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#it's one of the strengths of s5

wakeupthemembersofbylernation · 1 year

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The funniest thing is when toxic Melvins accuse US, with full confidence and not a hint of irony, of having poor media literacy, lack of narrative comprehension skills, and of “watching without analyzing” the show

tHe FacT YoU rEAlLy doN't seE thaT is HOW I KNOW thERe'S A LAcK oF CrItIcAl THInkING SkIllS GoinG oN. It's NOT HARsH. THose SkIlLs TakE TiME AnD PractIce.

#byler #will byers #mike wheeler #tHe FacT YoU rEAlLy doN't seE thaT is HOW I KNOW thERe'S A LAcK oF CrItIcAl THInkING SkIllS GoinG oN #NOT HARsH. THose SkIlLs TakE TiME AnD PractIce.#these people are so annoying #they are gonna look so silly come S5 #basic media literacy is OUR thing #that’s one of OUR biggest strengths

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imminent-danger-came · 9 months

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Unhinged Anon, back again! And so incapable of not bugging you with lmk thoughts that I apparently have my own tag now? Thank you but also I’m so sorry??? The monkie show has made me insufferable, and I’m afraid you’ve become the primary target of my insanity.

Anyways, your tdp soundtrack post got me thinking. Since they haven’t released an official lmk soundtrack (for some reason. LEGO/Flying Bark/whoever makes that decision, we will give you our money just PLEASE GIVE US THE MONKIE MUSIC), I was wondering what your… lets call it 10 (or however many you want to do) favorite tracks from the show are, and more importantly: What would you name each of them?

For example, I love the track that plays in Benched where Tang gives his speech to Macaque and then Pigsy starts singing, and I’d probably name it “There Will Always Be Hope” because goooood I love that speech. Plus, that quote feels pretty relevant to the moment where the leitmotif (I think that’s the right term? I know very little about music and composing) pops up again in Destiny Fulfilled. Anyways, hope you’re having a lovely day! *waves from the precipice of madness*

You always leave me such quality thoughts I thought I'd just give myself a good way to find them faster! BUT YES THIS IS A REALLY FUN ASK. I'll do 6 I think, in no particular order:

1.) The song that plays while scroll Subodhi is talking to MK in front of the stone in 4x06, it drives me insane. I shall dub it "It Was Used to Form Another" or even "Time Will Tell".

2.) The track that plays at the beginning of 4x01 while our mysterious hooded figure picks up the scroll piece. I love all the music associated with the scroll/curse in general. Let's call it the "The Brink of Chaos"

3.) The music during Mei's "We trusted you" speech in 3x10 is AMAZING. I'll call it "Mei's Lament" since her theme plays in minor during those scenes.

4.) The main theme that plays during MK's big "patience and focus" scene during the climax of 1x09. I feel like honestly that's just the main theme of the show, so "Main Theme" or "The Monkie Kid".

5.) The music that plays behind Azure and the Jade Emperor's fight in 4x10, or honestly even their whole convo in general. Let's call it "Was there a Point Where You Questioned It".

6.) The music that plays at the end of 2x10 while Lady Bone Demon crystalizes MK and then the rest of the city, the haunting choir there is SO GOOD. "Destiny Found You".

*waves back from the precipice of madness*

#Please give us the monkie music #Anyways unhinged anon have you ever considered watching tdp. Because. Maybe you should *twirls hair*#I've gotten a number of people to watch lmk now I think it's time the roles were reversed #The Dragon Prince. All about love and grief and war and pain. Great time!#Definitely more bat shit than lmk (to me). One of the main characters trips over a dead body in 1x03 so. If you want to understand the tone #But it's still fun and goofy. However it's ALSO sad and tragic and so delicious #Uhhh OH. Villads was a producer on both shows #Am I making a good case for it asfdasdf #There's like #some supplemental material that I recommend reading (tdp is multi-media) I would 100% be more than willing to make a guide #Those short stories *head in my hands*#''It belongs here' rumbled Pyrrah in his mind. 'Do you think all pretty things are free of pain?'' like okay whatever tdp fine just hurt me #''Reject history as a narrative of strength and instead have faith that it can be a narrative of love'' OKAY TDP FINE #s2 changed me as a person. s5 is about to do it again on the 27th #ANYWAYS #asks #lmk #lego monkie kid #monkie kid #lmk rant #unhinged anon

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queencvbra · 1 year

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thinking about how tory has to cope with the news that kreese is dead and then subsequently the news that actually he’s not dead he faked it and escaped jail and is now out there somewhere and I just know that if he comes to her for any kind of help it’s gonna be really hard for her to turn him down and she’s probably gonna end up in another mess :’)

#[ooc]#even if she is mega upset at him after everything in s5 #that attachment isn't fully broken yet and he could absolutely use that sense of indebtedness against her #tory's loyalty is a strength but also it's one of her biggest weaknesses #and it's so easy to use that against her in general #it's always been one of her biggest struggles #and fuck she's going through SO much emotional whiplash with this old man that just makes it even harder to cut him off completely

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therainscene · 1 year

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It’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, but the Alan Turing poster really tells us so much about Will that I consider it to be a significant piece of foreshadowing for S5.

First, let’s dissuade ourselves of the notion that Will chose Turing for his hero project for nerd reasons -- Will’s preferred flavour of nerdery is escapist fantasy, not computer science. He doesn’t know what an IP address is and the first thing he thinks of when he hears modem noises is a movie he likes.

No, he chose Turing because he admires him for being a gay man who accomplished so much in his short life.

On one hand, that’s pretty heart-warming -- the fact he’s willing to identify with other gay men and look up to them as role models shows us he’s making good progress in accepting his identity. On the other hand, it’s heart-breaking, because Turing’s story is not a happy one -- he was caught having a sexual relationship with a man and forced to choose between jail or chemical castration. He chose castration.

I remind you: Will identifies with this guy.

Will is growing up under the twin specters of AIDS and homophobia and likely assumes he’s destined to die young too. He’s been abused and bullied so much, I imagine he’s heard and internalized it all: that he deserves to die, that he’s disgusting, that he’ll never be fulfilled in life.

So when puberty begins crawling its way inside him and implants those shameful desires that make gay men so worthy of abuse... he chooses castration.

For all the sad pining he does in S4, we never really see Will express desire for Mike -- he never checks him out or shows signs of nervousness when they touch. He behaves with perfect platonic decorum at all times...

...unless we consider That One Scene With The Hose.

Sexual interpretations of this scene are controversial, and I can understand why; we’re so used to seeing Will as this innocent, immature little boy that it's shocking to catch him fantasizing so lustfully, even though these sorts of thoughts are pretty normal for a 15 year-old. But I think that’s the point. We’re supposed to feel uncomfortable about this, because Will feels uncomfortable about it too.

He’s done well in accepting his identity, but he’s an absolute repressed mess when it comes to accepting his sexuality.

So, that’s what the Turing poster tells us about Will. Here’s where the foreshadowing comes in: Will is not the only queer-coded character to have been metaphorically castrated.

