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withachanceoflaxus · 9 months

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I don’t know what this is. It’s partly me rambling for a long time. It’s a meta, but also has some of my own headcanons & thoughts sprinkled in. I call it my F.antasia Manifesto because that's what it feels like. It's an examination of Laxus’ character and why Fantasia happened in the first place; it wasn’t so much about the guild as it was Laxus & Makarov’s relationship which is the main focus of this. Keeping up with the Dreyars is a full time job.

shoutout to jana / @aeceso for betareading this for me <;3

We all know what Laxus was like in the beginning. Arrogant. Rude. Loud-mouthed. Very focused on strength. His need for the guild to be strong is his stated reason for Fantasia.

That’s how he’s portrayed and he is a dick to everyone he talks to. He literally calls Team Shadowgear weak after what Gajeel did to them only to then later attack Gajeel “for them”. Obviously, it wasn’t about them or Gajeel.

We don’t really know at this point where his emphasis on strength originates.. One hidden part of it that I think we shouldn’t ignore is that Laxus as a child was sick. And that’s a key part I want to point out. He was a sickly child. I think some part of his obsession with strength, perhaps even subconsciously, was a fear of feeling like he did as a child. Pediatric chronic illness has been noted to align with later emotional, behavioral and psychiatric symptoms. It is not every child, obviously, but I think Laxus would be a good case for something like this considering Fantasia. Laxus going from being sick to having heightened senses of a dragon slayer will be something I explore in a different post because I believe that is important. And so is his relationship with Makarov.

Fantasia doesn’t happen because Laxus thinks everyone else is weaker than him, that’s just what he says. We learn that we can’t even trust his stated reasons, I don’t think he is even conscious of the fact of why he’s behaving so out of character for himself. We know we can’t trust him because Fairy Law fails. At that point, people are urging Laxus to go to Makarov, but he doesn’t and he continues. Everything he does, even in his most desperate moments, involve Makarov.

His identity is so intertwined with Makarov. All his accomplishments, all his strengths. His relationship with Makarov forces him to be more focused on the guild and the guild’s future than himself. This is proven at the end. Right after Fairy Law fails? We have these two panels.

(sidenote: I really don't think Laxus opened up much to his friends at this point because if he did, Freed would Not have said that. Because it comes across, to me, like a "okay you made your point lets end this" kinda way that dismisses the root cause which also probably caused the screaming. How many times has Laxus been told to get over things? Well, I know at least one other time which I will also get into.)

The utter heartbreak I feel aside — this shows what Fantasia was about. And it wasn't strength. It was about Laxus, his place in the guild and in his own life. Which has been completely messed up.

Natsu, the main character, does go on to attempt to reiterate the a lesson learned in the Phantom Lord arc by saying to Laxus that blood family doesn’t matter; that “no one cares” if Laxus is Makarov’s grandson. That's wrong, though.

One, blood not mattering makes sense for Lucy, who was abused by her father (at the very least, she was neglected which is a form of abuse) and she ran away. Her father was trying to force her into marriage. The two situations are different. Two, it makes total sense for a character like Natsu to not put much stock into blood family. He doesn't have any. He's only had a dragon, Igneel, to grow up with and doesn't remember his human family. And later, we learn Zeref is his brother so I can't blame him — his situation is very special. So! For Natsu, it makes sense that's what he thinks. Three, I'd say this is more Natsu's POV because it does matter. Just look below!

Laxus gets flack for being a well known Fairy Tail mage and is constantly undermined because his grandfather is the GM. People have thoughts about him, alright. His reputation matters. People have thoughts and theories on him because of his connection to Makarov, because of his blood relation. Everyone assumes he will be the next master because Makarov is the current one. Also, just to add to blood relation mattering: Laxus is also connected to a founder of Fairy Tail. Of course people are going to assume he’s going to be GM. And none of it has anything to do with any of his own accomplishments as a mage. Which is infuriating because being a mage is all that Makarov expects from him, which we will get into.

I doubt Mr. Zod was the first or the last person to say something of that effect. Makarov's reputation is very important for Laxus.

I will also like to add how important reputation is in general for Fairy Tail. As a Fairy Tail mage...the reputation of the guild matters. Fairy Tail is wildly talked about and it's not always good as we can see below. They're not taken seriously and that can affect the nature of the jobs. Not only that, because of the their destructive reputation, they could get disbanded. Yajima was protecting them there which is just another side of Makarov being so shady but that's a different meta / headcanon.

So yes. Reputation does matter. Blood relations or no. You just get extra pressure and expectations put on you if you’re blood related. No biggie!

Back to Laxus a bit. Fairy Tail and Makarov's reputation being what it was always affected him. From what people said to his face, what they said about him, how they treat and interaction with him — this is all impacted by his relationship to Makarov. Whether or not some people think otherwise (Natsu and Makarov). His relationship to Makarov gets thrown in his face constantly and how healthy can that be? His relationship with Makarov isn't even truly understood by most, if not all, of these people. They are not buddy-buddy wholesome cute close. In fact, I am hopefully going to show why I think Makarov and Fairy Tail are the same entity when it comes to Laxus and that’s how it was set up by Makarov’s own actions.

Before Makarov excommunicated Laxus, what positive interactions do we see? Yeah, Laxus is being stand-offish and a dick to others in the guild, but Makarov one, allows it to a certain point. Two, has never shown any true genuine affection for an older Laxus until the excommunication. Three, literally doesn’t seem happy when he hears Laxus is in town for the Festival despite the good memories (obviously, we the reader know something is up there, but Makarov hasn’t seen him for a few weeks). Four, we know that something Not So Chill happened and Laxus’ only parent, Ivan, was excommunicated. At some point, this becomes an argument between them. And I personally think that argument is the catalyst for their relationship and leads to Fantasia & it’s aftermath and explains why just Laxus was excommunicated.

Laxus is about 14-17 in the flashback. I personally headcanon it takes place pre S-Class because of how it ends. He's also obviously an older teenager, not a tween. When it ends, two very important things happen. Laxus makes a vow to become strong (the earliest time we see Laxus put any emphasis on strength) not for Ivan, but for himself. Makarov, however, saw it as Laxus “choosing” Ivan and no longer trusting him. But … it didn’t begin as an argument about Ivan.

To summarize: Makarov asked Laxus if he was going to be in Fantasia (something Laxus used to enjoy as a child and also something expected of Laxus as a member). Laxus got angry and upset at Makarov. Laxus talked about how he never gets the credit he deserves. That he’s always…Makarov’s grandson. Does Makarov emphasize with his struggle? No. He says "no one gets the credit they feel they deserve" and seems rather tired of the conversation and of Laxus' outburst. He doesn't admit that there's pressure to being his grandson, brushes it off. Laxus gets frustrated as anyone would (let alone a teenager) and mentions his dad, something he is separately upset about. Laxus reveals the existence of Raven Tail, which is news to Makarov. Makarov tries to get Ivan's location from Laxus and Laxus refuses, Makarov is not happy about this. It's evidence of Laxus and Ivan interaction that Makarov didn't previously know about. Makarov is afraid of what Ivan knows. This fear is what ultimately makes Makarov not trust Laxus and we see the formation of the distance between them pre-Fantasia.

Also, in the argument, Laxus truly shows that he thinks blood relations should matter. He’s Makarov’s grandson. Ivan was his son. Doesn’t that mean something? Well. What does being Makarov’s grandson mean for Laxus? The reputation comes with pressure. It means working really hard for no credit. That there are expectations put on you. Being Makarov's grandson and your father being excommunication probably doubled the pressure on him because everyone is going to wonder how he would turn out. Lastly, a grandson could also get excommunicated despite being family because at the end of the day, you're a mage of Fairy Tail and that's the part of you that matters to Makarov, as shown by his actions.

To summarize where we are: Fantasia was not about strength. It was about Laxus' lack of real identity. He was never himself, not even to his grandfather. He's always a mage of Fairy Tail first. That's how his grandfather sees him, his only blood relative that is around him. Makarov and Fairy Tail. They may as well be one and the same for Laxus. He’s not really given any room or model for how to have an identity outside of Fairy Tail. So of course he’s going to care. And he cares with his strength because he thinks that’s all he’s allowed to have at the end of the day. If he can overpower Makarov, he can be his own person.

So that’s how we get to Fantasia. And I’m not going to go over it too much, but it’s easy to see by different character’s reactions and even the townspeople that this is not something that aligns with the Laxus they are familiar with. Natsu (not Makarov) doesn’t take the threats seriously until he’s forced to. Freed is even surprised at what Laxus says to him, especially after Evergreen falls in battle. He is obviously not acting in character despite him being a dick in the few months we see him before the incident.

Now, I do think Laxus (and the Raijinshuu) do deserve a punishment for what happened. They did all endanger the lives of not only their guildmates but also citizens. I did find it odd that Laxus was the only one who was excommunicated, but when I thought about it deeper…it does make sense! Why? Because why would Makarov let Laxus and the Raijinshuu leave, when he could ensure that at least just Laxus is leaving. He can’t trust what Laxus was going to do after. Remember, in the flashback argument, Laxus threatened that if ever he got fired, he'd join his dad's guild. We know he didn't do that after he left Fairy Tail. Makarov, however? Makarov didn't have that foresight! Yes, Makarov will miss him and cries when Laxus leaves. Yes, Makarov promises to watch over his grandson from afar (considering he sent spies after Ivan, though, I figure that was a guarantee LMAO) . However, there is still a lack of trust in their relationship.

Makarov who just fired Laxus cannot risk Ivan having Laxus & the Raijinshuu especially after the Raijinshuu just displayed all their tricks. Once more, Laxus is unwillingly put into the war between his dad and his grandfather. He is cut off from his support system (his friends) because of this.

Either being fired from your job (in this case, from Fairy Tail) means you have to leave the entire city (why does a guild have that much power over its mages in the first place or why does Fairy Tail / Makarov have that power?) or, more likely, Laxus' exile was self imposed. And I think the reason why it was self imposed is tied directly into the relationship with Makarov he's had thus far: family = guild. There is no two separate things. Not even blood can save you. So of course being fired means leaving. Makarov didn’t just fire Laxus, it’s never that simple between them. Laxus is not a part of the guild, he’s not a part of Makarov’s family either.

Which is devasting because obviously other people outside his relationship with Makarov do make it matter. Strangers make it matter. People close to him make it matter (Freed is an example of how close that is). But to Makarov himself? It doesn't. And we can infer that to Laxus it also mattered. He thought being blood related mattered. That he had a grandfather, not a guild master. Since that argument, we know that is not the truth for Makarov.

To conclude: Fantasia happened because Makarov and Laxus’ fucked up relationship and its impact on Laxus. He is not allowed to be Laxus, he has to be Fairy Tail’s Laxus. Not just to the general public, but to his grandfather. And there are pressures that come with being tied to Makarov that frankly, others either don’t acknowledge and/or care about. Their relationship was forever changed from that one argument and, I’d say even to the end in canon, it was never the same. They aren’t really close as Makarov will always put the guild over his family.

#2.3 k words later and here we are folks #the fantaasia manifesto which has been on my mind for 3 years now #and when i started to look more critically at makarov #that headcanon / meta will come at some point im sure #⚡: allow me to exaggerate a memory or two / hc #⚡: your melody needs a little more character for show / canon div #fantasia manifesto #just in case i need to come back to this #makarov tag

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theravennest · 3 years

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I hard binged Sell Your Haunted House and finished up today.

**Spoilers for the entire drama.**

I absolutely ADORED this drama! My god.

The characters were all so rich. Worldbuilding was on point. The storyline felt meaningful and well paced. The emotional arcs each character went through landed pitch perfect for me.

This drama has such incredibly fully realized female characters. Regardless of being good or bad, main or secondary characters...they had rich internal lives, complex emotional relationships with others, and consistent motivations paired with realistic character arcs. For this drama, the women definitely stand out the most for me. Ji Ah is my beloved tragic exorcist queen, Secretary Joo was so incredibly cool and flawed, the poignant story with the Restaurant Ahjumma, Ji Ah’s ghost momma and her deep love for her sister and daughter, In Beom’s grandmother who was a mix of misguided and affectionate, the one-off female characters from the ghost stories/cases...nearly every one of the female characters were super interesting to me.

The heartbreaking tragedy of Ji Ah’s character learning that she was the one who trapped her mother’s spirit with her grief and obsession over her death, then re-wrote her memories. Oof!

That’s not to say that I don’t love a lot of the male characters. I adore the bumbling duo of In Beom and his best friend being idiot conmen who stumble into the ghost world and get swept off into an otherworldly adventure. That fool of a gangster Tae Jin who struggled so much with finding the goodness within him and found a family and home by the end. I even liked the Team Leader and detective guys. (Lowkey did anybody else get an OT3 poly-triad vibe with them and Secretary Joo? lmao)

Oh, In Beom and his uncle! I loved the arc of In Beom coming to terms with the fact that his uncle was culpable in so many deaths that just cascaded out and harmed even Ji Ah. Like, yes the uncle did what he did to try and secure a safe home for his mom and nephew but his selfishness for his own family not only killed people, it doomed his nephew and Ji Ah to 20 years of torment and pain. While ultimately Do Hak Sung is primarily responsible for what happened, In Beom’s uncle did not have clean hands in it.

I really respected the drama for not shirking his part of the responsibility. I really rated that part of In Beom’s arc was coming to grips with how flawed both his family members were yet still finding it in himself to love them still. It was a nice foil for him coming to grips with his own flaws as a conman and finding ways to change for the better in a way that his grandmother and uncle never quite got the chance to before they were gone.

Speaking of consequences of the uncle’s actions...the Egg Ghost! That shit was so unsettling and creepy every single time it showed up on screen. The facelessness of the person possessed by it, and that rattling noise it made. No way, brother, get that shit away from me.

The scene where the Egg Ghost possesses In Beom and Ji Ah is put in the same position as her mother, sacrifice either someone she loves or herself or doom the world to untold amount of deaths at the hands of the Egg Ghost. *chef’s kiss* Loved it! Ji Ah and In Beom using their own individual skills to solve the conundrum of how to exorcise the Egg Ghost without killing the Medium was perfect. I loved their partnership so much.

I was really impressed with the deep intimacy and platonic love that was built between the two leads without any overt romance at all but only a few hints of a crush, mostly from In Beom to Ji Ah.

Like, I am obsessed with the idea of Ji Ah and In Beom either being completely platonic or perhaps hetero-romantic asexual life partners where In Beom stays a virgin so that he can be Ji Ah’s primary Medium forever.

