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avisisisis · 4 months

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The sun and moon symbolism was used so well in LMK

I love how it wasn't used as a way to tell us about their personalities but instead as a way to reflect their beliefs, their places in the world and how their relationship with it can vary

When you think about sun and moon characters, the first things that comes to mind are "extrovert and introvert", "loud and quiet", "optimistic and realistic (or straight up pessimist)", etc. You think of two labels that are used, to put it simply, as a way to tell us that oh, this character is bright and nice and this other character is quiet and follows them anywhere. And depending on what you think about Shadowpeach, this might suit them! But if we're talking about canon, then it's just... not them

Macaque isn't a shy, timid guy who while he's smart and clever, he doesn't stand up for himself. SWK isn't a happy and cheerful but also dumb guy who tends to be the one to defend Mac when he doesn't do it himself

Here, the sun and moon symbolism is used to explain the nature of their relationship, not their personalities. It's used to give us a simple explanation of why they're that way without showing us a 20 minute backstory scene to make us understand what the fuck happened (though that wouldn't be unwelcome)

The sun shines brightly and gives us its warmth, but in the end, he'll always be alone; no one can get close to her without burning. The moon's brightness comes only from the sun, and she's most noticed when it's night, while the shadows cover the earth

The moon needs the sun to shine, but the sun wouldn't change at all if he wasn't there; Macaque needs SWK to be there for his character to be important. but Sun Wukong's story would have remained almost the same if Macaque had never been his friend. If you want a story where they never knew each other, just read JTTW!

However, while the sun doesn't need the moon at all in real life, these two characters are supposed to be actual people, not a rock and a ball of gas in space. Macaque can be his own person without Sun Wukong being there, and Wukong is strong enough to not need someone fighting by his side but still wants it anyway

They're not soulmates, at least not in the way the wind and the sea are. Sun Wukong's love for Liu'er Mihou isn't a thing destiny wrote. It's not heaven's, not space's, not faith's: it's his. And his love for Macaque is what makes him need him by his side

#idk there's smth about the fates not having written two ppl together in their story but them choosing to be together anyway that haunts me #i think that while swk n mac are a lot like the sun and the moon they're still yk #NOT the sun and the moon #mac might've left behind and swk may be too powerful for common mortals to truly reach him but #mac has (almost) the same power as swk even tho the moon isn't anywhere near to being as bright as the sun #and ig you COULD use it to show how ppl care about the moon as much as they do about the sun but this is about THEM #not abt what other ppl think they are. so it's about the actual sun n moon rather than what they mean to ppl #and #there are some ppl who CAN get close to swk without dying even tho the sun will kill anyone who gets close to it #the way macaque views their relationship is flawed n the way swk views it is #also flawed!#miscommunication and unreliable narrators my beloveds #lmk #lego monkie kid #sun wukong #the six eared macaque #the monkey king #liu'er mihou #swk #shadowpeach #i don't know how to put their relationship into words without it sounding weird #ig that what i'm trying to say is #that they are really important to each other #even if they hadn't needed each other they'd still choose each other #even if they hadn't chosen each other they'd still have needed each other #idk if i'm explaining myself well #the sun and the moon. never touching but always seen together even if they're never by each other's side irl #avis' post

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haemosexuality · 7 months

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thoughts on the fionna and cake ending

-it was a bit boring. ok not Boring just, not on the same level as all the other eps? especially not on the same level as the previous two (the star+jerry). like it was more of a Cake the Cat ep. it was fine just not world shattering and thats fine ig

-that being said the casper&nova scenes were sooooo boring i couldnt care less. it kinda made me feel like they wanted to show shermy and beth but didnt know how so they just made up whatever??? it wouldve been cool to see more of future Ooo instead of. whatever that was. they couldve made the parallel to simon and betty some other way. or even if they absolutely Needed to show thay weird video game they couldve made it like one scene and shorter lol. tho the detail of it had being astrid that started the story was cute

-i actually liked the resolution to betty and simons relationship. again they couldve shown More of it instead of it just having like, one scene, but i liked how they did it. getting them back together in a fairytail Everything Works Out And Theyre Happy Ever After!!!! wouldve completely taken away from how tragic their entire story is, but making something even worse happen wouldve just made simon feel worse and his character development wouldnt.... exist much lol. having simon come to terms with it, SEND HIM TO THERAPY THANK FUCK and try to move on w his life is exactly what i was hoping for

and i looooove how they portrayed their relationship. ive seen ppl be mad ab it but like didnt yall like that is was codependent and insane and they were obsessed w each other to the point theyd destroy their life for one another? OBVIOUSLY its going to be unhealthy. thats not saying simon is a bad person, or that they didnt love each other. they obviously did. simon loved betty more than anything. but he was selfish. unintentionally, yeah, he didnt realize how dependent/obsessed she was with him and that she just went along with anything he did which i dont feel its his fault, but it still happened, and it still affected her, it made her get deeper into that. its a new spin on their relationship that feels really real and i really like that. yeah turns out that when ppl are so obsessed w someone that they go insane and almost destroy the world twice thats probably indicative thay theres something wrong there who wouldve thought!!!!

adventure time is The "people have flaws" show (bonnie, marcy, finn, jake, etc etc all the characters are shown to be selfish sometimes snd to varying degrees! and theyre all still good people! theyre still just people) so it feels a bit insane to see ppl acting like the show saying "simon too btw" means theyre portraying him as irredemably bad

-i didnt want the fionna world to completely change and go back to bein magic but i was at least hoping the characters world :( like a "modern with magic" situation it wouldve been cool. and the farm/baby/vampworld characters coming in felt a bit random but like eh sure whatever

-IM SO PISSED FIONNA DIDNT LOSE HER ARM

-i dont think the lack of resolution in all the universes we visited was a bad thing? like i dont even feel like its "lack or resolution" i just felt like. thats how the stories were meant to be told. we come into a world that has nothing to do with us and then we leave them behind, yk? its not our world so we just pass by and dont know how it ends. leave it up to imagination. i thought it was cool we dont need to know Everything

-we shouldve seen marcy and simon interacting when he got back. even if it was just like a interaction without dialogue in some sort of epilogue sequence theyre so incredibly important to each others story and the show even made sure to show us that and we get nothing????? the lack of a scene where he talks to her about how hes feeling and how he almost put on the crown again felt so!! FRUSTATING. the scene in ep two where he calls her even felt like it was setting up for a scene like that! im so mad we got nothing. like i understand the adventure time market is flooded with marceline so maybe they didnt want to focus on her much but still theyre too linked for that relationship to get completely ignored in the Last Fucking Episode of the show

-the implication of fern/phoebe made me pause the episode and stare at a wall for a moment. auaugh.

-SO NO MARSHALL SONG?? *THROWS LAPTOP AT A WALL*

-WHY DID THEY DO NOTHING WITH FIONNA AND CAKE GLITCHING STUFF????? WHY EVEN SET THAT UP IF IT GOES NOWHERE UGHH

-im glad they finally made the lich a bit more interesting instead of Ooh spooky guy is evil

-simon getting therapy from minervabot was awesome 10/10

-once again saying im mad they let fionna keep both her arms. BOOOOOOO 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎

#thats all i think #fionna and cake #adventure time #simon petrikov #betty grof #fionna and cake spoilers

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thealmightyemprex · 1 month

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Sci FI Month:Why X Men the Animated series is awesome

So I binged the entierty of X Men the Animated Series and I intended to make an epic review with episode reccomendations,annnnnd it ended up too long ,so instead I am going to go over reasons why this show is Great and has an enduring legacy

1.X Men in general as a franchise has tons of characters to choose from and I think it is so wise of the show that they limit it to 9 core characters,while some fan favorites get really good guest appearences like Nightcrawler

2.The Characterization and relationships are top notch ,every character gets a spot light and each character has layers ,with each character having their own demons.Even Professor X who couldve just been the mentor figure gets fleshed out to where you understand why he does what he does .Oh if you wanna know who my fave characters are:Storm,Wolverine ,Gambit, and Beast

3.The villains are varied ,from the anti villainous Magneto ,to the brutish Juggernaut ,to the bigoted Graydon Creed ,to the sadistic Sabretooth,to the complicated Mystique ,to the cold Mr Sinister to (My favorite ) the bombastic Apoclaypse

4.As a comic adaptation I think its fun that the show doesnt limit itself to one period of X Men but pays tribute to 30 years of comics:The designs are Jim Lee inspired,they pay tribute to Lee and Kirby,the stories pull a lot from Chris Clairmount ,and several episodes were written by comic legend Len Wein

5.The show doesnt have the biggest budget but with its shading ,strong character designs and editing it still holds up rather decently

6.Voice acting is all around solid,Cal Dodd,Lenore Zahn,George Buza and John Colicos are the go to voices for Wolverine,Rogue,Beast and Apocalypse to me

7.The series is serialized with a conitinuity,which while common with modern cartoons,was kind of a new thing back then.We can thank this show for changing how action cartoons were done.Also each season has a distinct feel with the first three having story arcs(The Sentinels in season one,Magneto and Xavier trapped in the Savage Land in season 2 , andDealing with the aliens known as the Shiar Empire in season 3 )

8.The writing does not talk down to kids,in fact the writing for the show is very good not shying away from the fact this is a show about prejudice

9.I think the show has good momentum getting better and better up to Season 4 ,which is the best season of the show .Now Season 5 does feel like it is running on fumes,but it still has great episodes and contiains one of the greatest animated series finales ever "Graduation Day "

10.And of course.....The theme song is kickass

youtube

If you want me to explain my feelings more just ask me,I am more then willing to ramble about this amazing cartoon.I plan to do my top 10 favorite episodes,villains,and multi parters

@ariel-seagull-wings @the-blue-fairie @piterelizabethdevries

@amalthea9 @themousefromfantasyland @princesssarisa

@angelixgutz @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @filmcityworld1 @countesspetofi

#x men the animated series #Sci fi month #Youtube

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denimbex1986 · 7 days

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'As the 2020s progress, it’s clear that escaping remakes and reboots is an impossible task. From film to television, each year sees more than a handful of original works being reinvented for a new generation, to varying degrees of success. At some point, we have to ask ourselves what works of art are not only deserving of a reinvention but need to be reinvented.

When Ripley was announced all the way back in 2019, many fans of Patricia Highsmith’s novel and the subsequent Anthony Minghella film were cautious. Why would something as beloved as the film version need to be remade, and how would the original novel’s text be changed for the streaming generation? Thankfully, from the series’ first episode, it’s clear that this isn’t a direct remake, but instead a resurrection of Highsmith’s prose and characters.

Like all its other versions, Ripley follows Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott), who is hired by a shipping tycoon to travel to Italy and convince his son, Richard “Dickie” Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to return to the United States. Acting as if he’s an old college friend, Tom quickly immerses himself into not only Dickie’s luxurious lifestyle, but Dickie as a person as well. But, as Tom’s obsession with his friend gets deeper, their relationship and lives quickly unravel into something more sinister.

Despite people originally being skeptical about his casting, Andrew Scott gives one of the best performances of his career as Thomas Ripley. While it may not be as showy as his turn in All of Us Strangers, under the surface of his Ripley lies a magnetic and brooding disposition. It’s slight at times, but as the show moves along his smirks and exasperated sighs work perfectly and give Ripley a nuance that wasn’t necessarily present in the film version.