Henry’s experience bears striking similarities to Turing’s: he too was caught engaging in a natural but forbidden behaviour and forced by his government to undergo a medical procedure to suppress that behaviour.

His villain speech to El in 4x07, which is ostensibly about his powers, also reads very strongly as a scathing criticism of heteronormativity, and it’s covered in rainbow motifs.

The metaphor here is obvious: Henry’s powers are a manifestation of his homosexuality.

Which implies that Will’s homosexuality can also manifest as powers. They’re repressed because he’s repressed.

It’s not a coincidence that the sexual tension was through the fucking roof in the infamous sauna scene. Every time Will’s supernatural ability to sense the Mind Flayer triggers in S3, Mike is also nearby.

What’s interesting about Mike is that his queer acceptance issues mirror Will’s: Mike has a healthy relationship with his sexuality (he casually checks guys out and plasters his bedroom walls with posters of buff dudes) but he just can’t bring himself to accept what this implies about his identity.

Always with the symmetry, these two. They complement each other perfectly; one’s hang-up is the other’s strength. They have a lot to teach each other about being queer.

And as repressed as they are, I think they want to learn from each other -- Will lets himself get flustered when Mike flirts with him in his bedroom, and Mike hangs on to every word of wisdom Will shares with him in their heart-to-hearts.

Internalized homophobia is a powerful force, but their bond is so strong that it empowers them to fight back.

Henry’s powers symbolize his anger at being mistreated and his desire to take that anger out on the world... but Will’s powers symbolize self-acceptance and love.

So he isn’t just going to defeat Vecna with his powers, and he isn’t just going to get the boy: these two things are one and the same.

#stranger things #will has powers #byler #will byers #mike wheeler #henry creel #analysis

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inbarfink · 3 months

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After all these years, ‘I Remember You’ is still one of the great highlights of Adventure Time Storytelling. And not just in the basic ‘what???? Silly children’s cartoon does something SAD??? HOLY SHIT MIND BLOWN’ way. But with the execution of that Something Sad. How it manages to pack so many Complex Emotions into just 11-minutes of television. And especially the way it utilizes the basic Adventure Time format for that purpose.

So Adventure Time is a Board-based show. Each episode has an outline pitched and written down by the writer’s room, and then this outline goes to a team of (usually) two Storyboard Artists who develop that simple outline into a full story. And with the show’s art-style deliberately eschewing staying perfectly ‘on-model’ in favor of having the animators take direct reference from how the different storyboarders draw the characters

And the show being generally extremely versatile in terms of themes and tone - AT has allowed a lot of their Storyboarders to really express themselves and their unique artistic vision as part of the Big Collaborative Narrative that is Adventure Time.

Now, the Boarders who worked on ‘I Remember You’ are Cole Sanchez and Rebecca Sugar. These two were a Storyboarding Duo from the start of S4 and until Sugar left the AT Crew during S5, and they always struck me as a curious combination. I think really from all of the individual boarders working on AT during that time, these two really are the closest to having like… Totally Opposite Artistic Sensibilities as boarders.

With Sugar favoring a style that is very loose and sketchy and also very rounded. Focusing on expressions and subtle body language and lighting. And being famous for going deep in depth into Big Moments of Emotional Catharsis

And Sanchez having a very clear art style that emphasizes strong silhouettes and clear lines that suggest flatness. Focusing more on major poses and the character’s positions in the space. And having just a really great eye for AT’s brand of silly humor.

Like, I almost kinda suspect these two were paired together so they can each cover for the other’s “weakspots” in writing ‘Adventure Time’.

And there were a few episodes that did some really interesting stuff with this very contrasting pair - ‘Jake the Dog’ is another example. Giving most of the Farmworld scenes to Sugar and most of the Time Room scenes to Sanchez both plays to their personal strengths as storyboarders and helps to emphasize the strong emotional contrast between these two scenarios.

And ‘I Remember You’ is actually kinda unique among Adventure Time episodes cause… Most episodes will have the two boarders alternate between working on the episode throughout it. Like you’d have Boarder A draw a bit and then Boarder B and then Boarder A again… But “I Remember You” is divided between Sanchez and Sugar… basically perfectly in the middle.

So the entirety of the first half of the episode was boarded by Sanchez

Until Ice King pushes Marceline and then leaves the room in shame.

And then, Sugar takes over.

And, like, even if you don’t know anything about the Behind the Scenes of Adventure Time or who Cole Sanchez and Rebecca Sugar even are - the Shift is noticeable. The shift in tone, in narrative focus, in the subtleties in which the characters are drawn.

The entire first half of the episode has this thin veneer of just being a Silly Goofy Ice King Episode. Sanchez’s talent for Adventure Time’s brand of comedy is on full display… but there is also this underlying feeling that Something is Happening just under the surface. And these hints of the Big Emotions of ‘IRY’ expressed via Sanchez’s kinda goofy style really create this balance between putting the audience into a false sense of security that this is just a Very Normal Episode about two characters hanging out and the Tension constantly brewing in the subtext.

And then it all comes to a blow.

And then the Shift happens. And now we are in Sugar’s court.

And this subtle shift in the artstyle and storytelling also coincide with Marceline finally openly expressing her feelings and the Reveal of Simon and Marcy's shared past. The episode changes focus from Ice King's silly antics to Marceline's feelings. Everything changes, everything in the first part of the episode gets recontextualized and... even on the most basic level, the episode is now Noticeably Different.

I would almost say that Sanchez’s half of the episode has Ice King define the tone, while Sugar’s half of the episode has Marceline define the tone. But more than anything it’s the catharsis. The reveal and release of those emotions that were building up so expertly through the Sanchez half of the episode. All of the Sugar-boarded scenes in this episode are really heartbreaking on their own, just through the tragedy of the story and Sugar’s expert knowledge of howto convey emotion in the visual medium - but it’s so enchanted by what came before it.

“I Remember You” is truly a great testament to how ‘Adventure Time’ could use every aspect of its medium to tell a great story in such a short time.

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teambyler · 14 days

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My response to "Will became less interesting and likeable in S4"

VERY interesting recent posts at the subreddit. One has people rank their favorite characters and Will is near the bottom of most lists. The The other is screenshotted above.

A common complaint is that he had less to do. (That's for sure!) But another theme is that he is "boring" or "always crying" or "about to cry."

I left the following comment there:

Well, they've written him to be a closeted gay kid in a small town in the 80s. Struggling with his sexuality and coming out is going to be kind of... his everything. I went through it. (The 80s part at least.) And so no, he's not going to be as outgoing or "interesting and likeable" as a Steve Harrington or Dustin.

(Meanwhile, here is the current top post at the subreddit, with people going gaga in the comments:)

Instead, Will is incredibly awkward, reserved, closed-in, and does not project confidence and charisma that make people easily like him, because he hates and loathes and doubts himself. Every movement, every inflection, every look, every expression of himself, threatens his safety and well-being. He has been awkward and introverted and shy. But he has also been sensitive, caring, and empathetic. He was one of the more selfless characters this season. These qualities, at least the way he expresses them, don't win conventional popularity contests. Some people find that "bland." I find it to be admirable.

