#Like yeah it's super intimate and romantic and perhaps the most romantic scene in the whole series | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dragonmaiden79 · 5 years

Note

How would the main 6 react to their MC being "betrayed" and left behind by their friends?

Thank you anon! You're my first ask ever (*squeals in joy)!

Asra

*Immediately notices MC's change in behavior.

*Not going out much, being alone more, and being just generally sad. He starts to become concerned and asks questions, until eventually Mc breaks down crying in his arms, finally releasing everything about the situation.

*He'll hold them and wipe away every single tear, saying that only an ass who couldn't appreciate an amazing person would treat them that way.

*Surrounds them with warm blankets, pillows, and cuddles (squeezes from Faust too) after making some hot chocolate to settle them down so that they can tell him every single detail.

*And if they ever go out together in public and see those former 'friends', Asra makes sure that they never so much as glance at Mc again.

*He stands up to them, saying exactly what is on his mind and harshly warning them away, because he'd hate to make them sorry

*He's Mc's shield and that's all there is too it, so that is the one veiled threat warning that they get

Nadia

*The Palace servants love gossip and the information reached her before Mc had a chance to tell her

*Instantly, a summons and carriage is sent to the Shop to pick them up so that Nadia can console them

*Mc is greeted at the Palace with all of their favorite foods and snacks, assorted perfectly into a picnic basket, held by Nadia who has cleared her entire day to dedicate to their well being.

*As Mc explains what parts of the rumors were true or not, the Countess finds herself with a bad taste in her mouth, and by the end of the story she is having the guard serve each individual their 24 hour notice to vacate

*Makes it a point to have everyone in the Palace involved helping MC heal from the emotional trauma of being backstabbed. They will be catered to and cared for indefinitely or, at least until she is satisfied with their mood and level of happiness: They need to feel as loved and adored and amazing, as they are

*By the time Mc is ready to trust again, all persons involved in 'this abandonment debacle' have been banished and black listed from all Vesuvian and even Prakran properties, ensuring that Mc will never have to suffer the sight of them again

Portia

*She does feel bad for Mc, really. But she's honestly more than ecstatic that she gets more private time with them to cheer them up

*She heard the rumors about the friendships going to hell and marches right up to the jerks to confront them

*Unable to stop herself, she makes a scene confronting them in the Marketplace, calling them out shouting their bad deeds from the heavens

*She wants EVERYONE to know what jerks they are and how they treated Mc, so that the tables will turn and people look at them differently

*When she stops by the Shop, she brings a couple of loaves that legendary pumpkin bread to comfort Mc and let them know what she did

*They share a laugh about the way that those losers took off after she was done yelling at them and she assures Mc that she'll make up for all the friends that they lost by doubling- No, tripling the amount of time that they hang out together

*She invites them to everything she does, making sure they don't feel left out: Baking, visiting Mazelinka (who has an opinion on the 'friends' too'), keeping Julian out of trouble, and sleeping with Pepi- Things that keep Mc involved and engaged

Muriel

*He never wanted to meet these other friends to begin with, nor did he like what he saw of them while lingering in the background the 2 or 3 times that he did

*Inanna would growl whenever their scents got on Mc, so he already assumed the worst about them (aside from the general contempt he has for people as a whole)

*But it doesn't validate him in any way at all, when Mc shows up to his hut, distraught, looking unhappy

*They are welcomed in with open arms literally, engulfing Mc in a big warm hug after he closes the door to his hut

*Muriel listens silently yet, attentively, not missing a word, stroking their hair while they sit in his lap venting their shock, sadness, and frustrations

*When they're relieved and done letting everything out he's very tender and kind, giving them his best reassurances and dismissing the ones who hurt Mc as never worthy of their time anyway

*He offers Mc to spend the night with him so that they can have dinner and stay close during Mc's time of need

*He's not super certain on how he should be handling the situation, but he does his absolute best

* Perhaps staying more than just the night? Maybe spending a few days feeding the chickens, tending the vegetable garden, and napping together?

*Giving Mc some quality time to get their mind off of things is his goal

Julian

*After Mc tells him what happened, he enters an immediate state of disbelief

*Who could betray a person who's so beautiful, special, gifted, intelligent, amazing--

*The more he thinks about it, the more upset he gets on Mc's behalf. Cue Boss Julian™

*He knows exactly where to find the ones who hurt Mc and marches right up to however many people it is to make his point.

