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makeste · 3 years

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my long boring post about chapter 293 and Kacchan’s hero name

lmao I think that’s all of them. anyways, so I said I was gonna do a post on this, and so here goes.

first off, I just want to say that people are allowed to not like the name! it’s a completely subjective thing, there’s no right or wrong “it’s good” or “it’s bad.” or rather, there is a right or wrong, and it’s whichever one you think it is. if you think it’s good, you’re right. if you think it’s bad, you’re also right. it’s an opinion, it doesn’t need to be backed up by peer review lol.

that said, here is my own completely subjective opinion: I think “Dynamight” (though please not with the capital “m”, I beg you lol) is a terrific name for him honestly. it’s clever wordplay, it’s a subtle callback/tribute to his favorite hero who is also his inspiration for becoming a hero, and it’s a perfect fit for his chosen aesthetic. it’s honestly great.

and what makes it even better is that at the same time, it is also stupid as fuck lmao. this is a name that encapsulates the duality of man. it’s the perfect metaphor for this boy who think he’s the hottest shit god ever invented, and has no idea that the number of people who take him seriously after interacting with him for more than ten seconds is actually in the single digits. this hero name is the equivalent of an excited puppy ferociously bounding towards a squirrel only to trip over its own feet and fall flat on its face. it thinks it is scary as fuck, and has no idea that 30,000 people on TikTok think it’s the most adorable thing they’ve ever seen. I unabashedly love it, and will also ceaselessly roast the everloving shit out of it without the slightest remorse, just like I roast the beloved boy attached to it. that’s just how it is lol.

so that’s how I feel about the name! however, this next part I need to emphasize: my opinion of the name, and my opinion of whether or not I actually think this will be his name, are two different things. I like the name Dynamight. I really do. and I also think there is next to no chance that this will actually be his hero name.

here’s the thing. this would have been a perfect name for him if it had been his chosen name back in chapter 45 when everyone else picked their aliases. it would have fit in seamlessly with the rest of his class. Red Riot, Chargebolt, Earphone Jack, Sugarman, Uravity; those are all names that stick in your mind and look great on official merch. those are names that sell action figures, but they also do a great job of representing the individuals behind the names. they have personality. and so does “Dynamight”, for sure.

but the thing is, for whatever reason, Horikoshi didn’t have him pick this name back in chapter 45. he went with a running gag instead. “King Explosion Murder”, “Lord Explosion Murder”, and so forth. and in the end, we never got a hero name at all. he could have had him pick Dynamight after we’d had our laughs. hell, he could have used it as an early easter egg hinting at Kacchan’s admiration for All Might, which wouldn’t be officially revealed until the final exam arc about twenty chapters later. “Dynamight” in Japanese is written out in katakana -- ダイナマイト (“dainamaito”). this is the word that’s used in Japan for actual dynamite. there is no inherent indicator that it’s a pun; it just so happens that the “mite” in dynamite is spelled out phonetically in Japanese the exact same way that “might” is. so the pun isn’t obvious unless you know to look for it. Horikoshi could have left us all thinking that “Dynamite” was his name until chapter 62 or thereabouts when he revealed that Katsuki looked up to All Might, at which point Horikoshi could finally reveal the official English spelling and it would be like a second name reveal. which would have been pretty sweet, actually.

but my point being, for some reason he instead chose not to do this. instead he chose to drag it all out for 250 chapters, content to let us all languish. this man had not a shred of mercy for the thousands of Bakugou fans who were all “please, sir, the fic,” before eventually giving up and adopting Ground Zero as the official-unofficial name until we either got a real reveal or died of old age. he dragged it out, and kept it as a gag, and eventually it was just like, fine, whatever.

and then this happened.

and it changed everything.

because you see, all of a sudden “Bakugou’s Hero Name” wasn’t just a running joke gag plot anymore. in the span of three sentences, Horikoshi changed the entire meaning of it. “your hero name represents your desires. the embodiment of how you wish to be. your ideal self.”

just like that, the whole mystery of “what will Bakugou’s hero name be” goes from being a funny little ongoing thing to an existential question, with the implication being that the choice he finally makes, whatever it may be, will in essence reveal the very core of his character. “your ideal self.” in other words this will really be almost the pinnacle of his entire character arc. his hero name, when he finally picks it, will show us just how far he’s come. it will show us his answer to “what kind of person do you want to be.”

that is an insane amount of meaning to suddenly dump onto something that up until this point had just been a funny little running gag. “lol Bakugou loves murder and death.” “lol at this rate Bakugou will graduate while still not having an actual hero name.” from that, to suddenly out of the blue, “Bakugou’s hero name will show us who he is as a person.” like, holy shit though. and mind you, this isn’t something that’s been done for any other character. this is very Bakugou-specific. all this build-up and significance has been ascribed to his hero name specifically. at this point his name is basically its own fucking plot. it’s literally its own individual little arc. all of that build-up. all of that meaning and importance given to it.

and then Horikoshi goes and gives us this.

so. like... okay, I guess??

like, just some quick things of note here though:

he is still doing the whole “explosive destruction murder” thing on top of the “Dynamight” part. indicating that there has not been the slightest bit of thoughtful consideration actually given on his part. literally the one thing that everyone and their mom was trying to explain to him not to do, and all of it went in one ear and out the other. which is fine!! he is adorable here and I want to ruffle his hair, honestly. but it’s clear to me that he still hasn’t grasped what Jeanist was trying to explain to him before, if this is really his answer to “what would you consider to be your ideal self” lol.

the name is INSTANTLY panned by every single person in the surrounding vicinity, villains included. hell, Mirio might as well have stabbed him all over again. obviously this is intentionally being used as a lighthearted moment to briefly give the audience a breather before we wade back into the Todoroki drama; but at the same time it indicates that this name isn’t exactly going to be taken seriously by anyone who hears it in-universe. they are literally wincing upon hearing it skjlklhkgf.

lastly, none of the people closest to him -- Deku, All Might, Kirishima, or Shouto -- are even there to hear it. all of that build-up, all of that “Kacchan’s hero name will show us how far he’s come in his character development”, and then when it finally happens, the people who have had the most impact aren’t even there to partake in the moment. Shouto and Deku are busy dealing with an entirely separate plot and trying very hard not to be set on fire while Kacchan is out here providing comic relief.

because that’s really what this is, though. this is a joke. like, I don’t mean that in a pejorative sense; I mean that it is literally a joke. and so what you’re telling me is, if this really is his hero name, we waited 250 chapters and Horikoshi built up an entire character arc around it, only to have the end result be a joke panel that in the end was arguably not even the biggest thing that happened in the chapter.

like, idk, maybe there’ll be a flashback about it later after all’s said and done which will imbue it with more meaning as some have suggested. maybe Horikoshi will explain how it’s a childhood throwback name that Deku once picked for him, like that theory that’s been making the rounds. I’m not saying it won’t be possible to build on this after the fact. but it will be after the fact, all the same. as far as the initial reveal goes... this is it. the epitome of anticlimactic. a brief joke reveal mid-fight where everyone immediately goes “are you fucking serious” and he’s all “I WAS FUCKING SERIOUS” and falls down out of comedy lmao.

and so, to wrap this post up finally, basically the way I see it is that there are two possibilities here. either (1) I have been way overthinking this from day one and it was never really that deep and Horikoshi thought this would be an appropriate and funny conclusion to a plotline which in his mind was always meant to be mostly lighthearted, with the Jeanist stuff mostly just thrown in there to push Bakugou into picking an at least halfway-decent name in spite of himself.

or, (2) this isn’t going to be his final hero name either. this is instead the last hurrah of the “Lord Explosion Murder” part of that plotline, and after he’s laughed out of the room yet again he will mope and cross out this one as well, and Horikoshi will sit on it for another 500 chapters until he finally reveals it at the very fucking end of the series. like at this point I wouldn’t put it past him to wait until the very last page. I s2g, this man. but the flipside of it is that when that moment finally does happen, I fully believe it will be a moment that actually feels earned. it will feel right. it will feel like the moment we spent all that time waiting for. or at least that’s what I hope.

so anyway, those are my thoughts on it! tl;dr, while I like Dynamight as a hero name in and of itself, I don’t think it’s going to be endgame, mostly because nothing about that reveal moment actually felt right to me. and of course, it’s very possible that I’m completely wrong about this; it wouldn’t be the first time (Kacchan’s quirk says hello). but on the other hand fandom isn’t totally batting a thousand either (Ground Zero says what up), so hey. we’ll see!

#bakugou katsuki #dynamight #bnha 293 #bnha meta #bakugou meta #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha #asks #anon asks

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dahniwitchoflight · 3 years

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Pokemon Legends Ideas

speaking of pokemon though...

ideas for the various Pokemon Legends remake line:

Pokemon Legends: The Ancient Jungle/Mew

Based on an ancient jungle environment where fossil and dinosaur pokemon thrive an abound, the environment is thick muggy jungle and the lore of the game focuses on the discovery of the ancient pokemon Mew perhaps by following clues related to the origins of Ditto as potentially related to Mew, side stories about the origins of the legendary bird pokemon (also, even though Lugia is gen 2, perhaps he could be included here since hes the supposed leader of the bird trio? and the Johto game would focus on Ho-oh and the Beasts anyway) Mewtwo obivously wouldn’t feature but that’s fine he doesn’t need to, could easily have stories about Meltan and Melmetal instead, who are ancient pokemon

Pokemon Legends: The Burned Tower/Ho-oh

Based on a more traditional ancient Japanese style retelling of the origins of Ho-oh and the Legendary Beast trio, see the original tower burned, maybe finally see who exactly were the three original pokemon lost in the flames? with side stories about Celebi’s ancient forest and it’s travels through time but also GIVE ME UNOWN LORE BLEASE

Pokemon Legends: The Great Meteor/Jirachi

Goes into the ancient stories of the draconid people introduced in the delta episode of the ORAS remakes, Primal Ancient Kyogre and Groudon, at the peak of their power, a time where meteors constantly fell upon the earth and the first ever Mega-Evolution of Rayquaza, from the wish the first lorekeeper made upon the rainbow stone (Maybe this was originally just Jirachi themselves), plenty of side story content in the form of the Regi’s (Including Regigigas and Regidraco/Regieleki) and the twin Latias/Latios

Pokemon Legends: Arceus, duh

(but I can hope it’s not JUST Arceus, ples give some spotlight to the tons of underused in lore legendaries this gen, Darkrai, Cresselia, Shaymin, Manaphy, HEATRAN)

Pokemon Legends: The First Dragon/Kyurem/??? Pokemon that might have a different name then Kyurem

OBVIOUSLY gonna be about the first dragon, the true singular form of the original dragon that split into Kyurem, Reshiram and Zekrom and the conflict between the early factions of humans hinted from the story of black and white, give the Justice trio (Terrakion, Cobalion, Virizion, Keldeo) some side story content in the form of being active in those ancient human conflicts, Victini lore, the weather trio representing the wilderness of nature back in those times, Genesect very likely wouldn’t be a thing, but Meloetta could

Pokemon Legends: The Ultimate Weapon/Zygarde

Huge potential here for a pokemon game set during the great kalosian WAR, view the original stories of King AZ and the unique floette, how their story happened, give Zygarde some sort of role or function as antagonist against those who would create the weapon out of a captured Zerneas/Yveltal in it’s role as balancer of the natural order, easy easy side content stories, flesh out Diancie’s connection to the Carbinks, go into the story of that huge crystal sundial of Anistar City, Hoopa gots some cool stuff, and Volcanion could even have a role as something cool

Pokemon Legends: Ultra Space/Necrozma

While they could focus on Magearna for this game, since Magearna is the only pokemon with some Ancient Lore from within the region itself attached to it from this gen, I fell like Sun and Moon’s fancy legends game would actually be better served by exploring much deeper into the role of the Ultra Space, you get glimpses of the alien worlds when visiting the ultra beasts natural habitats, and you get the main Necrozma based city in ultraspace

Modern Alola is actually already very traditional, already holding fast to ancient observations and traditions that going back to plain olden times alola I feel wouldn’t do as much? Esp cuz all the interesting stuff back then the aura and totem Pokémon, all happened because of Necrozma’s fall into the world from Ultra Space

I think the intro would be best served as starting in the distant past of Alola sure, but then Necrozma falls out of Ultra Space, rips open a wormhole, and our protagonist is then Sucked Into it and their journey is throughout the cosmos of the space inbetween and giving legendary like lore to the actual Ultra Beasts themselves, Lunala and Solgaleo and Cosmog/Cosmoem originate from here anyway, so they could still be included in this story as our way back, perhaps as our original ally in the fight to stop Necrozma from devouring all the light of our world in the travels through ultra space

Marshadow and Zeraora should get some obvious love as well for sure

Pokemon Legends: The Darkest Day/Eternatus

So it’s true that we have a clear once a time story with the darkest day event from Eternatus’s history

but funnily enough, I kinda always figured that that “Darkest day” was actually Necrozma’s doing that got falsely attributed to Eternatus, since yknow, in eating of the light of the world, the day would actually darken, and doesn’t Eternatus look REALLY like something that popped out of an Ultra Wormhole? really makes you think...certainly would be a hell of a coincedence

On the flipside for “okay but what else would they do in ancient galar”, I feel like if they did do a Galar Legends game, I think a pokemon King Arthur type legendary story would be very cool, just legit make a pokemonized King Arthur/Calyrex story and we would go Nuts over it

sooo, Pokemon Legends: The Old Kingdom/Calyrex

obviously Calyrex and his steeds would be the main focus of this ancient tale with some sprinklings of Zacian/Zamazenta, but really when you glean through the ancient stories hidden in the galar, more of it focuses on the Acnient Kings of the galar region, and really Eternatus already got explored enough in the actual galar games anyway, give me the Dark Hidden Lore of Galar

but again, still some very cool side content with Zarude and Urshifu at least and perhaps maybe a tad more of the cuckoo galarian bird trio? make it tie all the way back to Legends Kanto game somehow? Ancient bird rivalry between twin trios of legendary birds would be a neat thing to explore

though how neat would it be if they actually tied all fo the ancient apolcalyptic stories from across the regions into one connected story?

in Hoenn it was that a great meteor threatened to destroy the planet so person wishes on a falling shiny rock to make the apocalypse go away, SunMoon has Necrozma darkening the sky and eating the light and when they got shattered it caused powerful shiny rocks to coalesce out of the sky, SwordShield had twin kings wish upon a magic shiny rock to make the darkest day go away

hey wait a minute, seeing a pattern there...

wonder if the great war of kalos old was also fought under some sky darkening event? and if it also involved the magical power of some shiny rock? and each region’s story is just their personal twist on the same ancient event, in the land of old, when all regions were once one...

what if the ancient conflict in Black/White’s history was actually the same war from kalos’s history? And it was actually a war between Unova and Kalos? Same war from two different sides of the conflict

#Pokemon #Pokemon Legends #Pokemon Legends Arceus #we have fertile ground for this new line of pokemon games yall

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momijizukamori · 3 years

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Writing Hua Cheng/monocular vision

First off, while I may be extremely nearsighted, I do have full binocular vision, and I am not a medical professional, none of this is medical advice, etc. That said - I have spent a lot of time both cosplaying and writing one-eyed characters because... somehow I keep ending up in these fandoms? idk I'm gonna blame CLAMP for this one, they started it. And I am a research fiend, so, here’s some basics at least.

Hua Cheng-specific stuff: - Given that Hua Cheng keeps his right eye covered in life, even as a child, I think it's safe to say that even if he could have had normal vision in it (ie, the only thing off with it is the color), he doesn't actually - if there's vision impairment in one eye at a very young age, the brain doesn't develop the neural pathways for controlling it and interpreting information form it, and that can persist even after vision correction without other intervention ('lazy eye', amblyopia) - I would assume that even in forms with two eyes, he can still only see out of the left one, as that's what he's used to/has lived experience of - can't create what you don't know, after all (plus whatever is up with the right-eye magic vision) - Given he's spent his whole life (and unlife) with monocular vision, pretty much every accommodating habit will probably be extremely ingrained at this point, not stuff he really has to think about.

