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yzy-dragon · 8 months

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I absolutely ADORED S2E9 "Three Stories" of Link Click and was a bit surprised to see the discontent here on Tumblr, and I totally understand the reasons why people didn't like it, especially in the context of the pacing of the rest of S2 (which I also have some opinions on but I won't talk about that here), but I also felt the need to just get my heart out why I love it so much. A bit of background, I'm Chinese American but have lived in and visited China numerous times.

Music and theater. As a western classical musician and an amateur Chinese opera singer enthusiast (I saw someone else post about the possible inspo this episode got from Chinese opera), I VIBED with the artistic direction of this episode SO much. The three-part structure was almost like a sonata/symphony (and remember that one scene where Qian Jin was air-conducting in a previous episode!!) or scene changes in a Chinese opera. Nothing needs to be said about the animation style that hasn't been said already, but I like how scenes from the three individual "stories" were interwoven and reused like leitmotifs. Especially that crazy, tortured laughter. Idk if any of the parallels were intentional on the part of the director, but it's what I got from it due to my personal experiences. I know that's a highly subjective takeaway though, which brings me to my next point....

Qian Jin's "tragic" backstory. I know a lot of people were upset that the extent of Qian Jin's tragic backstory was "oh his wife cheated on him", but I think the "basicness" of his struggles was the whole point (by the way, this segment displayed various attitudes towards work, family, marriage, individual pride, and life in mainland China so subtly but so well!). I also don't think sympathy was the main thing we were supposed to feel for him, although of course there is some. The whole "tragicomedy" aspect of Qian Jin's story is that it's not some horrible, terrible, rare thing that happened to him, but a common problem faced by so many hardworking but busy married men trying to provide for their families: infidelity. But Qian Jin sees himself as the main character of an elaborate play that rivals the great dramatic classics (which, funnily enough, often depicted very DRAMATIZED versions of a rather basic series of events). And his viewpoint is validated when....

Qian Jin meets the twins. That segment is still largely from Qian Jin's perspective, because we still don't really know how LTC and LTX even feel about him. But for Qian Jin, it's a stroke of fate and fortune that could only possibly happen in theater. He's very far removed from reality at this point. Reality is that a cop whose job it is to investigate violent crime comes across two kids who are the victims of a violent crime. Again, nothing particularly special or even coincidential. It's comical like that.

The fairy tale section. Unlike the first two, I think this segment is from Xixi’s perspective, which not only justifies the cartoony artstyle but also makes it heartbreaking, due to her childlike innocence. Like Qian Jin, she also perceives her reality as something it’s not, but unlike him, she doesn’t have delusions of grandeur of being a tragic protagonist. It’s just a little fox trying to survive in a forest full of predators and hunters.

All that tortured laughter. I’ve actually noticed in a lot of Chinese media that they like to use laughter as a way of signifying a person’s complete mental breakdown due to the tragedies they’ve suffered. It’s a very internal thing that has people on the outside going, “WTF?” In this episode we have a lot of characters crazily laughing together at the same time and it seems like they’re relating to each other, but in reality they’re all trapped in their own nightmarish hells and motivated by selfish purposes.

Back to the topic of Qian Jin, even though he (innaccurately) may see himself as the hero of his own story, it's not enough for him. He wants to use Cheng Xiaoshi to change the past. He wants to become the director of the play.

I know a lot of people were disappointed this episode didn't advance the plot, especially in regard to Cheng Xioashi and Lu Guang's storylines, but I was actually prepared for a backstory episode and couldn't have been more satisfied. Again, I have other opinions on the rest of S2 but at least standalone, I think this episode was nearly perfect. And I really wasn't expecting this, but it's really elevated Qian Jin to one of my top characters.

#link click #shiguang daili ren #long post #link click season 2 #qian jin #li tianchen #li tianxi #cheng xiaoshi #lu guang #most artistic episode #I stan!

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southerngothicchic · 6 months

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Been thinking about S2 Steve again

18+

After getting his heart broken by Nancy, he storms out of the party, heading for his car. On the way, he sees you sitting on the curb, crying. He'd already pinched away his own tears, but knew as soon as he was alone, they would flow again.

An overwhelming protective feeling urged him to walk over to you. You two were barely friends, although you ran in the same circle. He always seemed to smile a little brighter when you were around. His heart ached seeing you like this, so he wanted to try to ease some of your pain.

"Are you ok?" He asked, sitting next to you. "Wait, sorry, that's a dumb question, you're obviously not ok."

He actually made you laugh, as you wiped your eyes, not caring how ruined your makeup was.

"I'm very much not, but thanks for asking," you replied, looking over at him.

"Do you wanna talk about it or...?"

You chewed your lip, before revealing, "I caught my boyfriend...having sex with another girl."

"Oh shit, I'm sorry," Steve grimaced.

"Yeah, well, I should've seen it coming...he's always been a bit of an asshole," you added.

"Still, you don't deserve him hurting you like this," he consoled, wanting to put his arm around you.

"I know, but we all can't be as perfect as you and Nancy," you joked, looking to him again.

You noticed how his expression immediately changed. He looked solemn, devastated.

"Oh no, don't tell me..."

"We just broke up actually," he confessed, unable to keep your gaze.

"Oh, Steve, I'm sorry," you said, placing your hand on his.

He shrugged. "Its my fault. I don't think I'm cut out to be a good boyfriend."

"I find that hard to believe, but ok," you scoffed.

"Its true, though. Relationships are bullshit," he continued, now looking into your eyes.

"That we can agree on," you smiled.

"Can I, uh, give you a ride home?" He then clumsily asked. "I figure you wanna get outta here as much as I do."

You nodded, earning a smile from him.

Once you're sat in his passenger seat, he anxiously glanced at you before putting the car in gear and slowly driving down the quiet street.

"Do you mind if I make a little pitstop first?" Steve asked, as he turned off the main road.

"No..." you cautiously replied, your thoughts racing with possibilities.

One of your guesses came true when you realized he was taking you to Lover's Lake. You then thought how he didn't waste any time moving on to the next girl/conquest.

He parked close to the water, next to a large tree, who's shadow cast over the car, blocking out the moonlight.

After shutting off the engine, he sighed then looked over at you.

"I know what you're thinking, but I like to come out here when I need to collect my thoughts," he explained. "And I wanted to spend a little more time with you, since neither one of us should really be alone right now."

You nodded, thinking how sweet he actually was.

He turned to face you, taking your hands in his as he gazed at you.

"You deserve a guy who will treat you right, who only dreams of being with you," he quietly said, gently squeezing your hands.

You breath caught in your throat. Steve Harrington was consoling you, in his car, at Lover's Lake. This had to be a dream, this couldn't really be happening.

"You're sweet..." you managed to say, as he leaned closer to you.

"I have an idea..." he began, releasing one of your hands so he could cup your cheek. "What if we helped each other forget about tonight, about everything else, other than us?"

"I-"

"If you don't want to, I'll take you home right no-"

You cut him off by quickly slipping your hand out of his and pulling him into a kiss.

"Would this be a good time to tell you I have a crush on you?" you asked, your voice almost muffled by his lips.

"Yeah," he smiled. "Perfect time."

He kissed you softly, as your hand settled in his hair. You sighed his name as he kissed his way to your neck. He sighed against your skin before leaving a sizable purple mark.

"Wanna get in the back?" He breathily asked, raising his head so fast, his nose bumped yours.

You nodded.

You were soon laying underneath him, his body pressed on top of yours. He couldn't get enough of you, as he pressed hungry kisses to your lips. His hands roamed your body, with one sliding up your leg, under your skirt.

"I wanna feel you, angel, is it ok if I..."

His fingers toyed with the waistband of your panties.

You nodded again, almost embarrassed to speak.

"You're adorable," he smiled, before kissing you again.

His plush lips momentarily distracted you from the feeling of his thick finger sliding into you.

"Oh, you're soaked, sweet girl," he cooed, his lips now at your cheek. "All because of me?"

"Y-Yes," you breathed, back already arching from how deep he kept plunging his finger into you.

He pressed wet kisses across your cheek, as he added another finger and began pumping them faster.

You tried to quiet your moans by biting your lip.

"I wanna hear how good I'm making you feel, angel," he said, his breath tickling your ear.

Moans of his name soon filled the car, as he grinned. You pulled him into another kiss, desperation overtaking you.

"You want more, angel?" He asked, nuzzling his nose against yours.

You struggled to catch your breath, as you gazed up at him. His eyes were still beautiful, even in the darkened car. You weren't sure if you could handle more, but yet you wanted it, you wanted him.

"Yes."

He smiled, sitting up to take off his black jacket and shirt. You followed, unbuttoning your blouse and slipping off your skirt. He licked his lips as his eyes traveled your body. He then quickly took off his jeans and leaned over you once again.

"You're so fucking pretty," he breathed, against your lips. "I've always thought so."

"You have?" You asked, genuinely shocked.

"Yeah," he laughed. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Coming from you, kind of," you timidly replied.