*"Listen here, you snake-tongued, yellow-bellied, pathetic-excuse-for-a-piece-of-rhinoceros-shit, filthy swine--" he says through gritted teeth, shirt collar of the offender in hand, other one jabbing a long finger into their chest

*"If you ever, EVER, so much as breath Mc's name in public, I'll make you wish that your meager shell of a body had withered away with the plague and burned at the Lazaret!"

* It doesn't end there though. Actually, that's where outpour of his love and adoration begins.

*He buys them a very thoughtful gift to start off

*He then talks Mc into coming with him on a very romantic night out even though he knows they're down in the dumps

*They go to an intimate restaurant by the docks where he tells them how they won't have to worry about such bullies anymore. He stood up to them and will do it again if he has too.

*He gives them the gift and spends the evening baptizing them in his most in-depth, compassionate complements and small kisses making sure that they feel completely valid and desired.

Lucio

*Mc starts to tell him what him what happened and before the conversation is over he's fuming and blowing up

*"They did what!? We'll just see about that!"

*He's suiting up and calling for his horse to be prepared because if someone thinks that they can harm or embarrass Mc in any way they have another thing coming, and just, just wait until he finds his sword--

*Has to be stopped as soon as possible because betraying Mc, is tantamount to betraying Lucio himself and, oh, that is not what you ever want to do

*Just few sentences have triggered this man, deleted all his progress as a person, and turned him from Upright!Lucio to Pre-Plague!Lucio

*In other words The Human Torcher™

*Yeah, Mc actually has to calm him down, ending up holding and petting him to soothe his anger instead of the other way around

*(Crisis averted) When his nerves settle, he decides that since he can't have his way, that they'll just have to rot indefinitely in the dungeons

*This would not go unpunished, "Just wait and see, Mc. I promise that will never happen again."

*In the meantime, to make Mc feel good he invites everyone else (the rest of the main 6 and Vesuvia) to a massive week-long party thrown in Mc's honor

*"I think I've got a enough friends to share with you, hm, Mc? Nothing to worry about now that they're all here for you!"

*He steps closer, whispering softly as he kisses their hand. "Of course, I'm here too and if you need anything else, just say a word and I can make it happen for you."

Here ya go, hope you enjoyed! 💙

#the arcana #the arcana game #ask #main 6 #mc #oc #hc #au #fan apprentice #the arcana mc #the arcana ask #the arcana game ask #hc ask #hcs that people actually asked for #dragonmaiden79

23 notes · View notes

nickrbockr · 6 years

Text

Simon Vs Fan Fic: Chapter 7 - I Wore Contacts Today

Ao3

Warning - Explicit Scene

It was finally the weekend where I get to visit Bram in Baltimore. Spamalot closed last week and the next show was a some what new play by a local playwright. I had a lead role in this but we were given the weekend off of rehearsals because our professors knew how college students were about this holiday. I kissed Leah on the cheek after we had lunch Friday and I threw my suitcase in the back seat. Ian was also there, sad that I was leaving this weekend.

“Can’t you just tell Bram to come up here this time?”

“It’s my turn to go there, he’ll be up again.”

“Ugh, but not probably until Spring Semester.”

“Sorry, he’s a little grumpy because he hasn’t had lunch yet.”

“I’m not grumpy” Ian replied in a pouty tone. “But I am hungry. I need to go into the house; I’m raiding the fridge. Safe drive Simon.”

The door shut quickly behind him. Ian was also a little angry because it was Halloween (Halloweiner) weekend and I was going to Bram’s stomping ground. It worked out perfectly because this will be the first time in all four years of college that we can dress as a couple for Halloween! Bram had been a pretty safe Halloween dresser in college, only going as a soccer player. But knowing we’d be together on Halloween, he was willing to branch out.

“What were you thinking of?” I asked Bram a few weeks ago.

“I don’t know, but definitely a couple costume. I want this Halloween to be fun and cute and Disney for you and me.” He replied. It was becoming harder for him to hide the thirst in his voice for us to be together again. “I also wouldn’t mind if it was…uhm…”

I could imagine Bram blushing on the other end and it made smile.