The Duffers have made clear that s5 will focus on Will:

“Will really takes center stage again in 5,” Ross Duffer told Variety. “This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality — it’s Will coming into his own as a young man.”

As he grows out of his shell and gets to assert himself more in s5, he probably becomes more "interesting and likeable" in the conventional sense.

==========

Anyway, just wanted to share. Will may not be the most "popular" character in the conventional sense, but he's won many hearts. Nor is he "bland" or just a "damsel in distress" (I saw those comments on the subreddit too ugh!) He's our original badass with a gun. Who cast fireball for his friends. He survived the frikkin Upside Down for one week by himself. He found the strength to communicate while being possessed that they needed to "CLOSE GATE" to defeat the monsters in s2, which would have killed him. He was willing to sacrifice his life. And in s3 and s4, he has been wanting to keep the party together and then put Mike and El's interest above his own.

Will is a hero. And heroes can be quiet gay boys, too.

#team will #byler #stranger things #reddit drama #bleh #will byers

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beansprean · 2 years

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What about MY batshit s5 predictions??

Derek tries to turn Guillermo and we think it doesn’t work but at the end of the series it’s revealed he hasn’t been aging

Guillermo is successfully turned for exactly one episode but his cousin bites him and he turns back

Guillermo accidentally turns Derek human again - cue a rotating door of vamps wanting to be human for a day to try pizza pie and go to the beach before having a friend turn them again. Guillermo charges $3000 per bite and buys his mom a penthouse

^ "I'm uhhh...selling my blood" "How you getting $70k a month for your blood, man?" "It's good blood, Miguel!"

^His family fully thinks he is a sex worker at this point

Nandor pretends to read the first 10 pages of every book in the house before finally getting up and realizing Guillermo isn't there

Nadja and Laszlo stage a divorce and then get remarried specifically because they came up with a new wedding song they want to use

Nandor wants his post-breakup hot girl summer and tries to go blond

^He discovers twitter and posts every thought he has or questions he thinks he's googling. His only follower is that goth kid from Minnesota

That goth kid from Minnesota, freshly 18, shows up to be Nandor's new familiar and continues to hover spookily around and have no lines

^The comedy is that they sneak up on everyone and freak the vampires out by being arguably more vampirey than anyone

Will-they-wont-they Colin and the Guide (guidinson?)

Guillermo turns Charmaine bc he accidentally pushed a tree over (doesn't know his own strength) and crushed her

In fact, Guillermo turns ANYONE who asks. He turns Jeremy. He turns Lilith. He turns a bus driver who compliments his cape. Accidentally amasses a giant loyal coven who worship him.

We time skip 100 years in ep1 and Colin is a baby again

^(possibly this is how long it takes Nandor to finish a book?)

^Laszlo selfishly destroys/walls off the memory room in the hopes of keeping his boy this time around

^New baby Colin is obsessed with one thing and one thing only: werewolves

Memo's Man Milk explodes bc Guillermo is now contributing his own and it's 10x more potent due to all his repression

Alternative: Memo's Man Milk crumbles bc Guillermo is now contributing his own and it actively ages the witches due to all his repression

Laszlo and Sean kiss a little

^this is kosher bc Charmaine is a vampire now and being a vampire turns you poly as well ofc

^Charmaine and Nadja kiss a little

Jenna randomly pops up in one episode and it's revealed she's actually been there the entire time but no one noticed her.

^Jenna and the Guide kiss a little

Baby vamp Guillermo gets stuck in bat form and has to slay some vamps at the same time (visualizing an stunt actor holding a fake bat to their face and screaming and running around like it's hurting them)

Nadja's next grand adventure: becoming a twitch streamer

^ baby Colin had infodumped to her about it before but she wasn't listening

^ she only plays Nancy Drew mysteries and goes off about her sexual escapades with Marie Antoinette during Treasure in the Royal Tower

^she becomes very popular as an extremely dedicated vampire larper

^she is banned from twitch after someone asks her to flash her tits for 50 subs and she's like *shrugs* ok

Nandor gets really into Young Sheldon and we all have to deal with that

Colin decides to watch the documentary recordings from his missing year and we get some deleted scenes

#wwdits #wwdits predictions #wwdits speculation #wwdits season 5 #what we do in the shadows fx #what we do in the shadows #not art

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whateverisbeautiful · 2 months

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♥️ Ranking Richonne

#2: I'm Still With You (S5E16)

My favorite pre-canon Richonne scene. 😍 This moment is something special and monumental for many reasons. Plus it features my favorite thing Michonne has ever said to Rick in TWD. To me, the connection, vulnerability, and steam in this scene are nearly equal to some of Richonne's passionate exchanges during their post-canon era. I love that this moment makes it loud and clear that these two have a very powerful effect on each other. And most importantly, I adore this scene for cementing that Rick and Michonne are with each other always. 🥹 What a gift...

A lot of relationships can appear strong during happy times when both individuals are on the same page. However, it's during those challenging periods, when two hold different outlooks and have a multitude of things weighing on them, that the true strength of a relationship really becomes evident.

So part of what puts this scene so high on my list is that it is one of the clearest depictions of why Richonne's relationship is so deep and durable. Because even at this time when circumstances could have easily caused a major divide between them, Michonne and Rick instead choose each other and prove this is a relationship that they sincerely value in the good times and the hard times too.

But, before we get into the #2 scene, we have to talk about some scenes that proceed it in the s5 finale. 🤗

As I’ve said in a previous post, I think this scene where Rick wakes up to find Michonne watching over him and they finally talk about his headspace is extremely revealing of how he views her. Rick telling Michonne, "Well you wanted this place," just really hammered home that in many ways she’s in the wife category to him. Rick was trying to secure this place for team family, but especially for Michonne in a way that he wasn't able to do for Lori.

The scene opens with Rick asleep after Michonne quite literally knocked some sense into him the prior ep, and it's funny that when he stirs awake, he laughs almost amused as he recalls the wild stuff that happened leading up to this point.

Then Michonne asks, "What’s so funny?" and you see a surprised little look on Rick's face as he asks, "You were here the whole time?" And I like that there’s not an ounce of frustration towards her after knocking him out. He gets it.

I love that Michonne is the one in here with him. Even knowing Rick has been wildin' out she’s still protective of him. Cuz she can knock him out but that doesn’t mean she’s gonna let anyone else come for him. It’s like a visual representation of the sentiment she’ll later express in my golden #2 scene.

Michonne even says she was there with Rick all night, which is such an indicator of her love for him. And then because she knows his laugh meant something, she reiterates "What’s so funny?," and I love that Rick is willing to be vulnerable about his headspace with her when he admits to her that mentally he’s still stuck in the train car from Terminus.

Michonne gives him the rundown of what he missed, and it’s clear she was thoroughly holding down the fort and keeping the peace while he was out of it.

