#it was similar 40 second scenes

[bettyfrommars]

out on the highway

older!Eddie x reader

this is a mid-2000's little blurb where Eddie is in his late 30's/early 40's and ends up in Oregon for whatever reason. maybe this is even drifter!eddie. there are so many isolated gas stations and mechanic garages where I am, I think about this every time I am on the road.

wc: 770

It was a dark and foggy November night when you pulled over to the first gas station for 50 miles on your long trek to the Pacific Northwest. Only a sliver of a moon in the sky and very few visible stars, most of them obscured by bully clouds. 

The two pumps under a metal awning were well-lit, as were the modest mechanic garage and mini mart connected to it, but the rest of the surrounding land was nothing but agriculture fields with no other sign of human life to be found.  

Perhaps you’d watched too many horror movies and episodes of Forensic Files, but this place gave you the creeps bad enough to make you wonder if it might be better to chance your luck and see how far you could get on fumes.  

You opened your door a crack, enough to stick the toe of your foot out, and a song from the newest Arcade Fire album Funeral blared from your speakers, just before you turned the ignition off.  You were about to get out and pump your own gas, because that was what you were used to—but then there stood a person, mere feet away, and you sank back, ready to slam your door, feeling suddenly threatened.  

The person in question was a man in light blue coveralls, with the added warmth of a leather jacket and black, fingerless gloves.  He had dark, wavy hair, just long enough to tuck behind his ears with two silver hoop piercings in one lobe, and there was some type of tattoo design peeking out of his collar on his throat.  His eyes were dark brown and kind, and you couldn’t help but notice the thin scar that pulled down the skin of one eye and made it droop slightly.

It took you an extra second to realize he had a cat with him.  The orange and brown calico teenager was perched on his shoulder and he steadied it with one hand to keep the feline secure while the tail swished behind.  The hand that held the cat was slashed in white scars, decorated in chunky, silver rings, and the fingernails had chipped black polish on them.  

He stopped abruptly, not wanting to scare you, not when that eastern side of the state had too many similarities to the scene of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  

“Sorry, hi, I’m Eddie,” he opened the palm of his free hand and spread his fingers out in a bit of a Spock greeting to let you know he was safe.  “And this is Yvette,” he added, gesturing to the calico cat that he gently lowered to the ground.  You both watched her sprint off to the garage and through a tiny door that had been cut in the sheet metal.

“Regular or super?” He asked, clicking the pump handle off the port before you could get out and do it yourself.

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind—-” you were about to step down to do it yourself.

But then he chuckled softly, realization dawning.  “You can’t pump your own gas in Oregon,” he let you know in a patient voice, avoiding your eyes.  “I have to do it.  It’s the law," and at that last bit, he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Oh, of course,” you gave a ‘silly me’ laugh and crawled back in behind the wheel to shut the door before rolling the window down.  You gave him 20 bucks, and then you watched him from the side mirror as he stood there making sure you got what you paid for.  He was humming a song; one you couldn't place.  

“So,” you spoke up, sticking your head out of the window.  “How long have you lived here?”

He worked his jaw as he checked the rolling numbers on the gas tank, tucking a hair that escaped to his cheek, still never looking directly at you.  “I’ve been here a while,” he said, vaguely.

You stared at your steering wheel for a bit, until you heard the pump click to let him know your tank was full.  

“Thank you,” you said out the window.  He cleared his throat and said a gentle, “you’re welcome”, as he twirled your gas cap closed and snapped the shield into place.  You watched him head back into the garage, with several cats circling his feet.    

You spent the next several miles on the desolate road wondering about Eddie, why he looked so familiar, and how he’d ended up in such a po-dunk town.  You wondered about him until you were sleepy and had to pull over at a roadside motel to get some rest.  

You weren’t very far from the gas station, and you wondered if he would still be there in the morning. 

#Eddie Munson fic #Eddie Munson hc #older!Eddie munson #mechanic!eddie

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 괴물/Beyond Evil.

Beyond Evil is a 2021 Korean drama about two cops that solve a small-town murder that one of them might have committed. Also there's more than one murder to be solved. Also more than one of those murders happened twenty years ago. Also, the cop might have gotten away with at least one of those too.

It got sold to me on the strength of the main pairing, which is absolutely captivating and worth the price of admission. But the entire cast is amazing, the story is great, and it's all just so satisfying. I love everyone in this weird small Korean town. I love having emotions and various Korean foods with them.

I got five reasons why you should watch it! Read 'em!

1. Do You Want To See An Old Man Cry?

In fact, do you want to see every man cry? Do you want to see every man in the cast either cry or pretend to cry or be on the verge of tears at least once? Do you want to see the main characters, who are both men, cry multiple times, often while otherwise wet as well?

Well, buddy, Beyond Evil has got you covered.

2. Absolute Nightmare/Absolute Nightmare

I do not consider it a spoiler to tell you that Han Juwon (the younger one, on the right) is a very mentally unstable superboy. You already know everyone thinks Lee Dongsik (the older one, on the left) is psycho -- it's nearly the first thing you learn about him. But when you're introduced to Han Juwon, you're given the impression that maybe he's just cold, self-possessed, and competent.

No. He is an absolute freak. This is a freak4freak relationship. They are both completely unhinged. They have both been traumatized to nigh-unimaginable degrees, and they have each decided to make it the other's problem. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for both of them, they both get off on that real hard, and they get real mad sometimes about how hard they're getting off on it. It's delicious.

And yet what makes it great is how they're different flavors of freak. They've got the age difference (40 and 27). They've got the height difference (even though the actors are only like 1cm apart, the whole thing is somehow shot like there's a bigger gap). They've got the class difference (small town weirdo and cop royalty). One's a messy bitch, and one's a prissy prince. One has a whole network of people who affectionately endure him, and one has exactly 0.73 friends. One wants to take care of everyone else but not himself, and one has never looked out for anyone else a day in his life. One's a smug little shit, and one's ... also a smug little shit, but differently.

You have perhaps been given the impression that Beyond Evil is like Hannibal, and that Juwon/Dongsik is like Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter. It's not, and yet it scratches a similar itch, if that makes sense.

Don't let me give you the impression that this is textually gay. They do not smooch or anything, so don't be waiting for that. But holy cow, is it homoromantic -- and the leads know it is, and they roll around in it, and everyone else in the production supports their doing it. They have the kind of chemistry stars are jealous of. (It helps that the younger actor is a muffin who has a such crush on the older one.)

And that's even before the part where they get married live on national television. Is that a joke? You'll have to watch to find out.

3. Lee Changjin (and the other antagonists)

I'll talk in a second about excellent and despicable all the bad guys are. But I need a special moment for this motherfucker right here.

Lee Changjin is a wretched, scummy piece of shit who damn near walks away with every scene he's in. He's not the worst like a little meow meow -- he is the actual worst, and it's so good. He's sleazy. He's pathetic. He's hot as fuck. You meet his ex-wife, and you're like, no, honey, sure it was a bad decision, but I totally get it.

Clearly he has a special place in my heart, but all the bad guys in this series are done so damn well. Their realism makes them even scarier. They're not incomprehensible ghouls out there being bad just to be bad. They're (mostly) making calculated decisions based on keeping their own heads above water, and to hell with everyone else.

I'm not going to spoil the identity of the murderer for you -- but it kind of doesn't matter, because you find out who it is less than halfway through the show (and because there are multiple people in this show who've killed someone). There's something bigger and more awful at work here, perpetrated by people that you knew were bad news from the moment you met them.

Beyond Evil is a cop show that is not copaganda, because one of the biggest villains in the series is misuse of police power. The show stresses accountability for police misconduct -- to the point where that accountability hurts characters we want to see get away with stuff because, come on, their bad behavior was totally justified! But it wasn't! The ends do not justify the means here. The world is not better when powerful people use their power to get out of the consequences of their shitty, selfish actions, even when those shitty, selfish actions were objectively kind of cool.

Fair warning, a lot of this show is about complicated relationships with abusive, absent, deceased, and otherwise difficult parents. Those parents are not always (or even mostly) the bad guys -- but the bad guys are all shitty parents. And yet, their adult children are tied to them in complicated ways that do said children no favors. Some of the most heartbreaking pieces of the show are about how these kids break free from those parents -- or, more tragically, don't.

4. Just plain good television

This is a series that can be handled by Your Average American Television Enjoyer Who Can Handle Subtitles. Its quality is on par with a lot of well-thought-of English-language shows I've seen. It's a tight, well-plotted story that's clear enough to be easy to follow, which is sometimes a high bar for a multi-tendriled murder mystery. The small-town setting even gives it a good source of levity to break up the otherwise tight tension.

It's only sixteen episodes long, but there are enough reveals to make a rewatch more than worth your while. The first half in particular improves exponentially on the second viewing, because once you have all the information, events and decisions that you initially read one way, you can see meant something else entirely.

I was initially going to say that if this were in English, all those fans of things like the Wire and True Detective would be super-horny for it -- except that's not true, is it? No, shows like that (which I have seen, for the record) glorify cops who can't be held down by your damn system, so they have to say screw the rules to get things done, because they're too cool and manly for things like paperwork! While Beyond Evil acknowledges that there are some places where the Korean law system is janky and might let a guilty person go free, but that doesn't mean cops get to do whatever they want about it.

My declaration of the show's quality isn't just me judging by my own tastes. This show won the Korean equivalent of Emmys for Best Drama, Best Screenplay, and a well-deserved Best Actor for Shin Hakyun, who plays that incredibly handsome horrible old man. This is a show that actual people who hand out actual awards for good television thought deserved awards.

So I guess if you always wanted to get into those shows a certain kind of dude can't stop talking about, but you had reservations about how authoritarian/libertarian/misogynistic/homophobic/boring they are, Beyond Evil is here for you!

5. Written and directed by women

This one I think is important as hell, because this is a Dead Girl Show (i.e., a show where men kill multiple women as a major part of the plot), and I know a lot of people are justifiably wary about those. However, there are no hints of sexual assault. The violence is gendered, but it's not sexualized. The murders and postmortem mutiliations are handled with the appropriate horror, but it's not torture porn. And the dead girls are treated like -- and grieved like -- actual humans who matter.

I think a whole lot of this can be chalked up to the fact that both the writer and the director of Beyond Evil are women.

In fact, not only are they both women, they're women who don't do this kind of story all the time. Shim Nayeon has directed five things, four of which are comedy/slice-of-life series. Kim Sujin has written a few dramas about mystery-solving teams, but even more comedy and adaptations of webtoons. I have no idea how the two of them got put on this drama together, but it was a perfect match.

This is not to say that men would be incapable of pulling off a story like this. It is, however, a commentary on violence, and how different it looks if you've grown up seeing yourself everywhere as its object rather than its subject. Sure, you could just flip the script and make a story about a lady punchkicker! A lot of people have, and I've enjoyed many of them! But you could also choose to tell a story about gendered violence in a way that isn't just needlessly retraumatizing the people who have to live their entire lives under its shadow. Moreover, you could tell a story about how even good-guy cops can wind up unintentionally buying into paradigms where some women are valuable and some are disposible.

...And if it winds up being teensy bit of a fantasy story about a world in which so many cops give a shit about this violence, well, that's what fiction is for, right?

In short, you love a team of powerful ladies power-drunk on an Arnold Palmer of Respect Women Juice and Sad Man Tears.

Bonus: BANGER SOUNDTRACK

Oh, it's so, so good. (Spotify link)

Have I convinced you to watch it yet?

It's on Netflix, which may be easiest for most people! However, it's also on Viki, and I much prefer the subtitles over there, because a) they keep the flavor of the Korean terms of address, and b) they actually translate the damn episode titles (wtf Netflix?).

There's no bad way to watch it, though!

(ack, they're so cute~)

#beyond evil #괴물 #rec post #honorary danmei #i made this #seriously though it's so good #watch beyond evi

[raayllum]

Time to be wonderfully self indulgent and talk about a scene comparison I've wanted to for a hot second (while pointing very decidedly to This Post for posterity's sake).