“I wouldn’t mind if it was...a more revealing costume than conservative.”

“For you or for me?”

“Both.”

Hot. Hot, hot, hot.

“Bram,” I said, “I can imagine you in so many revealing costumes.”

“It can’t just be any costume though, it has to be us…I want to show you off at the party.”

Then it clicked. I knew what we could be. “Bram, I have the perfect idea, trust me, I’ll prepare everything.”

I gathered everything I needed and bought the ones I couldn’t make. I was now on the road and Bram still didn’t know what his Halloween costume was going to be.

“If I guess it can you at least tell me if I’m right?” He asked into my earbuds.

“Okay, but I don’t think you’ll guess it.” I reply, knowing he won’t.

“Mario and Luigi?”

“Ugh, too cliché now.” I respond.

“Batman & Robin?”

“Nope.”

“Thing One and Thing Two.”

I clicked my tongue. “No, but that one would have been cute.”

Bram guessed a few more minutes but was wrong on all of them.

“Trust me,” I tell him. “As soon as you see it you’ll get it. I hope you like it, you’re going to look super cute.”

“How close are you now?” Bram asked, probably biting his lip out of impatience.

“I just left, B” I laugh. “I’ll be in around 5pm.”

“That’s too long,” Bram moaned into the phone. “I need you here.”

“I’ll drive five miles per hour faster, I’m coming as fast as I can!” I plead.

“Si, I’m laying in my bed between classes and I’m only in my underwear.”

My heart started pumping blood to another extremity of mine as I imagined Bram laying down on his sheets and bulging out of his boxer briefs.

“I need to concentrate on the road, mister.” I say, lying because I didn’t want him to stop talking.

“That’s too bad,” Bram started, “Because, oops, now I’m naked.”

My pupils dilated and I let out an involuntary gasp. I had to unbutton my pants so that I could rearrange myself as I had a raging hard on and it was bending in my jeans.

“You’re bad, Bram. Don’t do this to me now, I want to wait til I can see you.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Bram said, straining and moaning his sentence. “I’m jerking off right now, Si.”

I swallowed hard and couldn’t keep my mouth shut as I kept licking my lips in hunger.

“Abraham Louis, what kind of man have you become?” I whisper into the dangling microphone. “What if I told you that I had to unbutton my jeans because hearing you talk about yourself doing that got me so hard I needed to let it out?”

Bram sensually breathed into the phone. “It’s out while you’re driving?”

“Yeah,” I reply. Cars are passing me on the highway because I am going five miles under the speed limit.

“You’re crazy,” Bram replied. “You’re so crazy sexy. But you’re right, I want to wait to see you too. But how am I going to go to my one o’clock class with this boner?”

My dick jumps at the thought of Bram laying in bed, extra hard, trying to put on jeans to hide himself.

“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to control myself when I see you, Bram.” I warn. “I would suggest to Nick that he finds himself away from your apartment between five and six-thirty tonight.”

“An hour and a half?” Bram purrs. “Ugh, yes, Simon. I will fulfill your wish.”

I was hard until just before I reached New York City, which was good because traffic was right next to my windows and could have seen everything.

Once I was outside of New York I began thinking about the proposal. I know I’m used to doing the sweeping romantic gestures, but when I asked Bram’s parents for their blessing, I didn’t do it in front of a group of people, I did it in a one-on-one setting. And it was perfect.

Maybe there’s a time and place for the grand romantic gestures, but maybe when it comes to this proposal that the perfect scenario would be a place just for us. People were there for the ferris wheel moment and that was great, but the most fun moment was in the car the next day when Bram and I skipped lunch to eat Oreos in his car.

And if you have a minute why don’t we go, talk about it somewhere only we know.

The Keane song played on the radio as I thought about the place only Bram and I know, and that’s our emails. For old time sake, we would cutely email each other from the fake emails fun messages. It would cause us then to review our old conversations and remind us how we fell in love and what we overcame and finally what we’ve built.

The more and more I thought on the drive, the more and more I convinced myself that perhaps my gut was wrong and that what’s best for us was a nice, Bram-style proposal: me and him and dinner. I needed to talk to Dad.

“Hey big guy!” Dad answered the phone. “How’s the drive?”

“Hey Dad it’s good, I just passing Philly so just about another hour and half.”