Then I appreciate that Michonne closes some of the distance between them when she pulls her chair closer and asks, "Rick, what are you doing?"

It’s clear she’s concerned about him, and I like that she asks this way. It’s not accusatory like, 'What were you thinking?' or derogatory like, 'What’s wrong with you?' She wants to know what he’s doing cuz clearly she can tell Rick thinks he’s doing what he has to even though he really doesn’t have to. And if he’d be honest with her, she could help him see that.

Like in this scene, Michonne really could have told Rick...

And she'd be right lol. 😋 However, when she asks this, Rick doesn’t have an answer so then Michonne for the first time addresses the Pete and Jessie situation.

She says, "You could have told me what was happening." And there’s a deeper reason Rick didn’t tell her, beyond what he’ll claim here when he just says "it moved fast." He kept people closest to him like Carl, Michonne, and Glenn out of the loop about the Anderson situation because in many ways his off behavior in that situation was not rooted in clarity but rather in the unresolved wound of losing Lori without closure and the severe PTSD that everything about ASZ triggered within him.

He says it moved fast “and then Noah.” The way Rick says that part feels like he knows how hard Noah’s loss was on Michonne. We saw her grieving Noah a bit in a prior ep too. Which would make sense, especially because Noah, as a kid who didn’t make it, could stir up a lot of pain over losing Andre for her. 😢

Rick says he couldn’t tell her about the gun and, while it could seem like he says it like he couldn’t trust her with that info, he knows what he really means which is what he’ll reveal later - that he couldn’t tell her cuz she had the power to talk him out of it.

Michonne sarcastically says, "nah you couldn’t," cuz she knows Rick knows good and well he can tell her anything.

It becomes clear that Rick meant he couldn’t tell her because of her influence on him when he says, “Well you wanted this place.” Again, I’ll always love the significance and delivery of this line. And he’s not saying this accusatory. He knows finding a home meant something to her, and it meant something to him that Michonne got what she wanted.

It really feels like during this whole arc, Rick didn’t want to tamper with Michonne's experience in ASZ by roping her into his underhanded plans with Daryl and Carol because they were plans that suggested the place could fall or not work out, and he knows Michonne wanted to believe in this place.

Along with knowing Michonne could talk him out of this approach, I've always felt like part of why Rick kept her out of the plans - plans that normally he would want her fully involved in - was because of his desire to "give her this place" without the burden of expecting things to go wrong.

Think about pretty much all of Rick and Michonne's scenes in ASZ leading up to this point, especially the scene where he looks right at Michonne as he "signs the papers" and agrees to be a constable with her the day after she expresses to him that she would want a job. Each of their ASZ scenes suggested that even as Rick was spiraling on his own mental journey, everything in him still wanted Michonne to have this place, even if it meant carrying the burden of intense uncertainty on his own.

Fortunately, in this ep, Rick learns that he is no longer with a partner who expects him to carry any burdening issues alone ever. 🙌🏽

So then Michonne adamantly tells him they had to stop being out there, and she's right as always. Then Rick says, "Well we’re here," and I love Michonne’s response to this. She notes what Rick said earlier about still being mentally stuck in that train car when she compassionately says, “Well you just said you weren’t.”

And really it’s true, the poor guy has not been all there in ASZ hence some of his more volatile behavior. And Rick looks like he knows Michonne has a point when he stares at her in this moment.

Then when Carol, Abe, and Glenn walk in (which feels like they are walking in on the Richonne bubble) Rick is caught in the middle with Michonne on one end asking about the gun, and Carol on the other wanting him to lie.

And you can just tell that man does not want to lie to Michonne anymore. But he goes along with Carol’s story even tho Michonne ain’t buying it, looking at Rick and Carol like...

Later, Carol talks with Rick alone and is in his ear about continuing their trust-no-one approach. And the first thing Rick asks is why she didn’t want to tell Michonne, Glenn, and Abe about the gun. You know those magnets within him are ready to stop with the games that are causing distance with Michonne and come clean to her once and for all.

Carol seems to suggest that Michonne knocking Rick out might make her untrustworthy of being let in on their plans, but I adore that Rick so quickly and confidently defends Michonne, saying both that he deserved what Michonne did and that, "She’s with us."

He knows and trusts his woman, y'all. And I love that even after Michonne knocked him out and Carol's trying to cast doubts about her, Rick's still like...

In this whole ASZ situation Carol and Michonne reflect two different ways to approach ASZ. And in this scene with Rick and Carol, it’s clear that Rick has already been swayed more to Michonne’s side, especially as he tells Carol, "I don’t want to lie anymore."

This moment lets you know that without even directly talking him out of it, Michonne has again influenced Rick to no longer want to scheme and plot under the table. I know Rick hated feeling even remotely distant from Michonne, and he’s ready to fix that and stop lying to her asap.

Also, now you know I don’t really care to revisit any of those scenes, but all I’ll say about the scene with Jessie in this ep is it’s an interesting choice to have Rick only seen through the window when they talk. It again shows that in this situation he’s not all there, as Rick's not even seen present in the same shot as her, just a reflection of who he is.

But then, in this next scene, this Top 2 classic, not only is Rick directly in the shot with the woman he’s meant for, but the two get all up close and personal too...

Ok so on to my favorite pre-canon scene and top 2 moment. 🤩

I love that after such a compellingly wild journey with Rick’s character arc in season 5, his turning point back to some sense of sanity in the finale is in this moment with Michonne. She’s the person in his life most capable of helping him start seeing things clearer.

It reminds me of Rick’s other mental spiral arc in s3 and how his turning point was also Michonne-related as nearly giving her up sparked him to return to democracy. No matter how off the deep end Rick can go, something about Michonne can always bring him back. 💯

So the scene opens with Michonne approaching the room and softly saying, "Rick, you ready?" which I like especially because in 5.11 she had asked Rick that very thing right outside the gates of ASZ before they ever entered the community.

And in some ways, Rick wasn’t fully ready to let go of the fight and embrace this place back then, which has led to their current predicament. But even then, she still checks in on him now and wants to know where he’s really at with this.

(also the opening shot low-key feels like she's the angel arriving on his shoulder to guide him back to the light, if you ask me.)

This moment of her checking on him also sorta feels like it parallels that scene in The Distance when Michonne approaches Rick outside the barn while he works on a car. There's some similar positioning with him lower and her standing above, but the interesting difference is in 5.11 Rick and Michonne were discussing the potential for other people/communities to pose a threat, and here in 5.16 they have to deal with how Rick is now deemed the threat to the community.

Then I love that all Michonne has to say is just those three words - "Rick, you ready?" - and Rick is ready to completely spill everything. Like details and all with no hesitation. 😋

Rick lays it all out saying how he, Carol, and Daryl worked out the plan to keep guns together, and he lets Michonne know exactly what they took from the armory and exactly what they still have.

Rick says, “We lied to you cuz I wasn’t sure how you’d take it - what you’d do.” which has always been quite interesting to me because like he knows Michonne wouldn’t just straight up turn on him or fight him but I think just the mere thought that what she’d do is pull away from him or be disappointed was enough for Rick to feel he couldn’t risk telling her.

