#characters losing their composure after a significant loss is so good | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

honeytae · 4 years

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Want me to kiss it better, baby?

i promise this was just meant to be a little thing about being competitive and playing games with jungkook, but i got carried away again. teasing competitive jungkook turns into soft jungkook taking care of the reader content :)

tags: @ahgasearmyfan

genre: fluff, suggestive

warnings: reader gets an injury, slight descriptions of a cut but nothing graphic

word count: 1.5k

You and your boyfriend were both extremely competitive. It happened to be one of the things that first bonded you two upon meeting. You were the couple that turned every game into a lighthearted fight, having his members retreat from whatever game you were playing to get out of the upcoming crossfire.

Just because he was the love of your life and you were his, that didn’t hinder your or his need to win. Not at all.

Every competition between Jungkook and yourself, no matter how dumb or insignificant it was, always got extremely heated. And when someone inevitably lost, the other would tease the loser relentlessly. You showed no mercy.

So when Jungkook had smugly mentioned playing a few games on the wii console on one of your shared days off from work responsibilities, you couldn’t resist the urge to wipe that smirk right off his face.

“You’re going down, Kook.” You sassily said to the man, Jungkook scoffing with a roll of his eyes as he handed you a remote.

“Right. Come on, baby, let’s see who’s the better boxer.” He challenged you, clicking a few times around the remote to bring you to the boxing screen.

Jungkook was obviously more in tune with his body movements than you were, having boxed already for years, not to mention that he was actively being professionally trained. You however, had never boxed a day in your life and were struggling to ignore the ache in your arms from trying to knock out Jungkook’s character on the screen. Nonetheless, you tried the hardest you could, punching the air in front of you to get a few jabs at your boyfriend dodging your hits on the screen.

Jungkook was talking shit the entirety of the first round, laughing when your character got knocked down after only a few strong punches were thrown, pumping his fists up in victory when your avatar on the screen couldn’t get the strength to get back up.

At the loss, you muttered a, “Fuck off” and huffed while he started another round, scrolling through the menu as he smirked pridefully at your reaction to losing.

Unlike the other round, you seemed to gain some strength. Jungkook’s smugness must’ve ignited something in you, because your punches were taking his bobbing character down in a matter of seconds.

You began laughing as when his character didn’t get back up, Jungkook shouting desperately at the screen to “Get up! Get up, come on!” while you did a happy dance beside him.

You were thoroughly enjoying the moment until suddenly your toe somehow caught the edge of the rug, sending you flying onto the ground in the midst of celebrating your victory.

Jungkook’s eyes flew open, a worried expression taking over his previously bratty one.

“Shit, baby, are you okay?” He pressed his knees down on the carpet beside you, stroking your hair back as he searched your face for any signs of pain.

All he discovered was a hint of a smile, dissolving into a fit of laughter from your lips that couldn’t be stopped. Your reaction washed away his worries, calming his nerves and making his eyes crinkle as he giggled. He laughed with you, realizing you were fine and indeed just laughing at your clumsy action.

The silly moment was all you both needed to cool down from your competitive ways and avoid anyone sleeping on the couch tonight.

“God, I love you, you dork.” He smiled, laying down on his side to face you as both your giggles subsided. His hand remained on your face, stroking your hair back and swiping his thumb across the skin of your cheek soothingly.

“Hey, you’re the dork in this relationship. Plus, I totally kicked your ass in that round.” You argued, bringing your finger to the tip of his nose in a slight nudge, making his features scrunch adorably.

You cooed at the action, making Jungkook blush and roll his eyes as he pulled you forward into his chest. He rolled over onto his back with you clinging to his front, gripping the backs of your thighs to settle you on top of him and opening his mouth to argue about how he had won the first time before you winced, cutting him off with a soft “ow” at the sudden pain you felt on your knee as it brushed the ground.

He retracted his hands immediately, frowning at your reaction before sitting up with you suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, his bottom lip pouted out in concern at your obvious discomfort.

“Nothing, it’s just my knee-”

“Baby, let me see.” He cut you off, his tone gentle as he kindly asked to see your injury.

His eyebrows scrunched in concern as he craned his neck down to see the wound on your leg. He pouted as he observed the significant scrape you’d received from your fall, a dark red cut that flushed against the skin on your kneecap.

“How did that even happen?” You asked in confusion, looking around you on the carpet to search for anything sharp laying around.

“This needs to be cleaned.” He said definitively, dark brown eyes observing the injury before he nodded to himself in agreement.

Without another word, he stood up, lifting you onto his hips making you wrap your arms around his neck to steady yourself as he began walking you down the hall to the bathroom.

“Baby, I can walk. It’s just a little cut.” You whined, giggling slightly when Jungkook shushed you.

“Shush, I’m taking care of you.” He silenced your sassy remark with his lips on yours, leaving a sweet kiss that left you too flustered to reply.

He lightly kicked the bathroom door open with his foot, walking over to the closed toilet and sitting you on top of the lid.

You watched as he made his way back to the cabinet over the sink, scanning the shelves until he found what he was looking for. You smiled at the kind hearted man taking care of you, not necessarily needed but definitely appreciated.

He returned to the spot on the floor in front of you clutching a box of bandages and a cotton ball in one hand and a bottle of antiseptic in the other. He sat back on his calves, his knees pressing into the tile below him as he uncapped the solution.

“This might hurt, baby.” He said softly, wanting to prepare you for the sting of the liquid about to be applied to your skin.

He looked up at your smirking face when he heard you chuckle, scrunching his brows in confusion as his lips also lifted up in amusement at your smile.

“That’s what she said.” You deadpanned, making Jungkook stifle a laugh through his nose before letting little giggles escape from his lips. He leaned forward to place his head on your uninjured knee, trying to regain his composure so he could take care of your unattended injury.

“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?” He giggled, his wide bunny smile on display as he withdrew his head from your leg.

“Positive.” You nodded cutely, Jungkook’s heart swelling with love at the action.

“Mhm. Now stop making me laugh. I have serious work to do here.” He smirked as he heard you giggle, pouring the liquid from the bottle onto the cotton ball.

“Sorry, Dr. Jeon.” You joked, making his nose scrunch in another chuckle.

Jungkook’s dangling earrings clinked against each other as he directed his gaze from the wet cotton ball to your knee.

He placed the soaked cotton ball onto the scrape, muttering sweet apologies as you sucked a breath through your teeth in pain and discomfort.

He swiped the cotton ball against your cut a few times before chucking it into the garbage, reassuring you with an “All done, I promise.”

You watched as he took a bandage out of the box he’d gotten from the cabinet, peeling the paper away and holding it on your wound to place it over the skin.

He pressed the band-aid on with his fingers, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss onto the scratchy fabric making your heart swell as he looked up at you adoringly.

“You’re so cute.” You cooed, feeling yourself tear up slightly at your sweet boyfriend kneeling on the ground in front of you. Yes, he was a brat sometimes, but he was also the sweetest and most kind hearted man you’ve ever met.

Jungkook blushed, sitting up to reach his hands up to cup your chin, meeting you halfway in a chaste kiss.

“Are you really alright? Nothing else hurts?” He asked seriously, searching your eyes for any signs of discomfort or pain.

“I’m good. I may or may not have a bruise on my ass, though.” You giggled, making the man in front of you chuckle breathily before a slight smirk lifted his lips.

“Oh yeah?” He asked, raising his eyebrows in question as he stood up off the ground, offering a hand out for you to grip as he pulled your body off the lid of the toilet.

You hummed a confirmation as you wrapped your arms around his neck, his wrapping around your waist reflexively.

“Well that sucks. Want me to kiss it better, baby?” He teased, hand trailing down your waist to cup your backside.

“Hm,” You hummed again, smiling as he buried his face in your neck and began trailing soft open mouthed kisses over the skin.

“That wouldn’t be so bad.”

#bts #bts writing #bts fanfiction #bts imagines #bts imagine #bts x reader #bts fluff #jungkook #jungkook writing #jungkook fanfiction #jungkook imagines #jungkook imagine #jungkook x reader #jungkook fluff #writing #fanfiction #x reader #fluff #imagines

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cruelfeline · 4 years

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That earlier post got me thinking about the difference between Horde Prime’s anger, and Hordak’s. Namely in terms of where it comes from and what its purpose is. Because my word, but there is a discrepancy, and it’s the sort of thing that I feel sheds quite a bit of light on how differently the two of them see the world.

When we meet Horde Prime, he is the picture of calm and collected, the classic affably evil villain who appears entirely in control of everything. And for a good portion of his time in the story, he is. He controls what we understand to be a vast empire. He controls the physical, mental, and emotional lives of countless clones who worship him entirely. He is totally in command of everything he interacts with.

So when we see his first angry outburst, it is less an “outburst” and more a targeted weapon. Horde Prime turns his vicious ire onto a trembling, pleading Hordak specifically to frighten him. To dominate him. To terrorize and punish him for the moral crime of taking a name and exerting his will. There is no loss of control here; once Hordak is dealt with, Prime calmly returns to his default cool, collected state. He is entirely the master of this situation, and when he exhibits anger, it is specifically to harm someone over whom he has power.

An important aspect of this, one that differs from what we see in Hordak and adds a significant level of cruelty to Prime, is that he is so legitimately mighty that this sort of fear-based punishment has nothing to do with self defense or personal safety. It truly appears geared towards inflicting suffering on others for his own glorification. Essentially: when he turns his anger on Hordak, it is not because Hordak poses any sort of actual threat that needs to be fought off. It is purely to hurt him in a way that strokes Prime’s ego.

This use of anger, of violence, to hurt and punish others seems to be the chief purpose Prime has for the emotion. Granted, as the show continues and he loses his dominant position due to our heroes’ efforts, his expressions of anger fall more in line with frustrated outbursts, but to my mind, this is the exception rather than the norm for him. After all, he has been dominant for so, so long. And because he has been comfortably in charge, he has had little to be frustrated about. Thus, Prime’s anger is largely a weapon of manipulation and enforced fear, rather than a reaction to a lack of control until the very latter portion of the series.

Now: Hordak.

Hordak is very different. Hordak, given the deeply unfortunate circumstances he faces, has had everything to be frustrated about: his illness, his failed projects, his precarious leadership position. And because of these things, particularly said precarious leadership position, he does not enjoy the easy dominance that Prime enjoys. Every moment Hordak spends in command of the Etherian Horde is one during which he has to hide his defect and maintain the facade of all-powerful ruler. It is a stressful thing that threatens to fall apart the moment his ruse falters, not only shaming him but putting him in potentially great physical danger.

which... y’know... happens in season four via Catra; so not a false worry

Because of this, Hordak exhibits anger far more constantly than Prime; he is almost perpetually grumpy, ready to snarl at a moment’s notice since his reasons for anger are ever-present. Furthermore, he uses said anger less as a tool to hurt people for his own personal pleasure and more as a negative coping mechanism combined with a method of personal defense.

The negative coping mechanism is probably what we see most often: whenever things don’t go Hordak’s way, he lashes out. The most common casualty of this is a piece of property (RIP lil’ green wrench) rather than an actual person, strongly marking this form of anger as one used to vent frustration rather than to influence others in any way. Hordak, along with his brothers, functions under a doctrine of minimizing emotional expression. As a result, his ability to cope with negative experiences via a healthy expression of the resulting emotions is heavily stunted, leading to the outbursts we see. It’s not a positive aspect of his character by any means, but it is an understandable one: he never learned how to manage failure and disappointment in a constructive way, so he suppresses the related emotions until they come to a head and manifest in violent anger.

This is akin to what Prime exhibits in the late stages of his life, but because Hordak constantly experiences such vexing frustration, he expresses this sort of anger far more consistently than Prime does, to the point that I would hazard to say that it is his norm.

Now, looking at Hordak expressing anger and using violence targeting other people, we again can see that he differs from Prime. Prime, as stated before, has all of the power and thus no real need for this sort of violence-based maintenance of control and self-defense. When he wields his anger, it is to cause hurt. Hordak? Hordak has that fragile leadership standing alongside a frightening lack of personal agency, and so he does use his anger to attempt to maintain both. He wields it both to protect himself from people and to regain control when he loses it. Various instances come to mind (besides him trying to drive Entrapta out of his sanctum via Yelling (c)).

One involves Adora in the moments leading up to the portal activation at the end of season three. When Adora threatens to thwart Hordak’s plans and utters that awful word, “fail,” he reacts. He reacts to two things: the concept of Adora has a dangerous enemy, and the loss of control over his own life via the threat of failure. When he turns his anger on her (and later displaces it onto Entrapta when said anger causes his armor to glitch) it is to combat these two adversarial things in order to maintain his own safety and stability. Hurting Adora as some sort of twisted moral punishment is not the intent here; protecting himself, from both physical and emotional threats, is.

Another instance involves throwing machinery and yelling at Catra after the portal incident, once she mentions Entrapta. This marks another moment of Hordak combating the sense of losing control. He experiences emotional pain due to Entrapta’s mention, likely suffering feelings of loss and shame and abandonment, and in order to regain control over the situation, to feel less vulnerable, he directs his anger at the source of discomfort: Catra.

In a similar instance, he throws a chip at Imp when the little spy teases him with Entrapta’s name, again seeking to defend himself against the unpleasant feelings her memory brings.

When Shadow Weaver and the Princesses invade his Sanctum, he loses composure and turns furious, throwing a column at them in an attempt to defend himself and his most private quarters.

He does the same once he learns of Catra’s lies, erupting into a true rage once she further prods at his insecurities by asserting that Prime will not want him due to his being a defective mistake.

Over and over, Hordak uses his anger to both protect himself from potentially dangerous people and to attempt to regain control over situations he feels are slipping from his grasp. Often when facing increased personal vulnerability. All of these moments show this very different set of reasons for expressing this potentially violent emotion compared to Prime.

It’s an interesting contrast, isn’t it? And one that serves to highlight the very different lives these two characters lead: one a cruel cult leader who has almost unfathomable power over his worshipers, the other a traumatized man trying to obtain power and security and stability in a life where he has nearly none. And their anger provides an intriguing lens through which to assess this contrast.

#hordak #catra #entrapta #entrapdak #horde prime #adora

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mmmmalo · 4 years

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@overtrolled-liveblog‘s recent post on Gamzee made me realize that Gamzee’s first interaction with Terezi (Terezi attempting to hurt Gamzee and being angry when he doesn’t react) is also the basic dynamic of Terezi’s ill-fated attempt to “avenge” herself upon Gamzee around Game Over. I never understood why Terezi’s was manifesting for Gamzee in that interaction, but the repetition seems like a good lead. So here’s an attempt:

Aranea’s mind control is being juxtaposed with whatever allowed Gamzee to maintain his composure in Act 5. Sopor is an obvious candidate, as is his general early interest in avoiding conflict, but there might be something else to it...

2018. When Gamzee remarks (in the narration) that "it is dangerous to leave unarmed", the commentary has this to say: "It's probably not actually that dangerous to leave unarmed. This was probably something his goat dad told him a long time ago. But only to scare him, and make sure he stayed inside so no one would ever see him, because he was so embarrassed by him. Goatdad is probably one of the most sympathetic characters in the story. If Gamzee was your son, wouldn't you abandon him too?" Glib dismissal, veering sharply into needless cruelty. But it nonetheless draws attention to the narration's unreliability, moored as it is to Gamzee's POV.

2017. Speaking of unreliable: "You aren't supposed to eat that slime. It does funny things to a troll's head. // But you were never taught that on account of a lousy upbringing. Your custodian was always out to sea." Gamzee is evidently thinking the very thing he was never taught, but he attributes that thought to a higher power (the narrator) and thereby pleads ignorance of it? Or it could be read as an expression of shame: as Gamzee eats his pie, he imagines a stern voice admonishing him from over his shoulder. OR you might more literally parse the contradiction as the voice of two separate Gamzees sharing the brain space in some kind of daze...or you could call it simple memory loss. These are inclusive ors, btw.

2019. Anyway, Gamzee reaches the beach and we get this line: "You leave your hive and head out to the beach. There is no sign of your custodian. // You should not stay out here very long. The SEA DWELLERS are quite hostile." Commentary on his custodian's absence, followed by a voice of authoritative behavioral cautioning, as though a guardian were living in Gamzee's head. Immediately following this, Terezi manifests for Gamzee, though he doesn't answer immediately... so I suspect Terezi's manifestation will be an elaboration this internal division?

2020: "You're always down for shooting the wicked shit with anyone that who'll put up with you." Man... Act 5 is misery. The Miracle Modus is a picture of Gamzee's brain being fried to a point of being nearly inaccessible. Vivid flashing colors (like Jade's rich scents) are a mark of unfiltered EXPERIENCE sans language/reason (which is probably why Lord English's eyes are flashing), but here that means disorientation -- difficulty organizing sense experience...

2022: Gamzee says a prayer and Faygo gets launched out of his sylladex... is the Faygo the prayer? Jane launched wishes into the sky with the balloons on LOCAH -- but the balloon shape was inverted and transformed into Gamzee's bottles of "potion"... that association seems to be expressed more concisely here. Jane's case was also related to decapitation motifs, which I don't really see with Gamzee here... (aside from Terezi's general association with going for the neck) But at any rate, what is he wishing for?

2023. Gamzee standing in front of his sylladex is getting to me, even more so that his reaching into the sylladex. You are not SUPPOSED to be on that layer of the image. What are you doing. Is that safe? Are you okay?

2024. The conversation itself...continues to evade summarization. I'm going to just describe it piece-by-piece and see if I get anywhere.