“You’re making good time. So what’s going on?”

“All’s I’ve been doing is thinking on this trip, and I wanted your opinion.”

“Shoot.”

“I’m thinking now about making it a more intimate proposal to Bram.”

Dad sucked in air through his teeth. “You’re trying to cut out your mother, I get it. Will it be weird if I’m still there?”

“No, Dad, I’m thinking of not having anyone but Bram and I now. What do you think?”

“I think,” Dad started, “That it’s your proposal and you have to do it in the best way you know how.”

“Yeah, but will that be the best way?”

Dad was silent, too silent. “When I proposed to your mom, I did the ring in the cake after a good dinner and she loved it. It was just us, at a restaurant, surrounded by strangers, but everyone still claps and congratulates you.”

That didn’t sound too bad. If I did the dinner thing, there would still be people there. But if people will be there, should I make sure it’s his family and friends?

“Simon,” Dad continued, “whatever you decide will be great. If I can give you any advice, Bram is a planner, he plans things and he knows every step. Try something so unexpected, so out of character from you that you’ll surprise him.”

“Thanks Dad.”

“I’m sorry kid, I wish I could help you more, but this is something you gotta decide on your own.”

“Don’t be sorry, I know, I know.”

“Okay, well do you want me to tell your mother you’re possibly booting her from your proposal?”

“Oh, god no. I can leave the house, you gotta live with her. I’ll tell here as soon as I decide.”

“Thanks for having my back, Si. Alright, go have fun, tell Bram hi for me.”

I pull over and fill up the tank and think about what Bram would expect from me. He knows I give things away accidently, he knows I am about showing all my cards, he knows I like grand romantic gestures. The opposite of that is literally Bram, so maybe the last thing he’ll suspect would be to do something extremely casual and then proposing.

The gas pump clicks and I fill it up until it’s an even dollar amount. I know you’re not supposed to do it, but I will add twenty extra cents to make it an even forty dollars.

Bzzz

Bram I don’t know how it’s possible, but I’m missing you more even though you’re so close!

Just about an hour away, had to stop for gas

. .. … Why is it cute to think about you pumping gas? Am I weird? Be sure to pick up some peanuts Mr. Peanut! ;)

I was hard for so long after we spoke

. .. … Now I’m picturing you as Mr. Peanut, but with a humongous boner. And now I am sexually attracted to Mr. Peanut, thank you.

It was only a matter of time. I’m getting on the road again. See you so soon.

. .. … I love you Peanut. ;)

That better not transition into a new nickname, but if it did, I would only hate it until I head Bram say it in person because he can make any word sound sexy if he wants to. Ugh, I can’t think about the proposal anymore or it’ll stress me out and then Bram will notice and he’ll ask what’s wrong and I’ll probably let is slip. I gotta focus on this weekend and the sexy costume for Bram.

“Simon…Jesus Christ.” Leah commented after I laid out our outfits on my bed three days ago.

“What?” I adjust the fabric to let them lay out more.

“Are you positive Bram meant this when he said he wanted to be less conservative?” She asked.

“I don’t know, but it can be as revealing as he wants it,” as I point to an intricate part of the costume.

“That’s true,” Ian added. “So which one is Bram going to be?”

“That one,” I pointed to on the bed. “Definitely that one.”

Ian cackled. “Oh…Okay, I can see it now.”

“No you can’t,” Leah accused.

“Yeah, I can’t. Sorry, Si. But it looks like you’ll have fun. Hug Bram for me.”

I pulled into a guest parking spot outside of Bram’s building five minutes early. So efficient, Bram would be so proud of me.

“You’re here five minutes early, that’s….really hot for some reason.”

Bram told me as he opened the door. We fell into each other’s arms and kissed as he placed his strong hands on my cheeks and pulled my lips against his soft, open ones. My hands wrapped around his waist and I could feel his back became more muscular. I leaned back to catch my breath but Bram was too hungry and followed me as he found my lips immediately and pulled me wantingly towards his hips.

Our thighs pressed against each other as I moved from his lips to his neck. Bram moaned and tilted his head up and let his hot breath roll past my ear. I leaned up to his ear and whispered.

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” he replied. He proceeded to place his lips on my neck now and lightly suck and caress my skin with is tongue. Our hips were moving against one another as we stepped into Bram’s apartment and closed the door.

