hair turning white, coming into her full power one day, and have so many call backs to previous seasons. I loved them bantering over her sticking her with needles and the two of them having jealousy over others. There’s also a mention of Laoghaire, whom we know we will see again later this season when Jamie and Claire make it to Scotland.

The Hunters

We finally set eyes on Denzel and Rachel Hunter, who Ian delivers William to and they attempt to save Williams arm. William stating he’d rather die than amputate his arm was a parallel to Jamie wanting to die rather than remove his leg. They do not have to amputate but William ends up passing out at the idea of it.

Ian and Rachel have their first scene together and I can immediately see how she’s interested in learning more about Ian. They have chemistry which was very important. He asks Rachel to give William some money and keep the rosary beads.

Likewise you can immediately tell that William has a crush on Rachel. He attempts very much to flirt with her and Rachel for her part does entertain it. William has healed and Rachel tells William that Denny is choosing the side of Independence. They have essentially lost their place in their family and will now ride to Fort Ticonderoga on suggestion of a Samuel Cartwright whom William Carrie’s a letter for. William intends to go with them and we end the episode with Jamie and Claire’s arrival to Fort Ticonderoga. In the books this took them months to get to, so once again the storyline is being condensed greatly. In one episode they went from Wilmington to New York.

Preview of Episode 5

Jamie becomes more involved in the fight (very reminiscent of him at the table informing Charles Stuart before Colloden). A preview of the fort when it comes under attack. We got a snippet of Ian when he returns and sees Rachel again, and in the future, Bree begins her job at the plant.

Final Thoughts

The beginning of this episode I’m finding that the editing is at times clunky, and once again the speed in which we go through these scenes feels like they are just checking them off for the sake of it. For jamie and Claire to begin this episode in Wilmington and end it in New York is incredibly fast. Bree and Roger have aged up children, so that’s a large expanse of time the viewer has to adjust to. It’s a necessary evil of course (the books truly go on forever), but definitely something I notice each new episode that passes.

I love Charles’s take on William thus far, he’s far more likable than book William, and once again… JOHN BELL! He’s the stand out for me.

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