Speaking of...the role and trope reversal were so well done. Instead of it coming off as a gimmick, it felt natural and realistic to how people irl don’t fit in the boxes so often seen in TV or movies. Sometimes when stories try to do role-reversal between female character tropes and male character tropes they can come off a bit clunky. Even worse, sometimes either they eventually revert back to traditional gender essentialist roles or they inadvertently reinforce harmful stereotypes.

But Sell Your Haunted House avoided all of that by basing the “role reversals” firmly in character. Due to the circumstances of their lives, upbringings, families, and even their specific traumas, these two people grew to be who they are. Ji Ah became a more assured and intense woman with incredible fighting ability and chock full of heartbreaking tragedy. Meanwhile In Beom became a softer and more warm man with a charming damsel vibe who needs to be rescued often because of his own foolish nature.

If you are interested in a drama about an exploration of trauma and grief over a backdrop of ghost stories, horror, and mystery then I definitely recommend this one.

PS. Shoutout to this drama for not doing the supernatural story trope I hate with every fiber of my being where the people with magical abilities end the story with “becoming normal or human” and losing their powers permanently. This show has both the female lead and the male lead strutting off to a new haunting, fully powered up like the badass spirit banishing duo they should be!

#sell your haunted house #daebak real estate #kdrama #jang na ra #jang nara #jung yong hwa #meta

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raylangivins · 3 years

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hey I like going through your justified tags and seeing your random thoughts so,,, you wanna give a ranking of each season for me? it's really interesting seeing which ones are people's favorites since justified is one of the few 2010s shows that follows a complete hero-villain story arc in a season. each has a quantifiable Vibe and Message unique to that season. go!

first of all that is very sweet thank you ❤️

i love this question and thought about it a lot on my last rewatch so thank you for asking.

1. my personal favourite is season 4 because i LOVE the drew thompson mystery so much and how it weaves these ideas of like urban legend and folk tale into how harlan came to be and raylan and boyd's personal histories with harlan. the fact that bo and arlo started their criminal enterprise with money from drew thompson and then both went to their deaths hiding his secrets only for raylan and boyd to end up competing to unearth them!!! and all because they're both trying to be different to their fathers and build their own futures on the success of finding drew!!!! that raylan and boyd are forced to question what they knew of their fathers and what they know of themselves!!! that it ends with boyd alone in the house he wanted to build his clean future in and with raylan's darkest, most morally grey act of the whole series -- the exact opposite of what either of them wanted!!! i also love the boyd/ava stuff going on that season, and just ava's individual storyline with ellen may. it's nice to see who ava becomes when her stakes in the crime business are slightly more personal than being attached to boyd. and i'm sure i've said in many a post that decoy is my favourite justified episode because it is!!!! it's so good!!!!!! whole season makes me buckwild.

2. while 4 is my favourite obviously season 2 is objectively the best season of justified. all the bennett stuff is so fucking good. like, mags is by far the best season big bad in the entire show's run (excluding boyd bc he's a main), and absolutely everything that season does with history, with cycles of violence, with family, with the kind of loyalty you're expected to owe to your home and your people....delicious! i already sorta talked about the loretta/raylan(/helen) parallels but it's just such a lovely and heartbreaking little journey for raylan's character that season. boyd and ava's growing relationship is so compelling, and i like that boyd's a little displaced at the beginning. boyd takes a lot of shapes throughout the show, so it's interesting to see him just like...unmoored for a while. and how even just that puts raylan on edge. also i need to give a special shoutout to dickie bennett because...i LOVE dickie bennett. i love that he has raylan and boyd's problem of still clinging to some terrible harlan violence that happened to him as a teenager but unlike raylan and boyd he's in it by himself. raylan does not give a shit, and that makes it so much worse. like i constantly think about that scene where dickie has raylan hanging from a tree and after hearing about the baseball incident from everyone but dickie we finally hear just how angry dickie's been about it his entire life. dickie knew the number of steps a person takes every day off the top of his head!!! raylan crippled him and raylan truly does not fucking care at all. it's like that thing where someone's your best friend but you know someone else is their best friend, except raylan's dickie's worst enemy but dickie's not raylan's because boyd already took up the mantle. hilarious and tragic. DICKIE!!!

3. number three, season 3! i liked quarles as a villain in season 3. i like that he got progressively more unhinged the more he had to deal with raylan and boyd's shit. i like all the limehouse stuff and wish we'd gotten more of it, (obviously my preference tends to lean towards seasons where there's harlan "world-building" and backstory so to speak, and the internal politics of noble's holler was so interesting to me. and that in relation to the women of harlan especially frances givens would've been cool to explore, although i get why they didn't.) i also love the stuff going on with raylan/arlo/boyd because like....what the fuck lmao. i wish we'd gotten to see more of how boyd felt about arlo and raylan's whole deal. i get boyd being dismissive to raylan about it tbh because boyd has is own daddy issues and he's angry about it in completely different ways to raylan but i'd love to see how he reconciles all that in his head. if it's something he even needs to reconcile or if he truly just doesn't care. and also how raylan feels about it because the most we really get is a kind of general annoyance with boyd and arlo that mixes in with the crime stuff, and then his detached hurt when he tells winona why arlo shot tom bergen.

4. season 1 babey. it's the most procedural and i think the show is better when it's more of a serial story, but like, understandable, the show was still finding it's feet. obviously it kicks into gear when boyd comes back, but even before that it's fun. raylan's a real idiot in this one and it is very enjoyable to me -- a person who enjoys seeing raylan be an idiot. he kills 10 people this season!!!! insane man!! the entire scene with boyd/ava/raylan trapped in the cabin in bulletville is probably one of my all time favourites because it's so fucking silly.

5. i do like season 6 but to be perfectly honest i really don't care about markham or katherine hale and i wish less time was spent on them. i don't think the season needed a big bad other than boyd although i guess they needed boyd to be doing something for raylan to be chasing after him. there's stuff about that whole storyline which i do like--katherine fucking with ava was very nerve-wracking and good television--but idk. i think the most affecting moments of the season were with the characters we already knew--boyd murdering dewey, loretta trying to fill mags shoes, raylan kissing ava in her kitchen, raylan seeing arlo's "ghost" in the shed, all the scenes with raylan and anyone else on the marshal team just being tim/art/rachel: are u gonna be chill about catching boyd?? raylan: nope :^). i think the latter half where the build up for raylan and boyd's confrontation finally starts to crescendo is better than the first half, although i do like how viciously petty boyd and raylan spend the first half of the season being. the raylan/boyd/ava stuff is so, so good too, it's what carries the whole season for me.

6. for the record i do not think there is a bad season of justified, but 5 was like...the least fun? it's kind of a bummer season, i get why people tend not to like it as much. i do actually quite enjoy the crowe stuff. i think the dynamics going on between wendy, darryl and kendal are all so fucked up and painful, and i thought watching them tear each other apart, while not very satisfying (because it's a bummer), was told really well. there's also interesting stuff with raylan trying to insert himself into it, because he essentially offers kendal the same thing he offered loretta in season 2, but kendal doesn't really take him up on it, and then raylan's caught between his desire to wreck darryl's shit vs trying to protect this young boy who's caught up in it just because he was born into it. and then all of that's twisted up in raylan's obvious issues with fatherhood and the fact that he spends the entire season avoiding his daughter. love the stuff going on with poor dewey. ava's prison storyline is infuriating, again, because it's a massive fucking bummer, but i do like the journey ava goes on. the tension between raylan and art is also something that realistically had to happen eventually, and i thought it was good, but tied up a bit too neatly? i think the main issue with the season is just how split all the storylines feel. raylan, boyd and ava are all kinda doing their own thing for most of the season and i think they're at their best when their paths are clashing and converging on each other. like season 6, i think season 5 is a season with more individual good moments than good cohesive story/character moments.

#replies #anon #justified

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nyrawyrathepapaya · 3 years

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You know the worst thing about this? The wasted potential. As a writer, a creator, a storyteller - this hurt to watch. It hurt so damn bad to see such an amazing story, with complicated characters and built-up arcs, just thrown away like that. I’m gonna tell it like it is right now.

First of all: the characters.

Castiel has some of the best character development I have ever seen; he started out as a mindless soldier of Heaven, blindly following orders, an insensitive douchebag. And over the course of 12 seasons, he became the most caring, open-hearted, compassionate character on the show. It was an incredible transformation to witness, to watch him fall in love not only with Dean, but with all of humanity, flaws and all. He was authentic and brave and he loved so fully without ever being loved back. All this time Cas has been on the show, no one has ever told him he is loved. He died never hearing the words “I love you,” which he always made sure to tell the people closest to him. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to watch.

Dean Winchester was probably the most robbed character in the finale. There’s so much I could say about his growth over the course of the show, but what stands out to me the most is that the character started out as a badass, suave, redneck hunter and became a dorky, playful, and emotionally complex person who is still badass. Dean Winchester is so much more than what he started out as; he was always complicated, but we got to see his layers peeled back one by one to reveal the Dean we know and love - the one who likes chick-flicks and eats junk food and wants to experience things and people he never has before. And he always thought he’d go down swinging, the best hunter of all time, the one who beat God and killed Hitler. And instead he gets bested by a fucking nail in the barn wall during a run-of-the-mill hunt. Okay.

Now Sam Winchester...The ups and downs we went through with this character were intense. He literally went to hell and back, lost his soul, became a demon blood junkie, had some crazy girlfriends, and through all of it, he was always the baby brother: the psychopath hiding behind a logical mask, the perfect foil to Dean. They fought for each other and died for each other and never gave up, never relented. They always came back, stronger than before, because that’s what this is about. Never give up on family. And somehow that’s exactly what ends up happening. Sam giving up on Dean and letting him go was so out of character it made me question everything I had ever seen on this show.

There are others: Jack was done so dirty I don’t even know how to start, Eileen was just another disregard of representation as were Charlie and Claire and Kaia. Sam and Eileen. They couldn’t even follow through with a straight pairing that was already set up perfectly with good disabled representation. Claire and Kaia. It was right there, all wrapped up pretty with a bow and they left it out in the rain. I am livid about the throwaway of such good representation in favor of straight white men.

The message of the story.

What happened to free will? To defying destiny? To family don’t end in blood? “Into the garbage chute,” they said. A mark of bad storytelling is that you could start from the beginning and skip right to the end, and nothing is different. If the first episode had never happened, Sam would have lived his apple pie life to a ripe old age without his brother because Dean would have died young on a hunt gone wrong. Cas would have stayed in servitude to Heaven (or God, whoever he is by the end), and Jack would fulfill his destiny of becoming an all-powerful being who could never fit in on Earth with humanity. Wait. No, that’s actually what happened. Team Free Will my ass. They deserved better.

You know what’s just fucked up? The writers knew how many fans struggled with mental health, and it became a major theme of the show to keep on going. They made us these characters and said “look they are just like you.” We related to them. We saw how they persevered through so much trauma, and we thought “if they can do it, then I can do it too.” We wanted so badly for them to be happy. And in the finale, they just fucking kill them.

It just doesn’t make sense.

It doesn’t make sense that after 15 seasons in which the main characters repeatedly die and come back, where it is reiterated over and over again that nothing stays dead in Supernatural, that they would kill off a main character two episodes before the finale and not resurrect them. We were so sure Cas was coming back because that’s the logical conclusion based off of what we’ve been watching. It’s like knowing that 2+2=4 on a math test but checking it on a calculator anyway because you’re nervous, and then the calculator says the answer is 17.

All the wasted potential with the parallels is just hurting me as a writer. The lamp tapdance scene as a parallel to Garth and Bess - could have been perfect. The tree as a reference to angelic grace - it was right there. Act 2 of Supernatural - genius callback. Becky Rosen literally describing exactly what would make a bad ending and then the writers doing exactly that. What was there to lose? Why appease only 30%? Why write a queer love confession? I hate it here.

Special shoutout to meta writers on tumblr: I love and appreciate all of you so much. A week of hope was so much better spent than a week of depression. It is not your fault for seeing the potential in this story - it is the writers’ faults for not following through.

There are literal 15-year-olds on this site who have better ideas and writing skills than the adults who are paid to write for this show.

And on that note...

Keep writing, keep creating. Because this is our story now.

#spn #supernatural #spn meta #kinda #long post #rant #spn spoilers #spn finale #fuck andrew dabb #this is my story now #fuck the cw #castiel #dean winchester #sam winchester #this got so long lmao #and also less coherent #whatever

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ae0nx · 4 years

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FRUITS BASKET S2 EPISODE 7 RECAP AKA ‘TOP TIER FURUBA SHIT’

An accurate representation of me getting ready to talk about this episode.

My guys... this episode pretty much hit all the points for me in what I expect of a Fruits Basket episode... and more! I loveeee this episode. I gotta admit last week’s episode was a bit of a shoulder shrug for me cos it was mostly a set up for the beach ‘arc’ but this. episode. I have way too many screen caps, I don’t know how I’ll do this.

And we open up with a big ‘fuck no’. I love the flash forward just to prepare the audience for a whole lot of hurt. Excellent. *pours myself a glass of wine*

- Hiro: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mum, just don’t trip over, ok?” Sorry about that guys, I just found out my Mum’s pregnant Everyone: Whaaaaa?!

Hiro’s nonchalance of it all had me dying 😂

I appreciate the ‘dog’ fan. Definitely accurate in more ways than one. Strike one.

Strike TWO. The fact he said that in front of not only Tohru but KISA AND HIRO is so gross. I’m not even joking. It’s just gross. Not a great joke at all. Poo poo.

STRIKE THREE. Akito... please come get your dog. It’s the only useful thing you can do rn anyway

Wow, Yuki. I actually teared up a little at his realisation. This whole episode should just be called ‘call 999 for these kids’.

Hiro’s mum just sounds like a Furuba fan tbh 😝😂 Also... are the zodiac members born in their animal forms? Or is it just in the first instance they are held by a parent of the opposite sex? Cos if it’s the first option, that’s pretty... messed up. But, theoretically hilarious at the same time!

Ohhhh... Tohru’s one of those people who like to push aside their own problems and focus on other people’s instead... Except, it’s not in an annoying and judge-y way at all. However, I am beginning to question whether she is actually that selfless and the real root of it is that Tohru needs a distraction from her own pain. Either way, it’s sad and I don’t think she’s doing it consciously at all which makes it even sadder.

Oh, Tohru.

Also, appreciation for Momiji being a human backpack at all times. And I love his cat eared hat! I want one! Our Outfit Appreciation Winner this week. 4 stars.

- Kisa/Hiro being a mini version of Kyoru was basically confirmed this episode and I am happy.