I pushed my suitcase to the side with my foot and pushed Bram onto his living room couch. He looked me up and down with his sexy brown eyes and licked and bit his lip as his right leg dangled off the couch. I took off my shirt and Bram immediately inspected my body as his eyebrows shot up. I teased him by not straddling him on the couch and his eyes started to beg. I smiled coyly and looked at his bedroom door and started walking to it. I opened it just as Bram followed me inside his room and shut the door behind him.

I used the opportunity to pull up his arms and pin him against the door as he exhaled sharply as he arched his back and his butt rubbed against my crotch. My lips found his neck again and I kissed the spot that always made Bram shiver and moan. I spun him around and shoved him back against the door and moved quickly back to his tender lips.

I’m not sure why because I had never done this before, but I picked Bram up off his feet by his butt and it surprised him in the best way. His confused, sexy look was followed by wrapping his strong legs around my lower back as he aggressively resumed to kissing me.

I carried him to his cutely made bed and laid him on his back as I crawled onto it myself. I unbuttoned my pants and observed my boyfriend as he removed his shirt and his sexy brown skin looked flawless as ever. My pants dropped quickly around my feet as I kicked them off, sporting a solid boner through my boxer briefs.

“I’ve had this since you left me in August.” I tell him between pants.

“I’ve had this since I saw you in high school,” he replies, eyeing down to his print through his jeans. I unbutton and unzip them as I kiss the skin near his belly button. I can see his muscles respond as they flex and relax with pleasure.

I remove and throw his jeans onto the ground and immediately follow them with his boxer briefs until Bram is laying on the bed completely naked and I lose it. An animalistic urge overcomes me and I throw his legs on my shoulders. I lean between his legs, lips on his lips and hand on his penis, stroking it to work out his moans.

My other hand lays gently on his cheek as my fingers extend into his hair I gently pull his hair back to reveal his neck and plunge my lips upon his flesh.

“Si, top drawer.”

I open it and put the lube on my hands as I start to touch both of us as he lays down. I don’t want him to do anything. He’s not going to work at all right now, only lay back and allow me to make him feel physically what he makes me feel emotionally every single second since we’ve started dating.

His eyes cross and mouth dances, trying to properly manifest what he is feeling as I take my hand of myself and place more lube on it to rub between his round, full cheeks. Bram squirms as I apply a bit of pleasure and pressure and moans something I couldn’t hear. I continued until he place his hand on my wrist to stop me from jerking him off.

“St…stop. I need you inside me, right now.”

That sentence has never been such a turn on and the animalistic side took over. My finger began to softly and slowly enter Bram as his chest raised in lowered in ecstasy. I started with one finger until few minutes I added another. His head shot back in pleasure as it rolled slowly from side to side like he was trying to break through the bed. I removed my fingers and removed my boxer briefs that had pre come and lube residue.

“Right now, Si. Right. Now.”

I complied silently but my eyes told Bram a story as he stared deeply into them, extremely attentive to the tiniest of details. I rubbed more lube on and approached Bram, both legs still on my shoulders and I pressed myself into him.

Bram made non-verbal, extremely sexy noises as I made my way in. It felt so phenomenal as his penis seemed to get harder and I saw pre come leak up.

“Oh my god, Si.”

I began to thrust back and forth and the rhythm of our bodies created a symphony of pleasure. I felt every warm part of Bram around me and it egged me on as I increased my pace. I leaned more into him as he cried out in pleasure.

I pushed him further onto the bed and moved one of his legs off my shoulder, changing how deep I could go. I saw on his face how I reached the next level pleasure as he bit his lip and grabbed my butt to pull me in deeper. His eyes rolled back and his mouth couldn’t stay shut.

Like adding fuel to the fire, knowing I was causing him so much ecstasy made my thrusts longer, deeper, and more passionate. His fingers dug into the flesh of my lower back.

“Fuck…Si…Oh my fucking…Fuck.”

Nothing got me hotter than making him speak in fragments or when I made him swear. I had to pick up the pace, the feeling of only Bram around me made the feeling so much closer and deeper and more meaningful and I knew I wouldn’t last much longer.

“OH, Si…Oh shit!”