Terezi deliberately misspells Gamzee's name in service of a joke: from 'gamzeez' to 'gamezez', highlighting its phonetic proximity to 'games'. Though I wonder if this disguises another sort of exchange: Gamzee goes down to the beach to find his dad, but instead finds Terezi. I'm humoring the idea that she is effectively functioning as the fatherly authority in Goatdad's place. But as the preceding panels indicates, that very notion of authority occupies a place in Gamzee's head that he remains somewhat...detached from? If Terezi gives voice to this aspect of Gamzee, the word blurring could obfuscate that she is saying "Gamzee" /twice/, such that her invitation to play games is an offer for Gamzee to pilot himself? (Which in the parent:child::head:body paradigm is not entirely ridiculous?)

Come to think of it, this is the second time Terezi has harassed someone on a waterfront (hi, Rose) and even then main subjects were a) haha your guardian abandoned you because you're terrible and b) a sense of hearing imploring voices in your head...

Terezi implies that she doesn't like Gamzee and is only inviting him in service of a joke. Gamzee ignores the ulterior message and accepts the given reason as justifiable... after which Terezi gets angry. But she doesn't seem angry that the implication was misunderstood (and her disdain ignored) but is rather angry that the arbitrariness of his selection wasn't itself objectionable -- /after/ which she confirms her own disdain by saying "no wonder Vantas can't stand you". The motivation for the joke became the effect of the joke...

"BUT WHO C4R3S 4BOUT H1M, W3R3 GO1NG TO H4V3 SOM3 MOTH3RFUCK1NG SH1TTY B1TCH3S PL4Y1NG TOG3TH3R!" as Rose said, "Still not sure if I'm being courted or trolled here." Terezi is making fun of how Gamzee talks but nonetheless seems to be attempting to bond with him here...?

With "keeping an eye out" and "you know how it is with family" back-to-back with Terezi's aggression, it kind of feels like Gamzee is likewise (successfully) attempting to bother Terezi... but his defense is his forgetfulness, like a taboo subject just slipped... the same is true of Gamzee's claim that he was never taught that sopor is dangerous, the legitimacy of which depends on Gamzee forgetting?

"The Bard of... fuck, i forgot" is literally a joke on Gamzee "forgetting" his way around anger and aggression, by way of the omission of Rage? Also, it's a generic phrase but John uses 'fuck i forgot' when reminded of his birthday in the Epilogues... topic of birthdays is significant since Gamzee parses his state of mind as 'spacing out' and 'losing track of time' -- a birthday is, in that context, a reminder of time's progression.

Twice in Gamzee's conversation he asks Terezi for a little bit more time before he plays the game with her. This again reminds us of Rose's procrastination -- which among other things represents a deferral of encounter with the Truth, again bringing us to forgetting.

2028. But interestingly enough, the motif of procrastination continues in the section with Karkat that follows: Karkat expresses apprehension about meeting his guardian before the narrative segues to Terezi, which is structurally resonant with Gamzee going to the beach for his guardian, only to find Terezi? Which again associates her with unseen authority figures...

Oh shoot, and the panel cuts from Karkat looking down through the hole in his floor to a low-angle shot of Terezi's skylight? As though she were below like crabdad. That seals it for me.

2030. Actually, I mentioned how Gamzee's flashing modus is related to the unmediated sensory bouquet that Lord English sees ALL THE TIME by having flashing eyes, but Terezi's room? Is set up to be exactly that sensory bouquet, all the time, with loud colors plastered and mixed haphazardly. I've mostly focused on Terezi's relation to English by way of their shared association with the Law (x)(x) but this is a fresh angle...

And since it becomes apparent that the scenes that /follow/ Gamzee's conversation inform the way it should be read, I would be remiss to exclude the Karkat/Sollux conversation between the Gamzee and Terezi sections... in which the ~ATH (til death) code is brought up, which proves central to Lord English's creation.

2026. "later on you would run this code in a fit of stupidity." Creepy! I always assume the narration to be bound to the present tense, like the character's POV, so this sudden interruption from the future is really unnerving. How does Karkat know this? Is that just a miserable self-assessment, like he knows he'll harm himself when he gets worked up? Is this Karkat planning to curse everyone, but renouncing his decision as a product of fate? I feel like this confusion nicely complements the paradoxical ~ATH code on screen (Sollux's double reacharound virus)

2027. "Speak of the devil" Sollux has manifested for Karkat... yeah I still can't make sense of this as far as manifestation goes. BUT I think the fact that chatlogs are likewise two-colored might mean that Sollux and Karkat's conversation is in some sense analogous to the code...? The architecture of the conversation is... accusing eachother of self-loathing and then agreeing upon mutual self-destruction (of the conversational log), which at least superficially resembles a program that exists to destroy itself and the medium in which it resides? Maybe...

Shot in the dark: the (much procrastinated) march unto Truth is a march unto Judgement, which means both God and Death. Thus Gamzee (the procrastinator who avoids truth) transitions to Karkat/Sollux (vaguely suicidal gesture in their conversation) transitions to Terezi (judge and executioner, associated with ultimate authority and thus God). That's my best assessment of the proceedings thus far.

#homestuck reread 3 #long post #gamzee #terezi #the law

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hollenka99 · 4 years

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The Creator

Summary: When Sean discovers he has the ability to bring his characters to life, he wasn’t expecting to be shunned by them or for it to lead to tragedy time and time again.