Scott plays Ripley at times like a man possessed; he looks at Dickie in a way that’s all-consuming, as if he wants to cannibalize him so Dickie will be a part of him forever. By killing him and stealing his identity, Thomas is keeping an aspect of Dickie alive, immortalizing him through his own adventures and in turn transforming the man into Ripley himself. Through the killing, their identities become intertwined, suspending both of them in a perpetual limbo that will haunt their lives and legacies forever.

As the series unfolds, Tom’s resolve begins to crack, leaving in its wake a gaping hole to be filled with paranoia. We spend a lot of time with this version of the titular character, and it gives viewers a certain introspection that its film version didn’t grant to us. It’s interesting watching Ripley crack, while the paranoia is there it seems to harden him even more. His murderous desires are fleeting, but when they arise Scott shows it with a slight smirk and a crinkled eye, proving that despite the fear of being caught, Tom cannot help his true desires.

It’s a different portrayal than that of Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley, and one that in my opinion, makes this version all the more richer. We get to not only see a different side of the series’ titular character, but the people who surround him as well. Dakota Fanning breathes a staggering amount of life into Marge Sherwood, a character who in the novel and the film version feels devoid of both agency and a character arc. Here, her status as Dickie’s girlfriend is just as unstable as Tom’s friendship with him, making the two characters direct foils to one another. Fanning portrays her excellently, going toe-to-toe with Scott whenever they’re on screen together. It’s in their interactions that you’re forced to confront the idea that Tom may finally be outmatched.

In this adaptation, it’s not just Tom who is hiding within themselves. It’s Marge, Dickie, and even the scene-stealing Freddie Miles who weaves through various scenes like a predator stalking its prey. Everyone in Ripley purposely feels like caricatures of the roles they’re trying to portray in society, which causes Tom to appear out of his depth. He appears ostracized within the world he’s involved himself in, and at times it’s impossible not to feel some sort of empathy for him. He’s in over his head, despite putting himself in this position. It becomes increasingly clear as the series unravels that while it may not happen immediately, Tom cannot go on living his life like this.

As the show reaches its final episodes and Tom’s life enters its most unstable stage, Scott’s performance heightens until it crescendos into one of the best of the year. It makes for a riveting watch, one whose tempo increases as it becomes a game of cat-and-mouse filled with deceit. From its staggering cinematography to its wistful score, it’s clear that every person working on this show aimed to not only make a faithful adaptation but one that could rival its original material. While Ripley may not have been a needed remake, the miniseries does an excellent job of laying all the intricacies of Highsmith’s novel bare.

Summary

Featuring incredible cinematography, a wistful score, and a career-defining performance from Andrew Scott, ‘Ripley’ is a triumph that rivals its source material.

4.5 Stars'

#Patricia Highsmith #The Talented Mr Ripley #Ripley #Netflix #Andrew Scott #All of Us Strangers #Anthony Minghella #Johnny Flynn #Dickie Greenleaf #Marge Sherwood #Dakota Fanning #Freddie Miles #Eliot Sumner

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whatstruthgottodowithit · 2 years

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Just a Dream

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Female Reader, Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers

Word Count: 2517 // Rating: Mature

Summary: It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen All dressed in white, going to the church that night

Tags/ Warnings: My Writing, Halloween Challenge, Writing Challenge, Songfics, Marvel Cinematic Universe, MCU, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Weddings, Grief, Funerals, Established Relationship, Wedding Day, War Time, Change to Storyline, Steve Doesn’t Go To War, Army, IDK how they do the flag thing, Love Letters, Engagements, 1940s Era, Just a Dream // Carrie Underwood, I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now // Bing Crosby, The Song Varies But I Like The Bing Version, Lyrics, Reader’s Wedding Dress

Notes: This is part of my writing Challenge for Halloween 2022. All fics are based off of songs I love. The aim is to write one fic a day for 15 days straight. I’m doing a similar thing for Christmas but they will all be headcanons [requests welcome for that] Enjoy x

15 DAYS OF SONGFICS FOR HALLOWEEN (OCT 15TH - OCT 31ST)

I sat on my bed my fingers combing through the box of letters in my lap. They were dirty, fingerprints full of grime across the page where he’d stopped and started either picking what to say or being torn away from writing to me. But I didn’t care. My fingers deftly selected the one I’d be looking for. One of his most recent ones. I unfolded it carefully a small smile coming to my lips as I saw his familiar chicken scratch handwriting on the page.

Y/N,

Sorry I haven’t written to you much these past few weeks. I was hoping to get this one to you by your birthday so if it’s late let’s pretend it's the post office’s fault, not mine. I hope you have the best day sweetheart. I know we already planned everything but I was hoping that I’d be home on the day to give you that ring we saw at that jewellers down on 3rd street. But when did the pair of us ever get that lucky? I promise as soon as I’m back that ring’ll be on your finger and we’ll be in that church.

Love you always

Buck

My thumb swiped over his name as if I was trying to absorb the love through the page into my body. I sighed and placed it back in its box before I bent down and placed my shoes in front of me, slipping into them one by one. As my foot hit the bottom of my left dainty court shoe I felt something underneath my toes. I wiggled them trying to get a grip on what it was. It was round and cold against my stocking-covered foot. A sixpence. I smiled. My mother, ever the traditional and also the efficient. God knows how long that had been in there just waiting for the day. I stood up and smoothed my dress out careful for the creases of where I had been sat not to show.

‘Oh you just look,’ my mother said. I turned to find her standing in the doorway. She was in a stiff skirt and suit jacket, a small hat nestled in her hair, and she was looking at me with tears in her eyes. She came into the room and grabbed me by the elbows as she looked me up and down. ‘You look, beautiful sweetheart,’ she said thickly. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. ‘Thanks Ma, do you really think this is still right though? I mean …white?’ I whispered gesturing to my dress. It was simple, skirting around my mid-shin with long sleeves and a moderate v-shaped neckline though I knew it would be enough to get tongues wagging. ‘I bought it specially,’ Mom said, ‘besides anyone says a word they’ll have me to deal with-’

‘Girls,’ my Dad said cutting her off. He stood by the bedroom door nervously, ‘we oughta get going. Traffic..’ He didn’t linger instead he headed back downstairs leaving me to watch where he had disappeared. I felt my mother caress my arms softly and then she headed to the door and waited for me. I looked at her trying to push the lump that had returned in my throat down. With my head held high I walked towards her and we headed downstairs and into the car that my Dad was waiting in.

The ride to the church wasn’t all that long though it felt eternal as my Mom babbled on nervously. Eventually, we pulled outside a grand old building that was starting to look more and more out of place in the middle of downtown Brooklyn. My Dad pulled the car to the kerb and motioned for us to get out which we did, standing on the sidewalk as he pulled around into the parking lot and reappeared, looking harried, a few moments later. ‘That parking lot is busy as hell,’ my Dad griped. ‘Frank,’ my Mom said in a warning tone. ‘That’s a good sign,’ he said quickly, ‘plenty of people.’

I didn’t say anything. My stomach had formed a colossal pit inside itself and my legs felt heavier than lead. I couldn’t focus on anything else but walking up those stairs to that front door. I entered first, my parents behind me, and looked out into the grand hall of the church. It was lined with stone pillars, ornate statues on every wall and stained glass windows that were now blocked out from the light on one side from where New York had continued to grow around them. As the door made a noise heads turned towards me pew by pew, taking me in. Some smiled. Some bowed their heads. Then as my eyes swept down to the front of the line I saw Steve. He stood up watching me closely.

I felt tears burn my eyes and I pulled the veil that had completed my outfit down over my face blocking me somewhat from view. Music started gently in the background as if announcing our arrival.

And then, he was there. At the end of that aisle waiting for me. Bucky. Except he wasn’t him. His handsome face wasn’t smiling back at me as planned. No, instead, a cold hard wooden casket was propped up in front of the altar draped in an American flag.

I felt bile at the back of my throat. Anger. He fought for that flag. Died for that flag. And here it was like some horrible reminder separating me from him one last time.

I felt my Dad’s large hand press into the small of my back, edging me forward though my feet didn’t want to go. I walked down the aisle, my head bowed so I couldn’t see everyone watching me, listening to the clack of my heels on the tatty tiled floor.

We got to the front quickly and my parents slid into the pew behind Steve. He stood there awkwardly looking as if he was trying to decide whether or not to hug me. His eyes were red-rimmed and tears brimmed in them as I stood there. I couldn’t do it any longer. I couldn’t look at him. So, I sat down and he quickly followed sitting next to me in the pew. My vision was blurry and my head bowed but I still spotted the order of service as Steve pressed it gently into my lap. Bucky’s face beamed up at me bringing with it a new wave of silent tears. I heard someone up ahead clear their throat and looked up to see the preacher standing at his lectern, itching to begin.

‘The funeral director tells me everyone expected is now seated,’ he said sadly as the music faded out, ‘so I would like to begin by asking everyone to bow their heads as we come together in prayer.’

I dropped my eyes to my booklet, opening it so I could read the order of service as he started to speak.

‘Dear Lord, we ask you today that you lift up the soul of our dearly departed Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes and with that heal the hurt that has brought us all together on this very sad day,’ he said. I fought the urge to snort. He spoke as if one church service was going to fix everything. As if it was going to pull the knife that had been sticking into my chest for the past few weeks out. My mind wandered, blocking him out, as I dropped my eyes to the page which listed the readings and songs I had chosen for today. As I did I felt a gentle hand slip into mine. Steve.

His fingers were cold and slender. Entirely unlike Bucky who could wrap both of my hands in just one of his. But like I would with Bucky I didn’t shake him off. It wasn’t what I wanted, what I yearned for, but it was enough to keep me from breaking down entirely. Like it had been a week ago.

‘I don’t want to meet with them,’ I said folding my arms across my chest in an effort to hold myself together. My Mom pushed the kitchen door to and turned to me, her face sympathetic yet thunderous. ‘Well you have to,’ she said. ‘Why?’ I said pathetically, ‘I don’t care what they pick. Steve can do it what does it matter.’ ‘It matters because it’s important that Bucky gets a decent service!’ she hissed. She was desperate to yell at me I could tell but the threat of guests in the next room and the fact I kept spontaneously bursting into tears seemed to stave her off, ‘and it might have escaped your notice but you and Steve are all that boy had left. Now, I know you don’t feel like talking to people but I doubt Steve does either. And I know it’s not the same love but he’s hurting too. Maybe a little support from you wouldn’t go a miss.’

I stared at her. Her eyebrows were skirting the top of her forehead and I felt annoyed at just how right she was. I trudged past her and into the living room where Steve was sitting opposite a portly gentleman who was offering him a brochure that Steve took and started to leaf through. The pair of them looked up as I entered and Steve threw the brochure onto the coffee table.

‘Miss Y/N?’ the man said as I sat down on the couch beside Steve, ‘Steve said you’d be along in the minute. We were just going through the brochure and I was just asking Steve if he’d thought about opening hymns.’ ‘We hadn’t started properly,’ Steve said sheepishly. ‘Of course not,’ the man said, ‘though I did say Make Me A Channel of Your Peace is a really nice one.’ ‘No,’ I said my voice hard. ‘Or Amazing Grace-’ ‘Buck,’ I said my voice strangling his name as it came out. I had barely spoken it since we had heard the news, ‘he didn’t go to church. He didn’t know any hymns.’ ‘Yeah,’ Steve said, ‘what about a song instead?’ ‘Well, the organist-’ ‘Would be able to read any sheet music we got right?’ Steve said overriding the gentleman who was looking a little irked. ‘Yes, I’m sure they would,’ he said setting aside the sheet of paper he was holding.