"Ouch, but I get it."

"I'm sorry," you cringed, brushing his hair from the sides of his face.

"Its ok, I'm used to it," he said, smiling faintly.

You frowned, before pulling him into another kiss. He lowly moaned into it, licking his way into your mouth, deepening the kiss.

He moved his hips against yours, and you raised yours in return, wanting to feel that familiar pressure between your legs.

"You really want me, don't you, sweet girl?" He asked, breathless.

You nodded, while smiling up at him.

He sat up and pushed his underwear down his toned thighs. Your eyes widened at the sight of him. You unashamedly watched as he stroked himself, soft moans leaving his lips as he looked at you with hooded eyes.

You quickly took off your panties and tossed them in the floorboard.

He pressed his body to yours again, his hand still wrapped around his throbbing length. His eyes never left yours as he eased himself inside you. You couldn't help closing yours, as you acclimated to him.

"Oh, fuck, angel, you're so warm and wet..." he breathed, as he pushed himself all the way in.

"S-Steve..." you gasped, as he fucked you slowly.

"Is it too much?"

You shook your head. "No, I've just never felt..."

"I know, sweet girl," he replied, smug. "Just let me make you feel good."

You sighed his name, as he was already delivering on his proposal. The feeling of his kiss, the light scratch from his chest hair and the perfect rhythm he was fucking you were all that mattered to you right now.

"Faster, please..." you breathed, against his lips.

"Yeah? You want me to fuck you fast and hard, making you really forget about every other guy?"

"Yes, Steve, please..."

"How can I say no to you and your perfect pussy?"

He smiled, before snapping his hips against yours. Your nails raked down his back, as your lips parted and eyes watered from intense pleasure you'd never felt before.

"Fuck, after tonight, I don't know how I'm gonna live without being able to fuck you again..." he breathed, as his sweat covered your body below.

"Who said it'd just be for tonight?" You shakily asked.

"You wanna...oh fuck...you wanna make this a thing?"

"Well, I m-mean, we both just got out of relationships, s-so we should take things slow, at first," you clarified, still somehow able to form coherent thoughts.

"You're right, but we can take it slow after tonight, because you feel too fucking good, angel..."

You cried his name as he fucked you relentlessly. You then squeezed your eyes shut as you came undone around him.

He moaned your name as he fucked you through your orgasm. Your hands clung to his sweaty shoulders as he succumbed to you. His hips kept moving, with praises and more moans of your name falling from his lips, until he gave you every last drop of him.

Heavy breathing then filled the car as he pressed his forehead to yours. Your hands moved to cradle his face as you guided his lips to yours.

You then lazily made out, with you in slight disbelief that you really just had sex with Steve Harrington in his backseat.

"Would this be a good time to tell you that I have a crush on you, too?" He softly asked, making you giggle.

"Yeah," you smiled. "Perfect time."

#steve harrington #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington smut

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heartbreakprincewille · 10 months

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Marcus, And Why The S2 Love Triangle Worked (For Me)

Okay, so I had thoughts since a LONG time about why I don't mind the S2 love triangle as much I thought I would, but I never had coherent thoughts to articulate them into a post.

I'm personally not much of a fan of love triangles in media, because there is a trend in media since quite a long time where the good-hearted second love interest gets their heart broken by the protagonist, who chooses "their true love", or the first love interest because they are "the one". And I feel really bad for the one who gets left behind for reasons they have no control over.

But I did not expect to not mind the S2 love triangle. And actually the more I think about it, Simon needed something like this to realize the depth of his feelings for Wille. Simon needed an upend of emotions in order to achieve a satisfactory balance in his and Wilhelm's relationship. He needed to realize how much being a prince affects Wilhelm's life as much as Wilhelm needed to realize Simon's need for autonomy in their relationship.

As for Marcus, I personally think that what sets Marcus apart from a typical, cookie-cutter third wheel is the fact that Marcus's presence represented Simon's expectations from a relationship, rather than heightening Wilhelm's flaws.

Marcus represented not only what Simon craved from his relationship with Wille, but also the things he thought that he needed, when he actually doesn't. Simon wanted to enjoy normal moments of happiness with Wille in public but he couldn't, like the karaoke scene with Marcus, or Simon bringing Marcus as his date to the ball, or Marcus kissing him publicly. All these moments tell something about Simon's true desires from a potential relationship with Wilhelm, or any person Simon genuinely wants to have feelings for. Marcus was more like a placeholder for the time being, since Simon was really angry and heartbroken over Wille. Marcus did not bring something new to the table. He was just someone who grew up in a similar family background as Simon, and whose ideas of hanging out with a crush aligned with Simon's. That's it. Just because they have similar ideas about something, it does not mean they will also align as people. Plus Marcus is also not a one-dimensional "nice guy" just like August is not a one-dimensional "villain". He also has flaws and shortcomings that ultimately doom him in the story and does not let him realize his own part in his unsuccessful attempt to date Simon.

A cookie-cutter third wheel also has a defining feature- they exist in the story to emphasize on the first love interest's flaws, which makes the protagonist reconsider their love for the first love interest initially. Yes, Marcus did things for Simon which Simon wished he could do with Wille, but they don't represent Wilhelm's character flaws. His inability to have normal dating experiences with Simon stems from him being literal royalty, and no matter how much Wilhelm wants it too, he is not able to give that to Simon. And a major part of Simon's arc (in connection to his relationship with Wilhelm) was realizing Wilhelm's delicate and stifling relationship with his position. And although Simon is still not fully aware of what it entails to date a royal, atleast he has developed the empathy to understand it all.

And it also makes a difference that Simon is not the protagonist, he's actually the deuteragonist. Usually the protagonist is the one who has to make a choice and we only have access to their thoughts and feelings, not the other two. But here, not only our protagonist (Wilhelm) is one of the choices here, we also know exactly how he feels about Simon, just like we got to know how Simon feels about both Wille and Marcus. Wille still has flaws, but he also works on them and displays great accountability, something Simon actually needed, way more than karaoke dates and everything (although them enjoying the little things in life is something that can be so endearing to me). Simon chooses Wille because Wilhelm takes responsibility of his flaws and mistakes and tries to put in the effort their fragile relationship needed.

Not saying Marcus was not hurt in the process, but the burden of the doom does not lies entirely with Simon. Marcus has as much of a hand in dooming their fling as much as Simon. Overall, Simon and Marcus were a good match on paper, but Simon eventually realized that there is much more meaning to the text of his life than he ever imagined.

#young royals #wilmon #prince wilhelm #simon eriksson #wilhelm x simon #let me know your thoughts on this!!! i would love to have other people's insight

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oneatlatime · 3 months

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Any predictions for season 3, or are you planning to dive straight in?

You're not the first person who's mentioned s3 predictions, so I'll give it a shot, but I'm really not sure if I have anything to use to make predictions. S2 ended in a very final, end of arc kind of way. Lots of things have been tied up. I don't even know where they're all flying off to. Back to the Southern Water Tribe, since the Earth Kingdom's a bit of a bust? The Fire Nation's out of the question, the Northern Water Tribe probably has mixed feelings about seeing them again, maybe the Eastern Air Temple? Although even that might not be safe, since Aang's travel plans to said temple to meet the Guru were known by various Earth Kingdom generals. And that stupid King.

I think the Fire Nation contingent are going back to the Fire Nation, and I am looking forward to a Zuko with eyes at least somewhat open interacting with FN citizens/nobles/military etc. who are still completely drinking the kool aid. I think it's going to suck for Zuko. Should make for good TV though. Lots of conversations where both people are saying entirely different things while thinking they're talking about the same thing.

I said it before, but I'm worried for Iroh. He's for sure arrested, but is he going to be executed? Obviously I don't want that, but unless Iroh still has enormous popular support, and the Firelord's grasp on power is incredibly shaky, I don't see how permanently eliminating a traitor (from a FN perspective) can be avoided. Then again. Kids' show.

As for the Gaang? In broad strokes, Aang still needs to learn firebending to fully Avatar himself, then he needs to defeat the Fire Lord (who is quite the homebody apparently - seriously, where is this guy?). So next season Aang will shake off his lightning hangover, find a firebending teacher, defeat the firelord. He'll probably have to commute to the Fire Nation to find the Fire Lord first. No idea what he'll do in between those things. Perhaps inadvisable shenanigans? That would be in character. His biggest story arc all series has been learning to accept his status as Avatar, but between his talks with the Guru and opening his last Chakra in the finale, I think he's done it. So all that's left is the main plot and goofiness.

Katara has the same problem she had going into S2 - she's mastered waterbending, so she needs a new conflict/arc. S2 answered this demand by... having her hang around? What did Katara do this season? Bend a bunch, set up camps, tear down camps, wreck Jet, support Aang, be nice to Toph that one time, yell at people. I hope she gets something meatier in S3. I still think she should meet some good FN citizens that challenge her morals.

