#and i think if it connected to the plot

[unsurebisexualcore]

So here's the second third of the story/idea i'd written for s5, here's the link to the first third if anyone is at all curious: https://www.tumblr.com/unsurebisexualcore/724455275102404608/i-wrote-the-idea-for-this-around-the-same-time-s4?source=share The last third still isnt written, and im unsure if it ever will be, but yeah, i'm just happy if even one person reads it :)

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“Darlin’ you’ve got to let me know”

Will gasped.

He’d heard that voice before.

“Should I stay or should I go”

There it was again. The rasp of a man, not different from the belting notes that chirred from Johnathan’s dingy old speaker at odd hours of the night.

“If, you say that you are mine”

Will could practically imagine feeling the bumbling chords vibrating up his arms as he brushed his fingers over the buzzing speaker, Johnathan’s soft whispers overlaying Joe Strummer’s rebellious vocals as they mouthed along to the lyrics.

“I’ll be here til the end of time”

“No,” Vecna growled. His mangled face had transformed into an expression of inescapable rage. “No”

“So, you’ve got to let me know!”

The vines encircling Will’s neck wavered. 

“Should I stay or should I go!”

---

A girl stepped out of the shadows before them. She had been out of sight for so long, Mike had nearly forgotten she was even there. 

Her hand was outstretched, reaching for the discarded radio scattered by his foot. Her fingers quavered, bloodshot eyes glossy and hardened as she breathed harshly through her nose.

“Don’t stop!” Lucas shouted. He pointed at Will, whose arms had now hauntingly risen perpendicular to his body. 

“He’s almost got him, don’t stop!”

The music became louder, crystal clear, pulsing through every crevice, absorbing into the air until the house itself rang with the restless percussive and instrumentalist might that was The Clash. 

---

The blurred red sky burned sharp against Vecna’s outline. Will could see the fear imprinted into his captors face, the panicked tension in his powers as the creepers restraining Will’s legs fell slack.

In a split second Will felt his fight or flight response snap. 

He jerked forward and kicked Vecna dead center in the chest, right over the still-healing bullet wound Nancy had given him not days ago. 

Hard.

Vecna wailed in pain. He caved backwards, his attention breaking. The vines tying Will up retreated like slapped animals, dropping him to the ground.

Will gasped, grabbing his bruising neck as his lungs quickly filled with stale air. 

“Don't move” Vecna howled angrily, sending a sickening jolt of energy though the strangled boy crumpled not far from him. 

Will darted to his feet, his head spinning as the steady beating of drums quickened, Strummer’s voice warbling as he charged head first into the chorus. 

There, on the horizon. A portal wavered not far away, a faded gateway cut into the furious crimson skyline like a hole between two realms. The music streamed out of the exit with bravado, chorusing grandly, the words drawing Will towards it like a life buoy dragging him to safety. 

He stumbled, drowning out Vecna’s enraged screams. His footfalls fell in sync to the pounding beat as he broke into a staggering run, letting the buoyant symphony of instrumentals lead him forward. A slithering vine flashed into the path before him, reaching for his ankles like a snake. He leapt over it just in time, crushing it under his foot. A second later a dagger of rock the size of a car fell from the sky, grazing the back of his calf and crumbling into the ground, nearly throwing him off balance. Another nearly took his arm off when he tried to dodge an assault of vines once again attacking his legs. He wasted no time looking looking back at Vecna, who was now throwing everything he had at Will in order to stop him. Will’s gaze was locked onto the portal. His field of vision narrowed as his survival instincts kicked into high gear. 

Only one thought ran through his head.

Get to the portal. 

“Should i stay or should I go now”

The voice from the heavens sang. The image within the portal sharpened as Will approached it. The blurry features of the four people standing in the gateway became discernible. Will felt another surge of strength as his friend’s faces emerged through the haze. 

“Should I stay or should I go now”

Will tripped over a crevice in the ground, slowing down slightly. El was the closest to him. Even from his distance, he could see the strained concentration tightening his sister’s pallid face. A spot of fresh blood dripping down her upper lip. He could now see Lucas and Dustin clearly. They were both staring upwards, at what must have been Will’s body hung in the air. He could hear their panic-stricken voices screaming his name. 

Except there was one voice missing. 

One face not turned up at him. 

“If I go there will be trouble”

There, behind Lucas, was a familiar figure. A tall, lanky boy dressed in deep blue, whose freckled face and curly black hair had a special place in Will’s mind. He felt his chest soar at the sight of his best friend, his heart, waiting for him on the other side. 

“If I stay there will be double”

But Mike wasn’t looking up at Will.

He was standing next to El. 

He had a hand on El’s shoulder. His mouth moved soundlessly as he stared at her intently, no doubt trying to comfort her with some words of encouragement. Unlike Lucas and Dustin, Will couldn’t tell if Mike even noticed his body floating in the air. Like Mike was ignoring him. 

Like he didn’t care.

“So you’ve got to let me know”

Will’s steps faltered, a pang of hurt tumbling into his heart. A vine snapped forward, curling around Will’s foot. He looked down and shrieked in shock, and quickly kicked it away.

He looked back up, and his heart dropped into his stomach. 