‘What should we pick?’ I said nervously looking at Steve. He looked exhausted. His face was practically grey and the bags under his eyes were more black than purple. He also looked thinner, if that were even possible, his face a little more gaunt. ‘I wonder who’s kissing her now,’ he said without missing a beat then his gaze caught mine. He dropped his head nervously as he mumbled, ‘he loved that one…played it the entire day the first time he met you..damn near broke my record player.’

That familiar lump returned to my throat as I pictured them sitting in Steve’s tiny front room him putting the needle back again and again so the song would play. It wasn’t even my memory and it was like a knife to the gut.

‘Shoulda never turned him down that day,’ I said with a chuckle which surprised everyone in the room. ‘Nah,’ he said, ‘he needed knocking down a peg or two.’ ‘I bet it bruised his ego,’ I said sadly. ‘Never, you know Buck…never backed down from a challenge,’ he said and I nodded though it was tiny. His words hit me like a freight train. He was right. Bucky never did back down from a challenge. This was why we were here. ‘Right,’ the man said clapping his hands together in order to move proceedings along. As he started to babble on about psalms and readings I stared at the wall behind him blankly. Until, after a moment, I felt a tiny hand slip into mine on the couch beside me. My fingers laced into his at once and I didn’t let go until that man was firmly out the front door.

My not paying attention had lasted longer than I had expected because when I looked up I found everyone was standing and Steve’s hand was tugging me upwards. We sang a couple more songs. My Dad got up and said the eulogy, a fact a was thankful for as neither Steve nor I figured we could get through it in one piece, and then just like that it was over. Army officials descended from the sidelines in perfect unison as we stood watching their dance. I could feel Steve stiffen beside me. Out of patriotism or longing, I didn’t know which. And then one of them was in front of me offering a folded-up flag out to me like some medal of honour.

Dozens of eyes burned into me as I looked at this man. Stern. Unyielding. I reached out and took the flag off of him holding it to my chest but it was no use. As a horn started to play a military procession and several men lifted Bucky’s casket off of its stand my heart broke.

It was like a bullet ripping through me, fragmenting my heart into pieces. I wanted to drop to my knees. I wanted to scream. Sob my heart out. But I couldn’t. I was stuck. As they moved passed me leading Bucky to the hearse I stood frozen to the spot. Steve and my Dad grasped me gently by the elbows and pushed me forward. It was a wonder one of them didn’t have to move my feet in step either.

It was like wading through custard. Wading through custard on a road a mile long. Like I was dreaming. I wished I was. I willed myself to wake up. Hoping that when I came to I’d be lying in bed with Bucky, his arms wrapped around me as he gently caressed my hair. I wanted him to ask me what my nightmare was about and for us to laugh at how preposterous the idea was because he would never leave me.

I wanted to walk out this very door as I had planned. My Dad and Steve were still behind me but Bucky was on my arm instead, confetti around us as we celebrated being newlyweds. Like we should’ve been doing today.

But I couldn’t.

Y/N,

I’m coming home! Well for a while at least. They’re shipping us somewhere new so in the downtime me and you will be back together. And I know just what we’re doing first!

Tell your Ma to start organising a date for the church. I’ll be back in two weeks so anything after then is fine. I don’t want to waste another minute. And tell Steve to get to writing his best man speech, can’t have him letting the side down.

Love you always,

Buck

Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go I was counting on forever, now I'll never know Oh I'll never know

#my writing #just a dream #Bucky Barnes #Bucky Barnes x Reader #bucky x female reader #marvel fanfic #marvel fic #1940s bucky barnes #bucky barnes angst #angst #1940s #steve rogers #pre serum steve rogers #pre serum steve #marvel #mcu #halloween writing challenge #Halloween #halloween challenge

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bbyeeti · 1 year

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(Character Analysis anon returns with my 2 am analysis! Hopefully its coherent because I did not edit this at all!)

(Its no longer hypothetical character analysis now lol)

So Park Sunghoon. There's so much to say about him but today we're focusing on why he's so "chill" in his situation.

(He's not chill.)

Park Sunghoon is a psych major who was introduced to the supernatural when one of his classmates, Jay, bites him at a party said classmate was hosting. Now, Sunghoon has to deal with all forms of supernatural absurdity from vampires, werewolves, soulmates, reincarnation, and more!

Based on that description you'd think Sunghoon was just some normal person who got unwilling dragged into the supernatural world, right?

Wrong.

This guy has so many issues that predate entering the supernatural world that influence his actions.

Sunghoon has suffered through many life changing, world upending events but I'm mainly going to focus on the effects that they had on his behavior when we meet him in the story.

At the beginning of the story Sunghoon had just recently broken up with Hajoon for reasons that he denied mentioning to either of his close friends: Jake (who had seen him at his worst) and Jungwon. In later flashbacks, the night that Sunghoon left that he lied to Jungwon about the injury Hajoon had caused. He constantly downplays what happened between them until Jay forces him to confront the truth about Hajoon's attempt at drugging Sunghoon at the party. Sunghoon was perfectly fine with never speaking about what happened that night between him and Hajoon. He was doing everything he could to avoid the confrontation and any of the help his friends could have provided. He just left his emotions to fester in the background so that he could continue operating in the day to day.

This type of behavior also occurs whenever, he is drawn back into thinking about figure skating. When his thoughts begin to linger on the topic he forcible changes his focus and avoids the topic. Like when Heeseung asked about his scar initially, he steps around the truth and gives them an answer that is technically true but lacking all the context. However, this was fairly early in their relationship so I don't fault him completely for not showing vulnerability.

Of course, Sunghoon doesn't always deny himself help from others and relies on people but he also has a habit of relying on the wrong people. Case in point: Niki.

Now the above behavior explains partly why Sunghoon is "chill" as he is instead focusing on aspects that he can control and distancing himself from the more vulnerable parts of himself. However, its his care for (some) others.

(Mainly Jake, Jungwon, but then it includes Jay, Heeseung, and Niki to an extent)

Sunghoon is a person with big feelings but most notably he is a person who prioritizing others above himself. When he and Jungwon get into a fight and Jake runs after Sunghoon, Sunghoon tells him to go after Jungwon. He lets Sunoo drink from him when Sunoo was half feral because he was Jungwon's friend. When fake Niki attacks him, he doesn't want to hurt him because he knows that Niki is important to Jay and Heeseung--and Sunghoon cares about all of them to varying extent and with differing degrees of mixed emotions.

So when everything goes to hell, Sunghoon is trying to make the best of a situation because he doesn't want to burden others. After the skin-walker attack he makes sure both Heeseung and Jake are reasonably okay even though he was almost murdered again. He's pushing down the exhaustion and the terror because people he cares about need him to be okay even if he isn't.

Sunghoon is not unphased by what's happening. More often than not, when something major happens, Sunghoon is terrified. He's confused, uncertain, and reckless at times. For all that Sunghoon tries to bury his head in the sand, he does a remarkably bad job at not doing anything when something major happens. He goes to the club in search of answers, tries to take care of Heeseung and Jake in the aftermath of Jungwon's memories being wiped, and steals the card back from Heeseung. He's a mess but he's human and he's trying.

In conclusion, I believe Sunghoon's chillness with his entire world being flipped over is in part to having experienced that already (albeit in a different way), tendencies toward self reliance and avoidance, and him prioritizing others over himself.

(OK take all of this with a lot of skepticism since its been a while since I've reread everything from the beginning. Furthermore, I am not a psychologist or psych major so my assumptions on how someone with Sunghoon's trauma would react in this situation can be widely off base.)

(Also this was a way more serious answer for the joke that GenX can fight a police officer but can't make phone calls lol).

(Also I lied. I did edit it. There were too many typos not to)

In the future I might do character analysis/impressions on everybody but its just Sunghoon for now.

First of all I stopped going on tumblr besides weekends but hell I was so interested to see if you sent it so here I am T^T

And for real, it was really good to read your point of view/take/analysis, and it's impressive you've decided to spend that much time on Sunghoon. He's not the strongest, he's not the smartest, he's... Yeah, a human trying his best. I think he's rather underrated, you know, so thanks for being... kind to him?

To say that there's something more to Sunghoon not freaking out than GenZ mindset is one thing, but to actually see it is something else, so ofc props to you for doing so ^^

I agree with your take because there isn't anything that is actually wrong there - Sunghoon tries to keep his emotions in check and he's used to pretending he's alright. He doesn't like confrontations because he is too anxious to fight people in situations like this, like with Hajoon, where he'd have to talk about what happened exactly. He doesn't like exposing that he's vulnerable even though sometimes it's obvious. If you remember the beginnings of his relationship with Jay, he didn't want to be seen as weak by him and didn't feel good when he showed that he was hurt.

He prioritises other people - if he cares about them - over himself because he doesn't want to lose them. But he defended Ni-ki not only because he didn't want him to die. So why? Because Sunghoon's not dumb, he knew what would happen if Jake killed him.

And yeah, he seems to be chill about ahm stuff like being murdered because he's used to it. For example to caring for himself when he's hurt. I know it hasn't been showed in the story yet, but he has a long story of self-harming, and it's not that he let Jake in immediately.

Being exposed to such a different world should be a shock, but Sunghoon has already died once, on ice, so why would he be afraid? BESIDES BEING A GEN Z He's now sticking to the routine because he doesn't want to think about what he's lost - he's lost a huge part of himself. It's not something you can replace easily, this is why you don't think about it.

Sunghoon wants rouitne and doesn't like changes but at the same time - I don't think he knows that - he rotates towards them, towards danger, the thrill of it, because this is something that brings him out of his shell. Although he still has some serious mental issues, he's not weak because of it, he just doesn't realise it yet - yeah, you're not weak because you have anxiety, you're afraid of phone calls or crowds, or you decide to stay passive in an argument because you know how difficult it is to win soberly against an angry person.

ALL IN ALL thanks for coming to my ted talk and thank you again for writing your comment for me! When I read this, I felt like I got a present for my birthday. Have you ever gotten a kpop album from your friend who'd never listened to kpop so you didn't expect it? Yeah the feeling is similar. Uh, if you ever decide writing something similar on other characters, I promise I won't answer with an essay xD

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idiotwhotalkstoomuch · 2 years

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Ash amalgamation au

- He has Nyctophobia (fear of the dark) and a varying case of iatrophobia (fear of doctors and medical procedures). The first fear is caused by the fact for the first 5 years of his life, he saw nothing but darkness. It was just him and Mewtwo in such a dark, cold and empty space with no ideas of the real world to bring life to it. It’s honestly moreso the idea of not being able to escape the dark than the dark itself that scares him. The latter fear is unsurprisingly caused by the scientists of the lab. He doesn’t fear science itself as he actually still thinks Clemont and his inventions are super cool but anything that involves examining his body and or any sort of probing gets him deathly still or flat out terrified at worst

- Delia was rightfully concerned about Ash travelling on his own due to his phobia and got him a lantern to help since he usually has a night light when he sleeps. Pikachu snuggles up to Ash a lot when they sleep after he found out about Ash’s fear of the dark.