Such a gorgeous moment. Pretty much met the feelings and emotions I got from reading this moment in the manga AND MORE. It’s golden. And I love it. ...‘nuff said.

Oh look, Dad’s here too 🤣

*looks into the distance to a far off future...* ANYWAYS

- Kyo being so open and honest and vulnerable with Tohru to a point where he mistakenly already thinks he told Tohru all about his parents already is just... everything to me. Especially from someone like Kyo who’s constantly carrying all this baggage around. But jeez, we always forget that Tohru’s got baggage she’s carrying around too! Tohru and Kyo on surface level look like such opposites in every way but remove some layers and they are so similar, it’s uncanny! 😍🤡

I just love developing relationships. 🥰

- Kyoko definitely wanted to destroy that flowerpot 😈 We love her. We miss her.

He’s so in love with her, I can’t. I’m gonna cry. <3 Also, that expression feels like a very Kazuma expression, is it just me?

*spontaneously combusts*

But anyway... just cos we can’t have anything good for too long...

Tbh if I knew a Shigure, that’d be how I’d start every conversation.

I love Hatori. :) I mean he wouldn’t actually slice his gut open but it still means a lot to me that he said he would...

This go around of Fruits Basket has made me realise how much I relate to him and his position in the family. Every anime has a character that’s in their twenties and just... tired and I always relate best to them, shoutout to Keishin Ukai from Haikyuu.

Even though I hate Akito, I have an appreciation for the subtle shit the animators/designers do whenever they come onto screen. All of Akito’s actions have a kinda feather-lightness/almost ethereal feel to them and the way Akito is contrasted against not only the scenery but the other characters around them is... so gooood. I’ve already talked about how I love the emphasis on the presence of Akito in their first appearance in the anime but... I’ll still be talking about it cos it’s great. And I can’t wait to hear Colleen Clinkenbeard in this ep, but Maaya Sakamoto was stellar in this episode (fun fact: did you know she also played Haruhi in OHSHC?!?).

But yeah, I still hate Akito. Sorry.

- Kisa’s little sigh of relief that Tohru doesn’t have to meet Akito was already HEARTBREAKING but mixed with this moment....?!?!

...

I...

I just really need someone to explain to me how you could like Akito. Even after the ending of this whole series. Like...

I just don’t get it. I don’t...

Look, I’m gonna malfunction if I don’t move on.

Oh?

This is the start... of something new... it feels so right... to be here with you...

oooohhhh 🎶

👀

- Kinda sad that Kyo and Tohru had the house to themselves but there was so much weird and bad energy in the air that they couldn’t even really enjoy their pancakes :(

- That Akito and Shigure and Hatori (and partially Kureno) scene just really... disgusted me. To see someone have that much power in their touch and their words is... freaky and unsettling. And I love it cos it’s interesting but I also hate it soooo much. I have nothing more to say about it besides that really. I was more interested in the Shigure and Hatori moment afterwards...

That’s a nice way of putting it...

Maybe this was to be taken mostly as a joke, but do you think that Shigure actually wants Hatori to remind him how much of a shitbag he’s being? Most of my problem with Shigure (and why I actually liked 2001!Shigure but let’s not go there again) is that out of everyone in this series, he’s the most untouched. And yet he schemes and manipulates and seems to get everything he wants. AND what makes it even worse and annoying and spectacular, is that Shigure’s little nudges and pushes of the chess pieces which are the zodiac members aren’t so obvious to the extent that you could only blame him for it. It’s almost genius, if it weren’t so repulsive.

*sighs* I just really want him to either repent or feel some kind of guilt afterwards.

...Hence why I’m most interested in where he’s at after the end of this all.

All I want is a scene between him and Tohru, somewhat like this:

👀

...Ok, this moment made me like Shigure just by 5% more this episode. Still trying to figure out that Shigure/Akito relationship literally a decade later tho...

BACK TO SOME KINDA HAPPY(?) STUFF!

I love love love love love this moment between Yuki and Tohru. It was gorgeous!

I wish this scene were longer so I could make an AMV (if I really felt like it) with Coldplay’s ‘A Sky Full Of Stars’. The lyrics match the moment so much and I definitely cried.

Oh, Yuki...

It was such a beautiful way to end this episode. Wow.

And Yuki’s words to Tohru that ‘she’s just like the sky’ has so many meanings to it and I want to go into it but I’ll start really explicitly going into spoilers. So, I’ll just leave it as poetic cinema.

Perfect.

God, this was such a good episode, guys! I’d probably put this episode on the same level as the True Form episode. It gave us furuba shenanigans, it gave us kyoru, it gave us disgust and hurt and it gave us a moment of someone rising out of the ashes!

I love this anime. :) See you next week!

#fruits basket #furuba #fruits basket 2020

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corlds-world · 4 years

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Top 10 Females from my Fandoms

This is all my opinion. It’s also from the fandoms I’m in (which are pretty popular). Your opinion of course will be different from mine. But I like sharing what I think and I like hearing your opinion, too. Also we’re doing ladies first because why not. Also I’m not good at explaining my opinion. So without further ado, here’s my top 10 females. Spoilers!

10. Meg (Supernatural) Meg is definitely my favorite female character from Supernatural. She’s a villain turned anti-hero. Also a demon. And being a recurring demon in Supernatural is a quick way to earn a spot in my favorite characters list. Apologies for Ruby for not making the cut though. Anyway, Meg is tough as hell (no pun intended). She starts by working for her dad, but that’s she’s not working for her dad because she’s a daddy’s girl. She works for her dad so she can get this apocalypse started. Her real loyalties lay with Lucifer. So when Lucifer was sent back to hell, she became a lone wolf. Season 6-8 Meg is my favorite, when she’s a lone wolf against Crowley. And I think the Winchesters have always been a little intimidated by Meg. Only 5′6″ to their 7′ but still has got fire.

9. Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel (MCU) I couldn’t just leave out the first woman to ever get a solo movie in the MCU. It was a long time waiting, but we still got it. I was pondering for a while between Natasha and Carol. I decided to go with Carol really just because I’m so excited for Phase 4 of the MCU. I’m the kind of girl that looks ahead. Captain Marvel is for sure one of my favorite solo movies in the MCU. Carol was a air force pilot from the 90′s who was told all her life that she couldn’t become a pilot. Like you see in the trailer, she picks herself back up time after time. And then she loses her memory, but she doesn’t lose that fighting spirit. She just has superpowers from the space stone. She knows her rights and her wrongs better than most people. It’s what makes her an amazing superhero. And she literally destroyed a huge spaceship in Endgame. I can’t wait to see what Brie Larson has in store for us because she is not done for sure.

8. Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter) I know there’s a lot of controversy with the Harry Potter fandom right now, but I just can’t help but place Luna on this list. She’s an amazing character. As a fellow Ravenclaw, she really showed us what Ravenclaw was all about: wisdom and having an open mind. She knows her spells, too, and does her homework (I think). I think more people would expect Hermione on the list, but she didn’t resonate with me the way Luna did. She’s bullied for thinking differently, which really resonated with me. But she’s got her close friends and that’s all that really matters to her. She was the first character I saw myself in, even if she’s just thinks differently than I do.

7. Eleven (Stranger Things) I really did not want to put Eleven this low. But I really just couldn’t put her higher because the girls above her are just better. However, Eleven is awesome. Truly awesome. We gotta respect the only character in Stranger Things that has superpowers. Nothing holds Eleven down. She escapes from a crazy laboratory and finds her new friends who she will literally do anything to protect. And she was messed up in that lab. But she still knows good from evil. She knew that her friends were not going to screw her over. And when she thought they were going to screw her, she kinda just said no. Like okay. She’s brave and kind and badass and everything I want in a superhero. I she’s a little intimidated by the world around her, but I would have run right back to what I knew if I were her. I think her bravery really shone in the third season. I’m sad about what’s happening to her powers, but I think they’ll find a way to get them back. Even if they don’t, I think Eleven will still prove to be everything she is without them. And just look at her. She’s just so cute.

6. Hazel Levesque (Riordanverse) I told you this was my list and I think Hazel deserves a spot. I mean, the youngest person on the Argo II, daughter of Pluto, can control the Mist and all the jewels in the earth, and tamed an untameable immortal horse. What more do you want? Yes, yes. I love Annabeth, but I really resonated with Hazel more, mostly because she just seems sweeter than Annabeth. I’m a sweet and shy person. And I love horses. And the 40′s. Speaking of which, a POC in the 40′s in Louisiana? If I ever make a top 10 POC characters, we’ll brush up on that. Anyway, let’s talk about when she died. Did I mention she died? She gave up an eternity of happiness so her mother (who was not good to Hazel) wouldn’t have an eternity of misery. Gotta thank Nico, though, for bringing one of my faves back to life. But when Nico was in trouble, there was nothing that Hazel wouldn’t do to help her brother. And when Hazel learned how to control the Mist in couple of weeks? What a display of power. She’s had a hard life, but she’s come out stronger because of it.

5. Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games) What? Why is Katniss so low? Mostly because it’s been a while since I’ve read the Hunger Games. I never even finished it. I stopped halfway through Mockingjay. I really like Katniss, though. She’s never had a lot. Let’s just start with the obvious that she takes on the Capital. Like you’re taking on the government? Okay go off. Of course, it’s not for no reason. They’re slaughtering everyone. But let’s just talk about when she’s in the Hunger Games the first time. I don’t think I could start to go into detail about everything that Katniss has done. She’s a badass in summary. She took on people that train for the event. She dropped a... what are they called? *googles hunger games bees* Tracker jackers! She dropped a nest full of tracker jackers on to those stuck-up kids. And Rue. Rue helped. Rue’s the best. She’s not on the list, but still. I love Rue and Katniss’ friendship, even if didn’t last. I’m sorry Rue you had to die if Katniss was to win. Anyway, Peeta got her in sort of a weird romance, but I think Katniss saved Peeta more times than Peeta saved Katniss. I love gender role reversals. Also I’m such a sucker for girls who can shoot a bow. So, yeah, Katniss gets her spot which is very well earned.

4. Vanya Hargreeves (The Umbrella Academy) The second season recently came out so she’s fresh in my mind. The most powerful sibling in the Academy uses sound to harness energy. And does she do it in style. Yeah, she kind of causes the apocalypse, but that’s not her fault. It’s Luther’s. And Reginald's. Vanya had a rough childhood. She was told all her life that she was ordinary in a house where there where only the extraordinary. But she powered through it. And wrote a book as revenge. Like Five said, that took guts. She’s such a complicated character. She’s shy and kind. But don’t make her mad. She might stab you. I really couldn’t believe how hard I cheered when she killed Harold. Like it was bad. Also she blew up the moon. Do you want more? She’s dating a farm frau. If I ever make a top 10 canon couples, that’s going on the list. You know, if you can’t go straight, go gay. Also she’s a human bomb. I’m a sucker for human bombs. And memes.

3. Morgana Pendragon (Merlin) I really love good girls turned bad. I was a little worried that Morgana was just going to be Merlin’s love interest in season 1. But man was I wrong. Going from a ward with bad dreams to a witch determined to be queen. I was actually kind of rooting for her. But that just could be because Katie is a phenomenal actress. But anyway, Morgana really has issues, which is why she’s top 3. Also the fact that she didn’t have a girlfriend, so disappointing. But she’s a villain, and villains don’t have lovers. Or they’re not supposed to in my book. Also she can go toe to toe with Merlin, who is supposed to be one of the best sorcerers of all time. What a show of power.

2. Regina Mills (Once Upon a Time) My favorite redemption arc. From good to evil and back to good. Honestly one of my favorite characters to watch. And Lana just does such a good job with it. Do you see the trend that I have with my favorite characters? Tragic background is the base requirement. Magical badass gives you an improvement in the list. But Regina has had a horrible life. The fact that she is classified as a villain is heartbreaking sometimes. But she did kill a ton of people so she’s definitely a villain in the storybooks. And that sass. Only Regina could pull off that sass. But I think the fact that she tries to be good when it is not in her nature, I think that speaks volumes.

1. Kara Danvers / Supergirl (Supergirl) I feel like people just got thrown for a loop. It’s like wait a minute. Didn’t you just say that your favorite kind of character is a “magical badass with a tragic background?” Um maybe. But Kara has her own tragedies. She just doesn’t show it. She lost her parents when she was 12. Not just her parents, but almost her whole family and all of her home. But she learned to have a new home on Earth. But she manages to figure out how to save the world with all of these conflicts in her life. Shoutout to Alex for being an awesome sister. And she has a great social life, something I aspire to have. I’m so upset that the show is ending after season 6. I love Kara so much. Kara is the most amazing woman in the Arrowverse so I’m so sorry to see her go.

#supergirl #regina mills #vanya hargreeves #morgana #katniss #hunger games #Hazel Levesque #eleven #stranger things #luna lovegood #carol danvers #captain marvel #meg #supernatural #:)

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t100ficrecsblog · 4 years

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an interview with @changingthefairy-tale

What are you working on right now? Right now, I’m focused on BellarkeFic-for-BLM (I just got an amazing canon prompt I’m really excited to finish). I’ve also been participating in this round of the Chopped Challenge, which has been fun and challenging. In between prompts, I’ve got two WIPs that I’m slowly cranking through. Shoutout to every single reader who’s been incredibly patient while I’ve been so slow on those updates — though, reminder that you can donate to a BLM organization (even a $3 donation works) and request an update to get those higher on my prio list while I’m focused on that initiative.

What’s something you’d like to write one day? My absolute dream job and the ultimate goal is to become a showrunner for a prime time TV show. I love TV shows — I love the way actors and directors and crew take a script and breath life into it, I love how you take a general idea for a story and mold it into something amazing as you go, I love how a series gives a story more time to be fleshed out and explored, I love the concept of a writers room and collaborating on a story. It’s a different ballgame from fic writing (which I do for fun) and travel writing (which I do for a living), but I’m determined to make it happen. JRoth, I’m coming for your job, babe. 😉

What is the fanwork you’re most proud of? I’m still really new to fic writing, especially compared to some of the powerhouse writers in this fandom. And I’m sure one of my WIPs (when finished) will probably supersede this. BUT, my one-shot about Madi calling Bellamy on The Ring (She called you for 2,199 days) is something I’m really proud of. I’m a long-winded writer, so one-shots have never come naturally to me. This one just…clicked. It’s got some good lines in there that I’m proud of, and based on the feedback I’ve gotten, it really made readers feel something and connect to the story. It’s not my longest story or my most thought-out. But it shows my growth as a writer these past few months, and I’m proud of that.