More general stuff: - Contrary to what a lot of people think, you actually only use binocular vision for close-up depth perception. Beyond three or four feet, the brain uses other cues - perspective, lighting, parallax motion - to determine distance. Consequently, one-eyed people with normal (or correctable-to-normal) vision in their remaining eye can usually hold driver's licenses (there are almost certainly regional exceptions to this, but on the whole, yes) - On the flipside, that close-up depth perception is more important for everyday things than you might realize - pouring drinks, cutting up food, etc. Physical touch is the quickest compensation there - if the spout of the teapot is actually touching the rim of the cup, you can be certain you are going to pour into the cup and not onto the table an inch in front of the cup. - More head movement to make up the missing visual field - particularly for stuff like driving where spatial awareness is very important (and presumably like... fighting too, but perhaps unsurprisingly this is not talked about in most modern resources and I have not tested it) - Walking into things isn't really much of a problem - if it's in front of you, you generally have enough lead-up where it's in your field of vision to avoid it. It's easy to miss stuff off to the bad side, though, and easier to be startled by unexpected movement on that side as well. - Maybe obvious, but it's easier to hold conversations with people on the side you can see, instead of having to twist your neck to look at them - Eyestrain is an issue! And in general if you're down to one eye you wanna take extra-good care of it.

And a real solid general resource for questions of 'how do you do [x] with only one eye' is A Singular View by Frank B Brady - Archive.org has a digital copy of one of the early editions available to borrow here, or your local public or university library system may have a more recent edition.

#tian guan ci fu #tgcf #hua cheng #writing advice #heaven official's blessing #when you have researched cases of auto-enucleation for RP you start to wonder about yourself #(that is the fancy medical term for 'gouging your own eye out')

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lycorogue · 3 years

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Thoughts about episode “Lie”

Okay. Here we are. This is back to the better writing I was talking about the other day. I love me parallel stories, so this was just *chef kiss* in that department.

Before I delve into my thoughts on the episode itself, I want to take a step back and talk about my views of the non-love-square ships Lukanette and Adrigami. (Feel free to skip ahead; I have a header for when I start talking about this episode again)

Lukanette and Adrigami

For me, Marinette and Luka had romantic chemistry from the word go. As much of a Marichat shipper as I am, I knew that if anyone could make Marinette forget about Adrien, it wouldn’t have been Chat Noir. It would be Luka. Chat Noir would then come in at a close 3rd (a bit ironically) when it comes to Marinette’s heart. Meanwhile, Kagami slowly grew to have a crush on Adrien post-Riposte, and then charged forward knowing exactly who she wanted. On the flipside, though, I stand firm that there wasn’t really much romantic interest coming from Adrien. If anyone was going to make Adrien forget about Ladybug, it would be Marinette; not Kagami.

The episode “Frozer” - the one where Kagami makes her crush known for the first time, and Adrien first attempts dating her - practically gives us some foreshadowing of their entire relationship. Aside from clearly finding Kagami attractive (as showcased by the pink-bubbles-vision when Adrien first sees her sans-helmet in “Riposte”), he doesn’t seem to have any romantic inclination towards Kagami until after she cups his cheek and lets him know, in not so many words, that she likes him. Even so, it isn’t until Marinette basically gives the thumbs up that he should pursue this relationship does he give it a try. He’s still very uncomfortable around her, and only gets a bit more comfortable in “Animaestro”; probably because he’s seen his father around Kagami’s mom and just mimics that (as seen in “Backwarder”). Going back to “Frozer” though, Adrien spends most of his time with Kagami watching Marinette, and even abandons Kagami in favor of checking in on Marinette - something Luka could have easily done and probably doesn’t because he sees Adrien already on it and knows Marinette would prefer Adrien’s comfort. So Luka doesn’t push the issue. That whole ice rink interaction shows that, while Luka trumps Chat Noir as a potential alternative love interest for Marinette, Marinette still surpasses Kagami as a potential alternative love interest for Adrien. This, for me, is again hinted at in the episode Heart Hunter where, while enjoying himself seemingly equally with both girls, there’s just these little hints - complimenting Marinette more than Kagami, asking Marinette to choose the ice cream - that, at least subconsciously, Adrien is leaning a touch more towards Marinette over Kagami. His heart just isn’t all that into this relationship. This is again showcased in the New York special when Adrien (at least in the English dub; I haven’t watched it in other languages) asks Marinette to dance with him with an almost pleading tone in his voice. (To be fair, clearly Marinette isn’t thinking of Luka at all during that trip either...)

I think the final Foreshadowing nail in the Adrigami coffin is this dialogue from “Frozer”:

Kagami: “You still keep doing what other people want you to do.” Adrien: “No, I just want him to be happy.”

In the end, Adrien did the same thing with Kagami: he did what he thought would make her happy because he’s a people pleaser to his core.

Adrien of course found Kagami attractive and fun to hang out with. She was a fantastic companion, and I love their companionship so much. However, I feel like he dated her mostly because he knew he had to find some way of getting over Ladybug, and here’s this pretty girl who clearly has a thing for him, so why not???? Their parents were practically setting them up as a couple anyway, between the trip to the royal wedding and the movie premiere. Plus, this “approved” friend meant he could spend more time outside of his father’s house while genuinely enjoying the company. Win-win. He then did all the pseudo-dating stuff he’s clearly witnessed in media; kind of following a play-book as it were.

However, he never did anything even remotely romantic or flirty towards Kagami that was on par with his romantic gestures and flirtations towards Ladybug (or even Marinette, for that matter). His love language is obvious after watching him with Ladybug, and he uses some of that same language (albeit subconsciously... probably...) while interacting with Marinette. Things like leaning in playfully (ending of “Troublemaker” and when asking Marinette for a macaron in “Despair Bear”), sharing a romantic picnic (“Glaciator”) even if it was just to cheer Marinette up, winking (the endless winking in too many episodes to list here), whispering in her ear (“Despair Bear” and one other that I can’t recall right now), Soft SmilesTM (“Chameleon”, pretty much all of the NY special, tons of season 3 episodes), confessing insecurities or secrets (“Gamer” and “Gorizilla”), or asking her to dance (“Despair Bear” and “NY Special”). I’m sure there’s tons more and each example has more episodes it’s showcased in, but you get the idea. Alternatively, Adrien just never used that same love language with Kagami. With her it all felt like calculated moves; it was expected of him to lean in for the kiss in “Heart Hunter” and “Miracle Queen”, or wipe away the smudge of ice cream by Kagami’s mouth, so he did it. Aside from his protectiveness and care for Kagami in “Onichan”, Adrien never really treated Kagami any different than his other friends.

Marinette, on the other hand, does show some of her love language towards Luka. She blushes around him and does that bashful little shoulder shrug. She makes excuses to touch his arms, hands, chest, or back. She literally leans on him. She has an interest in his interests and even goes above and beyond for gifts, such as the necklace (yay; Luka looks so good in a necklace!) and, unofficially, the contract with Bob Roth for Kitty Section.

Granted, she doesn’t flirt with Luka like she does with Chat Noir, but, as someone who also used to flirt with my guy friends without truly realizing the romantic implications (I was a disaster as a teen, okay?), I don’t know if Marinette has truly realized how flirting is part of her love language. If she is anything like I was, flirting is more a fun past-time to see if you could get a rise out of someone in some sort of sextual-tension game of chicken or something. It’s not something you do with someone you have serious feelings for. 😝

Back to Kagami though. I want to stress that, while I didn’t see any romantic future for Adrigami, I do still very much like Kagami and appreciated the character development the writers gave her. I love her as one of Marinette’s potential friends and, as I mentioned, a companion for Adrien. I just never saw any romantic interest coming from Adrien towards Kagami. He never even truly seemed himself around her the way he is around Ladybug or Marinette. I don’t think he’s comfortable enough to not be Textbook BoyfriendTM around Kagami. He even mentions in this episode that him being a clown IS the real him and she calls bullshit (although @gale-gentlepenguin does have some nice commentary on how even that wasn’t exactly truthful and Kagami was right to call him out). Point being, Adrien loves to be nerdy and goofy and playful, and she just doesn’t get that????? A lot of what Adrien likes she seems to dismiss.

I’m sorry, Adrigami shippers. There could have been potential there as these two grew, but as it stood? I just didn’t see it.

The Episode “Lie”

Going back to my thoughts on “Lie” though with all of that above commentary for context. I just feel a bit cheated that Clearly-There’s-Mutual-Pining Lukanette gets ONE kiss lean-in for the whole “love rival” arc they’ve had set up for 1.5 seasons before the relationship implodes, but Clearly-Only-One-Has-Feelings-And-The-Other-Is-Just-Kinda-Going-Along-With-It-Because-Hey-He-Likes-Hanging-Out-With-Her-And-She’s-Cute-So-Why-Not Adrigami has THREE kiss lean-ins in THIS ONE EPISODE ALONE (not to mention the 2 from Heart Hunter/Miracle Queen)!? Like I said, I feel a bit robbed, but... well fed, Adrigami shippers, I guess...

Anyway, my heart hurts so much because yes, Kagami deserves someone who will take the time to be with her (just like how Luka deserves the same), but also, it’s not like Adrien WANTED to abandon her (much like Marinette not wanting to abandon Luka). These poor kids. All four of them. My heart breaks. 😢

I did feel a much stronger emotional gut-punch with this episode, which is surprising because a) we already saw a good 5-10 min of it in “Truth” so this episode was essentially shorter than the premiere, and b) I’m a much stronger Lukanette shipper than an Adrigami shipper (see above). So, bravo to the writers on this episode. I hate that this team broke so many hearts, but this is the caliber of writing I was hoping for.

(I know Marinette is the Guardian, but can we agree to have more Adrien-centric stories, please? They’re just so good).

My final thoughts though: WHY ON EARTH DID THE WRITERS EVEN BOTHER WITH THE “LOVE SQUARE RIVALS” STORY LINE IF THEY WEREN’T GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH!? ADRIGAMI AND LUKANETTE FINALLY GET TOGETHER AFTER 1.5 SEASONS ONLY FOR THE RELATIONSHIPS TO BE DOA BASICALLY THE NEXT EPISODE!? WHY!? TO RESET THE STATUS QUO THEY WORKED SO HARD TO SHAKE UP!? I already talked Friday about the lost story potential with Lukanette, but there’s also a lot Adrien could have learned from his relationship with Kagami.

Adrien is still VERY vocal about his love, and, while he has learned a lot, matured a lot, and has eased up a lot, Adrien does still semi-burden Ladybug with his feelings; something Luka never did to Marinette. Adrien, possibly due to witnessing his parents - I have theories about the romance dynamic between Emilie and Gabriel - seems to have this view of love being okay even if unbalanced. Ladybug is far more powerful and crucial to the protection of Paris, but they are still partners and equals in their eyes. So maybe he feels the same about love; he may be more romantically devoted to her, but as long as Ladybug loves him even a little, it’s like they’re equals in romance... right???? So... yeah, a more balanced relationship with Kagami could have taught him how important a romantic balance is as well. Plus, if I am right in my assumption that he just kind of went along with the relationship because he thought it was expected, then he could have also learned something about being a people-pleaser. There was a lot of growth potential for both Marinette and Adrien in these non-love-square relationships, and it just feels squandered.

Also, as I mentioned with my review of “Truth”, I’m fearing that the writers are kind of railroading the Ladynoir ship. First, there’s Marinette realizing that she can’t have a boyfriend because he wouldn’t be safe, nor could she be truthful to him about why their time was so limited. The exception being Chat Noir, who can very much protect himself (except for when he’s shielding Ladybug, but she yelled at him for that in “Lie”), and she can be fully honest with him as long as it doesn’t involve their identities, and he very much knows and understands their time restrictions. In fact, he even goes so far as to state that ANY time with her is a gift he cherishes. He’s basically the perfect boyfriend for her in her situation; she just needs to be lonely enough to “realize” it. >3> On the Adrien side of things, Kagami tells him that she can’t trust someone who isn’t honest with her, but there’s Ladybug: fully understanding and completely trusts him even when she knows he’s lying. She also doesn’t fault him for their lack of time together and understands if he needs to run away without a moment’s notice. He’s already in love with her, but this whole situation just paints her even more as the perfect romantic partner for him. I get it, but I also hate it. I hate this feeling of this one corner of the love square being railroaded. It basically dismisses the other 3 corners as possibilities right alongside the Lukanette and Adrigami ships.

All that grumbling aside, I would like to give some applause to how the episode ended. I very much enjoyed that Kagami was like, “nope. You lied to me, and I can’t trust you, so we can’t be friends. I need time away from you. I’ll let you know if we’re ever okay again.” It shows the consequences of playing with someone’s emotions, even if under the best intentions. It also shows that it’s perfectly okay to cut out toxic relationships, even if the other person didn’t intend any harm. Well-intentioned people can still cause toxic relationships, and if you need to step away from them (as Kagami did), then you are completely valid in that decision. It’s an important lesson for kids to learn, I think. I’m just worried that Kagami brushing off even being Adrien’s friend (while justified) might mean not really seeing her in the show anymore, and that would be a shame. 😟 I do enjoy her as a character, and would love to see more of her growth. Plus, she is so limited in social interactions as-is, so I hope we see more Kagami and Marinette friendship growth.

I am also interested in how Adrien reacts to the knowledge that he can indeed ruin his friendships with people if they aren’t in the same emotional space. This is most likely what’s preventing Marinette from confessing: fear that Adrien will reject her so severely that he might not even want to be her friend anymore. So having Adrien now possibly have that fear as well has some interesting story potential (if the writers don’t drop the ball like they did with the Lukanette/Adrigami ships). Meanwhile, having a dejected Luka still offering friendship and support to Marinette - something clearly Adrien assumed would happen with Kagami; once a friend, always a friend - might give her the confidence to confess to Adrien, now trusting that they are good enough friends and he’s a kind enough person that they can still remain friends even if he doesn’t return her feelings.

There’s a lot of potential birthed from these opening episodes, but especially from “Lie” and I’m interested to see what the rest of the season is going to look like now.

Also... ARE WE SURE THAT LUCKY CHARM BRACELET IS ACTUALLY LUCKY!? IT’S BEEN THE HIDING SPOT FOR AN AKUMA TWICE NOW!