And I like how, as he says this, he holds his hand out to give her the gun as this symbol that not only is he confessing, but he’s ready to “turn himself in” in a sense and let her have the gun and have intel on the plan completely, rather than hide anything from her.

I feel like this moment really hammers home that Rick views Michonne as his partner. They'd been operating like partners and co-leaders so much before arriving in Alexandria, so Rick knows that Michonne is someone in the group who would have and should have been let in on these types of plans, which is why not telling her felt like a lie that weighed on him.

I like that when Michonne hears Rick say this, she puts the windbreaker down, knowing they need to have a moment and talk this out so she can let him know exactly where she stands.

She asks if he thinks she’d try to stop him, and Rick, always finding time to be a little teasing with her, says, "Well you did hit me over the head." You know he's teasing too cuz he literally just defended her doing this when he spoke with Carol earlier lol.

And I appreciate that Michonne wants it to be crystal clear she did that to help him and not for the others. "That was for you." Of course, it’s for him, and doing what she thought was best to help him.

Even before hearing her say this, you know Rick believes that she did this with his best interests in mind.

And then I adore that he gets extra vulnerable for this next part, with this being his turn to close the distance between them.

Rick stands up and gets super close to her - cuz magnets - and he finally tells Michonne that he didn't tell her about the guns because “I was afraid you’d talk me out of it…you could’ve.”

Y'all, I love this. 😊 That "you could've" is going to hit my heart every time.

I’ve mentioned other pre-canon moments on this list where Rick has told on himself in terms of what he feels for Michonne. But none more than in this moment right here does Rick outright expose that Michonne has a very special and substantial influence on him.

It’s a big deal one; for her to have this power, two; for Rick to know Michonne has this power, and three; for him to then straight up tell her she has this power.

This is extremely significant, especially because Rick was seemingly at his most dazed during this 5B arc and said himself he was in the middle of losing his mind...and yet even in that disoriented state, he still had enough wherewithal to be aware that Michonne could get him to change course if she so much as talked to him about the situation.

Like homeboy was struggling to know right from left at this time, but one thing he did know was that Michonne had the power to heavily influence his choices and actions.

Rick Grimes won’t just let anybody talk him in or out of things, and yet Michonne effortlessly can do both as we saw throughout s5 and beyond. He also trusts her to know the immense influence she has without manipulating it. And honestly, he picked a good person to give this power to because Michonne is always right. 👑😌 Like fr...

I love that Rick finally came right out with it and told her this because he seemed to deep down know it was the case all along. Michonne means a whole lot to him, he fully respects her wisdom and ideas, and something in him always wants to give her what she wants, and in some capacity, he knows this about himself even here pre-canon.

As this is the season 5 finale, this is when they tie up a lot of arcs and storylines, and it’s fitting after a season where Michonne so fully stepped up as Rick's co-partner and both led alongside him and led him - the season ends with Rick actively knowing that just Michonne’s words, hell even a mere look, could influence his decisions on crucial matters. Even after losing it a bit in Alexandria, he still knows he'd trust Michonne’s gut even over his own. 👌🏽

And for him to say, "I was afraid..." I love the vulnerability. This is the Rick Grimes who has often had to come across as fearless to those they encounter, but here he can be honest and human and let her know that the influence she has over him is strong enough to even make him afraid.

Deep down something in Rick knew that Michonne has his whole heart and that he’ll ultimately be swayed to do what she says. Also, the visual of the two together is just so pleasing and the chemistry is always 🔥🔥.

And then cuz you know these equals stay taking turns sending my heart soaring - it’s Michonne’s turn to have me jumping for joy when she responds to him. (That's part of what makes this a top 2 moment because Rick and Michonne both have a line that just leaves me endlessly beaming 🤗)

First, Michonne so gently tells Rick they don’t need the guns here, and she doesn’t need her sword. It makes me think of the really sweet and sociable honorable mention moment they had in 5A when Rick asks her about her sword, and she says she doesn’t miss her sword but rather misses people they love like Hershel. Both these moments show she's always had such a solid perspective. 👑

Also y’all, as Michonne is talking to Rick in this s5 finale moment, again I have to point out the way Rick is looking at her...Whipped with a capital W. He looks so entranced that he again has to have one of those signature not-so-slick look-up moves he does whenever he knows he’s about to get lost in her lol.

I mentioned in a previous post that the story knew it wanted Rick and Michonne's journey to be that of an epic love story, hence why so many of their pre-canon scenes feel like they could fit perfectly into a romance. And you know who also naturally knew this - the Andrew Lincoln.

Because honey, the way his eyes always told the story that Rick was in love with Michonne 👏🏽👏🏽. Especially in this season 5 finale scene, all you have to do is look at Rick's eyes to know...

When Andy played our beloved sheriff during this pre-canon era, he basically said I don't really care what other storylines y'all got going on for Rick cuz whenever Rick is in front of Michonne he's going to look at her like she's the one for him really and truly. And I appreciate him for it. 😌

All those special stares between both Rick and Michonne throughout their journey really do add a wonderful touch to this love story. 👌🏽🥰

So then Michonne says, “I think you can find a way,” showing her steadfast belief in him. And then I love that she then emphasizes, “We can find a way.” It's refreshingly letting him know that, in navigating all this, he doesn’t have to do it alone. She will be by his side and they're a package deal. 😊

And then, as you know, what makes this scene such a classic is when Michonne flat out expresses the sentiment that they are forever a package deal when she so sincerely says, “And if we don’t…I’m still with you.” BEAUTIFUL. 😭

Oh I adore it with everything in me. She’s communicated to Rick that she’s still with him in so many different ways throughout the series, but I love that here she gets to look right at him with so much love in her eyes and let him know directly that she’s still with him no matter what. Good, bad, or ugly, she will forever be team Rick Grimes. 👌🏽

And it’s huge for her to say this and for Rick to hear this. Finding a home base has been Michonne's big goal this season and Rick's been aiming to provide that home - but now in the finale, this is Michonne’s chance to tell Rick she found home long ago because home actually isn’t a place - it’s him. And he no longer has to worry about losing her.

Also with the uncertainty of their world, how deep is it that they found a nice cushy community, a gold mine in that world, and Michonne is saying I still choose you even over the invaluable safety of having this home. As I’ve said before, this is the season where Rick and Michonne both show through words and actions that they will follow each other anywhere.

It’s so moving for Rick, someone who knows disloyalty well from his previous pre-apocalypse relationships (Lori & Shane), now has this woman to say I’m on your side always. And it's big for Michonne to know that the bond she formed with Rick is one she'll be committed to no matter what. Just a precious sentiment and my favorite thing she’s ever said to Rick so far. 🥰

And the way Michonne is looking at him. 😍 She’s in love with him, can’t tell me any different. So I, of course, gotta give major props to the Danai Gurira too because she also helped sculpt this story in the direction of a love story with the way Michonne would always look and talk to Rick.

