#does this classify as foreshadowing

[vidavalor]

Hey! Sorry if I'm missing something, but I've had the phrase "unexpected quarter" rolling around in my head for a while and I was thinking about "quarter" as a term for "shelter" or "mercy," and how Aziraphale wasn't at all expecting to be out here giving Gabriel shelter and mercy, but he is, and wondering whether that could be foreshadowing - maybe Gabriel will wind up returning the favor somehow. Do you think there's anything to that, or do you think I'm looking at the wrong definition of the word?

Hi @chaoticlivi! Hot chocolate for your Gabriel-themed Ask. *adds marshmallows* 💕 You and me are on the same page with this one and I'll add to your thoughts. (*does happy dance over other people looking at the words* lol)

Quarter is actually the word that The Voice of God uses as an example in Her opening monologue to teach us to do exactly what you're doing-- to look for multiple definitions of words being used. You're doing exactly what the show is suggesting we do, imo.

When The Voice of God opens up the series, She first discusses theories on when the universe was created, which is both for language benefit and also just to help establish that the Earth is only a little over 6,000 years old in the GO universe. When She gets to the bit about the almost-correct theory, She says that it was off by "almost a quarter of an hour," right? Within the same monologue, She then later reads from the horoscope about help coming from "an unexpected quarter." We now have, in a monologue full of language instruction, the same word used twice, in two different ways, and there are a lot of other examples of things like this. It foreshadows that we will see this a lot and tells us to be on the lookout for it.

I wrote a thing about other ways quarter has been used and about how it's pointing towards Gabriel that I'll link down below if you want to check it out but I want to add this into your thoughts because I totally think that Gabriel will be lending shelter and understanding in S3 to Aziraphale.

If Crowley can walk into Heaven and still open up highly classified files and if, as we've seen in the story, he and Aziraphale discovered long ago that angels can do what the demons can and that that the fallen angels still have their old powers and Heaven is lying to them, then they are now, as of the end of S2, in a position to tell other angels and demons this. Crowley already basically told Muriel when he opened the file in front of them. This would then mean that Ol' Purple Eyes is still, in terms of power, The Supreme Archangel of Heaven. Overthrow The Metatron and the being with the most individual power is Gabriel (who also, honestly, seems like a being about ready to democratize the fuck out of that situation lol.)

In 1.01, The Voice of God re-introduces us to Crowley & Aziraphale together with a four-sentence intro to the park scene that is full of language details, some of which have actually gotten more meaning since S2. Just like how Crowley's joke in the scene of "not delivered-delivered-- just handed it over" about delivering Adam got even funnier after S2 gave us Bildad the Shuite, there are a couple of things in God's monologue in the same scene that make more sense after S2 and much of it has multiple meanings that worked before S2 and still work after it. The first sentence has a line that is very relevant to S1 and overall but has another, new layer after S2, and which goes with our ideas for S3:

"Everyone knows that the best place for a clandestine meeting in London is-- and always has been-- St. James' Park."

One of the many meanings of clandestine in the sentence is what you get when you break the word up: clan destined. A clan isn't just an extended family-- though, it can be-- but it can also just describe a group of people with specific things in common. One definition of park is also just an area devoted to a specific purpose (like an industrial park.) With that in mind, a line that sets up understanding of plot in S1 is also then prophetic for the end of the series as well because the best place for a clan destined meeting in London is-- and always has been-- St. James Park and, well...

#ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens #good omens meta #crowley #aziraphale #good omens 2 #good omens theory #jimbriel #the archangel fucking gabriel #ineffable husbands speak #etymology

[centeris2]

I wonder which game (franchise) is more nonsensical lore wise: Star Stable Online or Garten of Banban

Garten of Banban is truly some nonsense, with each new "chapter" (a new game that costs more money to buy and play) adding new characters and "story" that make less and less sense. They even skipped Chapter 5. Just straight up didn't release it, they went right on to Chapter 6 because??? I guess the devs got so ahead of themselves they forgot what number they were on, so the games go from 4 to 6. But it does not actively go back and release the previous games, requiring people to rebuy the game from the beginning to see the "new lore" to understand the "new" and updated story.

Star Stable, meanwhile, also has a great deal of nonsense and lack of foreshadowing so you can't guess where the plot or next story beat is going. Their magic system is so soft and irrational (or veers very deep into Looks Cool rather than Solves Problems, depending on how you want to 'classify' their magic system) that there is basically no way to guess what new magical plot development is going to be pulled out to save the next installment. This is further frustrated by constant retconning and full on redoing intro quests, to the game and NPCs, that can only be accessed by making a brand new account with a new email and buying the game all over again. What's the story in SSO? Hell if I know, when I started my character was there for the summer before starting college in the fall at the Hippological Institute and Anne was missing for 2 years.

#sso #star stable online #I think you CAN wishlist Chapter 5 though which makes things even more confusing? #I am not tagging Garten of Banban properly because I'd assume that fanbase is way larger #and would therefore either be very No ours is clearly better/worse #plus the newest Garten of Banban game just came out #or at least did very recently as I just watched a lets play of it so probably a recent release #this was a random thought after watching the lets play video #just a 'huh which has more convoluted/nonsense lore?' thought

[myotomebiaseslivehere]

Infinite Blue Theories

Alright, we got the green light on theory-posting, so it is a-ok to whip out my corkboard and talk about some theories I have about Infinite Blue. After playing through the Infinite Blue demo several hundred times and basically researching my little heart out, I've been left with some thoughts and theories that I want to throw out into the world to see what other people think. Let's start with the stuff that has caught my eye first:

Trailer Lyrics:

Tobias: "Feel the weight, the pressure to win. A wink, a nudge, a threatening grin."

Rory: "And one more job, that's what they all say."

Brooklyn: "Take it from the boss, (with Alexei), your loss is their gain."

Milo: "Every scrape, every scrap won't be clean."

Rory: "That's exactly why you gotta be mean."

Leo: "Before you know it, you're swept in the tide."

Tobias: "No choice but to let it ride."

K: "I've heard enough of these useless excuses. I know your fruitless abuse of the truth is..."

Several of the main six: "Respect the hustle."

My big questions:

Who are the main six really?

This one is difficult to answer because even though we know quite a bit about the main boys from the demo and asks (occupations, hobbies, ages, etc.), there is also a lot we don't know about them as well. With no information, my gut instinct would be that they're all just perfectly normal dudes who somehow got mixed up with this app business, but all of the stuff listed above makes me pause. In the last chat of the demo, K pops in and says to the MC: "Did you forget the kind of people that you're talking to?" When you combine that with the fact that the lyrics of the trailer song mention "one last job" and "respect the hustle", it seems to indicate that the main six have secrets or perhaps are into some not-so-great activities. This leads me into a couple trains of thought:

Perhaps the main six are in on some kind of con or heist together? It would put a lot of the song's lyrics into context and depending on if K is also in on the con/heist, it would also put his comment into context as well. If we look at the group, it's a pretty good Ocean's 11 set-up: Brooklyn has money and prestige; Tobias has money and fame; Milo has access to loads of info through the security feeds;  Alexei is incredibly smart and has access to scientific equipment/possibly classified information; and Rory and Leo? Well, they don't quite fit, but both work in common gathering places that would potentially make them good at gathering secrets? If we're running with this theory, maybe the heist is set to take place during the big storm that's been heavily foreshadowed and meeting and/or falling for the MC throws a wrench in the boys' plans? I'm not 100% sold on this theory, which leads me to theory

Maybe the main six are being blackmailed by someone or multiple someones? This could go with the heist/con theory, but they could also be being blackmailed for other things (money, information, favors, etc). It would fit with the reluctance I think several characters have in the trailer song. The blackmailer could be K, but I could also see the blackmailer being someone different on each route as well. If it is someone different on each route, where does that leave K?

Who is K and what is K's relationship with the boys and/or the MC?

K is a bit of an enigma. At the moment, we don't know much about him beyond the fact that he wears glasses, like sweets/candy, and he has access to the same chat room as the main boys, if the demo is any indication. He also knows who the boys are, confirmed by his chat in the demo where he mentions seeing all of them throughout the day, but none of them happen to notice him.

I want to circle back to the line that K says to the MC at the end of the demo: "Did you forget the kind of people that you're talking to?" and his line during the trailer song: "I've heard enough of these useless excuses. I know your fruitless abuse of the truth is..." What does this mean exactly?

To me, it seems like K may either be their employer in this hypothetical heist or have a vendetta against the main six. I'm leaning towards the latter. He seems to alternate between treating them with contempt (trailer song) and watching them analytically (him commenting on the main six joining in the scavenger hunt by saying "This will be interesting").

An alternative to being a blackmailer or having a vendetta could be that K is running some kind of social experiment involving the boys and this app? That would fit with his analytical nature and why he seems to be keeping a distance from the boys (better to observe the experiment from a distance!). Also, worth noting that he says "I suppose it's more interesting this way" in reference to MC getting closer with the boys. Very behavioral scientist of you, K. 🤔

Last guess: Maybe K is some kind of investigator with a grudge against the main six? No evidence for this one per se, but I think it would be neat and could work.

How does the MC fit into this? It's possible that they're just a random person who got caught up in this completely by chance, but I have another theory. What if the MC is working with K? Why else would K say "Did you forget the kind of people that you're talking to?" to the MC if the MC didn't already know what kind of people K thinks the main six are? I think maybe K recruited the MC to help with whatever his plans, but the MC falling for one of the main six is gonna throw a wrench in those plans. It would be really interesting if maybe the MC wanted revenge against the main six and joined up with K, but ended up falling for them instead. The angst, the drama, the heartbreak.

Anyway, these are my half-coherent, tossed together at the last minute theories, so anyone has any corrections or theories they want to add, please feel free to do so! Thank you to Velvet Fox Games for giving me something to hyperfixate on in my scant free time!

#infinite blue #velvet fox games #alexei demidov #brooklyn hayes #leo roselund #milo de luca #rory gatlin #tobias fox

[lazyrants]

Happy Brush Day (prod 110)

BoredJedi (youtube.com/user/LazyBlueHaze) gave me an .iso of the “Superhero” Australian DVD from 2008. To finally put the .iso to use, I decided to take all the screenshots in this episode myself. I also watched it using VLC.