Mike had looked up. His brows were furrowed, sudden anger silently brewing over his gentle face. He glared up at Will’s body, with an expression that Will could only describe as fierce, bitter, hatred. 

“Should I stay or should I go!”

And finally, through the chorus of screams and cried of his name, Will heard Mike’s voice.

“Go away!”

And Will stopped.

---

“Go away!” Mike screamed into the empty air surrounding Will’s body.

“Vecna, leave him alone!”

Words could not describe the raw, uncontrollable rage that was coursing through his body. The immeasurable dosage of fear swirling around in his head just barely stopped him for wanting to walk straight into the Upside Down and strangle Vecna to death singlehandedly right there and then.

“Mike!” El shouted in pain, tears prickling in her eyes.

“Let me go please you are hurting me!”

“Sorry!” Mike yelped, realizing he had El’s shoulder trapped in a death grip. 

“Sorry, sorry! Hold on okay, don’t lose connection!”

“I won’t” she said fiercely, her jaw clenched tightly.

“Let him go!” Dustin yelled, his hands cupped around his mouth as he too addressed the air above them. “Let him go you bastard!”

The song had pulled away into the second verse. Bits of static were now feeding into the musical flow, but El was holding strong. 

“He’s fighting him,” Lucas said almost to himself, nodding nervously. “Will’s fighting back. He’s gonna be okay”

“Fight him Will!” Mike shouted, a shard of grief breaking in his voice. 

“Don’t let him take you!”

---

Within seconds an army of creepers dragged Will to the ground. Will didn’t fight them. He sat there dumbly, a strange, numbing sensation over-taking his limbs. Tears slipped silently down his icy cheeks, though he couldn’t feel the sadness that echoed behind them. Damp vines slithered over his arms and legs, but when they tightened, he couldn’t feel the cold strangling him like before. An empty chasm had finally caved into where his heart had once been. 

Not happy. Not hurt. 

Just empty. 

So he just sat there staring at the dark green vines wrapped around his wrists, the vague sound of his friends slowly fading away as his mind became still. 

As everything became still.

Like finally, finally, he’d given up. For real this time, every atom in his body really, truly, giving up. 

Through the haze he heard a pair of footsteps slowly approach him.

Vecna had come to claim his final victim. 

And Will wasn’t going to stop him.

But when Will looked up, it was not Vecna’s demonic face who stared down at him. 

It was a man.

A young man that too, for he could not have been much older than Johnathan. He was dressed simply in white, a sharp contrast against the supernatural world around them. His neat blond hair was combed and swept out of his face tidily, revealing two handsome blue eyes. 

He looked as if he belonged in a hospital, or a nursing home. Certainly not in the Upside Down. 

But there was something unexplainably consoling about his gentle  expression, the sympathetic understanding in his smile, that made Will overlook this.

“May I sit?”

His voice was delicate and quiet against the boom of thunder around them, yet also somehow solemn and commanding at the same time. 

Will nodded wordlessly. 

The man sat down calmly, the amicable smile never leaving his mouth. 

Will stared at him. Though he was never a very religious person, in this utter hellscape, the man seemed almost angelic to Will, so at peace in this place of disharmony and agitation. 

A face not yet scarred by the fiery red lighting sparking the air. 

A body not yet disfigured by banishment from the real world. 

But those blue eyes were the same.

Smooth, dark blue, peering into Will’s like he was looking directly into his soul.

“You’re One,” Will mumbled. “Henry. Vecna.”

The man’s smile widened, something like pride turning up the corners of his lips. 

“That depends, what name do you prefer?”

“It’s the same either way”

One chuckled softly.

“You’re a smart one aren’t you?”

Will looked away, staring into the distance soundlessly. 

The music in the air was growing louder, edging into the second chorus with renewed courage and gallantry.

“I knew your sister, you know?” One said serenely, glancing at the portal not 50 yards away.

“She told me about you,” Will muttered. “You tried to kill her.”

One nodded, hardly remorseful.

“That I did. Not much good it did me, as you can probably see.”

Will turned back and looked at him.

“She told me you created this place. This… hell. She said you wanted her to join you. Why?”

One sighed and glanced down at his lap. 

“Because I was different, Will Byers. I wasn’t normal”

He raised his hand and brushed his fingers out from his palm. The vines fastening Will to the ground scattered, lurking a couple feet away just out of sight.

 “I didn’t ask for these powers. For a long time I thought they were a curse, that my existence had somehow upset some higher power, and this was my punishment But I was born to have them. They are what make me different, what alienates me from the others. With them, I can never be... normal”

Will watched One carefully. An unexpected flash of empathy struck a chord his heart, and his stare unwillingly softened.

One looked back at Will.

“I thought Eleven was different. I thought she would understand me. Understand our shared potential.”

“But I was wrong.”

One’s voice suddenly turned cold.

“You see Eleven was not like me. She was a coward, a people-pleaser, just like the rest of them. 

This place…” One looked out to the vast thunderous dimension as if regarding it with bitter acceptance. 

“It was meant to be my prison, as it was yours not three years ago. Our eternal damnation for what we’d done on the other side. But you see Will Byers, it is anything but”

A smile flickered over One’s face. He raised his hand slowly from his lap, his palm facing up to the raging clouds, steady and gradual. Will felt the chill catch in his throat before he could see it. A flame of cold rippling through him like a blade slicing clean into his skin. The prickle of shadow slipping over his eyes. 