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phoebehalliwell · 3 years

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Pls write mini essays about phoebe + next gen and paige + next gen!!

word i’d said i’d to this then i forgot i’m doing it now i’m gonna start of with both phoebe & paige + their kids and then i’ll burn through the list

okay so for starters phoebe i think phoebe’s family wins like the “most functional” award it’s not like a landslide win y’know it’s not like piper and paige’s families aren’t function but this family is comprised of an empath advice columnist, a cupid relationship therapist, and three cupid-witches. like, they’re all kinds experts of communication and self-awareness and understanding and relationships and bond blah blah blah they being said of course they have their issues but in general it’s relatively smooth sailing there is of course the flipside when friction usually generate from the kids starts to spiral out of control and phoebe & coop will be like let’s use our words help us to understand you and where you’re coming from do some breathe exercises and the girls would be like no!! can’t we just argue like a normal family!!! can’t you just get angry at something!! but those are um few and far between. and of course like phoebe really really wanted to be a mom we all saw we all didn’t enjoy it but that’s very much canon she really wanted three daughters she got that so i think phoebe was very much like Prepared for motherhood (like as prepared as one could be). like it wasn’t like she thought it was going to be smooth sailing but like she was ready to face any challenges that could be thrown at her she was ready to put all of her love and effort into this one thing and i think for her like Mama Era from pj’s birth in 07 to peyton starting preschool in 2013 i think she really like almost exclusively worked from home she was really hands-in she was in all the mommy groups and the pta and the whatnot but like. y’know that’s like 6 years. and phoebe really loves her job. so i think she’d really have a career renaissance once all of the kids were in school i think she’d slowly start to dive back into column work i think this is when she’d start to write her book after the success of that one i think she wrote another one i think she has a fiction series posted under a pseudonym that is more of a ya magical adventure series (which paige designs all the covers for) i also think she and coop have a podcast together maybe run through the bay mirror maybe independent the point is she’s really popular (i also think she’d be the wealthiest out of the three sisters bc she makes bank and so does coop as a therapist for those not in the states therapy is like really fuckin expensive as i recently learned y’all do not know. it’s a bitch. but yeah they got money. but that’s not the point here. the point is she’s really popular). book tours, doing stuff with the podcast, guest appearances on a variety of tv shows, i think phoebe’s not like. at home a lot. or at least she’s home the least out of piper her and paige. and it’s not like her kids really mind like she is just a beam away and she always makes it to important events (and unimportant ones!) like she takes photos before every school dance and she throws birthday parties and she really dos try to make it to all of the kids soccer games but like. she’s not always just like. home all the time. and i think she’d really love to have a lot of emotional heart-to-hearts with her kids but that doesn’t always happen. if pj needs an emotional heart-to-heart, she’s gonna talk to her dad. is parker needs an emotional heart-to-heart, she’s gonna talk to pj. is peyton needs and emotional heart-to-heart she’ll position herself on the couch late at night when she knows phoebe will be coming home and just sorta sit there like waiting for phoebe to show up and go oh honey what’s wrong bc uhh peyton will not like. go to someone to talk about their problems. she has to wait to be asked. that’s just the type of person she is. lucky for her, phoebe’s an empath so she can like tell when baby peyton’s in distress but lbr she usually doesn’t need it because like peyton perches in such an Obvious manner like hi mom come comfort me please : ( even tho she’ll never like say it out loud. i think phoebe’s also like proud of her girls and their practicing of the craft bc she remembers how she felt about magic hell how she still feels about magic and she’s always telling them like follow ur heart and love is ur greatest strength (and the power of three will set you free, of course) bc her girls are cupitches y’know it’s more true than ever but like. lowkey tho. it fucking terrifies her. magic like takes, man. a lot of people she knows have died. and she just like. she doesn’t want to tell her kids no bc it was grams controlling nature that made her rebel so much so like she wants them to be able to come to her when they have a magical problem and she knows that if she tries to stop them or tells them they’re out of their league they’ll probably just stop telling her things so she doesn’t she tried to be supportive but jesus fucking christ he gets so scared sometimes. she gets so scared.

paige on the other hand had nowhere near the same experience with motherhood as phoebe bc well i think paige has the most complex relationship with motherhood set aside the fact that her kids are the only unplanned ones out of the entire next gen, she also like. she was a shit child. she was mean and violent and an alcoholic. she had committed so so many crimes before she was even 17. and she had a really good mom!! she had a mom who loved her and tried her hardest to support her and keep her from falling off the deep end who loved her unconditionally she had the best mom and she was still just a little shit! and i think that really fucks her up. like, looking back on it, she can’t imagine half the stuff she put her mom through. she was really cruel. and like!!! her mom was a good mom!! so paige doesn’t know she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do. how she’s supposed to stop her kids from turning out like her. what can she do so she doesn’t have kids who end up exactly like how she was. henry isn’t like a load of help her bc henry Also never knew his parents and he jumped around from foster home to foster home and like never really felt like had a family until paige. and then like in his whole parole schtick he was definitely a hard ass he was definitely an Authority Figure bc hell that was the only way adults could get him to listen to them when he was a kid so he just kinda emulated that. however after meeting paige and really getting a feel for her whitelighter side and how she handled these situations i do think henry switched up his vibes he made the necessary changes. i also think like henry like no he wasn’t planning on having kids but i think he was really excited to become a father like he was gonna have a family like god he always wanted a family he was gonna teach his kids to play catch and he would host birthday parties stupid birthday parties with themes and balloons from safeway and friends there and goody bags the full kit and kaboodle like henry would fuckin go to bed each night dreaming about how he’s gonna do all these familial things he never got to do. bc he didn’t have a family. but paige did. she got all those things. and she was still fucked up!! so i think the conkclooshun paige landed on was that her mom tried to hard to like. like her mom saw her potential and always strived to push her to be that perfect version of paige that she saw her wonderful little angel when paige really wasn’t that paige wanted to be seen for what she was not some vision in her mom’s head and maybe that’s why she would like get drunk and steal a cop car bc she wanted her mom to see the girl standing right in from of her not an angel just paige. so paige was like. okay. i’m no gonna project onto my kids. they’re gonna be like “charmed ones” (there’s only two of them but w/e they’re really powerful witches) but i’m not gonna. i’m not gonna see them as that. i’m going to try to see them as they are and i’m going to be their Mom. i’m not gonna be some distant ethereal figure which is kinda how she felt a lot of the charges she brought to magic school viewed her bc she was this mythic charmed one and she was this she was that i think paige didn’t want to be her daughters’ whitelighter bc she didn’t want a “professional” relationship with them. there was no way she could advise her own kids the way she could advise her charges, she’s simply way too close to the situation. and she doesn’t want her kids to view her like that. she doesn’t want to be their whitelighter, she wants to be their mom. and um this really does work for the most part like she & her kids will like sit on the couch and just like yuck it up you know like the mitchell clan really is a tight knit they do all love spending time with her but. like her method of parenting really works with tamora. not so much with kat. kat’s a lot more witchy than tam is she’ll actively go out and seek out trouble she pursues the craft with a very similar hunger to what we saw in paige s5 and paige kinda hates it. like. god okay she gets it she gets it she really does. but kat’s a kid!! she’s just a kid and if she keeps looking for trouble she’s gonna get herself killed and i think whenever out god knows where doing god knows what paige just remembers that time she had to watch chris bleed out on the bed with nothing she could do. and how she- how if that happened to kat- she- she couldn’t go on anymore. that’s basically the fact of the matter. if she lost a child, she doesn’t know what she would do. give up. probably. and it’s again sorta like the inverse we see with phoebe’s free range demon hunting where paige gets so overprotective about it that kat just stopped telling her things. this gets doubled by the fact that you’re not my whitelighter, so why should you even care! and kat does view it as like a lack of faith from her mother (which is one of the reasons why kat and chris are so close) and she just wants to. she wants to prove herself. she wants her mom to see her for all that she could be, instead of just the place she’s in right now. and i do think as time passes paige learns to sort of let go of this control i think her and kat have the most difficult relationship but paige letting kat leave to take a gap year and explore the world was like a major step and kat acknowledges this to an extend she gets it was difficult for her mom but she really has no idea how much paige panicked how much it took every inch of her self control not to go out and drag kat back home because yes baby birds have to leave the nest eventually but these baby birds have a very high stab rate. um jumping over to her relationship with henry jr i think she does encourage his studying of the craft he is the most well read out of any of the next generation with wyatt taking a close second hell henry jr even knows like a bit of latin this kid is wicked smart And bonus round he’s aware he’s mortal. like yeah paige can kinda sense that it does ruffle his feather, but henry jr knows when to step away. again, henry’s really well-read. he’s brushed up on the family history. he knows the warren line is close friends with death. as a bit of a bonus round but also to give paige some peace of mind, she did give henry a basic charm that grants him the same high resistance that all witches are born with as well as cloaks him from magic bc like paige and henry sr both knew this mortal baby was gonna have a wicked high kidnap rate so they figured y’know best do all they can to Stop That from happening. the enchantment that henry jr has is a necklace it’s the same one paige wore throughout the show. bc i’d like to bring that back.

okay next gen time wyatt i think wyatt likes paige more than phoebe it’s not like a competition or anything it’s just gun to his head that’s who he’d chose bc paige really is like this witchlighter she walks the line between being charmed and being a whitelighter that wyatt can really take a lot of inspiration from he just doesn’t have that with phoebe phoebe’s a little bit more of like a love guru and wyatt’s got a weird relationship with love bc he keeps flinging himself headfirst into it and keeps getting bruiser bc of it what wyatt actually doesn’t know is almost all of the advice that has gotten him out of these troubling times has almost all been sourced from phoebe piper usually goes to her with advice when it comes to all that i mean i don’t think wyatt would like to know that post-breakup wyatt is just like kinda embarrassing he doesn’t want to know that’s being shared with the family of course he already knows he just doesn’t want confirmation

chris surprisingly closer with phoebe probably bc she’s an empath and again she has this whole free range witchcraft style that she has going if chris has a question he needs to ask somebody he’ll usually ask phoebe bc she’s the only one who won’t report back to leo bc again she’s an empath she gets it she knows what’s going on and she knows he just needs time and he and leo need some good honest communication paige also gets that but paige also watched chris die so yeah no she’s gonna snitch

melinda about and even tie melinda gets a lot of witchlightering advice from paige on finding harmony there but she’s also an empath she she spends a lot of time learning her craft from phoebe and how to focus that and apply that power to her witch/whitelighter abilities in ways paige can’t really teach her bc paige’s power is more physical that psychic/emotional. but it is like paige who gives her the groundwork on like. getting it. i think gun to her head if she had to choose she’d choose phoebe just because of those times they’d go out and do “field practice” where they go somewhere interesting and crowded and sense the wave of emotions and go out and try to pick out people from the crown it’s an art of drowning out the din and finding one you need to find a way of not getting lost in the sea of everyone else’s everchurning emotions which is nice bc it grants melinda a much wanted and needy control over empathy but it’s also nice bc it’s like. fun. phoebe always makes it fun they can always have a laugh.

tamora’s not like hella close with phoebe there’s really no reason for her to be however she is baby peyton’s favorite cousin (don’t tell the rest) simply because tamora’s both like studious and cautious and baby peyton’s tired of everyone running around trying to fight demons like what about normal life irl and stuff so i think tamora would definitely like tutor baby peyton this that and the other and so like phoebe really has like a sense of respect for tamora and tamora likes being over at phoebe’s y’know it’s not like peyton’s some snot nosed kid it’s fun she likes the vibes

kat has an appreciation for phoebe bc she definitely knows phoebe had a hand in helping her mom let go of her y’know that being said it’s not like she loves to spend time with phoebe phoebe’s both an empath and paige’s sister so like she knows that anything of note’s gonna be passed onto her mom (which isn’t like. entirely true. but it is kinda true). if kat’s gonna hang out with an empath she wants it to be one on her side so she’ll always pick melinda

henry jr okay so phoebe’s actually the opposite with henry it’s kinda like her and paige swapped places here bc paige trusts her son she knows he’s really well versed in magic blah blah blah and that he’s got y’know. common sense. he’s not gonna run into some situation half cocked and get himself killed he’s aware of his mortality. phoebe on the other hand did not raise henry so she doesn’t get him the way paige gets him; a large part of her free range ideology is the fact that her kids are basically little power loaded god their charmed and as an added boost they’re also half cupid they’ve been raised in the craft they’re insanely well trained so like. she knows that they’re capable. henry does not have their advantages. so i think phoebe really tries to hold him back isn’t quite the right word but like. it kind is. she doesn’t want him doing anything magical.

pj’s in the 07 baby squad even though she’d at the younger end of the scale so she was a grade behind mellie kat and tam but that little barbershop quartet’s p tight knit i don’t think she has like insane exposure to paige as i think cupids and whitelighter work very differently like at the most basic magical level and therefore paige’s halfling experience really doesn’t do that much to help her i think she likes paige alright but like. it’s nothing compared to like wyatt relationship with paige

parker always like runs towards danger she’s got an insane amount of energy and like a fire within her i think she’s always trying to push boundaries and break the rules eg with her cupid ring becoming an athame i don’t think she straight up asked paige bc like parker definitely views all adults as narcs but with this of that ilk parker bounces questions off paige which paige just always answers like really honestly like if parker asks a question that’s like really complex and strange paige won’t give her a roundabout answer she’ll just tell her what’s up and for that parker respects paige

peyton i think sees paige the most through tam i think she likes paige i think she’s definitely privy of the whole paige/kat situation bc like who is the family isn’t but i think she really kinda takes paige’s side her peyton thinks the real worlds insanely dangerous she doesn’t like looking for trouble and her heart lowkey goes out to paige bc she knows the whole thing with kat is a matter of love it’s just something that’s hard to work with

#wallah #next gen #charmed #charmed next generation #phoebe halliwell #paige matthews #💌#margaretsminiessays #wyatt halliwell #chris halliwell #melinda halliwell #tamora mitchell #kat mitchell #henry mitchell jr #pj halliwell #parker halliwell #peyton halliwell

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fakecrfan · 4 years

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MAG 155 and Jon’s level of culpability

You know, I have always accepted that The Magnus Archives is a tragedy, which means that the characters (all of them!) 1) make mistakes and 2) their mistakes have grave consequences. And throughout season 4, the idea of Jon having choices available to him and being responsible for his actions even with the Eye or the Web exerting influence on him comes up a lot.

“But if you choose to believe in a free will, then yes: All you have done has been of your own free will. They have all been your choices.” (Annabelle Cane, MAG 147)

“What I’ve been doing to these people, it - it hasn’t been because I was puppeted, or controlled, or possessed.

I wanted to do it. It felt good.” (Jonathan Sims, MAG 147).

And there are certainly actions Jon did that deliberately harmed people (especially in season 4 with approaching people on the street and all) but of all these choices I have always felt like... the one ‘‘choice’‘ that I never felt was fair to judge Jon for was the ‘‘choice’‘ Oliver Banks mentioned when he was in a coma.

The thing is, John, right now you have a choice. You’ve put it off a long time, but it’s trapping you here. You’re not quite human enough to die, but still too human to survive. You’re balanced on an edge where the End can’t touch you, but you can’t escape him.

[...] Make your choice, Jon. (Oliver Banks, MAG 121)

But I mean, how could you reasonably call this a choice? The choice seems to be Jon either embracing his power or dying, but Jon was unconscious throughout this! How can you hold someone culpable for a “choice” they make when they weren’t even awake? Plus, it’s literally life or death. How could you expect someone to choose to die?

MAG 155 has an answer to my question.

MAG 155 is about Tova McHugh, a woman who does not want to die.

You’ve got to understand, I have so much to live for. Oh, okay, that’s not quite it. I know most people have plenty to live for, but what I mean is that my life does good. (Tova McHugh, MAG 155)

Tova McHugh really does not want to die, and that is a sympathetic motivation! But then, a tragic Unfair (as she puts it) accident happens to her, and she dies--she then is only able to continue living by taking other people’s lives. It is then that she starts to twist things. Not only is it okay for her to want to live, but she has to morally justify herself--and the only way to justify herself is to come up with reasons that her life is more valuable than the people she takes from.

And I know that everyone’s life has value, but I just need to be clear that my impact on the world is a positive one. My existence does a lot of good, and that’s only gotten more true since all this started. I’ve given more, spent more time on charitable stuff, and helped more people. (Tova McHugh, MAG 155)

She is clearly ashamed of her actions, on some level, but she really doesn’t want to die. So she decides that if she is a Good Person, and she is donating enough to charity and creating jobs (ugh) then that justifies her actions.

A clear parallel is drawn between her justification and Jon’s current discomfort about his own continued existence.

I’ve - (laughs) I’ve saved the world, the whole world. Does that give me the right to take what I need to survive? I’ve been reading nothing but these old, dry statements for so long, I - I feel weak. (Jonathan Sims, MAG 155).

Jon is only alive because he drew on power from the Eye to survive back in that moment in MAG 121 that was framed as a ‘‘choice’‘ in his coma. I don’t think that makes him as obviously wrong as Tova here, though. After all, the eye causes misery but at the time Jon had no reason to think feeding into the power would actually kill anyone. It wasn’t presented to him as a life-for-life choice--and again, he was unconscious.

But, the statement reveals the truth about Tova ‘‘bringing good into the world’‘ by drawing on the power she has been using. Because it turns out that the amount of life someone will give her isn’t equal. Some give her more, some give her less--and what tends to be the measure?