Warnings: Blood mention, implied death (including children), kidnapping mention

Sean wishes he never went to Max's house that night. It wasn't any fun. They were just really mean to him and he didn't like it. It's not like he didn't try to stay awake. It was a dumb anyway. His mother asks him if he'd like her to speak with Max's mother. He tells her no. In response she encourages him to stop moping about if it wasn't that bad. Well, fine then. Max sucks and Sean can make a way better friend than him any day. Right, what kind of qualities should a good friend have? He should be kind always, never teases him in a mean way, be willing to be there for him and want to join in with his games. For the hell of it, Sean adds 'never sleeps' to the criteria. This imaginary friend is named Jack, after the family nickname. Having been moulded into the 6 year old's interpretation of a perfect friend, Jack becomes a concrete part of Sean's life. Jack is always there when he gets home from school. They mess around in the woods near the house, complain about homework together and share a great deal of laughter between themselves. For years, his parents and siblings brush it off as him being a little boy. However, Sean is undeniably getting older. With each birthday, having an imaginary friend is increasingly becoming something he should outgrow. And he is, somewhat. It's just that Jack feels so real to him. But his friend understands. Sean is no longer 6 and it is time for him to gradually mature. He gets crushes, makes his way through secondary school and decides he may have made a mistake with his original degree choice. Through it all, he's maintained an interest in video games. So screw it, there is a place for gaming content on YouTube. What does he have to lose? This damn cabin doesn't exactly allow him many opportunities to socialise with those outside his family otherwise. He goes by Jacksepticeye on the website, harkening back to a nickname he gained following an injury years before. Months pass and it is soon July. To his surprise, his channel's subscriber count reaches 1000. He's delighted. That was 1000 more than he'd ever really expected. He films a vlog to mark the occasion and thank his audience. Something he'd expected even less than his sub count was his doppelganger, complete with an identical outfit, collapsing in front of his television. Regaining composure after getting to his feet, the clone speaks. "Um, hi Sean." "What the fuck? Who are you and why do look like me?" "I'm Jack." "Okay. Hello Jack. What the hell are you doing in my living room?" "No, Jack as in... Jack. From when you were a kid." Sean stands there, no words coming from his mouth. He seems to remember himself after a minute. "But you're imaginary. You were an imaginary friend, it's kind of in the name." "I guess that's changed." Jack shrugs, obviously as lost as he was by this unique situation. Sean falls back onto the sofa. With his hands in his hair, he lets out a deep breath. Jack gently sits himself on the other side of the sofa. Not bothering to lift his head, Sean opens his mouth. "I'm going to be honest. This was not how I imagined my day going." "I didn't think I'd suddenly come to life either." Sean leans back and their eyes meet. A beat passes before they both descend into laughter at the absurdity of it. That summer is phenomenal compared to his previous expectations for it. He introduces Jack to so many things that he usually took for granted. They eat more tubs of ice cream together than was healthy, don't allow a week to pass without a competitive gaming session and occasionally wander about in the woods surrounding the cabin. There was apparently a whole other world with people Jack haphazardly described as 'the NPCs to my main character'. Their faces were probably based on people Sean had walked past in the street. There was this completely separate world and the entry point was simply lingering outside his cabin. It was inconceivable. When he gets the courage to venture through the gateway, he discovers it's actually a bit remote. Isolated, like his cabin is. Jack helps him laugh it off. Besides, he couldn't be expected to be creative with his literal worldbuilding if he didn't know how he was doing it in the first place. Jack introduces him to a friend who was like him. This Australian guy called Angus Irwin tags along to a hang out session. Here was this person, standing right before him, whom he was entirely responsible for creating. By messing around in Far Cry 3 and putting on a dumb accent, he'd created life. What the hell was he capable of? The three of them are firm friends by the time the local trees have suffered a significant loss of leaves. He and Jack gradually become the joint face of the Jacksepticeye channel. For some reason (Jack cited Sean's 6 year old self for this) his doppelganger didn't sleep. This was actually very beneficial for him because he could edit while Sean slept. God knows Jack complained enough about his sleep schedule. When he gets announced as a winner of Pewdiepie's shout out competition in September, Jack swings by to congratulate him. Along with Angus, the trio spent the evening celebrating this bizarre occasion. There was a lot of work he'd have to put in to keep the momentum going but Sean knew it would be worth it in the end. The colder months fly by after that. Jack had never been particularly affected by the cold before. However, now that he could feel it, he suffered the consequences of not wearing enough layers. Jack detesting the cold is funny to Sean, especially after how much his friend thrived in summer. Angus wasn't used to the lower Irish temperatures either. He helped them stay warm as best he could. That goddamn cabin with its internally forming frost didn't help but still, he tried. He jokes he should conjure up more radiators for Jack and Angus' home despite not having the faintest clue how to actually do so. As the new year approaches, Sean realises he never gave Jack a birthday. They could have celebrated in November because he is maybe 90% sure Max was born during that month. Therefore, Jack would have been initially thought up during November 1996. But Sean had no idea what the specific date of creation was. Not to mention November had already passed anyway. There was that date in July but he wasn't sure he should pick the anniversary of Jack becoming corporeal as his birthday. At a loss, he goes for the day he associates with birthdays the most. Who says Jack couldn't share his birthday? He blanks on what to get his friend. He's not sure where he gets the dumb idea to let Jack experience hot chocolate for the first time as a birthday treat. Jack gets understandably frustrated by this ban on the drink. It pays off when Sean gets to witness the wonderful sight of his friend enjoying hot chocolate. Lost on what to give Angus for his birthday in early April, he approaches Jack for ideas. His friend suggests getting a toy leopard and jewellery that can fit on the animal. Sean can't help but question the odd combination. When Jack explains leopards love jewellery, especially the gold digging females, it's as if these were widely known facts. Sean had been bullshitting when he'd spouted that nonsense. Jack reminds him it was factual to Angus. Oh alright, fuck it. Let's present Angus with a jewellery loving leopard on his birthday. As predicted, the Australian wildlife man greatly appreciates the gift. It's late summer once more when Sean's problems begin. Jack mentions being concerned about their friend's changing sleeping habits. Then Angus' memory gradually starts suffering. Throughout 2015, Angus gets worse. Jack's always had a big mouth. He tends to speak before he truly thinks things through. Sean's technically to blame for that. However, it hasn't been much of an issue until now. The first time Jack brings up potentially finding a way to reverse whatever was affecting Angus, he hates to reject him. The painfully dejected look in his best friend's eyes breaks his heart. He wants to help, he really does. He just can't. Not long after, he spends an hour or two looking for a game with an open world. Perhaps he could put on an Australian accent for the anniversary of the character's first appearance. Nothing comes up. Life gets in the way. Sean abandons the search for a while. Jack never allows him to forget for too long. What starts as "I'm worried about Angus" soon morphs into "Angus only called me Jake once today". The longer it goes on, the more desperate Jack gets. And angrier. Sean has never seen such frustrated fury in his friend. He wishes he never had to. He's not even sure if he can call himself a true friend anymore, given how much he's already failed them. The cycle of attempting to find a solution and putting it on the back burner due to no leads continues. As do the arguments with Jack. Contrary to popular belief, he is putting in the effort. The main problem was he never seemed to have anything to show for it. He still cares for Angus too. The reason he wasn't visiting their home as often was because he didn't always feel welcome. As was in Jack's nature, he kept forgiving him. He'd say it was fine and Sean would agree for the sake of it. But it wasn't fine. He is beginning to forget when the last time things were 'fine'. Following some filming with Ninja Sex Party, Sean is excited to dress up as a superhero for a bit during a Welcome To The Game video. Jack is just as pleased to make a new friend. Jackie is a surprise, his young age even more so. He was 16 and, as far Jack had told him, brimming with excess energy. The new arrival had been a shock for Jack too, apparently. The most he could offer the kid last night was a can of Dr Pepper and some custard creams. Shit, this was new territory. He hasn't had to deal with a new ego in years. Jackie's age causes conversations about school and whether the boy would need an education in the first place. Sean doesn't necessarily see the point. Was Jackie currently the only minor in their world? Because in that case, has a high school suddenly popped up to accommodate a single student? Even if Sean created a character with children at a later date, the kids would probably be the wrong age group to attend school with Jackie. If it was that important to Jack to see the young superhero have an education, he would have to do it himself. Being home-schooled would also allow Jackie to do his job. Attempts at being responsible aside, he ensures Jackie knows he can come to him if needs anything specific. Naturally, he gravitates to Jack as his adult role model. Sean doesn't mind. They live together and Jackie therefore has easier access to him. But Sean is still there if the need arises. A month later, he buys a cheap cat mask that covers half of his face. It was something to use once and forget about until you throw it away in a big spring clean. The magic set was the same, only with extra smaller parts. The video is nothing spectacular. All it entailed was him messing around with the box's contents before switching to decorating the mask. The last thing he was anticipating was the creation of life. Although, by this point, perhaps he should have. Besides, he hadn't even given himself a name. It was just 'Jack the Magnificent'. Jack comes to rectify this oversight a couple days later. He explains he'd made the suggestion the night of Marvin's arrival. The box had the name on it so why not let the new ego make it his own? The main issue Jack had with all this was that Marvin had not been planned in the slightest. With Jackie, there'd been some preparation. Neither of them may have foreseen his creation but at least there had been a name and outfit. All Marvin had was a mask, plus a name that was already taken. "This better not happen again." Jack privately demands. "I don't want another Angus. God knows you're not going to help." Jack swings by at the end of August to inform him Jackie's in hospital. He'd gotten stabbed while confronting a thief. He was fine, recovering well and all that but he thought Sean might want to know. On the subject of requiring medical care, Jack brings up the idea to have a doctor ego. Just someone who understood their unique situation and could also take care of their health. Oh, oh yeah. He can totally do that. He'll need some things for the video so give him a chance to prepare but definitely, one doctor coming right up. He feels somewhat dumb playing Operation as if it were a serious procedure in this cheap surgeon's outfit he bought over the weekend. And yes, even he can admit the 'German' accent was atrocious. Half of what comes out of his mouth is bullshit. If this works as intended and he creates an ego from it, this guy is sure going to be interesting. He pretends to be distressed over Peter's death. Then it hits him that Dr Schneeplestein probably won't appreciate him killing his friend and personal accountant. He could try refilm it but he doubts he has the time. Fix it through editing? Sure, but then it might be obvious that there was another part. Alright fine, maybe he'll just have to deal with the consequences. Dr Henrik von Schneeplestein is indeed an interesting guy. A married father too, which surprises him. Not only has he made the doctor, there is a new family of 5 in the egos' neighbourhood. One of these days he'll know what he's doing with this creation thing. For now though, he thinks it's very cool that he managed a 5 for the price of 1 deal. Henrik himself is intelligent and if Sean was more knowledgeable on certain topics, he's sure they'd be able to share thoughtful conversations. Either way, Henrik was incredibly busy with his professional duties and personal commitments. It was understandable that neither had much time in the day to sit down and truly get to know one another. For the hell of it, he throws in a little extra into the egos' characterisation. They can't die. Or, to be more specific, they can't die for long. Jackie gets stabbed and bleeds out? Easy, just deal with the wound and he should wake up after a while. What this means for Peter, who knows? Sean is secretly thankful when the accountant isn't granted life. That's one less person to keep happy. Like seemingly everything ego-related he does, it backfires. Within a year, this failsafe will have caused more suffering than hope. Sean isn't to know. However, he convinces himself he's done the right thing for once. He sure as hell knows how much trouble it's going to cause him if they don't believe that too. Sean makes an irreversible mistake in the October of 2016. The entire month, he has glitches sprinkled throughout his horror game videos. He gets so caught up in the teasing and build up that he doesn't contemplate how this will affect the egos. Worse yet, he recklessly allows Jack to film the Halloween video. Sure, he would have used a bit of red paint if it had been him filming. But since it was Jack? He doesn't want to imagine the scene Jackie discovers. God, he can't believe he's been so thoughtless. Signe has to encourage him to bed before he manages to rack up over 24 hours of being awake in one go. Resurrecting the dead is exhausting, he finds. He postpones visiting Jack for a day before realising his avoidance is likely making matters worse. The dread cumulates to the point he swears he will be sick if he doesn't actively focus on his breathing. The loophole he made in September might have ensured nobody died permanently but it never mentioned scars. It's not visible behind the bandages but he knows it's there. Jack is pissed off. Rightfully so. Matters worsen even more after Jackie vanishes while attempting to get away from their fighting. It's just another thing that's ruined the egos' perception of him. If he thought the hill Jack was ready to die on was Angus, he's got another thing coming. There's only so much he can take before he has to force apathy for the sake of his sanity. He understands he can't control Antisepticeye. Once this situation is dealt with, he vows, the demon will never be used on his channel again. The subscribers' love for the character will have to ignored. It's too risky to play Anti again. He puts the red suit on again. In the short video, only a minute or so in length, Jackie sprints through poorly lit corridors to the exit. Sean acts scared and looks behind him frequently as he runs. It is uploaded privately. His community didn't need to know anything about this. He hopes with everything he's got that it works. Nothing. For days, for weeks, for months. Sean doesn't bother letting the egos know what he'd tried to do. It's guaranteed Jack and Marvin would tell him to try harder. He has no idea what that means in this context. Christmas passes without incident. As does January. In February, he celebrates his 27th birthday alongside Jack. It's a day devoid of resentment. Sean had almost forgotten that was allowed in their friendship. He exaggerates his dissatisfaction about getting older. In response to this, Jack smears the frosting of his slice across Sean's face. 'Accidentally', of course. Just as accidentally as Sean reciprocated the action. Signe humours them by taking photographs of their new cake-based look. The next time they are hanging out in Jack's room, he notices a picture from that day is in a frame on his friend's dresser. "What's this about?" "Oh uh, this is going to sound dumb but... I like being reminded it isn't always so rough between us." "No. No, I get it. I um, I feel the same way. That day was great." He glances at the image once more. He lets out a humoured scoff. "Maybe I should save your dumb face to my phone." "Aww, wow, I knew you loved me really." Jack puts his arm around his shoulder. A playful shove. "Fuck off." In an emotional slump during April, he buys a bunch of Lyons boxes and mini chocolate eggs. It's just a parody of Dude Perfect from someone with zero accuracy. Then he does the stupid thing and creates life again. Fuck it, his wife hates him and he may never see his kids again. Chase Brody's depression causes him to pretend to shoot himself before the end card plays. When Jack calls him and demands to know what the hell he was thinking, Sean has no answer. It turns out that when the ending translated into Chase's reality, he'd actually shot himself in the head. Fuck. Afterwards, Jack doesn't provide his creator with any updates. Insisting he has the right to talk to Chase only makes him more hated. Despite having never met before, Chase already resents him. The next time an ego is intentionally created, Sean's going to be there to intercept them. They're not going to enter that home and have their opinion of him influenced by people who wished he wasn't in their lives. The next new guy would be given a fair chance to see Sean for what he was. A massive screw up when it came to the ability he's unsure how to master. But in no way was he some villain. August is around the corner when Jack asks to visit. The two of them seem to be on the same page that day. Sean is more than happy to hang out and cheer him up. Believing Jack would be empathetic, he begins a conversation about how the YouTube algorithm was bothering him. Over three years of working as a duo on the Jacksepticeye channel meant Jack should understand where he was coming from. But, of course, his friend makes it all about himself and his own problems. Why wouldn't he? It's what he usually does. They argue because apparently that's the only way they communicate with each other nowadays. Jack sure knows how to pack a punch. Being friends with him shouldn't be such a struggle. Sean snaps. The emotional fatigue of trying to keep up with the algorithm and all this fighting causes him to make one of the worst decisions he'd ever go through with. If Jack wants him to be the bad guy, fine. Sean would be the bad guy. Just this once, he'd actually be the asshole. "You want to sleep, I'll let you sleep." He threatens when Jack begins walking off mid-argument. "Bring back Jackie. He's been missing for months. Do something!" Jack flings viciously back seconds before he marches out the door. He can tell Signe regrets asking him how the gaming session went. He dresses as Schneeplestein as soon as he finalises his plan, pretending he aims to save a version of himself in Bio Inc Redemption. He loses. Oops. He acts as he feels the real Schneeplestein would, desperate not to watch another patient die. He sends the video to Robin for editing. The final uploaded product is nowhere near what he'd recorded. His audience are all talking about Anti. They were praising him for his acting and Robin for his editing. But... he never included Anti. Any recollection of filming the final scene was non-existent. And the parts with Henrik getting possessed weren't him either. The more he thinks about it, the further the terror sets in. Over the course of years, Jack had chipped at Sean's mind until he cracked. It had only meant to end with Jack slipping into a coma. Just a chance for Sean to focus on his own problems for once. He would have gotten Henrik to wake his patient up when Sean was ready. God, he just wanted peace for a change. It was never meant to happen like this. Marvin ever so pleasantly greets him with a "Fuck off" when he tries to visit Jack. He supposes he deserves it. But he didn't come here just to back down at the first sight of opposition. He may have caused Jack to be in that coma but, as his friend, he was still entitled to a visit. He has to push past Marvin just to get in. "Leave right now before I make you regret it." Marvin tails him through the corridor. "Hey, listen, I'll be the first to admit I fucked up big time-" He says over his shoulder. "You don't say." "But he was my friend too. I am seeing him whether you like it or not." "Well, I don't like it. And this is my home. So get out." Fed up to the back teeth of Marvin, he halts to whip around before lashing out. "We both know a bad mood on my part can spell disaster for you. That is how we got into this situation is the first place. So I would watch your mouth." "Oh, look at me, I'm Sean McLoughlin. I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it." Marvin uses a mocking tone before reverting to venom once more. "Guess that's what you told your 'best friend' before you put him in a fucking coma, isn't it?" "Don't you dare suggest I don't care." "You made him feel like he had no choice but to keep being nice to your sorry ass. He barely survived Halloween and now look where he's en-" "God, cut it out!" Chase marches towards them, looking as if he was 30 seconds from grabbing a weapon to silence them. "Both of you. Sean, you have 10 minutes then we want you gone. Marv, leave him alone because we honestly have enough shit going on without you stirring more of it." Marvin bluntly says "Five." "Okay, fine, you have 5 minutes then you leave." The magician clearly isn't satisfied with this compromise but decides it's not worth the effort of fighting further. "Thank you." "It wasn't for you. I did it so I can avoid a headache." Chase promptly leaves him to it. He's not even sure he wants to enter once he reaches the infirmary's doors. Still, he's gone through too much trouble to get this far. He can't undo all that effort now. He walks into the room and- Nope, he can't do this. He means, look at Jack! He makes for an awful sight. If his friend had looked terrible while recovering from Say Goodbye, this was a whole other level. He decides against making it past the doors. He's simply there in the corridor, sobbing. "Sean, I think you should go before Marvin tries to commit arson or something." It's the most patience Chase can muster after all that's happened this week. Sean can't appreciate the effort enough. He answers with a mix of 'Uh-huh, yeah, sure.' Jackie looks like he hasn't eaten a thing in the past 11 months when Sean answers the door to him in early October. He doesn't know what to say. If Jack were currently conscious, he would have probably informed Sean of the kid's arrival by now. Yet, as it stood, Marvin seemed to be the new 'leader' and pigs would fly before he bothered to do anything that benefited Sean. He notices Jackie never lets his feet touch the ground the entire time he's there. There is a long silence in the living room before Jackie comes out with "Why didn't you do anything?" "I tried but it didn't work." "Somehow I struggle to believe that." "Jackie-" "You could have prevented a lot of shit. But why fucking bother when we're not even real, right?" "If you give me a couple minutes, I could find that video where I tried to trigger your escape." Jackie doesn't reply. He locates the footage for him regardless. The teenager remains silent the whole time. Sean decides to break it. "It must have backfired but I did try." He notices Jackie glaring at his own legs. "Great, now I know you're to blame. Not to mention you moved country while I was gone. Thanks for making me walk from Athlone, by the way." The boy superhero abruptly makes his exit, making no attempt to elaborate. Well then, great chat. Except, wait. Walk from Athlone? How the hell do you walk from Athlone to Brighton?! Sean makes good on the promise he made to himself months before. He risks uploading the pictures to Instagram. On the 29th, there is a fair amount of hype at the potential new character. He lingers inconspicuously near the egos' home for a couple hours, keeping himself occupied with his phone in case the ego didn't appear. Which he doesn't. He repeats the activity after posting the 2nd photo on the 30th. Still nothing. It's the video on Halloween that triggers creation. It was a simple thing. The same as the previous two years, he had carved a pumpkin. The main difference was that he had dressed up like a dapper gentleman, waistcoat and bowler hat inclusive. There was some glitching at the end, nothing Sean or Robin had a hand in. He supposes he should be glad there was such a small interruption. Outside the house, he spots the lost time traveller. His first surprise, for both of them it would seem, was that Jameson had lost the ability to speak. He seems reluctant to use the speech slides. No worries. Sean can buy a notepad or two for him tomorrow. Learning to sign, or in the very least understand it. will take a considerable amount of time. Written responses would have to be a sufficient compromise for now. Either way, the most important thing was that Jameson was willing to come with him before he met the others. He is in awe of Jameson. He knows he'd intended to create an ego with a proper backstory but this was far more than he'd been expecting. He had drafted a brief life story beforehand. Jameson would be the middle child of three in an upper class British family. He'd be too young to join WW1 but his brother would lose his hearing to it, allowing Jameson to know sign by the time he went missing. Maybe throw in some time in the army for good measure. However his power worked, it filled in the gaps nicely. Jameson is fully fleshed out, as are his memories. "Thanks for humouring me." He tells Signe that night. She hums in acknowledgement of what he'd said. "You can't keep him here forever, you realise that, right? I'll let you have tomorrow. But you really should let him make his own choices after that." On the 1st, Chase comes knocking. Sean relents, allowing him in to be introduced to Jameson. As expected, Chase calls him out. He assures Jameson that it was fine to go with the unfamiliar ego. As hostile as Chase was, he was still trustworthy and believed he had Jameson's best interests at heart. He lets his latest creation go. Now he will be taught the egos' version of the 'truth'. He doubted Jameson would be rushing back. But oh, there he is days later. It's completely reasonable for the dapper man to want answers. Sean provides them to the best of his ability. Jameson surprises him once more when he says he'll let the deception slide if he cuts it out from now on. Of course he will. As Jameson heads off back to his world, Sean is thankful he made him open minded. While having a casual conversation, Jameson mentions befriending someone named Shawn. At first, Sean is simply perplexed at the written name. Jameson knows how to spell his name, even includes the fada. So surely Shawn couldn't be him. When he has his friend explain, he can't believe it. Shawn Flynn. In other words, his Bendy voice cameo. Okay, egos like Henrik, Chase or Marvin, he could understand. Those guys had gotten specific videos that centred around them. He also got the whole 'springing from him putting on a voice for a series' thing with Angus and Jacques etc. Robbie... well, who the fuck knows what happened there. The point was they all came from his channel and his channel alone. Shawn Flynn was not his to claim. He was only a voice, a few sentences' worth of speech. He will always be amazed by his community's power to create from scraps. As soon as he lost Jack's contribution to the channel, he had been forced to pick up the slack. Even with Robin editing most videos, recording twice as many as he was used to was taking its toll. Something had to be done. He needed a new recording partner. And who better to help him than someone who already had experience with maintaining a channel? Obviously, Chase is opposed to the idea at first. He tries to get him to listen to his reasoning. Without Jack, he was struggling to have time for himself anymore. If he has no time outside of work, then how is he supposed to figure out how to reverse the coma? Not to mention, the community members were the ones responsible for keeping the egos from fading. Chase agrees to, in the very least, consider the offer. Sean is glad to have him as part of the team when he reluctantly accepts it. He is very grateful too. He knows this requires a sacrifice on Chase's part, perhaps more than he is aware of. In the run up to Christmas, he'd simply wanted to raise money for Save The Children with the help of his friends and community. There had occasionally been odd noises throughout the first day but nothing super suspicious. He has no clue where the hell the security footage came from. He had intended for the stream to stay up, sure, but it was meant to display a screensaver. Some people begin to notice the glitches and unusual goings on were triggered by donations of at least $1000. Well, how nice to learn that Anti liked encouraging charitable donations. The day after the event is over, Jameson attempts to speak to him about it. Listen, he's really sorry to hear about what happened over at the house. It's awful that Jackie suffered a huge panic attack from the music. But what do they expect him to do about an event that's already passed and he had no control over in the first place? The less he has to think about 'Overnightwatch' over the holidays, or Anti in general during the new year, the better. He's so fucking done with 2017. The following cold months blur. The Dr Jacksepticeye character becomes a community-made ego in January. That was great. He was aware the egos had been struggling to provide Jack professional medical care. March sees Chase getting custody of his kids on the weekend. Although he doesn't risk ruining the party with the scene his attendance would cause, he congratulates Chase on the good news in person. To top things off, he began the first leg of his tour. That had been a hell of an experience. Maybe 2018 would indeed be a better year. This hope is kept alight at the start of May. He had spent months attempting to work out how to save Jackie. Following that, they lost Henrik only to welcome the hero back. Then the doctor had been out of reach since August. It is for this reason that he receives the news of Henrik's return with great relief. Chase is ecstatic when he recounts what had happened at the end of his recording session. Sean is happy for him. He and the rest of egos need more positive events in their lives. Jackie certainly surprises him when he randomly shows up at his door days later. Signe gives him a heads up about the visitor as he leaves a recording session. The teenager comes across as distracted while they talk. Something feels really off. Then again, they haven't been able to talk since his kidnapping. Months' worth of trauma were bound to change how Jackie acted in certain situations. When he eventually leaves, Sean feels like he's missing some sort of sign. The community goes insane after Dark Silence is uploaded. He cautiously makes himself watch the infamous ending. Once more, Anti has added content to a video. The whole time Chase stands in that hallway, Sean is begging his screen for his friend to start sprinting in the other direction, as far from Anti as he could manage. But, of course, you can't prevent an abduction through a screen, especially when it had happened hours beforehand. Chase seemed so distressed. The thought of his reaction to Anti won't leave Sean be. Nor will those two questions. Jameson swings by in an attempt to comfort him. For what it's worth, his heart is in the right place. Sean just doesn't feel he's in a position to appreciate the efforts properly. He supposes this is his opportunity to finally get a rescue attempt right. Yet, with the tour and having to revert back to multiple recordings a day, time slips away. No doubt he'll get accused of not caring. Thankfully, Chase returns in June. Mostly unscathed physically too which is good. He wishes the same could be said for mental repercussions. Chase relapsing hard with his alcoholism wasn't great to hear either. Suffice to say, Chase needed help. Some good news about the whereabouts of his ex and two young children would be fantastic too. The Akinator video is fun. He enjoys making that website's algorithm figure out the characters. Admittedly, he doesn't know whether picking Jameson for a round was a smart idea. Even worse are some of the questions he gets offered. There are two specifically he doesn't feel comfortable answering on camera. He plays it off as teasing eventual ego content to his audience. In reality, he's not sure it's his place to say. And it's hardly like he can put the recording on hold to contact Jameson about his personal life. The video goes up and the community naturally laps it up. Sean wonders if he should be concerned about the fact Jameson was yet to speak to him about it. In October, he asks Jameson to deliver a card on his behalf. Henrik would be amputating Jackie's legs in an attempt to reverse one of the most prominent aftereffects of his time with Anti. Therefore, a get well card was in order. It's not much but he hopes Jackie will appreciate the gesture nonetheless. Jameson simply shrugs as he hands him a note a couple weeks later. He ends up finding the message humourous. On it is written: Thanks for the card but you don't need to bother next time. He's just about had enough of Anti when Quit The Game To Win gets recorded. He's not sure at which point in the video he becomes lightheaded. There's a brief moment of zoning out then he's sitting at his desk, having sent the video off for editing a minute prior. Unlike the other times, there is no extra content even Robin was oblivious to. The footage of Sean staring into the camera had undoubtedly been there the whole time. They debate whether to upload it. The decision gets taken out of their hands when it is uploaded regardless. That goddamn bastard. He probably realises Sean can't take down a video like that with no explanation. And what explanation is there to give? The community has no idea the egos were real or that it was actually Anti speaking to them. Oh but sure, the compliments to his 'amazing acting' pour in without fail. Also, next phase? What the hell was Anti planning to do? He and the egos would have to remain proceeding with caution. On his 29th birthday, he is surprised to find numerous egos on his doorstep. A little dumbfounded, he invites them in for cake. It wasn't like he was doing much today other than typical work stuff and checking out the community's birthday art. Chase spots his notebook, the one containing his story plans. This topic of conversation leads to them encouraging him to rectify his mistakes by waking Jack up. He's all for it. Even after all these years, he's not sure how exactly his power worked. He gets it into his head that staying up indefinitely will cause Jack to remain conscious. Somehow, this becomes the actual criteria. As the day goes on, he thinks about how things must be like over at the egos' home. It must be wonderful to have Jack up and about. He can imagine him sharing jokes, laughing and smiling, just generally enjoying the company of friends. He's always been a bit of a night owl. He can manage to stay up the whole night, for Jack's sake. Jack deserves as much time as he can give him. He increases his caffeine intake. It didn't matter whether it was coffee or a fizzy drink. If it had caffeine and could help him stay up longer, he'd drink it. His plan seemingly backfires when he plays Shadow of the Colossus while exhausted. He wakes up with a crick in his neck, the sight of Wander stationary upon Agro's back and looming guilty disappointment. When he checks in, Henrik confirms Jack was indeed back in the medical bay, unresponsive as ever. The doctor tells him that, not for nothing, they'd all enjoyed the day. It had been after 2am when Jack had begun exhibiting signs of diminishing consciousness. Even if the others may not admit it, he was sure he wasn't the only one who appreciated what Sean had given them. Perhaps one of the stupidest things he ever voluntarily subjects himself to occurs that May. He leaves peculiar edits in the Observation series. Then he posts an unlisted video of him facing off against his clone with a bloodied throat and exclusively black attire. It works. For the first time in Sean's life, he stands in Anti's presence. As it turns out, Anti is grateful. If it hadn't been for Sean spending weeks playing around with a community fuelled concept, complete with a grande finale, the glitch would still be lurking in the shadows as a nobody. Sean had solidified him. Antisepticeye had long since stopped being a fun idea that lived purely in fan creations or Tumblr headcanon posts. Even better, he'd been armed with a knife and violent tendencies. Bit of a bad combination, wouldn't you say? In fact, he's been revelling in watching the whole Sean vs Egos fiasco. Because sure, he could blame a lot of things on Anti if he wanted. But the mistrust that began with Jack then seeped into the others via the original ego? Sean's doing. The one who used his powers of creation when, even to this day, he doesn't quite understand how on earth they worked? Sean. Best yet, letting his emotions cause him to put a loved one in a coma he had no clue how to reverse? Once again, courtesy of Sean McLoughlin. Sean brushes these comments off. He's been called out too many times to be that easily affected by it. Besides, he had some things on his own mind that needed saying. Where were Stacy and the kids? Oh, in a ditch. They served no use without Chase's conscience there to haunt. Actually, where had Anti himself been during all these years? Here, there, everywhere. Why stay in one spot when he thrived on being near impossible to pin down. Any question Sean has, Anti's answers are delivered nonchalantly. Right. That's how Anti wants to play it, huh? He creates another piece of footage. This time, he dresses as Chase and speaks on the phone. 'Chase' begs Stacy to take the kids, stay hidden and only contact him when she really needs to. Once Sean posts it (privately of course), the real Chase updates him on the recent developments in his life. He'd gotten a text from Stacy saying they were safe for now. He had only managed to compose himself before leaving the house but ah look, there go the waterworks again. Sean apologises as he makes it abundantly clear that Chase would not be able to see his family for a while. It was for their safety. Chase understood, right? Yes, yes of course. For good measure, he also talks to Henrik. His wife and children weren't in as imminent danger of becoming Anti's targets right now. However, there was no harm in staying vigilant. It was up to the doctor but Sean thought it would be for the best if they maintained a low profile for now. Sean discusses another video with Chase in October. The father is reluctant to have more of his story explored, especially if things are going to play out the way Sean had planned. That's fine, he assures. That was exactly why he wanted Chase to be part of the process. Besides, it may seem a little bleak right now but his fortunes would improve as soon as the ball started rolling. When it comes to filming the short video, Chase kills it. The community may be praising Sean but he makes sure Chase is aware of the love he had earned. He decides to allow Jameson another solo video for his birthday. They brainstorm together, coming up with the premise of a puppet show. Jameson is the one who comes up with the 'I can't be questioned, I'm rich!' joke. As soon as he does, he goes off on a tangent about how he used to know people like that. Hell, his own parents had been like that. Sean laughs along with him. The first sight of trouble is the random bit of string around his arm. Jameson naively removes it without becoming suspicious. Sean's been in this position before. If the video's up, it's already way too late for the targeted ego. He forces himself to watch to the end. Jameson's wrapping up the story when the strings reappear. His arms go limp before he begins swaying on the spot. It is clearly Anti who is controlling his movements now. Sean really wishes he didn't know the sign for 'help'. He bets Jameson believes he has the power to save him. If only he did. The worst part of it is having to witness Jameson clearly attempting to fight against it. If Sean thought Henrik's distress during Kill Jacksepticeye had been a challenge to watch, he had another thing coming. Goddamn it. Can he please go one year without losing more of those he cared about? He'd once been friends with Angus before the fading fiasco caused them to drift apart. Jack kept giving second chance after second chance until Sean had let his frustration screw that up. Chase had gradually begun to see him as potentially trustworthy, only for Anti to kidnap him and set them back to square one. Is it too much to ask for them to feel happy and safe as well as remaining so? His 30th birthday is quiet. There are no egos hassling him or attempts to initiate a bout of insomnia. It's a nice day chilling out with Evelein and BB. He would have enjoyed it even more if he knew he'd achieved his goal of waking Jack up by now. Or even getting Jameson back. The last person he expects to see coming round to his house is Marvin. He doesn't think the magician is entirely sure why he chose to do this either. He states that he gave his word when he said he'd never forgive Sean. With his fae heritage, that meant something and he couldn't go back on that. Marvin seemed offended when Sean shows surprise upon learning he had connection to fae. Well, how exactly was Sean supposed to know this detail if Marvin's been keeping him far away for 2.5 years, especially since they hadn't been best buddies pre-coma either? The magician scowls before returning to a calmer neutral demeanour. He carries on his point. Marvin may not be able to forgive Sean for what he's done, not that he really has a reason to given what was still happening to the egos. That said, he wasn't going to judge his friends as harshly anymore if they decided to give their creator a chance. That uh... shit, that was huge coming from Marvin. All he can reply with is a thank you. August rears it's terrible head. It's been three years now. 36 whole months, god knows how many weeks or individual days. He's had all this time to fix this yet is still working on it. And oh, sure, he can rationalise it. He can remind himself that during 2018, if he wasn't on tour then he was preparing for a leg or decompressing after one. Not to mention that had also been the year he'd finally started addressing his mental health. Now, the biggest thing preventing him from progressing the story to the point where Jack woke up was the virus. For half the year, he couldn't film anything that required a crew, let alone do so on location in America or wherever like he had with CHASE. Instead, he sits at the end of the bed as usual. Legs to his chest, he simply lets himself be here. Henrik is going to kill him for the way he is seated. He rambles at Jack, updating him on recent goings on. When he's said his bit, he becomes contemplative for a moment. "I'm still trying, I swear. You're going to wake up one day. I'm just- I'm doing my best to get everything sorted. I promise you can call my ass out eventually. I will get there. Anyway, I'm sure you have better things to be doing than listening to me mope about like I have been for the past three years. See you around, buddy."