From the range of towering mountains in the distance a giant figure rose from the horizon. It’s reaching, spider-like arms blotted out the crimson hurricane in the stratosphere. 

Will jerked backwards, something like cold, dark fear trapped in his chest. He willed himself to retreat, to get to his feet and run as every muscle in his legs trembled to launch. 

“Don't be afraid, Will” One said softly. In his eyes Will saw a sort of gentle reverence, as he gazed at the dark monstrosity of his own creation.

“It can't hurt you here”

The hairs along Will’s arms quivered with static as the storm above him intensified. The crack of lightning rang brutally against his eardrums. 

Will gasped in fear. A shock of energy took hold of his chest, his eyes widening as the electricity dispersed into his bloodstream, rippling like fire. A fierce gale whipped at his icy face as the sky closed down upon him. Smooth particles kicked up by the cyclone that suddenly encased him blew silt and charcoal black dust into his mouth and ears. Sparks of red snapped before his eyes like blinding firecrackers, briefly illuminating the storm consuming him. 

“Help!” He screamed, choking on his poisoned breath. He stumbled as he stood up, the frenzied gusts knocking him every which way as he struggled to regain his balance. 

“Help, let me go! LET ME GO!”

“You don’t have to fight it anymore, Will!” A pressure steadied his shoulder and suddenly One was standing next to him again. A glint of lightning bathed his face in vermillion. Will locked eyes with him, trying desperately to search past the shine of encouragement in his deep blue irises.

“No more running away! No more hiding! You can be free in this place, the both of us! I can show you the gifts it can give!”

One looked into the wall of storm billowing around them. From the sky the Mind Flayer emerged, silent to the roar of the wind. 

“Let it take you! Let it’s powers flow through your veins. Let it finish what was meant to be done long ago!”

Will’s feet lifted from the trembling ground, his arms opening as his face tilted up towards the sky.

And finally, he embraced the chaos, allowing it to take over him. He opened his eyes, and let out a cry of pain as a charged bolt of blinding red came crashing down upon him. 

Then, there was silence.

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I know that Mike showing care for El to be Will's breaking point is kind of toxic and unrealistic, but that was kind of what I was going for is like from Will's POV he's literally on death's doorstep and yet Mike is still focused on El, showing that he is an unreliable narrator (as proven by s3/s4), and that in the long list of ignored and unhealed traumas he's experienced, when his life's value is (seemingly) invalidated to that degree, he just gives up, and accepts the thought that he's always going to be a defective and unlovable part of society. And that projection of isolation makes him see a kinship between him and One, and vice versa as to why One/Vecna would want Will to join him instead of just use and kill him. Anyway I feel like seeing Noah and Jamie Lee Campbell act together would be a super cool dynamic and they would work off each other very interestingly

#byler #byler fanfic #will byers #stranger things #i also wanted a callback to should i stay or should i go #and i think if it connected to the plot #like if i go there will be trouble if will chose the party and go back to hawkins vecna would still be a problem and “trouble” (like s1) #but if he stays in the upside down with vecna and joins him then there will be double bc 1 vecna gives him powers so he's like his general #and two the party now has to fight against someone they know and love and can't just kill calling back to a s2-esque conflict #except this time will is giving into the upside down not fighting it #will byers has powers #or will #later in the idea for this #if i write it #i like the idea of red lightning themed powers

[kooldewd123]

one of the funniest underrated parts of animorphs to me is the fact that time travel is a surprisingly common plot point, and yet it kinda gets glossed over because it almost never factors into the story in a way that actually matters. like. jake dies crossing the delaware but gets better on a technicality. there were aliens on earth at the same time as the dinosaurs but the asteroid got them too. time travel is a known phenomenon that the andalites have studied, but we don’t actually get any explanation for it because ax was distracted in class that day. everyone went back in time 24 hours and then died and forgot everything. two separate members of the main cast are different varieties of time anomalies and really the only effect it has on them is tobias getting over his family issues. jake is shown a prophetic vision of a world where the yeerks win and we just never get an explanation for what the fuck that was about. every time time travel is brought up, it contradicts at least one other time travel plotline. this is the series that taught me to never take time travel seriously in fiction and i can’t thank it enough for that. this is hilarious.

#i think the only time time travel actually significantly impacts the plot #is in the seventh book when the ellimist shows them the future #and they use those visions to figure out where the kandrona is #there's also the whole thing with tobias and elfangor of course #but the ellimist's time shenanigans are less important than the actual familial connection #animorphs #idiot teenagers with a death wish #koolmathgames.com

[rustytrident]

seeing all these mixed opinions ab nightbringer and here i am giggling and kicking my feet cause we get to rizz up the demons all over again