- His fights with Sabrina went pretty different from canon as Sabrina is able to tell Ash has psychic powers and takes him a tad more seriously but not much cause she doesn’t think he’s that strong. Ash fares much better in all his matches with her because he knows how psychic types work so he gets as far as to force Kadabra to recover in his first fight with her but Pikachu is still defeated causing Ash to lose and they go to catch Haunter after being saved by Sabrina’s father but cause Ash understands what Haunter’s saying, he gets Haunter to swear he won’t leave so Ash actually faces Sabrina with Haunter but after losing even with that, Haunter saves them by making Sabrina laugh with the same thing he does in canon (Yes its bullshit but its canonically how she’s beaten and Ash being part Mewtwo will not change that. She’s just beaten earlier here than in canon)

- Sabrina teaches Ash psychic to replace confusion to show her gratitude for saving her from her psychic power obsession and as compensation for taking Haunter. She even actually offers to trade a Kadabra to him (Its not the same one she uses in their gym fight) but his team isn’t receptive to the idea so Ash turns the offer down.

- Albert’s Espeon is a recurring member of his team appearing in various gym battles, leagues and even the battle frontier. Many people are surprised to see Ash using an Espeon as it doesn’t seem like a pokemon he’d have. It’s most notable return is in Unova where it replaces Charizard as the pokemon that Ash brings back after getting nostalgic about home because Charizard is busy training so Ash brings back Espeon instead since he wants Iris, Cilan and N to meet an old friend.

- N finds Ash’s Espeon to be very intriguing as their relationship is very tight knit but it’s different from his bond with Pikachu which leads Ash to explain to him how Espeon took on a sort of big sister role to him when he was first smuggled out of the lab by Albert and she tends to be a bit protective of Ash since Albert died to save him from the lab so she doesn’t want her trainer’s final act to have been in vain.

- Ash can transform into different people and pokemon. He uses this ability in times he needs to disguise himself so in episodes where he cross-dresses he transforms into a girl (usually one of his female companion at the time but with a slightly altered appearance) and in times they need to disguise as a pokemon like in the Spewpa smuggler episode he transforms into a Spewpa willingly exposing his part pokemon status to officer Jenny in the name of helping the Spewpas and the banned Passimian episode. He also doesn’t mind using this ability to entertain his friends since he is quite proud of his transforming abilities.

#pokemon #ash amalgamation au #pokemon ash #ash ketchum #pokemon sabrina #pokemon espeon #espeon #pokemon pikachu #pikachu #albert ketchum

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zuko-always-lies · 2 years

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Let’s imagine Sozin and Azulon never existed and it’s Ozai who started the war, he was once pals with avatar Roku, he wiped out the air nomads, and he managed to remain fire lord the whole 100 years.

How this is done is he did whatever it is Bumi and Kyoshi had to do to live to 100-230 years. Ozai’s level of firebending and fire lord experience are at the levels of Ozai, Azulon and Sozin combined as one.

Iroh is Ozai’s son instead of his older brother, Lu Ten will be Iroh’s younger brother instead of his son and its Lu Ten who’s the father of Zuko and Azula. Yep, Ozai is Zuko and Azula's longeval grandfather. Iroh and Lu Ten's relationship is still the same and he still dies in battle.

The series still plays out the same but I imagine Zhao kills both moon and ocean spirit and is forced to serve as the new ocean spirit after he was drowned by the new moon spirit Yue. Season 3 ends with Zuko, Azula and Katara with there epic agni kai but the comet, or in this case, Ozai's comet, does not show until the end of fall, aka, the series finale of book 4: air. What happens in book 4 can vary but it mostly consists of tying up every single loose end until there's absolutely nothing left but Aang and Ozai's confrontation during the comet's arrival.

How Aang defeats Ozai is Aang combined all elements, energybending and spiritbending, used them to absolve and heal Ozai, and open all of his chakras for him at once, permanently. Roku emerges from within Aang and tells Ozai the time for senseless slaughter is over. Finally accepting that he has lost, Ozai succumbs to his aging, but is supported by Roku before he collapses. Roku asks his old friend if he is ready, and Ozai assents. The two finally depart for the spirit world together.

Thoughts?

I just had a change of ideas form my ask to you earlier. Iroh is Ursa's older brother instead of Ozai's but Ozai still marries Ursa and the family is still the same.

Well, you certainly put a lot thought into this. The ending seems kind of American to be me, for some reason.

#AU idea

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altmusicposting · 1 year

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Critiquing From Inside the Box

Many artists have expressed their displeasure (as well as stronger words and feelings) for the music industry in their songs, with varying degrees of directness. But in this arises the question of the efficacy of criticizing from the inside. Can you effectively critique something and create change while participating in it?

I think it depends. What's the goal in making a song about it? Awareness? Change? Corporate bashing? Public Shaming? Any and all of these are possibilities, but as far as any of that actually happening, it is largely up to the artist(s), and the audience.

It is perhaps expected to hear this sort of topic in genres of protest music such as hip hop or punk, and you do. In 1977 the Sex Pistols released their first (and only) studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols, which closed with a song bashing the label that first signed them: EMI. The lyrics of the song don't bother hiding the band's distain behind metaphors. Instead they opt for direct attacks, claiming that the company only picked them up for the money and fame they thought the band would bring in, and then dropped them when they realized that the band wasn't putting on an act for the public and weren't going to censor themselves. The whole relationship with EMI lasted all of 3 months, and there's a brief nod to the second record company that picked them up and dropped them within 6 days.

youtube

So what's the effect here? Well, there was no real change to the company as far as I can tell, but the Sex Pistols came out the other side of the ordeal on top. They were signed to Virgin Records when the album released, they got to publicly bash the industry suits who tried to hop on the UK's "punk trend" for money, and they got their name and message out in a chart that climbed to number 1 in the UK Albums chart.

But it's not just insurgent music that has taken to commenting on the nature of fame and the music industry. In 1974, Billy Joel released "The Entertainer" on the album Streetlife Serenade, which discussed the passing phenomenon of the pop/popular artist, and how public and industry opinion wavers based on hits. It also stemmed from and comments on how music and variety shows like The Midnight Special felt "like an assembly line, ... like [artists] are all interchangeable." Additionally, lines like "I've got to meet expenses, I got to stay in line," and "It took me years to write it...it was a beautiful song, but it ran too long...so they cut it down to 3:05," discuss the way many artists feel restricted in what they can do personally and musically.

youtube

What about here then? Well, the song itself was a hit, off of what was otherwise one of Joel's least successful albums. One he himself said was "half-baked" due to lack of time to write, since he was busy touring to support his previous album. Beyond that, while the criticism is valid, it proved to not be a big issue for Joel himself, who is world-renowned, and who's music is still played and loved to this day. Additionally, despite these criticisms, and a few other industry and societally critical songs, a majority of his songs "fit the mold" as it were.

And, old as this conversation is, it is far from over. Second wave pop-punk band Waterparks released their third album in 2019, on which at least half of the songs talk about many of the same issues, and is aptly named Fandom. What's interesting to me about their approach to these topics is that lyrically they take the approach of earlier punk and socially critical bands in being rather direct, but instrumentally and formally they stick to largely catchy, pop-leaning sounds. I don't think this lessens the impact of their words though. Waterparks still works in diversions from formulaic pop-punk, but even if they didn't, I think making a critical song that sounds like any other jam is entirely the point. To quote Emily Carter from Kerrang in her review of the album, Fandom "tackles its difficult topics with a sense of humor...subtly portraying the light-and-dark nature of modern life in a band."

There are a few favorite songs of mine that demonstrate this well. First, I Miss Having Sex But At Least I Don't Wanna Die Anymore is the perfect example of the aforementioned tongue-in-cheek type of approach to a fairly serious topic. The topic of the song refers to the common phenomenon of anti-depressants lowering libido. The opening lyrics directly address the sense of frustration and exhaustion singer Awsten Knight feels in regard to the common questions and demands from fans and media: "I'm sick of all this/ how'd you get your band name?/ Is that your real first name?/ Can you text/ or can you follow back cuz it's my birthday?"

The other two songs I want to highlight are Watch What Happens Next and War Crimes.

youtube

Watch What Happens Next focuses mostly on the industry and how pop-punk bands very often get pigeon-holed, struggle to "make it big" like they want or are expected to, and are under a lot of pressure to sound a certain way by both suits and fans. Lyrics like "Got nothing from our label/bitch, pay me what you owe me/ if you play guitar you can't want things," "All the fans that like us need an easy fucking format...It's a cultural hold-back," and "Can I pay rent?/ sure but not much else/ Can I try new sounds?/ go fuck yourself" are peppered through the verses between a chorus that belts "You wanna hear my art, but only on your terms." All of this over a boppy, catchy riff-heavy instrumental that you can just picture crowds of people jumping to at a concert.

Likewise, War Crimes critiques the façade a lot of bands have to or are told to put up to appear a certain way to the public, while also being expected to partake in "bad shit" behind the scenes. What's interesting to me about this song is the oscillation between the poppy, catchy sound of the chorus, and the heavier, distorted sound under the verses, especially the second verse/bridge. The lyrics of this song are also well worth a read through, with biting words like "I'm forgetting how to hate myself/ I saved my own life," and "So get your coke of my bus/ yeah keep that shit to yourself."

It's not quite clear yet what the impact of Waterparks' critical songs will be. But they have been immensely successful thus far, so I'll be interested to see if their message takes hold.

So, why is this still a conversation? Because of a combination of things likely. Including the "well you're still participating in it so you're complicit," mentality. Which is used in other areas of socio-cultural criticism as well (i.e capitalism), and while understandable is frankly irrelevant for situations like this where it's the only option for many people if they want to have any kind of livelihood. While it's entirely possible that there are hypocritical artists who make industry critiquing pieces for the clout or to be seen in a certain light, it seems the majority have actual grievances.

And it isn't all on the artists. The audience needs to actually pay attention to the lyrics and songs they consume, if this kind of music is going to do anything. It seems like the majority of the response to songs like this is, "yeah that's shitty, good on them for speaking out," in one breath and "it sucks, but that's how the industry is, it needs to change," in the next. But it stops there. Everyone agrees its shitty, and that the way artists are treated by industry execs and fans is beyond less than stellar, but no one really does anything. There's been a push lately with the strange sense of closeness social media can breed between fans and creators, with listeners banding together to back artists calling people out, but we've yet to see much real change. There's also still the issue of people not really looking at musicians as people. It's like people forget they have lives outside of the stage, that they have feelings, that they're fallible. Maybe I'm getting too pedantic, but I think it's worth mentioning.

Regardless, I think songs that make noise like this are important for recognition at the least. And hopefully, as we become a more conscious and caring society, we can actually clear the skeletons out of the closets and make these spaces better.

#music analysis #music industry #criticism #sex pistols #punk #punk music #pop punk #billy joel #waterparks #my wriitng #my thoughts #Youtube

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an-angel-in-the-garden · 2 years

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Do you think Alucard would be a little yandere in a relationship or is he more relaxed than possessive?

This isn't really my normal style but I thought I would just write out my thoughts on this so let me know if you want a real thing of headcanons for this!