Eventually I realized it had nothing to do with age or health. It was about connection. About joy. The more friends, family, loved ones the person has, the further out the terror of sudden death spreads from me. The longer it keeps me alive. (Tova McHugh, MAG 155)

Tova can’t bring more ‘‘goodness’‘ into the world than she is taking out of it. Because the power she is using--one of the entities--exists to cause pain and suffering. The very nature of the power she is using will negate or outweigh any ‘‘good’‘ Tova does to try and justify herself, otherwise it wouldn’t continue to use her.

(Sort of like how Gertrude’s utilitarian balancing turned out to be all for naught, but this is a meta about Jon so I will save that for another time :D)

So does Tova realize the obvious and stop? No, instead she doubles down on her self-justification.

Since this became my existence I’ve thrown myself into philanthropy harder than ever, and the world is so much better for me being in it. I’m not saying how I live is right, or good, but it is the position I have been put in, and a decision I have to make. I never wanted to weigh up the value of a life, to set it on the scales against my own, but that’s a choice that I am forced into. And it is one I will continue to make. (Tova McHugh, MAG 155)

Jon is completely aware of the comparisons between Tova and himself, and for a moment he has a crisis over it.

I find myself hating her, her callous self-deception. But am I so different? Daisy’s chosen to resist in her own way, knowing full well it might take her life in the end, Melanie too. I respect them for it, but I - I don’t know if I can follow their path. (Jonathan Sims, MAG 155)

And you know, I don’t think Jon and Tova are morally equivalent. Maybe it’s just that I like Jon and so am biased in his favor, but his choice seems a lot murkier than hers. He doesn’t get to see direct death as a result of his actions--so that makes it much easier to justify.

But I think the real purpose of this statement isn’t to say Jon is Just As Bad as Tova, but to wake him up to the nature of the powers--they can’t ever be used for permanent good. You might want to use them for such, the possibility of doing more good than harm might be the temptation that draws you deeper in to their use, but by their nature they bring harm into the world and negate the good you try to bring in to the world.

And also, while I dislike Tova and love Jon, morally I have to hold them to the same standard. If the only moral choice for Tova is to quit, even at the cost of her own life... then the only moral choice for Jon, also, is to quit.

(So I guess me going ‘‘you can’t just expect someone to choose to die!’‘ when I listened to 121 is just... me wearing clown shoes and the stupidest clown hat you ever did see, because it turns out that is exactly what I expect from characters I am impartial towards).

Jon might not see direct death as a result of his actions--but on the flipside, it is unclear if he will actually die as a result of quitting either. He says so himself, even.

I suppose I have a way out now. One that wouldn’t even kill me, at least, I hope not. And yet here I am still. Am I a coward? (Jonathan Sims, MAG 155)

He doesn’t think he will die if he quits--not for certain, at least. And yet he continues. He doesn’t know why, because examining his reasons is hard. I am sure part of it is that he enjoys his powers (as he has said) or that he is afraid of dying just as much as Tova is. But he ends on this thought.

I just… what if they need me? What if. (Jonathan Sims, MAG 155).

What if the people he cares about need him? What if they are in trouble? What if Martin needs him?

But, ultimately, this idea that he can use the Eye to defend the people he cares about is just as illusory as Tova thinking she can bring good into the world by killing people to extend her own lifespan. Not that Jon’s desire to protect is fake--it is very much real, but it mixes with his desire to continue for his own purposes, because he likes it and is afraid of dying.

I still don’t think Jon should be held responsible for a decision he made in a coma to save his life when he didn’t see what the consequences were. But it’s not just one decision in a coma that caused the apocalypse--he makes a decision to continue his path every waking moment. He chooses not to quit, even when he doesn’t think quitting will kill him, because being powerless when he and his friends are so often in danger scares him.

And you know, that is a sympathetic motivation, but his choices are still a mistake, and he is still responsible for them. When you make a mistake--even for sympathetic reasons, even when you didn’t know it was leading to such a horrific outcome--you still have to take responsibility and make amends.

When someone speeds while driving, for example, and runs someone over. Maybe they didn’t want to run the person over. Maybe they had a good reason to be speeding, like they were rushing to a friend who needed help. But they are still accountable for the choices they made that led to them injuring or killing someone. Same with Jon and the apocalypse.

Or at least, that is the impression that MAG 155 leaves me with. What do you think?

#jonathan sims #the magnus archives #tma meta #character analysis #my post #mag 155

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kinglazrus · 4 years

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The Haunting of Danny Fenton

Chapter Four: Fear the Reaper

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Valerie makes it through dinner, somehow. It’s just her, Maddie, and Jack seated around the Fenton’s modest table in their cozy kitchen. Tucker left some time while Valerie was upstairs. Danny stays in his room the whole time, sleeping, or so his parents say. She helps clean up, because that’s the polite thing to do, and Maddie points out the frozen meals she’s prepared for the week ahead.

Danny needs hearty foods, she tells Valerie, but nothing too dense. If he doesn't have the appetite for it, make sure he eats at least one full meal. Otherwise, he subsists off smoothies chock full of vitamins and protein. Valerie feels more like a babysitter than a bodyguard as Maddie gives her a rundown of life at Fenton Works and Danny's daily routine.

Much to Valerie's relief, they leave the boring discussion behind soon enough and move on to what really matters—the Shade.

“We'll set up the fence tonight and leave it there for the week." Maddie passes Valerie one of two black boxes. "It's not very complex, so if Danny wants to move it, you can."

"Why would he move it?" Valerie hefts the box in her arms, surprised by its weight. It's not very large, fitting neatly under her arm, but still substantial enough that she needs two hands to properly secure it.

Jack, emerging from the basement door with two long extension cords on his arms, answers for Maddie. "It gets pretty boring being stuck in the same spot night after night, don't you think?"

Valerie, who sleeps at night and therefore prefers being in the same room the entire time—because waking up somewhere else would be incredibly disorienting—does not know how to respond to Jack's statement beyond a quiet, "Huh?"

Ignoring her noise of confusion, or simply not hearing it, Jack walks to the bottom of the stairs and calls Danny's name.

"Shouldn't we let him sleep?" Valerie asks. If it were her, and she had a choice in the matter, she would much rather be unconscious when the Shade shows itself.

Maddie glances over her shoulder toward the front door.

Outside, the setting sun paints the clouds in pink and orange hues, cool purple shadows cutting through the streaks of colour. It's a beautiful sight, the sky behind the clouds a gradient of darkening blue, turning gold in the distance. It's the kind of sunset Valerie admires from her hoverboard, flying high over the city. Dusk has always been her favourite time of day, and she takes in the rich, colourful sight with a content smile.

Maddie watches the sky with dread in her eyes. "Danny won't be sleeping now. It will start soon."

Danny's bedroom door groans as it opens. The sound, low and despondent, reminds Valerie of the oppressive aura she endured earlier. Logically, she knows the door's whine is born from poorly oiled hinges, but she can't shake the notion that the house itself is moaning in anguish, grieving for Danny and his haunting.

Danny lingers beyond the doorway, in the shadows of his room, the hall's dim light barely touching his toes. With one hand, he grips the doorframe, his thumb stroking the stop in a gesture Valerie would almost call comforting, a sort of soothing caress. His lips move, barely, but he speaks too quietly to hear.

Valerie watches this and thinks it's the weirdest damn thing she's ever seen.

Danny's hand falls to his side. "My room's fine tonight. I need my computer." He retreats further into his room.

"You heard him," Jack say, smiling over his shoulder.

Jack goes up the stairs first, Maddie right after him, with Valerie trailing behind. When they reach Danny's room, Valerie raises her eyebrows at the setup. His desk is in the middle of the room, a foot of space on every side, while all other furniture is shoved back against the wall. Danny's already sitting down, legs crossed on his chair, a tumbler dotted with condensation sitting beside his keyboard and a bowl of trail mix resting in his lap.

Weirder still, the light is off, and his curtains are drawn, leaving the soft glow of his computer screen to be the only light source. Neither Maddie nor Jack seem to mind this, making no moves toward the light switch on the wall.

"Got everything you need?" Maddie sidles around Danny's desk and sets the box she's holding, identical to the one in Valerie's arms, down on the floor.

"Snack, smoothie, extra water bottle in the drawer. Textbook's are beside my chair. Pillow and blankets under the desk," Danny says.

Squinting, Valerie sees the aforementioned pile of bedding stuffed in front of his chair.

"Bathroom?" Jack asks as he dumps the extension cords on Danny's bed. He starts unravelling them with practiced ease, watching his son for an answer.

"Already went."

"Are you... are you staying there all night?" Valerie asks. The thought of being stuck in that chair all night has her pursing her lips. It reminds her far too much of high school, languishing for hours in cramped desks with hard, plastic chairs. She always hated high school.

Danny gives her a sidelong glance. The longer he stares, the more Valerie fidgets, and she does not fidget, ever. But Danny's eyes, which appeared dull and hollow before, seem to glow now. Not with vitality, but with an eerie, soulless light that disturbs Valerie so much she can't avert her eyes. She's shaking, and sweating, and it takes her far too long to identify this feeling: fear. Danny cuts the least impressive figure Valerie has ever seen in her life, but right now, she's afraid. Afraid that when he she turns her back, he will still be there. Still watching.

"Valerie, dear, you can set that down over here." Maddie's voice, casual, unknowing, compels Valerie to look away. Maddie crouches by the short side of Danny's desk—Valerie didn't notice her move—and taps the floor beside it.

Valerie jolts into action, eager for a distraction, and drops beside Maddie, holding out the black box. Maddie takes it, placing it on the carpet. For a few seconds, she fusses with it, prodding it, pushing it this way and that, until it sits exactly where she wants it.

"You might want to scoot back a little. The other post is already in position."

Valerie puts a good few inches between her and the 'post.' Apparently satisfied with Valerie's position, Maddie reaches out and bops the top of the box. Valerie recoils when the post bursts open. The sides unfurl, falling flat, and the top caves in, exposing a mass of wires and antennas. Something whirs. A spool at the bottom of the device starts spinning, and a slender cable of dotted lights shoots out. It curves around the back of the desk, stretching out of Valerie's line of sight.

Movement to her right gains her attention, and she sees a second cable of lights unwinding around Danny's chair. The new cable hits the post just as the spool stops spinning, locking into a plug at the end of the first cable. Three sharp beeps ring out.

"Looks good!" Maddie claps her hands. "Jack, can you plug it in?"

"Already on it." Jack plugs one end of his extension cord into the post in front of Maddie and Valerie, takes the other end, and rushes out of the room. The extension cord whips after him, snaking off of Danny's bed and out the door.

Valerie eyes the device dubiously. Maddie called it a fence, but it doesn't look very fence-like to her. Looking at it, it's hard to imagine it stopping anything, much less a Shade. But Valerie knows better than to underestimate the Fentons, and she might as well use this opportunity to learn from her ghost hunting heroes.

"What does this do?" she asks.

"Do you know what GZF is?" Maddie asks.

Valerie's heard of it, tried to read a few articles about it, but overall knows very little. "Vaguely."

"It stands for Ghost Zone Frequency. Think of the electromagnetic spectrum, spanning everything from radio waves, to the visible and invisible spectrum, to gamma rays. The Ghost Zone, which exists on a different plane from us, has its own equivalent spectrum we call GZF. It has its own spectrum because, so far, it can't be properly sensed by human instruments or human eyes," Maddie explains.

"But we can see ectoplasm. And we can see ghosts," Valerie points out.

"You see what you want to see," Danny says.

Valerie nearly flinches, and she hates herself for it. She hates Danny for it. It's not fair that he can drag such a visceral reaction from her just by talking. Even less fair is the fact that she doesn't understand why he sets her on edge so much. At least he isn't looking at her now, instead concentrating on his computer screen.

"What does that mean?" Valerie asks.

"It's pretty straight forward. Your brain can't see it, so it fills in the blanks with what it thinks should be there." Danny's eyes flit away from the screen for a moment, glancing over her before going back. "You ever read anything Lovecraft?"

"Maybe in high school."

"Well, he does this thing when he writes—he describes something as indescribable. And our measly little human brains try to understand what that indescribable thing is, but it can't, because it's indescribable to us. Ghost stuff is like that. But, unlike Lovecraft's monsters, ghosts aren't monsters from another dimension; they're the flipside of our reality. Because of that, our brains are able to perceive ghosts without seeing or hearing them. And since they know something is there, they fill in the blanks. Otherwise, we'd all be twitching balls of anxiety that constantly feel like we're missing something glaringly obvious."

Danny twists, draping his arm over the back of his chair, and regards Valerie with a fervent stare. "Got it?"

Valerie refuses to look away this time. "Sort of."

"Good enough for me." As Danny turns back to the computer, he twitches. A glower takes over his face. He rolls his shoulder, as if brushing off an unwanted touch. Ever so subtly, he lifts the hand opposite from Maddie and Valerie, cupping it over his ear.

"Danny?" Valerie reaches toward him.

"Shut up. I'm fine. Shut up!" He hurls his last words at the empty space to his right, bearing his teeth.

Valerie marvels at the open air. She can’t see a trace of the Shade, not even a faint shadow. But Danny’s eyes glide across the room, unmistakably tracking something as it moves around them. The hairs on her arm raise as Danny’s gaze roves over her. If she didn’t know any better, she would have blamed it on a chill in the air.

"Remember, sweetie. Don't respond to it." Maddie's voice is calm and even, as though she's said this line a hundred times before. She probably has.

Danny nods, a sharp, jerky movement, and hunches over. Valerie notices his jaw clenching and his toes curling. Despite how pained he appears, his eyes grow brighter still. Maybe Danny is a lot stronger than he looks. How very Fenton of him, to cast Valerie's expectations aside like that.

Jack's voice, a faint boom, drifts through the open door. "Plugging in!"

The cable lights flare to life. Narrow green beacons curve upward, converging over Danny's head He visibly relaxes, some of the tension bleeding out of him.

Valerie stretches her hand out, watching Maddie for any sign she should stop. When she gets none, she holds her hand over the beacons. The lights remain uninterrupted even though she blocks three of them with her palm.

"How does this stop a Shade?" she asks.

Maddie's eyes widen. "Oh, that's right! I never finished answering your question. Through our research, Jack and I discovered Shades exist in a thirty point range on the GZF spectrum. This is a rudimentary blockade design for small quarters. The cables are identical, one beacon for each of the thirty points in the Shade range. They're aimed straight up, but the identical points are attracted to each other, making them curve like so.

"The completed arcs generate an energy signature that stretches out four feet from the point of convergence, although it gets weaker around the edges. All thirty arcs together create a dense space that makes it hard for Shades to move within this area."

Valerie's brain buzzes as Maddie keeps talking. This is rudimentary? There's nothing rudimentary about it.

"But it needs such a narrow field that we can't make the shield any wider. And it isn't perfect. A strong enough Shade could break through it, but thankfully the one haunting Danny doesn't appear to be one of them," Maddie finishes.

Valerie's mouth drops open, but she can't think of a response, instead staring dumbly at the fence.

"Mom, I think you broke her," Danny says, grinning smugly.

"Oh, not again."

Valerie's mouth snaps shut with a clack. She shoots Danny a withering glare, then turns to Maddie. "I'm fine. It's just a lot to process. Guns are more my expertise."

"Danny could teach you a few things while you're here. He likes to pretend he doesn't care about science, but we all know he does." Maddie winks.

"Space science! It's different from ghost science," Danny declares.

Maddie hides her mouth with her hand and whispers loudly, "He loves both."

Danny grumbles under his breath. "I'll show you loving science."

Valerie rolls her eyes and shares a smile with Maddie, both of them laughing quietly at Danny's expense. He stubbornly ignores them, typing away on his computer, but there's a smile on his pale lips.

Valerie prefers Danny like this, smiling and joking. It reminds her that they were supposed to be classmates. If his accident never happened, if he never got his disease, if he wasn't homeschooled, they might have been friends. She doesn't remember meeting him way back during freshman orientation, but now she wishes she did. Their first interaction might have gone better that way. But it's too late for that now.