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me nightbringer #like don't get me wrong i appreciate the bonds mc has in the og obey me and value them lots #seeing mammon and not having the immediate option to devour his face made my heart break #the only thing u absolutely HATED i when solomon said that we just disappeared....... from the other om! world..... #what. #and what about the BROTHERS. #can you even imagine what /they/ are going through? #anyway maybe it's just me being emo but yeah. i rrly like nightbringer! i think it's a better way to find out ab what happened #than through flashbacks and the total chaos of the plot that was the og om! #and i loooovevevveveveeee how it just shows that mc and the bros are connected no matter when or where #like. back in time? in alternate universes? in the far away future? we love each other all the same #and i love how that takes shape in the game. it's such a pretty thing in my eyes but then again i have the mental age of 163 #so i get excited ab everything

[fryingtimes]

Broke: Pol and Slime can't log in because the admins are developing the storyline for island lore

Woke: Pol and Slime can't log in because the admins are developing the storyline for their ROMANCE

#all im saying is they had a connection #i am a slimariana supporter to my core. that being said i think it would be quite the plot twist. #slimariana angst bc slime chose someone else and pol angst bc my man does not want to be a father and now he's got two egg children #qsmp #slimepol

[janewayintersection]

can we talk about how the mars mission + huerta visits were the ultimate hurt/comfort angsty reconciliation fluff... IN CANON

#mass effect #shenko #shepley #kaidan alenko #ashley williams #i get the complaints about it knocking the VS out of the plot for a couple of missions and i agree but also. #i wouldnt trade the 'VS gets hurt' plot for anything bc its just so deliciously angsty #like think about it. garrus getting a rocket to the face is only talked about for a couple voice lines and then they all move on #we get the mars mission. shepard carrying VS to the shuttle. and then worrying about them. #THEN THE HOSPITAL VISITS (3 of them!!!!!!!) with optional flirting and connection and then the DRAMATIC STANDOFF #where if you have high affinity from visiting. they will just believe you without any persuasion needed. BC THEY TRUST YOU AGAIN AND AAHHHU

[honorthysalad]

Seems like Yoshiki’s eyes are starting to lose shape whenever he’s stressed out, starting with his left pupil getting more jagged when he’s putting back ‘Hikaru’s head in ch22, and then in ch24, his left iris moves to the side.

#I did think the right could’ve been an eye shine or whatever #But applying parsimony to this #I can only find one example of Yoshiki having an eye shine (ch13 when he’s talking to Mikasa about kaourus yukata) #So it would be very atypical for him to be draw with one #However him becoming more and more inhuman is an important plot point #So it would be less to presumptuous to think these are connected scenes of Yoshiki becoming more like ‘hikaru’ in regard #Of having his left eye shift when he grows upset #Than moku was feeling a little silly today and gave him an eye shine #the summer hikaru died #hgsn #hikaru ga shinda natsu #hgsn spoilers #my hgsn shit #HGSN eyes #Once again having a ‘who’s glasses are these in ch10’ moment #Wherein I’m scouring pages looking for times Yoshiki has an eye shine #In order to dispel the strawman I put up myself #If you have any more examples of eye shine Yoshiki or Yoshiki w/ messed up eyes #Feel free to add to this post w/ them

[fictionadventurer]

Unexpectedly brilliant choice for The Santa Clause movie to have (most of) its elves played by children. Usually, eternally young elves are, like, 20 to 30 years old. But this eternal youth is eternal childhood. These elves maintain the childlike faith and wonder of "the spirit of Christmas" that makes the North Pole such a magical place. Children know this place exists without seeing it, so of course the elves that run it are eternal children!

But that's also why Santa Claus has to be an adult! Children receive the wonders of Christmas, but giving and charity are adult actions. Santa Claus has to be childlike enough in spirit to maintain wonder and faith, but adult enough to provide for all the children of the world. The nonsensical worldbuilding might have a thematic point to make!

Whether it was intentional or unintentional, it's kind of a brilliant expression of the movie's themes of childhood vs. maturity, and I can't believe I've only just now considered it.

#the santa clause #we did this year's family rewatch #and my takeaway was that this might be the best movie with a plot that makes no sense #and i think it's because the themes and emotions have an underlying coherence #even if the character actions don't always make sense #the post's insights came after catching a flash of it on tv #and suddenly connecting the child faces with the theme of child-like faith from the rewatch

[fromtheseventhhell]

I want to make a longer post about this someday but: I think Arya's TWOW arc is going to include her coming to terms with her identity as a Lady. This has been an ongoing conflict with her since her first chapter and I think her flowering in winds is going to mark a turning point. The theory of her having an apprenticeship with the courtesans holds a lot of weight and the idea of Arya going through puberty among a group of unconventional women she's fostered a positive relationship with is just too perfect. It would really have an impact on Arya reconciling her personal idea of what a Lady should be. There's also a lot that she could learn from them in terms of courtesies, communication, appearances, body-language, etc. that would elevate her current skill-set and ways her relationship with them could push the plot.

Not to mention she will undoubtedly reclaim her identity as Arya Stark, and her being a Lady is inseparable from that. Arya Stark is a Lady Stark and being a Lady is a social position, not a measure of how well someone preforms feminine tasks. She shouldn't have to relinquish her position because she doesn't fit patriarchal standards. That's not to say that she's ever going to be the perfect example of a traditional Lady but what I think will happen is that she becomes capable of playing the part. She plays several identities throughout the series but she's always been Arya underneath, so I think it's appropriate that she learns to adopt a "persona" that's part of her. Her remembering Ned putting on his "Lord's face" (+ the various examples of other characters being separate from their ruling persona) makes me think that Arya will be donning her "Lady's face" when she makes a return to Westeros.