Some of it landed on his face, most of it landed in the crevices of his neck, and the rest of it was scattered up his abdomen. No iris could be seen as he finished and I could feel him tense around my penis and that was it for me.

It was fire. It was passion. It was love pouring out of me and into him. I gripped him closely to me and fell into his chest and mess and shouted into his shoulder as sweat and panting mixed around my head. When I was sure I was done, I relaxed onto him, sill in him, panting ear to ear.

“I lo…love you.” He panted, a little dazed and confused.

“I love you…love you more,” I panted, a little dazed and confused.

“Impossible.”

I lay next to him on his bed, both of us messy and we soon decide to take a shower.

Together of course.

The lube and sweat and come wash off with little effort from the showerhead and we stand under it, next to each other. Once that has been taken care of, I notice Bram’s biceps and the way the water beads on his flesh. I get half hard again. Bram notices it as it brushes against his leg and he turns to me mouth open, eyes eager for another round.

Our lips kiss as the water washes over our backs, cascading between our black and white skin. Bram is now fully hard again and I squat down and put him in my mouth. It’s such a nice view of his abs when I’m down here as well has is sculpted v-cut and well trimmed pubic hair.

I was down there for about ten minutes until I tasted him. It was sweet, just like Bram. He returned the favor, but I couldn’t last that long. And could you blame me with you have the most gorgeous human being on the planet doing the one thing that proves the closest thing to the manifestation of love?

My toes shoot out as I shoot into Bram’s mouth and like me he swallowed. He came up to my eye level, even though he is a few inches taller than I am and I could see God in his eyes. This is what heaven is. The moments of pure connection with another human. When it’s not about you, but it’s about someone else. My heart pounded as he stared at me through his dripping wet hair

“All of that…was long over due,” I tremble out.

The water falls against my back and down through my leg hair.

“Every moment leading up to right now has been worth it.” He replied. Another kiss was taken, another given.

We finished washing ourselves and each other. I explored his body like I was seeing it for the first time, wanting to memorize ever inch, every area of skin to make mental image of his beauty. Bram got me a towel and he walked out of the bathroom.

The proposal. It was just about Bram and me. No one else. No one else makes me feel both giving and wanting. Selfish and selfless. When I ask him to be mine, to be my husband, for the rest of our lives, I want the moment to be between us and only us.

I dry off and walk naked from the bathroom back into Bram’s. He moved my suitcase into his room and it laid on the foot of the bed with Bram staring at it.

“You so badly want to know what it is, don’t you?” I ask, smiling the biggest smile.

“Almost as much as I wanted to have sex,” he replied, returning a large smile.

“Okay, close your eyes.”

He complies and I set out our outfits on his bed while he impatiently tapped his foot. Once everything was arranged, I put my hands on his shoulders.

“Okay, you can open them.”

He did. And he open mouth smiled and let out a big laugh.

“Slutty Harry Potter and Ron Weasley!” He cackled.

Two Gryffindor robes, my round glasses (I wore contacts today), a red wig, two wands, and two black spandex trunk shorts with a picture of a gold and red tie down the center where our crotches are housed. No shirts, no pants, only robes.

“You're Harry and I'm Ron. I even have something to give you a scar...Do you like it? Is it too much? You can always zip up the robe.”

He turned me towards him and kissed me deeply.

“I love it.”

“Really?” I qualify.

“Really,” He plants another long kiss on my lips. “My Harry Potter nerd.”

#Love simon #simon vs #svthsa #simon spier #bram greenfeld #simon x bram #bram x simon #simonverse #gay love #love #marriage #proposal #love simon fic #love simon fan fiction #love simon fanfiction #Simon vs fan fiction #Simon vs fic #simon vs fan fic #my fic

8 notes · View notes

juliajoybell · 7 years

Text

Brackenreid of the boudoir

A brand new episode of Murdoch Mysteries this week, so another new review !!! Let’s begin by the fact that I totally missed the show these past weeks. For personals reasons I must say I was very glad to watch that refreshing episode, 45 min of fun, happiness, love, friendship etc... Here we go !

This is just happened in “Murdoch Mysteries”

.Sassy Julia.

Oh my that beginning is full of promises. Julia and William in the hoods. Of course Julia brings a lot of stuff, and of course she is independant to carry all of them without the help of her man. That’s our Julia.