Sokka was also kind of just there this season, although if I'm being mean I'll say that he was also kind of just there for S1 too, which is why it doesn't feel as odd as Katara's lack of purpose. I loved his stuff with Suki. Suki is officially the glow up of the season. I loved their interactions together, and I love the growth she poked him into doing. I'd like to see more of that. So less a prediction and more of a hope: S3 Sokka develops the ability to rely on/trust others (or maybe realises others can be relied upon/trusted is more accurate), hopefully with Suki somehow involved. And I loved his dad too. I want to see more of that guy, but since a cardinal rule of kids' stories is getting rid of the authority figures asap, it won't happen.

Toph. Honestly I'm stumped. She already broke the universe. Where can she go from there? Unless she's going to devolve into an antagonist, which I absolutely don't want, I don't see how she can top her S2 plot. And Aang's got earthbending down, so I guess she'll be like Katara was this season: tagging along. Not that I'm complaining; I love me some Toph in any form. We have seen that she wants to make peace with her parents, sort of, probably? Or at least give them another shot? But I kind of don't want her within 100 miles of her parents. So I don't know.

Appa & Momo will hopefully be tagalongs in S3 too. I learned my lesson this season about wanting the animals to have character arcs.

I guess the antagonist in S3 will be the Fire Lord, finally. Who else is left? Zhao tried, he died. Azula tried, she won. Unless S3 has an Azula rematch. But would she want that? She's already proven that she won. She can go home and enjoy the spoils of her victory (which may or may not include Zuko - I'm kind of unclear on exactly how much agency Zuko is going to have in the FN, especially since I'm not actually sure that he has permission to be there as a free man - didn't the arrest warrant Azula was executing in episode 1 list both Zuko and Iroh?)

There's nothing left for the Gaang in Ba Sing Se, so I doubt they'll go back there. Frankly it's the FN characters who have roots there. I wonder what will happen to Iroh's tea shop? I wonder if his investors will find out who he is? I wonder if money talks louder than national loyalty? (It's the Earth Kingdom - the answer is yes) Wouldn't it be funny if Iroh busted out of imprisonment and went right back to serving tea? And everyone sent to find him would be thinking "this is the famed tactician the Dragon of the West - he's probably travelling the FN plotting a coup as we speak. That devilish mind of his must have safe houses set up all over the nation." When actually he's right back where he got caught, doing exactly what he was doing when he got caught, to great and not-very-quiet acclaim?

I think S3 might have an overall darker tone too, within the bounds of a kids' show. I don't know what place Ba Sing Se occupied in the mind of the average person in the Avatar universe (although refugees seemed to revere it), but the city's fall to the FN represents a very big FN victory. The Gaang will probably be the most underdoglike in S3. S1 was mostly stalemate, then a big FN defeat. S2 was opened with the FN taking Omashu and closed with them taking Ba Sing Se. The FN have never been in a better position, and I bet the NWT is safe from further invasion only until the FN have built their fleet back up. So even the few free areas could have an expiry date on their freedom.

This is rapidly devolving into rambles, so I'll conclude by saying I have no clue what's going to happen next season, and that's exciting.

#ask

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gwenllian-in-the-abbey · 1 month

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What do you think will happen to Rhaenyra? Do you believe that the show will depict her gradually turning into a villain or that it will always be she that is the true heir?

It seems to me that Rhaenyra and Alicent are on opposite trajectories, to where Alicent starts on sorrow and ends on rage, and Rhaenyra starts with rage and ends on sorrow.

The thing is, and Rhaenyra herself almost makes this point in episode 10 of season 1 although it's kind of glossed over a bit, that it doesn't actually matter who the "true heir" is. Tearing the realm apart over ambition is not the action of a queen who actually cares about peace and stability and yes, the stupid prophesy. The reason why Daemon chokes Rhaenyra is because she's considering the prophesy, and whether it might be worth making peace with the greens for the sake of keeping the realm intact to face the greater threat united (remember, the prophesy does not say Rhaenyra must sit the throne, it just says the Targaryen line must continue). Like, even if you believe Rhaenyra is the true heir, someone who puts the realm first is going to need to think about whether or not asserting her claim is worth throwing the realm into war, which includes risking the dragons. And at that point, the onus is on her to back down, and Rhaenyra knows this. She acknowledges it. Aegon has been crowned and anointed and holds King's Landing, and Otto has arrived with a pretty generous treaty offer (I want to talk, at some point, about how the offer of Dragonstone, which gets scoffed at a lot, is actually a really good one). Yes, it's unfair, but she saw the state her father was in and decided to fly off anyway so she was caught at the disadvantage and the greens got the jump on her. So actually considering the terms makes sense if they show wants to paint her as potentially a good ruler. She has to put the realm above her own ambitions if she's a good ruler. If she can't do that, does she have any business sitting the throne in the first place.

But then Aemond goes off and kills Luke and that all goes out the window. And here's the thing, at this point, although it would hurt, Rhaenyra still can back down. The greens are not going to make the next aggressive move, it's up to her, and so far there have been no pitched battles, the conflict is still a family conflict, and with Luke's death Rhaenyra can probably make some more demands. But the rage takes over (and this is understandable, don't get me wrong, who wants to treat with the family that's responsible for your son's death?). "Alicent's son sits on my throne," and "I mean to fight this war," she says to Jace, Baela, and a table full of dragonseeds, several of which who will end up betraying her. And I think in the S2 trailer, this is what Rhaenys is warning against. She says it very explicitly, "when the desire to kill and burn takes hold, and reason is forgotten, we will not even remember what began this war in the first place." Rhaenyra is, of course, not going to heed those warnings, because the desire to kill and burn has taken hold.

What I hope will happen is that we'll see Rhaenyra in her kill and burn era, and then she takes King's Landing. She's "won," she's the one sitting the throne and "Alicent's son" is missing, maybe dead for all she knows, it should be the triumphant capstone to all this rage and -- it feels empty. It doesn't bring her children back. Daemon's love turned out to be fickle, and she and her remaining children are living in the same keep where her nephew was killed by her husband's order, and her advisors don't seem to have her best interests at heart, but she's too beholden to say no to them. She doesn't feel safe, or secure, or triumphant. And now she has to govern, and the people show her no grace. While they cheered her arrival, now they blame her for their losses. It's not like being Lady of Dragonstone and she doesn't know how to do this, how to manage this realm and fight this war and keep more of her children from dying. This, I think, is where it turns to sorrow for Rhaenyra. Because it turns out it was all empty. In fact, it's just as Rhaenys warned, she can't even remember why it was so important to sit the throne in the first place, but it's too late now. Even if she wanted to end the conflict, she couldn't. When she flees, she flees to Dragonstone because it's the one place that still feels safe. Maybe she can go home, regroup. Let Aegon III get a bit older. Maybe her allies will come. Maybe she can hatch a new dragon. But it's too late. Even her death doesn't stop it, her supporters literally keep on fighting after she's dead, such is the extent to which the fighting has spiraled out of both Aegon and Rhaenyra's control.

If I was writing the show from this point on, this is what I'd do with Rhaenyra. I'd also be working hard to disabuse the viewership of the notion that asserting your position as the "rightful heir" is something that's worth sacrificing all those lives. Like, one of the issues with OG GoT was that D&D failed to do this. Instead they had people anticipating Dany's triumphant return for 8 seasons and then when her story turned tragic at what felt like the last moment, people felt cheated. HotD has to do a better job with the tragedy of Rhaenyra's character, because the tragedy is not that she had her throne stolen, it's that her house cannibalized itself, ended the dragons, and threw the realm into chaos and destruction over a conflict that was ultimately meaningless.

#can they pull this off?#ehhh idk #asks #hotd season 2 #hotd discourse #rhaenyra targaryen

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strangesthirdeye · 4 months

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Under the root of Yggdrasil (Loki x fem! Reader)

Summary: Sometimes being able to see your loved ones from afar is good enough.

Warning: It's Loki who doesn't like him. Medium angst, Loki s2 ep 6 spoilers? Norse Mythology, acceptance, Loki needs a hug,

As usual, I'm sorry if there are any wrong sentences or typos or grammatical mistakes, please forgive me and again English is not my first language, so I try to improve my language and writing in this way.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Staring at the one spot makes all the views in the corners of your eyes blur as you only focus on one spot. Your mind is somewhere else while your fingers unconsciously fidget on Loki's broken tempad. It's been a few weeks since the temporal loom event.

Since Loki sacrificed himself to save the entire timeline even universe. He's not dead but his absence is enough to make one. The way he smiled in sadness and willingly to be a pillar of the tree of life and also the way he said 'I love you' for the last time to you made you enough to shed tears.

All the events are back to normal and like nothing happened, yet you feel empty without Loki's presence. Mobius? He is retired. B-15? she's also thinking of retiring. O. B? busy with everything. And you don't want to bother Casey as he seems quite busy too.

While Sylvie, she has returned to her universe and that was the last time you saw her. She is still in the phase of accepting the truth after witnessing Loki's action.