Then Rick seems to just be taking her in completely as she says this lovely loyal line. Rick's look here feels like yet another moment that suggests he marvels over how he got so lucky to have someone like her be with him like this.

As Rick and Michonne let a silent moment linger between them, it really felt like RJ’s parents were finally about to kiss in this scene. Cuz these two were practically having this conversation...

Instead, Michonne notes how "something is going to happen," cuz she’s not naive or overly idealistic, and then she wisely states, "just don’t make something happen." And in this moment we’re seeing in real time the way Michonne just expressing herself can impact Rick and motivate him to change course.

I'm sure a lot of characters would have assumed Rick was unreachable in his season 5 era, but Michonne can always so effortlessly reach him and get him to try a new approach.

After she beautifully and prudently expresses this, Rick looks at her mesmerized (the usual), and then hands her the gun again, so eager to offer it as this peace offering that says he is with her too and willing to try to go about this her way rather than fight this his way.

It's a big deal for him to do this and I absolutely love the visual of this whole wordless moment.

I mentioned how in Clear, Michonne hands Rick a bullet as a sort of peace offering to show she’s on his side. And here Rick offers the same with the gun, but I love that instead of taking the gun, the shot draws emphasis on the two’s hands (seriously, Richonne stays giving the most Outstanding Performance by a Pair of Hands 👏🏽) as she softly places a hand over his and signals both that he doesn’t have to give her the gun and that she trusts him to make the right choice with it.

Again, Michonne is the soundest character in TWD, bar none, so in this moment, she knows it’s not necessarily unwise to have the gun, she’s not against the idea of precautions, but she also knows hostility is simply not needed here. And I love the arresting way they can always disarm each other, even without taking a gun.

And the moment just feels genuinely intimate and romantic which I love. Any time they touch it’s sparks. ✨ Michonne's first initiating touch with Rick was outside ASZ in 5.11 and now she does it again in the finale as touching his hand almost reflects her once again hoping that he’s really ready this time to make this place work.

But even if he's not...she's still with him. 🥹

Rick and Michonne then share this palpable passionate look before she heads out, sounding like a wife as she tells him, "Don’t be too long."

And that eye contact tho. 🔥 Richonne's eye contact at the end of this scene alone deserves its own shoutout. 👏🏽

Y’all, let me tell you what we just watched in this scene were some soulmates. Not just besties, or family, or partners - no, this was an exchange between soulmates. That’s their person, their true love, the one they trust unwaveringly - and somewhere in them during this scene, their hearts know it too. Their minds might need to do some catching up, but their hearts know if you ask me.

At the end of this scene, Rick stands alone in the room and holds the gun, moving his hand almost as if it's Michonne's touch that's most lingering with him. It may sound straight out of a romance film to say that, but that really is an element of what this subtle moment is giving.

Seeing that tiny moment of Rick's reaction to the gun in his hand after Michonne's tender touch just confirmed to me that one of the great perks about this ship is we never have to embellish the spark between Richonne because there really are just that many little romantic details to notice and cherish within these scenes.

Rick’s lingering reaction as she leaves also makes it feel like the gun weighs more than it does as it now symbolizes a weighted decision “to use or not to use.” But he knows deep down because the woman he loves has spoken and touched him literally and figuratively, he wants to make his next move one that she could be proud of.

And after a scene as romantically coded as this one, I too don't care what other storyline was supposed to be happening during this time...because Richonne was on the fast track to canon. 1000%.

Like truly after this moment there is no convincing me that Rick was healthily falling for anyone else. The chemistry, attraction, respect, love, and desire are far too evident in this scene between Rick and Michonne to suggest anything other than that canon Richonne is just around the corner. 🔥 And I love that Danai also noted this as a scene that really made it clear Rick and Michonne's bond was bound to blossom into more.

In season 5, who Rick was authentically in love with was crystal clear and who Michonne was authentically in love with was crystal clear. And fortunately, the following season, Rick and Michonne finally took the leap and made it crystal clear to themselves and the world that the two were in love with each other. 🙌🏾

This "I'm still with you" scene was an especially blatant sign that Rick and Michonne had developed an unbreakable love. And this moment is deserving of my #2 spot for how much meaning it carries.

The scene powerfully shows that what Rick and Michonne have between them is and has always been so incredibly deep, influential, reverential, beautiful, steamy, and special - and that no matter what they face or where they go, Rick and Michonne will always and forever be with each other. 🥰

#richonne #top 30 #top 3 #number 2 #rick x michonne #reveling in richonne #the best thing Michonne said to her husband so far 😍#twd 5.16 #twd towl #the ones who live

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spop-romanticizes-abuse · 5 months

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something that really frustrates me about spop is that we're supposed to believe that shadow weaver is an evil and selfish person who doesn't deserve redemption, but she's literally the only one being useful in s5. in fact, even before that, when she was still light spinner, she was the only person who actually wanted to do something about the war.

Light Spinner: The Guild needs talents like ours more than ever before. Perhaps-- [looks away in thought] No.. you're not ready.

[…]

Light Spinner: It's no illusion. This is really happening. An army has invaded our lands. They call themselves the Horde. The Princesses have proved ineffective against their strength. They've accomplished much more in a short time, more than our so-called leaders have.

[…]

Light Spinner: We can no longer stand by while the Horde conquers more and more territory. The Princesses have been unable to stop them, and now they have taken a runestone, the Black Garnet.

literally she was the only one trying to do something. all of the other leaders just stood by and decided to leave it to the princesses. the princesses, as we've seen, were irresponsible and useless.

why is shadow weaver the bad guy here? i mean, sure, she wanted power. a pretty basic motivation honestly, i don't think wanting power alone is an entirely bad thing. and she was manipulative. which was definitely bad but considering how no one took her seriously, she had to resort to something.

if they really wanted us to side with the princesses, they should have given us a reason to root for them. but no. perfuma was impatient and immature. mermista constantly complained about doing her duty. frosta seemed to be responsible at first but turns out, nah, she's just a chaotic kid. glimmer was also pretty much not suited for queen duties. netossa and spinerella were just the resident sapphic couple.

in s5 as well, everyone was mad at shadow weaver for suggesting that adora carry the failsafe. but did any of them have a better idea? did any of them even try to come up with a good solution? or offer to carry the failsafe themselves? shadow weaver was the only person taking the war seriously, apart from adora herself. the rest of them acted like it was some minor inconvenience and like shadow weaver was just ruining the fun for them.

it's absurd really. shadow weaver is a complex character but everyone, the crew included, treats her like an irredeemable monster. i'm not saying she needed to be redeemed. but she did have a point - none of the other characters were even trying to take the war seriously. you can't blame the only person who is willing to go to extremes for the greater good, if everyone else is slacking off and treating a literal war like a pillow fight.

#spop critical #spop #spop salt #spop criticism #spop discourse #she ra #anti spop

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eiichiro · 7 months

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— say, fukuzawa, if you could have just one wish granted, what would you wish for? [let's see... i would wish for the strength to protect those closest to me. you?] i would wish for world peace.