#arya stark #asoiaf #twow speculations #Arya has been through so much traumatic shit and I think her flowering is going to bring up a lot of her self-esteem issues #I just really need her surrounded by kind older women when that happens so she can have some comfort #George saying her arc in braavos could be the plot of a YA novel?? definitely makes me think she's going to grow up a lot there #she's already one of the most mature characters so I think part of it's going to be her accepting her duty as a Stark Lady #she wants to help and protect people and the best way she can do that is if she has political power #She could learn that first hand in TWOW #possibly through her finding out about her marriage??? and meeting Jeyne in Braavos?? #and before someone says it courtesans are so much more then sex work so I don't want to hear it #they are such a big part of Braavosi high life...they're cultured and connected with very important people #I just have so many thoughts on the subject cause I think her apprenticeship with them will serve multiple purposes #the faceless men and their plans...the iron bank...the sealord...It's all connected and I think her apprenticeship with them will kick off #the braavos plot and could mark the beginning of the end of her time with the faceless men and in braavosi #half a boy half a wolf pup -> half a lady half a wolf #I think her current skillset fits well and it's likely she'll learn even more in TWOW #Arya defining her own role as a Lady and becoming comfortable means so much to me

[moonpaw]

the more i play rejuvenation the more i'm just so. baffled and appreciative at the makers of this game because. there's so much work into it. i have well over 100 hours into this game that's been pure storyline without having to do any grinding and its just? there's so much love into this game and they did it for FREE

#pokemon rejuvenation #there's sidequests too! and theres major sidequests that are connected TO the plot #and like you can skip or not do the side quests of course but if you do them. oh my god. #the lore connections you can get #the character flesh-outs #i love to see it #long ass story heavy lore i fucking LOVE this stuff #ohhh im gonna be so sad when im caught up but also im already thinking about replaying it #perhaps after i give reborn a shot #idfk what that game is about but it is by the same team #but rejuvenation. man. man....... #it really has it all

[strawberrybyers]

hahaha omg it’s castle byers 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 looks like the castle byers that’s still standing in the upside down. haha of course i’m completely normal about this. i am totally normal 👌

also, lucas’ watch says the time is 2:12:18. but what about the number above that?? is it saying the date is 11/2 (november 2nd) or 11/12 (november 12th)??? because if it says november 2nd then i’m just thinking about that on the last november 2nd in stranger things is when will and mike have that conversation about the shadow monster and mike telling will he’s going to be safe…. if it says november 12th then that’s the date that will was rescued from the upside down….

#my brain is THINKING #this show will never let me rest #and because i am a bttf truther. #if the date says 11/12 then that’s the day marty was able to go back to his original timeline and is also the day he plotted to get his #parents together so he wouldn’t be erased from the timeline #i write more on that in my pinned post if you’re interested in reading about the connection of dates between stranger things and bttf #bttf = back to the future #byler #stranger things

[raayllum]

Anyway I wanna talk about hands in Finnegrin’s Wake

This is not my last or even my deepest meta dive on the episode by any means but I’m a bitch who appreciates consistent symbolism and the Hand Motif is on fire this episode so like, let’s talk about it.

The first thing to establish is the (understandable) importance of hands in Callum’s mage arc, given that you draw runes with your hands and hold magical objects, etc. This is in line with primal magic yes

but also with dark magic, highlighted explicitly in S4. 

By being tied to primal / Sky magic, Callum’s hands (and ability to use them to help his friends, do magic, etc) is tied to freedom. This is also linked to chains/bondage with Rayla’s wrist binding and dark magic, metaphorically, for Callum. So it makes sense that 5x08, an episode that is very much about primal and dark magic and subsequent themes of freedom vs control is likewise obsessed with this hand motif.

However, I want to talk about Rayla, and Callum, and how the hand motif, dark magic use, and Callum’s connection to the Ocean arcanum are set up this season. Briefly on the last one (that can be a meta on its own I want to dive into, pun intended, in tandem with adding S4′s development to it) because post for another day, but I think it’s worthwhile to mention.

For starters, there’s Finnegrin having a direct callback to Callum’s line from 5x04 with Rayla (which is also being paralleled to Viren and Claudia’s “I’ll do anything” in 5x03 an episode prior). And with Callum’s hand clasped over his wrist, foreshadowing the ‘anything’ he’ll do will be to literally undo his chains (and to metaphorically take some on) in order to save Rayla by the end of the episode. 

But we see Callum repeat this “wrist rubbing” motion a few times this episode (pin in it for later) in addition to the repeated emphasis in S5 with Callum always being the one to reach for / take Rayla’s hand. Although she and Callum are undoubtedly in a much better place than they were in S4 in repairing their relationship, Rayla still initiates almost zero contact with him across the course of S4 and S5 (grabbing his elbow and wiping his drool away when he’s asleep in 4x03; placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder in 4x09; resting her head on his shoulder in 5x02; touching his face in 5x08 to provide comfort). 