I think Alucard would be a yandere no matter what but how possessive he is I think varies on what version of Alucard you're dealing with. It would also changed based on if you're human or not and how okay you are with him not holding back I'll explain

Alucard- Is a more relaxed in a relationship. Though still somewhat of a yandere he is more likely to just hold it in. The thoughts of wanting to lock you up or keep you all marked are always in his head but he wont act on it unless you ask him too. Not quick to the more possessive thoughts and more enjoys the domestic moments that happen. He loves watching you live for yourself so the idea of keeping you caged while somewhat pleasing in the end would take his main pleasure away. So Alucard is a very lax yandere who leans more towards just slightly possessive.

Fem Alucard- Is more obsessive then possessive. More focused on work and the rivalry with Walter this Alucard cares not for romance but still views you as someone important. The idea of you in a cage is something pleasing, Alucard see's you as something akin to a pet that must be cared for. Your life is something more for show then anything but dont forget once he picks you that's it, no matter what you won't get away. Treated to the all the nice things in life but kept in a small room never to see the light of day unless Alucard is feeling very nice.

Vlad- Is an odd mix of obsession and possessiveness based on how far into a relationship you are. It starts very much as obsession Vlad will stalk after you catch his eye. Learning anything and everything about you before trying to talk with you. He likes the idea of you locked in a cage mostly due to the fact it would keep you safe from the world but the way you interact and work with other people was what caught his eye in the first place so he would never go through with it. Instead he keeps you mark and looked after at all times. A collar and plenty of bite marks not to mention his scent on you and the many eyes that can keep watch keep most people away from you. You wont be restricted per say but its clear he has boundaries set to keep you with him.

I hope this works! I really wanted to write this and I did my best to put my take on it I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading and requesting!- Lilly

#reader x #reader imagine #x reader #reader insert #hellsing imagines #hellsing x reader #alucard imagine #alucard x reader

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nikrangdan · 3 years

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lovestruck!enhypen x reader

pairing: lovestruck!enhypen x reader

genre: FLUFF fluff Fluff

description: how enhypen would be if they became lovestruck by the reader ☹️☹️ this is such an adorable request!!!! itll vary for each member ur relationships so you’ll either be strangers or already dating etc.

a/n: idk if all of them are lovestruck exactly bc i just got carried away with the fluff for some of them and idky maknae line revolves around sleeping BUT IDC sleepy!enhypen is the best 😁

———————

HEESEUNG

u worked at a pretty popular clothing store

and well well well heeseung had shown up dressed very much your style so u were like

Wow who is this guy....

he was alone just looking around

and there were like 10 other people in the store but u wanted to talk to him so bad so u went up like

“hi, welcome! are u finding everything okay?”

he was looking through a rack of shirts and turned around when he heard u but WOW

when this man turned around he looked even better in person u couldnt believe it 😫

BUT IT SEEMS HE FELT THE SAME BC U SWEAR HE BECAME SO FLUSTERED WHEN HE TURNED AROUND

his eyes got so wide u almost laughed it was so cute ☹️

he stuttered and was like “oh um im okay”

Aw man

but u said “okay then! let me know if you need any help finding anything or if u wanna use a dressing room!” and u sent him ur nicest smile u could give

his eyes were still kinda wide open and u gave him one last look before turning around😢😢

BUT THEN HE SAID SOMETHING

“w-wait! actually.. um....uh.. do u.. do u guys have sweatpants..?”

u giggled to urself on the inside bc u knew he just made that up on the spot

“we do! here, follow me”

while u were showing him the clothes u guys had exchanged names and had some small talk

and that was the start of something very Beautiful

and since then he has been coming almost everyday to visit u at work 🤗🤗

JAY

jay swore he found new things about u to love every single day

and today wasnt an exception!!!!

u knew jay had been really tired and just worn out from work recently so u had decided to make him his favorite meal for dinner

a nice little surprise for when he got home ❤️

and also the anime he was watching ready on the tv for u two to watch together :(

u had literally been preparing all day and u even decided to go out and buy dessert too

AWESOMEST PERSON EVER U ARE!

it was 8pm already and jay should be getting home now

u set the table all neatly and put on one of his sweaters

AND WOULD U LOOK AT THAT HE GOT HOME AS SOON AS U WERE DONE

Fate 🔥🔥

romantic stuff like this wasnt really ur forte so this was out of the normal for u

but u wanted to do something for jay because he did stuff like this for u alot

the table isnt in view when u walk into the apartment so he wasnt able to see his dinner yet

“hi” you smile brightly and go up to hug him and give him a little kiss

he had his bad slung over one of his shoulders and he was taking his shoes off in the doorway after he closed it

“hey.. it smells pretty good in here” he gave you a tired smile while one of his arms was wrapped around your waist

“really? it smells normal to me” you giggled before walking to the kitchen area together

he stopped and looked at u with LITERAL HEARTS IN HIS EYES when he saw the table

jay: ❤️_❤️

“y/n..”

“surprise!!! you know im not good with words but i wanted to show you that i can cook” you laugh “and that i love you very much and im so proud of you”

jay doesnt say anything but instead drops his bag on the couch and gives u the Biggest Hug Ever

ur face is practically smushed in his chest and his hand is resting lovingly on ur hair :(((

he loves u so much im so sad

JAKE

“layla!!! layla where are you?” jake was yelling quite loudly in the massive park he was in the middle of

yeah jake lost layla.. uh oh

quite a coincidence you found the cutest dog you’d ever laid eyes on

and she seemed to love u very much

the dog had made u topple over and now she was excitedly playing with you while you were sat on the ground laughing to your hearts content

after a minute of playing you had got up because you knew she was somebodys lost dog and her owner was probably looking all over the park for her

“okay.. lets go find your owner before they have a heart attack” you giggle

just as you said that though, you heard a boys voice yell “LAYLA!!!!”

the dog next to you looked in his direction, tail wagging and tongue out, but she didnt move an inch from her spot next to you

it made me you laugh out loud

as you were watching the boy run up to you, you noticed how cute he actually was

Omg..... ur heart started beating a little faster

“hi..” the boy hunched over with his hands on his knees breathing very heavily “you have my dog”

“uh yeah” you laugh “sorry about that, she ran over to me a couple minutes ago and i was just about to go find her owner”

“its okay, thank you..” he trailed off to find out your name and finally looked up to meet your eyes

“y/n” you told him

“y/n” he repeated with a small grin on his face “im jake”

“hi jake” you lightheartedly give him your hand to shake and he chuckles before taking the offer

“and it was nice meeting you layla” you crouch down to meet her level and she licks your face making you fall on your butt

you laugh and jakes quick to help you up

“layla! thats not very nice” he jokingly scolds her and pets her head

after u got up u bid goodbye to the two before jake invited u to continue walking around the park AND HE EVEN BOUGHT U AN ICE CREAM

Is This A Date, Jake? 😫😫❤️❤️❤️❤️😳😛😛

SUNGHOON

“you should be more careful” you scold the boy sitting with you standing between his legs

sunghoon had apparently gotten elbowed in the face by his friend and scratched by his friends cat on accident????

“it wasn’t my fault! he turned around and i just happened to be in the way. and i didnt even do anything to the cat!” he whined

“i didnt say it was your fault. i said to be more careful.” you tried to sound stern

u knew ur logic was making no sense but u just thought it was so fun to mess with him

he let out a sigh and gave up, slouching over again

you were stood between his legs, wiping the blood away and applying ointment

“im just kidding, you’re so cute” one of your free hands comes up to rub his hair

a small grin pops up on his face and his arms come to rest on your waist

he looks up at you while you focus on tending to his wounds

and u guessed it WITH LITERAL HEARTS IN HIS EYES

❤️_❤️

“you know y/n” he begins

you hum in response, letting him know you’re listening

“im gonna marry you one day”

you freeze in your place

it took you a minute to collect yourself because you felt like your heart almost leaped out of your chest

“who says?” you joke

he leans up to give you a quick kiss on the lips before sitting back down

“me.”

SUNOO

you noticed sunoo had been really tired lately and u just wanted to make him feel better :((

the boys were going out and invited you two obviously but you could tell sunoo was iffy about going

“uhh..” you trail off and look over at sunoo who was laying on the couch

“you know what guys? i think me and sunoo are gonna stay home today.. you guys have fun though!” you bid goodbye to the other boys and they all understood and left

you dont even know if sunoo knew they had left already because when you walked over to him his tired eyes were glued on the tv

“hey” you leaned against the couch and looked down at him

“y/n? are we going soon?” his eyes move to the top of his head to look up at you

you start laughing and he literally goes 🤨???

“silly, they already left! so what do you wanna do?” you plop down next to him and he was in the process of sitting up

“what? when did they leave...” his mouth drops open

“like 2 minutes ago” you giggle, leaning back to rest your head

sunoo had sat still, pondering for a moment

“why did they leave us?” he turned to look at you

your eyes met his “well i figured you didnt wanna go... you didnt, right?”

he slowly shakes his head “how did you know?”

you give him a sneaky smile and jokingly push his arm “because i know you so well”

he laughs at this and leans his head on your shoulder

“wow y/n.. im impressed” he grins, snuggling into your arm

your other arm crosses over to pat him on the head, leaning your head to rest on top of his

“but thank you y/n..” his eyes slowly close to rest “im thankful for all the little things you notice about me”

u literally go 🥺

your hand goes down to squeeze his and he falls asleep peacefully on ur shoulder ☹️☹️☹️❤️

JUNGWON

“y/n..what is that” jungwons eyes can barely open as he tries to comprehend whats going on while hes waking up

you haphazardly tap around the bedside table trying to turn off the new alarm you set last night

and that new alarm was jungwon singing 🤗

“its you, dummy” your eyes were still closed but you turned to face jungwon and snuggled closer to him

“wha- where did you even get that???” he was almost fully awake now, staring down at your half asleep figure

you yawned before answering in your i-just-woke-up-and-i-should-probably-drink-some-water voice “remember when you sang me to sleep last week? yeah i was secretly recording you. no biggie” you pat his chest twice and leave your hand there, content with life at the moment Lol

“y/nnnn” he whines “change ittt i dont like it”

“you’re kidding.” you deadpan, shocked he would say such a thing!!! “jungwon you sound like an angel threw up on a field of flowers full of puppies and kittens! okay thats kinda weird maybe not that”

jungwon giggles a little and sits up so he can sit against the headboard while your head rests on his lap

“you like my singing that much?” you can hear the smile in his voice as he asks you

you finally pop one eye open to look up at him, a goofy grin in your face

“i love your singing”

his hands run through your hair and you let out a sigh at the feeling

jungwon doesnt say anything

all he does is admire you

you can feel his eyes on you so you open your eyes again (both this time🙏🏼) and meet his eyes

“i can feel you staring straight into the depths of my soul, jungwon”

he laughs at this, bring his other hand up to pinch your cheek

“i’ll sing for you whenever you want me to y/n”

NI-KI

“shut up sunghoon, hes sleeping” you whisper-scolded the boy

ni-ki was currently asleep on you

literally SPRAWLED all over your body and you were basically mummified

by nishimura riki

his legs were tangled in yours, his head shoved into your neck, and his arms were bent around you in ways you didnt know were humanly possible

“you literally have an alien taking a nap on you y/n” sunghoon deadpans before walking out the room

“when you’re asleep sunghoon i will send you into a spacecraft for the rest of your life so you can go see aliens for yourself”

“wowww im so scared y/n” the boy remarks and shuts the door

you half laugh and half scoff before turning your attention back to the ipad screen sitting on the bed infront of you

well

kind of infront of you because ni-ki’s acrobatic position was basically blocking the view

you were having a decent time watching the show playing, definitely not the most comfortable person on the planet at the moment

until you felt the body on top of you.. rumble?

you knew that feeling

ni-ki was laughing

HOW and WHY the hell was he laughing ?!!?!!?!