How about you? It is very difficult to accept the fact that Loki is no longer with you. But still, you have to keep moving and living as normal. Which is quite difficult because you are both attached hip to hip to each other. Never lost from each other. Always found one another.

But ever since the Temporal Loom problem everything changed as Loki suddenly or willingly saved the Timelines by 'sacrifice' himself. you? You just let out an anguished loud shout to tell Loki to stop. But, Loki ignores it hoping you all are safe.

It was very difficult at first after a few days after the whole TVA problem. After Loki became the main pillar of the tree. Everything reminds you of him.

Not once, but many times. You yourself can't ignore that feeling but the next thing you know you're staring at nothingness with your cheeks wet with tears. You miss him and worry about him at the same time. Which makes you wonder in your mind. What is he doing now? Is he lonely? is he okay? All those questions running around your head which make you more sad and worried.

You always think about his well-being. You wonder if he can see you now from the Yggdrasil tree. Seeing yourself who cannot accept the fact that he is 'gone'. After all those things you both went through. Is this the ending you both got? Away from each other. Lost a loved one? is that the ending you both get? Funny.

Sometimes, if you are too worried about him or miss him, you will go to TVA and to the place where the Yggdrasil tree is shown behind the glass of the room where you, Loki, Sylvie, Mobius, Victor, O. B and Cassie were before.

Staring at the tree for a long time as you make sure that he is not alone although you can't see him. The green glowing tree really reminds you of him. And you hope he is fine there. Sometimes, O. B will come to check up on some technology in the room and notice you in front of the glass mirror standing stiffly with your eyes looking at the tree. He gives you a sympathetic look even if you don't look at him but he knows you just want to make sure Loki is okay.

'You look sad, when you think he can't see you'. Ever heard? yup, that's what you've been going through all along. Thanks Molly Hooper.

But what you don't know is that Loki actually has the same feelings as you. Missing, worried and sad. He missed you, He worried about you and He was sad that he couldn't be with you.

But, he can't do anything. His duty is what he has to do to make sure all Timelines are under control.

He missed your touch, he missed your voice and he missed your smiles. And he can only see you from afar. And that was enough for him.

#loki series #loki season 2 #loki x reader #loki laufeyson #loki #loki x reader angst #loki x y/n #loki laufesyon x reader #tom hiddleston #tom hiddelston loki #tom hiddleston x reader #Spotify

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astro-in-prog · 11 months

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Some Polin musings

I don't think people understand how truly excited I am for Penelope to drop her facade - because let's be honest here, squeaky-high-pitched-and-constantly-nervous-around-Colin isn't PENELOPE. It's so clear in Nic's acting too the way her voice and demeanour change in scenes with Colin.

The scene about LW and Gen made it extremely obvious that Pen is way more mature than we have seen so far. We get little glimpses of that around Eloise too when they are having deeper conversations.

Pen has what I think can be described as a crush on Colin and maybe a little bit more. I don't think it's love just yet for her either. As much as I love to joke about Colin being oblivious to his own feelings he is definitely not in love with Pen yet - although there is a deep sense of caring and understanding between them.

I think in Colin's head too Penelope is just the girl he grew up with. The outfits she's been put in (I cannot with the bows and sequins) haven't helped with challenging the perspective either. (But we somehow still got 'heart eyes and took my breath away' Colin.. Luke is going to be the death of me)

The biggest thing that the last scene from 2x08 will do is CHANGE the way Pen interacts with Colin. (I stand by my theory that she will give him a cold shoulder in a 'there needs to be distance between us' way and not in a 'how dare you not return my feelings' way.. she will be ticked off which she has every right to be but I don't see Pen ever hurting Colin's feelings or being rude)

This dynamic change reminds me so much of when someone you have a crush on says something that changes the way you look at them, it feels like you have been hit with a bucket of cold water and the feelings almost go away (ALMOST).

I can't wait to see Penelope be herself completely in her interactions with Colin without worrying about what he's thinking of her or just being hyperaware of all her words.

The closest we came to this was of course the purpose scene. It was one of the highlights of s2 for me because Colin is totally enraptured by what Penelope is saying (don't get me started on the blatant staring and heart eyes). Pen is being her unfiltered self and its amazing😭🤌🏼 Their chemistry is off the charts with just LOOKS?!

I just really hope we get both flirty banter (lots of innuendos, smirks and gossiping please!) AND deep conversations (about Colin's purpose and writing and Pen's reasons for wanting to get married and starting LW) between them because that's honestly the best part about the friends-to-lovers trope - actually getting to see their friendship evolve into love!

#polin #polin bridgerton #bridgerton s3 #bridgerton #colin x penelope #colin bridgerton #penelope featherington

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the-hovel-of-a-nerdy-rabbit · 6 months

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Muriel's playlist hints at Ineffable Juniors?

(This is all in good fun and is just my opinion. You don't have to agree, but please stay and read.)

I know a lot of people have analyzed the living crap out of Aziraphale's and Crowley's playlists, but I really just want to ask if anyone ever wondered about why Muriel received these three songs?

The creators of the playlist knew that other feel-good, peppy songs that start their songs with the letter E and L exist, but they picked three songs that deal with love? All that does to me is make me think that Ineffable Juniors (Muriel x Eric) is in the realm of possibility and not just a crack ship.

Let me just get 'Everyday' out the way. (I'll be more in depth lyrically with the other two, but EVERYONE in this fandom has Everyday practically memorized. I'm just saving time and space.) 'Everyday' is the main song of the S2. It is the clue. It is the jumpstart of Ineffable Bureaucracy's relationship. It is THEIR song of love. It wouldn't make sense for them not to have it in their playlist, but why does Muriel have it? Of all the other characters who are in love, why does Muriel have to be the one to receive this song as well? They deal with concept of love, but they don't truly understand it (if they did why would they need to 'learn' from Aziraphale and Crowley). This wouldn't make sense unless this is more of a hint at Muriel's (possible) future storyline: befriending or falling in love with a demon (likely Eric). 'Everyday' is important because it helped blossom a very unlikely relationship between an angel (Gabriel) and a demon (Beelzebub). For Muriel to have that in their playlist in that context pushes their narrative in that direction, and it doesn't help that the other two songs are just pushing it further.

'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' (shortening to ANMHE for my typing sanity) is a classic love song sung by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. It brings this idea of being invincible while traversing (or willing to traverse) through any terrain to get to the one you love. This is driven home by the first and third verses along with the repeating chorus of the song:

(First) If you need me, call me

No matter where you are

No matter how far (don't worry, baby)

Just call my name

I'll be there in a hurry

You don't have to worry

'Cause baby there

(Third verse) Oh no, darling

No wind, no rain

Or winters cold

Can't stop me baby

No, no baby

'Cause your are my goal

If you're ever in trouble

I'll be there on the double

Just send for me

Oh, baby

(Chorus) Ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough

Ain't no river wide enough

To keep me from getting to you, baby

What I think is interesting is second and last verse because you get to see the relationship of the two people in the song (the couple singing to each other). In the second verse, it's revealed that the two of them are loving/binding relationship by recounting a day that defined their relationship.

Remember the day

I set you free

I told you

You could always count on me darling

From that day on I made a vow

I'll be there when you want me

Someway, somehow

Then the last verse brings up the fact that two are now separated but are still in love and WILL go through anything to get back to the other if they're ever needed.

My love is alive

Way down in my heart

Although we are miles apart

If you ever need a helping hand

I'll be there on the double

Just as fast as I can

I could easily say that this could allude to Muriel having a strained or forbidden relationship with a character, yet something else was brought to my attention. ANMHE tells about a pair who is separated after making a connection/promise to one another while still having romantic feelings, but if one were to be in trouble, the other would surely come to the rescue? I don't know about you guys, but that sounds a lot like our other angel/demon couple, the Ineffable Husbands. Now, we have two songs defining both of our canon angel/demon relationships in a playlist for an angel who hasn't even experienced falling/being in love yet, but this final song clenches everything for me.

Every Summertime by Niki is the song that TRULY made me believe in the idea of Ineffable Juniors. I have played it several times and every time I do, I see Muriel and Eric. Let's begin with the first verse:

18, we were undergrads

Stayed out late, never made it to class,

Outer Richmond in a taxi cab

You were sweating bullets on the way to my dad's and oh

You said, "Baby, think we're moving too fast"

The very beginning gives an image of two students (underlings: 37th Scrivner and lesser demon) who are together (in a buddy/soft couple way), but incompetent (Muriel not understanding certain concepts thus proceeding to mess things up and Eric constantly questioning things while also being a punching bag and cowardly). It's only the first two lines and it already screams Ineffable Juniors. The last two lines give scenarios that could likely happen. Eric would be the one nervous from the idea of meeting Muriel's parental figures superior Aziraphale and his demon husband Crowely. Then comes the statement of "moving too fast." Of course the first thing that comes to mind is the 1967 scene in S1, "You go to fast for me, Crowley", yet in the eyes of our juniors, it would be in Eric's character (having more cowardice and less time to plan ahead) to say that if Muriel wanted to be closer. Then there's this imagery of how one would realize their feelings for someone is becoming more than platonic:

And I swear the magnolias flashed a smile

And that's when I caught me hoping you'd stay a while

I will say that second verse is more of "They're growing closer after a while" more than picturing scenarios like the previous verses.