Original airdate: August 25, 2004

Story by Magnus Scheving

Written by Noah Zachary, Cole Louie, Mo Williem, Magnus Scheving

Directed by Magnus Scheving

Executive producers - Magnus Scheving, Ragnheidur Melsted, Raymond P. Le Gue, Mark Read, Brown Johnson, Kay Wilson Stallings

Starring Magnus Scheving, Stefan Karl Steffanson, Julianna Rose Mauriello

Puppeteers - Ronald Binion, Gudmondor Thor Karason, Jodi Eichelberger, David Matthew Feldman, Julie Westwood, Amanda Maddock

Happy Brush Day is the first of two episodes focusing on Ziggy's birthday (not to mention the spinoff where he is the main star), so I guess the producers finally realized that Ziggy has some story potential.

The episode begins with some foreshadowing - Sportacus brushing his teeth in his airship. I call this foreshadowing because the episode is about brushing your teeth (kinda). Anyways, the citizens in LazyTown have just woken up happily (excluding Robbie who hilariously uses packing peanuts to drown the noise of his alarm).

Stingy is admiring his collection of four toothbrushes (Is it really necessary to own more than one toothbrush..??). Pixel is using one of his gadgets to brush his teeth (later on in the episode he has completely forgotten what it is) and Stingy keeps his in a lock. Meanwhile, Ziggy is still asleep using his lollipop as a cushion.

Anyways, Robbie is eating his scrumdiddlyumptious creamy cake (My god, I just want a bite of that), and Pixel walks over to Ziggy's to tell him it's his seventh birthday. This just aggravates me, WHO NEEDS TO BE WOKEN UP ON THEIR BIRTHDAY?! My birthday is in one of those 2 week school breaks, and in one of those days you couldn't blow a horn to get me to wake up before 11am. But on my birthday I wake up at 7am with no problem. Anyways, Ziggy is mailing a letter to Sportacus while eating taffy.

Anyways, when Ziggy mentions his birthday, Robbie spits out his cake. He has another devious plan. In my opinion, I never really liked the idea of ruining Ziggy's birthday. His plan was to make a machine that spewed taffy all over the place. 1 - Ziggy loves taffy. 2 - It's his birthday. 3 - Ziggy loves taffy. Meanwhile, the kids are deciding what to get him for his birthday.

Anyways, when Stingy mentions all he wants is taffy every year, he pops up looking for taffy. Now, forgive me, since Taffy was invented in the US, but, it is really that good??

Also, if you didn't notice (SOMEONE must have noticed), the background music for when he walks out the shot is a reprise of 'Siggi' from Afram Latibaer. Anyways, Robbie does his classic disguise time (I think this is the funniest of the first season).

Robbie decides that to accompany his outfit (that looks like something a fairy from a 2000s 3D animated straight-to-VHS movie classified "G" by the Australian Classification Board would wear) with a gift. Off camera he thinks up the perfect thing. Meanwhile, Sportacus has gotten Ziggy's letter, which is one of those cards that plays an undeniably catchy tune when you open it.

Sportacus is having some trouble deciding what to give Ziggy as a gift (his first two choices being balls). Anyways, the camera cuts off to Milford putting up the birthday stage for Ziggy. Everyone is excited for the party until Bessie comes with her birthday speech for little 'Wiggie', then everyone is seriously dreading it. (judging from a transcription Chris Crow made on the GL forums, Bessie possibly just wrote down random words on a piece of paper and lied to herself.)

Anyways, after a bit of begging, Milford is convinced to start the party with the presents. Very surprisingly, Stingy decides to go first. His gift is a quarter-bitten piece of taffy. A single one. You can see from the box there were supposed to be nine pieces.

Anyways, Stingy takes back the box & the lid. I don't know why it's so funny. "Happy birthday, here's my gift, gimme the packaging." So anyways, Trixie goes next, and HER gift is a jack in the box. (If I was Ziggy, personally I wouldn't take that kinda disrespect.) So anyways, Pixel gives him his gift which is in an envelope. Ziggy is thankful enough for the envelope (what a pure soul), until Pixel tells him to OPEN the envelope.

In the envelope is a piece of paper that reads "www.taffy.com" (it's a real website and is still up to this day, it's just not related to LazyTown at all). It turns out to be a website Pixel has made consisting of "jpegs of every taffy ever made!" I get this was written in 2004, but why JPEGS? PNG for the wiiiin!! (I'd geniunely enjoy that gift, but maybe with something else like LazyTown screenshots or old 80s action movie posters.)

So, anyways, Ziggy wants to eat the taffy and is kinda annoyed when Pixel says it isn't possible. Anyways, when Bessie announces she has added five more extra minutes to her speech, Milford gives HIS gift, which is a huge square of taffy flavoured taffy.

Stephanie's gift is her very own choreographed 'Taffy Cheer!' and everyone likes it so much Ziggy even says he could taste the victory taffy. Coming from a boy whose whole diet consists of candy, that is the highest compliment you can receive.

Anyways, Sportacus does a frontflip into the scene right about when Bessie is about to start her speech. (Is it just me or do the events if this show have TOO many coincidences some times?)

Sportacus is hyping his gift up very much. Ziggy guesses a truckload of different candies twice, but Sportacus does an amazing flip (he doesn't have the box in his hand in this shot), lands on his feet and shows Ziggy the toothbrush (now he is holding the toothbrush but there is no box to be seen?).

Anyways, everyone has some questions. Pixel wants to know where the remote control is and if you have to plug it in. Eventually he searches it up in his database, but Ziggy still has no idea what it is. Then he reveals that he keeps some of his favourite foods in his food. Everyone is disgusted. Including me.

Anyways, they sing a whole two minute (recommended length for brushing your teeth) song about brushing your teeth the Twenty Times way. After it's finished, Ziggy shows more interest in brushing his teeth until The Birthday Fairy (a disguised Robbie) shows up. Trixie makes fun of him, indirectly insulting Stephanie (you're girlier then she is, and that is saying a lot!)

Anyways, Robbie (or Pixel) introduces his (honestly really cool) gift, the Electro Ultra Voice Activated Candy Matic! Robbie then reveals that Ziggy and only Ziggy can tell it what to do which is a pretty dumb thing. What if Ziggy falls asleep and while he does he says that his friends can have some of his taffy?

Anyways, Ziggy throws Sportacus' gift on the floor, and I'm surprised Sportacus didn't get mad. You know how bratty you have to be to throw your birthday gift away in front of the gifter? Anyways, Ziggy calls for taffy a bunch of times and he catches most of it in his mouth. Stingy is kinda annoyed.

Or as the subtitles say.. (SEETHING WITH RAGE). Anyways, Stingy climbs right up to the thing and yells TAFFY as loud as he can. Then his face gets splattered. Robbie, the liar! Anyways, while nobody is looking, Robbie deviously puts the level of taffy up to 'red', and taffy starts flying all over the place.. really fast! However, Ziggy can't yell 'stop' because his mouth is full of yellow taffy.

Anyways, it's not long before the stage becomes a sea of taffy, Sportacus goes up to his airship to get some sports equipment to stop the machine and Robbie's advice is to just eat the candy. Milford announces it and everyone starts eating.

Anyways, Robbie quickly gets tired of the taffy and he decides to go back to his car, but unfortunately he cannot drive away. Totally your fault, dude. You started this by putting it on RED. Anyways, his car is basically underwater, except the taffy is the water.

Meanwhile, Sportacus is in his airship, carrying some tennis rackets in his shirt (some of the frames are slowed down, possibly to meet the 24:42 time limit or just look cooler), and the taffy is up to the chins of the puppets. So Bessie grabs onto the birthday banner (in real life that would've just ripped off). Anyways, Sportacus has arrived and he starts hitting every single piece of taffy that comes his way, and for a few seconds the machine stops working.

Sportacus puts on his goggles (it's taffy, not salty ass water) and he dives in to find Ziggy's toothbrush. He doesn't move for a few seconds and everyone thinks he's dead (I don't blame them) until he pops up with the toothbrush!

Stingy throws the toothbrush to Ziggy and he brushes his teeth the Twenty Times way. Finally, he gets the taffy out his mouth and yells STOP!!!

Finally! (: Anyways, Robbie puts his arm through the door and waves it out frantically so Sportacus notices him. Sportacus pulls off his hat and everybody realizes that it was Robbie all along!

Anyways, they sing the Bing Bang song while Bessie does her speech. Now this is the part I don't like because it just scraps what Bessie and the kids said earlier in the episode - the speech goes on and on and on (and this year she added five more minutes), but the Bing Bang song is only 53 seconds and somehow she finishes her speech in the span of the whole Bing Bang song. Anyways, good episode.

THE END.

So kids, what did we learn in this episode of LazyTown? Brush your teeth every day and night or a bunch of taffy will come flying out of nowhere and nearly drown you.

7/10

#lazytown #sportacus #nickelodeon #stephanie #robbie rotten #magnusscheving #magnus scheving #stefan karl #nick jr #nickelodeon jr #spongebob #comedy #humor #reviews #tv shows #stefankarl #juliannarose #juliannarosemauriello #latibaer #glanni glaepur #glanni glæpur í latabæ #afram latibaer #lazy town #latibær #Youtube

[woodsfae]

B5 s03e03: A Day In The Strife previous episode • table of contents

Transport Dionysius has been waiting over an hour to dock! With how much foreshadowing is done by the names of ships in this, the B5 crew are probably battening down all the hatches and hiding all the wine and sundry other intoxicants. 

Sheridan's tactic of cooling off violently angry people by freaking them out is a great tactic. I've used it myself from time to time! When it works, it's always a rush. 

Ohhhhh, dang!! Someone's here to replace G'Kar as Ambassador! I wonder if they're collaborators, or if they're pretending to be collaborators. They could be great allies or a great torment for G'Kar.

The new opening is so dramatic. I would say cheesy, except it grips me, and I like cheese anyway. I notice that all the main B5 crew, and Delenn and Lennier all look firmly into the camera and give a little nod. Then Zack Allen and Londo stare dead into the camera. But! Interestingly! Vir and G'Kar both come into frame looking away from the camera, then turning their heads to stare directly into it. The movements are so distinct and patterned, it's got to be intentional. I wonder if Vir will work with G'Kar this season. And if Zack Allen with with Londo, or they'll have related arcs in some way.