@animangacreators challenge #22: summer 2023

BUNGOU STRAY DOGS S5 (2023) created by asagiri kafka

#bungou stray dogs #bsdedit #gif #*#gif: bsd #bsd spoilers #*amcl #userroh #usermoh #usergojoana #userzuura #userjenny #user.roy #usermoonz #tuseroa #kvnikiida #liliumdragomir #userinahochi #userrsun

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bartxnhood · 2 years

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right here | r.k

gif not mine

| robby keene × reader

summary: after a night of celebration and a run in with the cobras, you were left frightened. you count on robby for help.

warnings: blood, swearing, broken bones, poorly written fight scenes.

a/n happy s5 of cobra kai !! loving robbys character this season. this will have spoilers so please read with caution !! also, you'd think that taking karate lessons years ago would help me when i write fighting scenes but it doesn't. so please don't judge me:(

spoilers below cut.

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the party had finally ended, hours of celebrating your victory of getting into the world's biggest karate tournament. you barely had any drinks, not one to participate in underage drinking. not really up your alley. plus, with the recent events of the rivalry, a small fight broken out.

robby had offered to take you home but you had got a text from a friend saying they wanted to hang out after the party. “are you sure? i really don’t care to take you home” he assured. you smiled, “i appreciate the offer but hannah texted, she wants to meet up” he raised his eyebrows but nodded, “alright, i’ll see you tomorrow. and text me when you get home” you laughed, giving him a quick kiss. “you got it”.

the location where your friend wanted to meet wasn’t far, so you decided to walk it. only to realize it was a complete setup.

“well, if it isn’t robby’s little pet, all alone, walking home?” you looked up from your phone, seeing them trickle in front of them and you looked over your shoulder, seeing more emerge from the darkness. slowly, you shoved your phone into your bag. “listen, i’d really like to go home. it’s late” your voice was soft, trying to be civil. it was close to midnight, you were tired and you promised robby you wouldn’t mess with them if he wasn’t there.

devon laughed, “after what you guys pulled today? no. you’ll pay for this, little miss” two pairs of arms grabbed yours, pinning you in place. “no, please!” you begged, then felt a kick to your gut.

each punch and kick after that only riled you up. finally using your strength and getting out of the hold, putting the two other cobras on the floor.

your instincts were haywire. you managed to block almost every kick and punch from devon and another from someone on your left. leaving your right side open for an attack.

instantly you felt the worst pain coming from your leg, one cobra twisted your ankle causing your leg to give out. at this point you already had a bloody nose, eyes watering and it was getting harder to focus.

you knew you were a good fighter, but against this many people? you were well aware you’d be defeated. with one last blow to your diaphragm, you were knocked back on the concrete gasping for air.

your arm reached out, trying to grab your phone. still attempting to catch your breath. in a split second, an unbearable weight came crashing on your hand, and a scream escaped your lungs. “i don’t think so, doll” tears began to fall as you shut your eyes. “next time your little group pulls something like this, you won’t leave so easily.” kennys foot was now against your throat, choking you. finally, the pressure was lifted and you coughed for air.

you didn’t stay down for long, quickly grabbing your phone and calling the one person who knew would help you.

you sat at the curb, holding your wrist staring at the deep blues and black forming on your hand. you knew it was broken, you couldn’t move it. tears fell down your nose and onto your shirt.

“y/n?!” you heard a panicked robby. looking up his eyes met with yours. his expression fell, and quickly rant by your side. “what the fuck happened?!” he examined your hand and then your face, his hands delicately held your chin. “the..cobras” you croaked. throat sore from being choked.

your eyes were red and puffy from the constant crying of feeling so scared and being in so much pain. he was gentle, taking you into his embrace. “i tried. i was so scared” you cried into his chest. “shh” he kissed the top of your head. “it’s okay, you’ll be alright. no one can hurt you now”

“can you walk?” you shook your head, using your non-injured hand to wipe your tears. “they got me pretty good.” he nodded. ever so gently he took your body into his arms, carrying you bridal style, back to sams car.

robby decided to let you stay at his place, well actually johnnys but he knew his dad wouldn’t say anything. especially now that he’s turning over a new leaf. “thank you sam” he hummed, keeping an eye on you. the bruises and welts were forming pretty fast, which only fueled his anger. “they’re not going to get away with this.” he started, “so help me if i see them-“

“robby” you cut him off, pleading eyes. he got the memo. “sorry” he cleared his throat. but it didn’t help the anger he felt inside, his chest was burning and his hands still balled in a fist.

soon enough the three of you pulled up to the apartment complex, robby carried you and sam helped with the doors. he carefully made his way through the hallway and into his room, gently placing you on the mattress. “can you get some ice? there’s some pack in the freezer” sam nodded and left the room.

“robby, i’m sorry, i didn’t know who else to call” you rested your head against the wall. he fell by your side, shaking his head.

“don’t you dare apologize for something you didn’t do. i’m your boyfriend, y/n. it’s my job to be here for you” he tried to smile, but the aight of seeing you so beat up killed him. he should’ve been there with you and known it was a setup. “i’m gonna get you some pain killers, yeah?” you nodded, letting him leave.

sam quickly came back in, a few ice packs in hand. “here” she hummed, you smiled and took the contents from her. hovering over your knuckles then slowly laying the ice down, you chewed on your bottom lip trying not to cry despite how badly it hurt. “thank you” you murmured.

“and thank you for picking me up. i know it’s late” she smiled, shaking her head.

“you know i’d do anything for you.” she looked down at her watch, “i’ve gotta head home now. but message me so i know you’re okay?” you nodded, she waved and saw herself out.

robby came back with a pill bottle, glass of water, and a wet wash rag. “this should help with the pain.” he handed you the cup and then opened the bottle and gave you some advil. you took the pills and a quick swig of water. “thank you, robby” you smiled tiredly.

he nodded, “it’s no problem. do you mind if i clean your leg?” he motioned down to your knee which has dried blood and small pieces of debris in the wound.“yeah..go ahead”.

to be honest, you were still in shock from what happened. you were thankful enough that robby is letting you stay, knowing your parents wouldn’t care if you came home or not.

robby tried his best being gentle, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt you. the girl he had loved the most in all his years, the one who was in his corner throughout everything. telling people he hadn’t changed or he’d come back around. you always supported him. even if it meant you got hurt as well.

it hurt, but your hand hurt worse. you could take robby to clean your knee.

“you should change” robbed said, wiping the blood on your scraped knee. “your clothes are all dirty and bloody” you were pulled from your fogged mind. “what..?” you looked at him. “you need to change. i’ll give you a pair of my shorts and shirt.” you shook your head, “robby it’s okay, really” he was quick to cut you off. “it wasn’t a request, but a demand.” you stared at him. “fine.” you shrugged, and proceeded to sit up, fighting off the pain your body felt.