Why did you first start writing fic? I started writing fic as a creative outlet for my writing. My day job is writing about travel and credit cards. And while I enjoy that, it’s just not as creative. My dream is to write for a TV show though, and I was craving a way to flex my creative writing muscles in a low-stress way. I started watching The 100 when it first came out, but I didn’t really get into the fandom until I came back to the show during the S5/6 hiatus. That’s when I started reading fics and reblogging stuff about the show on Tumblr. During the S6/7 hiatus, I had this idea for a Greys Anatomy AU, and my sister (who is also a major fan of the show) was like, “You literally write things for a living. If you want to write a Grey’s AU for t100, there is absolutely nothing stopping you.” I published my first chapter on that The Choices We Make in Dec. 2019, and the rest is history.

What frustrates you most about fic writing? For me, I think that the most frustrating thing isn’t even about fic writing itself; it’s the fact that it’s a side-hobby and not something I can dedicate my full attention to. When you write all day for your day job, then do some for your freelance gig, and then turn around and try to write for a few hours every night for fic… that gets hard sometimes — especially since starting quarantine where I’m not traveling, going out with friends, getting a break from it, etc. Fic writing is a creative release for me, and I absolutely love crafting and writing these stories that involve some of my favorite fictional characters. And I love interacting with other writers and fic readers, I love talking about ideas and exchanging headcanons and fangirling over my favorite writers’ works. But (because there’s always a but), sometimes I just don’t have the mental energy or capacity to write at the end of the day when I’ve turned in 3 deadlines for work. I’ve got all these ideas floating in my head, but only so much time and mental energy I can dedicate to it.

What are your top five songs right now? Oh boy. So I live alone, which means I’ve got either music or Netflix on in the background 24/7 because ya girl doesn’t like silence. I have a different playlist for different moods. I’ll share my fav song from each of those playlists. Lol Fvck Somebody by The Wrecks (On my “Summer state of mind” playlist for when I wanna dance it out in my kitchen like an idiot)

Don Quixote by Drapht (On @talistheintrovert’s “My Good Bitch Murphy” playlist for when I’m feeling *edgy*)

that way by Tate McRae (On my “Pandemic Jams” playlist bc I like angsty music and this song is a Bellarke MOOD)

Washington on Your Side from Hamilton (On my “Feeding my Broadway Obsession” playlist for when I wanna sing show tunes and plot overthrowing the government)

Tea by Noah Davis (Shameless plug for Noah bc it’s a bop and I literally dated Noah’s older brother in junior high — so proud of this kid for making his dreams a reality)

What are your inspirations (books, songs, other fic, really good cake)? All of the above, except I like pie more than cake. lol But really, I kind of use everything around me for inspiration. “The Choices We Make” is inspired by my love of Grey’s Anatomy. “Intertwining your soul (with somebody else)” is inspired my the first draft of my YA novel (though the setting was adapted to a grounder canonverse AU). “The Day He Shut That Rocket Door” and “She called you for 2,199 days” were inspired by @historyofbellarke‘s headcanons that were brought up in S7 speccing conversations (shoutout to her for enabling my angsty ass). My most recent WIP “There are some things written in the stars” that I started as part of Chopped (but will continue because I’m obsessed with the idea) is inspired by my love of Timeless. And I have an entire Notion database filled with fic ideas — some one-shots and some multi-chapter fics — that are inspired by quotes, songs, conversations with friends, books I love, shows I adore, random HCs that pop into my head while I watch, my own life experiences, etc. I take inspiration in any form it decides to come in. 💕

What first attracted you to Bellarke? What attracts you now? I’m a ho for enemies to lovers — the idea that you can put your worst foot forward and show someone all the ugly parts of you… and that they’ll see that and somehow look past it to see the good stuff too, falling in love with your whole self instead of just the pretty parts. Yeah, it’s my favorite romance trope. And that tension is what originally drew me to Bellarke. Now, it’s a combination of things. I love each of these characters in their own right. I relate to Clarke in a lot of ways, and I aspire to be her level of badass. I straight adore Bellamy Blake (flaws, stupid decisions, and all) and would marry him in a heartbeat if he were real — I’m not even kidding. lol But I also love their dynamic. They are partners, best friends, perfect compliments to the other. They see each other in a way no one else does, and they are the one person the other constantly risks everything for. They are both so driven by their responsibilities to their people, yet that all typically goes out the window the moment the other is at risk. I don’t believe in soulmates in real life, but it’s nice to get to believe in this fictional world that they are just made for each other.

BESIDES Bellarke, what character or pairing do you like best on t100? My favorite character besides Bellarke is John Murphy. His arc has been BY FAR the best on this show, going from that little shit in S1 to this “asshole we love” in the middle to now a true hero in this final season. And through it all Richard Harmon has been amazing to watch on screen.

My favorite pairing besides Bellarke is Linctavia. Yes, that ship is problematic in a lot of ways, but I still loved their dynamic. Lincoln helped Octavia navigate this new world that she was so desperate to be apart of while being mindful of her safety. And I thought they were a good match — he helped tame her fire without putting it out, and she helped challenge the way he was raised. Given time, I think they could have become one of the most stable and loving relationships on t100. Of course, that couldn’t happen because Jason needed Bell’s actions in 3A to have heartbreaking consequences, O to spiral for her own character journey, and whatever mess happened off-screen between Ricky and him. But they still remain my favorite ship aside from Bellarke.

Why did you decide to start writing for bellarkefic-for-blm? The second I saw that Sam was planning on doing this, I reached out to ask how I could help/write/be involved. The BLM movement is so important, and this is an amazing way for me to contribute while pursuing my passions. It’s a way for the fandom to get involved and do something good. And ultimately, this helps organizations that need donations. Shameless plug for everyone to please go check out the Bellarke Fic for BLM page — check out the many amazing writers and artists we have participating, and send in prompts. Most of us are allowing WIP chapter update requests, and there are a number of us (myself included) who are matching donations made! No donation is too small, and you’ll be supporting a movement that is a necessity in the U.S. and beyond.

What’s your writing process like? My mind is literal chaos, so I plan and outline like hell in order to make sense of everything. When I get an idea for a fic, it goes on my Notion database. Within Notion, I write down my inspiration for the idea, and a pretty in-depth summary of where I want the fic to go — dialogue ideas, any feelings/emotions I want to invoke, literally just a brain dump of all my ideas. From there, I’ll arrange that brain dumb into an outline. If it’s a one-shot, I’ll generally write the whole thing in the Notion doc. But multi-chapter fics will get a checklist within Notion for me to keep track of progress, and I’ll actually write the fic in Google Docs. I generally start writing from the beginning of a story, but if I get stuck or have an idea for a later scene, the fact that I’ve outlined heavily allows me to jump around as ideas come to me. I’ll read each one-shot or chapter after I’m done to make sure it flows before publishing. I post chapters for my WIPs as I write them, which I should really stop doing. lol For my readers’ sakes, I should work ahead and publish on a schedule rather than making them wait for my slow ass to finish chapter to chapter. But right now, that’s my process!

What are some things you’d like to recommend? Oh goodness, too many fics to possibly name. Instead, I’ll link to my AO3 rec bookmarks (which isn’t all-inclusive of the amazing fics I’ve read in this fandom, but it’s got some good favs in there) and shout out all of our awesome Bellarke Fic for BLM writers. Y’all should check out their work (and send in prompts)!

Where’s the best place to find you (twitter? tumblr?) I’m @changingthefairy-tale on Tumblr and @changingthefairy_tale on AO3! My ask box is always open for anyone who wants to scream about the show, ask about specs, talk about my fics, etc. Come say hey!

#bellarkefic for blm #bellamy blake #clarke griffin #john murphy #bellarke #bellarkefic for blm interviews

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silverbastardgoldenfool · 4 years

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Realm of the Quarantine Reread End-of-Book Questionnaire: Royal Assassin

Any differences between your first/previous reading experience and this one?

Not as stark a difference as with Assassin’s Apprentice, but definitely still there. Apart from all the obvious stuff, like feeling much more attached to the characters already and picking up more details, I think the biggest change was a complete lack of patience for the teen romance drama lol. There was a decent period where I was feeling quite frustrated with it. Not that I loved it the first time round, but back then I had a very different view of how it fit into the story. I saw it as teaching Fitz a depressing lesson of what it really means to be a royal bastard and a king’s man. Fitz’s literal need (for all he knows he would have been killed if not for his deal with Shrewd) and sense of duty to put his loyalty to his king and country first creates a relationship that is toxic, turbulent and built on lies. And teenage horniness masquerading as love. I saw all that the first time and thought it was just something he had to go through. Now I know it’s something he never really goes through but rather grips onto, romanticises and ultimately goes back to. I know the point of that is meant to be that he finally gets to have something for himself, but why it had to be Molly specifically??? I have very few qualms with Robin’s writing choices overall, but why she chose to write their relationship this way if they really are meant to be is beyond me, especially when so many of her other romances are written so well - it feels like it can’t possibly be unintentional. For most of this book they’re either fighting or fucking and honey! That ain’t love! Hell, Fitz all but sees her as just another demand on his time as the book goes on. But he can’t let her go because she’s the one thing he can point to that makes him feel normal. Not happy, not cherished, not safe. Normal. She’s simply a refuge from his real life. He literally says to Chade “I need her.” I find that so telling, man. It’s not really about her, which is a shame because Molly is great. They’re just really not good for each other.

So yeah. It’s just kind of trying to read all the Fitz/Molly stuff when you know and don’t like what it ultimately culminates in. At the same time… Bee… So I will always be conflicted lol. I just can’t separate the events of Royal Assassin from the furious disappointment I felt when I finished Fool’s Fate. Perhaps I’ll have a new Fool’s Fate experience this time that will make the next re-read a bit easier in regards to Fitz and Molly? But I won’t bet on it lol.

Anyway. It’s not as if I haven’t already said just about everything there possibly is to say about Fitz and Molly yet I also feel like I could go on about it forever. Luckily this is kind of as bad as it gets in terms of how much “screen time” they actually get (apart from Fool’s Assassin maybe? But they don’t bother me too much in that) so yay! I made it! And hopefully it’ll be a good few books before y’all have to endure my ranting about it again :)) Also hopefully this doesn’t give the impression that this read was more bad than good? It was mostly just a particular angsty chunk before they properly get together that was a bit of a slog to get through, but overall I really loved reading this book again and got a lot out of it.

Something you can’t believe you forgot

That Molly punches Fitz in the face hard enough that he bleeds and that Fitz fully intended to punch the Fool for asking if Molly was preggo before seeing he had already been beaten. I pretend I do not see it.

Favourite character introduction moments/scenes

Omfg I was just about to say “huh we didn’t really get any major character intros in this book” bitch Nighteyes???? But in my defence I just. Cannot process the fact that Nighteyes is only really in 3 of 16 books he just feels omnipresent to me BUT his introduction is most definitely iconique and god I love him and he made me cry eight thousand times!

Favourite character arcs

Speaking of Nighteyes: what a glow up. He goes from angry, scared, untrusting little bb to……. Nighteyes. Like. How does one even describe the kind of person Nighteyes becomes. He’s just Nighteyes and I love him with all my fuckin heart!! He is Fitz’s constant… He is wise… He is silly… a comedic genius…… a big, open, unconditional heart. Incomparable. I can’t believe I’ve seen ppl saying they dislike/d Nighteyes……. Honey…… it’s called taste xx

Favourite quote/s

Again no tabs so it’s a bit harder to keep track but there were a few that stuck out enough to copy down. There are a lot of iconic quotes in this book that get shared a lot so I only bothered with ones I didn’t remember.

- “I wince to think of the price willingly paid for loving me.”

- “My soft, clean bed beckoned, like a soft, clean tomorrow.” (mood)

- “I looked and saw they were both made of hungers, like containers made of emptiness.”

Favourite relationships

Kettricken/Verity obviously. I was shocked by how little time they actually have together being in love before Verity leaves??? Because all I remembered was how strong their love is. But the whole journey towards that love is what makes it stand out as an actual compelling story in its own right. This is definitely one of Robin’s greatest skills as a writer; giving the minor characters depth by giving them their own relationships that grow and change and have a life of their own outside of Fitz. It makes the world feel so much more alive.

Also Burrich/Fitz in this book continues to be bittersweet, but with a lot more sweet in there than usual! They fully start out this book as a team. Burrich calling Fitz “FitzChivalry” makes me fuckin emo and idk why even. Burrich does seem to start seeing Fitz a lot more as his own person in this book which changes their dynamic in some rly nice ways. The fact that towards the end of the book Burrich even uses the wit to help Fitz is enough to make me cry tbh - and writing this has made me realise that I’m officially past any uncomplicated good times between Burrich and Fitz y’all mind if I fuckin die real quick!!

Fitz/Verity is soy pure and beautiful. Fitz and the Fool is always, always compelling and complex and tender and perfectly mysterious. But overall you’d have to say Fitz/Nighteyes, hey? They are literally meant to be, in a way so straightforward and undeniable and beautifully simple that I never really know what to say about it. Little brother!!! :’) They literally make me cry all the frickin time lol rip!

Favourite setting

There aren’t that many to choose from in this book! Ima go with the skill river bc hey, Robin’s magic systems are so unique and beautiful and the fact that the skill is written as a kind of a place is really frickin cool and deserves a shoutout.

Favourite chapter

The final chapter (not the epilogue) ummm broke my heart but it is written so beautifully, oh my god, it’s like an out of body experience. I feel like this is kind of when RotE becomes RotE - the first time it really goes to that place that is so fitting yet so unexpected, so beautiful, so tragic, so awful, so visceral. Making use of the genre to really test the limits of humanity; to see how far you can bend a person without breaking them and then refusing to turn away from the consequences. Idk man!! I don’t know how to describe it without sounding like a pretentious dick but it really is that intense and strange and overwhelming for me. There is something in that moment, when Burrich pulls Fitz’s body out of the earth and Fitz/Nighteyes is recoiling from it and deeply terrified… Something about the enormity of the existential questions raised converging with the pinpoint specificity of it all being wrapped up in the story of a character that feels so real and who you care about so deeply… It’s almost written like a horror scene, but that’s not quite the feeling. It’s just the RotE feeling; there are multiple throughout all five series, and it’s what makes these books unlike any other.

Most loved character

Fitz, Nighteyes, the Fool all had my entire heart this book. The Fool is just so sad and pathetic and literally must be protected!! I think I’m kind of obsessed with Burrich? Also I think I almost forgot how much I love Kettricken? She’s a complete badass of course but she’s also got the biggest goddamn heart like…. Who said she was allowed to be such a beautiful person???

But god, everyone. I love them all.