She wonders which one is the real Danny. The sardonic punster with a bitter glare. The eerie wraith that chills Valerie to her core. Or the happy boy before her now whose grin lights up his face, momentarily gracing him with the warm glow of life his illness and haunting has stolen from him. Maybe they're all him. Humans aren't so simple that she can reduce a person to a few key words and say that's all they are. Taking everything you see at face value is a habit Valerie abhors.

But that only means she can't trust any face Danny puts on, no matter how genuine it appears. He can be all of them and none them. In the end, she doesn't care. She's just here to do her job.

#thdf #danny phantom #phanfic #phicc #danny phantom fanfiction #valerie gray #bodygyard au #hurt/comfort #supernatural

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bluekayanite · 4 years

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(SU:F Theory) Was “Volleyball” REALLY hurt by Pink?

So I guess that the premiere was not one big, long ep as I expected, but rather four little ones in succession. XD;

Still, there's a good chunk of theory material. I decided to start with the one that was most important to me. It took longer than I expected to write (I'm sort of amazed at how much I can find in a 10-minute ep XD), though it’s actually a lot shorter than a lot of my posts (which... is only saying so much). XD; (It may also be a bit messier than usual because I've been tired and lacking the energy to edit much. -.-; )

EDIT: Added another section at the end - also, some clarifications and stuff have been made. EDIT2: Added another detail that seems important. =3 EDIT2a: And another. XD

Quick note in case you don't know: my basic theory is that Rose was not Pink Diamond, and that the whole thing was crafted by White, through her mind-control powers. This is not only a list of what looks like general contradictions, but a list of stuff that seems to support this idea. =3

More timeline inconsistencies

Pearl's story is loaded with things that don't make sense, in terms of chronology. And this ep just introduced another:

"I was given to Pink Diamond just a few thousand years before she was given the Earth." - Pearl, Now We're Only Falling Apart

A few thousand years - as in, probably 3,000-4,000. It's been established that Pink first got the Earth 6,000 years ago. This would mean that Pink got Pearl 9,000-10,000 years ago.

...this doesn't match with Pink Pearl's (AKA "Volleyball's") timeframe. (I hope you don't mind if I still call her Pink Pearl. XD; ) I mean, I guess it's possible that there's a lot of rounding involved, but it seems unlikely - it seems like Gems have a tendency to round to centuries and quarter-millenia.

"[Amethyst's] exit marks look about 500 years newer than every other hole." - Peridot, Too Far "The Earth, 5750 years ago[...] was a promising site of a new Gem colony." - Garnet, The Answer "It's been about 5,300 years [since we last saw you, Bismuth]. - Pearl, Bismuth

If Pearl were given to Pink a couple thousand years before the Earth thing happened, I think she would've said "a couple thousand years," and if were longer than a couple thou, I'd think that Pink Pearl would say so - at the very least, I'd think she'd say 8,500 years, or so. As it is, though, it seems like a stretch at best, though a contradiction seems more likely.

I'd also like to note that the original name for "So Many Birthdays" was "10,000 birthdays" - I think this is probably how old Pearl is, and it fits within her timeline for when she was (supposedly) given to Pink. I think the idea is supposed to be that she was given to Pink as soon as she was made - or at least, she remembers it that way. It seems likely that Pearl belonged to White at some point (it seems like everybody and their dogs have that theory XD; ), but it couldn't be the case if Pearl was given to Pink as soon as she was made.

Though even if she was rejuvenated and counting from that point... it still seems like a stretch to me.

I will note that Pink P.'s timeline was mentioned away from Pearl, who could've "corrected" her if she was nearby. This kind of strikes me as a setup to a reveal that their memories aren't right - something that would be more obvious, later. XD

EDIT2: Also, the fact that Pink Pearl specifies Pink having destructive powers suggests that she knows that Pink had non-destructive powers - ones which, from the sound of it, she supposedly didn’t use until after losing Pink Pearl. ~_^

I know that a lot of people are in a "Pearl belonged to White once" camp right now - though personally, I never really left the "Pearl never belonged to Pink Diamond" camp. XD I think this is one of the clues to support my "side" on this.

Pink Pearl's Still-Lasting Injury

First thing I want to note is: Change Your Mind, Pink Pearl seemed confused about her injury, as if she wasn't sure how she got it - the way she touched her broken eye highlights this.

And now, not only does she claim to know where it came from, but she's awfully nonchalant about it, even to the point of waving it off.

It's also implied that Pink Pearl was damaged before... possibly more than once.

Pearl: Well, when a Pearl was damaged, they were usually brought to the Reef. Pink Pearl: Yes! That’s exactly what Pink would do.

And yet, the ONLY sign of a lasting, psychological trauma, is with her eye. If getting hurt was a repeated occurrence for her, and it was that impactful for her, then why is there only the one major, lasting injury?

If Pink Pearl getting hurt by her Diamond, in of itself, was enough to cause emotional trauma, I'd think that she'd be covered in cracks that Pink couldn't repair. The crack even shows on her hair, so I don't think any clothes on her form would cover them. Also, Shell implies that she only has one of this type of injury.

"This" injury - not "these" injuries (which would be a giveaway, if she had others).

That said, there must be something different about this injury.

Given Pink Pearl's story about going to White for a colony, it seems like the narrative would be that the same outburst that caused the injury was the same outburst that was the last straw for White, leading to the punishment that Blue talked about.

So in that case, it seems like it could've been trauma from being separated from Pink... though I have my doubts. For one, Shell implied that it was the injury itself that was impactful - not the aftermath. So it sounds to me that what caused the injury is more likely to be the source of the trauma.

I think that the assumption that Steven and Pearl made - that White had something to do with it - is a lot more likely. I don't think that White necessarily had to have caused the injury directly, though. Personally, I've always imaged that the injury happened because Pink Pearl, tried to resist the mind-control (possibly with help from an order of Pink's), and the pressure between the two became so great that something had to give... and it ended up being her eye. (I also imagine that the immense pain involved would've given White a chance to take over.)

At any rate, White did manage to use her mind-control powers on Pink Pearl, so it's possible that whatever defenses White had to fight against are gone now (or at least, incredibly weakened). And if White could take over a Gem completely, then altering memories seems well within her capabilities. I pretty much believe that White's been trying to cover up anything that might incriminate her, and an injury like that would certainly count. And it's been years since Pink Pearl was released from White's control, so White's had plenty of opportunity to work her magic.

Another reason why I don't think that being taken away was the source of trauma is... basically what the entire next section's about (especially later in). XD;

Pink's Relationship with Pink Pearl

I think that Pink Pearl is a little too nonchalant about things besides her broken eye. It's hard to forget how hard it was for Pearl to move on.

And Blue was torn to pieces over the loss.

"You cannot fathom how much I've mourned... what thousands of years of grief has done to me!” - Blue Diamond, Reunited

Even Yellow showed pain that she was trying to avoid.

So why isn't Pink Pearl more torn up about the thought of Pink? She outright says that they were close...

And it's pretty obvious that she still thinks fondly of her.

So why isn't she grieving? It's only been a couple years - maybe three - and she can talk about Pink without a hint of grief.

Also: she was told more about Steven than just his healing powers, right? So she has to be thinking about Steven being "Pink's son"... right? Because I'd really think that just being around Steven would be hard for her.

And yet... it doesn't seem to be an issue for her.

This just doesn't seem natural to me. 2-3 years is a really short time for a Gem, and many humans have trouble moving on in that timespan. She cries freely later...

So it seems to me that the likely reason why she's not crying - or otherwise mourning - over Pink is because she's being prevented from doing so. Once again, mind-affecting magic seems like a probable explanation.

On the flipside, it looks like Pearl is being prevented from remembering other details; she certainly seems jealous about the ribbon wand... which Pink Pearl explicitly says was a GIFT from Pink; not just an accessory.

This suggests that Pink saw Pearls - and I would guess Gems in general - as more than just objects. It would certainly suggest that she saw HER Pearl as more than just an object, and reinforces the idea that they did have a good relationship (and I don't think I've mentioned, but it's been a headcanon of mine for a long time, so I'm happy there =3). I don't think that Pearl would be jealous of such of gift unless she didn't have one - which doesn't seem like it would make sense, since Pearl clearly remembers that Pink did try to bond with her.

Even if Pink desperately wanted to change, I think it's unlikely that she would change in a way that would make her less kind, even if it was hard for her to really "click" with Pearl. The wand is physical (magical?) evidence that Pink was the kind to really try to get along with her Pearl, so I'm going to say that this is a place where Pearl's memories are likely the (more-)altered ones.

Also, we have evidence that Pink would entertain Pink Pearl - and they had fun together.

And that she was even kind to Pebbles - judging by the way they "recognized" Steven.

So... yeah. I think that Pink was kind to her Pearl in... basically EVERY way. (Including Pearl, if that were applicable.)

I think that this would apply to injuries too. If Pink really had brought Pink Pearl to the Reef multiple times, I think it would actually be an indication of how much she cared - sure, she may have messed up a lot, but she always made sure to try and take care of Pink Pearl when it happened. This especially seems likely, given all the stuff that's said about how close they were, and all the evidence to support it.

And there is evidence that Pink Pearl had probably been exposed to Pink's sonic scream... most likely more than once.

So running under the assumption that she had been impacted by it, there are three ways (that I can think of) that it could have impacted her:

1) General emotional trauma related to the subject. Would probably make the subject hard to talk about... possibly detail surrounding it, too (e.g. because the trauma would've come from Pink, Pink herself would've become a trauma-triggering topic). (Doesn't fit with the story.) 2) Physical trauma becomes normalized. Would be able to talk about it in stride, though might still be emotionally impacted by it if it happens, or if reminded of it. (Seems to be the narrative being used.) 3) Care is given after physical trauma, so much that any emotional trauma is largely, or entirely negated, or even strongly outweighed by the care given. Might be able to take physical trauma in stride because of a positive after-result, and/or may still react because it's still scary, even if things are better after. (Also plausible.)

As I've kind of talked about already, I'm thinking that number 3 is the most likely, even if it seems like number 2 is being said.

I'll also note that with number 3, it's possible that the scream could be upsetting not because it's associated with physical or emotional trauma on the part of Pink Pearl, but because it's associated with Pink being upset - something that Pink Pearl probably wouldn't want in any situation, especially considering that it has the potential to damage things, and make things go wrong (as had happened in the Reef).

Still, if number 3 was done, then physical injuries could actually result in a strengthening of the relationship, rather than a weakening. I've even heard a story where a kid hurt his hand at a daycare, and the nurses treated him so well that other kids started hurting their hands on purpose - not as a simple "way of getting attention," but because the love that was shown was so moving and appealing that they were willing to put up with the pain in order to get it.

It could be that the reason why Pink Pearl is so okay with the Reef is because she associates it with her relationship with Pink - and it could be that Pearl doesn't like it because of a lack of that association.

I'd also like to go back to my mention of how I think that the eye-injury was probably not caused by Pink (or the relationship with her), but by trying not to be taken away from Pink. Even so, I think it's possible that, since she now thinks that it was made by Pink's screaming, then a similar scream could still have been made into a trigger for the emotional trauma that DID make the injury, even if it was unrelated.

So... that said, I think it's still possible that the scream triggers trauma of being taken away from Pink, even if the injury was a result of being taken away, instead of maybe a cause of it. XD;

Still, if it was a result of her fighting to stay with Pink, then the broken would be a symbol of the STRENGTH of their relationship - not of problems with it. Even then, the cracks getting worse could be a sign of underlying, hidden stressed... except suppressed subconsciously, as a result of White's magic. If this is the case, then I think there's a good chance that P. Pearl will opt to keep the injury, rather than remove it.

(Heck... even if the injury was caused by P. Pearl being taken away and Pink screaming because of it... a lot of the above paragraph could work, even if it's not as inspiring. XD; )

EDIT2a: I think it’s also important to consider how this fits (including timeline-wise) with what Spinel remembers: Pearl’s story suggests that Pink was working hard to be less hurtful, and she was already pretty kind to the Amethysts.

Pink Pearl’s story suggests that Pink already saw Gems as more than just objects to be tossed away once she got bored with them, and if she ever DID hurt them, then it wouldn’t be on purpose, and she would do her best to try and make things up, afterward.

(My personal theory is that Pink was trying to protect Spinel from the war that Pink was planning, and that was the only way she could do it.)

In general, it seems to me that Pink was always kind toward Gems. Not cruel to them.

Pink and Secret-Keeping

Pink Pearl says that Pink "couldn't keep a secret to save her gem." And yet, Steven had a dream where he (as Pink) and Pink Pearl would put on a "formal" act for Yellow, to hide the fact that they were having fun a moment ago... and it WORKS.

It really seems like there’s an element of truth to this, so I'd say that Pink was able to keep a secret just fine while Pink Pearl was still there - heck, it looks to me like they would keep secrets together.

There's more than that, though: there's also the fact that all the Pebbles would hide as soon as someone besides Pink was around. (Even Pearl!)

This behavior seem to suggest that the Pebbles could've been in trouble - probably even in danger - if they were found out about. Which means that Pink would've had to keep them secret; a secret that she apparently kept well, considering that the Pebbles are still there.

She even had a hidden room that was activated by a panel on the inside of the wall.

So... yeah. I'd say that she kept a number of secrets just fine. And Pink Pearl should know that.

Certainly seems like a sign of memory-alteration to me.

Other little notes

The idea of Pink having destructive powers would fit well with my theory that White was afraid of what Pink might do to her. I was already thinking that Pink could probably do a lot with levitation and rapid plant-growth. If she really had sonic screams and such, it would certainly give White more reason to fear her... And the intro does imply that they're going to have to fight White again. =3

Speaking of Pink having destructive powers... the Pearl Fusion talks about Pink desperately wanting to change. The thing is, if Pearl didn't even know about those powers, then she would've had to have already made an effort to stop using those powers... which probably would've taken her a LOT of time and practice.

So basically, if Pearl really DID belong to Pink, then Pink would've had to have had a time BETWEEN her two Pearls when she worked REALLY HARD on controlling herself... sometime between the time 8,000 years ago when she would've lost her first Pearl, and the 9,000-10,000 years ago when she would've got her second one. (Her time-control power must be AMAZING if she could get this stuff done in negative 1,000 years or less. XDDD)

I couldn't help but notice that Pink's features are blanked out when Pink Pearl is thinking about her. Even the outline for her hair is largely obscured.

I've pointed out a number of times (I'm going to go with my SU Movie post for reference) that Pink's appearance varies in a LOT of subtle ways... her hair is one of the more-noticeable ones, especially when you consider Jungle Moon (which I suspect shows what she REALLY looks like).

At any rate I can imagine that, if Crewniverse were prepping for another reveal on who Pink Diamond was and what she looked like, they'd want to keep Pink Pearl's memory of her appearance secret until after it happened. =3

And yeah, I noticed that both Pearls were the same height in this one. It was kind of hard to miss.

(If anything, Pink Pearl might be a little taller than average...)

It does seem a little odd considering how much this shot from Legs From Here to Homeworld fits in with Crewniverse's style of leaving hints.

Seriously, if they were already the same height, then Crewniverse wouldn't have had to pull out all those optical illusions (or whatever the term for that sort of visual-trickery would be). It has been two or three years... I'm not ruling out the possibility that White may have adjusted the height of Pink Pearl since the last time we saw her, along with her memories. (She does still act a lot like a kid.)

Pink Pearl's Intelligence (add-in)

I'm putting this at the bottom both to make it easier to find, and for context. I've already mentioned that Pink Pearl is fairly childlike. I didn't mention that it felt like, despite her fairly simple, childlike behavior, she wasn't unintelligent.

I think I've figured out why... or at least part of why. One reason is because she doesn't stick to simple, childlike language and will actually use somewhat-more-advanced terms.