Also can we enjoy the fact that she wants to swim without clothes and William has ANY RESERVE about it? Oh William, the way you drop that wood on the ground to follow her...

.The place is truly beautiful.

That spot is truly nice.

.There is a corpse.

Yes of course... I mean it’s the Murdochs, where the Murdochs go, a corpse emerge. No skinny swimming then?

.William is not sensible to the art...

...and he is funny. Oh William! Let’s say he has any taste in art. ( If you remember in season 3 he hasn’t neither.) I find this really into the character, he is a manual but technical man, not an artist, that’s for sure. ;)

.Nina and Watts are back.

Glad to see them back in that episode. Even if it’s quite briefly for Nina, I must say, but it’s a way to explore a bit more the character of Watts.

.Watts and the women.

The most awkward and clumsy and cutest man on Earth. I’ve read here and there that people may think he is gay. Honestly I don’t think so. I just believe he is not at ease with women, or humans in general. He is more in his world and he doesn’t know how/what to do. I have nothing against the fact he can be gay, just, I don’t feel he is and I’m not sure writers want to bring him that way... We will see...Anyway I found him cute !

. What is at the first floor of the station 4?

In the studio, nothing, it doesn’t exist, but in the show? Don’t you ever wandering? Like, we know the offices and cells are at the basement...As we saw Bracks and William coming from the stairs I was wondering. Perhaps archives, or washrooms? I believe someting like that.

Also did you noticed that the painting workshop was actually the Murdoch’s appartement with some changes?

.Brack is the artist.

Because yes, if there is someone an artiste in Murdoch Mysteries, it’s Bracks...and Julia.

.Mrs. B is back.

And that means Bracks is in troubles. Serious troubles! WHAT DID YOU THINK TO KEEP A PAITING YOU DID YOURSELF OF A NAKED WOMAN?

William agreed with me. Thank you William.

.There is a scene in the morgue that is hilarious.

Oh William. I do love that scene. Fun, tender, intime. I often like the scenes in the morgue when there is only Julia and William. Sometimes more than the scenes in their appartement...

.“Paint me Thomas”.

And believe me that’s not Mrs.B ... (Not that time ) How shoking.

.There is one funny line that I liked particulary.

-Mrs. B “ What is this ?”

-Brack “ Art “

Sure Thomas...we call that “Art” ;)

.George isn’t sensible to art neither.

Well, when it’s about seing a painting of Nina naked in the middle of the station four. I understand you bro.

.Miss Newsome is back.

And honestly that was fun, because Ruth is so fun, and I like her !! And I like her with Higgins...do we have a name for their couple? HenRuth ? Newgins? I’m not good at finding names but I think we should do an yearbook with all the names we give to the couple of the show...

.I must say brack paint very fast ...

Something came in my mind. If you “know” me a little you know I draw and paint some time to time, portraits and all , no nobody was naked, and I’m really impress by how fast Thomas paint his painting. Let’s just say that’s the magic of the tv show ;) And because he is very talented.

.Watts has a crush.

Aaaawww

.William and Julia are at a social event and love it .

Please no corpse, no corpse...

There is no hope for William and his inexistent artist sense... But my God Julia is super pretty in that dress !!

.It wasn’t a good idea to have Mrs B. at the exibition.

Oh Thomas what did you think?

.Julia and William being cute.

Because Julia punching William made me giggle.

.Watts lost his lady.

Well that was fast. Aawww she is leaving but she will be back in 6 months...We will see...

.There were a murder.

But actually I didn’t really care about it this time. Sorry.

.“Paint me Thomas”.

Ladies and Gentlemen, that was from Margaret. Oulalala.

.Julia is hanging the painting that William didn’t like above their bed.

Because yes of course Julia is always right and William loved her sooooo much he couldn’t resist to her charms. Let’s me live in the romantism of this couple.

.Julia speaking about the baby.

YYYEEEEESSS !!!! And finally Julia talked about her intention to have a pregnancy....I was so scared something go wrong and no it was all okay for now ! William was happy, and she was happy and they talked about it. And it was cute, and it sounded true and I’ve watched the scene twice, third times, and I’ve got that stupid smile on my face, and they’ve try to make that baby RIGHT HERE IN FRONT ON THE SCREEN well, almost, but they were on the bed. And actually I don’t care if people don’t care about the fact they will have that baby or not, because I WANT THAT BABY, and I’ve recently learn to not care of what people may say - Yeah I really needed that episode, believe me.