#my writing #creator au #the creator #jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye egos #writersofjack #if anyone saw me despairing yesterday about this fic going on and on I want you to know this bitch is 8.2k words now #tw death mention #tw blood mention #tw kidnapping

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whateverisbeautiful · 6 years

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Reveling in Richonne

#118: The Golden Rule (8x12)

So each time I’ve done these posts there’s been some character that has spurred me to go on a gif journey expressing how tried they made me feel. 😂

The first time doing these revelings it was Jadis in the season 7 finale. And then during the Retrospect posts it was Jessie. And for this round...y’all we gotta add Enid to the Queens of Trying It, cuz she was all the way out of line. 💯

So we see Michonne standing outside of the Hilltop building as those three ladies wait on the bench. And then she decides to go inside because it’s clear she has something she needs to address.

She walks in and tells Maggie “We should make the deal and let them go before the Saviors get here.”

First of all; yes fierce walk! And it’s sweet to see Michonne wanting these women to be spared of dealing with the pending craziness that’s about to pop off when they face the Saviors.

Also this is why Michonne is fit to be a leader, because she’s decisive and diligent. But Maggie feels they can’t let them go with what they have, and then Enid barges in.

And this is where our gif journey begins. 🙃

Cuz just the physical act of Enid barging into this conversation had me like...

Like I already have an issue with the fact that Enid steps into this conversation between two women who have known each other for SIX seasons now. And then she wants to interject to tell Michonne, “Maggie’s right.”

Just two words into the scene and I already was like...

The way Michonne turns around, you can tell she might be thinking the same things as me which is “Did this little girl really just waltz in here and think she can talk to me like this?”

Michonne has the courtesy to face her (cuz lord knows I would not) and Enid goes on to say, “We take their stuff. Otherwise someone else will. Someone else will kill them. It’s a miracle they’re still alive anyways.” That’s sounding real Savior-ish if I do say so myself lol. 👀

Y’all I low key wanted Michonne to just be like...

So Michonne silently stares at her and I’m telling you Danai is so excellent at not playing anything one-note, even in a facial expression. Because as much as Michonne might feel tried, you also see her feeling compassion on Enid. Like it’s evident that Michonne feels for her that the world has hardened her this way at such a young age.

And then Enid tries it again by stepping closer to Michonne to continue to talk to her like she doesn’t realize she’s talking to the literal queen of this apocalypse.

She says “The Saviors are on their way. We’re gonna fight and some of us will die.” And the salty side of me was like listen boo, Michonne and Rick.... see they’re the ones who live (at least before season 9) so they don’t have to be as concerned with that death stuff like the rest of you lol.

Enid asks why they should care about anyone else and I was like...

The bold disrespect to talk to Michonne that way when this is a woman who one; is grown two; is fully aware of the situation and most importantly three; who just lost Carl who she had a deeper relationship with than Enid could possibly know.

And it’s a miracle Michonne’s even able to be around other people right now, let alone Carl’s broody unofficial “girlfriend”. 🙄

But y’all it don’t stop there. 😑

Getting more heated, Enid says “We take their stuff and we use it. We stop pretending that things just work out. They don’t.”

And hearing her try and talk at Michonne about a concept Michonne knows full well had me really asking...

Michonne responds saying, “Carl rescued Siddiq and now we have a doctor and we have a friend.”

Y’all this is heartwarming because Michonne already is choosing to see the value in what Carl’s “something after” goal was.

She always did understand Carl in a special way so it makes sense that she’s the one to vocalize this understanding of where Carl was coming from with helping Siddiq and even to find the positive in it with the fact that Siddiq is a doctor and friend.

And it’s sweet that she refers to Siddiq as a friend when it could be very easy to resent Siddiq for being associated with the moment that killed Carl. And also because it’s choosing to not just see the fact that he’s a doctor as the only plus side to things, cuz that would only be allowing his value to come from what he can offer them.

So in saying he’s a friend it’s meaningful cuz it shows she’s open to accepting Siddiq as a person and not just a commodity.

It’s like how Carl told Rick in 8x09 that he helped Siddiq not cuz he was a doctor but because he wasn’t going to make it alone.

She then wisely takes the gun away from Enid as an act of letting this girl know that the way she wants to fight away her problems is not the way. (And I think she also takes the gun cuz Enid has no business being this hostile right now.)

And then Michonne says very matter of factly; “Carl was brave.” Y’all, the fact that they have to speak about Carl in past tense still hurts. 😢

You can tell in her delivery of this line that it’s painful for her to have to address Carl as no longer being with them, but she’s willing to go to that emotional place and defend Carl despite the pain.

And I love that she’s choosing to see the bravery in Carl’s commitment to humanity rather than having a more jaded take on his actions.

And then the pinnacle of the triflingness is when Enid steps to Michonne and says, “And now he’s dead,”

Which...

Before I go off 😁 lemme just say;…I get it. She’s hurting and she’s sad because she lost her close friend. But I still have to tell her...

Cuz the disrespect is just too much. Like Enid needs to realize that she is talking to the woman who knew Carl when he was this little boy who just lost his mom. She is talking to the woman who held Carl in her arms after he was attacked by that Claimer.

She is talking to the woman who gave Carl a huge chunk of his happiest memories. And most importantly she is talking to the woman who became Carl’s mom and best friend.

So she needs to come correct with it. Cuz to throw that in Michonne’s face like Carl’s life was wasted is unacceptable, especially so soon after Michonne just buried him.

When watching this the first time, I was very curious what Michonne’s response would be. Cuz my personal response was very much like...

And I know Michonne is extremely good at having a “be the bigger person” response to when people try her. Like she’s the embodiment of...

And I love that about her. But the second I heard Enid say that line, I was literally hoping that Michonne would refuse to play nice with this one right here cuz Enid needed to know...

And I love that, while she kept that signature Michonne composure her response was perfection because she also was more than willing to let this little girl know she isn’t playing games.

Cuz she looks at Enid with a calm intensity and simply says “Step back.”

Y’all. This was legit me...

When I tell you I was soooooo here for it. For real, it was everything. 🙌🏾

“Step back” is a way of life now lol. 😋 Enid was putting disrespect on Carl and Michonne, and I love that Michonne let her know she will have none of that.

Michonne’s basically telling Enid...

With a dash of...

I was like; that’s right Enid, this is a little different than some of the adults you’re used to giving sass to, cuz now you’re dealing with the queen. 👸🏾

And you can see the moment Enid realized she’s dealing with a queen too...

And when Michonne calmly but firmly tells her to step back, Enid already knows what time it is and she knows not to try it any further cuz...

That’s the kind of influential presence Michonne has, when she says something like that you already know you gotta listen.

Like she really does have this perfect balance of peaceful but powerful, and her words command attention. #queen

And sure enough Enid steps all the way back and out of the room. To which I was like...

Similar to Ron, and Heath, and that chick at Hilltop, Enid joined the list of people who have learned the golden rule that when it comes to trying Rick or Carl in front of Michonne...

But what breaks my heart is Michonne’s expression as Enid walks away. Cuz you can tell that as composed as she’s been it’s hard for her to not want to just break down since losing Carl is still so fresh.

And she’s been being strong for other people but, during this subtle moment, it becomes visible how much pain Michonne’s in over this loss.

And then Maggie dabbles in trying it when she reiterates “Things don’t just work out” And I was really like...

Cuz do 👏🏽you 👏🏽think 👏🏽that 👏🏽Michonne 👏🏽doesn’t 👏🏽know 👏 that? Maggie doesn’t have to tell Michonne things don’t work out cuz Michonne knows this just as much as any.

Michonne then says, in a tone that suggests she can think of a long list of times that’s been the case for herself (like losing two sons), “No. No they don’t.”

This episode had me starting to genuinely ask; do these characters know Michonne? Cuz if they did they would know that she’s had a lot of experiences with things not working out.

Sis has lost a lot. But it’s because she has this winner’s attitude of finding the way they can thrive and rise above it that she’s been able to push through.

It’s times like these where I really wish characters interacted more. Cuz while I know Maggie and Michonne have a friendship, some of these relationships have been put so far on the back burner that it causes us to not even really know what the dynamics between these long standing characters even are and how much they know.

And it’s interesting cuz Maggie’s experienced an overwhelming amount of brutal losses too which if why I hoped the scenes with them in this episode would be focused on them really connecting through that.

So then with emotion Michonne says, “But I think he knew that. He didn’t give up on who Rick wanted him to be.”

It just hit me how significant this line is cuz, I feel like it’s a callback to the season 4 finale when Carl was able to open up to Michonne after that traumatic night with the Claimers.

He told her how he’s not who his dad thinks he is and at that time he was really feeling like just another monster. But with the help of Michonne and Rick and Judith he was able to get better and not give up on who he knew deep down his dad wanted him to be.

There’s something comforting about thinking that personal heart to heart Carl and Michonne had four season ago could be the moment that’s resonating with Michonne now and motivating her to not give up.

And then I love that she also says “And we can’t on who he wanted us to be. We can’t.”

It’s deep for a lot of reasons, but the most important being that this illustrates how she really took Carl’s final words to heart and how she’s determined to fight to not only create the world he wanted but also be the person he specifically wanted them to be, which is people who aren’t blinded by the fight and instead focused on caring and a real future.

And then Maggie seems to take those words to heart and I feel like for the first time we see Maggie have some deeper acknowledgement that they lost Carl, someone she’s known since he was a little kid.

As Michonne walks out, we see Judith and the baby and I feel like again it’s this reminder of why fighting for peace is actually worth it. Because at the end of the day they’re not only trying to create a world just for themselves but for these kids who are most important cuz they will be the future now.

Maggie walks out and lets those ladies know she’s agreed to the deal. Georgie gives them food and explains her whole key to the future and honestly I just have to reiterate, all these characters have to put some respek on Michonne’s name. That’s the moral of the story because her instinct will not lead you astray lol. 👌 🏽

And this was me looking at this show when they pretty much make it seem as though it was Maggie who led them to this advancement and not Michonne...

So then Michonne again is the bigger person by being willing to still speak to Enid in the scene where they’re on watch at the wall.

Enid shares about killing Natania and how she killed her and is alive but Carl saved someone is dead and I was like; girl a lot of that just has to do with faulty lopsided storytelling cuz Enid realistically shouldn’t have survived that Oceanside storyline and Carl absolutely should’ve survived that Siddiq storyline. 😑

Also, the fact that, as this scene starts, it seems like Enid wants to do round two of talking back to Michonne like she still ain’t learn her lesson...It had me wanting to tell Enid my own version of “step back” which is...

Enid asks if they’re supposed to just stop fighting, which makes me think that maybe that’s supposed to imply that in Carl’s letter to her he also expressed how he wants them all to stop fighting.

(Side note: I always felt like it was a missed opportunity to never get a scene or moment where Rick and Michonne got to acknowledge Carl’s relationship with Enid in the past few seasons. I feel like that would’ve been a cute moment between Rick, Michonne, and Carl)

Michonne says “I don’t think Carl wanted us to stop fighting for our future. But I think he was telling us that to get to our future it’s going to take more than just fighting.”

Again, Michonne’s out here perfectly summing up Carl’s message for others. The best of the best friends y’all. 💯

And, as she says this line, she gives Enid’s gun back to her in a way of symbolizing that the fight doesn’t have to be completely unnecessary.

So then, Enid is still not letting it sink in cuz she says “The saviors are coming right now” and I was like girl...

Cuz Michonne knows that. Fr, who does Enid think she’s talking to lol. Michonne calmly responds saying, “And we’re gonna fight them. But there’s gotta be something after” and I appreciate her recalling Carl’s words and how she’s let that really resonate with her.

Even tho Enid tried me like no other, I’m glad that Michonne is able to be a peaceful and wise presence in her life cuz Enid could use that in this time of grieving. Michonne’s presence is good for people’s health lol. #facts

And these Michonne-centric moments relate to Richonne because seeing where Michonne’s at gives insight to the way she’s working to go through this grieving process, and that’s what will play the biggest part in Rick being able to work through the grieving process later.