For some reason, XFinity is showing the wrong video today, so I can't grab more screenshots. -.-; Still, I remember that other examples include "refurbishment," and when she says "Pardon?" instead of something like "Huh?" or "What?"

And it's not just her vocabulary: she's pretty good at picking up on subtler things. She recognized when Steven misunderstood what she meant by her eye being "from before. She was easily (casually!) able to figure out that she's older than Pearl (well... at least in theory XD; ). She was also able to recognize when Steven thought she didn't understand what a nickname is, and correct him before he even started to explain.

Now, I've noticed that Gems share traits with their Diamonds. This could be because of the Diamonds programming their own biases into their Gems (intentionally or otherwise), or because those traits are literally inherited from the Diamond who made them. (I lean toward inheritance, with maybe a few exceptions.) I think that the intelligence of Pink Pearl could be a hint of Pink Diamond being intelligent, rather than the... well frankly, blundering idiot that Pink is often portrayed as, especially in Pearl's memories.

...and that Rose must've still been, since Greg remembers her that way.

(She was actually smarter in Pearl's memories... at least in some parts.)

Still, this is actually something I noticed way-back-when and (sort of?) referenced in one of my big-old-and-outdated theory posts; it seemed to me like there were several hints that a number of parts of the war were well-planned-out, and Rose did not exactly stike me as the type who was capable of such planning - even for the parts which she had already been said to have done long before she was "revealed" to be Pink. ^_^;

However, if Pink P. really did get her intelligence from Pink D., then it could explain how a LOT of the war could've been done... and even where Rose got many of her ideas. Heck, I've even long imagined that Pink and her Pearl had planned things together, and it would be hard for them to do that if either of them were lacking on that front. X3

I'm even kind of excited that this seems to be hinted at in a similar way that I did, back in my old "Predictions" fic (which... I never finished XD; ). The idea was that Pink herself generally preferred to use simpler language, but would pull out a more-advanced term if it better described what she wanted to describe. I also tried to show her picking up on a lot more of the subtler details (at least usually XD; ). I think it's really neat to see the same kind of thing going on with her Pearl. ='3

And yeah... I still keep waiting for when someone mentions (or finds) something that obviously contradicts an established story. (And I'll admit, I keep hoping that it's in the next episode... or group thereof. XD; ) It feels like the two Pearls almost got to doing that before Steven interrupted. ^_^; *sigh* At any rate, it feels to me like we're probably close to another reveal. I mean, they've been piling on the idea that "Rose/Pink did a lot of bad things," even though Rose was shown to be compassionate in earlier episodes. Seems like a pretty good build-up to a reveal that Rose/Pink being THAT bad was actually NOT the case. XD

#SU:F #steven universe: future #su:f volleyball #su:f theories #rose quartz wasn't pink diamond #pearl never belonged to pink diamond #white diamond's mind control #theories

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elizabethrobertajones · 6 years

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I'm a petty bitch but I don't like how Cas embraced Jack way more sweeter and gentler than Dean

Hey, don’t use such harsh words on yourself

I think we’re sort of meant to feel this way, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, the Cas is back reaction was mostly on Dean and then contrasting Dean to Sam’s reaction etc, so it was a very Winchester POV moment. Because Dean and Sam’s reaction to Cas drama has been tested and compared for years… I think the Cas possessed by Lucifer stuff was the first time it was specifically ABOUT their reactions rather than just taking it for granted there was a difference although 11x01 starts off the DeanCas thread we’re on now in the aftermath of the Mark and the resulting (spiralling) issues with Cas and Dean singled out in attention in that quick phone call, and it’s been getting worse from there, obviously cycling up into the Cas’s death stuff where the difference is inescapable. Dean was given the huge emotional lead in to the hug while Sam was already being treated differently in his reaction before they started hugging.

I think in that context there had to be a balance of Sam and Dean’s hugs in that moment, and Cas’s reaction was more muted because he’s working on some different threads, including still thinking at that point the Winchesters brought him back but also aaall his issues from last season are at least hovering around still if not directly affecting him. I mean who knows, maybe he feels embarrassed Lucifer got him :P I’ve had some people explain now (check the notes here) they think Cas is potentially literally altered or they’re adjusting to having theorised he might be and obviously more critical of his behaviour in case it is betraying something, but I really don’t like taking just random actor behavioural cues to mean anything drastic has changed with their character without the story backing it up as more than just a thing happening in that moment with the portrayal…

Since I never thought 12x23 broadcast anything strange happening to Cas with the AU and there’s been no reason broadcast this season to make us suspect Cas is anything other than himself - regardless of other issues it is our core main continuous Cas on screen when we’re meant to be seeing Cas - I’m continuing to just chillax and watch it as if Cas is Cas and nothing is WRONG wrong with him until proven otherwise. So if there’s anything about his reactions in that scene it’s probably down to the Empty unsettling him (he’s having memories of it which include the ghost-like fade out of himself which makes me feel like the complete cessation of his Self has shaken him, as it would anyone really, since we didn’t see him ghost-like fade out into darkness IN the Empty, so that’s his memory/impression/FEELING of what it was like) or there’s just the obvious ongoing issues with the Winchesters, which the Empty reminded us of very very loudly, and he’s obviously not telling them the contents of that discussion, because it went as far as warning him about who he loves, which is them, so, awkward, or to make a Destiel reading there, aaaaaawkwaaaaard.

Secondly with Jack, again I think it is somewhat more about how Jack feels because we had the whole first half of 13x01 with him searching for Cas and the only thing he knew, the compulsion/idea he woke up with when he was born was that he had to find Cas so Cas would protect him. He was then thrown into an emotional grinder for 5 episodes, and now he’s juuust about settling in learning the Winchester way, but Sam and Dean are neither of them suitable guides in the way Cas accidentally signed himself up for in 12x19 with that rousing speech about looking after Jack properly.

So it sort of marks the end of Jack’s search, and Jack reached out for Cas because he missed him, and, unknowingly, Cas dragged himself back to life because of Jack, and again unknowingly, FOR Jack, but now he’s here, and Jack needs him. I suspect this will all get more critical of the “angels are watching over you” bond because that’s NOT a good phrase and I’ve been using it as my Mary to the guys (in the 2x13/5x13 dramatic irony context) and Cas to the Winchesters tag in season 12, but now I think it is very much about Cas’s issues with being a guardian angel, which were laid bare in 12x19 when he explained his motivations.

Jack is someone who genuinely *needs* Cas in a way Dean protests they don’t in 12x19. He (and Sam) want Cas to be an equal in their family, and for them to fight together and to share in their troubles. Cas perpetually takes on these burdens to protect them (like Lucifer in 11x10 as well) and it’s not healthy, to the degree that I think it’s being called out and deconstructed on the same level the codependency has been addressed in recent seasons. In season 12 there was a lot of build up to this and I think this is how it’s paying out - in Cas’s part of what Jack means, mirrors or represents is a bond which is separate from his original TFW bonds so it can be critiqued or stretched or even temporarily broken at some point, in order to be practically a case study… Or else at the very least to take the weight off of him having to guard the Winchesters as their pet angel, which is a terrible arrangement.

Jack’s shaken up all their dynamics, but it’s fascinating to me just to have their reunion because of course it’s important - it’s been what Jack asked for in the opening word of the season, and Jack’s been the reason why everything has happened for a while, including both Cas’s death and resurrection. Cas as well has had the whole arc coming back to them, and he’s never MET Jack properly before and it’s the core relationship to all of this nonsense in the opening part of the season because it’s the strangest part of it all and has the most baggage before they even meet.

Now Cas and Jack have met, things of course went wrong and now things are being tested for Cas… He’s still integral and core to the story so I’m not surprised there’s been a huge focus on him and Jack at all. Especially as because he was dead all the stuff so far about Cas in the main part of the story has been Dean intensely missing Cas, so it’s been one-sided for Dean, and Dean’s reaction to Cas being back is the flipside of that, while Cas didn’t get a whole huge thing about mourning Dean, so despite being back from death, he doesn’t have the same bundle of exposed nerves Dean has about the entire thing because he didn’t go through the same trauma but about Dean.

Eurgh, I don’t know, there’s such a weird sense of rivalry about Jack being introduced to the dynamic, I don’t know if you and others and just pinging the idea subconsciously or if I’m missing wank about it because my dash is nice, but first people were worried he was replacing Cas, now you’re feeling jealous on Dean’s behalf… I think Jack can be integrated into the family and he’s got his OWN relationships with their own reasons and motivations that aren’t taking away or overriding anyone else.

I was thinking about how Dean had a shoulder grab for Jack in 13x04 just to stop and warn him not to talk and blow their cover (and called him “spock” which may suit Cas more than him >.>) and then of course Cas and Jack had shoulder-holding moments. I think that in no way overrides Cas and Dean’s shoulder language, just like Dean or Lucifer using shoulder grabbing as power plays in various dynamics (5x04 and 11x11 for Lucifer, 12x16 against Mick for Dean for examples) changes what the shoulder grab means between Dean and Cas, because their specific language of it has been erotically charged since 4x01 and all of season 4 really. It’s something that has its own particular meaning and feeling, but at the same time you can loop back around to it as a bond of trust, and that can’t be never used again by other characters on the show ever. I’m sure Sam or Dean have done it to each other, or Bobby to them or some random thing like that. Things can branch off, just like how the “crypt scene” parallels have turned into a fractal of meanings.

I think we (as a general commentary, not you specifically anon) might just have too rigid readings of the show, that we can’t allow for things to mean different things than what we originally interpret. Some of that might be because it’s like… hostile interpretation, where it’s us against the show and against people who hate meta and think it’s bollocks for one reason or another. If we get a strong dictionary of meanings going and then something contradicts it, the response is backlash rather than intellectual curiosity, and being accused of being wrong, instead of being able to ask why things are different, or to build elaborate pictures where we have room for things to stretch and for the stories to grow and change.

Anyway it is just a knee jerk response you have so I don’t think you should blame yourself, but I hope you can have a more open mind and think about if the show WANTS you to knee-jerk react and just in a fandom context it feels way too important and overkill while general audience are still floundering around like “but there was no hello dean!” which is the real and only sentiment the writing may have been trying to leave a lasting impression over or something :P

#Asks #obviously that last line is a hypothetical #I don't think there's a 'real' reading or that we should be so hung up on intent #I also kinda feel grumpy that fandom has got so absolute on all sides because I like the meta playground #and I still hang out there but I may be seen as kind of wishy washy or I don't know what #13x06 #destiel #nougat winchester

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soaker87 · 7 years

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Buguese x Aqune Headcanons

I’ve been keeping a list of these for a while. I’ll totally ignore some of these based on the kind of fic I want to write, but these are some general ones. I probably have more I'm just not thinking of.

Yes, this is all senseless shippy stuff, but I really wish there were more headcanons for this series (and more fic), so only fair to throw mine out there.

-Aqune always had feelings for Buguese in the back of her head, but was also in love with Hunter, so she put that aside. That and, given her circumstances, she doesn’t think starting any sort of romantic relationship is practical, period. She starts to realize how much she loves Buguese after he saves her in ep.49. Of course, she doesn’t have much time to think about it/dwell on him then, because as far as she knows, he’s dead and the entire world might be destroyed next. Post-series, she has a lot more time to think about it, and is completely aware that yes, she’s in love with Buguese.

-Buguese has been in love with Aqune for a fair bit of time. It’s just expectations that she would obviously hate him or at least never prefer him that makes him push all that aside, best he can. It’s too much a guilt trip to think of a relationship working out. Especially during the time of the series. Also, he’s busy fighting a war and more-or-less expects and even hopes to die, so it’s really out of the realm of possibilities for him.

-Buguese, being the workaholic he is, is obviously torn about being in a relationship with Aqune even in a post-series setting. Of course he wants to, but he’s well aware that there are still a lot of Insectors that don’t like humans/vice versa. If he starts a relationship with a human while he’s emperor, at least publically, it could be potentially messy. Aqune really wouldn’t mind a “secret” relationship though, so long as they could be together. She also thinks, on the flipside, it could be helpful to show the world a human and Insector united. Since human/Insector couples are probably rare to non-existent. Even if there are a few, if the human is a Spider Rider and the Insector is the leader of their race, that’s got to be monumental.

-Although their relationship is a “secret”, it’s not a very well kept one. At least, the Spider Riders know, as does Grasshop because Sparkle told him, though he could probably figure it out anyway. Stags figured it out, and probably Beerain. They just have the consideration to keep quiet about it, Grasshop with some persuading, probably, because he has a big mouth.

-Before Buguese and Aqune officially hook up, Aqune spends a lot of time healing him. And it’s a lengthy process, because of how close Buguese came to dying. Even though Buguese doesn’t like accepting help, not being strong enough to fight if another conflict emerges is a bigger problem in his pessimistic mind. And if it’s Aqune doing the healing, he can put up with it. Obviously.

-Buguese is actually the one to confess first. He’s really paranoid that Aqune will eventually stop visiting, and just stay with the Spider Riders forever. So he just wants her to know before the “inevitable” happens. Aqune wanted to confess in the past, but she’s afraid of being rejected. She already felt kind of sad over Hunter choosing Corona (though she was happy for them), even though she wasn’t sure she liked Hunter that way anymore. And well, she had a lonely existence. Even though she has a lot of friends now, the thought of outright being rejected is daunting.

-They have a private wedding pretty quickly, with the intent on having a more public one when they can. Buguese still doesn’t want a lot of guests, because he doesn’t find parties practical for any reason, but if it will make Aqune happy, he’ll allow it.

-Aqune, naturally, does the cooking. Buguese tries, with disastrous results. (He’s still a better cook than Corona. It’s more that he has a lack of delicacy.) Aqune actually has a big appetite, and she’s really happy to not have to ration things. So she likes to cook a lot for her and for others. Buguese is still more practical and tries not to eat tons, even if he technically could. (Especially cactus. He loves cactus). However, when it comes to Aqune’s cooking, he finds it harder to resist. Aqune becomes interested in learning all sorts of new recipes. She often goes out to buy different kinds of fruits and vegetables, because they’re better for Insectors, who don’t like meat. She has the time, because Buguese often has political things to take care of. But he’ll come with her when he can. Buguese can get a bit too protective, and fears she might end up in trouble. Aqune doesn’t feel threatened, but she finds this more cute than annoying. She likes the affection.

-Still being a handmaiden, Aqune likes to go and help at Oracle shrines. Buguese is less enamored by this hobby than the cooking. But he has hobbies that she doesn’t like (namely, he does a lot of sword-work practice, wanting to always be prepared), so he feels he can’t complain too much. Aqune does sometimes come to train with Buguese, just to spend the time with him. She isn’t really concerned about further threats though, and doesn’t wish to fight ever again.

-It’s extremely hard for a human and Insector to have kids. After much trying, Buguese and Aqune have one daughter. And it’s an extremely rough pregnancy for Aqune. She can’t get out of bed much. But it’s worth it in the end. They make a mutual decision not to try any more, for Aqune’s well-being, even though she wanted lots of kids. Their daughter isn’t too healthy at first, but she’s very fierce and adventurous. She gets better over time, as her body becomes stronger. Aqune encourages her to make a lot of friends with both the humans and Insectors, and get out and enjoy herself. (Well, by that time, if their relationship was a secret to anyone, it would be super hard to keep.) Buguese is naturally over-protective, but with limits. He wants her to be happy too. Just, he’d be happier if she took more after Insectors than humans. She actually does take after him the most. She’s stubborn, can be kind of arrogant, and loves to fight. (Play-fight really. Neither parent wants to think of her in an actual battle.)

-Buguese eventually re-builds The Ultimate Machine-Sector/Dark Opal, without the condition of needing the Oracle’s power to run. (He still likes building machines, in general.) He likes to take Aqune for rides in it. Aqune is actually scared of flying, due to trauma of falling from a ship in her past. (Her mask made it not an issue previously.) But she starts to get more comfortable with it thanks to this.