Most hated character

What can I say? Regal is disgostang. Wall Ass a close second.

Raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimised by Robin Hobb (most heartbreaking and/or visceral moments)

Shall I list just a few? :)

- Burrich screaming at Fitz through the bars of his jail cell, horrible things you can’t help but feel are at least a little bit true

- Burrich sobbing over Fitz’s dead body repeating, “You aren’t dead, you aren’t dead.”

- Fitz going to Nighteyes before everything went down on the night of the coronation and just fuckin hugging him really tight

- Fitz trying desperately to leave his broken vessel behind but not quite being able to disown his body

- The Fool being beaten

- The Fool being beaten again

- The Fool sprawled and weeping across Shrewd’s dead body

- The Fool really believing for a moment that Fitz had betrayed him and killed Shrewd

- Fitz tending the Fool’s wounds………. bitch….

- Chade giving Fitz a chance to escape with them and Fitz going to kill Serene and Justin instead

- Idk why this is even that sad but Nighteyes saying the only person he loves is Fitz!

- The entire incident with the forged ones literally tearing apart a three year old girl, which I had completely blocked out until now :)

- The fact that Fitz continues to be reminded and traumatised by this incident for the remainder of the book beCAUSE HE IS A GOOD BOY. A VERY GOOD BOY WITH A VERY GOOD HEART.

- Fitz repelling at Nighteyes to try and force their bond broken

- LITTLE BROTHER

- WOLVES HAVE NO KINGS

- High off his face Fitz calling Patience “mother” no shut the fuck up!!!!

Details, observations, spoilery notes made with the benefit of the full picture

- I’ve been trying for ages to decipher when the Fool started falling for Fitz, and I think I’m officially putting my money on their last interaction in AA. “I wish I had a place that was as much me as that place is you.” I mean. If someone said that to me… I’m not a slut but who knows, ya know? (I know this is more a note for the last book but I thought of it while reading this book. So shh.)

- It’s so clear to see this time how much Fitz’s sense of self and politics are affected by his time in the Mountains. He obviously feels much more inclined to their way of thinking about royalty and sacrifice and equality and returns to Buckkeep with a self-respect he’s never really had before. Weird how being among people who don’t just think of you as The Bastard will do that.

- It’s no wonder Fitz becomes so fixated on Molly; he literally has almost nothing else to occupy him and no companionship when she suddenly shows up

- It’s gross that he spies on her, obviously, but you can’t not take into account the fact that Chade has been teaching him since he was ten that this is justifiable behaviour; a reasonable way to gather information and get what you want. Fitz’s lack of social awareness goes further than him just being a little awkward; he has literally been trained to believe the only thing wrong with stalking would be getting caught.

- I’ve seen a few people talk about the fact that Regal isn’t appropriately punished as if it’s bad writing and like, while it is frustrating, it is supposed to be frustrating - it is not a plot hole. It made sense to me the first time I read it and it was even more obvious this time; Regal has the loyalty of the inland duchies. If he were to be publicly punished those dukes would rally behind him and raise hell, and Regal would no longer need to play the part of the dutiful prince. Even if Regal died a “natural” death - something I can’t see Shrewd or Verity orchestrating anyway - the inland dukes would feel that they no longer have a Farseer on their side and may, again, raise hell. It’s a delicate balance that would be outrageously difficult not to topple if you removed Regal from the equation. There is a lot more to it than I’ll bother writing here but yeah. I don’t really know how people can read this book and think that Regal retaining his life and position is some sort of lazy plot contrivance. It was all set up in the first book dude.

- Fitz and Nighteyes meeting in this book is the perfect metaphor for our need for connection versus the fear of inevitable loss. Fitz’s experience tells him that entering into a bond with an animal can only end in pain, yet he can’t resist it. In real life this is especially true with humans and our animal companions, since they almost always have a shorter lifespan than us; signing up to love them is signing up to lose them. But the same is also true of our relationships with other humans. And like Fitz, we have all had our fair share of loss and pain. We all have our reasons to be afraid of the connection we naturally crave. Sometimes we give in to the fear to the point of holding ourselves back from it entirely. That’s where Fitz is at when he meets Nighteyes. But what’s so beautiful about their arc as a metaphor is that it suggests that these connections, if we submit to them, are what keep our vital spark alive. Even when Nighteyes dies later in the series, the sentiment always remains, essentially, “It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.” Ya boi is projecting bc it’s hard to be vulnerable and make friends as an adult, but I think the observation stands. Love and connection and vulnerability are key threads that run throughout all of Fitz’s story, but in this book it is best represented through him and Nighteyes.

- “I hoped I would not become too adept at lying to myself.” Honey, you got a big storm comin.

- Very inch resting (gay) that Fitz finds it hard to meet the Fool’s eyes. I know almost everyone does bc his eyes are weird, but I reserve the right to reach and I will absolutely NOT be accepting criticism.

- I find it interesting that Fitz says Kettricken’s wit is not strong just because she doesn’t use it exactly the way he does

- I know it’s not meant to be funny but……. The way Fitz described losing his virginity had me literally laughing out loud

- Fitz was really like “okay i better go break my bond with Nighteyes” just cos he and Molly fucked. Teenagers don’t deserve rights.

- You know what? I really, really appreciate how fucking weird these books are lol. What other author would use their magic system to have their characters accidentally intruding on each other’s awkward sex stuff? Okay, maybe a few, but they would do it to be like, edgy and sexy. Robin Hobb just does it to make you cringe so hard you lose several years off of your life.

- But seriously, even apart from the cringe stuff, these books get so strange and out there and like! That’s what magic is for!

- Bruh. When Fitz is like “omg poor Verity…. He’ll never have what i have with Molly” I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone encapsulate the self-important delusion of teen romance so perfectly lol. Wow.

- Okay some Fitz/Fool stuff that made me lose my tiny mind. Sorry.

- Fitz literally said about the Fool “he burned too brightly” I WILL DIE.

- Fitz is always like, irritated by the Fool… yet positively delighted by his presence at the same time…… okay bitch

- Inch resting how Fitz has always been uncomfortable with the Fool getting serious. I don’t quite know how to put my thoughts on this into words so like. I’ll just put it there. Make of it what you will.

- “Sit on my clothes chest and take your shirt off…” i stopped fucking breathing noah fence

- “I ran my fingers lightly down the line of his jaw, and around his eye socket. At least no bone seemed damaged. ‘Who did this to you?’ I asked him.” my GOD this is literally textbook gay/romance. It hurts me. It physically hurts me.

- Straight from my notes: “I can’t even focus on reading this bc it’s the first time they are tending each other’s wounds and I am a homosexual!” and “the gays are quaking!! (it’s me I’m the gays)

- Okay wow! I think that’s it! Hello if you made it this far! Hope this was remotely coherent and I’m always keen to hear your thoughts on my thoughts :)

Anyone doing a reread feel free to fill this out! You don’t have to use the tag :)

#rote #realm of the elderlings #royal assassin #royal assassin spoilers #fitzchivalry farseer #realm of the quarantine

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veilder · 4 years

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Castlevania Season 3 was insane and in this essay I will--

Okay, I’ve never made a post on this website before, but here I go cuz Castlevania Season 3 has me just that fucked up. (Everything here is my own opinion, fyi.)

***SPOILER WARNING FROM HERE ON!!***

Okay, so yeah, that was a wild fuckin ride, wasn’t it? First off, while I did very much enjoy this season and I still love the show as a whole very much, this whole thing felt a lot like a setup season. It was a lot of maneuvering the characters into certain places and roles and it was a lot more focused on their emotional development (or regression, yikes!) than it was on a central plot like the first two seasons were. In those, all three mains had a singular goal: destroy Dracula. But now? Well, we’re left in the aftermath. I feel like this season was certainly necessary for where the show seems to want to take things, but yeah, I think I didn’t love it quite as much as the first two. And I think a lot of that stems from just how fractured the main party is. And I’m not just talking about Trevor, Sypha and Alucard, either, even though I consider them the main focal point. Because, building up off of season 2, I would absolutely consider both Hector and Isaac as main characters in this show as well. But after the final confrontation of last season, all of them (save Trevor and Sypha) are scattered. And while they certainly still seem to impact each other somewhat, they never actually... y’know, meet in this season. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore Trevor and Sypha’s dynamic and I think they are #RelationshipGoals, but you can certainly feel the absence of Alucard in their scenes. Hell, Trevor remarks on that himself at one point, about how they just... left him behind. About how lonely he must be, shut up all alone in his father’s mausoleum, taking on the duty to protect it because he’s the only one who can... There was a scene in one of the middle episodes (forgive me, I did not mark down which) where Trevor encounters a fox in the forest. And there is a prominent cut to the creature’s golden eyes. And Trevor smiles at it. It just makes me think that he, at least, has been thinking about their wayward companion in his downtime. I’m glad that the showrunners took the time to make sure we all could see that consideration, even in small moments like this, because it really didn’t sit well with me, how they left him all alone at the end of season 2. It’s nice to know that at least Trevor is thinking about him and it makes me hope that we will actually get these three back together in season 4. And along those lines, I think it was very interesting, how ultimately, Isaac’s whole goal in this season was to reach Hector. Literally, that’s all he is doing for all 10 episodes, just travelling across continents to find the man who betrayed Dracula... and to make him pay. But damn if I didn’t absolutely love all of his scenes, too? Isaac has really risen to prominence for me with this season. I could never quite get behind him in season 2, but here? I daresay that he might’ve been my favorite part of this season. All of his interactions, with the old collector man, with the Captain, with the FlysEyes, with Miranda, they were all so varied and philosophical. I really loved how the show delved into such heavy topics with him and fleshed out his personality a bit more. Special shoutout to the Captain who was, imo, absolutely amazing. I honestly hope they meet again, I loved their dynamic so much. But even so, he’s always still focused on Hector. Always moving towards Hector. I like that their story continues to play out from where it left off in season 2, with their fates interwoven like this. I do hope that we’ll get to see a confrontation between them eventually, but God, it would be very unsatisfying right now with Hector’s current situation. Which... Jesus, he is in dire straights, isn’t he? I honestly felt so bad for him throughout this entire season. He has been abused and manipulated so horribly through this whole thing. And yes, maybe he came across as a little naive and, well... dumb for trusting Lenore, but... Honestly, with the way he’s been suffering? Clinging onto those few scraps of kindness she throws him is really his only salvation. He has nothing, literally nothing, not even clothes, when the season begins. He’s been travelling with Carmilla for a month and then is immediately thrown in prison when they finally reach Styria. And God, despite all of that, he still has the gumption to try and attack Lenore at first. To try and trick her into a vulnerable position when vulnerability is his new MO. I was proud of him for trying, for keeping that spirit alive within himself despite his horrible circumstances. And watching as Lenore manipulated him further and further was just... so horrible. Honestly, she probably didn’t even need the slave ring at the end. Hector was so desperate for any sort of love and validation that he almost certainly would’ve happily crafted their legions just to make her happy. He has such a soft soul and it’s always being taken advantage of. His story arc was so fuckin sad and I really need better things for him going forward. And speaking of characters who deserve better... Omg, what did they do to Alucard? Seriously, his entire story arc this season was just... highlighting how devastatingly lonely he is and how he’s not coping very well at all with the aftermath of season 2. And I understand, everything that went down last season and everything he was forced to do, it broke him so completely. He hasn’t really... moved on at all from where we last saw him, weeping his heart out for the family he lost. So what does this show do for him? It lets us think he might be able to find a new family, to find happiness... and then it yanks that away from us in the absolutely worst way. Sumi and Taka had a lot of promise. Their backstories, as slaves for an ancient, powerful Japanese vampire, that was very cool. Their quest to find a mentor, someone to teach them the skills they needed to help liberate their home from the hold these vampires have over them, that is a noble goal. And Alucard sees that in them. He sees their potential to do good. I think he honestly sees a little bit of Trevor and Sypha in them, in the way they want to help, to fight against evil, to better the world. And I think they also... give him someone to cling to. Just someone at all to speak with, to share his day with, to be around? He is so lonely, so hurt, grieving and empty and wishing he wasn’t. They offered him a small glimpse of what happiness could look like. And he took it with both hands. He wanted them there and he wanted to help them and God, even when they have him at their mercy and are trying to kill him, he never condemns them. He still sees the good inside of them. And I wonder if he ignores the brokenness inside of them, too, because it’s a mirror to his own? Either way, the whole story arc was absolutely heartbreaking and it kills me to see Alucard so absolutely crushed by the events of his life. He does not deserve this. And I... really need Trevor and Sypha to come back for him. I think he really needs them, now more than ever. The characters are really who I wanted to talk about, y’know? Yes, I love all the plot setup happening; the Cult of Dracula was unsettling and terrifying; Saint Germain and the Infinite Corridor were honestly spectacular? How did they pull that off so convincingly?; Carmilla, Striga, Morana and Lenore were strangely entertaining for me, even though I very much despised the way Carmilla and Lenore in particular treated Hector. They were a weirdly amusing, kickass lady squad and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of them. (Which I most certainly will); Isaac and his growing horde coming for Styria is bound to be amazing!; I’m assuming that Trevor and Sypha will continue learning more about the Cult as the next season goes and will (hopefully!) get Alucard back with them at some point! (God, he needs his friends so much. >_<) I just... There was so much packed into this season and I overall enjoyed it very much. Special shoutout to the absolutely amazing artwork because holy shit! Some of those still were breathtaking! And while some of the fight scenes I thought were a tad... worse than in previous seasons, some of them were real standouts, too! So yeah, I had a lot of thoughts about this! And I really needed to share them! Looking forward to what comes next! ~Veil P.S. Y’all don’t even know how desperately I want “The Pirate of the Roads” to be Grant Danasty. XD (Will he ever show up? Fingers crossed!)

#castlevania #netflix #season 3 spoilers #wtf?#review

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thorinkingoferebor · 5 years

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okay, so here's the long ass rant that was promised. It's very much centered around Jaime and Brienne/Jaime because apart from Tyrion they're like the only reason I'm still invested (and this blog will stan book!Jaime to the bitter end) though don't expect any sort of Cersei bashing. Jaime/Cersei is complicated and boils down to more than "OMG SHE'S A TOXIC BITCH!!!" but more on that later. Obviously, there will be spoilers behind the cut and speculations regarding the rest of the show + a reference to a potential leak for ep 5 that's basically been going around since even before the show started so I don't know how big of a surprise that is to anyone.

Starting off with a couple of plot points:

The Funeral Scene Dany and Jorah were heartbreaking :( I loved those two together so much :( Jon's speech was fantastic but you know it would have been more moving if literally ANYONE apart from the people in the North + Cersei's gang had been aware of the danger heading their way. Like I bet you could talk to any peasant in King's Landing and they wouldn't even have a clue what White Walker means.