Ambassador Na'Far draws a terrifying and brutal day to day life on Narn. The resistance is active and killing Centauri regularly, and for every Centauri killed, five hundred Narn are executed. There must be just...mass slaughter. Every day. I'm sure Na'Far does want to save as many Narn lives as possible, and I'm also sure that he was instructed to request G'Kar's extradition. This meeting was a good way of serving both goals: alert the Captain to ongoing ground conditions on Narn, and officially request G'Kar's sanctuary be terminated, on behalf of the Centauri warlords. 

Happy and charmed to see Garibaldi and Franklin continue to hang out and be friendly! Having regular, quiet dinners together, as bros do. And it's good to see the senior staff hanging out! Ivanova joining them to swap gossip intel, and then actually listening to the classified information from Sheridan's file that Garibaldi hacked is too good. 

Franklin returns from the bathroom to flirt with Garibaldi before heterosexually dancing away. 

Ambassador Na'Far reporting as ordered to Londo Mollari is so horrible. What is wrooooong with him treating and talking to Na'Far this way, fuuuuck. Vir has the sense to be obviously horrified. And he's gotten quite comfortable with confronting his boss - good for him. Horrifying subject content. 

New ship! First Contact, presumably. Interesting! A fun, sci-fi moment amidst the war drama. 

Londo complaining about Delenn and everyone disapproving of him, and also calling in the favor Delenn owes him. And hah! What a favor! He wants Vir to be appointed to Minbar as Ambassador from Centauri and described him with such ringing terms as "most inoffensive," "keeps to himself," and "wouldn't even spy on your government." lmaoooooo. Londo is right that Vir is liable to get himself yoinked home in an unpleasant fashion if he opposes the Narn genocide too loudly. 

If Londo seeing his own youth in Vir is in any way accurate, then he changed dramatically and horribly over the course of his life. A good reminder that life really is all about choices, and you can make new ones anytime. If only Londo would make some new choices! He seems blind to his own opportunities, deep in the Sunk Cost Fallacy.

"Sometimes I miss that we don't talk anymore, Delenn." "We never really talked, Londo." "No, I suppose not."

wow. So darkly sad. There is something sad (although mostly pathetic) about how Londo is so desperately lonely now that no one will hang out with him anymore. He is the architect of all his own woes.

Another totally heterosexual dinner date between Garibaldi and Franklin. This time, Garibaldi cooked and had Dr Franklin over! Slash mental health intervention? Steven has a legal prescription for stims because he has to work 36 hour shifts. And Garibaldi has feelings. And Steven has very defensive feelings, so Garibaldi's probably onto something.

This is an extraordinary level of kind, gentle, thoughtful, concern between men. I love the tenderness. What an excellent plot to put in. Love seeing people try to be good to each other and build bonds and reach out. Funny that the concern is that Dr Franklin is doing too much space coke, though.

We have now seen Na'Far twice, and now his assistant. And!! I didn't realize! But he's Narn that Sheridan met while kidnapped onto the fight-to-the-death alien ship! I also love his and Sheridan's friendship. He wants to repay Sheridan for rescuing him, by being his bodyguard.  "Here is a man who will live to be a hundred and fifty." Hah!

The alien ship is indeed a probe, and it's running an intelligence test on the B5-ers. They provide correct answers, or the probe with blow up and take B5 with it. That's a high stakes first contact! And! One of the things they're offering to induce the humans to want to try to answer the questions, is another panacea. There were two or three panacea episodes so far, I was wondering if the theme would come back.

So far they seem to be saying "Panaceas are always sought after, but in reality there is no magical elixir for all medical ills."

Oh, Na'Far really did come here argue with G'Kar! no thank you!! G'Kar has been up to a lot. He is organizing a lot of resistance. He is organizing food drops -- the Centauri are not importing enough for everyone. 

Both Na'Far and G'Kar are being relatively reasonable. Except for Na'Far seemingly genuinely thinking that if G'Kar were to return to Narn, that he wouldn't be harmed. 

Dr Franklin is doing space coke! but as he said - he has to be alert on long shifts and he has to do emergency surgery. Unhealthy? Probably. Necessary to work those long hours? Definitely. Bad situation with no good choices. 

Vir, while unhappy about Londo arranging his promotion and transfer, but perks up when Londo says "In time women may even come to find you attractive." 

Oof, Na'Far is not finding the B5 Narn to be friendly. I hope G'Kar doesn't actually end up imprisoned on Narn! I'd rather hang with him on B5. 

Dang! Sheridan! Rude! Ivanova is not to be insulted, she is to be cherished. 

Garibaldi is being very decent. And rationally clear-eyed. He does not want G'Kar to return. 

"My fate is in the hands of G'Quan. What must happen, will happen. Thank you for your concern Mr Garibaldi. Good night."

Well, now I think he has some sort of plan! I don't want to think that he would be giving up, so I must believe he has a plan. 

Dr Franklin! Another round of space coke?! He's just reamed out a respected colleague on earth, and now he's got a surgery to perform. Uhhh, personally I'd rather my surgeon nap a little first. 

Huh, odd sequence of events here. I do think that it's an odd set-up for a technologically advanced species to go around threatening species and blowing them up if they aren't advanced enough. But it did blow up  like it was charging weapons to attack B5 and the data transfer made it....self-destruct instead? Anyway. peculiar! I hope there's follow-up! 

Na'Far did not persuade the B5 Narnuan people that G'Kar should be sacrificed for the faint hope that their families might not be harmed, and they want G'Kar to stay. Including the bodyguard guy! Good on them. I'm very glad G'Kar is staying. 

Garibaldi and Dr Franklin are having their third dinner date in this episode alone. Partner says "of course there's an AA episode in a 90s tv show," which I guess seems like it could be. I'll take some genuine-seeming friendships with male support networks where I can find 'em, though.

Bye, Vir! He really is leaving! I hope he'll be back more, too. Would he be in the title sequence if he was leaving the show after the third episode??

Overall, a lot happened! I wonder how Na'Far will fit into future episodes. I hope Vir comes back! And as always, I hope that Londo will get a fucking grip on himself and start making some baby steps towards doing the right thing. Because his current rational of "If I don't do the wrong thing, someone else will, and get the credit for it, while I lose out," is terrible. And he's been mired in it for awhile.

on to religious metaphor

#woodsfae b5 #babylon 5

[thedawningofthehour]

Ep 29!

Leo has officially moved on to the acceptance stage!

Everyone thought Leo would be the one to go crazy if he found out about the library meetings (including me), it turns out the opposite, who knew!

At least the time in the library did some good!

Leo finally accepted that Donnie's memories may never come back, however, they still need to separate him from Draxum so he can learn the truth, which will be a problem, since Draxum doesn't plan to let Galois go on any more field missions.

Also, speaking of Draxum, WITH A BUTTER KNIFE!

What Draxum did can only be classified as abuse, there are no buts, and the worst part is that Galois is programmed not to notice! Arrg!!! Mikey had made so much progress!!! And Draxum threw it in the trash!

If someone were to manipulate you, you wouldn't know it.

BUT CLEARLY YOU WOULD, WOULDN'T YOU?!?

Draxum can drown in his hypocrisy.

You know, while I was waiting for this chapter, I started reading LFLS, and at no time I hated that Draxum as much as this one, maybe, because AT LEAST, that Draxum was honest!

I hope that part of Donnie's revenge can include this quote to one of my favorite webtoon.

"I don't need someone who hurts me with his passion*.

By the way, didn't you notice Raph completely absent in the chapter? *remembers fai's title for arc 3* ...should I be worried?

Final note. Splinter, by this point I think you should know better than to count on the police.

I kind of chucked at everyone predicting Leo being the one to lose his shit. Originally I did plan on having him yell too, but when I wrote it out it just didn't...go that way. Don't get me wrong, he still would have taken it with the most grace, but the way it ended up his brain just did a giant reboot and he didn't really have the capacity to be mad. (this is an opportunity to remind you all that I have no control over this fic)

I mean, Donnie's still going to be out in the field, there wouldn't be much more of a story if the fam couldn't interact with him. So much of this fic is legitimately just me trying to arrange incidents where Gale can meet up with the fam or influence shit that eventually reaches the fam, and I'm just waiting for the day someone calls me out on how stupid some of my excuses are. Realistically, Draxum would never put him out in the field, no matter how many sad eyes he made. He's too valuable in the lab. But if he did that, then the story would have ended with "and then Draxum took over the world and the fam realized he had Donnie all along right before they were shipped to Australia." And that wouldn't be fun.

Raph was originally present in the first scene, but I didn't like how that turned out so I wrote him out. It really doesn't mean anything for his character arc, just better storytelling in my opinion. There was no place to really insert him into the chapter, and I generally try not to shove characters into places for the sake of having them present. (which is why Mikey is absent so much in Book 1) Raph's stupid thing has been...I guess sort of foreshadowed? I think just like one line, but he's been vaguely talking about it a lot. As we get to the end of Book 2 we'll see some more hints towards the direction he's thinking in, and definitely with the main climax. So hopefully by the time he does his stupid thing, it'll make sense why.

#doth asks

[metamercury]

I was tagged by @darksidekelz

Thank you!

Rules: look back on your works, both past and present, finished and unfinished. What are five to ten narrative elements or tropes that continuously pop up in your work? Give a list of these things!

---

Hmm, this is hard for me because how are we defining narrative elements? But I've been thinking it over. Idk if these all classify as elements, but they're themes I guess?

It's about the Yearning I've noticed for sure that I don't write a lot about tropes or physicality. I can probably count on one hand the number I've times I've written kissing or anything like that. It's not about the kissing here, it's not about if things are requited or unrequited, complicated or simple, absolute and engulfing in the case of dcrampage -- it could be any one of those things. There is always the yearning, and that tends to be what I focus on in one way or another. But it does leave me feeling quite often that I've written yet another fic where nothing really happens hahaha

Two guys fighting Nothing much to say about this. Probably 50% of what I write can be boiled down to two guys fighting. I just like to write people who want to fight each other. I like to write fights. Even when I write Ironwasp they're usually competing (or it's post-stockades angst and they're still fighting. I really write fighting a lot). Sometimes it gets out of hand and I can't get the characters to stop fighting long enough to actually do anything else (see: anything maxwil i've ever written)

Jokes that other people hate hearing One of my favourite things to do when writing fic is to make references to things in the series (or a related series) that the character Doesn't Know, but the reader does. I especially like to do this when it foreshadows bad things that are definitely going to happen. When Alia would read these jokes she'd shout at me, but when I read them back in my own fic I think I'm hilarious. I do it all the time in a lot of fics, but I do it the most with Wasp. Obviously.