So let's talk about the hostage exchanges for Callum and Rayla in 4x09 and 5x08, shall we?

First, let's look at the scene setup.

In 4x09, Rayla is very much the aggressor and pursuant, and the one who — initially — has more power. She has her sword up to Terry's throat, neither him nor Claudia have strong reason to think she wouldn't go through with it, and she explicitly threatens Terry's life precisely because of his importance to Claudia. This is similar as to why Finnegrin threatens Rayla (though there are differences, which we'll get to in a moment), so both elves start out as the aggressor in each scenario.

However, there is soon a shift. Callum's "deal" happens because he escalated violence against Finnegrin (the infamous punch), a tad more similarly perhaps to how Rayla is only threatening Terry because she believes Claudia and co. are a threat to the whole world. Now to be fair, Claudia is only threatening Rayla's parents because Rayla is threatening Terry, but we can assume she had the realization of their connection to Rayla a while ago and has been sitting on it just in case she needed leverage, given that she doesn't seem to need a second to consider. I also think we're inclined, typically within the show, to see the person offering up Options / a choice to make as the one who holds more power in the immediate situation (i.e. Karim's whole sun seed for Janai debacle) even if it may be 60-40 the way it is here.

Not a huge power imbalance, but enough that people are being pushed into corners, and that's exactly where Claudia and Finnegrin attempt to do, and arguably do more successfully, to Callum and Rayla respectively.

We've talked a fair bit about Claudia, so now I want to talk about Finnegrin, simply because he gets a whole episode of corner backing, and therefore there's more stages.

The first stage is Finnegrin attacking Callum as an individual — "Look at you: slave to your friends, your loyalties, your pride. I can give you your freedom though" — and it's the least effective, as Callum never budges or shows any real hints of budging even under torture. However, Callum's admission that he has indeed done dark magic before ("I did one spell. One. I had to, to save my friends") gives Finnegrin the tools he needs to create the next prong of his approach.

Stage two is attacking Callum through his friends, and is far more effective. This is why he sets the hand cutting challenge, and Callum buys into it, i.e. the idea that he has to choose, over the idea that Callum could conceivably offer up his own hand instead. This is not to say that he wouldn't — there's little doubt in my mind that Callum wouldn't have seriously considered if not outright done the chain spell up on deck if Rayla hadn't tried to intervene, since as Finnegrin correctly assesses, "They would do anything for you, so clearly you'll do anything for them" — just that his own hand didn't occur to Callum as an option the way it might've to someone like Rayla.

The third stage, of course, is the one that's most interesting to us, simply in how Callum's "hostage deal" differs from Rayla's in both its construction, their assumptions, and their responses.

Claudia: One thing I don't know though — if I threw the coins in the lava, would it release your spirits? Or would they be trapped in some kind of eternal burning agony? Let's trade. You let him go... and I'll give you the coins.

Finnegrin: The cave is for his protection. This way, he lures us a leviathan but doesn't get eaten. The one getting thrown into the sea serpent's hungry mouth is your elf girl.

Claudia's offered deal is different from Finnegrin's in a few ways.

1) Claudia's deal is explicitly stated in not just the text, but the scene itself ("Let's trade") meanwhile Finnegrin, unlike the two stages prior, does not offer Callum any notion of freedom this time around. Even though neither ends up being a fair deal regardless, the setup of said deal is different. Rayla is being legitimately offered; Callum is making a (desperate but understandable) assumption.

2) Exemplified in a drabble I wrote in which Finnegrin was bluffing, I think it's worth noting that the peril Rayla's parents were in was much more apparent. They were completely defenseless, Claudia was already holding them over the lava, and just one quick throw would be enough to potentially leave them in an "eternal burning agony" (which sounds worse than death by sea leviathan to me; at least that decidedly ends at one point). Rayla could see and hear all this. Callum, by contrast, did not see Rayla tied up, or in distress, and Finnegrin had no proof other than his word. That's not to say Callum was wrong to believe him — he'd just watched Finnegrin torture her, and Finnegrin was very much not bluffing in canon — but that normally Callum is a bit more skeptical and wants a bit more proof in regards to things, and this was a time where emotion really pushed him forward. The immediate consequences of however Rayla responded would be seen with her own eyes, where it's unlikely Callum would've even known precisely when Rayla had died/been eaten with any of his senses or knowledge; it's arguably the one 'mercy' that Finnegrin provided him.

3) And as stated, both Claudia and Finnegrin end up being disingenuous. It seems likely that Claudia always intended to trick Rayla, even if she'd let Terry go, given that while we don't see her slight of hand in general on screen, it doesn't seem like it would've been possible for her to take the coins back out again and switch them before tossing the pouch. That seems like a one and done type of thing earlier on. Finnegrin, of course, takes Callum to task for his assumption ("Oh my poor lad; that deal was no longer on the table") and given his choice to feed Rayla to the sea leviathan anyway, I don't think Finnegrin was ever telling Callum about his plans in order to get him to give up the info. I think it was just supposed to be a punishment, plain and simple, for the literal blow to his pride.

But now for the difference I think everyone clicked on this meta for, realistically, are the choices that Callum and Rayla made in response to the offered Deals.

When Rayla's parents lives are on the line, she considers, but ultimately refuses.

She does not partake in the deal. Rather, she escalates her own refusal of it by pushing Terry to his knees, says so outright — "I'm not making a deal with you!" — and looks up at Claudia, watching and waiting to see how she responds. Claudia as wholly tossed the coin pouch, and Rayla is seeing it arc down towards the lava, before she finally releases Terry to go and try to save her family.

Rayla does not fold the second her parents are verbally threatened, or when there is a possibility of getting them back. Despite her wanting to stop Claudia and Viren, the bigger issue is ultimately letting Claudia escape > actually keeping Terry away from her as an ally/helper. It is only when her parents will burn to death in front of her eyes that she relinquishes her stalemate in an attempt to save them.

You can argue that Rayla going back on her refusal means she made the same choice as Callum in 5x08, and that's fine; it's your prerogative, it's your interpretation, it's cool beans.

However, that doesn't ignore the character beat that Rayla at least refuses upon the first possibility of a threat. Claudia directly threatens three of Rayla's loved ones, and Rayla doesn't budge and verbally/physically refuses to give Claudia what she wants.

And Callum does the same with Finnegrin under torture... until Finnegrin threatens Rayla. The second Callum realizes that Rayla is in danger, that she will or might be killed, Callum folds.

The parallel response here would've been Rayla letting go of Terry the second that Claudia said she might throw the coins into the lava, but Rayla doesn't. And Callum does, even though as he said earlier ("I'm not going to help you murder the Archdragon of the Ocean") this makes him complicit in murder.

And this is where Callum's assumption really bites him in the ass, because he assumes that Finnegrin is still operating under the terms of their previous deal ("Told me something I wanted and now she's free as a bird") even though Callum isn't asking for his freedom, but Rayla's. But Finnegrin's pride is wounded — this was always meant to be a straight up punishment, not enough form of coercion — the wick of his anger lit, so it makes no difference.

Rayla refuses Claudia's deal when thinking it existed, only to find out it didn't. Callum agrees to Finnegrin's deal only to find it out it no longer exists. He gave Finnegrin what the pirate wanted and it isn't even going to save the person he gave it up for.

Both failed exchanges — or in Rayla's case, a failed rescue — end in defeat and devastation: Rayla sobbing and letting out a scream of anguished frustration, and Callum laying on the floor in despair, totally sideways from how much he's pulling at his chains.

I don't think I have to say much else as these scenes and comparisons basically speak for themselves. Neither choice these two make is necessarily the right or wrong choice — for Rayla, her inability to put what she wants first could've resulted in her parents' deaths and has caused herself and others a lot of suffering; for Callum, he understandably wanted to protect a loved one at all cost, even if that left him exploitable and unsuccessful amid Finnegrin's ire, and gave the pirate a dangerous piece of information.

However, I do think that although Callum's choice spells an ominous future (and that Rayla's foreshadows the uncertainty of what she may do when Callum is, inevitably, possessed again, and their futures collide), it's worth examining it as his biggest, more positive difference from Viren, and that's what my next post will be about — so stay tuned if you like.

#rayllum #4x09 #5x08 #arc 2 #s4 #s5 #multi #characterization #tdp callum #tdp rayla #tdp #the dragon prince #theme: exchange #tdp meta #analysis series #analysis #every separation is a link #god they love their 'callum gets rayla's same plot beats but a season apart' thing still huh #1x01 to 2x04 strikes again my beloved #snake boi callum

[woeswrites]

Yandere Will Graham

Warnings: Yandere themes, Obsessive behaviors, Brief mention of rape/rapist, Dubious consent (mention of sex while under the influence), etc.

Notes: I am trying to be active again (fingers crossed). Headcannons are a really easy way for me to get the creative juices flowing. Don't be surprised if a few more come out after this one lol.

You were a recent survivor of an attack

No, it wasn't the Chesapeake Ripper

It was just some other wannabe serial killer trying to get his rocks off

He had a dumb, stereotypical name too

The midnight slasher? midnight butcher?

Something like that

The media wasn't very creative with it

Whatever his name was, he'd clearly had a type

Young men

All of a similar stature

With the same hair and eye color

All known to known be up at all hours of the day

It was a pretty open and shut case in Will's eyes

He was a plain and simple lust killer

Most likely white and in his 30s-40s

Classic closet case turned homicidal

He hadn't seen why the FBI was so stumped on the whole thing

The only real trouble was the lack of DNA evidence

He'd been real good at cleaning up after himself

Will knew he'd slip up eventually

This wasn't the type of guy to be so well organized for long

Well--

Does being murdered by your most recent victim count as a slip up?

Because that's exactly what happened

He was called to the scene with the rest of the team

The sight of you trembling, covered in blood, and standing over top of that creep was his first impression

You met his eyes and he was unable to pull away

Something about your tear blotched face held him captive

Jack tasked him with asking you questions about the events at hand

Normally this would have annoyed Will

He wasn't the talking type

Let alone someone sensitive enough to make such a traumatized person feel comfortable

But something in him didn't mind so much

Maybe it was the way you looked so vulnerable

Or the fact that no matter how much he pushed the idea away, he saw himself in you

An innocent man turned murderer under the right circumstances

"I'm Will Graham and I'll be asking you some questions."

"God, okay. I'm Y/n. Can't really say it's nice to meet you."

Will tried to start off slow

Ask the basics before moving onto the more pertinent information

You'd answer to the best of your abilities (considering the circumstances)

It took Will a second to jot down your responses

He'd get a little too caught up in your features to notice you'd stop talking

"Sorry, what was that? You got off work at 9?"

There was something admirable about your attempts to infuse your story with a bit of dry humor

Likely a coping mechanism

But Will found himself smiling a bit at your quips

By the time he'd finish up with you he'd felt a little attachment form

Sure the case was over on his end

But it didn't stop him from asking Jack about you

At least a couple times a week

"How's things going with that self defense case? Y/n's...?"

Will showed up the next day with your case fill on his desk

The sticky note stuck to it warned about annoying Jack with too many questions

He'd spend all night re-reading the details

Without noticing he began slipping in and out of re-enactment mode

Imagining you on top of him

Knife in hand

Crazed look in your eyes

He tried to shake the image away

He shouldn't be doing this

It wasn't right

You could've died that night

His guilt ridden thoughts did nothing to lessen the tent that had formed in his pajama pants

He tried to push the idea of you out of his head

Usually he'd have more control over himself than this

His resolve was strong at first

He'd hidden the manila folder away in the depths of his lower drawer

Telling himself he'd drop it

That worked for a couple of days

That was before he started dreaming of you

Events that he hadn't preformed himself took ahold of him

He became your attacker that night

He chased you

He ripped apart your clothes

He was the one who you fought off

He's the one who you thrust that knife into

And he loved every second of it

Wait--

No, he couldn't

This was just his empathy disorder

Yeah!