Gendry Baratheon of Storm's End & The Feast A++ scene, would watch again. Loved that Dany gave a shoutout to Arya and drunken Tyrion leaning on drunken Jaime warms my heart. Love my dysfunctional Lannisters. Also as much as I dislike certain aspects of the drinking game (see below) I appreciate Tyrion's match-making. He's a good bro. And seeing Brienne so relaxed with her friends is just... good stuff. Tormund is a cutie as always and Tyrion pouring him a drink after he realizes he has no chance with Brienne was the best. So was the Hound acting as Tormunds relationship counsellor. Poetic cinema. The token and conveniently available Northern women throwing themselves all over any male single character wasn't on the other hand. Loved that Sansa and Sandor finally got a scene together. Didn't love the 'glad I was raped so I could become the woman I am now' bullshit. Gendry is the fucking cutest! Smitten to the core. I am tentatively confident that he and Arya will work it out if they survive.

Tormund's & Sam's Goodbye Glad they got a goodbye with Jon, glad Tormund got Ghost cause Jon sure as hell doesn't deserve him. Like not even a pat. How the direwolves were treated pisses me off so much. At this point, I hope we'll never see them again just so they can be alive and happy wandering around with the best boi.

Missandei & Rhaegal No comment tbh. What's even the point anymore.

Onwards to relationships & characters:

The Starks & Dany I AM SO SICK OF THIS. SO SICK OF IT. Arya did not cut Littlefinger's scheming throat last season so that they can now scheme and bicker amongst themselves. Yes, Sansa has a right to worry about the North. Yes, Dany fucked up more than once since she came to Westeros. But those characters faced a tsunami of undead together and them still being too stubborn to even entertain working together without a hidden agenda to bring down Cersei is stupid and PLAIN BAD WRITING! Now Tyrion is being dragged into this shitshow as well and I just... ugh Varys why

Dany Listen, I'm not the biggest Dany fan, far from it. But they're treating her like shit! She lost so much during that battle and there she is at the table watching others bond while she's alone. Like jfc Jon I'm not saying I approve of this whole thing but go hug her or something, she's given her all in the battle. Again I don't approve of most of the things she's done since coming to Westeros but can you imagine how isolating this experience must be. Apart from a select few survivors, everyone close to her for the past years is now back in the company of people they've known for far longer. They belong, they have bonds, friendships, loves, family and she's not part of it, has no place in this. She must feel so lonely right now. And instead of highlighting that (or btw dealing with the PTSD that everyone surely suffers from after that battle) they make her go all MAD QUEEN! Because that's how you write female characters isn't it. As soon as they show strong emotions due to trauma you can label them as crazy! jfc Then she loses another dragon, large parts of her fleet and Missandei. I honestly can only feel bad for her. And all that by the hand of fucking Euron the most annoying and flat villain out there. Honestly, at this point, I support "MadQueen!Dany". Just burn everything to the ground, preferably the entire show with the exception of Brienne being knighted.

Jaime & Tyrion Not much to say here except: I love them. I just want to watch them sit around in front of a fire and drink and tease each other for the rest of my life. I just love their sibling dynamic.

Jaime & Tyrion & Bronn I don't know really... usually I love those together but that scene was just... off? I don't know. So Bronn just rode North for a 3-minute talk and then he just... fucks off? (I mean I assume he doesn't, he will be around in some form but it just irks me. Inconsistent writing and people teleporting in and out of the plot.)

Euron & Cersei Yeah, I love watching Euron creep on Cersei. Totally cool. Not like this is what she wanted to escape since the very start. Yeah, it's cool.

Jaime & Brienne Oh boy.... ok, let's start with the stuff I liked

the two of them just enjoying each other's company during the feast and just smiling at each other so free of their usual burdens. seriously Brienne has smiled so many times over the past episodes (and she melts my heart every time she does. Gwen is stunning!). In case it wasn't obvious until now: I really hate so much about season 8 but the absolute avalanche of good Brienne/Jaime content in ep 2 and 3 will be cherished forever.

Jaime's character arc is putting up a good fight at the beginning coming to Brienne's defence when Tyrion asks about her virginity

Jaime was so freaking nervous when he showed up at Brienne's door and I'm so here for that. I'm also here for Brienne doing most of the undressing. Get it, Brienne, you deserve this. No seriously though it matters to me that she pushed his hand away and then started to undress herself. It was her choice. She wasn't passively just taking what he was offering. I appreciate that in a show that has a less than stellar record with consent.

and listen I'm so bitter about so many things but I can't help but love it. I just love those two so much and I will cling to that one moment of happiness.

now the stuff I didn’t like...

right, so this is just a pet peeve of mine but I HATE the whole 'sex jumpstarted by a never-have-i-ever drinking game'-trope. I just hate it. I don't know what it is about that but I just don't like it and whenever I come across it in a fanfic it just throws me off. Now this scene itself was cute, not denying that but I just hate that THAT's the thing that sets it all off. especially since there was no need? and I should know I've read like every Brienne/Jaime fanfic published in the last two weeks. making two people hook up after a battle should be the easiest thing but no they go for this mediocre modern college AU plot? (and I'm not joking, I've read a fic like that a year or so ago...)

I really dislike the fact that they focused on Brienne's virginity because it's not in character for her to be worried about that. Apart from the fact that she is unmarried and highborn and therefore unlikely to have slept with anyone in the first place Brienne has never been ashamed of that. She is ashamed of her looks and her mannerisms and she thinks no one will ever love her or desire her. That's her insecurity. Not the fact that she's a virgin. If that were the case she could have fixed that with Tormund ages ago. Brienne yearns for acceptance (she got that now thanks to the knighting) and love (which can come with sex but is not exclusively tied to it) not some hookup. Now Tyrion doesn't know that so I can kind of understand his line of thought and her reaction I just don't like that this again is what triggers the development of Brienne's and Jaime's relationship. She's not flawed because she's a virgin and he doesn't need to "fix that". What they do need to do instead is face their feelings, share them and if that then leads to sex, all the better but it's not the point! Brienne being loved is the point and I'd have rather had an "I love you" than 10 sex scenes.

Speaking of circumstances... I would have prefered them not to be drunk but I guess I can kind of accept it. Both of them are damaged and insecure and would probably doubt the other's intentions in their sober state. Still... would have been nicer (and at least they weren't like REALLY drunk... to the point where consent would have been debatable)

I am still a bit upset that we didn't get a scene between them talking through what's going on in their heads (e.g. a discussion of what Jaime will do now and what he meant when he didn't finish "I came to Winterfell because....") but then again both Brienne and Jaime have always been more about actions than words so I'll accept it.

Did not get a scene with Brienne taking his hand off and showing him acceptance :/

Jaime

My first response to the episode was as you can guess very negative. Jaime's been my fave for a decade or so now and it's been beyond painful seeing his character development grind to a standstill for years on end. I was willing to forgive it though. I realize they needed someone to humanise Cersei and a screen partner for Lena that isn't a zombie or a creepy necromancer and when Jaime rode North at the end of S7 I thought: Ok here we go, we're finally back on track. Should have happened years ago during the siege of Riverun but at least it's happening at all. Then we get two episodes of Jaime distancing himself from Cersei and following Brienne around like a puppy. Quality material. Now though there are two options Either D&D decided to fuck him over and just obliterate 9 years of character growth for the sake of shock OR this is a very clumsy attempt at increasing the suspense and making people question whether Jaime is bad after all. Personally, I believe (and will always believe) option 2 BECAUSE THAT'S THE FUCKING BOOK CANON. Realistically though, I'm expecting option one.

Anyway, most of Jaime's scene can be interpreted one way or another and that's the only thing giving me hope here. For example

The sex scene with Brienne could just be him letting off steam, feeling alive after a battle etc and he doesn't truly desire and love her as much as he loves Cersei. BUT Jaime has never been about sex, Jaime has always been about love. Misguided and utterly toxic love from time to time but it's always been about love. He's had women throwing themselves at him left and right and yet he's always been faithful. Always true to Cersei. Why on Earth would he stop being faithful now? I believe sex and love are 100% intertwined for Jaime and he will not have sex with anyone he does not fully love. I always believed Jaime would have to put his relationship with Cersei behind him for anything to happen between him and Brienne (which is why I was so happy they didn't immediately kiss in ep 2). Whether that's the way the show sees it is another question...

When Jaime watched Brienne sleep afterwards that again can be read as regret or him thinking of Cersei and feeling guilty, wondering what he's done. I'd like to think instead that he's really wrestling with his own demons here (and that btw is why I would have rather had a scene with them having a heart to heart and fucking sorting this shit out once and for all). First of all: Jaime hates himself and I'm 100% sure he doesn't think he deserves Brienne. I think he feels guilty for not being able to keep his distance. I think he's aware that he's still on thin ice both with the Starks and Dany but also with Cersei. A lot of people would rather see him dead. What would that mean for Brienne's reputation? And what would happen if Cersei found out about this? So I'd like to think he's realized that he's involving her in something very dangerous that could leave her dead or emotionally damaged. (And btw why would he be planning and discussing their future with Tyrion later when he's already considering Cersei straight after sex? He would have put a stop to it because again love > sex for Jaime).

I don't know how Jaime staying in Winterfell would make any sense if he was still madly in love with Cersei. And I'm not saying this through my Brienne/Jaime googles. This is completely independent of Brienne. He knows they will go to war against Cersei. He's not part of the war council because obviously they don't trust him and maybe he also doesn't want to be directly involved in the killing of his own blood. No matter what she will do, no matter how much he will fall out of love with her she is still family, still his blood and there will always be a part of Jaime that loves his family and his blood no matter what they do (see Tywin, see Tyrion). Him jumping at the chance to kill Cersei would be out of character regardless of whether he now loves Brienne or not. In any case, Jaime knows what's coming, has no illusions there so if he's truly still bound to Cersei why not leave then. It's been days? I really can't explain this one if the writers go with option 1.

now about the scene with Sansa and Brienne. Could be that he is worried about Cersei and it's only now sinking in that she will die. Could be that Sansa's snide comment triggered something in him. Buuuuuut he does not look happy when he learns about Cersei's success. He looks worried, he looks like he didn't expect that. I'm not saying he's not shook by Sansa's comment. As I said I believe he will never truly not care about Cersei, she has made him who he was, she has been the focus of his life for so many years, you can't just forget that. But there is a difference between him losing it and doing a 180 because he still wants Cersei and him feeling conflicted because he knows what Cersei is and what needs to be done but that doesn't erase their history.

and then finally the goodbye scene. Again this could be in line with option 1, in fact it seems very much in line with it. I'm not saying it's not. But there are signs that it might not be. Like "Have you ever run away from a fight?" for example. Cause that's what he's been doing! He stayed behind in Winterfell because leaving would have meant fighting on one side or the other. He was trying to avoid that I think. And I also think he's now realised he can't. I think he didn't expect Cersei to kill a dragon or capture someone close to Dany. I think he thought it would be easier to take her down but apparently, it's not and I think he's worried now. Worried that Cersei will win and what that will mean for everyone he loves (Tyrion, Brienne). He probably decided that he's got the best chance of finishing this or at least contributing to the end. He might have realized that they do not have the luxury of keeping him out of it. Then Brienne brings her hands to his face and starts to beg and you know what he does? HE NODS TO HIMSELF. You know when Jaime usually nods to himself??? When he realizes how good, and pure, and honourable and true Brienne is. When he realizes he will have to stop her from giving too much because of that (e.g. when she tries to give Oathkeeper back. He does this little nod that says "of course she would do this" and then he has to tell her to keep it!). I honestly think this is him going "right, of course, she would do this. Of course, it's not going to be that easy. Time to bring out the big guns." He then goes on to confess all of his bad deeds and yeah again this could be option 1. Him driving home how much he loves her and not Brienne. But honestly, does it seem like that? He's not gloating, he's not admitting to this easily (the way he used to when Cat had him). To me, it looks like he has to force himself to do this because he hopes that will convince her to a) let him go and b) not follow him. I think he's trying to cut ties because he doesn't want her with him for what he's about to do. I think he's trying to make her hate him because he doesn't expect to come back and he thinks this way will be easier on her. This is Jaime's version of throwing stones at Nymeria. And as much as I try and read this any other way I just can't. Nevertheless, he made my girl cry and boy that's testing the limits of my love for him^^

What I think should (and could) now happen: I think it would make perfect sense for Jaime to go South on his own, infiltrate the capital, get to Cersei and play some part in her demise. I can even see them dying together as suggested by (unconfirmed) leaks but I doubt it will be in the spirit of “We came into this world together, we'll leave it together”. If they die together, I think it's more likely that he will stay with her because of the love he still feels for her even though that love is nothing compared to what it used to be. Looking at the episode I feel like this would make so much sense and most importantly it would not butcher his arc.

What I suspect will happen instead: I'm bitter and sad and based on the crap D&D have done to Jaime and others in past seasons, based on this constant need for cruelty and shocking twists I fully expect them to go with option 1. They've had this hard-on for Cersei/Jaime since forever and even though that relationship is way past its expiration date they keep shoving it into our faces. I hate this for many reasons, especially for nullifying Jaime's arc, for turning Brienne into I don't even know what, his rebound I guess. I'm willing to forgive them much but not this. I'm okay with my faves being killed off but not if everything they have become through trauma and hardship is erased within 5 minutes. And the thought that this could very well be the last scene between Brienne and Jaime and that Brienne is either right to believe that Jaime has left her or might never know his true intentions if he does switch but dies beside Cersei is too much. I want to believe guys but I'm so bitter and I don't trust them with Jaime and I do not want to get my hopes up just to be utterly disappointed. So yeah, this is what I'm preparing myself for.

So to summarize: It was not as bad as it could have been and I do think the hate is a bit much but that always happens when you get incomplete spoilers and have HOURS to freak out and hate it even before it starts but jfc they still fucked up. Character assassinations left and right, bad writing and plot holes (Euron anyone???), unnecessary drama and the usual mix of racism and misogyny. In any case, I want to end on a positive note here, so let me just point out the ONLY things I will take away from this episode:

Brienne being beyond precious!

Jaime is GONE, my friends. GONE! (seriously though through the entire thing they kept stealing glances and it's so obvious Jaime talked to her about his family. We missed so much of their relationship in season 4 :( )

Probably not what I'm supposed to be focusing on but that entire scene just screams domestic old married couple. I'm a big fan of Jaime showing weakness in front of her and Brienne accepting and helping without a second thought.