With the devastating loss of Carl, it could be really easy for time to just stand still for Michonne or for her to just shut everyone out but instead she’s staying present and honoring her best friend by focusing on and working towards the “something after” he wants for them.

It’s such a testament to the resilience and admirable character she has. And I appreciate that there’s a lot of things that are golden about Michonne; including the golden rule. 👌💯😋

gif sources: carlschandler michonnegrimes danaisokoye-archive coolpartytimefan grimescarl

#richonne #richonne fandom #richonne family #michonne #michonne grimes #rick grimes #twd #s8 #8.12

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littlemisssquiggles · 6 years

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RWBY Musings #14: In rewatching Chapter 5 of Volume 5, did anyone else come to the same realization that Oscar’s whole outburst at Ruby was intentional?

There is something that I’ve noticed about the notorious dojo scene with Ruby and Oscar from Chapter 5 of RWBY Volume 5.

As I’ve remarked time and time again in past musings, Chapter 5 is and still continues to reign as my top favourite episode of this current season to date. Shameless to say, I’ve downloaded the episode and have been revisiting it continuously, purely for the conversation between our two young heroes.

However in doing so, there has always been something about that particular scene that’s boggled me or rather someone. It’s Oscar. Specifically the face he makes after he calms down from just shouting at Ruby.

At first I figured, okay, the kid’s scared and probably more than a little frustrated so it’s natural that he would chastise Ruby the way he did. However then there’s the next shot where Oscar is looking at Ruby after regaining his composure and he makes this face.

Carefully observe Oscar’s facial expression.

Somehow that face has always bugged me about that shot. I found it a rather odd one for Oscar to make, given the scenario. Why, you might ask?

Because this is a kid who immediately looked remorseful after accidentally punching Ruby in the face during a sparring match and apologized one time on the spot after freaking out over the thought of possibly hurting her.

Yet here, he just finished screaming at her in sheer frustration and he doesn’t look the least bit apologetic about it.

On the contrary, he looked almost patient. As if he was waiting to see Ruby’s reaction to what he just said.

It is here when I realized from the beginning, every action that was made, every word that was said out of Oscar’s mouth from that moment on was deliberate. Oscar wasn’t lashing out at Ruby out of fear. He did it in order to jolt the truth out of her. To get her to admit all the pain she’d been suppressing.

He didn’t have the right words of encouragement to cheer her up, so he did the only thing he could do in the moment. He asked her about how she had managed to keep moving forward and keep such a positive sense of resolve despite all the horrible things she has bared witness to and been through in the past; which was the right question to ask and a very important one to boot cause I don’t think we’ve had anyone truly ask Ruby how she’s been since the Fall of Beacon. Not really.

So having Oscar, essentially still a person who wants to know or understand Ruby more ask her this very significant question is quite excellent.

Oscar acknowledged Ruby’s grief over the loss of her friends that she’s been bottling for so long and rather than give her the sugar, spice and everything is nice schlock of telling her not to worry and whatnot, instead he attempts to comfort her by getting her to finally open up about how she’s been truly feeling.

At first, I guess he figured that admitting how scared he was would encourage Ruby to consequently admit how afraid she was. Giving her a bit of the ole you-show-me-yours-if-I-show-you-mine- kind of psychology there. However Ruby doesn’t snag the first bait and Oscar’s first efforts fail. When Ruby still continued to hold onto her brave facade, that’s when Oscar decided to change tactics.

Yes he yelled at her but what I found interesting is what he yelled at her.

Notice how he didn’t yell accusations. He didn’t berate Ruby for being naive about everything and glossing over his fear with her own indifference to the sheer severity of what is to come. Instead, he yelled questions and facts. Important questions and facts.

Instead of Oscar going: ‘How can you be so stupid and naive for thinking you could ever be strong enough to stop Salem!’ He says this:

‘How can you be so confident? People have tried to kill you, the world is about to go to war all over again, how are you OK with any of this?!’

This is why I love Oscar as a character and desperately need to see more of him in the series. This scene made me understand fully why Ozpin chose him as his successor and what he meant by being reincarnated in the body of a ‘like-minded soul’

Oscar helping Ruby the way he did in this scene is the most Ozpin-like thing he’s done so far while not channelling Ozpin. Rather than coddle her, Oscar gets Ruby to admit her true feelings about everything at long last so that in doing so, not only does she gain comfort but also reaffirmation in her own resolution to stop Salem and her forces. Forget drinking cocoa or fighting with a cane, this is the side of Oscar that’s most akin to Ozpin that I’ve seen so far in RWBY.

I don’t want it to be a thing where just because Ozpin is in his head, that means that Ozpin probably put Oscar up to comforting Ruby. I don’t think that’s the case at all. I think Oscar wanted to help Ruby of his own accord. You can tell that by the way he tried to say something earlier on in the scene but couldn’t cause he didn’t know how or didn’t know what was the best thing to say to make her feel better.

Oscar’s failure to say something earlier on is actually quite understandable, given the type of relationship he and Ruby currently have. They’re still in the mere acquaintance stage. Still in the process of getting to know each other.

When you get to know a person really well, you also get to learn of the best method of comforting them during those dire moments. For some people, all they might need is a hug or a pat on the back along with a simple ‘You can do it!’ to get them to feel positive again. Whereas others might need more deeper words accompanied by probably reminders of their own self worth with examples of past achievements and emotional victories to jolt them out of that pitiful rut. This is a type of understanding that can only come from truly knowing a person which takes time.

Oscar isn’t there yet with Ruby (and my foot is starting to get a little weary of tapping to see when the series is going to get us there at some point. But to be fair to the writers, Ruby and Oscar only met this season so they might not have that kind of friendship and knowledge of each other till at least another season of close contact. But I digress).

To Oscar, he doesn’t honestly know the full details of all that has happened to Ruby before, during and after the Fall of Beacon. Sure Oz must’ve told him some facts about our red-haired main heroine beforehand but beyond that, Oscar doesn’t know Ruby well enough to try and comfort her in a way that would be helpful to her. I guess that would justify why he went with asking her how she felt.

He might not know her all that well despite being in his presence and company for a few weeks but he figured if he asked her how she felt personally, then maybe she’d be able to comfort herself by finally admitting her qualms out loud through his encouragement while at the same time helping him to better understand her in the process.

For what it’s worth, Oscar’s efforts worked. Ruby admitted everything. She finally mentioned Pyrrha and Penny and addressed her feelings on losing them. And one she was done giving her big speech, what did Oscar do?

Did he press her further? No. Did he slate her anymore? No.

Instead the kid just casually walks to her side and gives her a very comforting smile of approval (It definitely looked like a ‘I’ll accept that answer’ kind of face to me), now satisfied with her response.

I’m pretty certain if Ruby had continued to act all unconcerned about her past pains, then Oscar would have continued to talk her down until she did. Not out of disrespect or anything but because he saw how much she needed to get that off her chest. He probably shouldn’t have yelled at her the way he did however; in this case yelling was the more effective method since it brought the right amount of forceful impact to jolt Ruby out of her impassiveness.

You might as well as had Ozpin go ‘...Well our work here is done! Mission accomplished!’ cause that’s pretty much the vibe I felt from Oscar after Ruby had walked off. He finally got her to admit not just to him but to herself about her feelings regarding everything and now that she’d gotten that emotional load she’s been harbouring for probably months off her chest, he can now smile knowing that she’s a little less stressed and that he had helped to do it.

Guys, this scene was SO IMPORTANT, not just for Ruby but Oscar too.

Do fans even realize how amazing Oscar is? I certainly do. He’s more than just a cute face. He’s a kind soul (well...two kind souls).

Oscar is such an amazing character and honestly has such potential. I really would love to have more moments with him helping other characters like this. If I haven’t stressed this enough whenever I muse about Oscar, there needs to be more key character-building moments with him. We’ve only just (barely) scratched the surface on what he can do as a true-blue voice of reason and mature wisdom for one his age. And this has nothing to do with Ozpin. Oh no.

I think on his own, Oscar is a very mature and outspoken young man. He may not possess the countless decades of vocabulary repertoire such as Ozpin but he does have heart. He’s compassionate and has a much greater power; stronger than any kind of battle skill or magic. He can connect well to others, if given the opportunity and is able to help them through their burdening issues. This is clearly evidenced by his acknowledgement and attempts at helping Ruby in the moment. And I think even Ozpin was able to sense Oscar’s true intent on talking to Ruby, hence I believe that’s why he was surprisingly absent during the whole ordeal and never intervened, even when Oscar yelled at Ruby.

Notice how Ozpin never interrupted or even spoke up once during the whole scene, no matter how tense it became? This was good, especially for me as a fan, since I was literally yelling “...Ozpin don’t you DARE freaking interrupt this very intimate moment between these two kids. Keep it between them please!” at my computer screen during the episode. Thankfully, Ozpin only spoke up after Ruby had walked away.

He allowed Oscar to handle the entire moment on his own. While Ozpin probably would’ve handled it differently (and possibly with a little more tact) if he were in Oscar’s shoes (literally), he respected the young farm boy’s methods enough to take a backseat because he understood fully well what his intentions were and respected him for it.

This reminds me of a scene from way back in Volume 2. It was from the episode with the school dance where, after Yang and Weiss abandoned an awkward introverted Ruby alone at this prestigious social event, it was Professor Ozpin who approached her and gave her some brief company, even if it was to simply provide some whimsical advice.

It was one of my favourite memorable moments from that volume simply for the exchange of dialogue between Ruby and Ozpin. It’s what he said to her that cemented why I like Ozpin so much as a character. And why I’m having a hard time accepting the theory of him being evil.

Oz may be the physical embodiment of magic, cursed by the Gods of Remnant and flawed with more x’s against him than a game of Tic-Tac-Toe but at his core, he’s human. It’s his empathy towards others who he believes might need his help and guidance that makes him human; despite the sheer irony that he’s the least human character in the show, secondary to Salem herself.

I loved the talk Ozpin had with Ruby from the dance episode but what made it better was the aftermath, seeing Ruby’s response to Ozpin’s words. She definitely seemed a bit more at ease following Ozpin’s reassurance. It’s no different than things were with her and Oscar.

In one scene, our boy Oscar got Ruby to open up more. I’ve watched a few reviews of this episode from some of my favourite Youtubers however up until now, I haven’t really seen any other fan really talk about the importance of this scene in terms of what Oscar’s involvement did for Ruby.

No one else has made this point, to my knowledge. It’s mostly been talk about either Oscar being afraid of what’s to come or, more commonly, Ruby’s epic speech. While Ruby’s speech was good, I personally find that this scene was important for Oscar because it highlighted more about his personality.

It revealed more to me about the kind of character he is or is at least shaping up to be and...I truly, truly, TRULY hope we get more moments with him like this one.

I pray that Chapter 5 isn’t going to be the only episode where fans get to see this side of Oscar. I’m fearful that with the reintroduction of Yang and Weiss that any further moments between Ruby and Oscar may become scarcer. Hoping that will not be the case. I’m hoping that what Ruby told Oscar from Chapter 5 will be brought back into hindsight later.

Perhaps there will come a time where, even for a brief moment, Ruby just breaks down and loses all hope. And in a surprising twist, it’s Oscar as the one to remind her of the very words she spoke to him from this episode because he now believed in her.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Haters be like...Ruby doesn’t need Oscar to inspire her cause she’s inspired by the people she cares about. That’s the thing; Ruby has shown to care about Oscar too so it’s safe to say that she likes him enough to consider him another cherished life she needs to fight for.

That being said let Oscar be a sort of shining beacon that inspires Ruby to regain herself in the same manner she has inspired others around her, including him. Or even better:

I just realized something. Oscar’s full name is Oscar Pine. Pine is a type of wood. A spark is essentially like a flame that continues to burn.

Isn’t wood not a kind of material used to keep a fire burning?

If Ruby possesses a spark, then let Oscar possess the fuel that keeps her burning at her brightest. Whether it’s through motivational words or actions of selfless bravery, let him be her support. I’m just saying.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2017)

#rwby #rwby volume 5 #oscar pine #ruby rose #oscar and ruby #rwby volume 5 chapter 5 #oscar and ozpine #ruby and ozpin #rwby musings

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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Warrior Season 2 Episode 7 Review: If you Wait by the River Long Enough…

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This Warrior review contains spoilers.

Warrior Season 2 Episode 7

This episode picks up right where the last one left off – Young Jun (Jason Tobin), Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), and Hong (Chen Tang) return from their successful mission to face Father Jun’s (Perry Young) wrath.

The Jun father-son relationship has been trying since the beginning, and it comes to a head when Father Jun blackballs his son from the Hop Wei with a ritual to ‘burn’ him out. Hop Wei members show their loyalty with branded forearms, so Father Jun burns out Young Jun’s brand with what appears to be the flat side of red-hot sword tip.

It’s a brutal ritual and bothersome to anyone who knows swords. No one ever does this. Swords are heat treated so getting one red hot like that would spoil the temper of the blade. In Warrior’s defense, all we get is the tip so it might not be a sword at all. Maybe it’s a special sword-tip-shaped branding iron just for burning out blackballed members of the Hop Wei Tong.

Nevertheless, the ritual leaves Father Jun feeling unsatisfied, so he orders the Hop Wei to kill the threesome. But Ah Sahm says his piece in defense of Young Jun’s actions and sways the tong to their side. They all stand down as Young Jun tells his father that “We are honoring your long years of leadership and celebrating your retirement,” and then takes the chair as the head of the Hop Wei. It’s a significant role change, something we’ve been waiting for since Warrior began.

Later the Juns have a heart to heart. Father Jun tells his son to kill him because that’s the way power is transferred in the tong, and even offers to do it himself, implying again the Young Jun is too wimpy. But he refuses patricide, claiming he wants to keep his father’s wisdom. Instead, he puts him under constant guard, which is good because Father Jun is too interesting of a character to kill off just yet.

Prostitutes, Cops, Politicians and the Weapon Dealer

Ah Toy (Olivia Cheng) and Nellie (Miranda Raison) get it on in Ah Toy’s bordello, and the irony of their tryst location isn’t lost on either of them. In a moment of post-coital bliss, Ah Toy opens up to Nellie, revealing her tragic backstory. Her husband was a silk vendor who was murdered on the boat when they were travelling to America, forcing Ah Toy to become the captain’s concubine to save herself from being passed around by the whole ship’s crew. She confides in Nellie that she has 200 hectares of land outside of Chinatown but because she’s Chinese, she’s had to hide her ownership using her token white real estate partner, Patterson (Frank Rautenbach). Nellie suggests that she take over as Ah Toy’s Caucasian partner and shares her frustration with one particularly nasty group of sex traffickers who run a sadistic rival brothel. Ah Toy asks Nellie to show her where they are on a map.

Warrior: The Historical Inspiration for Nellie Davenport

By Gene Ching

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Best Martial Arts Movies on Netflix Right Now

By Gene Ching

In court, O’Hara (Kieran Bew) testifies against Zing (Dustin Nguyen). Zing is sentenced to be hanged at San Quentin. San Quentin is California’s oldest prison, established in 1852. It lies north of San Francisco, only 20 miles away by the Golden Gate bridge, but much farther in the time that Warrior is set because the bridge didn’t open until 1937. Nevertheless, it’s a timely and appropriate reference. Although Warrior is fictional, it reverently references a tumultuous time in American history with ample liberties taken.

After the trial, Leary (Dean Jagger) corners O’Hara and calls him out on rumors he’s heard about him working for Zing, but O’Hara covers quickly by saying that it was a ruse so he could get closer to his target. Later, Mayor Blake (Christian McKay) honors O’Hara and the Chinatown police squad for catching the swordsman. After that, it’s Buckley’s (Langley Kirkwood) turn to corner Leary after the speeches. Knowing Leary has the Irish vote, he tries to sway him into politics.

Leary returns to the Banshee and boxes some poor bloke in the back alley. Sophie (Celine Buckens) shows up and breaks Leary’s focus, so his opponent connects with some good punches. But Leary gathers his composure and knocks his opponent out, then runs to Sophie. She regrets the Mercer bombing. Leary mentions his chat with Buckley, and Sophie also encourages him into politics because she realizes he has the Irish vote too.

Ah Sahm places an order for a lot hatchets and other weapons with Chao (Hoon Lee). Chao comments on Young Jun usurping the Hop Wei, insinuating that Ah Sahm had a bigger hand in it that he claims. After noticing Chao’s injuries, Ah Sahm counters by implying Chao had a hand in Zing’s bust, knowing full well it was all a set up. Ah Toy is the real swordswoman and Ah Sahm joined her for some of the revenge murders. Chao dodges the question like always, claiming his father said, “Wait by the river and the bodies will come floating by.” Ah Sahm retorts by saying Sun Tzu said this but this is a common mistake.

The real quote comes from a mistranslation of Confucius. While observing a river, Confucius said “Time is like this, no matter day or night.” However, the characters he used for “time” can also mean ‘corpse’ and over time, the translation became misconstrued in English. Whether that mistranslation goes as far back as the period when Warrior is set is unknown, but the quote is bandied about in martial circles for years and is commonly attributed to Sun Tzu or as some samurai wisdom.

Slicing Up Sex Traffickers

Ah Toy and Lai (Jenny Umbhau) raid a dirty brothel where the girls are kept in a dungeon filled ankle-deep water. It’s one of those sets that looks cool but is too absurd. Why would you keep prostitutes in standing water? Not only would that be a petri dish for disease in an already unhealthy environment, given San Francisco weather, there’s no way that would be anything but freezing cold.

Nevertheless, it’s the big dose of Kung Fu for this episode so we won’t quibble. It’s a lot of shadowing sword play where both Ah Toy and Lai get to shine as they slice and dice the sex traffickers. Much of it is shot from a bird’s eye view, giving an artsy angle to a very carnal and sanguineous battle. Lai tortures one of the traffickers before killing him which gives Ah Toy pause.