“what the hell?” you look down at him and his face is shoved near your shoulder but you caught a glimpse of his big smile

his laughter gets louder and you still dont have answers yet

“why are you laughing???? i thought you were sleeping?????” you try to push him off you but he was persistent in laughing in your shoulder (??)

after a couple minutes of you just letting this happen

ni-ki finally speaks!

“you’re so funny y/n” he finally pulls away from you and wipes his tears

“what are you even talking about... and how long were you awake, you sneaky kid” you poke his chest

he leans down again to hug your waist and start cuddling you again

“10 minutes”

“so you’re telling me i could’ve freed myself from that god awful demon EMBRACE you had me in 10 minutes ago???!!”

ni-ki starts laughing again and looks up at you

“thank you for threatening to send sunghoon to aliens for me y/n” he grins

you laugh, finally understanding what the boy had been going on about

“sunghoon deserved it”

#enhypenwriters #enhypen imagines #enhypen #enhypen scenarios #enhypen reactions #enhypen x reader #enhypen drabbles #enhypen fluff #enhypen fic #enhypen headcanons #jungwon imagines #heeseung imagines #sunghoon imagines #ni ki imagines #sunoo imagines #enhypen timestamps #enhypen imagine

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gothamcitycentral · 2 years

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Asking kindly for random Scarecrow headcanons <3 thank you

Delightful! I’d be happy to provide

I see Johnathan as Pansexual. At first I thought Pan/Ace but then I saw a panel that highly suggested he was into pain so I immediately rolled with that. Though I did recently see a Demi John headcanon, which is really fitting. So this is kinda subject to change.

The first version of the fear toxin caused hallucinations, but John has adapted numerous different versions with varying effects. He’s constantly tinkering with his formulas.

He seriously avoids most southern food. Some of its okay for him, but a lot of it only serves to bring up past trauma. His Thanksgiving meals were, at best, a turkey sandwich that wasn’t too bad. Batman found this out accidentally, so he left Johnathan a turkey melt since he hadn’t caused any trouble recently.

Christmas would have gone down in a similar manner. In fact it did for a long time, but then Harley started throwing annual Christmas parties and there’s nothing religious going on there.

He and the Riddler have a weird relationship. They don’t hate each other, but Johnathan really just doesn’t care for Eddie. Riddler likes to annoy him though, and he gets many opportunities since they and Poison Ivy have a mutual friend thing going on, since Harley likes to drag them all together.

More on him and Poison Ivy, they have a sort of rivalry going on, though it’s turned into more of a friendly rivalry than anything. They’re both chemists, and Johnathan has gotten into a habit of trying to “out do” Ivy. Though either of them know exactly what that would entail. Also, John is immune to her toxins and Ivy to his fear toxin. Though they do bond over hating the Joker’s guts.

He can sew. Which is how he maintains the fabric of his Scarecrow outfit.

He actually has a very professionally maintained small flock of crows. Each has a name and he can tell each apart without struggle.

Sometimes city birds (mostly pigeons) will show up amongst their roosts. When Johnathan sees them it usually goes vaguely like:

“You’re not meant to be here.”

*pigeon noises*

“Okay then. Understood.”

Obligatory Banecrow. Bane was looking to experiment with his venom so he went to Johnathan. They somehow turned a scientific discussion of chemical application flirtatious. It was still actually rather productive, however.

You know that thing where people who didn’t “rebel” as teenagers start rebelling in college? It’s like that, except Johnathan didn’t rebel in college. Or when he taught college. So instead we have a man in his late thirties going through his teenage rebellion.

Apart of this rebellion is letting his friends engage him in traditionally feminine activities. He looks like a statue on the outside during it but really he’s giddy, to put it simply.

Thank you for the ask! I hope you enjoyed

#my asks #johnathan crane #scarecrow #dc headcanon #harley quinn #poison ivy #the riddler #bane #banecrow

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shihalyfie · 3 years

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With Digimon Ghost Game starting, I thought about how different it is from previous Digimon series, though it's still undoubtedly Digimon... and then I realized all Digimon series are like that. So I wonder, what do you think sets each Digimon series apart from the rest?

I think both Ghost Game but also the reboot have been a wake-up call for people in terms of realizing that likes, dislikes, and tastes are subjective, and I think it's especially important in terms of this fanbase that is so obsessed with this idea you can objectively rank things by quality -- especially when each series is often deliberately trying to have its own identity, so it's arguably apples and oranges -- and forcing this idea of what's Good and Not Good on everyone else (especially when there's a nasty double standard phenomenon where Adventure and often Tamers get to be so impervious to criticism that people conveniently forget they're perfectly capable of being scrutinized for a lot of things they're weaker in). Very frustrating to see everyone who likes less popular series treated as if they have to accept that they like a "badly written series" for some things and everything else is a guilty pleasure, which I find to be incredibly dumb.

The most important take-home here is that the fact each series has its own identity is always going to be the main factor in what makes it "good" or not to you, not some arbitrary bar of comparison that's based on some narrow-minded view of "good writing" (which is usually unreasonably based on Adventure). For instance, the reason why 02 is so important to me is because (see below), to me, it has the highest amount of meaningful, important life lessons and themes that it wanted its audience to remember, to the point that I frankly do not care about where the plot goes in comparison. That may not be the case for everyone else, and that's fine, but should my tastes be called unreasonable for that? I think we're also coming to realize that because of Adventure (and kind of 02)'s precedent, so many people have been judging series purely by how intimate their individual character development style is, but this is unfair because Adventure and 02's ridiculous level of character depth to psychological detail is extremely unusual and unrealistic to expect of others; Adventure and 02 only achieved this by practically considering the plot utterly subservient to its character arcs, and it's arguably why they have some of the weakest "plots" in this franchise. It's so bizarre that I can see character development in other Digimon series that outstrips even most kids' anime on the market, but it's not as much as Adventure's so apparently it's bad. And, moreover, as it turns out, some people have priorities other than characterization; just because Adventure had that as its strength doesn't mean that's the only thing anyone should care about. Is the plot fun? Is there a meaningful message besides characters (also important to me)? Do you vibe with the tone being dark, or being silly? How much do you care about resourceful usage of Digimon lore? That kind of thing. Everyone is different, so that's why everyone has their own priorities. If you’re someone who prefers darker content, you may not realize that writing good and well-timed comedy is actually a very, very difficult task, especially when said comedy simultaneously has meaning (in comparison, it’s surprisingly easy to write “dark” but shallow content).

I think it's fair to like every Digimon series for its own thing, depending on your personal tastes. I can't speak for everyone, but my impressions are that it has to do with the following:

Adventure: Significantly easier to understand than 02 due to its more straightforward plot, and focus on individual character development ("individualism" being a strong point here). In terms of characters, it goes a lot into some very real social problems (the divorce around the Ishida and Takaishi families and the pressures surrounding Jou, for instance) in a very realistic manner. Also, it has that sense of mystique and absurdism to the Digital World that's both whimsical but also mysterious, and while 02 has it too, Adventure's the isekai story that has it the most.

02: The first is its focus on the importance of human relationships and the compelling group dynamic unparalleled in this franchise, and the second is its important themes and life lessons that I think are some of the strongest in said franchise. I have a whole tag for the ridiculous amount of nuance packed into every detail and dialogue line for this series, and I think every time I've rewatched an episode I've learned something new about it because there are so many things that clearly wanted to be said in each line. The entire series is basically an unpacking of the feelings of insidious self-hatred and the crushing feeling of being subject to society's expectations, and ones that are so deep-seated that you often don’t even have a single answer to how to unpack it (for instance, Miyako hardly has a tragic single event in her backstory, but she says and does a lot of things that'll be painfully familiar to those who have experienced chronic anxiety). Almost every plot point can be said to connect to each character arc in some way, and the mantras for appreciating and treasuring your own life and living life the way you will make this, in my opinion, the strongest series in terms of speaking to those who struggle with this kind of existential crisis for reasons of depression or otherwise. (Oops, I think I went too passionate about this; my biases are obvious...)

Tamers: I think it forms an interesting study and unpacking of the kinds of things you take for granted in Digimon or the monster-collecting genre in general, and an examination of how they'd work in a real-world context (although 02 had a focus on daily life, it didn't quite merge the Digimon and the real world factors until very late in the series). Also, probably the second highest on "hard sci-fi" (the only one that outstrips it is probably Appmon, but Appmon has a very different, more simplified take on it).

Frontier: A series that lies somewhere between Adventure's scale of individualism and 02's scale of group dynamic, and one more discussing the feeling of having your heart hardened from being an outcast, and what it takes to accept the idea of opening yourself up to others again. Recommended for those who like transforming hero and magical girl stories, too. From the Digimon perspective, also the one with the most detailed and consistent Digital World mythos.

Savers: I think this is the series that most drives home "life is complicated" (i.e. there isn't a single mastermind behind everything) in the most tasteful manner, because while it drives home the point that you can't just simplify everything into a good side and a bad side, some bad things really are evil (hi, Kurata), and it doesn't change the fact that everyone's responsible for cleaning up the fallout. The portrayal of the evils of government bureaucracy is probably the most realistic out of any of these series.

Xros Wars: For those who like fun, most of all! For those who like seeing Digimon finally get more of the spotlight and individuality since so much of it had been geared and biased towards the humans prior to this. For those who really like worldbuilding, and, after all, this is called Xros Wars, so it's interesting to see shakeups on the usual formulas in the form of the different factions and their priorities. Hunters is very different in tone, but I do think they have some of these aspects in common; that said, it being closer to having single partnerships brings it a bit closer in line to conventional Digimon partnerships, and it also has more of a picture of daily life. Also, as much as Tagiru is probably your-mileage-may-vary since he's not exactly a very nice kid (I get it if you don't vibe with that), which may also rub those hoping for not nice kids to become nice the wrong way, I do have to say I find him to be one of the funniest characters in this entire franchise, and you'd be surprised how hard good comedy is to write.

Appmon: Probably one of the strongest theme narratives besides 02, since it has a very clear and obvious theme about the importance of kindness in a world where technology is dominating and we're almost encouraged to strip the feelings out of everything. (Bonus for more straightforward plot than Adventure or 02 while still retaining a lot of its elements in terms of how to characterize them.) Also the first series to be speculative about the near future instead of taking place around the time it airs, and it's very obvious it wants to provide important and necessary commentary about what we need to do in the incoming era, especially as a lot of what it has to say becomes increasingly relevant.

Reboot: For those who like Digimon mythos and null canon -- this is probably the only series to show it off in this level of detail -- and the kind of cool action fights that would usually be saved for the climax in prior series (and animated in much more intimate detail with battle choreography than prior series would have). There are a lot of people into this franchise who felt like it genuinely was not making enough use of its Digimon roster and its potential because it kept going back to the old standbys (especially Adventure-based ones), so it was a huge relief for that crowd to see attention finally being paid.