I can't get over how much THEY TOUCH each other. It's been years with nothing but his hand on hers when she was going for the knife and now they're all over each other. And the best thing about it: It's so natural. It's so new but they act as if they've been doing this for years! No hesitation, no doubt and Brienne accepting that she’s allowed to do this now, that he wants it :) (also look at thiiiiiis)

#text posts by thea #thea watches got #jaime lannister #braime #got spoilers #pairing: brienne x jaime #c: jaime lannister #tv: game of thrones.

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malaloba · 5 years

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top 5 TAZ npcs, any arc

1. Lucretia I did not get a choice in this one. some people made fall in love with her before I even touched the podcast 2. Lup Thank you Griffin for letting me know that Lup has been my favorite character this entire podcast. How could I have forgotten? 3. John shoutout to that conversation which has the second most heartbreaking “are we friends?” I’ve ever seen 4. Barry I had the idea that he was a major character via fandom osmosis so let me tell you I was very confused when he died in the first arc 5. Agnus McDonald best child

#balance just happens to have all my favorite NPCs #taz #taz balance #Anonymous

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storiesofwildfire · 5 years

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So, I’m running on a couple hours of sleep and I can’t figure out why I’m unable to go back to sleep, but I guess I’m just awake for the time being...

Anyways, I saw Endgame again for the second time last night, and I gotta admit, I disliked it just as much the second time as I did the first time.

Now, I’m not saying the entire movie was garbage. There were definitely some highlights, some fun moments, and some great character development (shoutout to my girl, Nebula, whom I love with all my heart), but honestly? The film left me overall extremely disappointed. Considering I went in with no expectations and still left disappointed, that’s saying something.

Consider this a warning because Endgame spoilers under the cut:

There are so many things about the movie that were rushed, poorly executed, sloppy, or just overall confusing (looking at you, bullshit explanation of time travel). And as much as I’d like to go through the movie and dissect everything scene-by-scene, I just don’t have the energy for that.

What I wanna do instead is talk about Loki’s very minimal role in it, because I am extremely upset and disappointed in Loki’s story arc or lack thereof.

Why?

Because the few scenes Loki was in were a few one-off jokes to get the audience’s attention and nothing more. We see him in his cell on Asgard in 2013 when Thor and Rocket go back for the Aether. The pair literally sneak by his cell, but they do nothing with the scene. Loki doesn’t notice them (as he really fucking should, because Loki is one of the most observant characters in Asgard) and Thor doesn’t hesitate for even a moment to look back at his now-dead brother.

Throughout the entire movie, Thor says nothing about Loki’s death, nothing about missing Loki even though Loki’s death (and Heimdall’s death) was a huge catalyst for the depression that he fell into. He watched Thanos murder his brother after Loki tried to stop him, after losing Heimdall and half of the Asgardians, after sacrificing the Tesseract and himself so Thor could live. Loki’s death shakes him (as it usually does, but this time, it’s supposedly authentically real). And yet, throughout the entire movie, he never once mentions Loki, doesn’t even pay attention to Loki when he gets to see his brother alive, and hyper-focused on his mother instead. Yes, I get that her death stung, but her death is also over a decade old. He’s processed it, been through a lot more since then, and while I understand him having issues with visiting the day she died, there is so much more for Thor to think about, to worry about, to mourn.

And Loki should have been at the top of that list. They were finally reconciling, finally getting back to a decent place as brothers and friends...

Then we have the scenes from the first Avengers film in 2012. Where Loki is literally just in the background, making jokes while in chains. He’s been defeated, he knows what’s going to happen next, and he’s just? Making jokes? Even though that was, quite literally, one of the worst times in Loki’s life physically, mentally, and emotionally. He would not have been turning his defeat and inevitable demise into one massive joke. He barely even got a line at all (half of his only line was as Captain America, so I mean... Because Cap definitely needed more screentime, am I right?) and while yes, his expressions and little tidbits in the background were funny, the entire film seemed to turn him into a giant joke.

Given what they did to Thor, I shouldn’t be surprised. Someone who values appearances and being well-received as much as Thor is thrown into such a horrible depression that he puts on a ton of weight, becomes nothing more than a drunk hermit, and doesn’t take care of himself because of the guilt, trauma, PTSD, and panic attacks that came along with the events of Infinity War and they turned him into a walking, talking fat joke who cried the whole time... mkay.

But anyway, back to the point I’m making. Which is how disappointed in Loki’s arc I am.

Yes, they do go out of their way to show off Tony losing the Tesseract, which skitters over to Loki’s feet, and he quickly picks it up and vanishes. I’ll give the film that, but earlier in the movie, they put so much emphasis on making sure the audience understood that changing the past doesn’t change the future with some sort of ridiculous “when you travel back in time, that becomes your future and you in the present becomes your past” logic.

Later, we see the Ancient One discussing how taking an Infinity Stone out of its proper place in the timeline can create varying alternate timelines, but that seemed very specific to the removal of the Infinity Stones, but nothing else.

So, worst case scenario is that Loki taking the Tesseract and darting off actually meant nothing because changing the past doesn’t change the future (I am still having such a hard time wrapping my mind around that because it doesn’t make sense). Best case scenario is that it does matter because an alternate timeline was created, but if that’s the case, there’s a very distinct possibility that Loki only still exists in that alternate timeline. And if by some defiance of canon, Loki taking the Tesseract and running does allow him to show up again later in the same timeline, literally all of his character development since The Avengers would have been undone...

But what was really, honestly heartbreaking? Watching all of the portals open at the final battle and watching all of the vanished walk through them. We see all of our favorites and in the theater, I was holding my breath, waiting for Loki to come through one of them.

And he never did.

It was a heartbreaking moment because in Infinity War, they killed him off so quickly in such a ridiculous way. I’m so sorry, but Loki canonly knows more about Thanos than 98% of the MCU characters. He would not attempt to kill Thanos with a concealed dagger while Thanos is wielding more than one Infinity Stone. It’s just? Not going to happen, honestly. Loki’s far too clever, far too sneaky, and far too knowledgable on Thanos to pull something that stupid.

Not to mention, more powerful. While MCU has never really developed Loki’s abilities to their fullest potential, Loki has so many tools and resources in magic, combat, and strategizing that what he did literally makes no sense. It was almost set up to look like a fake death, but they’re trying to sell it like it was real.

Please tell me how a God--someone who has survived multiple times in space without the ability to breathe, who has suffered fatal wounds and lived to tell the tale--dies from being choked out? That doesn’t even begin to feel or look authentic, and yet, the Russos will claim that it is.

Loki died at the hands of one of his greatest abusers. He deserved to come back, to walk through one of those portals and stand up against Thanos.

If they weren’t going to make him more important to the story by playing off his death as part of a bigger plan, they at least owed him that. Loki could have been such a valuable asset in the fight against Thanos because he literally knows so much about him, but that potential was pissed on.

But no, he didn’t get that chance. Heimdall didn’t get it. Vision didn’t get it. Anyone who died pre-snap didn’t get it.

And that’s what gets me the most? Because with the Infinity Stones, you can do literally anything, especially while wielding all of them. If Thanos could destroy an entire universe and make a new one as he was planning to do in Endgame, there is no reason you couldn’t bring other people back. There was no reason that those who died pre-snap couldn’t have come back as well. The only people I can justify being gone for good, honestly, are those that were sacrificed for the Soul Stone, because you must exchange a soul for a soul. Loki and Heimdall and Vision were not such people, so they should have been given the same chances that everyone else were given.

But they didn’t get that chance and I am heartbroken by what I saw in that movie.

I didn’t expect Loki to be a huge part of Endgame, but I was hopeful that they would at least give him some validation and a chance to fight back. Instead, we may never see him again going forward because of the blatant disrespect to his character. Yes, I know they’re making a Loki show, and while I’m tentatively excited for it, that’s not the same as seeing Loki survive Endgame and continue forward in MCU.

Honestly? It’s really fucking depressing that a character so wildly loved by so many has been reduced to this. I’ve spent seven years of my life writing and developing this character on my own ever since I fell in love with him. Loki’s such a huge and important part of my life and that love for him is not reflected in MCU.

And I’m really angry and bitter about that.

#endgame #avengers endgame #endgame spoilers #avengers endgame spoilers #index; loki #filed under; affiliates #filed under; dislikes #filed under; headcanons #filed under; inspiration #filed under; traits #index; mun #filed under; mun things #filed under; mun vs muse #filed under; About the Blogger #c; thor odinson #c; thanos #{ i'm just really upset and disappointed y'all #honestly i really fucking am }

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awesome-timtams · 6 years

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INFINITY WAR/AVENGERS 4 THEORY + ALL MY RANTS (SPOILERS)

because you know what? i’m not done.

i’ve come up with a theory, if only just to comfort myself. also, i’m still kinda unhappy over some things. (although this movie is really good, so please don’t judge the film too harshly based on other spoilers you’ve read. give it a chance and watch it before you form opinions please? :D )

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER CUT.

like, i’m not gonna censor myself. i’m just gonna rant. so you have been warned.

(if anybody wants me to add any tags to this post, just comment or smthin and ill do it yo)

LAST CHANCE FOR NO SPOILERS. WE COOL? OK.

just wanna say right off the bat, i’m not a comic fan. i’ve never read the comics. i don’t know shit about the comics. so all of this may come off as really stupid to comic fans, and for that, i apologise.

(also, after typing this all up, i’m realising just how negative i seem to come off this entire post? like, there were flaws, don’t get me wrong, i pointed out stuff i didn’t like, but overall this movie was really good. i fucking loved this movie. i went into the theatres really worried because there were so many characters and i was scared that it was gonna become real messy real quick and the plot would kinda be all over the place and overstuffed, but it actually worked out quite well in the end. there was a lot of humour and that’s great, because who isn’t up for humour? and it got real emotional and heartbreaking, and that was done really well so i applaud. i really do recommend going to watch this movie, because like seriously, it’s fucking good. went out of the cinemas and nearly walked straight back in to see it again)

now, theory first!

alright, so we remember how red skull ‘died’ right? he was holding the space stone, and as he’s holding it he starts to kinda ash away before he gets beamed up into space.

remember who else gets ashed?

just about everybody in the fucking movie (still not over that. god. i started fucking bawling my eyes out. was not very dignifying)

but yes, i think that they didn’t actually die? instead, they actually got transported to another universe like the red skull was? (or even better, their souls got sent to another universe, because after further research, that’s apparently what the soul stone does? and anyway, none of them got physically beamed somewhere like the red skull did. they all just faded to ash. i noticed that when wanda got ashed though, her entire being seemed to go grey for a brief couple of seconds before she turned to ash, and that kinda strikes me as what would happen if you lost the very essence of yourself? like your soul? so yeah, space stone beamed the red skull to a different universe physically, but the soul stone beamed them to a different universe…spiritually (also, i’m making this edit at 3 am in the morning so excuse if it’s just really incoherent)) because it didn’t escape anybody’s notice that none of the original avengers died right? only all the new heroes with confirmed sequels and shit did?

so i think they’re actually safe but just in a different place for now. and then all the original avengers, in the next movie are gonna do some shit and sacrifice themselves to save everybody who got ashed.

cus like, i refuse to believe they are permanently dead. i mean, c’mon. t’challa? the king of wakanda who’s arc only just got started? peter parker? when spiderman homecoming 2 has already been confirmed and is gonna start shooting soon? bucky? who’s had the whole white wolf thing/taking over the mantle as cap teased but neither were acted upon? fucking bullshit i tell you. didn’t stop me from fucking bawling my eyes out in the cinema. jfc i started crying like halfway thru the movie at gamora, escalated at bucky and then just curled into myself and died a little when peter clung on to tony. so yeah.

also i feel like they didn’t need to make the red skull come back and become the guardian of the soul stone. he wasn’t important, and was only there to give a bit of context into how to retrieve the soul stone. they could’ve easily just put a faceless character and have them do the exact same job and it would’ve made exactly zero change to the plot. so if the red skull is back, they must’ve done it for a reason. and that reason, i think, is the one i’ve been explaining above; to possibly show that being ashed isn’t gonna kill you, but instead transport you elsewhere. (also, yo, did anybody get dementor vibes when the red skull first appeared on screen?)

maybe this theory is just me being in denial over my favourites being killed god.

now onto my rants.

i thinkl loki and gamora are permanently dead. not happy about either deaths. loki’s was just…it’s just bullshit? he’s been killed and revived so many times that the emotional value of it is just not there anymore. and also, i don’t belive loki is stupid enough to go at thanos and pull a fucking pocketknife on him like, what’s that gonna do mate? and i feel loki, if he had a death scene, definitely deserved better than that. i feel like his arc kinda just got started, so him being killed off is kinda. urgh. so i’m pretty sure that loki’s not dead (cus c’mon), but at the same time if they bring him back it’s gonna be so fucking overplayed it’s gonna be like another episode of supernatural (i still love you spn but actually tho). so basically, marvel’s got themselves in a bit of a dump.

now onto gamora. idk, i’m just really not happy with the way she died? she didn’t deserve to go out like that? i mean, he sees his cause as the greater good, and people sacrifice a lot for their greater good, but still. not cool? i’m upset? gamora deserved so much more than to be tossed off that fuckin cliff? i actually reallyyyyy wanted gamora (or nebula) to be the one to kill thanos. maybe together. cus tbh fuck thanos. he fucked up their lives so hard, and what does gamora get in the end? thrown off a cliff, that’s what.