25, man we're missing church

Laugh 'bout everyone we're hating at work

Dinner with your sister and the jokes kinda hurt

Cry the way home, and you're putting me first, oh

Yeah, we just always know what to say

Then we get these lines:

We're strolling down the boulevard

And dancing under streetlights

Every year we get older, and I'm still on your side

Taking a stroll? Dancing? Being on a side with your partner? This, AGAIN, creates connections to Bureaucracy and Husbands, but the couple in the song portray these actions in a setting for younger, impressionable people, hmmmm... like the Juniors? Let's just finish off with the chorus and outro.

(Chorus) Baby, I'd give up anything to travel inside your mind

Baby, I fall in love again come every summertime

My daddy taught me to choose 'em wisely, but you don't have to try

'Cause, baby, I fall in love every summertime

(Outro) Every day is summertime

Every day is summertime

Every day is summertime with you

Questions that I think about when it comes to the Juniors are "if they fell in love or became close friends, how would Aziraphale and Crowley react? Would they be happy for them, or would they try to stop them from going any further out of fear for their safety?" With what happen at the end of the season, I'm personally think it's the later, but then that brought an additional question. "If Muriel was told to stop meeting Eric, would they?" No. The third line of the chorus reminded me how Muriel knew Aziraphale and Crowley were the enemy and yet they still gave unbiased trust and compassion towards them. A low rank angel who is supposed to take every order willingly decided that the enemy is their friend that they can ask questions to. When you start to apply the first, second and last line of the chorus, along with the outro, it draws a picture of a person so smitten with their partner that every time they're with them, they fall in love all over again, so they're willing to disregard the opinions of others just to be with their other half. Muriel seeing both angel/demon couples existing in the same room in S2E6 feeds my thoughts with the image of Muriel, who may or may not know that Eric is a demon (they never met him, and they also didn't know that Crowley was a demon), proceeding to be around him even after being told not to by Aziraphale. If it was worth it for the others, it could be worth it for me.

I could be reaching with some of my claims, so I'll just continue until I reach the moon. However, it is possible for all three songs to be thrown in the playlist for fun, I mean it does have "Get Lucky" and "Everything is Awesome". I'm just a sucker for Ineffable Juniors. I don't care if they don't end up together or anything, but they have to meet at least once as another example of an angel and demon being able to get along. Stories are always played out in threes. Why can't they be the third?

Thank you for reading if you made it to the end. Here's some sketches for your troubles:

#I cant wait to draw them for the PKMN Au #Muriel #eric the disposable demon #muriel x eric #ineffable juniors #disposable duo #good omens #good omens season 2 #neil gaiman #ineffable husbands #ineffable bureaucracy #aziracrow #beelzebriel #song lyrics

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shenlis-spear · 16 days

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THE LEGEND OF SHEN LI 与凤行, 2024

⇢ starring: zhao liying, lin gengxin

If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more. (I'm talking about The Legend of Shen Li)

Let me preface this by saying I'm biased. And it's been a million years since I tried to put my thoughts into writing so this is gonna be all over the place and long-winded. And probably wouldn't make any sense. So here it goes.

I really enjoyed The Legend of Shen Li. Do I love it? With all my charred heart. Do I think it's the best drama this year? It's still April. It's hard to say. Are Shen Li and Xing Zhi the best power couple? This shouldn't even be a debate.

Honestly, I didn't even plan to chase this drama while it's ongoing because I binge watching drama is what I enjoy best. However, I was bored. And The Legend of Shen Li's trailer looked interesting. And my heart still needs healing from the mess of an ending that is Princess Agents. I needed closure. So I started watching the drama, and boy oh boy did it drag me down one hell of a roller coaster ride of emotions every single night. (No, I'm not complaining.)

However, before I talk about the things that I really loved about the drama, I have some things to say about the stuff that kind of irked me. Because no drama is perfect (unless it's Nirvana in Fire).

So let me get started on the things that I feel like the drama could've done better.

Musical scoring - the OST's? Chef's kiss. However, they way they're putting music on the scenes are a hit and miss. Most of the time it just distracts me from the scene and I just get bored with the mv-ish scene. I wish cdramas especially custom ones would stop this. I don't need 5 mins of the leads staring at each other in all angles accompanied by a really nice song. I'm here to watch a drama. Although, I kinda did get used to it in the latter episodes (specifically ep35-38) because I definitely needed a minute or two to process the emotions.

The progression of the story - One thing. I'm confused. Not to the point that "I don't understand the plot confusing" but still confusing nonetheless. There was no consistency in the scenes and the dialogues. (Ex fishing village). There was no flow. I feel like someone messed up the storyboard and when they edited the scenes they were also confused. Or maybe this is the issue of the translation of the dialogue? I don't even know. Still, I definitely think this part could've been done better.

The internal monologues - sigh when I said the thing I love most in dramas are their dialogues I don't mean what's happening in The Legend of Shen Li. The characters just talk (or think?) too damn much I can't keep up. They're supposed to be the characters whom their actions should tell the story but the way they're narrating the whole plot to me is just so jarring. Am I watching a drama or listening to an audiobook? Sometimes I can't tell. I wish they'd tone it down but it just got worse with the later episodes.

The camera - this is just me being nitpicky but there are some random camera angles especially the spinning ones that probably is supposed to make the scene dramatic but all it did was make me wanna vomit.

This is not in any way, shape, or form hating on the drama because I genuinely enjoyed it. I've deluded myself into waiting for a Princess Agents S2 but I got a better deal and had Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin to reunite in a new project which is better in my opinion because Princess Agents is a hot mess. There was really no saving that one.

So moving on to the things I like! But like, where do I even start?

First of all, Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin. Chemistry so good, they had to be casted in another drama. Everything about them was just so perfect for the drama and the role. Could not ask for a more perfect casting than them. The 7 year wait was almost worth it.

The WOMEN! - so much room for improvement regarding the characters but I loved that the women were not treated as damsels who always needed saving. I have to say 5 1/2 braincells were working throughout the drama, 2 from Shen Li, 1 from You Lan, 1 from Jin Niang Zi and 1 from Shen Mu Yue (1/2 from Xing Zhi because he's too unbothered if it's not related to Shen Li).

Shen Li - might not be the best female character in cdramaland but I think she can hold her own place. She's stubborn, a bit reckless but she's loyal and righteous. She's a strong woman without being a stereotypical cold and ruthless strong woman. Shen Li is a strong woman at the same time also a mad woman in love. She does not have to be one or the other. The more I write this the more I'm falling in love with her character. You just don't find a character like her. She is Shen Li. A capable general. A strong leader. An empathetic comrade. A respectful student. A woman in love. She is not just one of them but all of them.

Lin Gengxin is pretty believable playing as an ancient god. He has that air around him that screams your highness. He played the lofty and aloof Xing Zhi to perfection.

And what can I even say about Zhao Liying? As always miss ma'am played Shen Li perfectly. Whimsical, stubborn, in love and devasted in love, you can feel all those emotions just watching her eyes.

It has angst but not too much that we as viewers would spend multiple episodes pulling out hair of frustration about the misunderstandings and accidental killings. (Not a shade to any specific drama but just to the xanxia genre in general). It has the perfect balance of angst, romance and comedy. You laugh, cry and giggle all in one episode. The comic relief scenes are naturally funny and doesn't feel forced. Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin's comedic timing are 👌.

The conflict was handled maturely and the confession was direct but still heart fluttering. Throughout the drama, they both got their heads perfectly placed on their shoulders.

The last episode! Let us talk about the last episode because when has a drama provided that kind of fan service just making one whole episode of shenanigans and fluff. After going through the angst, the reward that is the last episode is just too good and definitely worth all the tears.

Also, can we talk about Dong Jie's guest role? I know miss ma'am is good but when I tell you I cried for a minute because of her story arc? Just hands up and mic drop. So so good!

Now that all of these are out of my system, hopefully I can move on to the next obsession, whatever that may be. I'll still probably watch episode 39 on a daily basis though. It's just too enjoyable and it makes my day. Will probably, revisit this "review" in the future and update it because I'm aware that at this point it's not making a lot of sense.