He was just in character

This definitely wasn't him

He would never want to do any of that stuff

And he'd prove it

He had memorized that file from front to back at this point

It wouldn't be weird that he'd known your address

He was an FBI consultant

It was basically warranted

Will found himself picking out his best clothes that night

His newest jeans, tailored shirt, the works

Not for any particular reason

And his bed was definitely not littered with rejected articles of clothing

This was just going to be a simple checkup, it's not like it really mattered what he looked like

He showed up on your doorstep with the nicest bottle of wine he could find

"Will? Is that you?"

"Uh, yeah it is. Would I be able to come in?"

You welcomed him in, albeit a little confused

"I thought my case was cleared..."

"That's not what I'm here for. I just wanted to check in on you."

You smiled at this

And Will felt his heart ache

You'd invite him to join in on your sorry excuse for a dinner

He'd never accepted anything so fast before in his life

It didn't take long before the two of you got into the wine he'd brought

It was innocent enough at first

Just drinking and talking

You'd mention how life was after the attack

Will shared a little about his experience with GJH

Its the first time he had ever felt so utterly connected with another person before

But then the two of you got a little more than tipsy

And Will found himself leaning in

One kiss turned into another and another

Will felt a sense of static overtake him

Every touch between the two of you sent shivers up his spine

He felt the strong urge to consume

Before either of you knew it your clothes were now in a heap on the kitchen floor

You woke up the next morning with a splitting headache

Oh-- and an FBI agent in your bed

Shock was an understatement

That was when the memories of the previous night flooded back

Will woke up at the loss of warmth

Last night was the best he had slept in years

You wrapped tight in his arms, bodies perfectly intertwined

His heart sank at the look of regret on your face

"We definitely shouldn't have done that. I think you should leave Will..."

He couldn't just leave now

Not knowing what he did

That you two were made for one another

He'd try to calm you down

"Y/n let's talk about this."

You weren't having it

Mentioning how inappropriate this all was

You'd shove his clothes into his arms

Will tried to console you

Not realizing why you were so worked up

You both did just have the best night of your life after all

You'd back away but he'd continue approaching

"C'mon I know you don't really want me to go. Let's just take a second before we make any rash decisions"

"We aren't doing anything. I want you to go. Now."

Something about him coming over while you were still recovering from your distress and it all leading to this...

It just didn't feel right

Will tried to approach once more but you pushed him away

He couldn't help the smile that made its way onto his face

"Push me. Go on, make it hurt."

You were absolutely bewildered

He reached out and grabbed ahold of you

His grip was almost crushing

Like he was holding on for dear life

"I won't leave you alone that easily. Fate brought us together for a reason. You feel it too right? We're one in the same. We're each other's destiny."

He looked crazed, sweat slipping from his brow

It felt just like that night all over again

The knife in your hand as your attacker bled out

Only now Will took his place underneath you

#he/him #male reader #will graham x male reader #will graham x reader #yandere will graham #yandere will #possessive love #NBC hannibal #hannibal #yandere hannibal #yandere NBC hannibal #will #will graham #yandere william graham #william graham

[somehow-a-human]

The Ineffable Timeline of Season 2

Friday on Whickber street & The Final Fifteen.

DO NOT ASK NEIL ABOUT FAN THEORY

Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday

We've done it besties! We've reached the day of reckoning! Sadly! Okay, We only see a small piece of Friday, but let's still take a look at the timeline that we're shown.

Crowley's sideburns are long for the entirety of Friday so we won't be denoting them in the individual scenes. The illustrated bible is also closed for the entirety of Friday/Episode 6.

Friday aka Episode 6 aka Everyday

8:00 (Estimated time) - Crowley Muriel and the Archangels arrive back to the bookshop from Heaven. It is the next morning on Whickber Street.

Heaven and Hell Confront the duo in the bookshop and Gabriels memories are returned. When they realize Maggie and Nina are present, Crowley takes them out of the bookshop. This is the first time we get a good sense of what time it might be.

8: 30 (Estimated time) - Nina says "I was supposed to be open half an hour ago." We've previously seen her arrive at 6:47 to prepare open the coffee shop. Let's guess maybe she opens at 7-8 ish am. So maybe it's, what, 8:30?

9:00 (Estimated time) - The Ineffable Bureaucracy is revealed, Michael makes their threats against Aziraphale, and meanwhile The Metatron orders a coffee from Nina. It's now maybe 9am. The metatron reveals himself and sends away the Archangels, then invites Aziraphale for a chinwag to discuss returning to Heaven.

9:15 (Estimated time) - Nina and Maggie emotionally compromise disaster puppy Anthony J Crowley by convincing him he should confess his feelings to Aziraphale.

9:25 (Bookshop clock) - We FINALLY get a clear time shot of the clock! Aziraphale relays The Metatrons offer (veiled threat), Crowley's confession, no nightingales, and yes the kiss.

Crowley leaves the bookshop.

Small time jump here. Did time jump or did the final 15 start at 9:25 and end at 9:40 and the bookshop clock is not a functional clock so the hands didn't move throughout the scene, and were just positioned to reflect the time passed after the scene was through? Because I think the second thing may be something people don't consider enough.

9:40 (Bookshop clock) - The Metatron comes back, and Aziraphale follows him to the elevator. Crowley is waiting at the Bentley, and watches as Aziraphale leaves. Then Crowley drives off. Gonna-fuck-shit-up smile Aziraphale, resolute Crowley.

-end episode, and season 2-

well. well. well.

Shall we talk conclusions?

I think in summation, I pretty much disagree with the idea that what is shown is "out of order" or not continuous. Look maybe I'm just so wrong but everything seems to me to follow a very clear path and story line. Are there some weird bits where the very prominently featured clock shifts hours at a time? yes. Do Crowley's sideburns inexplicably change length between scenes, when they were perfectly capable of being kept to a consistent length during season 1? yes. Are there large gaps of time where a lot could be happening that we simply are not shown? yep.

I think if I've read any theories I liked, the time-loop ones are most interesting to me. I think there is definitely an angle to consider given we know Crowley has the power to manipulate time and we see him use it this season on Mr. Dalrymple. We can then assume some other powerful angels/demons must have a similar ability? Coupled with the fact that season 2 insanely closely mirrors The Tales of Hoffmann, and I highly encourage you read this post by @noneorother to see all of their magnificent details. But to VERY briefly summarize, the big baddie Lindorf, who mirrors The Metatron, traps Stella, the character who mirrors our sweet Aziraphale, in a time-loop in one of the minisodes to separate her from Hoffmann, who mirrors Crowley, and eventually gets her to return to Heaven. I mean...

Do I have to even say it?

#good omens #aziraphale #crowley #crowley x aziraphale #good omens meta #michael sheen #david tennant #good omens theories #good omens 2 #good omens clock #ineffable idiots #aziracrow #gomens #good omens fandom #aziraphale x crowley

[happilyscentedsoul]

7.06   Sam and Cait

It’s only a bit of a scene. Only a snippet, really… 30-40 seconds. But the intimacy— the love between these two, shines through. No matter how they are coached to try to hide it. I’m not minimizing the true acting talents of SC here, but this bit is not acting.

I’m mesmerized by her studying her husband’s jawline, tracing its shape and savoring the feel of his stubble under her fingertips. He relishes her touch. You can see it in his eyes as he speaks the lines of his character.

We’ve seen it all before in similar quiet scenes. Many times. Their actions here are nothing new. But their actions are anything but automatic (robotic), rehearsed, perfunctory. That’s because they are genuine. Soul touching soul.

[noboundsforlove]

Violet Sorrengail’s Second Signet

Her second signet is light. Let me explain.

Let’s start with her first signet, back in Fourth Wing. In Chapter 22, Tairn channels to Violet for the first time. Violet describes it as a “rush of energy” that races down her spine. Then she says “Another wave ripples through me…” and continues “Something within me expands, somehow too big for my own body, too vast to be contained, and pain sears every nerve as I crack open, the sound reverberating through my skull like bones shattering. It’s as though I’ve been split at the very seams of the fabric of my being.” What’s important to note is that it comes in waves and it is painful. She then says “Energy pours in - a deluge of raw endless power…” She specifically describes it as “the energy - the power.” As continuing to course through her veins.

Fast forward to Iron Flame. Andarna wakes up from the Dreamless Sleep at the end of Chapter 37. I’m of the opinion that Violet’s second signet does not manifest until after Andarna awakes (sorry to anyone who thinks the hallucination of Liam [Ch. 35] or Rhiannon’s dagger move [Ch. 29] are a part of the second signet). Andarna is still a bit groggy when she wakes up, so she doesn’t start channeling to Violet right away. She starts channeling in Chapter 48 - you know - the “My house. My Chair. My woman.” chapter.

During this cataclysmic scene, Xaden gives Violet the conduit to hold - this is key, as I think it’s why Violet does not fully realize Andarna has started to channel. I think it starts when Violet says “With the next caress, pleasure and power crest through me, over me, in simultaneous waves that crash again and again. There’s no thunder, no strike, only the hum of energy in my hand that flares with the strokes of Xaden’s mouth and fingers.” Violet’s stream of consciousness continues that it does not end - “only the waves of infinite ecstasy that come without breaking.” She says out loud “I can’t take it” and says the waves come and come with no end in sight. She describes the “searing pleasure” that rips through her. After Xaden floods the bond, she says “I shatter, splintering into a million glittering shards of bliss as I scream out his name. Power and light course through me without burning…” and then says she feels her power crackle through the orb in her hand before settling.

The way Violet describes what she is feeling as endless waves and searing pleasure echoes the scene in Fourth Wing where Tairn starts channeling to her. It is the only spot in the book where she says that “power and light” course through her, and I think that indicates that her second signet is finally present. It’s important to note that in Chapter 40, Felix tells Violet that she “wields pure power that takes the form of lightning” because that is the form Violet is most comfortable shaping it as. I think her light signet will be similar—what she will wield is pure light, but it will take a certain form.

As Andarna reminds Violet in Chapter 53, “signets manifest according to the person wielding.” Violet is, in a metaphorical sense, light. I think her signet of power is associated with her rider heart, and her signet of light is associated with her scribe mind. Violet is outraged by being kept in the dark by her government—she wants the truth to be brought to light. This also applies to her relationship with Xaden—she constantly seeks truth, or light.

Violet is also going to need light to defeat the venin. In Chapter 53, Cat makes a comment to Violet that the fact that she doesn’t carry a torch with her says that Violet hasn’t been appropriately scared of the dark yet. At the beginning of Chapter 61, we get more context as to why Cat might be afraid of the dark—the chapter begins with a quote from Major Edvard Tiller’s Unaccredited Study of the Venin. “Though there is some debate, it is greatly believed that turning venin heightens one of the dark wielder’s senses. It is this scholar’s belief that the one responsible for the death of King Grethwild developed keener eyesight. For not even the best of His Majesty’s royal fliers could see through the darkness the venin hid within to slay our beloved king.” Violet will need light to expose the venin and then wield power in the form of lightning to defeat them.

One thought on the form the light signet could take is that Violet is a luminary. She can amplify dragon fire, and make it hotter. She might need this to be able to forge a tool or weapon out of iron, like the wardstones, the stones found in the wyvern carcasses, the Rybestad chest, or the runed stones that protected the children of the rebellion. After all, Violet is a part of the Iron Squad, and the book is called Iron Flame - perhaps the answer has been sitting in front of us all along. Violet’s second signet may just be her ability to wield iron flame.

#Iron flame #fourth wing #the empyrean #violet sorrengail #tairn #tairneanach #violet and tairn #andarna #xaden riorson #violet and xaden #Iron squad #signet #wyverns #dragons #The empyrean series

[david-talks-sw]

Why do a lot of SW fans dislike the Prequel Jedi?