The Character Study Not sure if this counts as a narrative element? But I really like to write fic that are essentially just character studies maybe with a ship wrapped up in it for engagement lol. I do have some that are just straight character studies. It can also feel like I'm writing a fic about nothing when I do these, because the focus is on the person, not the plot (generally, for oneshots at least). But I really enjoy reading them back, so it's probably fine. I just love getting in there with a character.

If I'm gonna write smut it better be fucked up I don't think I've ever written smut that wasn't dub/noncon or at least had something shady and weird going on underneath the surface. Now, you'll say "well of course, you only ever wrote shockblurr porn" but i'd like to remind you of Fit Like A Glove and then also direct you to my wip folder where I've been sitting on a dino2/megs fic (d2 pov so you know it's fucked), a tfa swindle/starscream where the feature is necro, and a snuff film fic for a fandom that will not be named at this time, for about 6-8 years. One day I'll get around to these I hope.

If it's not about the Yearning, then it's about Denial Unreliable narrators are fun, as are characters whose thoughts don't match their actions. I mean a lot of the time this writes out as anger, which leads to two guys fighting, but Not Always (and here's where I'd link that shitty two-part vampire au if I had the want to do that). (Mnemonic is a much more angsty example). Also, for wips, I have a dcrampage wip that is just about this element from start to finish, because it's dc pov. Here's the handwritten note I have for myself about the concept of this one, basically word for word: What's it about? Obsession, always. Instincts. DC is a protector, it's in his coding. And Rampage is unlucky and tortured -- that's the truth no matter how much he'd love to forget it. Anger? Disgust? Dead dedication to the vengeance he's owed? Always. Until that slagger is offline for good. But for as much as DC has thrown away his humanity, it's not as easy to throw away his nature (plus gay) I really want to pick that one back up. Anyways, if the Denial let's you play with a bunch of fun emotions in a way that works with the character. Pride, Jealousy, Insecurity, Depression, and of course Being a Shell of the Mech You Once Were. It's fun!

Five Senses This one I think I do to my own detriment sometimes. But at some point while I was learning to write better over the last 10/15 years I started to really try to lock scenes within the senses. To have the narrative focus on not just sights, but smells, texture, ambient sounds to really try to ground the characters within their environments, put us within the head of the pov character. I think, doing so can really help to make things more graphic, which is good. But i also think sometimes it slogs down the narrative and actually takes us out of the pov to more of like a 3rd camera perspective so to speak? I dunno, i like the way things read back in the end but during writing it can really feel like it stalls the flow of the narrative. I was talking to alia about this not to long ago, her narratives are always so fluid, and i think I get in my own way trying to ground things sometimes. Sometimes. I'm not sure if this one counts as a narrative element either. But its something that's definitely a thing about the way I write that I notice.

Anyways! That's all I can think of that's worth pointing out. I want to write more, and remembering to appreciate my writing as a craft I think is part of that.

I tag @neuropraxia. Do this.

#still defective #thanks for tagging me! it was interesting and fun to think about!

[mike-haters-dni]

Some S5 Ideas, Before Information Starts Coming Out etc, Pt. II

Part I | Part I.V

The pre-Hawkins Infiltration Training Arc begins after Mike notices Lucas training to avenge Max, and decides that would be a much better use of everyone’s time than sitting around being anxious for something to happen. He then gets everyone together and lays out the plan for becoming apocalypse-ready, which involves them organizing and working on relevant skills. Thus begins a rotation of scenes in which each of the boys leads a lesson in their specialty: Mike comes up with team-building and group operations exercises (assigning everyone clear combat roles, physical challenges that require teamwork, practicing stealth and silent communication though hand signals, etc), Lucas is the personal trainer/health coach and teaches basic hand-to-hand combat, Dustin teaches field medicine, survival skills, and anything relevant about the layout and state of Hawkins, El (in collaboration with Dustin) explains in detail how her powers work and where she’s at strength and skill-wise, and Will gives a run down of everything he knows about Vecna. Of course, everything we see them go over is foreshadowing for future events.

Lucas intercepts Mike and Dustin trying to eat snack cakes for breakfast like 3 times, also El gets her training arc after Dustin gets curious and wants to do some (completely voluntary and not similar at all to what she did at the lab, he assures both her and Mike) tests to get some data on how her powers work. This involves things like measuring how fast she can throw objects of different weights or how many pounds of force she can apply to a scale under different conditions. Seeing her powers quantified like this inspires her (perhaps in a negative self-critical way) to see how strong she can actually get through practice.

Since Mike and El are officially made group leaders, the rest of the party (mostly Dustin and Lucas) starts jokingly calling them Mom and Dad. Mike plays along and eventually starts referring to El as “your mother” when talking to them, which El eventually starts responding to. (lmao)

Also, whenever the group split up Dustin calls one team the A team and the other the B team. Mike eventually figures out why (A team is the team with El on it) and one time he calls his team the B team before Dustin does, which makes him very happy.

Also Mike and El get matching action ponytails, provided we can justify getting rid of Mike’s current bangs, which on the one hand are a staple part of his character design, but on the other hand he’s clearly in the midst of a style change so like there's precedent. Idk, I just can’t picture him trekking through the woods without his hair pulled up lol

The new human secret final boss antagonist is the DOE director lady (who I'm making up, btw) who funded Brenner’s project. At first she acts like she’s sorry about what happened with El and Brenner like she didn’t know what he was really up to, and she’s working to keep Sullivan from nuking El and the entire town, but after poking around some classified documents we find out she totally knew the whole time and actually gave Brenner more funding once he produced El and the only reason she’s protecting her is because she’s trying to get her investment back. She wants to either control El again or kill her if that's not possible. In a casual super villain speech she gives to Mike one night while smoking out of a window in a suspiciously empty hallway, she compares her to the atomic bomb or some super weapon that was created half-accidentally, except this super weapon is a maladjusted child with anger issues. She’s hurt people before and its only a matter of time before you end up dead too ooooh so give her back to meee. Mike (and everyone else) of course doesn’t buy this for a second (though there may be some moment where he has to pretend that he does to facilitate some desperate plan) and she and Sullivan get murdered in the end after our heroes betray them.

The reason Vecna goes dormant for such a suspiciously long time is because he was working on new monsters, including:

A mimic monster. Designed to weaken trust within the groups by making everyone paranoid that the teammate they’re talking to is actually a mimic, who just recently did a pretty good job pretending to be said teammates, save for the fact it eventually tried to kill them.

A super duper predator-type murder monster that’s nigh-unkillable except by like shoving an explosive down its throat. Like this thing shows up and the only thing you can really do is run and/or hide. It’s existence would really require someone in the main cast dying to it tho so we’re gonna call this a fun au idea :)

Through some Vecna mental space shenanigans, Mike gets to fight an evil doppelganger version of himself that represents his worst qualities and resulting self-hatred. Listen ok, it would be a great thematic final challenge to illustrate his character growth. Plus its not like, completely out of the realm of possibility, I mean, Vecna shows people their worst fears and shit in the form of other people so like if the person you have the biggest problem with is yourself then you would confront yourself. No one tried besting Venca in hand-to-hand combat to make him leave you alone, maybe that would actually work and also be really edgy and cool. Also, it would be a fun reference to everyone's favorite 80s video game, Persona 4—

Vecna is actually killed in the second to last episode, but uh-oh the gate is still open and the monsters are still fucking shit up. Turns out there’s a secret final thing we gotta do to actually end all this (Probably collapsing the upside down or whatever dimension the monsters are actually from). Idk if it’s really in line with the themes of the show, but I do really like the idea of things not ending with Vecna’s death because he already infected the entire upside down/hell dimension with his, shall we say “ideology”, so killing the one guy in charge is not enough to end the war. Its like a metaphor. Plus, that means we get both Vecna and the mindflayer as big bads.

The show ends with a cheesy-ass prom scene, followed by the kids riding out to a hill over looking the town and giving “I love you guys” speeches and getting ready to begin the rest of their lives <3.

#now i have no excuse not to write some scenes #:) #stranger things #st5 predictions #mike wheeler #el hopper #dustin henderson #lucas sinclair #will byers #max mayfield #mileven #headcanons

[justkingwolf]

There is something up with Good Omens and memory

Spoilers for GO2 under the cut

Obviously, the big one in season 2 is Gabriel. First the Metatron says they are taking away his memories and demoting him, and then he stores his own memories in the fly Beelzebub gifted him to escape that. We all know about that one.

But there's a running theme of memory in GO2 that feels like it MUST be some kind of hint or clue or foreshadowing.

Multiple characters mention remembering Crowley from Before The Fall, or during it, but he doesn't remember them at ALL? One minor character he doesn't remember wouldn't really stand out, but it happens more than once and the other characters seem surprised he doesn't remember. And I'm surprised too, because he usually has IMPECCABLE memory. Both him and Aziraphale do. They both remember Wee Morag and Mr Dalrymple, he remembers the EXACT words Gabriel said to Job, he and Aziraphale are constantly chatting about random little bits of history they remember - so why doesn't he remember these other angels/demons he knew?

Now you COULD say it's because his memory of Before is fuzzy, but it's clearly not because he remembers all the stars he helped make, he remembers Heaven's password for looking at classified files, he remembers other things he worked on as an angel, but he doesn't remember other beings he knew?

He also remembers that they made gravity for a reason, but when Jim asks him why he pauses and then... can't remember why.

I've read the Book of Life theory and it could work, but also I'm not entirely convinced, especially because we know nothing about how it works in universe, but we DO know that Heaven is capable of altering memories.

The more I rewatch the season the more little things kind of scratch at the back of my mind like "Huh, that's weird. It is weird, right? Right, it's weird." and they pay SUCH close attention to detail with Good Omens that it cannot be coincidence. Neil loves throwing us breacdrumbs and watching us lose our minds over them.