RATING: 9/10 REWATCH VALUE: 10/10 definitely would watch again! ACTING: 10/10 CATEGORY: GUILTY PLEASURE

#the legend of shen li #与凤行 #drama review?#zhao liying #lin gengxin #guilty pleasure #happy ending #best last episode everrrr #incoherent ramblings

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athiestpaladin · 3 days

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my thoughts on who the Wheeler in question is that consists of very repetitive points that just about everyone else has said already

Holly: She was recently recasted, but this could also be so she could be more involved in the disappearance of her family member. Frankly i'm hoping it's not her; it'd be soo fucked considering she would be even younger than Will was

Karen: Had a poster in season 4 although she had maybe the least importance s4 than any of the other seasons?? [s1 and s3 she was there for Nancy and Mike, and s1 she was somewhat involved with the lab's search for El. I can't remember s2, though] So she may have a big role in s5, whether it be in Joyce's position or Will's (I'm leaning towards Joyce)

Mike: not the right amount of letters, but i wouldnt put it past them to go for a lil silly trick. There is a lot going around about him being hurt in the upside down, and while it may be due to him disappearing, it could also be from him trying to save someone else mentioned. I hope it's him so we can see more into his mind, but i'm very doubly since he's meant to take a leader role in season 5 (unless the disappearance is an episode or two at most) [Edit: Vecna harming Mike would deeply affect both of the people he seems to be most after; Will and El]

Nancy: She was given a vision by Vecna, meaning she's already had a run in with him. While this could make it more likely for her to have another run in with Vecna, I think it means the opposite. She was let go very quickly and more or less harm free (if you dont count the mental damage of her seeing her family dead.) This makes it seem like Vecna had clear intentions of, in a way, just playing mind games with her, and will probably leave her somewhat alone since he already inflicted her with something that will stick with her (and possibly drag her down.)

Ted: absolutely not. he wasn't even mentioned when nancy was explaining her vision about her family being hurt. wrap it up.

The most likely characters are Mike and Holly, but I don't really think one is significantly more likely than the other

edit: This Post has changed my mind; it probably will be Holly (I still need a lil view into the Mind of Mike Wheeler

++I heard there are 5 asterisks in the title because the original leak said "blank wheeler" I don't know how true it is but its a cool lil fact if it is

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soshadysoquiet · 7 months

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If I could re-write TUA s3 - Allison Edition

Key Allison S1 traits:

Default Rumours - her default from childhood to 1-2 years ago (max as far as I can tell) is to rumour people to get what she wants / needs. She even returns to using them when faced with the threat of Viktor despite their recent conversation

Wants to Connect - Allison wants a connection to her family, especially Viktor, but also takes the time to interact with most of the others.

Lashes out when angry - comments by Viktor

Quiet when disappointed / hurt - comments by Luther and Diego esp.

Is not trusted / respected by those closest to her over big matters: Namely Viktor and how to handle The White Violin-ness / basement - would be interested to see why people think this is, lots of possibilities...

Allison covers up things she's ashamed of / guilty of until called out - Claire's custody, her childhood rumour etc.

Allison smokes occasionally and drinks at least socially.

Key Allison S2 traits:

Again off rumours, but defaults when threatened / others are.

Has found / is still trying to connect to people - although here the show starts doing its characters massive discredit in my opinion; swapping to them bonding almost purely through experience and humour rather than words and affirmations - her scene with Luther at the BBQ is one of the few of these, but her and memory -returned Viktor defo deserved an on screen convo about this, hell they all did.

Lashes out when angry - physically now vs verbally and to the point of cruelty, such as with racist biggots (so no judgement there just observation). - Is this an upspike due to stress, or a return to form? We don't know enough about how Allison used rumours as a child to be sure.

Quiet when hurt / disappointed - with Ray following rumour convos esp.

Still not trusted / respected: How best to stop Viktor (again), Ray and her never having a reaffirming convo following their last rumour question - no shade on Ray, but is sad to see that she's still not trusted unconditionally by someone. (especially when we're later meant to believe, or, worse, Allison believes Ray was perfect. Seriously these kids are all so traumatised they need so many hugs.

Still hiding guilt / shame - her powers now mainly and past. Don't think Ray even knows she had a daughter before.

Allison now drinks when very stressed, does not smoke any more - odd choice to change this without explanation (they have an obvious get-out with her throat but, still) or is it to indicate she hasn't needed to do this with Ray in her life?

Which, sigh, leads us onto S3:

Key Allison S3 traits and where they are / aren't consistent:

Use of rumours: Oddly mixed, using them at odd times and only really severely - now I know part of this is for plot progression but Ive written my proposals below so just to bear in mind. Is now occasionally so desperate to fix things with rumours that they go into really bad territory or she's rumouring herself.

Desperate for connection - sadly now because of her trauma at this point, her attachment style becomes very anxious (with Viktor, Luther) aggressive in convo-style or deeds (with Luther, Diego, Lila) or completely despondent (with everyone else between her and Viktor in ep 2 and when she and Sloane share a moment after Luther's dad-demise.)

Lashes out when angry, ahem, yeah. Following her finding out about Claire this skyrockets. I'd say this reaction is actually pretty on-brand for her character, but I think (will go into below) that the show could have handled her having this reaction whilst doing it in a different fashion. To a point they're picking elements from the comic - where Allison does indeed rumour Luther to kiss her, but this show also isn't word for word from the comics, so I think we can alter things...

Quiet when hurt / disappointed - she frequently takes herself away to drink more / after a scathing comment / shuts herself away in room or try to rumour herself to be happy.

Still not trusted / respected by those closest to her: Viktor especially has a part to play in this this season, who just doesn't trust her with information. The rest generally brush her aside, even the Sparrows are dismissive of her. It's a lot. I know none of them listen to each other, which by this point is canonically insane (Allison's track record for good gut feelings should be more well recognised by the sibs just as much as Five's apocalypse sense always being dead right.)

Covers up her guilt / shame still - such as the Luther Business

Allison now drinks frequently from the stress and smokes again.

So, here's my reviewed S3 with the above in mind:

Stronger gut feeling that something is wrong following Sparrows in the Umbrella Academy

Less jokes, more genuine worry when they're all injured after - though increasingly distracted by need to hunt for Claire.

Claire business and Viktor's transition goes the same - though maybe she could ask one of the fam to come with her? Luther pos? Just as a thought.

The fam have the same initial non-reaction that Viktor berates them for - I'm not sure if they actually know or not / how much they know

Cafe scene can go the same way OR Allison starts quietly but then shouts 'heard a rumour you all Shut Up'/etc to stop the cacophony of noise - maybe then bolts, Harlan gets spotted etc. This begins the slippery slope of regressing back to the mean of her rumour use.

I think it's then 1st Kugalblitz meeting? Honestly when Diego is complaining about Stan initially Allison's reaction could become more 'I heard a rumour you stopped complaining about having a child'/etc [- which could then lead to an interesting Diego arc. I find it interesting that Allison doesn't interact with Stan once, in fact other than Diego and Klaus, I don't think anyone else even talks to him. Which is pretty awful when you think about it - I would like to see Allison then leave, try and bond with Stan but she just can't feel it / it's too much and she retreats again] - could then start trying to pep talk herself out of using rumours / rumour herself in the mirror.

Kugalblitz conversation - at this point Allison might be threatening rumours just to give herself that pause before a freefall 'If you don't get to the point you're getting rumoured' the fam starts to notice this change in her and are leery of it - I'd love to then see some snippets from their childhood but alas, a gal can but dream

As the season progresses, Allison's rumours become more desperate and connection-coded (rather than non-con coded, thanks for that TUA) so when they have Briefcase chat at sparrows, she rumours them to give her the briefcase (they are compelled to go with her to where it was / is - the hotel.) Viktor and her can bluster about the rumours on the way back vs following the plan 'it's not like anyone ever follows MY plans or we might not be here in the first place' could be a good take for Allison. On the way to the hotel does she try and rumour Ben into being more like their Ben / remembering?

Back at the hotel we can then have Sparrows Vs Brellies + Harlan - Fei sent some birds secretly to alert the others IDK

Then we have Sloane Vs Allison - the Interrogation grunge match. At this point Allison is done, so she just tries all kinds of rumours and Diego is a bit more cautious - gives a 'hey maybe calm it down' as he got rumoured earlier so 'I heard a rumour you backed me up for once' and he he's just saying 'I am!' Allison doesn't really notice that the rumour doesn't have much effect, for Luther's interruption he gets 'I heard a rumour you listened to me for once' and he does, and he's angry - but after it's worn off he thinks back about when he hasn't listened in the past. *This replaces her Other Luther rumour for me because I don't need to see that - I'm still half convinced it also serves a dual purpose as just a way to also show a woman getting sexually overpowered even though she'd 'asked for it' so it's completely bleh bleh bleh no either way for me and we don't need it*

Her and Diego have a convo - you know you didn't need to rumour me back there, I already have your back - Allison going into how it's felt like no one's had her back for the last year, going into the constant stress of living in Dallas, could mention 'apart from Ray, and now I've lost him too' [I'm curious here of what is more therapeutic - the racist-people-beat up at the bar or Allison actually getting a meaningful connection and sharing some of that emotion, I'd like the second to come into play to start giving her some emotional room here, but don't want to deny her and Diego some pay back, food for thought]

Five and Lila come back, Allison sees he had the brief case, possibly 'you had this the whole time?' 'did have' Allison lashes out - some cutting remark I can't think of, but leading to basically 'I heard a rumour that you actually cared!'/etc (about us / my daughter) Five just replies with 'I do' and he's pissed but as with Diego it's no different than how he was anyway

Viktor and giving up Harlan moment - Can't remember if Allison was there for that or having a moment to gather herself???