This was going to be the conclusion to this answer about "why a lot of people dislike Mace"... but it's just too long, so I decided to make it a post in its own right.

So why is Mace-- scratch that, why are the Prequel Jedi considered to be "unlikable" by a big chunk of the fandom? Especially when compared to Anakin "I killed a group of children twice" Skywalker.

Overall... I'd say it's three things.

1) Some fans had different expectations.

I touched on this in a recent post: older fans, who are now at least in their 40s, grew up seeing Luke as the ultimate Jedi.

He's Campbell's Hero With A Thousand Faces, up there with King Arthur and Superman. He's, for lack of a better term, the chosen one.

So when the Prequels were announced and they knew they'd get to see the Jedi Knights in their heyday, they expected to see something like the Knights of the Round Table.

A collective of errant warriors who go on exciting adventures, providing aid from place to place. Like Luke Skywalker.

Instead, they got this:

"A bunch of monk/diplomats who sit around talking about taxations and trading routes and measure the Force based on cell organisms."

"They're nothing like Luke Skywalker! What the hell?" (I address why this is inaccurate here)

Then the second film comes out:

"Wait, Jedi can't get married now? So were all those EU books about Luke and Mara Jade bullshit?" (also addressed in above link)

Then the third film comes out:

"Palpatine is right there, why can't they sense him or read his mind? They're Jedi!" (explanation why here)

Also Luke is no longer the Chosen One apparently? Anakin is? How does that work?

Plus, the way they speak, their jargon, is waaaaay too formal, gone are the OT characters talking informal English with American accents and quips. Even the way these new characters speak - and not just the Jedi, the Queen too - seems detached from reality and makes them harder to relate to. (but we're talking about diplomats and royalty, so how else would they be talking?)

2) How adult audiences perceive "morally pure" characters.

Even if one didn't have the pre-concieved notions about the Jedi... they don't seem to impact the adult viewers the right way.

Then again... neither does Barney the Dinosaur.

Many are the conspiracy theories and negative discourse surrounding him (there's even an upcoming documentary about it). You know why? Because he's not meant to be a character for adults, who have outgrown morally black or white characters and are unable to relate to them... his target demographic is children.

They see him and go "I love you, you love me". We see him and go "What the fuck is this guy hiding? What darkness lies beneath that mask of optimism and joy?"

Same goes for the Jedi.

So I'd say what we have, here, is a similar situation as the one in the recent Rick and Morty episode, "Juricksic Mort".

In the episode, a bunch of dinosaurs return to Earth and it turns out they're incredibly selfless, diplomatic, moral and spiritually advanced (kinda like the Jedi!)

Rick's reaction is - you guessed it - "what the fuck are they hiding?"

The dinosaurs turn Earth into a utopia, ending all wars, removing all conflict, bringing about world peace and giving everyone the chance to go on vacation... and everybody hates them for it and eventually wants to see them fail and step down from their pedestal.

The writing emphasizes their superior virtue so much that they actually come across as uptight and patronizing. This is done intentionally, so that it's difficult to find them likeable out-of-universe, and we relate to the earthlings in-universe who react the same way.

Why do the audience and the characters react this way to characters who - again - are good and moral?

Because as Moriarty says in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows... hidden within the unconscious is an insatiable desire for conflict.

It's why the presence of conflict is so crucial in storytelling.

It's why every scene in good movies presents some form of internal, external or philosophical conflict.

It's why protagonists need flaws to be interesting and relatable. Because we're flawed as well.

Also, the protagonist will eventually have overcome their flaws through an arc.

More importantly, the basis of all conflict, in storytelling, comes from something being out of balance.

And the Jedi are trained to not be that :D !

So on the one hand we have Anakin, a flawed, conflicted character who struggles with his inner balance, and on the other we have the Jedi, who are essentially presented as flawless and balanced.

What will a chunk of the audience do? They:

Won't like the Jedi.

Will project a flaw onto them (more on that in the next section).

Side with Anakin, the one that's as imperfect as the audience is.

Sometimes all of the above.

But the thing is, though... the Jedi we see in the Prequels are not flawless or perfect.

They are, for the most part, characters who have already completed their character arcs, characters who have already confronted their own inner flaws and overcome them.

And whenever these flaws resurface? Well, they've conquered them once, and they have the training, so they do it again.

Example, here's Yoda confronting and overcoming his hubris and inner fears:

Has he done it before, in his almost 900 years? Probably, yeah. But it's not a one-and-done sort of thing.

But the Prequels are not their movies. They're about Anakin.

He's meant to be the more interesting character. And they're meant to be the ones with less flaws, because they're mentor archetypes and the Prequels show an interesting situation wherein the protagonist fails to listen to the mentors and fails to overcome his own flaws, which leads him to - instead - be doomed by them.

3) Issues with the writing.

So, for the people who didn't like the changes but want to like the Prequels, there's a headcanon that seemingly fixes everything:

"The Prequel Jedi... are intentionally written as arrogant, hypocritical moralists. They are meant to come across as dispassionate. I mean, isn’t that what being a Jedi is, apparently? You purge yourself of attachments aka emotions, and act only logically (which was typically-encouraged behavior for a long time, in the US). They've become too systemic and lost their way." And guess what? With this interpretation, "Luke is special again! He's like Qui-Gon in that he found a middle ground between the unfeeling Jedi and the Sith, who have become slaves to their emotions. Like, sure, Anakin can be THE Chosen One, whatever, but Luke? Luke has found the balance, he succeeded where Obi-Wan, Yoda (who wanted Vader dead instead of believing he could be redeemed) and the other Jedi failed. So that's what the Prequels are about: the Jedi's failure."

The issue is, though... it doesn't align with what George intended. (as explained here and here).

But it does use most of the ingredients the films give us. Which - short of unleashing a barrage of George Lucas quotes, interviews and videos - makes it hard to disprove.

Because - seeing as the films aren't about the Jedi, they're about Anakin and his own inner demons - we don't see enough of the Jedi's culture and lifestyle and day-to-day unless it directly relates to Anakin.

So George's very clear idea of how awesome the Jedi are is never truly conveyed or fleshed out and as a result they feel like a group of people who always say "no" to the protagonist. The flawed, passionate and more relatable (by contrast) protagonist.

We get glimpses of it in The Clone Wars, but then it's tarnished by the fact that the Jedi are at war.

Then there's the reads that could easily be disproved... had George been more explicit about what he was going for.

"The Jedi Council bully a 9-year-old." This read could've been avoided had the scene ended with the Jedi telling Anakin that being afraid is normal, but his fear must be conquered otherwise it'll lead to the Dark Side. Which, they do, but in a vague way rather one with a kind empathetic smile.

"Obi-Wan is always berating Anakin, their relationship is tense." The whole movie partially features an arc where their relationship is on the rocks, so removing the tension isn't an option. However, the interpretation that it's been like this for a decade (rather than recently because Anakin reunited with Padmé) could've been avoided if, instead of just a minute-long elevator scene, we maybe saw a set-piece of them on a mission, maybe showing them working in tandem and joking as they escape that nest of gundarks.

More could've been done to frame the Jedi in the positive light thy were meant to be seen under. But again: the movies aren't meant to be about the Jedi.

Though it seems that a lot of people wanted them to be. And maybe that explains the hate re: the Jedi.

Older audiences wanted to see Campbell's Hero they grew up with again, they had a preconceived notion that the Jedi would be wandering, exciting adventurers... instead they got a bunch of "stale" diplomats whose whole job is to avoid conflict and adventure.

So instead of taking the story for what it was - a movie for kids - they projected a "morally gray" narrative that said these characters were flawed and weren't how they were supposed to be in-universe, when the truth is they weren't happy with the characters they witnessed out-of-universe.

#long post #in defense of the jedi #jedi order #meta #star wars #sw meta #prequel trilogy #star wars analysis #also holy shit this is my 300th post apparently :D

[legobiwan]

Okay, ever since the concept art of the Mario Brothers movie got leaked on Reddit, I've been wanting to make this post. And I think now is the time. Gird your loins friends. I am about to overanalyze the hell out of thirty seconds and one concept art of a movie.

A Room of Their Own: An (Over)Analysis

To start with, I want to justify this whole treatise by comparing the concept art of Mario and Luigi's room with what we get in the movie.

Concept Art

Movie

These match up incredibly well. There are a few poster swaps on Mario's wall, the generic baseball team versus an obvious reference to the Mets (a point I'll talk about in a moment); Beastie Boys for the fish person poster (and it's bugging the hell out of me, because the green guy is wildly jogging my memory and I can't quite place it). Luigi's side of the room also gets slightly rearranged, although the objects are mostly the same, minus the swap of the anime mecha figure for an art mannequin.

Now that we've established continuity, let's talk about why we're exploring this in the first place.

I love analyzing people's living spaces in media. They tell such an intimate story about who a person is, what they value, what they're hiding, and so on. And the snippets we get of Mario and Luigi's room, both through the movie and the concept art, say so much about them and (arguably) connect in some measure back to the games and even the cartoons of my youth. So, let's dive in, shall we?

Mario

In both the concept art and the movie, a couple of themes emerge from Mario's side of the room.

Plumbing

It's obvious that Mario's passion is plumbing. There are pipes sticking out from under his bed, pipes stacked in the corner, books on plumbing stacked on his desk, along with all kinds of other related paraphernalia. Regardless of Spike or his father, Mario seems genuinely into plumbing as his vocation (remember, he was the one who was the driving force behind that commercial). Keep this in mind for when we talk about Luigi, because there's a divergence there.

Sports

We know from the movie and general lore that Mario is quite athletic, and seems to enjoys sports. Here, we see posters for baseball and what is presumably the New York City marathon (at least in the movie still); we see a football helmet and some small trophies that one might assume are related to his own sports activities. Is he the absolute, number one winner in all of Brooklyn? Unlikely, given his insecurities about always being "small," about wanting to amount to something. This being said, it's obvious he has some prowess and accomplishment in the world of sporting, perhaps on a high school level. And the whole parkour scene shows that he trains, keeps himself in shape for this type of thing. (As an aside, can you blame Luigi for not being able to keep up? Forget the knees, he's hauling a 15-20 pound bag of plumbing equipment with him! Give the guy a break).

Anyway, this is all unsurprising for our hero archetype. The marathon poster - grit and determination. Baseball and football - all-American sports. Central casting, call one wannabe hero. (Remember, what people showcase in their rooms is generally what is important to them, what they value).

There is a small wrench thrown in here, however (ha! a pun!) And that would be the foam finger featured in the concept art which is a very familiar orange and blue. And that along with the baseball figurine and posters - which have similar coloring and iconography of the intersecting "NY" - lead me to believe that Mario is a Mets fan.

Now, I need make a small digression here to explain why this is important to his character.

The Mets are the long-suffering little brother to the perennially-successful New York Yankees (booooooo). They still hold the modern era record for most losses in a season (their inaugural year, 1962, where they went 40-120). Over the decades, they have been plagued by inept ownership, catastrophic end-of-season collapses, and bizarre events that can only be categorized as "LOLMets." (This Reddit thread is a particularly entertaining history of the franchise's tragi-comic moments).

And aside from being a lifelong masochist fan of this team, I think it's important to bring this up in terms of Mario's character because he sees himself as the underdog while in Brooklyn; as little, as constantly underachieving. It's extremely fitting for Mario's movie depiction that he roots for the eternal underperformer, for a team that has historically been supported by the more blue-collar areas of New York, a fanbase which suffers year after year and yet always comes back for more.

Mess

This is actually my favorite part of Mario's section. Canonically, Mario is a kind of a slob. In both the concept art and movie stills, we see plumbing bits and parts strewn all over the place, pipes shoved underneath the bed, pipes stacked in the corner, half-finished projects and tools running amok his desk. (Note, he's not dirty, just disorganized).