-Flying aside, they probably don’t go on a lot of traditional dates. They both prefer quiet, intimate time. Rather than congregating where a lot of other people are, they spend time cuddling in a locked bedroom at the castle. Aqune loves being buried under Buguese’s cape. It’s so warm and comforting.

-Buguese is torn over how to tell Aqune what he does know about her past. (He doesn’t know everything. Just that he found her in the forest, and they met once before, when he attacked her village. She saved his life, and she was treated as an exile as a result.) He thinks she may hate him, and rationalizes that it’s not a happy story anyway. He probably tells her this soon after they actually hook up. Mainly, he’s so pessimistic he’s still trying to figure out how the relationship will quickly come to a terrible end. Aqune is a bit startled by it, but says that since she doesn’t actually remember it, it doesn’t have the impact it probably should. However, she insists she isn’t angry with him, and is glad that he was willing to tell her. Of course, after hearing this, she wants to go to Nuuma and try to awaken these memories for real. Buguese takes her, still wanting to be sure she doesn’t hate him, and also thinks he can try to build better relationships with their nation (Yes, he’s that much a workaholic). And Aqune is really glad to help with that. When they go, Buguese is disliked for obvious reasons, but she’s incredibly defensive of him.

-Aqune asks Buguese to tell her about his own past, in which he admits he doesn’t really remember much either. He never actually put much thought into it, so this surprises even him. In fact, Buguese was artificially created by Mantid. He is actually slightly younger than Aqune. It’s just that he always had an adult body since his creation. Like the super-soldiers Mantid created. (Okay, I base their pasts heavily on Teletoon Corp stuff, but I just find this idea amusing.)

-Aqune’s earrings were a present from Buguese. Because she definitely didn’t have them before being with the Insectors, based on the flashbacks.

-Buguese is usually the one to wake up first, but he’s pretty used to going on minimal hours of sleep. He’d rather let Aqune sleep in if she has nothing to do.

-Buguese actually has a separate house outside of the castle, that he and Aqune use sometimes when they want to get away. Actually, he always had it, he just almost never used it because he was too busy and stayed in the castle. Aqune used it more than him in the past. (She always knew about it and was allowed to use it.) There’s actually barely anything in the house. Just some basic furniture and appliances.

-Buguese is still jealous of Hunter, and worries at least in the back of his head that Aqune would choose him. Of course Aqune catches onto this and assures him it’s not true, but he can never quite get over his dislike for Hunter. He’s just petty like that. Of course, he’s still civil towards Hunter.

-Aqune loves being princess-carried by Buguese. Buguese loves carrying her. She’s actually pretty light.

-Aqune likes to play with Buguese’s antennae. She just finds them cute. Despite the fact that Buguese has human-like senses, the antennae still function as a sensory device. So, it’s sort of an accidental turn-on for him.

-Aqune and Buguese make out a lot. Typically when no one else is around to see. But still, a lot. They’re actually very affectionate with each other. They like to hold hands too.

#spider riders #buguese #aqune #headcanons #buguese/aqune

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orgyland · 7 years

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fuck it, let's do the old standby too. lucisev: 4, 10, 12, 18, 20, 24

below the cut is a goddamn lucisev sex essay, or sexay.

4) Sensitive or insensitive

It doesn’t take much to get Severa worked up in pretty much any sense (which she’s very much aware/self-conscious about) whereas finding/pushing Lucina’s buttons is a bit more tricky, and her tells a bit more subtle. The flipside is it’s easy for Severa to sort of lose herself to it and even at times feel betrayed by her own body/lack of self-control, envying Lucina for her ostensible presence of mind when they’re going at it. But I think I’ve written at least a dozen thousand words about that in fic, so instead a Lucina handcannon: she likes to have her partner bite down, Hard, in Typically Sensitive Places. Severa’s incredulous at first, but when she sees the kind of reactions she can wring out of Lucina she’s happy to oblige.

10) Preferred positions?

It takes a while for Severa to so much as hint about it (rather than just wait for Lucina’s whims to go her way) but she is super into taking it from behind, be it bent over a desk/bed/garden bench under the cover of darkness, on her hands and knees, against the wall or a tree, whatever. Besides the whole willing surrender of control and trust thing, she’s really keyed up by the element of surprise and also just. The mental stimulation of giving herself to Lucina in her entirety, to do with whatever she will.

Lucina doesn’t mind that either, but she’s partial to Severa riding her fingers on her lap. (I also agree with this general consensus I’m seeing that Lucina enjoys any position that affords her some control when receiving -- having Severa kneel to give head, mounting her face, etc.)

12) Turn ons

Severa: THE VOICE! HOO! Yes @ everyone on this planet who agrees that Lucina + the Marth persona Totally Does It For Her. Canon tells us she’s also apparently just like, hopelessly turned on by women who can kick her ass, so yeah she totally sees Lucina busting a hole through a wall in the training grounds and thinks “god i wish that were me.” Getting manhandled, though the extent to which they mess around with that is probably her having Lucina like, hoist her up and pin her to a wall. Degradation/humiliation is a thing for her, but I don’t think Lucina would really fuck around with that -- it’d just be something that Severa might occupy herself with privately as an outlet for her massive inferiority complex. (I can see something like that playing more of a role in like, Sevkjelle or Sevnoire, just because I think Noire would understand controlled outlets more, and Kjelle would just be less Concerned in general.)

Lucina: I heedcayenne her as generally having less of a libido than Severa just generally speaking, even apart from the burden of expectations/their blighted future/forestalling the apocalypse for another timeline/stepping up to the throne of the Exalt in a TFP setting, etc, but I think she discovers a lot about what she likes physically when entering into a relationship with Severa. I never really tried getting this across in fic b/c 1. it’s a non-visual medium and 2. I want people to headcanon whatever body types they want, but Severa is pretty inarguably fuller-figured than Lucina (this isn’t me headcanons, you need look no further than a bizarre line where she’s like AH THANK GOD I DON’T HAVE TINY TITS LIKE MY MOM in the hot springs scramble) and I think that Lucina is pretty enticed by her body in contrast to her own -- maybe a little softer and fleshier, less flat and compact, okay what I’m saying is she likes the ass and titties ass ass and titties. I also think she’s super super into giving praise, but again doesn’t fuck with it given Severa’s obvious discomfort.

18) Dirty talk, sweet nothings, or no talking (or discussing only technicals)

THE WORLD THNEEDS TO KNOW THAT LUCINA FIRE EMBLEM IS THE WORST DIRTY TALKER ON THE PLANET if she’s trying to do it on purpose. It wouldn’t always be on the “you like that you mediocre dunce” level but I don’t think she could loose some profanity without it sounding forced/awkward. When it happens naturally, it’s 100% supereffective on Severa, even if it’s just a really simple command, like “look at me,” or “come for me” or something like that. Orders and gentle encouragement and even just questions like “what do you want me to do to you” absolutely Do It for Severa, whereas she’s inclined to be a bit more colorful -- it doesn’t take much to get her talking, especially when Lucina teases her or has her beg. Despite my earlier nsfw blog shitposting I’m actually 50/50 on Severa calling someone daddy/momma in bed, though.

I think “sweet nothings”, or sweet somethings definitely play a role here, though, in any setting they’re getting together, but especially in a world with the threat of Grima, their own deaths, and the fate of their future. I’m still super into the idea of TFP lucisev on the night before the final encounter just putting absolutely everything on the table -- like, we might die tomorrow, might as well put it all out there. But even beyond that, I imagine they’re extremely emotionally open/honest with each other in the heat of the moment, and they’re both capable of saying some sappy shit (which honestly mortifies Severa more in the aftermath than if she called Lucina daddy or something.)

As for technicals, I see them as pretty model Communicators in general. Despite Severa’s melodramatics, she can get over herself long enough to be like, “hey by the way I really like it when you do this” or whatever, and Lucina has no shame when it comes to that stuff.

20) Rhythm: slow, fast, alternating, etc. Who sets the pace?

Very situational -- in the aforementioned TFP we’re-gonna-die sex context, I think it was pretty rushed and explosive on the whole, but when they’re not fucking in that pressure cooker it depends on who’s got the reins. Lucina likes things agonizingly slow; she likes to draw out every motion, study every reaction, experiment with what works and make it last as long as possible. Severa has the patience of, well , Severa (and this is something that mellows with age) and might progress from whining to demanding to pleading that Lucina please just fuck her into the mattress already, until Lucina finally complies. So the answer here is probably “alternating” -- they only go slowly for as long as Severa can hold out.

24) What happens after? Cuddling? Make space? Does someone tend to leave right after?

I am absolutely in agreement that they both need some measure of aftercare in the wake of super intense, super emotional sex. If they ever tried something more extreme, especially, I think Lucina would need the reassurance of “hey, I’m okay, that was really good, I loved it and I love you.” In most contexts though I like to think that they use that time to just talk -- about whatever’s going on/weighing on their minds, plans for tomorrow, trading dinner duty for weapons duty, Politics Talk in a TFP setting, etc. They’re both still a valuable confidant to each other, and the space they make for physical intimacy can also include that communication that’s v important for both of them.

#hey. hey. you brought this on yourself.#tattedmariposa

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dahniwitchoflight · 4 years

Text

Homesquared Chapter 14

lol gotta love John’s enthusiasm of being part of the movers and shakers getting shot down cuz he hasn’t actually flexed his Main Character Muscles in quite a long time

though he’s honestly taking his mid life crisis very well all things considered, its good he cares more about his kids than anything else and I like the bond he’s getting to make with Harry, it’s nice!

Now what’s a million times funnier though is the same thing happening to Vriska, she is decidedly NOT taking her midlife “but but I want to be important too!!” crisis not nearly as well as John is haha

VRISSY: I guess you Did go Viral, 8ut the news moves so fast these days. I don’t think Any8ody is like...

VRISSY: Glued to their phones Waiting for your New Hashtag Resistance content.

Yeah Vriska, you’re so 15 minutes ago :P people have moved on

what, did you think you were going to be important forever?

VRISKA: What’s the point of me even coming to this shitty fake reality if I’m not supposed to fix it?

to have a mid life crisis about not being important anymore obviously :P

VRISSY: Yeah, they told me about That stuff, but a Lot of the Shit that Happened in the Session if just not in the History Books.

VRISSY: You weren’t Really mentioned that Much.

VRISKA: Excuse me?

I Am Living For This Whole Conversation

VRISKA: I SINGLE H8ND8DLY!

VRISKA: CURED YOUR MOTHER’S FUCKING ALCH8LISM!!!!!!!!

JOHN: uh, vriska, everything okay over there?

VRISKA: EVERYTHING’S FINE, J8HN!

JOHN: okay.

JOHN: do you girls want a snack?

ASJHGFSHFHWE yeah calm down Vriska have a snack

ahh, loving it

Turns out, History is written by the people who were left who decided to give a damn about writing it, and if those people Don’t Like you, they can just decide to not mention you, no matter who you are or what you did

All your “important” accomplishments are for naught and have become meaningless because you’re an asshole and other people didn’t like you enough to decide that you mattered in the long run

Congrats! Infamy doesn’t matter as much as Connection

Aww, cute with Annie getting hug bombed by her moms

Though, Rose definitely has a stronger bond with Annie than just being her surrogate it looks like

I understand this family situation just fine, if Annie really was just supposed to be a way for Jade to overcome her lonliness, and Rose was her only functional way and only person she could approach with this idea, and Rose responded out of care for her friend

Rose, shouldn’t really have a distinct mom attachment here, because then it implies a stronger than platonic relationship with Jade

but it could just be a great example of “this is why you don’t agree to create a child with your friend purely because said friend was crying out of lonliness out of failed relationship and wanted a child to fill that void of lonliness but who then shoves said child off the sidelines and doesn’t interact with her at all and leaves her in the hands and care of a supposed enemy and

yknow, I think I’m just gonna stop there before I remember Jake also knew about Yiffany existing so if the only ones who didn't know were John/Dave/Karkat and Kanaya then what was honestly the point of hiding her in the first place

Its not the fact that Yiffany exists that Im finding hard to believe, its just hows she treated narratively after she started existing thats stretching my rubber band into a dangerous area

“ROSE: Is it the libidinous power rush that comes from snapping your fingers at men with guns, or are you worried that you might accidentally do something heroic?

(its the latter)

“She stopped thinking about how she would be received, and more about how she could play to the people she knew would receive her favorably.

Looking up she sees Tavvy with tears in his eyes. Rage and guilt surge inside her. This situation is not her fault.”

Gotta Justify It. Gotta Justify It.

Doesn’t matter if I’m Right or Wrong, if enough other people validate me than Everything is Fine and I’m a Good Person.

JANE: So before you accuse me, take a look at yourself!

JANE: I'm the only one who has taken any interest in her upbringing or education!

JANE: Or have you forgotten who has been paying for her schooling and taking charge of her introduction into society?

JADE: i never asked you to do that!

JADE: you offered!

Okay but Jade, you DID let Jane have Annie in the first place and then presumably washed your hands of her, when supposedly the only reason Annie exists is because you wanted a daughter with whom you could have a loving relationship with

You gotta, explain you’re thinking there Jade cuz I still don’t get this bit

Though in thinking about it, I think I know why this happened

Jade grew up isolated from any person, but still loved her grandfather, despite his absence

to her, family relationships didn’t involve any sort of personal work, they were just things she had because she had them

did she just believe the same would happen for Yiffanny? that she could paradoxically still have a relationship despite long absences? Annie doesn’t seem to have any resentment here for Jade or Rose so I mean ???

“ If they were to kill Tavros, the entire world would see them commit this war crime. And weighed in the balance, Lalonde and Harley would be off the playing board. Saving your daughter certainly counted as a heroic death, and with the damage they'd done to humanity, it would also probably be just. “

She hates them both so much she’d let Tavros die for it

But also, she really does calculate everything in terms of how the Masses would view their actions as Just or Heroic

so yeah, she was absolutely about to let Tavros die, damn Jane

literally the only thing that stopped you was that Jake viewed the threat as a real threat and was about to do something stupendously Heroic to save Tavros and you decided you didn’t want Jake to die a heroic death

On the flipside, oh damn, Yeah Vriska’s going full throttle right on the nose ahead with the obvious audience expectation, that there gonna make another sburb session and get the obvious group of important 4 kids to god tier

that’s clearly the path vriska wants and expects, but hey, just imagine if what Vriska wanted to happen didn’t happen this time, imagine if the kids were just like “nah im good?” when it comes to a god tier

The narrative is making it super clear that at least 3 out 4 kids are kinda not feeling all the outdoorsy action and excitement of a game of life and death

Annie though I could hella see her down to play sburb and get a god tier, shes got that whole “isolated childhood trauma and parental issues pressure cooking her a strong will to take her life into her own hands” energy

Vriska, go see Annie, her strong willed butt is more of the action girl you’re looking for I think

At least if they do end up playing the game and getting the tiger, Annie feels like the first one to do it or the action catalyst of their session, like how Vriska was for hers, or Dirk for the alphas, or

hmm. who was is that kinda, moved things along for the Beta’s again? I think it was Rose, but Dave did a ton to move things along as well, but also their trolls like Terezi and them gave everything big nudges, I think Rose counts as the equivalent Beta in session mover and shaker though

Side note: the panels with vrissy and vriska here very feel cartoonish and light hearted, interesting choice

but it does give off Major “Play Game: Level 1″ vibes if that makes sense

What the fuck is with the Dave Soldiers

I mean, they look more like Red Johns?Jakes? with the black hair

the glasses throw me off though-

UHH DID THEY JUST FUCKING KILL HARRY ANDERSON??

HOLD ON. HOLD UP

TAVROS AND ANNIE: WITH ROSE/JADE/JAKE/JANE

VRISSY: WITH VRISKA DOWN BELOW

HARRY: WITH JOHN. ON JOHN’S COUCH.

JOHN IS ALSO STILL HERE, MEANING HARRY SHOULD BE WITH HIM.

yeah he literally just went outside for a second to see where the V’s went and then the house gets bombed, and we get three whole panels dedicated to John slowly sitting down in the wreckage

Harry Anderson just got fucking killed holy shit.

oh my god, they were leading up to it too.