Five maybe gives her the time for one of his Awkward Gramps Bonding convos about how he does care, Allison vents a bit, he says he's trying to fix it, Allison can say she's not sure that's enough and maybe Five says 'I've wondered that all my life' or something equally sad and the two of them and Klaus share a drink and look at his peeled skin, lovely bonding. Allison there to hear that Klaus kinda died- maybe asks him to clarify, but how did you survive then? The three of them ponder, Allison reflects she has more to lose still. They all go off to the biker gang with Five bc why not. [in the bar there there's a fight and Klaus dies but comes back - Allison can try to rumour him back to live bc I love stories where she does that, Five can actually have A Reaction to a sibling dying / go on a little psycho murder spree that Pogo sees and is like oh shit they are more Reggie Kids. Allison helps rumour Five to calm down (they could have one of their comic-canon chats about his urge to kill Vs not wanting to) Klaus re-alives himself and they find out well shit he's immortal. Pogo tells them about Reggie's madness. Klaus is all - huh maybe I shouldn't have taken him off the pills then, oh well.

Back at the hotel, Viktor has snuck Harlan out to do Special Training (I've probs got the timeline a bit wrong but eh) Lets make this better by if we real need Harlan to die he can die via giving his powers back with just enough life for a Meaningful Death Convo with Viktor as he goes but Viktor still feels guilty.

Maybe the K5A tag team turn up in time for this and Klaus keeps trying to get in to stop the storm-swirl of powers (the three of them all try, trying to 'save' viktor - Allison can gain her power upgrade this way, Klaus can have a 'funny death montage' as the team realise he's the only one who can get through - this also powers Klaus up enough to banish ghosts - maybe there's a lot around Harlan from the accidents he's had. Five can, like, have a breakdown seeing Klaus re-die over and over again it finally breaks him and Allison does what she can to help.

They all go back, Five making unceremonious use of Harlan's body to appease Sparrows and Allison and Viktor having a bit of a fight now because it came out about the mothers, Klaus also upset - went to talk to dad for nothing?? Allison (to just them? to hotel?) 'I just want you to Trust Me for one god damn day!' and rumours - a number of them, well shit, now she's actually responsible for that - apologises but no no, they trust her, it's fine - we can see the consequenses of her rumours in a dif way here. Allison ashamed and they all keep turning to her for her opinion for stopping the Kugal blitz etc - she's freaking out a bit and having to employ team work - doesn't want their trust if it's blind like this but also shows that she's able to connect to them all to get the best from them - what was the math whizzes' plan - will it work Five - well I trust you Allison - and I trust you, all of you, so will it work? - this way the fam also see the trust she's able to put in them

Kugal blitz of course blows, they go to the hotel at the end, Allison thinks she's lost her chance to see Claire. Reggie being there and weird and no one listening to him save Ben.

Allison gets to go to the bachelor party and karaoke with her idiot brothers god dammit - it's a 'lets make sure Allison knows we're here for her too' moment - awkward as it is, naturally

Reggie corners Allison still, she's lost and grieving her daughter still and has had A Lot the last while. He cuts her the deal and she goes to the others, when you said you trusted me - I'm asking you genuinely to now - they go fight the Kugal - takes some convincing, Five's done and broken from all the breakdowns over Klaus dying, Klaus is actually expressing his emotions with his siblings after being angry for being withheld info from and 'I told you so' Luther just wants to get married, Ben is being Ben and her and Viktor need to re-connect a bit more than the others whilst Diego is worried about Lila- So Reggie does in Luther, Klaus, they go to Oblivion and the rest is more or less as it was except it's less agro and more Teamwork Yay we love to see it.

When Allison presses the button, the others don't fight her on it - they trust her. She presses that button with a smile - end of S3!

If you've read this far, I hope you enjoyed my Ted Talk 😂

#tua #the umbrella academy #allison hargreeves #viktor hargreeves #diego hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #luther hargreeves #five hargreeves #season 3 #It could have been better #or at least different #A re-imagining to give Allison a more satisfying arc #potentially anyway

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sixth-light · 7 months

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TGH/TDR vs WoT season 2: what's in and what's out pt 1 (characters)

WoT's in and WoT's out, that is

I thought it would be fun (for me, sorry to the rest of you) to do a little analysis of where we're actually at in terms of adapting book material and the show, now we have officially passed the adaptation of the first three books. I am looking at this, as the show/showrunner have repeatedly stated they're doing, as a whole-series adaptation question: what happens in the first three books, in terms of worldbuilding, character introductions, and plot points, which is vital for the series arc as a whole? And of that, what remains to be shown on screen and thus might end up getting cut?

This is long, so I'm going to divide it into three posts over the next day or two: Characters (who has shown up and who hasn't), Worldbuilding points (ditto), and Plot points (has it happened or not). Major book spoilers obvs as I'll be discussing which of these continue to be important throughout the series.

NB before I dive in: what doing this has shown me is that despite TDR being one of my top 3 books of the series as a whole and much-beloved more generally, it...honestly has bugger-all in terms of plot that can't be handled by the show in other ways. The structure is a straight repeat of TGH and most of the really memorable scenes are vibes and character work (Mat's duel, Perrin's blacksmithing, Egwene's Accepted test) that the show likely doesn't have time to indulge in and/or that can be used as fodder for character development on the show in different contexts (like, Perrin's blacksmithing scene is lovely and you could do a version of it whenever the show character needs to re-centre himself pretty much...right up through the end of the series.)

Anyway, on with the actual programming!

CHARACTERS

My test for listing characters here is 1) is this character a PoV character and 2) if not, do they have a genuine impact on the plot or character development of PoV characters. For example: Carlinya and Breane Taborwin appear repeatedly through the series but do nothing someone else couldn't, so there's no point in assessing the significance of them not showing up in S2 even though they first appear in TGH. Characters struck through are ones who have now been introduced or mentioned by the show.

Introduced in TEoTW but not S1 of the show

Bayle Domon Elaida Gawyn (mentioned in S2, h/t @hxans) Galad Morgase (mentioned in S2, h/t @hxans) Elyas

Immediately obvious that it's the Caemlyn crew we're waiting on, and since casting has been confirmed for at least two of them and the other two were mentioned on-screen in S2, I think there's no question Elaida, Gawyn, and Galad will be in S3. Morgase is more questionable; my money is that she either won't be in the show and/or will actually be killed by Rahvin. Hate to lose a not-really-dead mum but some characters have got to go and it will make it much harder for show viewers to accept Elayne as Queen in the late series if she's still alive actually.

Introduced/mentioned in TGH

Suroth Renna & Seta Egeanin Verin Anaiya Liandrin (S1) Alanna (S1) Siuan (S1) Leane (S1) Vandene & Adeleas (Vandene now merged with Verin) Sheriam Alviarin Hurin (merged with Elyas in the show) 'Selene' Erith Aludra Masema Uno Mazrim Taim

Of those who haven't appeared in the show, Alviarin and Anaiya are frankly questionable in terms of whether the show needs them/highly likely to be merged with other Aes Sedai the way show!Alanna and show!Verin are book!Alanna x book!Myrelle and book!Verin x book!Vandene merges. ETA: thanks to @vriah for pointing out Anaiya was mentioned by name in 2x06, although I think the rest of this point stands. There's no point introducing Erith or Aludra until the show is ready to follow through on the storylines they are crucial for, which are both late-book storylines. I don't think we'll see either of them until S4-6, although I think we WILL see them.

ETA: I forgot Egeanin first shows up here! (h/t @butterflydm) Given what they did with all the Seanchan characters I think that's a deliberate choice to not confuse the narrative with a sympathetic Seanchan character until a season where we start to ask 'can individual Seanchan be anything except antagonists'. And since we likely won't hit that until S4 at the earliest, no point casting an actress here who might not be available (c.f. Birgitte). As an example, they've already had to re-cast Egwene's mother because the S1 actress was no longer available for S3.

Introduced in TDR

Aviendha Bain & Chiad Gaul Rhuarc Juilin Sammael Be'lal Pedron Niall Jaichim Carridin Faile Noam Rahvin Liandrin's thirteen, including Joiya Byir Faolain & Theodrin Tallanvor Dyelin Berelain Darlin Sisnera Laras (h/t @undeterminedvintage)

In contrast, most of the new-in-TDR characters haven't been mentioned yet!

Rhuarc and Faile: I think you have to have Rhuarc as a male Aiel leader in S3, there's no reason for it to NOT be him, and we know Faile has been cast. Makes total sense for her to meet Perrin in S3 as they will clearly be slow-burning that romance.