It's entirely possible that it's a red herring and truly Crowley just forgot, but it seems OFF.

There is SOMETHING off about Memory in Good Omens 2 and I am convinced that someone, somehow, has been fucking around with memories. To what end? No idea. But probably to the end goal of splitting up Crowley and Aziraphale. Those two have proven that when they team up they both can and will go to extreme lengths to protect what they care about (Earth, humans, their little hobbies and trinkets, each other) and that miracle they performed together? They were actively attempting to only perform the TINIEST little half-a-miracle and somehow managed to perform one that was more powerful than even most Archangels can manage, imagine the kind of thing they could do if they were both really trying to do a BIG miracle together?

Not the kind of thing you want to happen if you want things to go back to setting off a Final War, having the 2 beings responsible for helping stop the last one prancing about together blissfully performing inconceivably powerful miracles.

There were plenty more instances of memory being unclear in this season, enough that it forms a Theme and gets you going "Huh...", and I swear that some memories were tampered with. Even the memories we hear and see about seemed... just slightly off. Like little things could have perhaps been edited after the fact.

The main one for me being when Crowley tempts Aziraphale into trying the oxen. Why'd he do that? It's framed in a kind of... almost sinister way? Like he's REALLY trying to convince Aziraphale that he's going to Fall for this, and then when Aziraphale is upset about it later on thinking he's a demon now, he laughs at him, and it feels way more mean spirited than we're used to Crowley being. And it kind of goes against everything else he does in that minisode. Saving Job's goats and children. He's actively thwarting things so he doesn't have to murder innocents, while trying to convince Aziraphale he's going to Fall? It's ODD.

Similarly, when he saves Elspeth from ending her own life after the death of Wee Morag, we see he's dragged to hell presumably for punishment but like... he didn't do anything particularly good? Sure he saved Elspeth, but it's not like she was a powerful person who's soul hell would really want, she was just a poor person trying to survive, why would hell care that much? They'd be more likely to send someone to go tell him off instead of immediately drag him to hell for unspoken terrible things to happen to him because of it, and he's done MUCH bigger Good Things before and since that they haven't cared about, so... what if that memory was also altered? Not much, just a little, just enough to make it all murky.

All the flashback scenes had something to do with their relationship changing a bit during each of those moments in time. Job - Finding loop holes in their orders to do what they're told but only technically. Ressurectionists - Good and Bad is not Black and White, especially not when applied to humans, and sometimes things that LOOK Bad are actually done for Good reasons, and vice versa, and learning to recognise them. Nazi zombies - Working together is dangerous BUT ultimately they can always trust that they will look out for each other no matter what. Aziraphale trusted Crowley entirely with the gun during the "magic" trick, and Crowley trusted Aziraphale entirely when he very clearly did NOT freak out about being caught. He knows what Scared Aziraphale looks and sounds like, and he didn't know what he did while they talked with Furfur but he didn't talk or act like Scared Aziraphale so he trusted him.

Altering those memories would also alter very subtle things they each remember from those times, and if their memories were messed about with it makes sense that they'd be more susceptible to Suggestion, and they sure were at the end there - ESPECIALLY Aziraphale. Poor angel was put through a crash course in every single bit of trauma he has from how he was treated by heaven in like 30 minutes by the Metatron.

It's all WEIRD and ODD and this show is SO GOOD at subtle storytelling.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens 2 spoilers

[liverobinreaction]

Chum Liveblog - Chapter 1

So i already read this chapter but will read it again bc it fucks. Go read Chum by @reachartwork if you like baby superheroes with weird powers. Mute the tag #chum liveblog if you arent interested! I might also move this to my main @bugbeee if people prefer that

1) the writing style draws me in immediately since the way the narrator (Sam) thinks and talks is so very reminiscent of my own adhd riddled brain. The way she notices one thing before immediately moving to the next detail is just. Chefs kiss

2) the tapa tapa tapa does something to my hindbrain. Like literary asmr.

3) god Sam's awkwardness and hesitance about her accident combined with her bluntness is so fucking good

4) SHARK TEETH SHARK TEETH SHARK TEETH

5) SHARK TEETH WITH DRAWBACKS HOT DAMN

6) “I didn’t get any gills though, which would’ve been cool. I can’t breathe underwater. But I think I can swallow salt water, but that’s kind of a sh- kind of a poopy superpower so you don’t need to write that one down. Don’t write that one down, please?” I would die for you Sam

7) god the author is so good at writing the livewire nervousness that accompanies the MC. Like the little details of bouncing knees and flexing hands that she grabs to stop, the tapping and moving- i love you so much for this

8) her mom taught her the word austere :)

9) ohhh she's got those bruce the shark powers (sniffing blood)

10) god her asking if the officer needs her friends contact numbers like the fbi shes just a KID

11) ohoho JLUMA??? desperate to know the acronym meaning for that. Its something shes applied for and its a license so hmmm [thinky face]

12) the way she gets annoyed over her parents gushing over her its so teenager i love her. Also she did so good at her bat mitzvah :)

13) "Once I get my license, does that mean I can go out and start biting people? Not that I plan to do that, I’m just wondering.” Yeah does she know i would die for her???

14) sam says acab fuck yeah

15) Officer Gold shrugs his shoulders and opens the front door, clearly also trying to escape the situation like I am. “Well, who knows. A supe just got elected to City Council. Maybe you’ll be the first superhuman senator if you stay in school and focus on your studies?” Oh that is a fucking gorgeous piece of foreshadowing/world building. Frothing at the mouth rn

16) THE CATEGORIES time to toss the worm categories out of my brain

17) breakdown of her powers a la government dossier! God its fascinating to see how its classified and seen in this world

18) AND WE HAVE AN ACRONYM MEANING 'Juvenile License to Utilize Metahuman Abilities' holy shit theres so much unsaid in that. When did it come about, how, whats its scope (which was briefly touched upon) etc. i cannot WAIT

19) bad dream/flashback? Its written so well and sams commentary of it feels real. "The situation is fucked beyond repair. I think I’m allowed to say that now."

20) oh my fucking god. "I hope I don’t die right now, because thinking about my parents being sad at my funeral makes me sad, but also, I hope I do die, because if I have to live one more second with this kind of pain I’m going to kill myself, myself." Author. Author. Who gave you the RIGHT to hit me like that

21) her realisation about why shes in so much pain, seeing her grandpa screaming through the water, the fishing metaphors- aughhhhhhhh

22) god i love the continued mention of words her mom has taught her its just. So fucking real of her

Conclusion: holy fucking shit what an absolute BANGER of a first chapter. I am hooked. I am printing this out and eating it. Thank you author for writing this, I will read more tomorrow

#chum liveblog #bug talks #bug blogs #chum #AUFHHHHH DEAD DEAD DEAD #if the author publishes this im getting dibs

[usuimisaki]

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun and Deconstruction

(Also, playing with fonts)

One of the things I have to wait awhile to decide, after obsessively consuming it, is whether or not a piece of media is good. By good, I don’t mean morally, but . . . well-constructed. Like, I love the Scholomance series, but I definitely see its fault as a piece of artifice. Some things are style (monologuing for exposition) and some are maybe just oversight (insufficient foreshadowing, not revisiting really cool characters). The Locked Tomb is well-constructed. Some if it is style (I was expounding on its whiplash juxtaposition of 19th century style Dark Romantic purple prose vs. it’s colloquial internet speak/internet memes to my husband last night) and some of it is intricate planning (the twists! The unreliable narration! The inherent fallibility of portraying reality with an objective perspective!). The Locked Tomb is a genre-bending series. I do like describing it as lesbian necromancers in space, but it is very much a mystery series, which requires keeping track of a lot of assumptions and misdirections.

Manga

Ok, getting back on topic, I knew that Gekkan Shojo Nozaki-kun (GSNK) was laugh-out-loud funny (to me), but I wasn’t sure if it was actually good. At the very least I could point out its deconstruction of manga. I’ve seen GSNK classified as shonen as well as shoujo, and I think it’s because of how it’s an anti-romance romance. It pokes fun at shoujo cliches in good fun. It points out archetypes of characters and contrived plot lines and reactions that have little to do with reality. It’s one of the biggest jokes in the manga: Nozaki (or another character) imagines how something will play out based on their experience with shoujo manga, and then those expectations are totally subverted. Nozaki later on explicitly tells characters (Wakamatsu, Kashima Rei) to not base their assumptions on unrealistic shoujo manga, even if he’s the one contributing to such assumptions by producing said shoujo manga. Reading the manga definitely made me self-conscious of fangirling over certain shoujo tropes, like wall-slamming, swimsuit reactions, and makeovers.

I definitely learned a lot about not just shoujo tropes, but about the technicalities of manga (Like tone. I didn’t know that mangakas and their assistants had to physically cut out plastic films?! I thought it was done by computer?!). Though I don’t enjoy them as much, the manga-focused chapters do have some great jokes, such as about page-turning cliff-hangers. Nozaki being consciously dumb (even if he unconsciously employs the trick well) about creating a page-turning reveal does create some pretty hilariously bad examples, but is also probably a way for the mangaka to make fun of actually stupid shit that she has seen.

Romance

The other major joke in GSNK is that the characters are dumb. No matter how smart they are in other ways, they are dumb, especially about romance. Something a lot of fans appreciate about GSNK is that there is never any relationship progression (which, if you think about it, is a shoujo trope in itself—how slow-burn can you be?). There are, like four couples in the manga who basically act like a real couple—but they aren’t real couples.

I mean, Wakamatsu and Seo basically go on dates all the time, and both characters have acknowledged that Seo singles out Wakamatsu, but Seo specifically told Kashima Rei that they just have a sempai-kohai relationship. But then it prompts the question: what distinguishes a platonic relationship from a romantic relationship? Waka and Seo hang out all the time, but Waka also hangs out with Nozaki a lot (almost everyone hangs out with Nozaki a lot, since being his manga assistant is one of the major plot contrivances of the manga). This creates potential for some crack pairings, but also interrogates the nature of romantic relationships.