Later, Ah Toy visits Nellie’s winery refuge to deliver the women she and Lai rescued. She leaves Lai there too. It’s a major bummer. This better not be the end of Lai. Umbhau is a talented martial artist and brings some much-needed genuine Kung Fu action to Warrior. Hopefully, this won’t be her final appearance in the show, but the scene has the feeling as if she’s being written out for a few episodes.

The next day, O’Hara and his squad find the bodies and realize it’s death by sword. The cop that was first on the scene offers to keep his mouth shut if O’Hara recommends him for a promotion. O’Hara consents and he and his men clean the mess up and hide the evidence that would blow their framing of Zing. But Lee (Tom Weston-Jones) has his suspicions too. When he returns the incriminating stolen watch that O’Hara planted on Zing to Timmon’s widow (Michelle Douglas), she reveals that O’Hara had been there before the raid. Lee realizes that O’Hara poached the watch.

After Ah Toy tells Patterson that she’s transferring ownership of her properties, he goes to confess to a Priest (Lawrence Joffe). But the Priest is dirty. He takes an offering from Patterson through the confessional window, revealing that his hand is conspicuously missing a finger. The Priest sends Patterson to a slaughterhouse to meet two brutish butchers who are now presumably hired to exact revenge for Patterson. The death of Ah Toy would transfer her properties to him, and he’s already used them for investment collateral. Butcher hitmen sound very promising.

The Body Comes Floating By

Mayor Blake is called out in a Gentleman’s Club by Merriweather (Andre Jacobs) about Penny’s (Joanna Vanderham) use of Chinese labor. He is caught unaware that Penny had approached Merriweather earlier about a deal for Mercer Steel. Mercer is supplying steel for Merriweather’s buildings. The Panic of ’73 is brought up which places the time period of Warrior within the early years of the Great Depression. Blake’s loss of face at the club sets up an unbelievably bad night for Penny.

Leary walks Sophie near to home and before they part, Penny sees them together. When Sophie comes in, she and Penny argue and Penny kicks her out of the house. Then Blake comes home drunk and starts fighting with Penny about the Merriweather deal. He claims it will jeopardize his plans to become governor. Penny tells him to divorce her. Their fight gets physical. Sophie rushes to defend her sister but both women are overpowered by Blake. Straddling Penny, Blake starts choking her out.

This was oddly foreshadowed in this episode by an earlier sex scene where Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) plays some dominance strangulation games with Li Yong (Joe Taslim). As Penny starts to lose consciousness, she is rescued by Jacob (Kenneth Fok), who strikes Blake in the back of the head with a fire iron. With a good chunk of his skull taken out, the Mayor looks dead. It’s a grisly end to a despicable politician, but one well deserved, and the survivors are left to clean up the mess.

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logh-icebergs · 7 years

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Episode 16: A New Tide

Fall 796/487. The Battle of Amlitzer Starzone wraps up as a big win for the Empire and a big loss for the Alliance—though not for Yang’s fleet, which is able to escape mostly unscathed. Reinhard decides to punish Bittenfeld for fucking up royally, but Kircheis convinces him not to, much to the sinister Oberstein’s chagrin. Then, twist! The Kaiser dies of a heart attack! There’s no direct male heir, so a bunch of vaguely related randos jockey for position before it’s decided that the throne will be awarded to Frederich IV’s grandson, the five-year-old Erwin Josef II. Over in the Alliance, Yang is appointed Commander of Iserlohn, where he immediately hires all his misfit friends and co-conspirators to help make Iserlohn the best party fortress in the galaxy. Meanwhile, Reinhard and Kircheis touch each other a lot (in the past and in the present), and Reuental and Mittermeyer, unable to go on a date during an actual battle, FaceTime instead. Annerose actually gets to be happy for once.

Reinhard and Kircheis

There is SO MUCH telling body language in this moment: their hands simultaneously reaching for each other, Reinhard’s lingering touch on Kircheis’s shoulder, Kircheis’s tiny head tilt down... It’s unfair that they can’t just kiss onscreen, isn’t it?

It’s been a couple episodes (and at least a few in-universe weeks) since our central couple have been in the same place at the same time, and you’ll recall they parted on complicated terms. But as has been the case in the past, Reinhard and Kircheis are nothing if not good at compartmentalizing. Kircheis may not approve of Reinhard’s Oberstein-inspired methods of late, but that doesn’t stop him from carrying out his orders to the letter and looking forward to a happy reunion. And Reinhard’s concerns about the tension between them at this point seem only to heighten his relief at Kircheis’s safe and successful return home.

Even during this period of uneasiness between the two of them, Kircheis’s mood at the prospect of seeing Reinhard again is unambiguously positive. And very sweet.

Of course, Reinhard’s public display of intimacy with Kircheis upon his return, however restrained, has the sinister Oberstein on edge, which only increases when Kircheis unabashedly follows Reinhard into his private quarters following his harsh reprimand of Bittenfeld.

Mittermeyer clearly also notices Kircheis unsubtly walking after Reinhard, but he minds his own damn business. (That’s kind of Mittermeyer’s thing, as we’ll see much more of later on.)

But luckily for us, Kircheis cares about what Oberstein thinks exactly as much as is warranted (not at all), so he’s about to exercise some special privileges, and we get to watch.

Influential Kircheis

We’ve heard a lot about Kircheis’s ability to influence Reinhard—Annerose has encouraged it; Oberstein has been wary of it—but until now Kircheis has been almost entirely agreeable, even when he doesn’t agree. If he really does have significant sway over Reinhard, it seems like he’s been playing it pretty close to the vest. Actually, it turns out he’s just been saving up his Influence Reinhard Chips to spend on something worthwhile: what he sees as Reinhard’s callous treatment of a subordinate.

Whenever we get glimpses into the inner workings of Reinhard and Kircheis’s relationship, it’s worth an in-depth examination, and the episode 16 Bittenfeld conversation is a doozy, so get comfortable.

After his first request for Reinhard to reconsider his punishment of Bittenfeld is met with indignation, Kircheis abandons that line of inquiry and moves onto something less direct but more uniquely accessible to him: Reinhard’s emotions.

Yes, it’s a conversation about feelings! There are a few things about this whole scene that make it something only Kircheis can do—the setting, the straightforwardness, his eventual successful persuasion of Reinhard to his way of thinking—but the most pronounced is definitely its subject matter. It’s safe to say that, with the probable exception of Annerose, Kircheis is the only person in the entire galaxy who could initiate a conversation about feelings with Reinhard von Lohengramm and live to tell the tale.

The trouble with dating in the workplace: Once Kircheis has made clear the level of intimacy necessary to having this conversation, Reinhard gets annoyed that he’s still using such an official form of address (kakka).

Of course Kircheis being Kircheis, the least formal address he can muster is Reinhard-sama, but here at Icebergs we don’t believe in kinkshaming. Let your freak flag fly, Kircheis!

Kircheis proceeds to perform some highly accurate armchair psychology on Reinhard, and posits that the true object of Reinhard’s anger is not Bittenfeld but (gasp!) Reinhard himself. This, of course, pisses Reinhard off but only because of how true it is, proving yet again that he is among the most relatable characters in LoGH.

Reinhard’s adorably self-contained mini-tantrum, above, fazes Kircheis literally not at all, which I find to be super touching—Kircheis says something that he knows will get under Reinhard’s skin, and then makes it clear that it’s safe for Reinhard to process that emotion openly in his presence. He’ll wait. Also worth noting is that, while Reinhard expresses anger and frustration in public quite frequently (as we’ll see far more of in the future), usually whoever is unlucky enough to be standing near him at the time becomes anything between wary and downright terrified, as can be seen in these moments from episode 15:

It’s to be expected that the random low-level officer above on the left would flinch spectacularly at Reinhard’s, um, amazing line there, but even the pathologically stoic Oberstein is not immune to standing slack-jawed in the presence of Reinhard’s fury. Kircheis, who has been Reinhard’s constant companion for a decade, knows what to expect from Reinhard and is not even a little bit afraid of him. I imagine Reinhard must find that very comforting.

When Kircheis gets to the point of why he followed Reinhard in the first place, he does finally lose his composure a bit—and for Kircheis, as I’ve discussed, a bit of lost composure goes a long way.

Kircheis’s general affect is one of carefully controlled size and strength. This is only the second time we’ve seen him lose his cool, and just like when he did in episode 9 (below), his impassioned movement fills the screen far more than his usual calmness does.

Emotionally unrestrained Kircheis can barely be contained by your TV screen.

Whether it’s his unleashed passion or his reasoning that does it, Kircheis is able to convince Reinhard, and after letting the anger flow through him for a bit, Reinhard calms down enough to admit that Kircheis is right, and he shouldn’t punish Bittenfeld. Reinhard starts to walk away, then turns back to ask Kircheis something, and we are blessed with what is definitely one of the top ten softest moments in all of LoGH:

Soft-eyes Reinhard is a gift among gifts, we are not worthy. This exchange is just so sweet and pure, I love these two boys.

Supportive Kircheis

Episode 16 is All About Kircheis... with respect to his relationship with Reinhard, of course. We’ve already seen how Kircheis is able to exercise his much-talked-about Influence Over Reinhard, and now it’s time to delve deeper into another aspect of their dynamic: Kircheis as emotional protector.

Given the toll Kaiser Friedrich IV has taken on Reinhard’s life, you might expect for him to be happy when the Kaiser suddenly drops dead of a heart attack, but this is Reinhard, so you’d be wrong. Instead, Reinhard is profoundly frustrated that he doesn’t get to deliver some kind of appropriately cruel killing blow himself against the man who bought Annerose ten years ago. Kircheis, too, is frustrated, but for a different reason.

Kircheis’s nod here is ambiguous: At first glance he obviously agrees with Reinhard because of Annerose’s mistreatment at the hands of the late Kaiser. But his feelings are more complicated that that because, as always, he filters them through his feelings for Reinhard.

In response to Reinhard’s angry musings, Kircheis has a brief but frankly kind of incredible memory in which he fails the Reinhard-Bechdel Test so dramatically that I again feel kind of awful for intruding on what are clearly very private thoughts. Kircheis’s memory fills in an apparent blank in the episode 4 flashback, and is below basically in its entirety:

Contextually, it would make sense for Kircheis to be remembering the 15-year-old Annerose being taken away to become the Kaiser’s concubine—it’s what Reinhard was just talking about, after all. But Annerose only gets just enough screen time to confirm that yes, she’s the one in the car that Reinhard and Kircheis are chasing after.

Instead, both the camera and Kircheis are focused on how devastated Reinhard is. Kircheis doesn’t flash back to losing Annerose—he remembers supporting Reinhard (physically, even!) through the trauma of him losing Annerose. Of course Kircheis is angry at the Kaiser for what he did to Annerose: Annerose was basically family for the short time that they were neighbors, and besides, it was a really objectively fucked up thing that happened to her. But the emotion that shows on his face when Reinhard bemoans his missed chance to personally murder the Kaiser is not about Annerose; it is, as always, about Reinhard.

And when Kircheis accompanies Reinhard to his long-awaited reunion with Annerose, the camera again tells us what we already know: Kircheis’s emotions, conveyed via a close-up of his tear-filled eyes, are in response to Reinhard finally getting his sister back.

Iserlohn, assemble!

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the galaxy, people are actually having fun instead of being sad, angry, and vengeful. We’ll learn a LOT more about the ins and outs of life on Alliance-occupied Iserlohn, but suffice it to say that I (Elizabeth) want to live there, and specifically if anyone can figure out some way for me to go drinking at a gay bar with Dusty, I would ask that you please let me know.

Anyway, newly-minted Admiral Yang is now officially in charge of Iserlohn, so it falls to him to appoint all the usual suspects to important positions under his command—Dusty, Schenkopp, Frederica, and of course Poplan and Konev all get special mention.

Work it, Poplan!

Earlier in the episode, we see Yang and the, uh, gang seeing Cazellnu off at the airport—despite it not actually being his fault, he’s been banished to a remote frontier planet as punishment for the Alliance falling victim to Reinhard’s aggressive starvation tactic back in episodes 13 and 14—and Yang takes the opportunity to casually ask his friends to work for him in an official capacity when they get to Iserlohn.

We also see some great (as usual) Alliance streetwear, as well as Cazellnu’s wife, Hortence, who has finally blessed us with her presence. Rebecca is sure to talk more about her in the future. Possibly more than is strictly necessary.

There’s a nice little bit of exposition in the background of this scene that’s conveyed, like so much else in LoGH, through facial expressions: Listening to Yang start to fill out the roster of people he’s taking to Iserlohn, Julian’s face betrays his fear that he might not be among them.

This isn’t the last time Julian telegraphs his emotions to the viewer without saying anything, so make sure to keep a close eye on his expressions, especially when the camera makes a big point of it like it does here.

This potential drama is resolved off-screen, but seeing the worry on Julian’s face at the airport makes the reveal that he did get to come along after all a really sweet moment.

Julian and Gensui are ready to be photographed for the Winter 796 Sears Christmas Catalog cover.

Stray Tidbits

What the hell kind of anime bullshit is going on in Phezzan?? I neither know nor care.

These buildings look like they were designed by Dr. Seuss.

Two things: First of all, I love that Reuental and Mittermeyer check in with each other after a battle. We don't see anyone else do this for non-essential reasons, and it's adorable. Second of all, the loop on this gif cracks me up. Mittermeyer is 5+ inches shorter than Reuental; you can't just copy and paste their chairs!

So did Mittermeyer get a tiny chair in order to make him look Reuental's height, or did Reuental get a huge chair to make himself look small? Future historians can only guess.

#Legend of Galactic Heroes #Legend of the Galactic Heroes #author: Elizabeth #Empire #Alliance #Reinhard #Kircheis #holding hands #Iserlohn #Julian

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ganymedesclock · 7 years

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Voltron Character Study: Zarkon

[read more analyses like these here]

I promised you guys one of these shindigs ages ago so let’s do this, everyone’s favorite (??) scary space turtle warlord. Sphinx? Everybody talks about the galra being cats and no one accuses Zarkon of being a sphinx. What’s up with that, guys.

I’m getting off topic.

So Zarkon’s a big old enigma to us in some regards, even after s1e11′s big revelation that he’s the prior Black Paladin. I was hesitant to really crank out a post like this, with so much of Zarkon’s significant backstory still ambiguous to us.

One thing would seem to be pretty clear, however: at some point, between his tenure as Black Paladin and becoming Emperor of the Known Universe, Zarkon survived some grievous, traumatic event.

A lot of things point to this. The scar on his face, his counterpart on Team Voltron’s side being Shiro (also defined as a survivor, also bearing physical and psychological scars from a traumatic incident), and, most damningly, Black’s recollection of the destroyed and ruined planet that both Zarkon and his former Lion called home. Also, when Zarkon speaks to Alfor in Allura’s flashback in the first episode, we see that long before he would have any reason to use quintessence to avoid aging, he has the telltale glowing violet eyes.

This would suggest that Zarkon’s initial ventures in quintessence weren’t to prolong his life against any natural factors- but rather, quite possibly to preserve him in the face of mortal injury.

This is significant, because it would seem to offer part of what Allura considers the dark history of the paladins- at some point, Zarkon was heavily injured, possibly at the same time his home planet was ravaged, and the other members of the team, for some reason, were not there for him. Haggar, seemingly, was- her presence being suggested by the fact that Zarkon was infused with quintessence when he abundantly does not know how to utilize it himself- relying on Haggar’s guidance, and her subordinate druids, to use it.

However, despite an Altean being there for him, Zarkon came away utterly despising Altea, and Alfor in particular. If Olkarion was the original planet of the Green Lion as seems to be implied, then it’s noteworthy that Olkarion was seemingly ignored by the galra for many years before a relatively recent takeover (Lubos does not seem particularly old) and, in general, that Olkarion was intact- when Zarkon obliterated not only Altea but every planet in its system. It would suggest more than the other paladins, Zarkon carried a grudge almost exclusively towards Alfor, the Yellow Paladin. Considering the domain of the Yellow Lion is support, protection, and a “caretaker” role heavily emphasized by Hunk- this would further suggest that Zarkon was heavily injured, and that regardless of the actual situation, he came away with the impression that Alfor abandoned him.

Something also caused Black to completely reject Zarkon, seemingly to the point that she experiences pain at his trying to use their connection, and that she would empathize with Shiro, who experienced his trauma as a prisoner of Zarkon’s.

Many questions remain. And there’s much of Zarkon’s early life, before becoming a paladin, that is unknown. He seems to have been close enough to Alfor that when Black arrived on his planet, Alfor was who he called for help. He was the king of the galra seemingly by birthright before he was a conqueror, and seemingly, a good king once, considering the profile of the Black Paladin. This would suggest he’s been royalty his entire life, but under what circumstances is unclear.

Remnants of a Paladin

As far as Zarkon has come from his seemingly noble past self, it’s worth noting that he has not been able to break with his history to the point that it is not very obvious where he came from.

The Black Paladin is stated as a sure and decisive leader, one who is followed without question and trusted for guidance. Simply- someone who others look to in a point of crisis, rather than someone who is followed only when named as leader. And it is worth noting that, while Zarkon can often seem horribly abrasive, this is not the relationship many of his people have with him.

To those who only engage with Zarkon at a distance, he’s viewed as an ideal. Varkon, a very duty-bound individual who prides himself in, and prioritizes his work, seems to look to Zarkon as his personal hero. Ulaz states that the galra believed, for a long time, that Zarkon would bring them peace and stability.