This is a far cry from how touchy-feely she is with him in Arc 1, initiating much more contact than he does, but in S4 and S5 we see this switch around; almost anytime they’re being physically affectionate, Callum is the one initiating.

However, one thing hasn’t changed, and it’s that Callum is almost always the one, across seasons, to initiate handholds (3x01 and the back half of S3 once they’re a couple being the exceptions). And S4 (4x09) and S5 are no exception.

Okay, great, he holds her hand. So what? Well...

In 5x08, Callum does dark magic again outright and connects to the Ocean arcanum primarily out of love for her. As confirmed by the writers on twitter, Callum had to accept exactly what he says in 5x08 about the ocean - that it’s about unfathomable depths, embracing the unknown (even or especially when it scares you) and accepting that there are things you can’t control. And the lack of answers about Rayla’s whereabouts, “I don’t know how to feel about Rayla either,” and “I have to go after him” “I know” helped pave the way for Callum to reach those conclusions in 5x01 and 5x08 alike: “To love is to simply know this: the tides are true as the ocean is deep.” And that realization included accepting that he’d done dark magic (and would do dark magic) to protect her.

So it’s not surprising, therefore, that while connecting to the Ocean arcanum, Callum looks at his hand, and rubs the same wrist as before, almost like he’s mimicking the crushing motion he would’ve done with the slug. 

Or indeed that it’s a gesture Viren does in his dark magic induced dreams, and during Callum’s arcanum speech, either, if inversed. 

Callum is accepting that the depths he can’t see, his “I would do anything for you” promises and inclinations, are a (dark) path he can’t entirely see and understand, but something he knows lives inside him, and has for a long time: “But not everything’s changed.” 

Darkness equals dark magic equals chains, and Callum has enough self awareness (that Viren did not) to know more so of what he’s walking into, and that’s precisely why it scares him. Why, by the end of 5x08, even as it’s revealed how he got his chains off, it’s clear they’re not gone. Not really. Not to him. Especially considering now he knows exactly where dark magic leads in ways he didn’t before in 2x07: Aaravos. (“As long as we protect each other, as long as we love each other, you can never control us” and now Callum knows that isn’t necessarily true, because he gave up the info to Finnegrin, and he willingly took another step down a dangerous path.)

Which is why I love that Rayla is the one to reach for him, to gently touch his shoulder and then his face and pull him into a hug. And I love the way Callum hesitates to place his hands - powerful, ‘tainted,’ chained - around her like another link in said chain, so different and yet so similar from their hug in 2x04 about a lack of magic, and now having arguably too much. And all of it - the dark magic use, the metaphorical and literal chains, the devotional key of the Ocean arcanum, the hands - synonymous with his love for Rayla.

#tdp callum #tdp #rayllum #tdp meta #the dragon prince #hand motif #callum #multi #s5 #5x08 #could do a whole thing on elmer and how he thematically connects to the possession plot line but again #meta for another day <3 #analysis series #tdp spoilers #s5 spoilers #analysis #yes i Did hurt my own feelings writing this one thank you for asking #the fact i stayed so on topic for this one is Truly Incredible i think #i would do anything for you

[chirpsythismorning]

My hottest take of all time is that Mike is (was) the main character of Stranger Things.

Now, do I think he still is? No. Not really.

TBH I would argue that ALL the OG's are main characters in their own way at this point, with them all getting somewhat similar amounts of screen-time across the board by s4.

But if we're talking about the first two seasons, Finn was indeed credited before both Millie and Noah. The only actors that were credited before him were Winona and David (respectfully).

Just rewatching s1-2, you can see very clearly that Mike is being framed as the main character, with his perspective being favored in big group sequences, with us following him places that we don't really follow others, and for longer periods of time.

What I find interesting, is that even though Noah revealed recently that the Duffer's have been slowly building up/hinting at Will's feelings for Mike since the beginning, it's Mike whose perspective we were usually seeing in all those moments.

In s1, we see Mike looking for Will, with Noah only having like a handful of scenes that entire season. We also get more of a focus on Mike's reactions in comparison to the other party members.

In s2, we see Mike making every effort to support Will all season. It's Mike whose reaching out to Will constantly, calling to see why he's not at school, going by his house, sleeping over for days and staying by his bedside at Hawkins lab. Although Will arguably plays a bigger role in the upside down aspect of the show this season, a large portion of Mike and Will moments focused on Mike's feelings for Will being shared through Mike's POV, and not so much the other way around.

It isn't until s3 that Millie starts being credited before Finn (and respectfully so, as she was arguably bringing in more hype in terms of fandom excitement back in those days, so I do get it). And so we're arguably going from Mike centric (s1), to Will centric (s2), to El centric (s3).

As a result, we also started seeing less of Mike's POV. Though, to be fair there are 10+ new characters joining every season, so EVERYONE is getting less screen-time, every season.

But isn't it so convenient, that when we start getting less insight into Mike's POV, he starts acting strange...? And we don't really get outright answers as to why? Answers that we would probably have if we had Mike's POV as much as we used to?

S3 is when we started getting Will's POV more when it came to him and Mike's relationship. Their dynamic sort of flips between s1-2 vs. s3-4.