And the thing, this isn't the first time we've seen evidence of this. Luigi, on two separate occasions, either complains about or encounters his brother's habits in the Luigi's Mansion series. (Although the first quote below could be more of a commentary on Luigi's persnickety-ness rather than Mario's laundry habits).

(seriously, Mario. Just how many pizzas did you need?)

There's something...I don't know, endearing or somehow fitting that the titular hero of the Mushroom Kingdom is a domestic disaster. Almost as if whatever energies he can muster are focused solely on hero-ing and plumbing and anything else just...falls by the wayside. (Understandable. There's only so much all of us in our lives have energy for. You have to prioritize). Still, it sets up this contrast between the front Mario puts up and how he's received by the Mushroom Kingdom and who he really is, which he definitely reserves for a select few closest to him, the prime candidate being his brother.

And speaking of that brother...

Luigi

It's unfortunate that we don't get as many quality shots of Luigi's side of the room in the movie, but from what can see, the concept art is pretty consistent with the film.

And I'm being adamant about the consistency of the concept art and the movie, due to the fact we get so little Luigi screen time and yet his room tells us so much about him.

Science

We've got a tech-mech boy here, my friends. Note the somewhat advanced microscope perched on the headboard, the calendar of the motorcycle, the schematic of the racing car, the little jet-rocket ship. Note, in the concept art, the mecha sat prominently on top shelf.

Now, what does this tell us? (Aside from the fact Luigi is a total nerd, which we knew already).

Firstly, Luigi is very into motor vehicles, science (fiction), and possibly robots. That he possibly has some interest in engineering and robotics. This may sound familiar.

Yes, the Super Mario Brothers movie, by intent or not, kept Luigi's mechanical engineering interests intact. (There's a whole other post in here where I could provide further proof of this outside of SPM. I suggest watching the SMB 3 cartoon episode, "Mind Your Mummy" which not only wildly showcases Luigi's engineering skills, but is pretty hilarious).

But I digress.

Here's the interesting contrast. Mario is obvious about his passion for plumbing. Luigi, although canonically more reserved, does take the effort to highlight what is important to him in his room - namely his interest in science and engineering (and photography, which we'll talk about in a minute).

It makes you wonder...Luigi is not a confrontational sort. He goes along with what Mario does because he loves his brother and perhaps he either doesn't know what he wants or is afraid to express it. I personally doubt Luigi's true passion lies in plumbing, from what we see here. It's a means to end.

Now, whether Luigi disavowed engineering due to finances, low self-esteem, family pressures, or if he just wasn't ready to declare who he was...we don't know (I would posit it's some tasty combination of all of the above). But I do feel like it's fair to say Luigi is along for the ride at this point. He loves his brother, is possibly a little too dependent on him. It's not like he's bitter about it (well, on the surface. The Mr. L persona raises some interesting questions) - he's just doing what Mario does because...that's what he's always done. Luigi hasn't found his true footing yet. (You can even look at the fact he carries the toolbag throughout the movie as a kind of metaphorical weight of Mario's interests and goals over his - which, I realize, for a Mario property, is a reeeeeaaaaal stretch. But since I'm overanalyzing three stills from an animated movie about video game plumbers, I might as well go for the gold).

The other aspect of Luigi's interest in fast cars, fast bikes, and fast rockets is how that contrasts with his reserved nature. Luigi is, supposedly, the scaredy cat, the one who won't take risks. And yet what we see fascinating him the most are chunks of metal being hurled through time and space at ridiculous speeds. Wish fulfillment? Or maybe another side of Luigi that even Mario doesn't always get to see.

We also see two ribbons pinned to the wall near the sciency/tech items. Most likely, this had to do with academic achievement I would bet good coins that these achievements were in STEM. Again, Luigi is showcasing this, meaning it's important to him.

In this context, him gravitating towards E. Gadd and his experiments is wholly in-character, despite Luigi's (understandable) anxiety about dealing with undead (but does he say no? Much like his rocket cars, there's a kind hidden recklessness to his character). Mr. L and his robot obsession (and skill) make perfect sense. Luigi's probably been looking for that kind of outlet for quite some time. I can pretty firmly state that the engineering aspect of Mr. L was not brainwashing and it makes you wonder if the other facets of Luigi's personality that rise to surface during that whole episode were planted or there already, just suppressed.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

Luigi is just a bit of a neat freak. We see this in the hat-cleaning episode referenced above, in the way his side of the room is somewhat meticulous in its organization (in contrast to his brother). He also has a few hilarious quotes in the original Luigi's Mansion that are worth including here that really highlight this side of his personality:

Now that I look at it-- it's full of moth holes! Yecch!" "So much dust! This will never pass the white-glove test!" "Well, they sure did pile odds and ends everywhere… Filthy." "I should probably give that a quick vacuuming…" "Oh, what's this?! Just how I like it… Nice and clean!" "Do Boos wash their faces?"

And what I find interesting about this tendency toward order is how it relates to Luigi's anxiety. I would argue that part of his clean streak is an attempt at controlling his environment, a way to counter that ever-present anxiety. It also seems fitting for the engineer to be far more fastidious about things being just so. Yes, it's a bit of a stereotype - a trope, if you will - but one that might have some teeth in this situation. After all, if you're building race cars that go ridiculous miles per hour, there's no room for error. I think the contrast between the two brothers - Mario's outside world is consistently on the edge of chaos while Luigi's inside world is the one on the precipice - is fascinating.

Sports

Now, it's not like Luigi has zero athletic ability (despite his complaints). We see a tennis racket in his room and a dartboard. He helped Mario beat up Bowser with zero training montage. It's just that Luigi seems to gravitate towards athletic endeavors that require more pinpoint accuracy (not that baseball and football don't, but it's a little different in my mind) and that avoid almost all risk of physical collision. Again, those interests are not what we think of as "stereotypical" of the big hero. And Luigi is a hero, but in a very different way than his brother.

Camera

I don't have too much to say about this one, but I think it's delightful that Luigi owns and uses an old-school camera. We can actually see two black-and-white photos pinned to his wall in the concept art, showing us Luigi's more artistic side, which is kind of neat (and let's not forget the movie subs in an art mannequin for the mecha, which only strengthens this notion of art interest. Maybe he's into the notion cybernetics? It's possible). I suppose I could read into camera thing as an observer vs. participant dynamic (Luigi behind the lens observing while Mario is always in the action), but I wouldn't make an argument any more in-depth, and even that statement is a bit of a leap in a document chock-full of leaps.

Conclusion

If you're expecting a thesis out of this, I'm sorry to disappoint - I don't really have one. I suppose this whole rundown is more of a literature review than anything else, but what I do want to stress is what can be read from the objects in the room and their placement. I can't and won't pretend to know the intentions of the artists here. It's very possible there was far less thought put into the design and layout of these rooms than the long treatise I have just given over to it. This being said, because there is a fair amount of consistency between the concept art and the movie and because there is a fair amount of subtle character moments throughout the film (which have been broken down by other intrepid Tumblr friends), I might lean towards the notion that these design choices do have some degree of intent in subconsciously shaping how we, the viewer, read the brothers.

(And yeah, maybe I just wanted an excuse to pin more evidence onto my "Luigi wanted to be a mechanical engineer and is actually really skilled at robotics and other science" conspiracy thread bulletin board :D

#hello there #luigi #mario #meta #in which i overanalyze the hell out of a piece of media #and give myself an excuse to not only promote my luigi-engineer agenda #but also talk about baseball for a paragraph #hahahaha #self indulgent nonsense #smb movie #you guys asked for it

[utilitycaster]

I'm the abridgement anon from before. Thanks for thinking so much about it! Here's my status with respect to C3: I watched every episode up to 24, then fell off. I tried to rejoin several times thereafter (basically, whenever the grapevine said something important had happened - Laudna's death, Ashton eating the shard, FCG's death) and every time I bounced off again. I do want to give this my best shot, but I fear that it just might not be for me.

Ok so that's actually helpful specifically because I was like "hmmm...people should probably watch up to 24, and then the skipping happens."

I went for a very "here's what you REALLY shouldn't skip; anything else you can (and should) pick up on recaps" but after around episode 37 there's only like 2 episodes I'd actively recommend you skip (64 and 82 btw), and after the solstice I don't think it ever really drags other than during Endless Convos About Whether The Gods Are Good Or The Vanguard Has A Point. Speaking of, watch the full conversation in episode 49 but after that whenever they start on theology and "are the gods worth it" feel free to skip until it stops, regardless of whatever else I said about the episode, except for the one this most recent episode (92).

Bassuras: You can skip 25 entirely unless you want to experience Taste of Tal'Dorei. for 26-30, basically jump around whenever you get bored and flip to recaps. I recommend the All-Minds-Burn scenes, maybe some Imahara Joe but you'll see him in a bit. Episode 28 is basically entirely a no-holds-barred drag race which I found fun but is not necessary. You should watch 31, but if you get bored with the first half, skip to recaps and jump to the second half. First half of 32 is good and important. Second half you can get in recap but there are some good conversations. First half of 33 is similar watch if you want but recap if you don't. Otohan fight is the second half of 33; it is relevant but also. you could recap it. You should watch all of 34 though, which is good, and it and 32's first half are plenty of Imahara Joe content.

Laudna's death arc: Back half of 35 if you like Ashton, otherwise skip. I'm gonna be real honest: if you like Percy, Vex, or Pike there's some good stuff in 36-37 and if Laudna's your favorite character watch it but if not just read a recap and take this time to rewatch your favorite C1 Briarwoods Arc episode. Watch 38-39 but if you get really bored you can probably go to a recap for 39 though I do think Weva Vudol and Chetney's werewolf time are great.

Chetney and Yios: 40-41 are a Chetney-centric side quest. I think they are really fun episodes with a lot of great moments but they can be skipped if you're in a crunch. 42 is a good party rp episode and a lot of fun but not super plot heavy. The second half of 43 is a load-bearing infodump; you cannot skip the content thereof (and Planerider Ryn is fun) if you find yourself glazing over find a plot/lore heavy recap. Skip first half of 44 (fun but silly combat) but watch the second half. 45 is quite important and pretty good.

Feywild and Solstice leadup: Feywild arc (46, 47, first half of 48) are fun but basically watch 46 until you feel you've had enough (it's pretty good imo, you may watch it through) to get Morri's immaculate vibe. 47 is important. You can skip all of 48 except the trip to Gelvaan in the end, which you should watch. 49 is long and talky but it does have a lot of good conversations; I would watch that all though feel free to throw it on 2x if you don't already do that. 50-51 also pretty vital, 51 being especially unmissable. Beau and Caleb are in 50!

Solstice Split (Team Wildemount): I honestly think these and Team Issylra's are some of the strongest and most interesting episodes in the campaign but again, if you are pressed for time: you can skip 54 and 56 (fun chetney backstory standalone and travel to molaesmyr respectively). You can also skip the first half of 57.

Solstice split (Team Issylra): I'd watch the whole thing but if you feel like fast-forwarding through the combat in 61 and throwing 62 on in the background or on 2x you can.

Reunion and Air Ashari Sidequest: you can, ngl, flat-out skip 64; there's a zillion people at the table and anything important gets rehashed in 65. Watch 65. I like 66-68 a lot but you probably could skip them if you read recaps (68 is also rather important infodumping). 69 is a good downtime episode which is to say there are good character interactions but if you're on a plot speedrun you can skip to the part of the back half where they go to Yios. Basically: no clunkers in this arc other than 64 - I found it really watchable - but also ultimately a sidequest so if you get bored don't be afraid to go to recaps.

Errands and the Shattered Teeth: Again, no clunkers, but a lot of stuff you can safely skip, so here's what you shouldn't miss: the All Minds Burn scene at the end of 70. Everything after Jirana and Toriz show up in 71. Make sure to know what happens in 72 and it's fun but you can skip it and catch the pirate crew in 73 instead, which I'd watch until they disembark as a weird downtime ep but especially Fearne's scenes if nothing else. Watch the second half of 74 and the second half of 75 (first halves of both are fine, just, again, you can fill in with a recap).