#digimon #shiha's ask box #demonoflight #digimon multi series talk

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the-insomniac-emporium · 3 years

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Mia Deserved Better: An Analysis of RE8's Themes/Symbolism

Foreword: I would like to thank @lepusrufus for posting about both Mia and Miranda, and at one point directly saying that Mia deserved better, which is a large part of what caused me to start examining her role in the canon story. Now, I will say that this post, like some of my previous explorations of Village (such as my attempt to determine Donna's age), will not be the best organized. My ADHD makes such things rather difficult for me. However, I have tried more than usual, and have broken up this "essay" into several distinct sections. Still, I am worried that my thoughts will not be as concise or coherent as they were inside my head.

Under read-more for length and spoilers for RE8: Village.

Introduction:

Village is, inarguably, about parenthood. Is it a horror game? Yes. Is it also science fiction? Also yes. But is it still, at its core, a story, and therefore contains imagery, symbolism, and themes? Yes. Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with Mia deserving better. My proposal is as follows: While Village is overall about parenthood, it is more about motherhood than fatherhood. Furthermore, Mia's background + actions from the previous game tie her story directly with Mother Miranda's, making their potential interactions massively important to the story... and could have served the theme beautifully. The missed potential in her involvement in the story is honestly a little bit absurd.

Now, let's examine each of the Four Lords + their sections, as the beginning of analyzing the game's theme.

Lady Dimitrescu + Castle:

Ah, perhaps the clearest (albeit unimportant) bits of theme within the whole game. We are immediately presented with another parent, with three daughters she loves very, very much. Initially they work as a team to capture Ethan, easily overpowering him. When they do split up, each still has dialogue regarding their family members. Each of the daughters expresses a desire to be like their mother/make their mother proud. Lady Dimitrescu herself gets very upset every time one of her daughters perishes, and delivers some important dialogue about this in her final confrontation with Ethan.

To paraphrase, Lady D says that Ethan has done something unforgiveable, caused damage that can never heal, and deserves to die before his daughter. That last part is interesting, in the sense that Lady D seems to believe that outlasting your own child is a fate so terrible that she would not wish it upon anyone, including the person who killed her daughters.

Throughout her dialogue and actions, Lady D serves as an important figure of a living mother. What do I mean by that? Well, the only other mothers we see in game are Mia and Miranda. The former doesn't show up until almost the end of the game (seeing as the "Mia" at the start is not actually the real Mia), while the latter does not have a living child, and her behavior has (presumably) changed quite a bit since that loss. As Ethan goes through Castle Dimitrescu, he watches (he causes) Lady D to go through what Miranda did all those decades ago. When we see her loss, when we experience her loss, it is something we connect with, even comparing it (as Lady D does) to Ethan's loss of Rose.

For the more visual side of symbolism, we can turn to Lady Dimitrescu herself. She is very tall, is visibly older than the majority of the Village cast, and has a fairly classic (old-school) motherly look. Everything about her reinforces her position as an example of a mother, especially when she's with her daughters and becomes such a strong figure of protection. Her height allows her to seem the caretaker for her children, even though they are scary/intimidating in their own right.

Donna Beneviento + Waterfall House:

Yes, the baby/fetus/monstrosity is part of this. No, it is not the only bit of thematic work in this section of the game.

To begin, you can find out that Donna is officially the adopted daughter of Mother Miranda. Her birth parents are dead, implied to be from especially tragic causes (more than is the norm when it comes to "orphan making"), and she has suffered greatly from it. We see that she has been seemingly neglected by Miranda, and is incredibly isolated. The tragedy of her loss, along with the consequences presented by it, are something to keep in mind further down the road, when we inevitably deal with Ethan's own death.

One of the consequences of the environment Donna was raised in is, arguably, her reliance on Angie. While interpretations of their exact relationship (aka how much control Donna actually has at any given point) vary, the two very clearly have something akin to a mother/daughter vibe. Alternatively an older sister/younger sister sort of thing. This shows in the way that Donna holds/carries Angie, as well as the contrast in their demeanors. Moreso, the fact that Donna gave a part of herself to create Angie is almost enough to make the symbolism nonnegotiable.

We also see that Donna has a strong understanding of family/family dynamics, through the way that she uses her powers to manipulate Ethan. She dissects his connections to Mia and Rose, taunts him with the lengths he's willing to go to save his child, then shows him a grotesque version of parenthood: The aforementioned fetus monster. Does the monster represent Ethan's fears, or Donna's?

What if the monster is how Donna sees herself, in some way, perhaps thinking that it's her fault her parents died? Bit of a stretch, but it's not a keystone of my theory, so I'm just throwing it out there. We could, however, go a step further and ask ourselves if Donna has noticed the way Miranda neglects her, and the fetus monster is how Donna thinks Miranda sees her. A baby, true, but grotesque, so terribly imperfect compared to her "real daughter" (Eva, obvs).

Regardless, the monster presents an ugly side of parenthood. It shows us the blood, the hunger (with the way it repeatedly attempts to swallow Ethan whole), the wailing. If Lady D shows us the love of parenthood, the bond, Donna in turn shows us the hate, the misery. Everything that one must endure to reap the rewards of family.

Lastly, we get one last bit of symbolism with Donna's death: We play a game with Angie. A childhood classic, hide and seek. Ethan chases her down repeatedly, stabbing away, seemingly only hurting the doll. But what happens when he kills Angie? It turns out that he killed Donna. You kill the child, you kill the parent. A reinforcement of the connection that comes with parenthood, along with another notch in Ethan's family-murdering belt (not saying that he's the "true antagonist" or anything, just keeping track for one of my later points).

Moreau + The Reservoir

Let's get the worst possibility out of the way: Moreau, weakest and sickest of the four lords, lives in a reservoir, where he is relatively safe. To defeat him, you have to drain the water, forcing him onto dry(ish) land. Paired with the main ideas of his section (which I will detail after this nightmare), one could theorize that he's meant to represent birth itself. Again, he's safe in his ("womb") water, and becomes vulnerable when he leaves (like a fragile newborn). Kinda gross, in my opinion, and also not a strong enough connection for me to care much about. It was merely an interesting (albeit horrifying) enough thought that I felt it warranted sharing.

Moving on to the big stuff with Moreau: He's a baby. Evidence: Whiny, has difficulty moving around, struggles to adapt to his growth, throws up a bunch, loves his mother very much, cries for his mother when he's in trouble, etc. Although Mother Miranda does not care for him, he clearly cares for her, and plays yet another role of an abandoned child (like Donna). Without Miranda there to protect him, he perishes terribly, crying out for someone who does not care to answer.

Hearing him cry out for Miranda, over and over, only for her to continue ignoring him is a key piece in the build-up to our confrontation between Ethan and Miranda. The game, in many ways, centers around the comparison between the two. In my humble opinion, Mia should have been involved in this comparison, as opposed to supplying the solution to the result of said comparison. Yes, I know that was a lot of words that don't mean much yet, but trust me, I'm getting there.

Heisenberg + The Factory

Ironically, of the four lords, Heisenberg is the most similar to Mother Miranda. In his massive factory, he is alone except for his numerous experiments, the results of decades of playing God. In comparison to Ethan + Mia, Heisenberg represents artificial parentage, or more accurately, the artificial creation of "life". While the others Lords also performed experiments, they used living subjects. Heisenberg instead chose to use corpses, which he then "brought back to life" with cybernetics + his powers, a somewhat futuristic version of Dr. Frankenstein.

Together, Miranda and him show a rotten side of parenthood (whereas Donna + Moreau showed us the uglier side of the children themselves). To put it simply, they are bad parents. They throw their "children"/experiments into the fray, uncaring, using them as pawns for their own greater gain. The most important part of this is that Heisenberg offers to "help" Ethan: By using Rose as a weapon. In his act of refusal, Ethan demonstrates one of several important distinctions between himself and Mother Miranda. Where she is willing to use her "children" (read: lives that she is responsible for) as tools, he is not.

Miscellaneous Symbolism/Imagery:

The old hag is one of my favorite parts of Village. She's seemingly nuts, has a crazy old lady laugh, wears bones that make soothing bone noises when she moves, and she draws lots of symbols in the dirt. If you look closely (I can provide screenshots if anyone desires, but it will take a bit of work to get them onto my computer), she's drawing one of the most iconic images in the titular village: The winged unborn. This symbol acts as the key you build up after every fight with a Lord, understandably called the Unborn Key (which turns into the Winged Unborn Key). Whether this counts as foreshadowing towards the hag's identity reveal is technically irrelevant, but I like to think it does.

In essence, you build up the key, this depiction of an infant, to progress in the game. The more wings it gains, the closer you are to your goal of rescuing your child.

The cadou itself is very clearly fetus-shaped. Furthermore, the only place within the human body that we know it ever gets implanted is in the "tummy" (thanks Moreau), aka roughly where someone's womb is/would be. Every infected person we see presumably had the Cadou implanted there (though I think it would be interesting if implanting it in different spots caused different mutations. of course, that is a discussion for another day). To become immortal, you have to "bear" a "child". Does it get more direct than that?

Mother Miranda gained her immortality in part for her grief at the loss of her child. She embodied the despair that Lady D spoke of, becoming an eternal source of anguish. Just as the loss of a child is a wound that lasts forever, so too would Miranda last forever (well, until Ethan comes along).

Mia is a loving mother, who puts up with the BSAA making her move across the world, deals with the complications of having a mold husband and mold baby, and has proved herself (see her section in RE7) to be an immense badass. Previously I had forgotten that, and even embarrassed myself in the comments of another person's post by implying she wasn't a tough, ass-kicking machine. Y'all remember feral Mia? People talk about "poor Ethan's arms", but sometimes we forget that Mia was one of the people who did a number on them. Furthermore, she's one of the only living people (from outside the village) to have any connections (pun intended) to Mother Miranda. They worked together, although possibly not directly, on Evelyn. If anyone in Village has a chance of really understanding Miranda's plight, or knowing the truth behind it, it would be Mia. Yet we don't see them interact a single time. Which leads me to the next section...

Conclusion On Theme + Missed Potential:

Okay, okay, so it's pretty obvious at this point that, as previously stated, the game's theme is parenthood. Every section has its symbolism, the story is very obviously about a man trying to rescue his daughter, etc, etc, but what's the point? Is there a lesson, or a more focused interpretation of the central theme? Let's take one last step back, and focus on something I've mentioned a few times now: The comparison between Ethan and Mother Miranda.

Recurring dialogue from Ethan, Alcina, and Mother Miranda all point towards the developers acknowledging that the characters are similar, but there's nowhere near as much conversation about it as I would like. Several times we have the antagonists ask Ethan how he's so willing to kill someone else's child, or prevent them from (essentially) doing what he's doing (aka saving his daughter). While Ethan responds with a mix of "well you started it" and "aghhh fuck-a-you, bitch", there's a much more solid, unspoken difference: Mother Miranda sends her underlings to kill, so that she may revive her daughter. Ethan kills (read: does the work himself) to get his daughter. The difference is much bigger, and more important, at the end of the game, when we realize just how far it goes. Ethan dies to save his daughter. Time and time again Mother Miranda has killed others for her work, but in the end she is stopped when someone willingly dies to stop her.