Not to say we never get Mike's POV anymore, but when we do, it's hard to discern and so most people overlook it completely on the rare occasion that it does pop up.

Anyways, this whole concept reminded me of the main character shots we got at the end of s4.

These were shots that had multiple characters in the frame, but with only (1) person specifically at the forefront...

YALL KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS???

Arguably, these three main characters storyline's are tied together in a substantial way, and how it all plays out could have been foreshadowed, by the very order and even blocking of these shots.

Think about it.!?!.

Mike was arguably the main character of s1, which means getting his POV at the forefront again would be going back to the shows roots.

Will is arguably the main character of s2, and so blending Mike's arc (ending with Mike hugging Hopper hmmmmmm... Mike accepting his sexuality??) with Will's unreliable narrator arc being resolved (ending with Will and Mike side by side hmmmmmmm... Will getting the boy??), and this combined with Will's connection to the upside down, blending perfectly with his wonder twin, El's storyline (El walking passed Mike and Will.... El dumping his ass again??), with her now at the forefront as the main character, arguably just like in s3, except now she has full autonomy for the first time in the show, she knows her worth, she's accepted herself. And this all coming to a head with those three and everyone in the shows arcs being resolved by the end??

BITCH???

#stranger things #stranger things 5 #stranger things meta #stranger things theory #byler #st5 headcanon #i think i cracked it yall #those shots make perfect sense now #and everything they've said about s5 makes sense #about going back to s1 roots #aka getting Mike's pov so that the audience realizes they actually love him after learning what he's been feeling/thinking #about will playing a major role #aka finding out the truth about Wills connection to the upside down and him getting the boy #and them telling us little to nothing about el's future tells everything #aka the biggest plot twist of all #el's independence arc #is being saved for last #and it's all going to be epic #i don't even think the ga realizes that they want this #they're not going to know until they're watching it for themselves #but basically everything unraveling this way is more true to the show than any other alternative #it perfectly circles back to the beginning and everything will just fall into place...

[virnuileva-peto]

Didn't have time yet to analyse Huhhahhei but so far I have this one theory. Mostly a wild guess and I can't wait to see other explanations, especially from Finnish speakers who could point out all the linguistic details. (I don't even speak Finnish, have patience)

The story, as explained in the insta live, is that a lady is boldly flirting with Käärijä, and he is a bit shy about it but generally likes it. They spend the night together, and Käärijä enjoys it a lot, but in the end he is worried if she will still be there in the morning.

The part "huh (huh) hah hah hah huhhahhei" has the same rhythm as "Cha cha cha cha cha cha chaaa" (especially if you ignore the second "huh"), suggesting a connection between HHH and CCC.

My interpretation is that the lady is a metaphor for fame, which came abruptly, surprised Käärijä and swept him off his feet, and he decided to just roll with it, and while he greatly enjoys it, ultimately he's worried it will all be gone without a trace really soon. And since the fame came from CCC, you can hear an echo of that song here as well.

#käärijä #huhhahhei #i think the songs are connected but not by plot #CCC is just a song in HHH and does not happen in-universe #on the other hand ICIP might be about the very party where the lady started flirting so it's the same story #so while ICIP is about the party being non-stop and tiresome. HHH shows that it's still a great experience. two sides of fame #idk that's how i see it so far #analysis

[bonefall]

As a big sibling with a lil sib with epilepsy, when they read TBC they Honestly thought if they got struck with lightning reciting the lord's prayer they'd be cured like Shadowsight is from their epilepsy. I had a discussion with them on how that's not how it works, but ge was so upset they took it away from Shadowsight that he hasn't picked the books back up and has stated that 'he hopes Ashfur wins and starts a new religion.,'

I do not even know how to respond to this besides saying that your little sibling is 100% right to be pissed and I now also hope Ashfur wins and starts a new religion.

#Legit I did not know that Shadow's epilepsy being taken away was so deeply upsetting to SO MANY people #I put it back because putting it back was just the right thing to do (even asked the small following I had at the time what type to portray #(they picked the full tonic-clonics. I would have just done localized or absence if they'd asked me to) #And I did all that research for one single anon who asked for an epilepsy herb guide #So holy cow I didn't know that SO MANY people were snubbed and upset by canon's choice to do that. I'm so sorry #Your little sib isn't missing anything btw they do just go on to confirm that Shadow no longer has seizures. #In book 4 of TBC they say that it was all Ash all along and that's what they've stuck with into ASC #I'm sitting on an essay about... That plot thread. The Ashfur Grooming one #But it's in my drafts because I was a bit afraid of controversy #because i think it was written poorly. Even on top of Book 4's pivot to retcon away Shadow's seizures #I know a lot of people like and are invested in the grooming subplot of TBC. But. I think it was executed AWFULLY #and its really telling that THIS is the plot they tout as grooming *by name* in-canon.-- #--and that Shadow has to 'pay' for what he 'did' in some way as if there was ever a choice in the books they wrote-- #--But seemingly didn't even seem to clock that what was happening in Spotted's H was grooming until there was intense backlash #and a big part of my contention is the way that Book 4 suddenly tries to retcon that Shadow was groomed from the time he was a child #when it was actually part of book 1 that Shadow was able to personally tell the difference between a real vision and Ash's suggestions-- #--BECAUSE he didn't have an accompanying seizure #So like... just know it's also NOT just 'you' if you connected to the character that was epileptic. It WAS there. It was a BIG part of him #Book 4 retconned it so that his epilepsy was part of a long scheme when before that point it was part of him #''ohh ur destiny is to see into the shadows'' BULL SHIT!! #bone babble