Whitestone and the Feywild aka SHARD TIME: For 76 watch FCG's scenes with Dancer and at the Horizon temple; and Ashton, Orym, and Chetney's scenes at the Altar of the Raven. Lots of important lore that you should read in a recap. 77 you can skip to when Delilah manifests in the first half and then watch the rest of the episode. 78 is worth it the whole way through (post shard). Watch the first half of 79. The second half of 79 and the first half of 80 are team-building exercises and you can read a recap of this if you don't feel like watching. Do watch the second half of 80.

Ruidus: Watch all of 81. You can safely skip 82 and the first half of 83; it is all fighting to get to the moon and fighting while on the moon. Watch the second half of 83. From there, I think it's worth probably watching to where we are (well. at least to the break of 92 anyway) but if you MUST skip stuff: first half of 87 pretty skippable; combat in 88 skippable but the rest you should watch. Definitely watch 89; 90 is like...I would not skip it and it's fun but it's basically an action movie so you can like, put it on in the background if you want. Finally, the Otohan combat in the second half of 91 is a complicated thing in that I (D&D combat mechanics enjoyer) liked it and I think FCG's death has more weight for me because I knew what it meant, but if you are not up on D&D mechanics watch it on 2x until the last half hour because Otohan has no personality.

#cr spoilers #cr tag #long post

[blueiskewl]

Stunning Greek Mosaics Uncovered in Syria

A rare and stunning mosaic panel depicting Greek scenes has recently been uncovered in the Homs province of Syria. Experts say it dates back to the Roman era.

Syrian state news agency SANA reported that archeologists unearthed the sizeable mosaic panel constructed 1,600 years ago in the city of al-Rastan, adding that “the panel has no parallel in the world”.

The Syrian Directorate of Antiquities noted that it was found in an area previously held by the opposition forces of Syria.

Dr. Humam Saad, director of excavation studies and the archaeological mission in al-Rastan, said that the discovery actually took place in 2018. But the Syrian opposition forces who controlled the Homs province meant that archeologists could not uncover it earlier.

However, with the return of Bashar Assad’s regime forces, archaeologists finally received access. This allowed them to reveal the mosaic, which has a length of 20 meters and a width of 6 meters.

Archaeologists still believe there is a possibility of finding more remains under the mosaic.

Unearthed Mosaic depicts two main Greek Scenes

The uncovered Mosaic features two main scenes. One depicts soldiers carrying swords with shields seen with the names of Greek leaders who took part in the Trojan War. The war was a legendary conflict between the ancient Greeks and the people of Troy more than 2,000 years ago.

The second is a portrayal of Neptune(Greek Poseidon), the Ancient Roman/Greek god of the sea, and 40 of his mistresses.

Around the 12th century BC when the rift between the ancient Greeks and the people of Troy began, the Trojan prince Paris abducted Helen, wife of king Menelaus of Sparta.

When Menelaus demanded her return, the Trojans refused. In turn, Menelaus persuaded his brother Agamemnon to lead an army against Troy.

The Greeks ravaged Troy’s surrounding cities and countryside for nine years. The city held out nonetheless, being well-fortified and commanded by Hector and other sons of the royal household.

On the 10th and final year of war, the Greeks had the brilliant idea to build a large hollow wooden horse and hide a select force of men inside. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. In this manner, they entered the city of Troy and won the war.

A long-held argument about whether the battle actually took place is still raging. Nevertheless, there is enough evidence indicating its truth. Unfortunately, however, no one has ever found the giant wooden horse.

The reality of the battle now justifies all the stories spread about the war. This includes the tale of Achilles. The great ancient Greek warrior was invulnerable because his mother dipped him in the River Styx while a child. Yet according to ancient Greek mythology, he was left vulnerable at the part of the body by which she held him; his left heel.

Greek Mosaic in Syria “complete and rarest of its kind”

Dr. Saad said “It is not the oldest of its kind, but it’s the most complete and the rarest,”

“We have no similar mosaic,” referring to the significance and uniqueness of the unearthed mosaic.

He also told the press that “What is in front of us is a discovery that is rare on a global scale.” Furthermore, he stated, the images are “rich in details, and includes scenes from the Trojan War between the Greeks and Trojans”.

In Ancient Greek and Roman mythology, the Greek demigod hero Hercules slayed Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, in one of his 12 labours. That finding apparently connects with history.

Saad further added, “We can’t identify the type of the building, whether it’s a public bathhouse or something else, because we have not finished excavating yet.”

Prior to the armed conflict in Syria, there had not been significant excavation efforts in the city of al-Rastan, despite its historical significance in the country, Saad said.

He added that “Unfortunately, there were armed groups that tried to sell the mosaic at one point in 2017 and listed it on social media platforms.”

By James Ssengendo.

#Stunning Greek Mosaics Uncovered in Syria #Homs province of Syria #city of al-Rastan #mosaics #ancient artifacts #archeology #archeolgst #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations #roman history #roman empire #roman art #greek art

[dannyphantomarchive]

The Show’s Premiere: April 3rd 2004

👻💚 Happy 20th Dannyversary to all the phans!! 💚👻

Between all the Danno chaos here on tumblr, we bring a very special post that covers in detail the very first time one of our ghost boy’s episodes got aired on television. This was such a precious find and we’re very excited to share it with you all! 

Danny Phantom’s first episode “Mystery Meat” premiered April 3rd on the USA Nickelodeon channel at 9:30/8:30 central pm, right after the 2004 Kid’s Choice Awards. And before the episode aired, the channel featured a couple of DP trailers during the KCA’s commercials. 

The first version was a quick 15-second trailer that got aired about halfway of the award ceremony, and then was shown again two more times. 

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1ikBFFQROY; Trailer at 25:00-25:15 & 34:20-34:35 & 40:03-40:18)

[Image Description: Two snapshots of the Danny Phantom trailer. 

Image 1 - Three floating screens in front of a blue background that has shots of Danny playing. Each floating screen shows a different scene of the show, currently they all have shots of Danny in his human form from the torso up. First screen on the bottom is Danny in school wearing his backpack and glancing to his left. He is rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand and looking worried. Second screen in the top left is Danny in a suit looking to his right with a worried expression. Tucker in the background. Last screen in the top right is Danny looking down, mouth open and looking worried.  In front of these screens, to the left and only slightly obscuring the shots, are white letters  that read: ‘Half Teenager’.

Image 2 - Features the same three floating screens in front of the blue background, but now slightly moved to the left. Top left screen shows Danny in his human form holding both arms out to separate Sam and Tucker. Top right screen shows Danny in his Phantom form holding the Fenton thermos in front of him, which is shooting out a beam. He is facing the left of the screen and is completely coated in a light blue glow. Bottom screen shows Danny mid-combat in the air, he is in his Phantom form facing forward, one hand up and enveloped in ectoplasm. In front of these screens, to the right and only slightly obscuring them, are white letters that read: ‘Half Ghost’. /end ID]

(Note: The timestamps on the transcription sections are from the video uploaded at the end of this post, not the original youtube video.)

-Transcription - First trailer (0:00-0:15 & 0:16-0:30 & 0:31-0:45)

��Narrator: Half teenager... Danny: I-I-I’m Danny. Narrator: Half ghost. All new Nicktoon. Narrator: Danny Phantom. The world premiere. Tonight at 9:30/8:30 central right after the Kid’s Choice Awards. Not seeing is believing.”

The second version of the trailer aired right before the premiere and was very similar to the previous one, except for a slight difference on the last frame and last lines of the narrator, which stated the world premiere was coming up next.

Here’s a side by side comparison of the differences in the two trailers:

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1ikBFFQROY; First trailer at 25:00-25:15 & 34:20-34:35 & 40:03-40:18; Second version of the trailer at 48:28-48:40)

[Image Description: There are two very similar snapshots of the Danny Phantom trailers.

Image 1 - Danny Phantom stands in front of a black background, seen from the torso up and looking at the camera with a smug smile. His hair is white, his eyes are green and he’s wearing a black jumpsuit with white gloves, boots, collar, and a white stripe across his waist. There is a white shape that looks like splashed liquid next to his head, with the following text inside: ‘Danny Phantom’ and in smaller text below that says ‘Tonight 9:30/8:30c’. There is an orange ghost flying past the ‘y’ in Danny with a fading black tail that wraps under ‘Danny’ and through ‘Phantom’ and stopping in the ‘o’ of ‘Phantom’. On the top left of the splash there’s the Nickelodeon logo plus the Kid’s Choice Awards 2004 logo, written on top of a blue background.

Image 2 - Danny’s pose and background are the same as the first one, the only differences are the lack of the Kid’s Choice Awards logo and the text by his side, which now reads: ‘Danny Phantom’ and in smaller text under it ‘Coming up next!’. /end ID] 

-Transcription - Second trailer (00:45-1:00)

“Narrator: Half teenager... Danny: I-I-I’m Danny. Narrator: Half ghost. All new Nicktoon. Danny Phantom. The world premiere. Coming up next! Not seeing is believing.”

This trailer was immediately followed by a 10-second countdown that featured Danny walking in front of the portal, then several scenes of the show floating around in smaller screens in between the countdown numbers, and finally, Danny punching the screen as the countdown ended.  

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1ikBFFQROY; 10-second countdown at 48:40-48:50)

[Image Description: Four shots of the premiere countdown. 

Image 1 - Danny standing in front of the Fenton portal, which has its doors open to reveal a swirling green. 

Image 2 - Several transparent screens floating above a blue background, Danny’s face is shown in a close -up in all the screen. 

Image 3 - Shows the screen in different positions, as they have moved around. There is a white number six inside all the floating screens, and the Nickelodeon logo on the bottom right corner of the TV screen.

Image 4 - Danny in his Phantom form in front of the floating screens, which now display different shots of Danny in action. He is gritting his teeth in an angry expression and his body is mid-movement, one hand open and one hand pulled back as he is about to punch the viewer. /end ID] 

-Transcription - 10 second countdown (1:00-1:10)

“Narrator: And now, the world premiere of Nickelodeon’s first kid superhero Danny Phantom in his debut disappearance.”

The first episode only had one commercial break, which featured Danny Phantom themed bumpers.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1ikBFFQROY; bumpers at 48:50-48:55 and 51:28-51:33)

[Image Description: Two very similar snapshots of Danny Phantom commercial bumpers.

Image 1 - Danny Phantom stands in front of a black background, seen from the torso up and looking at the camera with a smug smile. His hair is white, his eyes are green and he’s wearing a black jumpsuit with white gloves. There is a white shape that looks like splashed liquid next to his head, with the following text inside: ‘Danny Phantom We’ll Be Right Back…’ 

Image 2 - Almost identical to the first one, except that the text says instead: ‘Danny Phantom Now Back to…’. /end ID] 

-Transcription - ‘We’ll be right back’ (1:10-1:15)

“Narrator: We’ll be right back with Danny Phantom, on Nickelodeon.”

-Transcription - ‘Now back to’ (1:15-1:20)

“Narrator: And now back to Danny Phantom. On Nickelodeon.”

After the premiere, the trailer for the next episodes was aired during the DP credits in a split-screen.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1ikBFFQROY; trailer at 51:34-52:06)

[Image Description: Set of 4 split-screen credits from the Mystery Meat episode. The credits are shown on the left side of the screen, in white and orange letters over a black background, they are grainy and hard to read. The trailer for the next episodes is shown on the right side, they all have images shown inside a screen that floats over a blue background. 

Image 1 - Shows Danny’s outline in white over a blue background, so he looks transparent. Seen from the chest above, but his arms are cut-off from the screen He is smiling with a determined look and his eyes are the only colored part, with white and green.

Image 2 - Danny as a human, dressed in a blue suit with a blue tie. Seen from the shoulders up, he has a worried face.