At a distance, Zarkon is inspiring, uplifting, a cultural and social icon to the galra. He is their beacon of hope and certainty. Very likely, this kind of force of personality, and charisma, has been a fixture of Zarkon since the very beginning.

During the forging of the Black Lion, we see Alfor as dedicated, focused on his work, but also looking up at Zarkon optimistically. He has no misgivings or doubts with the Black Lion bonding to Zarkon. Even after the fact, Allura describes the Black Paladin in glowing, admirable terms- and Zarkon, the first Black Paladin, would be the one to codify those traits.

Zarkon in the past seems to have been very much like Shiro. Born under high expectations, as royalty- quiet, noble, and trustworthy. Someone looked up to as a guiding light. And while he’s fallen, now, much of that reputation remains- in the people that view him from afar.

Trauma and control

During the astral plane fight, Shiro states that Zarkon is no paladin any more, and specifically accuses him in lacking trust. This statement rings pretty dang true if we look at the pattern of how and when Zarkon attacks people, or marks them for immediate removal and destruction.

What has atrophied in Zarkon is his ability to trust others. An essential skill for the Black Paladin- considering the inherent vulnerability in forming the head and body of Voltron. The head and torso carry the brain and all other vital organs. However, it is incredibly difficult for the head and body to protect itself without limbs. With the most to lose, the Black Paladin is arguably the most reliant on the team. After all, someone whose primary quality is a leader is someone whose qualities only shine in a group. When isolated, one of their main strengths is completely inaccessible.

And Zarkon... can’t do that. He really can’t. As loathe as he is to micromanage- we see that he lashes out with incredible force at anyone who seems to act in a way he can’t control. Even his strong, noteworthy faith in Haggar is conditional- it’s set to the fact that in direct confrontations, Haggar will back down before she argues with Zarkon.

Zarkon only feels safe when anything he doesn’t like, anything he disagrees with, can be shot down. Facing his enemies, Zarkon is unnervingly calm, even sort of grand-paternally affable in his battle against Keith- as long as he feels like his victory is assured, and that his superior force and skills will destroy his foes. As soon as he feels that control threatened, his patience and composure go out the window.

If this sounds familiar, it should, for good reason. Zarkon and Shiro effectively have the same trigger, in loss of control, and they both tend to respond by tensing up and getting hostile. Shiro’s response to Sendak triggering him is to flush Sendak out of the Castle.

As I have mentioned in Shiro’s analysis (under “Balance and the Black Paladin”) Shiro and Zarkon share a conflict between control and openness. While Shiro actively tends to fight his need for control, making specific statements and decisions to put the group first, even to the extent that he can be too selfless- Zarkon has spiraled so deeply into his need for control that it is almost impossible to spend time in Zarkon’s presence without setting him off.

Consider Haggar, and her comment of “...Clearly, I’ve overstepped myself.” Haggar and Zarkon appear to be very close. Lotor, Zarkon’s son, has not only many Altean traits but also closely resembling Haggar, suggesting their relationship might even be intimate enough that they’ve borne children together.

Haggar is also easily powerful enough to be Zarkon’s equal in every conceivable way. The empire may only acknowledge Zarkon as their emperor, but Haggar is the hidden empress. Without Haggar, Zarkon would die- and even with Zarkon injured, the empire is not remotely dissolving with Haggar still in power. However, in practice- Haggar remains without a title. In practice, she obsequiously observes his title, frames herself as an advisor rather than another ruler.

That Haggar has as much power as Zarkon does, if not more through her having direct power over his life, is an elephant in the room, because the only way Haggar and Zarkon can continue to comfortably coexist is that Zarkon is convinced she is firmly under his power.

Zarkon is traumatized to an extreme that he cannot tolerate an equal, and so the one equal he still has is one that has mastered the art of playing subordinate. Of carefully preserving that deferential distance- and withdrawing, remorseful, when she asserts the reality of their closeness.

The Limbless Tyrant

So Zarkon can only feel safe and comfortable if he feels in control. And it seems, leaving his trauma to fester, Zarkon has spent the last ten thousand years feeding that control to the exclusion, and detriment, of all else. Altea, the initial wound in his eyes, is ground into dust under his heel- but what of the others? After all, he once sided with Altea against a greater enemy.

Zarkon knowing Voltron’s strength, and knowing how it felt to have four other people who always had his back, his team- being a Black Paladin in his prime- after having taken down Alfor and the other three Paladins of old, Zarkon’s fear of lack of control would suddenly set in.

What if he needed them? That power he once had, not the Lions, but, those allies?

That’s unacceptable. He can’t doubt himself. If he does, if he expresses guilt- that would require coming to a point of helplessness, that he cannot bring them back from what he’s done to them. Even if he could, he could never make them trust him once again.

And yet, he also cannot let go of his own history, of what once was his. He keeps the Black Bayard. The design of his armor has changed relatively little from his pre-Paladin days, with Alfor, to his tenure as ruler of the known universe. He can’t turn back, but he can’t let go of that desire for closeness. Quite possibly, wounded and traumatized, part of him wants to confide in others and be able to let down his guard, but, irrationally, he cannot bring himself to open that vulnerability- something he considers “weakness”, and weakness is wholly unacceptable.

So Zarkon digs further and further into aggressive military buildup. He creates his empire, trains it, pushes himself against others. Rather than remaining a single specialized entity whose weaknesses are checked and accommodated by other members of his team, Zarkon overspecializes. It has been pointed out several of Zarkon’s bayard forms resemble the bayards used by the other paladins- suggesting, quite possibly, Zarkon wields the bayard forms of his own, fallen team.

As the conqueror, as the victor- he takes their weapons for his own use, insisting as he does that he doesn’t need the other people there to use those weapons.

It’s an ultimately self-destructive path, in stark contrast to the morals pushed by Voltron itself, interconnection and trust. Zarkon has stocked everything in making himself virtually unstoppable on his own, digging deeper and deeper into dangerous, risky procedures to make himself stronger. In practice, in the Astral Plane battle between him and Shiro, he utterly decimates the latter rather quickly.

However, Zarkon still loses without saving grace, even if he’s able to seize Shiro by the throat and strangle him one-handed.

Because Shiro, a proper Black Paladin- doesn’t fight alone. Because someone has Shiro’s back.

Because even as much as Haggar still cares for Zarkon, and wants to protect him- ordering the druids to limit Zarkon’s exposure and protesting against his overuse of the ritual when it clearly takes a toll on him, not wanting to give him the armor until she knows it won’t kill him- remaining by his side when he’s injured and even risking her own life on his behalf- that doesn’t matter. Zarkon is still completely alone, because putting Haggar in his blind spot and actually fighting with her would acknowledge her as an equal, and it would also acknowledge he has a blind spot in the first place.

Quite possibly, Zarkon could not tolerate such a thing because the last time someone was watching his back, they let him fall, and his staunch refusal to ever try that again has prevented him from having any meaningful counter-experience. Admitting he needs Haggar is admitting that he’d be in danger without her- that she’s in a place to potentially betray him.

The absence of the Dark Paladins

While Zarkon and Shiro are clear echoes of one another, and Haggar and Allura appear to be emerging as another set of villain-and-hero counterparts, it would seem, at a glance, very odd that a show so focused on the team dynamic of the main heroes would not put forth any other villainous counterparts.

However, season 3 promises the arrival of Lotor- a charismatic, scrawny underdog character who seems to be a total unknown in the empire. That Haggar sends for him at the end of season 2 tells us she knew exactly where he has been this entire time.

Lotor is almost certainly an echo of one of the four remaining paladins. Personally, I see him as very likely Lance’s counterpart- a “dark” Blue Paladin. And it’s quite possible other counterparts are going to come out of the woodwork as time goes on, especially if I’m right in my guess of Lotor- because the Blue and Yellow paladins are those whose focus is heavily within the team, and Lotor promises new allies for the empire.

But I don’t think it’s a coincidence this happens while Zarkon is bedridden, and seemingly removed from decision making.

Once again- Zarkon is suffering from the loss of the other paladins. The build of the Black Paladin is vulnerable without the team, but as much as Zarkon wants to retake Voltron, it’s ultimately a futile dream even outside of if he does kill the current paladins and take the Lions.

Black can’t work for him because he can’t trust her. And he could never put up four other paladins. There almost certainly already is four worthy rivals to the paladins within the empire. But Zarkon would never choose them, and if anything, he would probably try to drive them away from him as fast as possible.

That one of them would appear to be his own son- the son Zarkon has never acknowledged onscreen- is significant to me.

In Summary

Zarkon is a powerful person, once noble and charismatic, now marked primarily by a complete lack of trust and unchecked pursuit of control at any cost. While he wants to capture Voltron and reinstate himself as Black Paladin, he seems to have actively driven away any other replacement paladins within his empire, and his underlying fear and trauma have both atrophied his relationships and left him vulnerable for his lack of ability to utilize those bonds.

#voltron legendary defender #vld #Zarkon #Voltron character study #readmore #it lives!!!!! it lives!

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laytonscreencaps · 7 years

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Character Spotlight: Amelia Ruth

The 2,000+ word analysis of Amelia's character and role in Eternal Diva that no one asked for. Watching Eternal Diva beforehand would be helpful, but it’s not necessary if you're fairly familiar with the plot. Enjoy~

Some Background

At only 16 years of age (according to the World of Professor Layton Fanbook), Amelia Ruth is a British Chess Champion, naturally gifted at the game. She is invited to the Eternal Kingdom opera by Oswald Whistler under the pretense of Whistler wishing talented young girls to enjoy the opera in place of his deceased daughter, Melina. In actuality, Whistler invites girls like Amelia in hopes of finding a suitable host for his daughter's memories.

The name "Amelia" is a variant of "Amalia" which itself comes from the German "Amala" derived from the German "amal" meaning 'work'. The name connotes industriousness, someone who strives.

"Ruth" originates from Middle English, a rather rare, archaic word nowadays, which means sorrow, pity, compassion, (and even older) regret, repentance, or remorse. So, basically the opposite of ruthless.

Both fitting names. As we will see, Amelia stands out as one of the most determined players in Descole's game, focusing her attention almost exclusively on solving puzzles. In this way, she could be said to be a hard worker, tackling the task of winning eternal life with great concentration and mental effort.

Although cold at first, her concern for her granddad, for Layton and co, and finally, Melina reveal her to be a compassionate individual as her last name would suggest. The impending loss of her granddad also adds an element of sorrow to her character and her motive. Perhaps there is even an element of regret in the fact that, in the end, she is not able to save her granddad.

Her outfit (which could very well be a school uniform) stands in contrast to the formal attire of most of the other contestants, labeling her as a student and perhaps hinting at her practicality and studiousness.

Notice her tie is clipped and tucked into her skirt. There is nothing loose or extraneous about her attire, save for her ribbon, nothing that would provide a distraction. Even her hair is pulled back in a tight braid. There is a trim, professional severity to her outfit, but her boots and over-sized ribbon are more personal touches that add a splash of character. The ribbon hints at a more delicate side and the fact that, despite her intelligence and drive, Amelia is still fairly young. The boots? Your guess is as good as mine, but they're adorable.

Very interesting that her color palette is mainly warm, with her yellow-orange skirt, red tie and bow, and pale blonde hair. Orange, especially, is a very energetic, lively color which is a real contrast with Amelia's solemn personality.

Like her attire, Amelia's dialogue is trim and terse, consisting mostly of questions.

"Puzzle-solving?"

We first see Amelia watching the Eternal Kingdom opera from the audience. She is shown right after a performer holds aloft the elixir of eternal life. This action immediately gains Amelia's full attention. She is visibly moved by the sight of it and absolutely fixated. Did Amelia know about the rumors of gaining eternal life prior to the opera? This reaction suggests she did. In fact, it implies that this elixir was the primary reason she decided to attend the opera.

Layton's narration of the opera might also apply to Amelia's own situation to some degree.

"The people of the kingdom adored their queen.

But one day, she fell terribly ill.

Her people tried everything to save her.

But they did not succeed."

It may be a bit of a stretch, but I can't help but see elements and foreshadowing of Amelia's own quest to save her ailing grandfather in this brief narrative.

It's significant that Amelia solves the first puzzle even before Layton and co. Here, the first hints of her sharp intellect and dedication to saving her grandfather are seen. As a chess prodigy, Amelia is undoubtedly a very logical thinker adept at examining problems from different angles and ruling out faulty solutions, often under the pressure of the clock. It makes sense that she would be a quick puzzle-solver.

“The largest crown?”

Like the rest of the remaining contestants, Amelia is initially stumped by the second puzzle (this part also reveals her habit of tugging at her hair when she's thinking. Not that significant to the movie, but I love when characters are given small quirks like this). With perhaps some help from Luke's outburst, she makes her way to the life-boats and boards with Layton and Luke.

“You're the one who shouted out the ship's name and yet you still don't get it?”

The first time Amelia addresses another character is when she questions Luke about being unable to figure out the puzzle's solution. This line comes across as cold and even condescending. Amelia doesn't even make eye-contact with Luke as she speaks. Perhaps she is annoyed that Luke, a mere child, was able to figure out the answer before her, despite the fact that he doesn't quite understand it himself. Maybe there’s a bit of a know-it-all in her. Or perhaps she is simply curious, but her serious, distant nature makes the question sound harsher than she intends. Maybe a combination of all three.

At any rate, this question draws Layton's attention to her and we learn some background. Amelia is very tight-lipped herself. Unlike most of the other contestants, she does not yet reveal her reason for seeking eternal life. In fact, the only thing she reveals herself is her name in answer to Layton's, "Miss, uh...?". Her reply is terse and might indicate she is uncomfortable/embarrassed being addressed as “Miss” (or being addressed by a stranger at all). Notice she refrains from answering the other questions addressed to her. She is very private about her reasons for attending the opera.

It’s a small scene, but effectively establishes Amelia as private, quiet, guarded, and a little cold. It also establishes her connection with Whistler (important).

“A reward or a new puzzle, perhaps?”

Amelia is always asking questions (most of her dialogue is in the form of questions), always thinking, always observing, always trying to figure out the game and remain one step ahead (because of all this, I'd wager she's probably an INTP). She never engages in idle chitchat with the other contestants, never tries to befriend or introduce herself to anyone, but keeps entirely to herself unless it relates to one of the puzzles. Amelia has clearly come to win and she rules out most interactions as irrelevant and a mere distraction to her goal. Of course, I'm sure her being an introvert also contributes to her wanting to keep to herself.

Amelia is skeptical about the food Descole lays out for the contestants on Ambrosia, guessing that it's probably another puzzle. While the other contestants are understandably hungry and relieved at the sight of the feast, Amelia still has the game at the forefront of her mind. To her, the food is just another layer of distraction, another challenge to be considered analytically. Playing chess takes incredible focus and Amelia has obviously applied the full extent of her ability to do so in Descole's game. This is also seen in Puzzle 003. She immediately catches on to Layton's plan to release the cages and continues to pay attention to his actions, ensuring her group successfully solves the puzzle.

“Mr. Whistler? So you're involved in all this.”

Amelia solves the final puzzle and is the obvious candidate for Descole to choose, seeing as Mr. Whistler had hand-picked her himself. Initially alarmed when she is taken away by Descole's henchman, Amelia regains her composure by the time she is escorted to Descole and Whistler, asking, again, a number of questions in order to get a full grasp on the situation.

“Wait! I don't want Eternal Life! I want to give it to my granddad! He only has a month to live. He should be here. He has to drink the elixir of life!”

Finally, Amelia's motive is revealed and it turns out it is rather a selfless one. She was not playing the game for herself like so many of the other contestants, but her ill granddad. That she suddenly reveals something so private to Whistler highlights her desperation and alarm at this turn of events. Amelia has managed to remain cool and composed throughout the game, even when chased by wolves, but now, having come so far, she begins to panic when things don't go the way she imagined. At this point, Amelia abruptly switches from aloof contestant who has remained ahead of the game, to a frightened young girl in a situation spiralling out of her control.

Some might argue this is another case of a female character in the Layton series becoming a helpless damsel, but the tense unraveling of this scene as Mr. Whistler goes from speaking kindly to Amelia, trying to convince her to accept her "prize", to having her restrained by Descole's henchmen as he stoically approaches with the creepy helmet helps to establish his own desperation and how consumed he has become with the notion of preserving his daughter eternally. The whole scene, music and all, significantly raises the stakes. Amelia's realization, too, that she has failed to procure a means of saving her granddad catches her off guard and for a time she loses her ability to think clearly. In this way, we get to see another side to her character. The scene serves several specific purposes, then.

There is also an interesting parallel between Amelia and Whistler, here. Both have become ensnared in Descole's game in order to preserve the life of a loved one and in this scene both reveal their true intentions somewhat abruptly. Of course, the difference is Amelia sought to do so simply by winning the game fairly, while Whistler was ready and willing to sacrifice one daughter in exchange for his own in order to achieve his goal.

Something else interesting. Amelia is obviously a very logical and practical individual. Why would she ever believe in the elixir of life to begin with? She may be a genius at chess, but Amelia is still fairly young and her granddad's time is very short. It's very possible she researched other, more conventional, ways to extend his life, but failed and became desperate as her granddad's illness worsened. That she was willing to attempt so risky a method reveals how much she loves him and desires to save him. The two no doubt shared a close relationship and perhaps her granddad was even the one who raised her.

“We have to help them!”

After being rescued, Amelia slips into the background as the climax unfolds. She remains a part of the group until the end, not having any dialogue, apart from two significant lines. After Descole destroys the Detra-Gigant and it begins to self-destruct she races after the machines along with Emmy and co exclaiming, "We have to help them!" How exactly she intends to help, probably not even she knows, but this is one of her most emotional lines in the entire movie. Despite how cold and focused she can be, Amelia does genuinely care for others and feels a drive to help them even in situations beyond her control.