The premise of the manga is that Sakura likes Nozaki (like, likes likes), but she just ends up being his mangaka assistant. She definitely gets closer to him as a result, but it’s not the type of relationship she really yearns for. In a way she gets what she wants because she goes over to his place all the time and basically goes on dates with him, but they’re not date-dates. They’re role-play or setting reference gathering outings. One of my favorite jokes is about how Nozaki starts realizing that he treats Sakura in a special way, like watching her to the point of distraction and wanting to hold her hand. He asks Kashima what the feeling is, and Kashima, being romance-dumb herself, speculates that it’s a maternal feeling. But that’s actually . . . not totally inaccurate? Nozaki feeds Sakura a lot, lends her his handkerchief, is very protective of her. It could be construed as maternal, but it’s also boyfriend/girlfriend-ish. In a real relationship there aren’t clear delineations between affection (intimacy), sexual attraction (passion), and caretaking (commitment).*

*Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, which I think is good, even if he’s now researching love stories. It’s not like they’re mutually exclusive theories. They’re another layer in the onion of the metaphor of love.

Gender and Queerness

I do think GSNK does a better job of deconstructing gender compared to most shoujo manga. I’ve written before about how gender-bending usually actually ends up reinforcing existing gender stereotypes, but I think there’s more awareness acceptance of LGBTIA issues. I have to admit I sometimes have trouble with slash. I’m very focused on straight ships. I don’t know if it’s because that’s my bias or just because straight ships are by far more likely to become canon, and I’m a sucker for textual support. (Probably bias. Even when I read The Locked Tomb, which is full of canonical lesbians, I focus on the one major male-female quasi-romantic relationship there is--I’m looking at you, Palamedes and Camilla)

So is there canonical gender deconstruction in GSNK? Well, I do think that Mikoshiba-Mayu is just as legitimate of a “couple” as any other (non-existent) couple in GSNK. Mikoshiba has to be at least bi, considering how much he fanboys over sexy female figurines, but he basically treats Mayu like a boyfriend, buying him souvenirs and whatnot. Mayu is so lazy that he could be interpreted as aroace, but anything he does put effort into must super-important to him. He likes his brother, Nozaki, sometimes going out of his way to support him. He likes judo, even if it makes it seem like he’s interested in guys at the mixer. And he does pay attention to Mikorin. They’re close enough that Mikoshiba invites Mayu to accompany him to the mixer so Mikoshiba will have someone to talk to. Maya might have agreed to go because his beloved brother asked him to, but in the meantime, does characteristic boyfriend things like saying that Mikorin is his, and spending all night texting him (even if they’re both pretending to be teenage girls). That’s the joke of the manga: non-couples doing things together that couples usually do.

The other gender-bending couple is, of course, fan favorite Kashihori. Kashima is, after all, a prince. She looks like a handsome guy and is constantly flirting with her fangirls. She cross-dresses pretty consistently. It makes sense that she is friends with Mikoshiba, because bishonen, TBH, present kind of feminine. They’re a she/they he/they pair and are canonically best friends—to the point that I’m surprised I haven’t seen more pairings of the two.

Hori mostly appears as a straight man (sexually and comedically), but after all, one of the recurring jokes with the couple is how Kashima thinks that Hori wants to cross-dress as a female. And as an actor he’s ok with all kinds of roles, even if he gets offended when Kashima sincerely tries to give him women’s clothing to wear.

Hori’s apparently professional obsession with Kashima as a beauty and thespian manifests itself with wanting to spend time with her (in club), having roles written for her (so that she will shine), and managing her appearance and well-being (he’s just fanboying). He treats her like a possessive boyfriend even though he’s not her boyfriend. He also secretly (to him) wants her legs in a carnal way.

Kashima, for her part, is romance dumb because she claims to just want Hori to obsess over her (the way he already does) and praise her openly . . . and that’s it. Even Kashima Yuu’s own sister tells her to be more ambitious in terms of what she wants from Hori-sempai. They finally progress to the point where she keeps asking him if he does this or that for her because he likes her until he just ends every statement towards her with “because I like you.”

And that’s brilliant in itself. What does it mean for someone to like someone else? Is their relationship romantic? Platonic? Some weird third thing? Canonically, probably some weird third thing. Hori might be sexually attracted to women in general, legs in particular, and Kashima’s legs specifically, but what he really wants . . . is for her to shine as an idol. (And for her to do her club duties seriously.) He likes her acting. He likes her face. He doesn’t care if she presents as male or female. He doesn’t care that her fans are girls (he gets perturbed when someone else, male or female, rivals Kashima, and doesn’t understand why Rei’s friend doesn’t see Yuu as a potential love/flirtation interest). 

So what’s their future? Are they ever going to become a hetero couple? Will Hori experiment with cross-dressing? Will Hori and Kashima form a polycule with a third woman? (I doubt that just because whoever joins them would feel like a third wheel. What could plausibly work? Some fangirl of Kashima that Hori finds attractive and that . . . supports her girlfriend’s boyfriend also doing stuff with her?) I mean, Kashima seems open to the idea, but she’s also a love idiot who as far as I know doesn’t display any actual interest in her fangirls. It’s like she’s just playing a role, like when she does improv with Hori or even Nozaki’s instruction.

Also, revisiting Sakura and Nozaki, some people have talked about Nozaki being aroace (like his brother!), but I think of him more as being on the spectrum. He could be demisexual or something, but I don’t see him as being aromantic. He’s obsessed with romance, even if he doesn’t actively want to experience it himself. Or rather, he does want to experience romance, all the time, but he does so through role-play (usually in the female role). He could be nonbinary. 

I’m not sure if any of these LGBTIA tones will ever become canon or if it will be queerbaiting--but that’s ok! Because GSNK is an equal-opportunity baiter. It baits the hetero ships. It baits the queer ships. It doesn’t just gender bend. It’s gender fluid. It’s neither romance nor platonic, male nor female, but some secret, third thing. 

It says: who the fuck cares? At the end of the day, isn’t enough to hang out with your crush, your crush’s boyfriend, your crush’s boyfriend’s girlfriend who looked like a boyfriend? Your crush’s boyfriend’s girlfriend’s boyfriend who is also your crush’s boyfriend? And all these other people who may or may not be boyfriends and girlfriends? They have fun!

#gsnk #gekkan shoujo nozaki kun #deconstruction #tropes #shoujo #romance #gender #lgbtia #this is a hot mess and may or may not be edited in the future

[owenwillsons]

8.15: every episode of stranger things

i was obsessed with the idea that will byers disappeared at exactly 8.15 in episode one, season one… so i went to every episode and found what happened at 8.15. what i found out was a fascinating series of extremely important events that would occur at 8.15: and i don’t think it’s a coincidence.

let’s go season by season.

note: i’m not going to go episode by episode of what happens at 8.15, because sometimes it truly is somewhat unimportant. but i will address the interesting things that happen. i can make a google doc/spreadsheet/tumblr post with everything but it would probably be kind of boring.

season 1:

chapter one: the vanishing of will byers

this one is the most obvious:

but sets up the pattern of important things happening at 8.15.

chapter three: holly jolly

this one is not as important, but i find it relevant nevertheless.

lucas talking about his wrist rocket!! which is super cute but also i think somewhat relevant because he does use the wrist rocket later in season one, and also in season three. so the introduction of the wrist rocket at 8.15 may be more of a coincidence, but i find it cool anyway.

chapter seven: the bathtub

this one, i think, less of a coincidence.

an unimportant looking shot, but look who he’s answering:

granted: the doorbell doesn’t start ringing at 8.15, nor does papa and his team appear at 8.15. but it is still an event that occurs at 8.15 which i would say is pretty important.

i think this truly solidifies 8.15 as being a larger thing than “just” a byler theory, but something that extends to other characters and the whole universe (which will be further proven later).

chapter eight: the upside down

i just think it’s interesting.

joyce reacts to this saying “but my son’s in there,” and hopper says “put it on” (regarding the hazmat suits).

i think this could actually add to the will byers having powers theory, because although we know later characters can survive in the upside down without hazmat suits, it is initially thought that will survived despite the toxic atmosphere. this could also foreshadow the corrupting nature of the upside down, as it turned 001 into vecna and of course infected will for the next few seasons on as a result of his time there. 

season 2

this is the 8.15 season. rich with different shit happening at 8.15 which is definitely not a coincidence.

chapter one: madmax

oh, what is will looking at?

by the way, this pretty much happens at exactly 8.15. he disappeared into the upside down s1e1 at 8.15, and then he has an episode of the upside down s2e1 at 8.15. not a coincidence.

chapter three: pollywog

that’s dustin, checking out a few books on reptiles. the books that lead him to show dart to the group because it looks like creatures that come from other countries, which leads to will recognising it comes from the upside down. so i would classify it as a relatively important moment. 

chapter six: the spy

we got to it.. my favourite 8.15 moment.

happens exactly at 8.15, it’s insane.

if you are acquainted with the stranger things soundtrack at all, or even specifically byler stranger things songs, you would recognise this as the name of track 7 on the season 2 soundtrack, which is aptly called “the first lie”. it has only played once in the show, which is when jonathan and nancy first kiss. the soundtrack name is a homage to this moment.

here’s the clincher: on the ordered soundtrack (which is not in chronological order, because dixon and stein are menaces) the first lie is put right after eight fifteen. eight fifteen is track 6, and this moment is episode 6 of season 2. super interesting.

but let’s open it up more. the first lie has obvious musical connections to the other “love” songs of the show, including (but not limited to) the first i love you, a song on the stranger things 3 playlist. this song plays when el first says “i love you” to mike… but also when robin comes out to steve. and, of course, i have to mention the lowercase L in the first i love you’s official track name compared to the capital L in the first lie. 

expanding it: the direct musical motif isn’t in eight fifteen, but the vibes are definitely there. you can see the hints of the familiar melody - i would recommend humming alone if you really want to feel out. this kind of similar vibe is also in being different. they actually use the same, or a very similar synthesiser, in both songs. although eight fifteen is not originally a will song (it plays when el is introduced to be living with hopper), it is very similar to a very will song.

what does this mean? 8.15 is not just a will number, but it is also very much a will number. there are musical connections in an el song and a will song, which could suggest something to do with will with powers, or simply a very close connection between the siblings. 8.15 is also very much a deliberate number, and a deliberate time stamp, and it is not a coincidence.

if you want to see the similarities, i made a video here.