Image 3 - Tucker holding his PDA, wearing his usual yellow long-sleeve shirt, glasses, a red beret and a blue backpack. He has an apologetic smile while looking at Danny on his right. Danny is leaning close to Tucker, while staring him down with an annoyed look. He is in his ghost form, seen from the hips up.

Image 4 - Sam and Tucker seen from the chest above, they are both looking at the right with surprised expressions. Tucker is wearing the same outfit as before, and Sam has her usual black sleeveless crop-top with a purple circle on her chest. /end ID]

-Transcription - Next episodes trailer (1:21-1:51)

“Narrator: First you see him. Then, you see him again! Get ready for two back-to-back episodes of Nickelodeon’s newest Nicktoon: Danny Phantom. First, can Danny stop the class beauty from becoming the class beast? Danny: I’m going on a date with a dragon? Narrator: Then, get ready for a second ghost sighting as Danny takes on his greatest foe yet! Skulker: Time to put you in your cage. Danny: Noooooo! Sam and Tucker: Danny! Narrator: These back-to-back episodes of Danny Phantom: next Friday starting at 8:30/7:30 Central. Only on Nickelodeon.”

Here’s the video with all the promotional content aired during the premiere, so you can experience what it was like! None of the videos are cut out so the first trailer is repeated three times. 

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1ikBFFQROY)

And this marks the end of our 20th-Dannyversary-special-edition posting spree! We hope you have enjoyed reading about this information as much as we had fun digging it all up all and stitching it together.

We’ll still be posting fun tidbits sprinkled along this week, but then going forward we will change it to a less frequent schedule, so phans have plenty of time to enjoy each new info! 💚👻💚

First - Previous - Next

#Special: 20th Dannyversary #Date: April 3 2004 #Episode Premiere: Mystery Meat #Video included: Episode Premiere #Video included: Episode Trailer #Images Descriptions included #DannyPhantomArchive #Danny Phantom #DPA post 09 #Content: During show’s airing

[phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing]

Was Vita suddenly more interested in Seele than the others because she witnessed Seele saving her when they first met?

I don't know for sure! It could be that, or it could be because she read her mind and found her interesting. Remember, she's the narrator when they meet, so even if she was still physically very weak, she had omniscience to work with. She planted herself on their path to start following them around (engineered meet-cute??)

She does emphasize how cool Seele was, claiming she must have looked like an idiot but couldn't stop staring in awe, so it could be part regular physical attraction, doesn't have to be 100% deep psychological stuff.

THAT SAID...

My personal interpretation, especially based on their conversation in chapter 38, is that she likes Seele so much because Seele is set up as a paragon, someone who's unfailingly kind and determined to stay that way. Even in a battle to the death against someone who just annihilated an entire world, with her friends in it, she refuses to use her most destructive powers and gives Vita multiple chances to back down. That takes some balls ya know?

Further character analysis under the cut:

In that same ch38 conversation, Vita backhandedly tries to claim Seele must be sheltered to behave this way, that Seele must be secretly scared now that she's in REAL trouble, but she's firmly denied because Seele's determination is born of experience overcoming hardship. This unsettles Vita. Seele's faith that they can save this "hometown" after Vita has lost it over and over, unsettles Vita.

(We now know that she's actually lost her genuine "hometown", Phosphorus, EIGHT times to Sa's maniacal behavior. I'd even say Phosphorus and Salt Snow are quite similar in the innocence of their citizens, the peaceful atmosphere, the worship of a central religious figure, being threatened by Sa destroying it... and to make matters worse, it seems Hua's arc happens concurrently, so maybe Phosphorus is already in danger while Vita's in Salt Snow..! Man she's going through it.)

Vita lowered her eyes, not knowing whether to be nostalgic or uneasy. (...)

...No, in any case, she was not another "Vita". Her name is "Seele"…just like "Vita", not one syllable more, not one syllable less.

The uneasiness that was wrapped up in fate had nothing to do with the other person.

This bit makes me wonder whether Vita sees someone she once wanted to be in Seele. Failed to be. Would have liked to be. After all, she's not once succeeded in saving anyone, and unlike Seele, she's got quite the rotten personality after all— she admits it herself.

Hua: Why didn't you tell me about this before? Vita: Because I'm a bad, selfish woman. Hua: ? Vita: Hmm… Do you really want me to be more specific? I am… Vita: …I'm always trying to maximize my own interests, so I'm completely helpless when it comes to nice people like you and Seele.

Vita's claims that she's not nice, that she's a selfish villain and owns it, but she doesn't like it, and she's not completely sincere when she claims to be, either. At the end of chapter 39 she tells Seele she's irredeemable and won't even feel guilt because no one died this time, but that implies she does feel remorse for all the terrible hurt she's been in the middle of, yeah?

So, sure, she spends her time faking her personality and manipulating people, but she's not happy about it. One of the secret scenes in chapter 40 has her being extremely bothered by Marah telling her she's similar to Sa:

I hate repetitive work. Yes, the emphasis is on “repetitive”, not “work”.

Due to the nature of my work, the second I open my eyes, I have to be an outgoing, friendly girl who’s equally shrewd and oblivious.

As for why I need to act like that, who knows? Everyone just can’t resist that type of woman… Or, perhaps that kind of woman is disarming?

Being amiable means that we can get along well without any pressure, and the hint of shrewdness gives me a nice veil of mystery. As for being oblivious… Being oblivious makes a flawless person more adorable. Do you understand?

Undeniably, I’m really in my element at work with such a personality. But Marah said that I’m like “them”… The one from before. Haha… do we resemble each other though? Are those traits part of my nurture? Or, are they actually part of “our” nature? Among countless conversations, I tried to search for the answer to this question.

I listened to their complaints patiently, answered their questions sincerely, gave them hugs when they needed consolation, offered them gifts when they finally grew, and in the end, became their friend.

And that is what I hate the most!

I think she's seriously concerned about what she might do if left on her own. In chapter 41 she has this conversation with Hua:

Vita: What does tens of thousands of years of life feel like to you now? (...) Vita: Then… what if you are a hopeless villain? Vita: Think about it, since your meaning is irrelevant… if you plan to do something bad, no one can stop you? Hua: At one time it did seem possible. But not now. Vita: ..Because you have a "different" friend? Life is as long as you, and ability is as powerful as you? Hua: Heh… don't you know everything. Vita: …Yeah, I can imagine. Vita: (It's just… that doesn't suit me at all …… )

She's not asking for hypotheticals about how Sa could have gone better, she's talking about herself. Of course she doesn't say why it doesn't suit her, but I believe her self-perception as a bad person is pretty telling. How could someone like her find a suitable friend to hold her back?

(It's unclear when in the Salt Snow timeline this conversation happens besides that she already knows Seele and watched Senti fight at least once, but it's probably still before the final fight, her mood would change noticeably if she was finally freed and she's very withdrawn and bitter when Sa descends.

Also, earlier she notes that saying Sa's name too many times or doing things Sa doesn't like too much could alert her, so the telepathic link is probably still intact.

Just my guesses though.)

Vita obviously doesn't know many people with a lifespan comparable to hers, and while her power likely still varies with whatever Sa lets her have at this point, her manipulative side is a threat in its own right. Pretty difficult to find a friend who could overcome that and voluntarily stick around to boot!

Seele, though, with her unfailingly kind personality and sharp enough eye to see through Vita's lies? Especially once she's become a Herrscher? (Interestingly Vita calls Seele our Herrscher heh)

Seele is exactly this kind of impossibly good person she needs around to balance out her darkness.

At the end of chapter 39, Vita humbly calls Seele "my friend, if you'll allow me to call you that"— I think this conversation above, about Hua's friend who she can trust to keep her in line, is meant to echo that moment.

Additionally, I'm fairly certain the reason she stuck around to explain everything to Seele was the conversation she had with Red in one the secret scenes. Vita's initial reaction is to bear with people's hatred and keep living for herself, but Red tells her she still wants to talk to the little boy who started to hate her because it takes effort to become friends when you're strangers. Vita made an effort to make things right with Seele and be her friend, and even vowed to always support her no matter what. Vita is invested in Seele, enough to go against her first impulses to make things right.

But then she leaves to enjoy her freedom at the end of chapter 39— she wishes her a safe trip home. So is she not scared of being a bad person anymore? Nah, I don't think that's it. I think she just likes Seele too much to involve her in something terrible like say... herself.

See, it really is not suitable for her to have a friend to balance her out...

...she doesn't want to be a burden.

Plus she hardly accepts the little Vitas' affection to begin with, acting either coldly or insincerely with them, and the Vitas only have her. Seele has other friends, obligations and a home to return to already.

Bonus: The devs also had this to say about Vita's self perception:

Designer: Also a villain, but Vita doesn't feel so hateful.

Fanchuan: She is a pure dark color. You think she is evil, she doesn't think so. She is quite innocent at it.

An interesting thing to say about a self-admitted villain right? Her not being hateful is very noticeable, but saying Vita's evil is "innocent" and that she doesn't think she's evil seems to completely contradict what she's says about herself— like that she's a "bad and selfish woman".

There's a difference between thinking you're evil and thinking you're a bad person though.

Of course this talk isn't canon, just a Word of God, but think about it. She's a ruthless manipulator and she knows it, alright. Her acts and methods are quite problematic, she even looks down on people's struggles for their lives as boring and taunts them. Makes sense that people like Veliona see her as evil.

However, her intentions are innocent. Wanting to save Salt Snow or Phosphorus, wanting to spend time with friends, wanting to escape Sa's control, wanting to be free and happy, these are innocent desires.

In conclusion, Vita's a good girl at her core; she wants simple and good things, and she's concerned about doing bad things unimpeded. However, because of how she's lived her life, this girl is packaged with a rotten personality, and has no peer she's comfortable relying on.

Seele, however, is exactly the kind of person that could balance her out, and she's attracted to that goodness and determination, admiring how smart she is to see through Vita's lies and how kind she is to spare even Vita at her worst.

Also yeah, seems to think Seele's hot with a scythe.

The arc title being "Dance of Life and Death" suits Vita's struggles pretty well, doesn't it?

#honkai impact #hi3 #vita #vitaseele #character analysis #honkai spoilers #asks

[heeseung-min]

Please, a story of yandere Ni-ki who takes advantage of his s/o losing his memory.

[21:40]

Dizzy...it's so bright..

and...white...

Where am I....

"Miss, can you hear me?"

You turned to the woman in front if you who has stethoscope around her neck and a flashlight on her hand that was turned on to look at your eyes motion. You felt confuse as why you woke up at the surrounding with those hospital clothes. Not only that, you felt uncomfortable hearing the name came out from her.

"If you can hear me please nod your head lightly."

You did as what she said but still couldn't comprehend what is happening to you. You saw there were few people watching you a bit far from the doctor with worried expression however you felt weird looking at those stranger.

"How are you feeling after woke up just now?"

"I- I felt weird. I don't really remember anything."

"What is your name?"

Your mouth was gaping as like as it has to say something however you closed your mouth again when you don't know what to answer to the doctor. The old woman who was watching the scene has started to sob and the tall boy behind her was caressing her body.

"I- I'm sorry. I don't know why I can't say it."

"Your name is Y/n. It's okay, honey. We will do some test for you and hopefully there is nothing serious happening. Take a rest. I will leave you alone."

The doctor before she went out with those two people who were watching you silently.

----

----

"Y/n is in a good condition. However, because of the severe consussion she had from the accident it causes amnesia and that's why she felt unfamiliar with everything."

The poor old lady which was your mom sobbing at the words. She was grateful that you finally has gain conscious but at the same time a bit sad that you lost every memories.

"Will she gain back her memory?"

"I think it's impossible to happen. It might hurting her head to force her remember old memories."

The boy beside your mother thanked the doctor and brought her went out from the doctor's room. He comforted your mother and sent her home so she can have a rest before meeting you the next morning.