“I'll remember, as well.”

By Amelia's final line she has returned to her quiet, pensive self. Janice vows to remember Melina “for always” and Amelia quietly states that she will remember as well. It may not seem it at this point, but Amelia is deeply impacted by Melina's final conversation and farewell to her father. This is seen in the credits. Amelia is shown gazing at her grandfather's grave with a small smile, quite a contrast to how desperate she was to save him earlier. The implication is that she has been able to come to terms with his loss, in part, through Melina’s farewell to her father.

One of the major themes of Eternal Diva is coping with loss. Whistler could not handle the death of his daughter, could not stand the thought of living without her, so he tried to preserve her memories through clearly unjustifiable methods that involved stealing the lives of others. Ironically, his attempts are thwarted by the very person he was trying to save and succeeded in bringing back to life. Despite her love for her father, Melina cannot bear the thought of taking another's life, especially that of her best friend, so she voluntarily departs. She promises she will remain with her father in his heart, or, more specifically, his memories. As long as he remembers her, she lives on in a certain sense. A bittersweet thought, of course, because memories are only a pale shadow of the actual life of a person and can also fade with time. Yet the importance and role of memories remains another significant theme of the movie.

The movie presents memories as ties that can connect individuals both living and deceased, bringing individuals together just as the Eternal Kingdom story brought so many to the island of Ambrosia (remember that it is also Melina's memory, of the Song of the Sea, that brings Ambrosia back). Memories cannot replace a person, but memories of those deceased, through their past actions, words, thoughts, and relationships, can continue to shape and influence lives. It was through memory that the Queen of Ambrosia lived on, through memory that Whistler, Janice and the others promise to honor Melina, and through her memories of her grandfather that Amelia is able to find closure and peace after his death. Again, through this, her own story reflects the larger themes of the movie as well as the story of the Eternal Kingdom.

I think it's notable she's smiling in both credits pictures she's featured in. She never once smiles throughout the entire movie. She's that dedicated and dead-set on saving her grandfather, maybe to the point where winning the game (the most important game she's ever been a part of) has become this mission that's consumed her life. She's put this huge burden on herself, this nearly impossible goal, and by the end of the movie she has started to come to terms with the fact that he won't live forever. Painful, but this realization also allows her to stop pushing herself so hard and find some joy again.

In the end, Amelia is not able to save her grandfather, but by remembering him, she retains a small piece of him, symbolized by the chess piece she puts by his grave. Not only does this piece indicate that her granddad taught (or at least encouraged her love for) chess, but it is a reminder that her granddad will live on in this aspect of her life. The love of chess he helped foster in her will continue to be seen as she plays the game and even teaches others. The memory of his life will continue to influence her own and allow her to grow and, in turn, influence and shape others.

Notice how the events of Eternal Diva have changed all of the contestants in the credits images. Pierre and Ceila appear to be a couple, Marco and Curtis have forged a friendship, and Annie keeps Frederich company in his last days. Amelia did not personally connect with anyone during the game for eternal life. It seems Layton and Luke may have befriended her since the events, but notice how they still remain in the background instead of directly interacting with Amelia. The primary change in Amelia's character relates to a relationship that is gone now, though the effects of this relationship will undoubtedly follow her far into the future.

#professor layton #amelia ruth #eternal diva #character spotlight #thinking about doing one of these character spotlights each month or something because this was a lot of fun #of course I had to start with my daughter #anyway I'm open to suggestions :)

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rarhuk · 7 years

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The Clarification...

( Short story collaboration with @tribeoftrolls. The character’s Shayna and Raji’din belongs and are written by; @tribeoftrolls )

The divided parts of story can be found at the links...

Part one: The Return...

Part two: The Proposition...

Part three: The Diversion...

Part four: The Clarification...

The Clarification: As the two speak, things unravel eventually coming to a close...

“No…” She answered with a small shake to her breath. With him walking away her eyes closed for just a few moments, regaining herself. Listening to him speak his mind of his thoughts as he sought for clarity. Her gaze had opened before he turned to look to her direction.

A few tears had slipped out from the corner of her eyes which she would wipe her eyes with her hands, taking in a sniffled breath as she sighed out. Wiping her hands on her robe, smoothing her hands over the silk fabric and spoke out quickly to answer before she ends up incapable to. “Even if you were alive, at the current age that you are at you would be too young…..a female near your age would be more suitable then someone as I who is approaching their middle age. If in a sense you are close to my age and alive, you would have more of a understanding to take the time to fall in love before asking for such of a commitment.”

He shook his with a slow smirk. “ I would not be young in this age… Even now as I am, and how I behave this world believes me archaic. It is not an age difference that should weigh so heavily on your mind. I am not asking for your love, because as I have spoke before I cannot promise any depth on my own in return. “

“You being a Death Knight is not what turns me away from you. And as for Sandria, I do not hold any disdain toward her. I do not hold any disdain toward you. There is no jealousy. I ask about Sandria because I know how it feels to lose someone, I know how it feels to search for someone. She was searching and I do not know if it was just a passing dream, or an old guilt.” Lifting a hand to fiddle gently with the crescent moon necklace while she spoke.

He gave a quick nod. “ Good.. If you say that is the truth I will take your word for it. “ He paused briefly as she was caressing a certain necklace as if it was habitual in nature, but it was not until recently he had seen this mannerism in her, it was significant in nature. “ A lover, a mate, a child? “ He inquired as Shayna spoke of searching for someone, being motivated by guilt.

“You may of not held attachment in that regard, but my heart still goes out to her from what hurt she gone through from the loss she had endured besides losing you and the safety you gave her. I know this will remain unanswered and that’s what saddens me. I only asked to clarify some things so I do not feel so heavy with those words of…..Find him.” She spoke once more with returned strength in her voice, her tone calm as well as direct to answer his questions.

His brow furrowed with thought. “ Attachment? What do you know of me so far that you would say that to me? What do you know, understand, or comprehend what I hold an attachment to in the regards towards any individual? You have not asked these things, what… saddens me.. “ He intentionally sighed, almost a reflection of what his spiritual brother would do in a case of exasperation. “ You should not be feeling a burden with two words. It could mean anything, speculating will only drive your mind on a pointless pursuit that would be best put in the direction of other concerns. Such as what stands before you…“

She let out her own sigh lifting her hands to rub her face as her own emotions may be causing this whole misunderstanding. Once she removed her hands she spoke once more to try to clarify for him. “I didn’t mean to make it sound like you held no care toward hers, that her passing did not effect you. That you don’t feel sadness when I know you do, you showed it. I am sorry…” Her gaze held sincere apology.

“ When it comes to children,—” She briefly paused as if hesitant before she pressed on. “That is where my heart weeps the most. That is why those two words bother me. To answer your previous question, yes…..I lost not just a child. I…… lost…..many.” She began to cry as she lacked the will power to hold her tears back that began to trail down her full cheeks.

Ra’rhuk seemed confused as she spoke of losing many children. She was of the Zandalari, and there had been many instances from what he understood of where this could have happened where many children were lost. He had seen it with his own people, famine, plagues, sacrifices there could be many reasons as to why. He was careful on his tread with her now due to the tears, the tears seemed to lessen his frustrations with the seeming lack of communication and direction. He had no idea what he could say or do to lessen that burden. He had opened his mouth to speak only to close as she continued on this subject.

“I don’t mean to bring up such things……I been trying to avoid to say anything of this because this is not a topic about children, this is about just gaining a understanding about Sandria so I can let it go. As well as concerns toward you..” She softly cried out as tears spilled from her eyes that she wiped away with the sleeve of her robe. She just went on from there to keep her words going to try to gain a rebound to handling her emotions.

He did not want to cause her to cry again. Ra’rhuk held his questions to himself so she was able to regain composure.

“I denied you because of your approach of proposal is way off in timing. You seek to claim me as a mate. How am I to be a mate toward you when their has been no previous commitments of love between us? Love is a huge factor in this Ra’rhuk. You may not have any riches or lands, but that does not matter to me. What matters is what lies within the heart.” She paused for a moment as she thought on what more to say.

Ra’rhuk eyed her in silence as she spoke upon love, as she in her way had revealed that it did matter to her what he held within him on the emotional level.

“How can you expect me to accept or even consider it when I know my feelings towards you is not the bonds of love? You deny us both that chance to find out by skipping everything else and going right for a promise that is made between two people who are in love. A promise that cannot be held together when a foundation is not built. Love is a very complicated as well as powerful emotion Ra’rhuk, it’s an emotion that surpasses all. It matters not if you are alive or undead, we all do not comprehend the full works of love. Love just happens, love is found unexpectedly. So my question to you is, do you love me?” She was feeling a little nervous for the answer. On one hand if he said no, would it bring any relief? Would he come to a realization of why she denied him given her explanation of the importance of love. After all he said it himself previously when he proposed, that he cannot make promises of love. She wasn’t sure how she would react if he said yes, because as far as she knows or understands of Ra’rhuk is that he does not understand the emotion of love as well as to even endure such a strong emotion. And if his answer is unexpected,…..that is the risk she is taking with asking him the question.

He continued to stand there silently, now one hand stroked upon the furs that were draped upon his arm like a towel at hand if needed. Yet a small change in his stature seemed to slide over him, his gaze did not hold on to hers, rather it locked upon the furs. The quiet drew out for a long time, a really, long, uncomfortable amount of time, so long it may seem like he would never respond at all. The silence stretched out so long and thin one may expect to hear a snap when it finally broke, but it didn’t break with a snap, but a lowered tone of his typical flat voice. “ I cannot say it is love, or out of convenience, or selfish desires to consume what I can from your life before your eventual passing, as far as my motivation of my pursuit is concerned. I have never made promises out of love in life, as I was denied such a chance to vow these promises of devotion. I would have had it, but out of consideration of another’s desires from life I allowed the opportunity to be denied to me. I know of love, Shayna, I can almost taste it upon the air of my memory recall, but it is distant, and as cold as I am now before you. All that lingers from the memories is that which is tainted with pain, and suffering, of things I cannot change. I would spare you that bitter taste, desiring only to give you the promises of what the sweet has to offer… I do not know of the sweetness, I’ve been detached from it for some time. If love gains it power through suffering by a togetherness that over comes , then I have it through those means. If it is through those brief moments of joy that love gains it’s threshold of power into reality, I cannot honestly say to you that I offer you such love, as I know little of it. “ He gently set the fur pelts down upon the back of the sitting cushions, before ushering with a palm upward facing hand.

That silence was almost like an awaiting impending doom. She could hear one of her clocks ticking away in the back round and the longer that silenced remained the louder those ticks and tocks were becoming! He could react in anger, he could react in sadness, there was numerous of ways this could of went down but when he finally spoke she felt like she can breath! While he had spoke she was listening but also quietly crying, the more he spoke the more the tears were slowing so she can truly focus on his words. Rather then her brief of old past sorrow. He had spoken before that clarified that he did not feel love toward her, that he cannot promise love and that was what had jammed the gears of her to even consider it.

“ Do sit, get comfortable. I will not harm you, I merely wish to clarify as much as I am able to. “ He moved around the outer rim slowly settling into one the large cushions that lined the flooring.

She really needed to sit so all it took was one motion of his hand and she was on the move. She sat down in a chair near the fire place, picking up a cloth to wipe her face while sniffling in a few breathes

“ As I spoke earlier of accepting your decline, I still do…Yet, I have not felt heard out. I desire to speak to you on this in depth, so that you can understand why I would do something as this proposal, not out of love as you know it. I have thought on this at great length. Perhaps, it is a reflection of youth ambitions that you perceived it to be. Do understand, I do not intend it to be seen as a gesture as that, only that I do not have any other way of showing you the importance, or depth of worth that I hold you in. It is not a simple yes, or, no answer, it is one of vast complexities as to why I would ask this of you. “ He rubbed to his temple in rolling of his thumb while he thought of how to put this clearly and without room for to question his true intentions.

“ I thought long upon what would be an appropriate gesture for a female of your status amongst any tribe. Stealing a kiss would have been juvenile I do not wish you to think me as this. I may not appear to be any older then my time of death, but I do have more experience then those short years, which do accumulate to make up my construct as you see me now. To remain in your shadow lurking with my thoughts as I have been for some time, was doing you no honor. Speaking plainly with you at times I find difficult as you deflect from conversations, appear to withdraw, or seem wounded from some unknown source. A small gesture in a trinket, or token could not explain the turmoil I feel in your absence, nor the thoughts of you that I carry with me. I decided on something large, something of effort, and to display what lengths I would go to appeal to your needs, even though there are many I cannot find a connection towards within my realm of understanding. It was something to display your worth to me as well. “ He turned his head with a tilt of his chin causing his neck segments to pop and crack, his habitual motion to ease a pressure.

She grimaced a little from those neck popping sounds, she really wanted to help in looking into the old injury to see if she can at least repair it but that would be something to bring up another time.

“ Your reservation is that you feel no attachment, no love towards me… Yet, your gestures and actions over these years I have known you, speak of a love I could not touch in life, nor can I feel as I am. No other female has ever gone to the great lengths to aid me, has reached past these prejudices they hold for my kind, none have smiled at me the way you have, nor regarded me equal as you have done, since I have been risen. What female goes out of their way to allow one such as I, sight to see colors, or to search out the memories for a purpose in this world freely? You want my love, and my thoughts to be of you, you have it in the full extent that I capable of. I will not lie to you, to say it is the same of a living male, or one with full range of emotional connect, but what is there, is yours to have. You do not wish to return it because you are unable, because of what your own perceptions believe and see me to be, you are entitled to it. I accept your wishes, regardless if they leave me with a sense of content, or not, because they are your decisions. I respect them, and you…” He bowed his head once and had offered her a slow smile.

His gaze scanned the room before returning to Shayna once more with a quiet consideration before he spoke up again. “ It was a reckless choice to approach you as I have done… I have been denied in the past, and it was a gamble that could have gone either way. I decided to take the opportunity, to understand my standing in your eyes, and mind set. Although, I was aware from the onset of what your answer would be, that it would not be what I wished to hear. It was a risk I was willing to take by chance I was proven wrong. I do not regret it, as I seized a moment in your life time and made it apart of my presence. I could have just as easily let it slip by without this clarification. Yet, it is a memory I will carry with me, this time with you that could have been lost to the ages. That was all that I could have asked for, and in that you have my gratitude, for what it is worth. “

She had listened to him fully without any means of wanting to disrupt, after all she was getting a handle of past hurts that has been trying to rear it’s ugly head. She was a little surprise that he thought on stealing a kiss from her but he knew better. He did not fall for the temptation which may be a good thing because she had no idea how she would react. The notion was there but he did not try to take from her of stealing a kiss. The more he explained, to try to express of what he is capable of. To have all the cards laid out of his reason to ask her, his considerations and what amount of love that he can feel if any at all. That it was right there to be felt but she was uncertain that she is the one to unravel those obstacles that he is struggling with. To knock down those walls, open the flood gates of deeper emotions. She has alot of set skills but her abilities even have limits as well as knowledge, what if they gone through all this and it was all for nothing? That nothing was sparked, nothing was moved, nothing was understood just constant misunderstandings and frustrations toward one another. She had been frustrated with him and she was sure he was frustrated with her right now. Frustrations to express what one another is not just feeling but the reasons behind all that had transpired this night. Can they really build a relationship with all these misunderstandings and frustrations? The water works were on the rise once more, words that were spoken that caused a rise with her emotions. Her eyes glossy from the tears and tinged with red at the whites from her falling tears, bottom of her eye lids puffy.

“Ra’rhuk..” She breathed out with a crack to her voice.

“ Yes? “ He returned in question as he was not certain if her tone was a request from the change of pitch, or just his name voiced with the labor of previous tears.

Shayna breathing became uneven in hitches from her sobbing, with her eyes brimmed with tears. Reaching out toward him to wrap her arms around his neck and just hug him. Her warm cheek touched to the his shoulder feeling the coolness of touch.

The motion of her reaching out, at first caused him to pause as he was uncertain of the gestures intent, or for him to slowly ease into what she was requesting without words. Ra’rhuk was soon gently guiding her into the embrace as if welcoming her. His arms loosely held around her, clasped at the hands, while resting at the small of her back.

Shayna was to over emotional to speak, her sobbing would release in waves. Still holding to him in a hug as she squeezed before loosening her hold just enough to still hold on.

As Ra’rhuk was squeezed in the hug, he returned the gesture with the same amount of pressure that she had applied, then as she loosened her hold to his neck he did the same in mirror reaction at her lower back. He could not read what caused the uprising of her emotions, but if she so wished for the embrace to ease her mind, he would not deny her it.

Shayna cared for him, but how fair is it for one another where one feels such an attachment to go such great lengths of a risk. The other such as herself, did not hold Ra’rhuk in regards to even consider to have a deeper relation. Her heart also breaking for him due to his own past struggles of what he has gone through but also what he has been enduring. As well as her own personal struggles. She fought long enough against her own emotions, her strength had crumbled away and all she could do in the moment was cry.

After a long while of sobbing did she speak in a soft winded voice. “Can you……allow me…some..time?”

She felt too much of a mess to talk further on this subject, too much for her to bare right now. Alot needed to be absorbed, reflected on, to not feel so unorganized from within. She had not cried this much in a long while, the stress of emotions weighing upon her heart. She was not sure of anything and did not want to make any promises she couldn’t keep. An emotional roller coaster that was taking it’s toll. Her tears had brought fatigue to linger in her eyes.

“ But of course… as much as you need. “ He stated in a lowered tone remaining in place as long as she wished him to be for that support, as well as for the comfort she was looking for in him.

#Ra'rhuk short story #Shayna short story

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