(the order i put it in is also deliberate. eight fifteen is a track 6, with the first lie, a track 7, right after it. the first i love you is a track 8 in the stranger things 3 soundtrack, and being different is track 9 in disc 2 of stranger things 4. it is literally 6, 7, 8, 9. not a coincidence)

chapter seven: the lost sister

what is she looking at?

kali and her friends. not everyone’s favourite episode, but definitely an important moment, especially in the context of the episode itself. it could also suggest kali coming back for season 5 (or the duffers’ initial plans to have her involved in the bigger picture)

chapter nine: the gate

firstly, quite an interesting shot. it definitely shows how that is an important part of the map and the puzzle.

secondly, it’s also joyce making the realisation that they need to heat will up to get the “virus” out of him. to clarify, at 8.15 itself, it’s just hopper saying “what?” but it’s in the context of joyce making that realisation, so i count it as an 8.15 moment.

season 3

there are actually quite a few season 3 moments, but not as much to pick apart as it was in season 2.

chapter two: the mall rats

nancy sees this note on the table, which leads her to investigating the diseased rats in mrs driscoll’s house, which of course leads to her finding the truth about what is happening and vecna’s (or the mind flayer’s) different hosts.

chapter four: the sauna test

max gets up to answer mike’s call, which leads to el and max joining the others as they try and defeat billy in the sauna.

to clarify: no, the phone doesn’t ring at exactly 8.15, neither does max get up at exactly 8.15. again, though: still an important 8.15 moment.

chapter five: the flayed

hopper, joyce and murray just manage to escape from grigori with one of their scientists, who we learn is called alexei. alexei becomes an important part of the season and helps them discover that the russians have a “key” to open a portal to the upside down.

other s3 8.15 moments that you can decide whether you consider them important:

chapter six: e pluribus unum - mayor larry provokes grigori, telling him to bring backup next time as hopper managed to defeat him last time. this leads to larry being attacked.

chapter seven: the bite - a drugged steve tells dustin that the russians took the car keys, meaning they have to find another way to get out of starcourt mall.

chapter eight: the battle of starcourt - joyce says goodbye to will. could be read as a way to solidify 8.15 as a will number/time stamp. 

season 4

sadly, season 4 has significantly less 8.15 moments. the moments that do happen only appear later in the season. in my opinion, this could hint at how 8.15 is directly connected to el’s powers - or specifically, el’s connection to the upside down. 8.15 moments only happen once el has regained her powers, thus the number/time stamp only holds significance when she has her connection to the upside down.

or the writers were lazy, and there was no way to shoehorn an important 8.15 moment earlier. who knows.

chapter six: the dive

this memory trip leads to el remembering how she was bullied in the lab - a particularly traumatising memory that eventually leads to el assisting 001, and present el thinking that she caused the massacre at hawkins lab.

also, it’s interesting what papa is saying at 8.15: “one memory at a time”. this could be hinting the importance of memories in season 5 and how it will be an important part of defeating vecna.

chapter seven: the massacre at hawkins lab

el makes the decision to go back in the memory pod, despite her fears and belief that she is a “monster” that caused the hawkins lab massacre. this decision leads to her discovering the truth, and the final piece of the puzzle that 001 = vecna = henry creel.

chapter nine: the piggyback

the context: steve is reminding dustin and steve that they are just decoys in the plan. dustin assures him steve can still be the hero, and eddie says that they are definitely not heroes.

plot-wise, not as important, but thematically it sets up something for eddie to subvert: because, of course, eddie does become “the hero” and ends up sacrificing himself in the process. 

if you are a kas!eddie believer, you can also read it as eddie eventually becoming a decoy for the group to handle before they deal with vecna.

season 5 predictions

the main thing that i would theorise is that at 8.15 episode 1, will gets a vecna episode - or some sort of vision of the upside down (the neck thing). i also want to say that track 10 will be a romantic song - let’s all collectively pray a byler kiss anthem. 

additionally, 8:15 (the time) will be shown to have some significance in the season. some of my theories:

when will goes to the upside down for the second time, in present day 

the time they choose to go back to/they happen to go back to in the upside down, assuming that time travel exists (i believe this) and they have that level of control over it (i believe this slightly less). going back to this time would be when karen stopped the dnd game (credit to @madwheelerz for figuring this out!)

the time the upside down is frozen 

some people have suggested that time freezes when will byers gets transformed. if this is the case, it would probably not be 8:15, as this is when karen stopped the game - unless she lied and stopped them earlier (the first lie?? /j . but seriously, they’re like, 12. it’s a school night. this is a possibility)

maybe will formed a memory of 8:15 on november 6 1983 when in the upside down to cope? looking at what the upside down looked like when vecna was transported, will could have created what the upside down looks like purely from his memories so he could survive

those are just my thoughts - let me know what you think! i might make more theories on here, but if you want to possibly hear more, check me out on @/owenwillsons on tiktok, where i also make edits :)

#byler #eightfifteengate #stranger things #byler analysis #stranger things analysis #will byers #el hopper #eleven hopper #upside down #will byers powers #mike wheeler #analysis #theory #eight fifteen #the first lie #the first i love you #being different #byler endgame #st5 #st5 theory #owenwillsons

[esther-dot]

I wish it was Arya that killed Dany to be honest. Despite how evil Dany turned it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth of her lover (whether he loved her or not is beside the point they were intimate) killing her. Especially with the imagery of a man doing it to a woman. And the way it happened tricking her into a false sense of security with the kiss was so gross to me. I didn’t like that at all especially with violence against women rising in our real world. This is probably an unpopular opinion but I hate hate hate it and hope it’s different in the books.

Oh, this isn't an unpopular opinion at all!

I think every Jonsa hopes it is Arya (or anyone else for that matter) that does the deed. Most of us have had little meltdowns over how disturbing it is for Jon to do it. Although I have to say, Dany pulled him into the kiss in the show after she had been trying to continue a sexual relationship he made it clear he was done with, so as soon as we get into the power dynamics...I don't find Jon in the wrong. To me, theirs was a toxic relationship, and I do think Dany was holding his family's lives over his head, so I would classify it as an abusive relationship which to me changes the calculus when talking about Jon. I still judge the writers for all of it though.

Anyway, for one reason or another, some of us think it will be Jon, not because we want it to be. BUT! One of our beloved Jonsa bloggers thinks it will be Arya and has been tracking the foreshadowing for that. Some foreshadowing for it is collected in this post. So, there is hope!

#ask dot

[byneddiedingo]

Jessica Lange and Roy Scheider in All That Jazz (Bob Fosse, 1979)

Cast: Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Ann Reinking, Leland Palmer, Cliff Gorman, Ben Vereen, Erzsebet Foldi, Michael Tolan, Max Wright, William LeMessena, Irene Kane, Deborah Geffner, John Lithgow, Sandahl Bergman. Screenplay: Robert Alan Aurthur, Bob Fosse. Cinematography: Giuseppe Rotunno. Production design: Philip Rosenberg, Tony Walton. Film editing: Alan Heim. Music: Ralph Burns.

Bob Fosse's All That Jazz has a valedictory feeling to it, and not just because it's about a man foreseeing his own death, which strikingly foreshadows that of Fosse himself. It also feels like one of the last films of the 1970s, a decade associated with young hotshot American filmmakers who were determined to go their own way and to craft movies filled with a personal vision that didn't sugarcoat the material or pander and talk down to the audience. After them, the myth goes, came the deluge of movies made with a view to spawning sequels and franchises. That summary is oversimple, of course, but perhaps it does illuminate why a film like All That Jazz continues to fascinate viewers, despite its inherent messiness and occasional excessive self-indulgence. It's held together by Fosse's abundant mad energy and by a cunning, committed performance by Roy Scheider as the driven, workaholic, self-destructive Joe Gideon, whom no one would deny is a warts-and-all self-portrait by Fosse. All That Jazz is usually classified as a musical, because of its elaborate production numbers, but it fits the genre only loosely. It's a bit like 42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon, 1933) in that it's a "backstage musical" with a serious undercurrent, although the undercurrent becomes a torrent in All That Jazz, and the music becomes an ironic counterpoint to the sardonic drama of the life and death of Joe Gideon.  

#All That Jazz #Bob Fosse #Jessica Lange #Roy Scheider

[bonesandthebees]

There’s more cool worldbuilding in the conversation too. Phil is proud of his city, his empire. He built it. There’s foreshadowing too through the entire chapter because they keep staring out the windows. So upon realsing that Wikbur has never really seen his planet and how beautiful it is, Phil decides to take Wikbur on a little field trip.

The guard is surprised to see them and to hear the destination. So I’m going to assume that there’s always at least one train waiting and it’s not on Phil called. Unless she’s surprised that Wilbur is there, but she’s also surprised at the cave 4. So I’d say it’s not a place Phil goes a lot.

Anyway, they go to a small cave 2 tunnels away. It’s one of the first caves they dug out (probably the fourth cuz cave 4) and they dug for minerals using bioluminescence. That’s so cool. Also, they dug by hand? Or like manual? And they way Phil says a long time ago makes me feel that all the other miners are dead? Of like, everyone expect Phil and Puffy. Was Techno there? How long does Puffy’s species live? Also, it was one of the first, so I’m assuming a long time ago is like 34 years ago when the empire was formed. Or is that classified as later? Like 34 years ago is when it became and empire. I have a lot of questions but it is very cool.

Anyway, onto the last ask of the Phil and Wilbur conversations.

-🌲

yup the train car stays there at all times. it's just kind of there in case phil or techno ever need to go anywhere. there's usually a lot of trains going in and out of station during the day, but at night they have one hang around just in case. that's why the guard was surprised. and cave 4 isn't somewhere anyone really visits a lot. it's an empty mining cave, so people haven't been there in a while because there's no reason to go to it

they had a mix of machines and hand digging! mostly automated mining machines that were controlled by miners, but then when they reached the recesses of the ice, they would dig parts out manually to ensure they didn't damage unnecessary swaths of ice.

and by a long time ago, that really doesn't mean that long. it's like you said, he means before the empire was formed which really wasn't a long time ago (30ish years like you said). also puffy's species tend to live longer than humans but not as long as elytrians! you'll get more details about the miners later :) also, I'll answer one thing and that is no, techno wasn't there

#ask #spruce anon #the stars and their children

[none-ofthisnonsense]

Rewatching Headless: Episode 1 - Part 1

This is going to be quite filled with spoilers (foreshadowing, my dearest love), so it’s all under the cut!