----

"Be careful, you might fall."

The sudden deep voice and hands at your waist startled you badly. The room was too quiet to the point you didn't notice his existence or maybe it just because you were too deep spacing out.

"Tha-thank you ...." The sentence left hanging because you don't know the name of the tall boy in front of you. His visual is so perfect that makes you mesmerized of it. Soft skin with charming eyes, his slightly pink lips and lastly his black hair. It must feel comfy when run your fingers through it.

"..It's Riki."

"Ah- yeah. Riki. Thank you so much Riki."

"You should not space out so much. You nearly fell off the bed just now."

"May I know what is your relationship with me? I'm sorry I can't remember anything about you and others. Somehow, this makes me feel useless."

"We can start from the bottom, y/n. No need to feel rush and it's not your fault that you lost your memories. I will help you for everything."

----

----

It's been five months since you woke up from the coma and you were really grateful to Riki who always stay by your side and help your mother to take care of you. You still can't remember anything but that's okay for you because Riki is there to fill your new memories.

Now, you were having date with Riki in Japan. He wanted to show you part of his hometown and to be honest the scenery there was splendid. An unfamiliar sound that called your name made you turned around.

"Y/n?"

It was a man. He is taller than you but shorter than your boyfriend. His looks similar to a peach but you couldn't identify the guy.

"Do I know you?"

Your response made him confused for a second before he giggled a bit thinking you were joking.

"Stop that, y/n. I miss you so much. I've been calling and texting you months ago but you didn't reply to any single of it."

Now, you felt scared. Why is this guy keep talking as you guys are close or something.

"Is there something happen?" Riki appeared suddenly beside you and holding you very close to him. The guy in front of you has stopped talking and stared weirdly at both of you.

"I...don't know this guy..."

"Can you stop bothering my girlfriend? She is clearly uncomfortable with your act."

"What? Your girlfriend? She is my-"

"Don't make me report you to the police and stay away from us if you don't want any consequence."

It's been hours since that incident. Riki brought you home and the whole journey in the car was too quiet. You also had noticed his reaction became serious and a bit nervous at the same time. When he finally reached the house, he asked you to go in first because he had matter to do.

You tried to reset your thoughts but the guy who approached you keep stuck in your mind. Looks like your brain is trying to tell you something but no matter how hard you tried to remember, it only made you hurt more.

"What are you thinking about, baby?"

The deep voice startled you so much. You looked to Riki who was staring at you worriedly. Were you that deep in thoughts to the point you didn't notice him? At all?

"The..the guy."

"The one that was disturbing you? What about him?"

"It seems that me and him know a lot about each other. Do you think he might be one of my friends?"

Instead of answering, you heard laughing from him. Riki didn't mind the confuse stare you gave to him and just proceed to make a drink. You don't know why his laugh lowkeyly create unpleasing feeling to you.

"You think he is your friend, y/n?"

"M-maybe?"

"Didn't I tell you already? You don't have friends. Everyone just being fake so they can take advantage of you."

"But-but that guy look so sincere, Riki. Maybe he know anything about me?"

You suddenly shouted when the glass that Riki was holding fell down to the floor and broke into a piece. You wanted to help him but he insisted for you to just sit on the chair.

"Everyone can acts, baby. He might know you but I know you better than him, than everyone. I'm not like them taking you for granted because I love you so much. Don't you trust me? Hmm?"

You became quiet and tried to process the information. You felt guilty for doubting him when he always stay by your side taking care of you even you didn't remember anything about him.

"I trust you. I'm sorry Riki."

Riki finally smile after you said that. He caressed your hair and hold your cheek with such gentle. He took a mug that has drink in it and gave it to you.

"It's okay, I understand why you act like that. Now, you need to drink your medicine."

Without saying anything, you drank it until the last drop. Your boyfriend led you to the bed so you can have a rest after a very long and tired day.

"Don't think too much, okay? Just sleep and when you wake up, everything will be fine."

You nodded as you slowly drifting to sleep. Riki stared at you, looking at how your stomach moving every time you breath. He smile to himself. You will be fine.

Because when you wake up,

you will not remember what happen.

You will not remember about the guy who talked to you.

You will not doubting him again.

And you will live happily with him.

He will make sure no one can take you away from him.

---

dang it, thats long😌✋️ i hope you guys like this🥲👍

taglist: @stacey-stonem @duolingofanaccount

#yandere kpop #enha x reader #yandere enhypen #kpop yandere #lee heeseung #park jongseong #park sunghoon #sim jaeyun #yang jungwon #kim sunoo #nishimura riki #yandere au #yandere riki #yandere drabble #yandere x reader #enhypen au #enhypen scenarios #enhypen

[leviathans-watching]

mfil - 40

-` ♡ ´- m.list | no taglist | next | wc: .6k

-` ♡ ´- a/n: five more chapters :)

*NOT CLICKBAIT!!!* when asmo learns that you, the newest exchange student has a youtube account and following somewhat comparable to his own, he decided right then and there not to like you. however, after an unfortunate (and misleading) exchange goes viral, he has no choice but to fake date you in order to save face. will asmo crush you and put you into place like you deserve? or are those funny feelings in his stomach not hate, like he had thought? like, subscribe, and maybe fall in love (with this smau) to find out!!

once the live officially, well, goes live, you wave at the camera.

“hello, everyone, and thanks for popping in! i’m here with my darling mc and today we’re willing to do a little q & a on our relationship. so if there’s been stuff you’re just dying to know, send it off in the chat!” asmo chirps, smiling broadly. you watch the messages pile in and the viewer count grow with admiration. sure, you and asmo have similar following sizes but you don’t often go live and when you do, it’s typically only to a smaller amount of dedicated followers. which is totally fine with you, you’re quite happy with your channel and content.

“i want to pick the first question,” you say boldly, leaning in to see them. you and asmo had moved to your desk, sitting side by side in frame. you pick one at random, reading it off. “my opinion on asmo’s brothers… let’s see… well, they’re a loud bunch. and not as cool as they’d like you to believe, especially asmo here. but they’ve been nothing but kind and welcoming to me.”

asmo gives you a look. “i’m super cool, babe! how dare you!”

you can’t help but laugh, and to your dismay, it’s not even an act.

“my turn,” asmo says. “ah! that’s a good one. they want to know what my favorite memory with you is.” he pauses to think for a moment, and you wonder what lie he’s going to pull out of his ass. but he surprises you when his reply is something that had actually happened. “this one time mc dragged me shopping. and not my kind of shopping, you see, but to second-hand thrift stores! nothing against them, but i’m sure you all know that’s just not my scene. anyway, they were just so excited, and it was really cute, especially since we’d only just begun dating at the time.”

the chat explodes with people calling him sweet and your relationship ‘#goals’ and you’re sure your face is flaming.

you clear your throat. “i, um, love that memory too. and yes, chat, I know how lucky i am to have him. anyway, here’s one for me: what’s my favorite date that asmo’s taken me on?” you think for a moment. “well, asmo’s taken me on a lot of great dates, which is why i have to say our study dates are the best. we’re partners for a huge project and often get together to work on it. he buys my coffee-” only because you make him, but the viewers don’t have to know that “-and helps me out when i don’t understand things. they’re very sweet, very simple, and i just enjoy spending time with him. i don’t need fancy dinners or to do crazy stuff, honestly, just being with asmo’s enough.”

okay, that was a bit more honest than you were planning, but surely he’ll think you’re just playing along, right?

it takes asmo a few seconds to say something, and is it just you or are his ears red? maybe you’ve embarrassed him by saying you like the simple dates the most?

“i enjoy those dates a lot too,” he laughs. “and it’s nice to know how much you cherish them. gosh, this was supposed to be informing the audience but i guess mc and i are learning a lot too! okay… my turn. um, our first kiss.”

leviathans-watching's work - please do not copy, repost, or claim as your own

#mfil #obey me #obey me game #obey me shall we date #shall we date obey me #obey me smau #obey me smau series #obey me x you #obey me x reader #obey me x mc #obey me x y/n #asmodeus obey me #obey me asmodeus #asmo obey me #obey me asmo #asmo om #om asmo #asmo x you #asmo x reader #asmodeus x you #asmodeus x reader #leviswriting #leviswriting-obeyme

[epersonae]

fic etc (new version!)

[update March 21, 2024]

These days I'm writing fic for Our Flag Means Death.

Longfic

I have three finished long pieces, in order of connectedness to canon:

Hungry for love, ready to drown (T, 33K) - a Stede POV retelling of season one starting with episode four, lots of missing scenes (so much with clothing but also wound care! dream sequence!). My love letter to canon; I watched those episodes so many times in little bursts to really absorb the writing and acting, and I'm very proud of the results. Goes well with S2 prep, if I may say so. Will probably definitely most likely get a sequel, but it's taking me a while to figure out how to approach it.

the devil's threeway (E, 30K) - Ed POV, starts with a pre-canon encounter with Jack and (non-canonical) Anne Bonney, follows up with a post-S1 meet-up with Anne and (also non-canonical) Mark Read, and then a somewhat unusual reunion with Stede. Includes the fic where Ed would not. Stop. Crying. There is a reasonably likelihood that I will write something similar or equivalent with the canon versions of Anne and Mary, but it's still marinating.

for the benefit of all the broken hearts (E, 62K) - the not RPF but not not RPF that is maybe the best thing I've ever written in any medium for any reason: a fix-it fic for the gorgeous and weird Water Flowing Underground, told from the perspective of the unnamed second wife. My exploration of the aftermath of tragedy, the possibility of repair, and varieties of love. Read the tags, read the author's note, read WFU first (or don't, I'm not the boss of you, and I do know someone who read them out of order and still enjoyed it), but please give it a shot. Posts tagged #carlita coded content are related to this work, sometimes very obliquely. There is also a follow-up fic of missing scenes, end up several worlds away, that still has one chapter remaining (I SWEAR I'm going to finish it), and a short sort of non-linear AU, back on my beat, that explores some alternate endings.

Some favorite shorter pieces

I have begun to long for you, a "mutiny against Izzy succeeds" canon-divergence AU

nice either way, my contribution to the Beard Discourse

Commit to the Bit, modern AU blackbonnet engagement and wedding

Season 2 and post-S2 fic

I spit on your grave - post-S2, Stede and Ed have a serious conversation, starting with how Ed didn't "happen" upon Stede being gut-stabbed, and going some tough places from there

lost and found - post-S2, featuring beach comber Stede and those cake toppers

Through the storm - the crew of the Revenge between episodes 2 and 3. slow and creepy!

in case I never make it through to where you are - bad ending AU set at the end of 3. MIND THE TAGS, it's a rough one.

Other stuff

Occasionally I post OFMD fic recommendations, which started as a weekly thing but, you know. They are still posted in sets of five on Fridays, when I do them, and tagged #five fic friday. (There's no particular system to my listings, just stuff I like that's not PWP.)

Not fic: I am doing a little project where I make/recreate recipes that I have written down but haven't made in a long time (or ever) - that can be found under the tag #food as play. Includes my rewrite of the 40 Orange Cake Recipe!

I have also written a lot of fic for The Adventure Zone, my favorite being The Reckoning Arrives, a 77k fic in which Lucretia, Taako, Merle, and Carey go looking for Kalen.

I wrote quite a bit of my TAZ fic with my late spouse Ryn (@taakovapes). Ryn died in September 2021; here's the post I wrote the week they died. I often post/tag about them and death and grief. (See tags #not all exits are made equal, #[grief dab], and #posts I wish I could send to Ryn in particular.)

#about me #my fic #my writing #ofmd #ofmd fic #taz balance #hiding this in the tags: it's 'carlita' because she is an amalgam of CRJ and Rita (and tbh neither) #and I learned as little about the latter as possible while I was writing #as I said at a party 'everything I know about Rita Ora I learned against my will' #there's a reason the unnamed wife is tagged Original Female Character