Where does Mia come in? Mia, the badass mother, the one who once worked alongside Mother Miranda, should have been the nail in the coffin. She is the one who survives, who lives on to raise Rose, she is the silent solution to Ethan's sacrifice. Miranda, you fool, what could you have accomplished if you had held onto your makeshift family? Through Mia (and Chris, to a lesser degree), his "loss" becomes a victory. There's a certain poetic justice that comes with Rose's full family being instrumental in saving her, when Miranda so readily spurned her own family.

Mia could have had an actual conversation with Miranda, their history giving the latter a reason to actually listen. I'm not saying that Miranda would have changed her mind/plans, but the conversation would have been a well-needed contrast to Ethan's "arggg what the fuck is happening, I only have two reactions to things. agg fuck you". Additionally, I feel that Mia (who was captured and had to endure who-knows-what) deserves the opportunity to be the one who points out Miranda's mistakes, who delivers the final "fuck you" to her. More than that, she's the one at the end who can say that hey, maybe she can understand some of what Miranda did. Was there anything her and Ethan wouldn't have done to save Rose? As much as Ethan is a foil to Miranda, Mia could (and should) have played a similar role.

When so much of the story and symbolism revolves around Miranda's experience as a mother, it only would have been fair to shine a light on her equivalent. Her better.

There's more I wanted to say/feel like I didn't properly get across, and I might add more to this at some point, but it's 5:40 AM right now, and I'm starting to feel like my brain is slowing down, so... Feel free to reblog/comment and add your own thoughts!

#mother miranda #mia winters #ethan winters #rosemary winters #resident evil: village #re8 village #god what do I tag this as

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gb-patch · 3 years

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Ask Answers: May 15th Part 1

It’s been longer than usual since our last answer session, so I’m answering a ton of questions today! It’s so big I split it into two parts. Thank you for the patience on getting a response to these.

Thanks for reaching out to us with your questions and kind words ^^!

Sorry if this has been asked before or isn't something you can say but is there anyway for Cove to confess in step 4? I wanted him to confess in step 3 and followed all the steps to make him do it but ended up texting my family instead of Cove at the end.

Yeah, Cove can confess in Step 4!

Hello! I heard that Cove is on the spectrum, albeit undiagnosed. As someone who is ND, this makes me UNBELIEVABLY happy. I literally was brought to tears! Thank you for that!

Out of curiosity, will Cove be diagnosed in Step 4? I have a strong feeling y’all won’t make it a HUGE deal/make it out to be negative, so I’m not worried about that whatsoever! I’m just curious just he’ll off handedly mention it? Or will it just not be touched upon at all (which is ok!)?

Either way is ok, I’m just curious!

I’m happy it made you happy! Admittedly, Cove simply being someone with autism that grew up not being diagnosed was something I included for myself. I didn’t really think anyone would notice or ask about it, aha. But players did start to have questions about his traits, so I started to talk about it outside of the game. It’s great to see it get such a positive response and now I do feel like having it be a non-topic may have been the wrong choice and bringing it up would’ve been good in terms of having positive representation for that. I don’t know if I’ll find a way to mention it in Step 4 now, with how far along the game is, but I am at least thinking about it when originally it wasn’t something I really even considered.

Hey! Just wanted to say thank you for Our Life. It's been a bright spot and a needed escape in what's otherwise been a crummy year. I know you just did a Q&A post but I figured I'd ask anyway. Was just curious about Step 4. Will it be similar to the other Steps in that it consists of several different moments or will it just be one long sequence?

Step 4 is shorter than the prior Steps because it’s just an epilogue rather than a full arc of a story. It’ll consist of scenes that all happen in a set row one after the other. There won’t be a collection of Moments to choose from. But it’ll still be very sweet and fun.

¡hola!, you see, first I want to say that I love Our Life! (°◡°♡) and I have 2 important questions, would Cove cry watching titanic? and what is the saddest part according to him? (sorry for my english)

Titanic would make him cry. He’d probably think the parts showing people who aren’t able to make it to the life boats/are choosing to stay and go down with the ship were the saddest.

Hello, I wanted to ask how much you earn with creating games? Like is it possible to make a living? Thank you >< <3

How much I earn varies a lot month to month based on Steam sales, Patreon backers, and how many projects are in full production at the time. It’s also hard to say how much I make historically, since that also changes dramatically year by year. But I do earn enough to work on these games full time! I really appreciate all the support that allows me to do that.

Hey!! I was wondering for the 18+ Our Life moment, will there be an emphasis on safety/comfort for all involved? I feel like there would be just going off of what the rest of the game is like, but I wanted to ask

Yes! Cove is a nervous boy himself and also super cautious about doing anything the MC doesn’t like, so clear consent from both is absolutely needed for anything to happen. It’s a conversational sexy times Moment with stops/starts so the two can talk about how they’re feeling, rather than a heat of the moment just going for it kind of thing.

Hey!! I was wondering how long the wedding dlc would be? Will it be broken up into moments, or just one big event?

It’s one long series of scenes all in a row rather than a collection of Moments to pick from. It’s the shortest and the least expensive of all the DLCs. It’s not super crucial to get and those who aren’t into big weddings can totally skip it without worry.

HELLO AMAZING DEVS 👋 i am hopelessly in love with the worst guy ever (jeremy king) and because of this i have a really stupid question: does he really hate people who are nice to him? TvT he’s too cute to be mean to istg it’s a miracle JB held the urge to be consistently nice to him bc just look at his FACE he is so cute! thank you for jeremy’s route it’s so lovely (and awful bc he’s scum 11/10) it gave me so much laughs LMAO i hope you guys have a good day!!

Haha, thank you. He doesn’t hate them but he’s certainly not pleased with them. Jeremy is either uncomfortable with or annoyed by people being sweet on him, depending on how they approach it. He’s far more comfortable with jerkiness. It lets him relax and he can be himself without it being a problem, since he’s also a jerk. He feels a level of guilt being such a little punk to kind people, not enough to be a better person but still.

Has Cove dated or been interested in someone other than MC?

Nope! He stays single over the course of the game if he’s not with the MC.

Is Step 4 more mature? Or it's gonna be set in similar atmosphere as Step 3?

Step 4 is a similar atmosphere as Step 3. Though, it’s actually kind of less mature-topic heavy than Step 3 since it’s just a ‘hey, let’s check in on the gang to see what they’re up to’ style epilogue rather than a story arc with serious issues.

will there be new music for now and forever?? or will the old our life music be reused?

It’s gonna be a brand new soundtrack. We’ll be opening up a job position for that soon.

Hi, is it okay if we use the assets in Our Life (like the sprites) for fanworks or fan content content, like edits?

Sure! Just as long as you don’t use the assets made by those artists to make money.

Quick clarification on Step 3 choices: I hope I didn't come off rude (because I LOVE the game, really!!), I was just curious because the intro threw me off at times. For example, you could choose how you felt about Elizabeth in Step 2 (Dinner), but during the Step 3 intro, it says that you got closer to Liz and I didn't get a choice in it.

For the example, it can’t be helped that you’re closer to Liz in Step 3 than you were in Step 2 because she’s inherently closer to the MC regardless of whether you liked her or not in Step 2. Her feelings are out of your control and the game isn’t so dramatic that you can push her affection away and not let her bond with you, haha. But ‘being closer’ can still be relative. For some people maybe that means you’re best buds now and for others it might just mean you’re not fighting all the time any more. If there’s other parts you want to mention, feel free to let us know.

Did the illustrator for Our Life change?

We have many OL artists! The main artists who set the game’s style haven’t changed, but there’s multiple other artists who help finish assets.

So Miranda's type is confident and outgoing, huh? So...does that mean Terri's her type?? 👀

Haha, sorry for the late reply on this. As you might’ve seen in our post yesterday- yeah that is her type.

Hey! First, I just want to say I've really enjoyed how detailed OL got with gender identity and sexuality and how respectful the topics were handled! It's been so wonderful to play since the experiences could be close to my own (I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up at parts). Second, I was wondering, would future games explore the topic of polyamory? I'd love to see more visual novels allow room for that and I saw you've explored the topic before.

Keep up the amazing work! ♡

Thank you! We do want to include polyamory in at least some of our future projects. Floret Bond, which might be what you’re referring to when mentioning how we’ve explored the topic before, is on hold unfortunately. So right now I’m not sure when something might release or what will be the first game of ours to come out with poly relationships (we might do something else before FB is done). We’ll have see how things ends up coming together.

Hey um. I feel like im not allowed to ask this on the private discord cuz people will yell at me but why is there so much focus on OL2 and not finishing OL1 stuff? I like the new people but i kind of want to finish cove's story and get derek and baxter stuff first. didn't people pay for it?

I’m sorry, I don’t understand entirely what’s making that situation a concern. There’s a channel in the discord for critique where no one is allowed to comment back. People can voice things they’re worried about without any way for others to push back on it. And the two teams working on the OL games are different. We try to post pretty often about how we’re hiring brand new people to start on Our Life: Now & Forever. The OL1 team is all still working on OL1 like normal. There’s only more updates on the Patreon for OL2 because the expansions to the first game are mostly script-based at this point while OL2 is just starting to get all its art, which means there’s a lot more to show off as previews.

Also, there was a Kickstarter for the first Our Life, if that’s what you mean by people paying for it. But one of the stretch goals was to start Our Life 2 early, before fully completing Our Life 1, so that the new game could be out sooner. It wouldn’t make sense to stop doing OL2 work because that would be going against what backers were promised. Maybe you didn’t get the full story before and hopefully this clears it up!

Hello! I know it's up to every player but.. What is your recommendation for playing order? Did you ever had any timeline events planned?

I didn’t make the events with a planned timeline. The events got made simply as I had ideas for them and then I just kind of organized them from left to right on the screen in an order to space out more dramatic ones between more lighthearted ones. Any order the player wants to go with is totally valid!

Hi! It's Step 4 a paid dlc or update? And how long it's planned to be? Ps. Love the game!

The Step 4 epilogue is free! The Cove Wedding DLC does cost money, though. Those are planned to be shorter than the usual Steps/DLCs.

Will we have options for what sort of job the MC might have by the time step 4 takes place?

Yeah, you can. It’s not super exact or detailed, but there are options about it.

Is there a pandemic in Our Life world, or is it just in a better timeline with no pestilence?

Our Life is pandemic-free! That didn’t exist when we began working on the project and it’s not something we’d like to feature in this story now that it has unfortunately come along, aha.

Hi, you said that you can play tic-tac-toe or hangman with Cove in Boating if you're sick/scared but I keep getting tic-tac-toe. Am I doing something wrong?

After being sick/scared you have to continue to be upset/unwell. If you calm down and decide to just chill you’ll end up playing tic-tac-toe.

Hi, GB Patch! Since Lee was initially commissioned to only appear in two Steps does this mean she won't appear in the Wedding DLC? I really like her character so it'll be a little weird to not have our cousin at our wedding, aha.

She is gonna be in Step 4/the wedding DLC after all! We’re still working with her creator to make sure it fits with what they wanted.

Is Sunset Bird based on a real place? Asking for a friend, not trying to move there or anything. 👀

It’s based on small beach towns in So-Cal, but not one specific town you could go see in real life, I’m afraid. It’d be nice if it was real, though.

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