Also, fair warning to long-time Shipwrecked lovers: I have only watched A Tell-Tale Vlog and Kissing in the Rain (and, naturally, Headless), but not Poe Party nor the Case of the Gilded Lily. Don’t expect any references to that. Sorry. (Also: I’m not quite through Unsolved Babesteries yet)

First of all, I love Diedrich’s song. It’s so creepy and funny and joyful and perfectly sets the mood for the rest of the series. It’s also very informative - right from the start, we get informations on the setting through it, and it fills us with suspense. This is done in two ways: first, we see someone running through the woods like their life depends on it (let’s be honest... It does seem like their life ACTUALLY depends on it.) The sign for the town says “Welcome to Historic Sleepy Hollow, Home of the Headless Horseman”. Very informative, too: if you missed what Diedrich was saying, here’s a reminder of where you are and what the story revolves around. That being Headless.

“Where a ghost or a witch might give you a follow”... I mean. They’re not wrong. Matilda’s definitely a witch, we meet other witch characters, and Verla’s status is still undecided but I’m going to classify her as a ghost. A real one. A corporeal one. I don’t know. That’s why I love Shipwrecked.

Diedrich is the narrator. That’s established right from the start. A bard, to tell the story. But we also learn immediately that he’s visible to the other characters (and that he can see them too) (or maybe just Ichabod? It isn’t obvious to a first-time viewer. Again, why I love Shipwrecked.) which makes us rethink what we knew: oh, this is not an omniscient narrator - since he’s living in the story - and he isn’t a character telling the story in hindsight. Stupidly important things.

Ichabod!!! He’s introduced right from the start, love this little guy. (Sean does a wonderful job, too, capturing the uncertainty that’s so fundamental to Ichabod.) He looks around, like he’s not too sure what’s happening - he’s like the viewer at this point. He’s thinking, “what is this weird thing I definitely did not sign up for? Whoa. Did not expect there to be a bard - okay, I’m going to try to roll with it.” And he does! Ichabod doesn’t quite regain his composure completely, but he tries to compliment Diedrich and get him to move on - “Interesting”.

“Again, I just needed directions. To the Old Dutch House?” Several things here. First: he’s been listening to this song before, at the same time as us, and instead of answering, Diedrich took up his bard role. And “the Old Dutch House” (fair warning: I’m not American. I’ve studied some American history but I am FAR from knowledgeable on this subject. This is what I remember from lessons years ago.) also shows us - “old”. This is a story with roots in the past. And “Dutch” - if I’m not wrong, the Northwest of the US was colonised by the Dutch (ex. New York being New Amsterdam at first), so we know that this is in that part of the country.

Diedrich being so disappointed :(( don’t worry, you’ll get to sing some more!

“You’ll just be in a cursed bog” - this is the second time magic is mentioned. It seems like it was more than just poetic license - something is off here, in this place. (I also love the “cursèd?” reminding us that this is happening “live” to the narrator! He doesn’t know either!)

Ichabod gazing uncertainly in the direction indicated - but also looking sort of resolute. Exactly how he acts during the rest of the show! God, I love character introductions. Can you tell?

Ooh. Mysterious metal piece, beautifully decorated. Could this be... foreshadowing?

The “[squelching]” (thank you MKW for your lovely subtitles. THEY ARE SO USEFUL OH MY GOODNESS.) and “cursed bog” sign reminding us that, yes, this is a mystery, but it’s also a comedy. And it’s also what makes Shipwrecked so appealing: I’m pretty sure Ichabod’s reaction is what anyone would do in this situation. He may be the main character, but he’s also just a funny guy.

Oh no. Oh no he’s scared. Oh no whose house did he just barge into. Oh no no no no no who is this woman in here. Hopefully he didn’t mess up.

DOUFFE THE DRAMATICS.

Oh no poor Ichabod is startled. It was all going fine before seeing this terrifying landlord! He tries to regain some sort of countenance and gain some little favour in her eyes - because apparently this new landlady is keen on assiduity and punctuality. (Then again, it’s her fault the house is in the middle of a BOG.)

We get a little more info on Ichabod here: he’s a teacher, going to work in the Sleepy Hollow middle school. So he’s going to be here for a while.

“I’m a man.” “You’re smaller in person.” (aside: I love Douffe’s voice. It’s perfect. I wish I could listen to it on loop for hours.) Welp, there goes that effort - she is shutting down his efforts, but Ichabod isn’t going to let that bring him down and responds with a “thank you”.

(Spoilers for Episode 8 here) Douffe is already shown as hacker, in a moment most of us probably forget but in hindsight is foreshadowing. The action is already being set up and we’re barely 3 minutes in!

Very clear rules that give us an idea of who Douffe is - she does not care. Not remotely. Not even the smallest little bit. She’s a businesswoman.

She’s also not very reasonable. She knows that rent is already very high and raising it even more. Ouch - and now a worry starts to set in: are all inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow like this, or just her? Diedrich seemed fine, but maybe after all he’s not...

Personal check or cash - a reminder that although this is a modern setting, this town is still stuck in the past. And we’re here to discover why.

[I’m going to stop commenting on every little thing now because I’ve spent 40 minutes on this and we’re not even 4 minutes in.] “Get a roommate” - THE PREMISE FOR THE ENTIRE THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (The “and they were roommates” fic Sinéad wrote that started it all.)

Diedrich is back!!! And Ichabod apparently took that advice to heart. (Who wouldn’t when your landlord essentially doubled your rent.)

Diedrich breaking the fourth wall again. I feel you Ichabod, but he’s doing his job! The Bard Union has very strict rules.

SOMEONE’S INTERESTED. WHO.

Quick aparté: I love the filming. And the framing. Just everything about the visuals in this - they really mark Shipwrecked apart from others!

“Colonial Drugs N’ Stuff”. Again: juxtaposition of old and new! I’m sensing a theme.

A mirror. In it we can see Ichabod entering the shop and gazing around. A candelabra is also visible, among other things. (Do I have to mention old and new again?)

MATILDA!!!!!! Now we’ve met 3 characters from Sleepy Hollow. (Ichabod and Rip Van Winkle don’t count.) (Also, yes, she’s my favourite character. With Brom. They’re both my favourites.)

“Good for storing the still-beating hearts of your enemies. Or your inhaler.” Matilda’s been here approximately 3 seconds and already knows what’s up. And she seems to embrace this local spookiness - if the way she’s dressed is any indication. And the way she speaks. And the shop. Look, she’s a witch, okay?

Ah. My favourite quote from Episode 1. “I thought this was a drugstore.” “I can put drugs in it.” Said so nonchalantly, too - Matilda is an enigmatic character who doesn’t seem fazed by anything.

Kat’s here! And no one is going to be surprised when Ichabod inevitably falls in love with her, if the way she’s introduced is any hint. He’s already got a crush after just a few seconds of seeing her, the dear little man!

Quick reminder that this is not a romance movie, or even a story focussed on romance. It may be there, but it’s a side plot. And Matilda reminds us of that. (Also, the only one there not under the spell, which probably says something about her)

Matilda... I love you but... Quick judgement much? (Though this exudes SO MUCH sibling energy. [Coughs in Episode 8.] Speaking as an older sister.

“Ichabod Crane, huh? Sounds made up.” That’s because it is. Not only because, as Ichabod so helpfully informs Kat, all names are made up, but because he’s a fictional character, and the viewer knows this and recognises it as the cheeky little fourth wall joke it is.

Shipwrecked doing their research I see! There’s probably something with the name but I don’t know about it right now. (Feel free to rb and add, or reply if you have anything on this.)

Spooky music. Spooky speech. This wants to creep me out and it’s doing a very good job of it. And the doubt around it - “that’s what they’re going with”. There’s something going on here, and I’m not sure it’s entirely good. I’m also getting tensed up and worried. Shipwrecked is doing a great job. I’m hooked now if I wasn’t before. Now I’m like Ichabod, and he’s asking all the right questions I want answered: “Wait, really? What do you think happened?” His curiosity very much reflects the viewer’s. And Kat leans into it...

...until she doesn’t. And she abruptly makes us return back to reality - right. Okay. I’m not going to know now - but there’s definitely something to know.

“Not everything that happens here is the result of some curse.” (Again: spoiler alert!) Yeah, but a lot of it is... it’s almost too much to be a coincidence. You might need to rethink your worldview there, Kat. (Though I think it’s a wonderful way of showing how prosaic Kat is, after all the loss she’s had to go through - Kat is probably the main character the most rooted in reality, and who doesn’t want to let go of the comfort of knowing things really exist and can be proven. [Is this why she’s attracted to a SCIENCE teacher? It’s funny how Ichabod, whose whole deal is experiments and method, is so ready to suspend his disbelief, while Kat - who we don’t yet think has any reasons to be sus - is unwilling to let herself go.] And yet, when she meets Headless, we can see such a childish wonder in her eyes - because her mother’s dead, but now a piece of her has come back, and if that’s gone back, what else can return? Kat learns to hope again.)

Ichabod is so achingly hopeful it almost hurts, because it’s clear from the very first moment that he may be into her, but she isn’t necessarily into him - as she so violently reminded him a moment ago by reminding him of the role of an adult who can “do what he wants”. She’s also very cynical, and it shows.

Aww, Ichabod is so cute and naive! But the viewer also thinks like him at this point - he’s the only one we’ve been following so far.

He tries, he tries, he thinks she’s okay with him asking her out - and then it’s all for nothing and she’s gone. That must’ve hurt. But it’s not the first deception he’ll face in Sleepy Hollow. [my wording is very intentional here.]

And she’s going, but there’s some quiet, hopeful piano music - maybe it’s not right now, but we can think he’ll eventually get there. Or is the music sad instead of happy, and he’s gotten rejected?

This is so, so good. The unfinished sentence - an echo of Rip Van Winkle’s screams in the start -, the vanishing - linked to his sudden disappearance, turning around and seeing something you didn’t expect - Rip Van Winkle again - all wonderful stuff.

But no! It’s a false alarm! And we’re back to humour, but the memory of before is still just as haunting.

And that’s where I’m concluding my analysis for today! More later.

#headless #shipwrecked comedy #headless series #headless: a sleepy hollow story #shipwrecked #headless shipwrecked