ALSO, QUILL. WHY. MATE. COULDN’T YOU HAVE DECKED THE SHIT OUT OF THANOS AFTER THEY MANAGED TO PULL OFF THE GAUNTLET??????? THEY WERE THIS. FUCKING. CLOSE. ARGHHHHHH.

also i’m still not over peter and bucky. god. bucky kinda stumbling out of the woods, and that little ‘…steve?’ before he just fucking. crumbles away. i was so fucking. no words. and i already knew peter was gonna die cus of that giRL (if you wanna see THAT rant, click here). but it was actually still so fucking heartbreaking? ‘…i don’t feel so good’ and ‘please, i don’t want to die’ as he just sobs while crumbling to ash in tony’s arms? i started bawling my eyes out (and wow take a shot every time i say that phrase in this post)

ok now onto some other things. i feel like this film sort of rendered most of ragnarok obsolete? like, (and this point was brought up by a friend so shout out to them) weren’t they trying to make it so that thor was less reliant on his weapons and more reliant on his own abilities and powers? and also, asgard. they gave us so much hope for asgard at the end of ragnarok, only to have it dashed apart in the beginning of infinity war. asgard? more like…asGONE. ba dum tss. (shitty joke i know but that’s how i cope). also. where. the fuck. is valkyrie?? i swear to god if she’s dead imma cut a bitch.

also, i’m sort of upsetti clint didn’t show up in this movie. BUT. they mentioned at the beginning of the film that clint was off with scott to do some other shit regarding their families or smthin, which makes me think that maybe, just maybe, clint might actually show up in ant-man and the wasp. so, looking forward to that.

so yes, i feel like i’ve been quite negative throughout this post, so here’s a couple paragraphs dedicated to all the good things about this movie and my experience and why i love it.

post-credits scene was? like, maria being ashed shook the whole cinema? and nick fury’s being ashed got me upset right up until the point where he swore and that kinda loosened the mood up. he’s so chill about everything i s2g. and that captain marvel insignia drop at the end was amazing. had the whole theatre shook. so yes, good post-credits scene.

they did emotions really well? especially in the last 20 mins, when everybody is being ashed, like, i cried. a lot. some of the emotions just came so clearly across the screen, and you could really feel what the characters themselves were feeling at the moment. some of the scenes were truly heartbreaking and beautiful (JUST, QUICK BREAK TO GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO TOM HOLLAND FOR HIS AMAZING PERFORMANCE? THANK YOU.)

the humour in this movie is fucking outstanding, but they never got in the way of the emotional scenes. the jokes were hilarious, and didn’t feel shoehorned in. they had the cinema rolling, and honestly, it was great. also, can i just say that quill being jealous of thor’s masculinity is fucking hilarious. and dr strange and tony going at it and trying to beat each other in who’s the most arrogant and all-knowing was fucking amazing, so kudos. anD ALSO. BRUCE AND HULK? FUCKING AMAZING. LOVED THEIR INTERACTIONS TBH. i would quote lines right now but i’m kinda fuzzy about them and i hate nothing more than misquoting so.

also. THOR. THOR. HIS ENTRANCE INTO WAKANDA IS SO FUCKING BADASS AND I HAVEN’T STOPPED SCREAMING ABOUT IT? IT’S SO BLOODY COOL, HOW HE JUST SWOOPS IN ALL DRAMATIC AND SHIT WITH HIS NEW AXE AND LIGHTNING AND JFALKGJRIOA yeah that was awesome.

i feel like i haven’t ever seen a movie with the audience as engaged as they were today. like, when certain characters showed up on screen the audience lost their shit and started whooping and clapping and shit. and when tony got stabbed i s2g the entire cinema just. stopped breathing. so yeah, good experience, fun times, loved it, really got me in the mood tbh.

i think i just about covered everything i wanted to say in this post? (and wow, this is a real bit of a giant brain dump. i just started typing anything that came to mind) maybe i’ll add to it if i think of anymore things, because i still feel like i have more to say even though i can’t really say anything right now. if any of you wanna talk, just message me and i’m up to listen lol.

this whole post took me the better half of three hours ( it’s also > 1500 words, and wow, i could’ve used all this time to finish my english assessment oops), so imma just go and do my homework like the good child i am (hah).

tldr; everybody who was ashed is actually alive, original avengers are gonna sacrifice themselves in avengers 4 to save the ashed kids, ragnarok was obsolete, im not happy with people’s deaths, clint might appear in ant-man and the wasp, this movie is really good and i fucking love it, feel free to msg me if u wanna talk and i’ve wasted too much time on this post. (this was still a really long tldr but i ranted for 1000 words so what can you do)

have a good one. (wow, extra aussie today aren’t we?)

#infinity war spoilers #a:iw #infinity war #mcu #marvel #infinity war theory #avengers 4 theory #spoilers #timtams speaks #timtams rants

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musicaextraordinaire · 6 years

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The moment a musician is submerged within waters that purify and help flourish their brilliance, they become everlasting. They are anomalies and enigmas… But they are also exposed to the soul at the very same time. These artists create bodies of work that are beyond this world and the next. They are what we call "timeless" and "undying"… Undoubtedly, Prince is this musician and this artist. When I think of myself as an individual, I find myself rooting who I am back to themes and emotions such as: Cruel loneliness and burning lust. It is a part of who I genuinely am. Prince is the perfect example of this raging storm that leaves us in awe of its beauty and grace, no matter how thunderous it may get. When I first listened to his 1994 album "Come" I can vividly remember a washing tide come over me. It was full of emotional rawness that spoke to every essence that I was and in countless different ways. It was as if there was no right or wrong way to feel. The unapologetic genius in "Come" is the way it is presented. At the time, Prince was struggling with identity and having a certain security within many different aspects of his life. However, while most people believe "Come" was a "throw-away" album, it happens to be my utmost beloved body of work by this man.

It was that groove-stricken yet straightforward thematic artistry that came along with the album's title track "Come" that set this album adrift into an experience that, in my opinion, only hardcore Prince fans would understand. It started the album and added to its arousal. An eleven minute and thirteen second masterpiece that showcased, emphasized and elaborated upon the incomparable musicianship of Prince. His ability to create remains as one of the most thought-inducing acts this world has ever marveled at.

"Space" would then give a significant depth to "Come" effortlessly with exquisite lyricism and composing excellence. This song liberates those who know what love's potency feels like and lets them relive their passion through every bass pump and drum pulsation within the entirety of this track. Beautiful is an understatement to describe how otherworldly this song is intended to sound like. Beyond its time and beyond any feeling you could ever experience; the euphoria that radiates from the sounds of Prince's voice are angelic to this day.

The blatant craving that is sung by Prince in "Pheromone" evidently adds to the scorching fire going on within him. Through the deepest parts of Prince's mind, he conveys a winding tale of stinging temptation due to such a longing desire and heavy confliction. There is a woman playing a game with another man as he watches on in secrecy. That is how intensity is captured in storytelling tracks; with the injection of undisputed passion. One of Prince's greatest gifts was being able to paint vivid pictures in one's mind by only using lyrics.

Imagine being in an underground club in the depths of downtown Los Angeles. "Loose!" by Prince is blaring through the speakers and you are immersed in the sound pumping through your chest. I believe that this is one of the tracks Prince doesn't get enough credit for. It has such a roaring complexity to it. With that being said, the song's intricacy lies in the notion of Prince himself becoming completely taken over by this raging club scene. And what better way to promote the need for gaining knowledge through the lyrics: "Get your education first, then buy a pair of shoes!" Prince is for the people, make no mistake.

It is to the point where "Papa" begins to play out its ominous first few seconds that people realize how considerably daring Prince gets with certain themes. There is a subtle animosity to this song that abruptly flows into the chaos of Prince extending a lesson to the listener. In this song, there is so much speculation as to how much of it reigns true or not to Prince himself. However, the somberness still remains. The anger is felt through the second half of the song and you can almost hear Prince's words: "And there's always a rainbow, at the end of every rain." that echo through your mind afterwards.

Another specialty to Prince was that he was the definition of the word cryptic at times. If you read the lyrics to "Race", they take you for a trip with the first glance. To me, this track breathes an awareness. Both social and self. Personally, my favorite lyrics sung in this song are: "In the space I mark human, face the music… Cut me, cut you, both the blood is red." And that is a key line as to why I interpret this track the way I do. There is the message of equality there and it's one of the eccentric aspects to Prince that I adore.

To interpret heartbreak is to the effect of confronting an inner-demon, so to speak. Prince was no stranger to the realities of turmoil through a love affair with a woman prior to January of 1993 (when he wrote “Dark” initially.) However, there is such a seething hatred he has boiling in him and you can feel that scorn even through the tone of his vocal ability. When he ventures off into what I consider the climax of this track he sings: "Just as sure as Noah built the arc, that's how sure I am… You broke my heart." it only adds to the intense antagonism he is feeling at that very moment. But in this perplexing twist, he does it gracefully. This song is my favorite off the entire album because it is emotional. Because it says to the world: "I am angry and I am not apologizing for this." But there was soul in it. That is what adds to the enticement. That's what makes it is so beautiful yet intimidating to listen to.

The first words that I can think of after listening to "Solo" is always: Heavenly. I dream of heaven often and I imagine this stunning place with flower petals scattered everywhere and clouds surrounding me. This song is playing in the distance because it is so pure. This track is the wedge of this album. For some reason, it spills a divine energy into this body of work. Not to say the other tracks are tainted in a way, but there is an angelic feeling to how this song is composed. Yet there is sorrow regarding these lyrics. There is a coldness there but not in a disregarding and inconsiderate way. The coldness pertains to how there is loss there. Prince projects his grief through this captivating track. You don't know whether to be blissfully entranced or have a heavy sense of remorse for this man baring his soul to you. (All the shoutouts to David Hwang.)

And finally, it was "Letitgo" that became the core jam-session of this album. The song had every right to be a single. The track ultimately elaborated upon the growth Prince was going through as an artist at the time. It was his classic sound, with newly found influence and inspiration. "Letitgo" definitely is a song only hardcore Prince fans would really enjoy. Yes, it is meant to appeal to the general audience but truly understanding its brilliance is left up to the ones who meticulously listen to Prince's artistry and unconditionally admire it.

In conclusion, I am almost at a loss of words to even describe the amount of adoration I have for Prince's album "Come". For starters… This really wasn't just music, it was a trip. For many music critics and even including huge fans of Prince, this body of work is a "filler", as I mentioned in the beginning. However, to break-down each and every single aspect I thought was significant brings me closer to understanding Prince and his music. I relate to these songs. They bring out something in me which is remorseless for who I am. I am a strong woman of color who identifies with an even stronger man of color and subsequently live through his artistry because I belong there. My mind tells me I am free here and that is what I will hold onto for the rest of my life.

With love, Candy Dhami.

#Prince #Prince Rogers Nelson #COME #album #review #article #writing #music #90's

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silviya7 · 6 years

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Okay so obviously you all know that I recently watched Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood for the first time, and I fucking loved it, so obviously I have Very Strong Opinions about it also, so here is an official list of those opinions:

I FUCKING LOVED THIS SHOW SO MUCH. I’VE ALREADY REWATCHED IT TWICE AND I’M HALFWAY THROUGH READING THE MANGA. I FUCKING LOVE IT AND IT MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE SHOW EVER.

Scar is my #1 fave, I love him so much I’m screaming YOU GUYS. SCAR IS SO GREAT. HIS CHARACTER ARC IS SO AMAZING AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

I honestly love every single major character so much?? Which is so rare! I don’t think I’ve ever gotten into a story where I loved every single major character. There are usually major characters who I don’t care for at all or even actively dislike, and there are always major characters where I’m like, okay, I like this character well enough, I enjoy their presence, but I’m not particularly emotionally invested in them. NOT THE CASE WITH FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST. I LOVE EVERY SINGLE MAJOR CHARACTER SO MUCH??? I’M SO EMOTIONAL ABOUT ALL OF THEM????? WHAT THE HELL.

I did definitely hate some characters, but they were all villains who you’re supposed to hate (Wrath, Kimblee, Tucker), and they were very effective at that, and it just made their demise all the more satisfying (especially Wrath’s, HOLY SHIT that was amazing).

(I’m overjoyed about the fact that my favorite character got to fucking wreck all of my least favorite characters)

The fucking?? plot twists?? Like, listen. If you know me, you know that I always see the plot twists coming a mile away. Always. I don’t know how, but it always happens. In the past five years, I have had one (1) plot twist genuinely surprise me. And I read/watch/play/etc a lot of stuff! But Fullmetal Alchemist? THAT SHIT FUCKING BLINDSIDED ME WITH SO MANY PLOT TWISTS. HOLY SHIT. HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS. IT GENUINELY SHOCKED ME SO MANY TIMES, IT WAS SO GOOD.

Special shoutout to Pride’s identity, I did not see that coming, I’d predicted that at least like five different characters were actually Pride but I did not see Pride’s true identity coming holy shit.

Just look at these tweets from my livetweet thread I’m fucking laughing.

Also here’s my livetweet thread if anyone wants to read the documentation of my descent into hell (please ignore all the really bad typos and autocorrect errors, I was livetweeting it while watching it with my family and thus could not pause, and could not proofread my tweets for typos and autocorrect betrayals).

I cannot believe that Roy and Riza never even kissed in the show?? I can’t believe they were only ever strongly hinted at eventually getting together??? I knew from internet osmosis that they spent a lot of time being pining losers but I DIDN’T KNOW THAT THEY NEVER ACTUALLY KISSED OR CONFESSED THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER IN THE SHOW?? WHAT THE FUCK??? I GUESS THIS IS JUST WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I, A LESBIAN, GET INVESTED IN M/F SHIPS.

Speaking of internet osmosis knowledge of fmab, I understand why everyone is very upset by that, and I quote past me, “strange long haired dog-like entity that makes everyone cry at the mere mention of it.” I suddenly realized what was going to happen about halfway through the episode when Tucker’s glasses glinted sinisterly, and I have never felt my heart drop so fast and so hard dear god. That was the most dreadful and heartbreaking realization of my life.

Also can I just say. I. FUCKING. LOVE. THE BRIGGS CREW.

I’M A HUGE FUCKING LESBIAN AND I AM VERY MUCH IN LOVE WITH OLIVIER MIRA ARMSTRONG.

I love the entire Briggs crew so much I’m screaming?? I love them all as individual characters and I love their dedication to each other and I’m so emotional???

Also like, I’m a lesbian, but damn Major Miles is handsome as hell.

Also, the. the bloopers. the bloopers are the funniest things I have ever seen and I still cannot stop laughing.

All the relationships in this show are so good?? The sibling relationships, the romantic relationships, the friendship relationships, the found/adopted family relationships, IT’S ALL SO GOOD AND I’M SCREAMING.

This show is like... it’s just the perfect show for me, y’know. The overarching themes of the incredible value and beauty and wonder of human life and the bonds that humans form. The fact that, while a bunch of truly horrific things happen/have happened in this show, it never goes grimdark, and the ultimate message is hope and perseverance. Our heroes go through five thousand different kinds of hell, but in the end, they get their happy endings. THAT’S THE GOOD SHIT, YOU GUYS. THAT’S MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE KIND OF STORY.

I cannot believe I never watched this show before holy shit.

#UNDER A CUT BECAUSE IT GOT LONG WHOOPS #tl;dr I FUCKING LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH #AND I LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS SO MUCH #also I think that at this point it's been established that while I'm very much a lesbian #I am also very homoflexible for male characters who have white hair and red eyes #this has been a consistent thing across multiple franchises #and scar and miles are just... they're so attractive. they're so beautiful.#textposting #fullmetal alchemist for ts #silviya rambles about fma #maybe that will be a tag we'll see

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