[ddenji]

asaden nation…. how are we feeling….

okay but on a real note…. denji acknowledging the way that violence informs all of his relationships and how he wants to escape that so badly!!! he wants something good and normal, or perhaps just normal to the extent that he’s not getting hurt, which is like the baseline thing you could ask for in a relationship!!! on the flipside, readers know that yoru was technically the one who kissed him & she is actively trying to kill him from inside the body of the girl he likes…. which does not seem promising for his goal of not getting hurt!!!! but also the girl he likes does like him, as both a human and chainsaw man no less, which does seem promising for his goal of being in a relationship!!! idk. to me, i feel like their relationship & how they treat each other is gonna be a big part of this story /the ending bc they’re both so vulnerable & desparate for connection. overall, fujimoto has set up some amazing tension from all angles regarding their relationship & when it’s resolved its either going to be amazing or soul crushing.

#chainsaw man #csm #chainsaw man manga spoilers #csm 149 #csm meta #spence.speaks #OKAYYYY listen. i have lots of thoughts on the ways that love and violence are intertwined in this story. #and i dont think fujimoto ever really separates them even in his truest depictions of love #but also denji deserves to not be hurt. he deserves to be HAPPYYYYY #im circling back around to they are both so vulnerable and desparate for connection: #they are they kind of love starved that will change the plot. like either it works out and then they both have something to fight for #or it doesnt and they both become so much worse. like i could see either of them facing one more rejection or instance of betrayal #and then deciding to fuck it and join the devils or let yoru do whatever she wants y'know?? #like the love means so much to them both and either it will be good or it will be so bad. personally

[teecupangel]

Was looking at Pokémon that are red cause of reasons, don’t ask it doesn’t make sense, and then had the thought: Desmond reborn as Charmander. And just imagining him growing up into a Charizard. Like, especially in an au where Desmond comes from a universe without Pokémon into this one, he’s just adjusting to “oh fuck I’m an animal?!” into “oh fuck I can breathe fire?!?!” and juuuuust when he’s getting over the concept and feeling of evolving, he becomes a Charizard and has a moment of “Wait…I have wings…I’M A DRAGON?!?!”

Meanwhile, Ezio/Altaïr/Ratonhnhake:ton (whoever you wanna put him with) just watch on in pure confusion as their partner Pokémon has a breakdown.

Okay, what if it was a First Gen Pokemon AU where Desmond is one of the three starter Pokemons in Monteriggioni, the first ‘town’ in the continent they are in and the headquarters of the Brotherhood.

They’re just called the Brotherhood, not the Assassin Brotherhood, and they’re rivals with the Order.

So three teenagers come to age and gets to pick their starter Pokemon before going on a journey across the continent to battle gym leaders and be legible to join the tournament held annually during the end of the year.

These young teenagers?

In Desmond’s eyes, they look exactly like Altaïr, Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton.

Oh.

And apparently he was now a lizard with a flaming tail.

What the fuck.

The last thing he remembers is emptiness that made him sleepy.

When he woke up, he was there, in the middle of a large circular scifi looking table with a blue turtle with a curly tail and some kind of animal with a large closed plant on its back and…

Holy shit.

What the hell is this place?

He could see his reflection from one of the nearby monitors and he was a red lizard with a flaming tail.

He began to flap his tail, accidentally smacking the turtle who let out an indignant “Squirtle!” and smacked him back with his own tail.

Desmond, still not used to his new center of balance, staggered and accidentally slammed against the plant animal on his other side who went “Bulba-saur!” and…

All three stared at the sudden all out brawl happening on the presentation table as Ezio asked, “Uuhhh, Tio…?”

“Such lively Pokemons.” Mario simply laughed it off, “Don’t worry. We’ll heal them once you picked your first Pokemons!”

“Are you telling us to pick now?” Ratonhnhaké:ton asked with a frown.

“Yes. And…” Mario grinned at them, “As your first duty as a Pokemon trainer, you three should stop them from fighting too.”

“You just don’t want to get between that fight yourself.” Altaïr dryly said.

Mario just laughed instead of denying it.

(You decide who gets Desmond. By this point, you guys know me enough to know which one I would pick hahahahaha)

#desmond is turned into an animal subgenre #desmond is turned into a creature subgenre #charmander desmond #not gonna ask why you were looking for red pokemons XD #i will say that altaïr looks like the type to have a charmander starter #it might be because of the anime #but squirtle feels like that cool sunglasses dude that would fit ezio well #and ratonhnhaké:ton would probably have an easier time #connecting with a bulbasaur #but let’s be honest #all of the kanto starter pokemon would work for any of them #it would be funny if both bulbasaur and squirtle turn out to be reincarnated people too #but they can’t understand one another #i’m thinking squirtle is clay #bulbasaur is maybe layla? #assassin's creed #desmond miles #ask and answer #teecup writes/has a plot