“whoa, whoa. careful” he quickly put his hand on the small of your back. “i’ll grab you some clothes” he hurried over to his drawers, picking out a black shirt and shorts. “i can step out if you want me to” you nodded, “thanks” he smiled, “i’ll be right outside the door”

you managed to get the jean shorts off with your good hand and slipped the basketball shorts on. now the tricky part was getting your shirt off. wasn’t necessarily easy with a broken hand. you sighed, feeling frustrated. you called out, “robby?”

the door opened, confused as to why you were still in hood top. “everything okay?” you shook your head, “can you help me with my shirt?” he nodded, “sure”

he carefully helped you get your shirt off that had plenty of minor cuts in the fabric. this was the first time you had been this vulnerable around him. also being the first time he had seen you almost

robby pressed light kisses on your shoulder,” i’m sorry i wasn’t there for you.” his eyes roamed your back and your rib cage, seeing the bruises now forming. it pained him that this happened, and he knew that the next time he saw anyone from cobra kai, they’d pay for it. no one touches you.

you wanted to cry, but you tried your best to hold it together while slipping the black t-shirt over your head. “i should’ve stayed back. this wouldn’t have happened if i was just being cautious.” he helped you bag down on the bed. “it isn’t your fault, remember that. i promise no one will ever touch you again. okay?”

“i love you robby.” you sighed, and a smile formed on his face. “i love you too. i’ll give you some space, i’ll sleep on the sofa tonight. and i’ll wrap your hand in the morning, is that okay?”

you nodded, but suddenly the thought of being alone terrified you.

“robby?”

“hm?”

“please stay.”

he stopped in the doorway, eventually coming back and closing the door behind him. “okay” he hummed and crawled into the bed next to you. “i really don’t want to be alone.” you moved closer to him, resting your head on his chest.

“you’ll never be alone again. i’ll always be here.”

#robby keene x y/n #robby keene cobra kai #robby keene x reader #robby keene imagine #robby keene blurb #robby cobra kai #cobra kai blurb #cobra kai x reader #cobra kai imagine #robby keene

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heartfulselkie · 1 year

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I've been enabled! There is a minor lore spoiler for S5 Episode "Reunion" with how some stuff works but other than that this AU is spoiler free.

Bit of background for the AU: Basic run down is that its a Kwami Swap with Adrien having always had the Ladybug Miraculous (at least as far as he knows) and has been Paris's sole protector since a certain magical terrorist started causing problems. With things not going to plan, Tikki makes a suggestion of speaking to a past Ladybug for information or advice, only for it to cause further problems...

Rest undercut cause there's so many hfghf

Adrien ends up having this unnamed Ladybug follow him around because she refuses to leave him. Something is clearly going on (since no one remembers her as a Ladybug among others things) and GhostBug is determined to find out what!

Adrien's constantly on the edge of a mental breakdown since he's Adrien Agreste™, son of Gabriel Agreste, no. 1 fashion model, popular teen heartthrob, high scoring student, champion fencer and also secretly Paris's superhero.

@lesbitorte suggested he should cut his hair off for a lil Menty B treat

Costume design is not my strength so don't mind the random bug outfit for him! He's technically not "Mister Bug" in this AU so he looks a little different I will figure out a proper design eventually

#watch as my art style changes multiple times #its just like magic *woosh*#this AU is now taking up my brain space #kwami swap amnesia au #selkie draws #kaleidoscope au

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andiwriteordie · 1 year

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i don’t know why i have to say this, but here is a friendly reminder that there is a way to write will byers and continue to make him will byers—the gentle, soft-hearted, shyer, more sensitive soul—whom we have seen over the past 4 season of stranger things while also allowing and giving him the opportunity to showcase his strength and his bravery and his courage.

will with powers, will with a gun, will standing up for himself, will facing his abuser—none of those things are necessarily going to change who will byers is at his core. perhaps he’ll become a bit more hardened (as i expect all of them will in s5 as they’re put in higher stakes than ever before), but what makes will such a beautiful character is that he has experienced so much trauma and pain and yet even still remains a sensitive, kind, and caring human being. that’s what makes will special and places him in a good position to be a central character of s5.

that said, if you believe that will having these opportunities to break outside the mold of what a conventionally sensitive and softer character would look like is going to fundamentally change who he is as a person and as a character presented to us, then um. i invite you to rewatch stranger things. because god knows this show has been all about subverting tropes from the very beginning and turning things upside down, so you’re telling me they wouldn’t give the abuse survivor, the underdog, the one who’s been underestimated the entire goddamn time the opportunity to be the hero, to save the day, and yes, to confront his abuser and be the one who ends all of this for his friends, his family, and for himself?

*shrug* idk, maybe that’s just me.

#will byers #anyways #that's just been on my mind for a couple of weeks.#toodaloo!

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therainscene · 1 year

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Stranger Things is fundamentally a story about being an outcast: coming of age while using the healing power of love to deal with abuse and pressure to conform.

And these are all very queer themes. Stranger Things isn’t necessarily about queerness, per se, but its themes do happen to encapsulate the queer experience perfectly -- so it’s no coincidence that the boy who got the story rolling and whose coming of age will be a focus in S5 also happens to be gay. A satisfying ending for him will be a satisfying ending for the whole show.

So let’s examine Will’s arc without our shipping goggles on and ask ourselves:

What sort of outcome for Will would best fit the themes of Stranger Things?

If he dies, then all those times he was saved by the power of love will have gone to waste.

Perhaps you could argue that he’ll sacrifice himself in an act of love and gratitude for those friends who saved him in the past... but he's already done that, multiple times, and it never permanently solved the problems plaguing him or Hawkins. Will needs to try something new if he wants it to stick this time.

If he becomes a villain, then he’s giving in to the cycle of abuse.

That’s too out of character. Will is Henry’s narrative foil -- they have a lot in common, but their roles in this story fundamentally contrast one another. So even if Will allies with Vecna -- perhaps out of some well-meaning effort to sacrifice himself again -- that’s not going to be the end of his story.

If his defeated acceptance that queers like him never Get The Boy in the end is proven correct, then the narrative will be rewarding his conformity to homophobic ideals.

Yes, nobody is entitled to Get The Boy in real life... but nobody gets eaten by Demogorgons in real life either. This is a story, and its job is to explore ideas through metaphor, not to be a perfect mirror.

And yes, Stranger Things is set in the terrifyingly homophobic 80s and chooses to take a realistic approach in depicting queerness... but it’s still a modern story intended for a 2020s audience.

So why should we learn the lesson that the best ending a gay boy can hope for is bittersweet at best? That queer self-actualization is rooted in waiting to be accepted by straight people instead of forging your own queerness for yourself? How is any of this consistent with the theme of resisting forced conformity?

But if:

Will overcomes his internalized homophobia and openly admits his love for Mike, and Mike likewise shakes off the shackles of compulsory heterosexuality and admits he feels the same way...

...The joy of actually getting the romantic love he thought he never would inspires Will and gives him strength...

...To finally face Vecna, symbolically addressing the abuse and societal homophobia that almost prevented him from getting that romance in the first place?