We just had three seperate death flags for the other 3 kids in a row

Brain Ghost Dirk warned Jake that Annie was gonna die via electrocution unless he stepped up

Jane was gonna let Tavros die vie neck snapping (even though Kanaya really wouldn’t have)

Vriska and Vrissy discuss god tiering, and what it would mean for Vrissy, death is a subtle implication there but still there

Now to see if Jane’s ever revived Harry Anderson before in the next update I suppose :o

*edit*

They did not kill Harry Anderson, I saw pumpkins in front of the house that got exploded and didn’t see it looks different than the other bland white suburban house that John actually left, so no one died, Harry just got his implied death threat turn

Harry is at Roxy’s House, John sits in the smoldering ashes of his childhood home, languishing in the idea that Jane, the girl who might have in another reality been his loving grandmother, actually wants him and his kids dead for realsies

he never really got to sit and think about the hole where his home was that the meteor struck when he entered sburb huh? (I know his house came with him, giving the allusion all was well in the Medium, but a real meteor still struck the place that he stopped existing on OG Earth, to an outside observer, it would look like a meteor destroyed his home)

with Vriska talking about sburb to Vrissy, it is nice imagery to imagine the implications of the Kids god tiering from Earth C

and the destruction left in their wake

#Homesquared #Harry Anderson Egbert #RIP Son #John does not have good luck with family and explosives

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elizabethrobertajones · 7 years

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Why do you love Sam ? (he's my favorite, i need to know your view of him)

Wait, I need to wind up @k-vichan first by saying “NOT HIS FASHION SENSE HAR HAR”

I mean I love Sam but it’s kind of a huge question because there’s a lot there… Big guy, and all.

When I first watched the show I was being challenged by friends to settle a “Sam!girl” vs “Dean!girl” tie break, and I picked Dean because I related to him more and I thought him being sweet yet snarky and tough was obviously a great big bundle of character traits I fall for all the time. I liked Sam a lot but in a softer more affectionate way because season 1 Sam (along with Colin Morgan at the start of Merlin) reminds me strongly of my own brother when he was younger, in a “welp I’m never gonna fancy this guy unless he strongly stops looking like him” way :P Picking which spot in the Impala I’d rather sit in, I’d rather absorb Dean entirely into myself while enjoying Sam’s company, you know?

(Sam went on a bit of a wild ride through growing up and by season 6 he’s a recognisably separate entity thankfully, and that association gradually bleeds away as he buffs up and loses the baby face look, so there are at least two (2) instances in canon I find Sam kind of attractive - season 7 hair & sideburns, and fucking orange fucking jacket *kicks over a table*… I haven’t checked in on Colin Morgan lately though)

So yeah I strongly root for Sam with a sort of strong platonic affection and I’m really really happy for him when he gets to be happy and so on. Like, as my baseline approach to him.

I don’t reeeally have any sort of strong latching onto Sam moments when it comes to the sort of stuff that makes me latch onto Dean or Cas as just awe-inspiring character stuff… I mean, he gets dragged through all sorts of hell and blah blah he’s strong and inspiring and heroic, but none of that really *interests* me in Sam as a character.

My list of favourite Sam episodes is way less about what he does than how he acts or gets to feel. Like, obviously 7x14 is my favourite episode ever, but it’s one of the rare ones where Sam gets to lead the comedic part of the story and wow does he rise to the occasion. I mean, we really do not get writing that flatters how FUNNY Sam can be as a character EVER to the point I think it was a fluke because Dabbflin wanted to subvert 4x06 with Sam as the one with the Thing this time, and didn’t realise what they were actually gifting us with.

I think there may be a nervousness about mocking Sam in the show that fandom absolutely does not have. My favourite post for ages is this one:

https://elizabethrobertajones.tumblr.com/post/163046624821/okay-yeah-but-what-if-dean-slips-up-while-doing

I don’t think that should happen on the show, because oh god Jared no, but Sam is a dignified character who especially in the early seasons frequently was put in comedic moments where it was about his awkwardness, the flipside of projecting dignity, like bursting in on the guys who were not demons in Sin City and throwing holy water on them, and that awkwardness only reflects on Sam insofar as Dean has the social skills to usually manage to roll a saving throw on something like that and the general lack of interest in how people perceive him if they don’t fit a very specific set of traits that Dean seeks approval from… Sam wants to fit in in *general* so that’s everyone, so he at least tries for dignity and social skills in most situations. To compare him and Dean, let’s stick with Carver and season 3 since that’s where my brain is latched, now, in 3x08 Dean’s the one who starts singing Silent Night when they burst in on the fake Santa who is definitely not Krampus, in order to get them out of their awkward situation, while Sam just kinda flails…

Anyway, none of that is PERSONALLY mocking Sam it’s just putting him in uncomfortable positions, so we learn very little about him and it doesn’t explore his character very deeply at all and I’m cringing too much to look at the screen anyway…

(x)

My actual favourite Sam episodes/moments tend to be when he’s getting to shine as a character in ways that aren’t about how heroic or great he is in obvious ways where we’d always see it that way, but when he has smaller personal stuff because it sounds callous but I’m not interested in heroic, mytharc Sam as a character, to be honest. It adds such piles of angst to him he gets lost in it.

I think 2x07 is one of my favourite Sam episodes because he’s separated from Dean most of it, and he is really snarky and quick and clever in a very recognisably Sam way, and he’s not standing behind Dean, who is a massive drama llama and attention hogger when it comes to allowing native snark to appear (and they stick together a lot in the early seasons so this episode was once a luxury). It’s finding the episodes where what people like about snarky Soulless Sam appears but with Sam’s actual personality on top of it. I think this is a prime episode for Sam to be more than Dean’s brother or the guy with the demon blood in the narrative, for an extended stretch of time… I mean obviously this episode shows how much he and Dean work together well even when they aren’t TOGETHER but their separate personalities are on show with someone other than each other to bounce off…

(x)

11x14 is another personal favourite bit of Sam writing: that episode where Sam chugged 18 cups of coffee off-screen before the episode, researched all night, and was *relentlessly* peppy and upbeat for 90% of the episode until the inevitable crushing blow for him at the end. He’d actually been feeling positive until that point, and when was the last time we saw him happy and positive? Anyway any episode where he gets to stand alone and do stuff by himself thrills me, because it’s like seeing footage of a flower opening up >.> 12x14 hit that sweet spot even better for the character stuff but Sam’s behaviour in 11x14 as an actual plot point that his peppy optimism was making Lucifer’s fuse shorter and shorter just really makes me laugh, and how often do you EVER get to write that dynamic?

Anyway this is weirdly my most iconic Sam moment for like… 5 seasons in either direction:

http://canonspngifs.tumblr.com/post/139916968116/themegalosaurus-sam-winchester-1-angel-grace

I like him best when I can tease him for being a nerd or having bad fashion sense or his crippling fear of clowns, when it’s a good and comfortable setting to mock him relentlessly. I mean, I want Sam to be a happy badass leader of men with 18 dogs and a MoL/hunter network he runs expertly, and then I want to go up to his window and bang on the glass, making him spill his nth coffee of the day, and yell, HEY DORK YOU WORE PURPLE PLAID UNDER YOUR ORANGE JACKET TODAY WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM and I want him to be able to laugh about it :P So any signs of that Sam appearing in canon earlier than the due endgame make me very very happy and kick my fondness for this character into the stratosphere.

#Asks #saaam #i don't think he would want me to feel sorry for him the rest of the time so I mostly just quietly root for him #thankfully Dabb and Berens seem to really like writing my version of Sam #so he's getting more and more like what I used to treasure close little moments as fragments of who I wanted Sam to be #I mean be in the sense of released from the angst to be who he was all along a la performing Dean #not to transform Sam #I mean hence sticking a season 2 episode in there as a good example of how he's been all along #that fucker had a broken hand and smacked it on the table out of sarcastic spite and then took the coffee on the table #listen Sam and coffee is a volatile and fascinating thing that needs more study

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elizabethrobertajones · 7 years

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"God appointed him (Dean) to look after the Earth and said he was the best guy for the job." Doesn't Sam fit in there, too? God said : Earth will be fine. It's got you. And Sam.

Yeeeah, I know, and I almost put that but I thought that would require a tangent which there was no place for in there. So you get a full-length tangent for asking about something I unfortunately already had a whole list of mental bullet points on, so buckle up XD

Essentially it boils down to my “dean is the centre of the universe” theory which of course has the flipside that I really do not subscribe to “the winchesters are the centre of the universe” because I feel like the cosmic order goes absolutely out of its way to pander to Dean, and Sam is an afterthought. Read into that as much unexpected bitter Sam girl-ing as you like as the other side of the coin of this being one of those ultimate Dean girl theories, it does happen over here sometimes :P

6x09 and 9x11 both place a magical weight on being the older brother, but it’s also a curse in a different way that it singles him out. The burden in season 5 is on him not saying yes to Michael while since at least season 2 Sam’s been saying stuff that thematically puts him on the side of letting Destiny happen and fighting it from the inside - as he eventually did with Lucifer - Dean’s always wanted to flip the whole thing over and reject it outright. So his season 1-5 stuff and 9-11 stuff were both about fighting a immense cosmic pressure and rejecting it, emphatically, and ending a seemingly fated and unstoppable thing just by sheer force of will. At this point Dean’s ability to dig in his heels and shape the course of the world around his stubborness is literally equivalent to god-like power. He can MAKE it about Sam, like in 5x22, but it’s coming from him.

Sam obviously gets much more screwed over by being “and Sam” in the season 9-11 arc rather than the 1-5 arc which was properly tailored to them with Michael and Lucifer, because the new template is Cain and Abel. The whole point of that is Abel’s dead, so as a mirror, there’s nothing left to swing at, which is why I think even some meta writers on our side when we were speculating season 10 contemplated Sam as Dean’s Colette (platonically, as the one who would fill the same sort of role) just because there needed to be something to compare him to and there wasn’t even a dramatic re-enactment to look at aside from Cas’s stock movie footage in 6x20 :P In season 11 we got Sam thinking he was talking to God but it was actually Lucifer which belatedly used something out of the parallel, but it wasn’t a whole lot and of course was like 35 episodes since Cain said that, and meanwhile the Destiel parallel to Colette had been there the whole time.

In Chuck and Amara, both of them got paralleled to Dean, Amara as his dark mirror (in 10x05, Marie promises in the second act Dean becomes a woman) and Chuck literally just mimicking him as if Dean’s pull is so strong it absorbed God into it when God couldn’t push the other way and get Dean to treat him with any awe or respect. (Meanwhile: Sam asked him why planets were round or whatever.) Can’t remember now what they were exactly but Sam did get some parallels to Amara - mostly being the angry sibling in the face of a rather absolute brother, where Amara seemed to have a younger sibling dynamic if only for “create” has to come before “destroy” and I think if I remember correctly without going to look, in the 11x23 resolution her dialogue was more obviously mimicking Sam issues and Chuck’s were Dean issues, depending on which version of the Carver era bro drama you saw it as (I thiiink I saw it as a resolution to 8x23′s dirty laundry airing that spiralled into Gadreel then to the Mark etc). Honestly I think Amara’s anger goes either way, especially since she and Dean clicked so well over season 9-10, and especially when she was fuelling demon!Dean’s rage against Sam and everything he says in 10x03, you can see her anger behind it once you know she’s there too, as the rationale they came up with for why the Mark makes its bearer so determined to kill their sibling. (It took another season and a half but there’s finally enough retcon to make the “how demons work” errors in 10x03 make sense because you can just blame it all on her :P)

I can see a kind of line of dominoes from the start of the show and the way they set up the dynamic where it gradually puts Dean more and more in the spotlight, especially when Sam’s ~out of commission~ as a reliable POV character in season 4 & 6, and just small choices along the way (since Kripke era mind you. Early Kripke era) which end up with Dean holding the emotional spotlight, and a cosmic power to shape events that Sam doesn’t really have. At which point the “and Sam” in 11x23 as the culmination of all this, seems laughably token to the dynamic, both in-world and to the fans, like, you can’t JUST make it all about Dean, and at the end of the day it will always default back to Sam n Dean against the world, cue musical number from 10x05… But somewhere between season 6 and 11, Sam became an accessory to Dean on the cosmic level, because of these unfortunate elements of the way their earlier rounds on the merry-go-round went. So Dean walks in to confront Chuck and Amara alone, and Sam gets the Mark of Cain for 3 seconds without us even seeing the conversation where he decided to do it. And it was pretty obvious Chuck was using him since the whole point was he was avoiding dealing with things properly and Sam’s personal development made him so easy to manipulate Chuck probably barely felt bad about doing it, especially when he’s probably got a messed up sense of what people do for him out of faith. (And Sam’s the one who has a line back in 9x22 about people doing messed up things in the name of faith >.>)

Anyway, cosmically, Sam spent all of season 9, 10 and 11 left out and on the side as an “and Sam” who at best wasn’t falling foul of Dean’s shot at the mytharc and getting fratricided for his trouble of sticking it out with Dean… Chuck’s “and Sam” considering the location and circumstances of that conversation where Sam was off watching Crowley eat beer nuts in the bar at the end of the world, honestly sets off a latent bitter Sam girl feeling I didn’t even know I had until the end of season 11, and this is probably why I spend 99% of the time all snuggly and warm in my Dean girl cocoon where I feel the narrative has basically never done him wrong in such a way as Sam crawled through Carver era and emerged a strange sad empty moose in season 12.

I mean I honestly do not see these complaints now in season 12 in the same way because I’m trying to figure out what the hell they even rebuild of Sam from and figure 12x04, 5 and 6 did a brilliant job with him, all things considered. And he HAS been more emotionally present and involved in stuff or at least a spotlight is being shone intentionally on him mediating and withdrawing even when you’d think he really should have more to say and Dean’s doing all the shouting for him. Which basically means that at least they are now intentionally making Sam like this, whereas I honestly can’t tell in Carver era if they were shooting for one thing and got another, because once this season really began pointing it out, I started seeing earlier stuff in a much different light and retroactively got a lot more concerned about Sam, like the Sam girls had been for ages but I hadn’t listened. >.>

(And as a side note, I think this is why Eileen hurts so much that I’m still equal parts pissed off for the representation issue AND hook line and sinker for the Sam man pain and I see a lot of the fandom outcry between ourselves rather than Angry Open Letter Time involves Sam’s feelings too, with most of the coda fics I’ve reblogged so far angrily proving she’s fine and immediately flinging her at Sam, and my response to the episode was to go plan ahead huge chunks of the Saileen stuff in the long fic I’m working on too. He’s been so sad and empty I honestly think Dean’s reaction in 11x04 to Sam hooking up was understated because he was trying to play it cool :P Now I can’t help thinking all the progress Sam made is directly linked to how many youtube ASL classes he took >.>)

tl;dr, the way Sam’s been sort of moved to the edge of things a lot lately, I think tracks all the way back to the way he interacts with the mytharc on a cosmic level, and the “and Sam” line now genuinely bothers me on Sam’s behalf that God treated him as an afterthought to Dean, but when I’ve got my Dean girl hat on, it’s easier to treat Sam the same as that then write all this, which means I’m part of the problem aaaaah :P

#Asks #i remember all the sam girls tearing their clothes and pulling their hair and gnashing their teeth in season 11 #and I was like ... okay...#somewhere or other Dabb era flipped me aroudn #I think it was 12x14 #Berens was responsible for shafting Sam in 11x22 and he got a lot of flack from Sam girls on my dash #12x14 suggested to me either an apology or proof the issue was systemic #and it was the fault of the CARVER ERA mytharc #NOT that Dabb was hastily doing clean up #Sam's problems went back waaaay further than that #Berens wrote 11x14 which is the only episode that I felt actually cared about the Sam and Lucifer issue of him being free #Sam analysis #dean is the centre of the universe #11x23

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