Berelain: Key to a bunch of plotlines, a very fun character, but there's no point bringing her in until Perrin/Faile is a going concern (but I think crucially in the show BEFORE they are married) which won't be for a season or two. Likely to be the first example of a ruler proactively pledging to Rand.

Jaichim Carridin, Liandrin's thirteen, Noam: Necessary but also won't be brought in until they're needed, and in the case of Liandrin's crew, will just be Black Ajah sisters as needed rather than a coherent group.

Pedron Niall, Dyelin, Darlin Sisnera, Faolain & Theodrin: I think elements of all of these characters will make the show (e.g. Elayne needs a buddy noble for the Succession, the Whitecloaks have to have a commander for Valda to assassinate, Egwene needs followers within the rebels) but they could be radically different and in some cases will likely take on other roles as well, though more likely than not under these names.

Rahvin, Gaul, Juilin, Tallanvor, Laras: I don't think any of these characters will make the cut for the show or if they do they'll be significantly merged with others. We only have room for two other male Forsaken and one of them has to be Asmodean, Tallanvor only matters if you do a Morgase storyline, Juilin and Laras are fun flavour and that's mostly it, and sorry Gaul fans but really what does he do aside from create sideshow romantic drama.

Be'lal: Out for sure since there's only 8 Forsaken.

Introduced in TSR

Lanfear-as-Lanfear (for Rand) and Moghedien...both don't show up until TSR actually, so we're ahead of the game there! Also possibly with Anvaere if she takes over Colavaere's later role (sob).

One other character note - it is still fascinating to me that the show chose to use obscure or non-existent names for the Brown sisters Verin spoke with in S2, as there are 30+ named Brown sisters in the books, many of whom could easily have filled those roles. The show isn't afraid to use existing sisters and even kill them (c.f. Maigan) so...what drove that decision? I thought it might be so they could be killed in the Tower Coup but now Maigan's dead I'm not sure!

Next time: worldbuilding!

#wheel of time #wot tv show #wot s2 spoilers #wot book spoilers #wot s3 speculation #I don't THINK I missed anybody v important but let me know if I did!

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nourrris · 1 month

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I'm happy there was no season 4.

This could either be a popular, or very unpopular opinion, I'm unsure as frankly I've only began watching two days ago, and finished the show already, (god it was beautiful).

Anyways, I very firmly believe anything after a season 3 would have likely ruined the storyline, it ended on such a beautiful note, something that's so perfectly them. I'm also in a way, happy they never actually did kiss, although realistically I had been rooting for it to happen, the fact it didn't doesn't bother me one bit, it really brings out all the intimacy in their prior actions, and words, I love that their love was batshit insane, that it didn't need a kiss or pda to believe it was reciprocated, frankly surrendering eachothers lives together was more than enough for a confirmation.

But continuing on, I believe a season 4 would have been too messy, they left s3 on a very difficult position to recover off, and a position that didn't need recovering either, it didn't need fixing or changing - not one bit. It was so perfect in my opinion, their last things they did was kill a man together to save one another, then kill themseleves together, literally how much more fitting could it have been for these murder husbands? It just worked so well, that nothing can be more intimate than death for them, in my opinion.

Latching onto the last part of the first section of the post, I really liked how they portrayed the reciprocity of Will's feelings towards Hannibal. When Bedelia ask's Will if he 'aches' for Hannibal too, and it cuts off to another scene, I generally already took that as a yes, as it was a big damn claim, I don't think it's something you easily hesitate on, not when the person in question is a cannibalistic murderer. When he chooses to save Hannibal, and jump off the cliff with him though, that is the real confirmation of course, choosing to leave his wife and son, all friends and absolutely every inch of the life he made - for Hannibal, a man he physically could not get over no matter how hard he tried.

It's perfect, sorry I just finished the show today (like a few hours ago) and I love it so dearly, I've never watched something where the ending felt so genuinely satisfying, even if it seemingly hadn't meant to felt like a finale in that manner, it worked amazingly, I'm very glad it wasn't a s2 situation with such an insane cliff hanger, or else I would have probably just.. never watched the show. Some say it does feel like a cliff hanger, but eventually you can come to terms and realize that their actions, a double suicide in the name of love(?) couldn't possibly surpass anything else they've done at that point, their action's have led them to either horribly idiotic situations, or blissful moments.

Lastly I wanted to mention my original assumption of the ending, I midway through season 2 found out Hannibal was actually a incomplete cancelled show, also prior to that I found through spoilers that will eventually has a wife. Those facts are important because I very weirdly am a person who cannot consume a media without spoilers, (my anxiety is due to that). So I just about know every ending of a show before I'm even halfway into it, although I tend to prefer to wait later, I wondered if finishing the show was worth it so i searched it up, and watched briefly the ending, It was very relieving as if it actually did truly end in a heterosexual way it would have immediately made me quit the show, as yes they are intimite but I still did want any type of closure, without it I would have felt at most pretty indifferent with the ending.

Anyways, the show is beautiful, I love it so so much, even if it's a complete change in genres for me, I love the characters, I love the artistry and creativity in the show, and god do I love the ending.

(edit a day later: guys i totally missed that last scene w bedelia at the end, i still prefer s3's ending but did not know it was implied they were alive!!??!)

#hannibal tv show #hannibal nbc #hannibal lecter #will graham #sorry if theres typos #tis 10:30am #ive been awake since 5pm #spent all day watching hannibal (whoops)

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densewentz · 9 months

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I am. Quaking over Crowley and Hanna cause AUGH they're so adorable. Getting up into antics! What do you think some of their adventures would be? Chaos at the nursery garden stores? Lurking in woods to find creatures? Sorry I just really wanna know.

"Can we get a 'wahoo'?"

First off thank you for the perfect reason to post this sketch!

I cannot even begin to imagine the terrors they rain on the general public tbh. Between Crowley still feeling jilted and Hanna feeling free for the first time, the limit is really their imaginations (of which they both posses quite a fair bit).

In fairness since this little au I'm simmering takes place pretty soon after the end of s2, they probably don't do a lot of REALLY outlandish stuff for a while. They'll stay local, probably spend time with Nina and Maggie and probably end up meeting the Them at some point. Crowley would also probably want to try and keep inconspicuous (hah) with heaven and hell looming over their heads and now with a squishy thing to protect. I LOVE the garden center chaos idea btw, shoutout anon, and Crowley's little pseudo Eden is definitely going to rapidly expand into a vibrant and terrified indoor oasis (skylights included). Shops in general are going to have to watch their backs (Crowley has a reason to go into many of them quite frequently now, and without his celestial counterpart to keep him from goofing off too much). Hanna is a big fan of the classic "run down the aisles of a toy store and rapidly push every single button you find" method of spreading foment.

Since Hanna hasn't had an opportunity to see/experience most of the world, I imagine they spend a LOT of time popping through museums/zoos/aquariums/etc. Crowley pointing out things he caused, things an... old friend caused, things that actually happened way differently but got recorded wrong. Hanna dragging her dad around and both of them getting WAY too into reading the information plaques for all the animals. Then seeing which animals freak tf out if her dad flashes his eyes. (The giftshops get terrorized if there arent enough fungus-themed objects, although there is always miraculously at least one). They probably break into a lot/if not most of the exhibits after hours to take selfies for Crowley's rapidly growing photo album. Hanna sits at the shark touch tank and loudly proclaims how smooth they are. And since im a sucker for I-Want-To-Share-The-Stars Crowley, they probably pop over to an observatory or break into idk, where they keep the telescope on the Canary Islands or something. And he'll tell her what he remembers about the Creation and what it feels like to hold a new star in your hand. Hanna will curl up against Crowley's chest and get lost in his voice and the distant glitter of a world her dad designed. They probably also commit crimes. Not major crimes, mind you, although that's due more to Crowley's occasional sense of "as a parent i probably shouldn't let you" than any unwillingness on Hanna's part. But she'll definitely help him move signs or infiltrate office buildings and other assorted sabotages. She 100% gets her own little version of the Fuck Shit Up Jacket, and whether he likes it or not the Bentley has decided Hanna gets to pick the getaway music.

It doesn't really count as demonic but Crowley DOES keep a bag of spare change and googly eyes for Hanna to glue to things at will while they're out.

But tbh i imagine the most trouble she gets into is if she's left alone with Muriel. Evidently Hanna has her father's talent for tempting angels into misbehaving or at least into not noticing that they are, in fact, misbehaving in the human sense. Crowley usually feels almost bad for the baby angel but, needs must. and sometimes he needs a babysitter. The rule is SUPPOSED to be that if Hanna is with Muriel, they DO. NOT. LEAVE. the bookshop (they always leave the bookshop).

At one point she meets a boy named Kian at a pub called the New Inn. Crowley very desperately wants her to not want to spend time with Kian for reasons he refuses to explain 💕

At any rate if anyone ever wants to write or draw anything with Hanna they're more than welcome to and also I'll probably cry a lot so Cheers! Thank you for the ask (apologies for my signature long-winded answer)!

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