That last scene gave me butterflies. Thank you !! Thank you,thank you, thank you.

To be honest, I liked that episode a lot. I like the dark episodes, but I like the refreshing one too, it’s all about the mood. I’m more like caring about the characters or the mysteries, the history. The show is a balance of all of these aspects. It’s not betraylling fans to focused on one aspect more than another. They’re episodes that I just don’t care about, they are others that I find really good. It’s a tv show, it’s to make us think to something else of our life. For 45 min we “lived” throught others people, lives, stories. It always upset me when I read here and there comments about the fact that”it is not enough like that”,” too much like this”... We are all differents, and with millions and millions fans around the world I think the show touch a lot of differents people and personals stories.

I liked it, even if I didn’t really cared about the investivation. I like art, I like the landscape, the personnal story of each characters, the fun, the love etc... And I must say the person that really paint the landscape and women, did a great job! I don’t know you, but if you’re reading this, really; congrats.

To watch or re-watch the episode, go on CBC.CA

Bye all and thank you for reading.

JJB

#review #murdoch mysteries #season11

20 notes · View notes

sableaire · 7 years

Note

hello! this might be a little odd to ask since I don't think you've ever talked about this publicly, but I really value your opinion and think you are super well-read so I wondered what your thoughts were on this!!! My gf recently got me into kuroshitsuji, and I was wondering if you had any thoughts on sebaciel, as a psychological concept? (I really liked your ks analysis!!! also I don't want you to think I'm asking for an actual analysis or anything I was just curious!!!)

Oh dear, I haven’t read Kuroshitsuji in years. I think I stopped some point near the end of the boarding school arc. Thank you for your kind words, by the way - true or not, I’m glad that is the impression I give off, ahaha.

Just on a surface level, I think the Kuroshitsuji animes were the ones that really leaned into the fanservice. There may have been some scenes in the manga that are evading my memory, but there’s no denying that the anime hinted at it far more heavily. As such, I feel that fans who only watched the anime - or watched the anime first - are more likely to end up shipping SebaCiel. However, I pretty much reject the first two anime and haven’t seen the Book of Circus, so my answer will have to focus on the manga.

Regardless, I know this is a touchy subject for a lot of people, fans and non-fans alike, so my response is below the cut:

My thoughts on the concept of SebaCiel, hm… I can see where people might be getting it, I think, but I don’t necessarily understand it. When I read the manga when I was a teenager, I didn’t realize that people shipped the two characters romantically/sexually. It just didn’t occur to me.

So personally, when I read Kuroshitsuji, I saw no romantic or sexual chemistry there (and this isn’t even mentioning the fact that Ciel Phantomhive as written is a literal child, aha;;). What I saw in Kuroshitsuji and what appealed to me as a reader was a fascinating power dynamic, wrapped up in a weird business arrangement, and I think there-in lies the issue.

Perhaps it’s just because I’m aroace, but I personally feel that a lot of readers fail to acknowledge that there can be an emotional/mental intimacy in a relationship without romance. Similarly, there is a failure to acknowledge that there can be a power dynamic or obsession without sexual undertones.

From my limited knowledge of the SebaCiel fandom, it seems to me that the ship is built more upon sexual content rather than romantic fluff, which plays into my point. I believe that a lot of people end up shipping SebaCiel because of the underlying power dynamic between the two throughout the entirety of the manga, which many readers automatically associate with sexual themes.

I cannot speak for the intention of the author as to whether Kuroshitsuji is meant to encourage shipping Sebastian and Ciel or not. I do believe she started as a BL author, which could mean that any homoerotic undertones (should they be present; I don’t personally remember any, it’s been a while) are intentional. It could also just mean that she’s so used to drawing them that she doesn’t know how to draw pretty scenes without them, ahaha.

However, from a storytelling perspective myself, I don’t see any grounds for a romantic or sexual relationship between the two. Ciel is wholly focused on his revenge, fully intending to die - a little too busy for romance, and he holds his responsibilities as a noble to a certain esteem, which means that were he not to die, he would probably fully intend to marry his fiancee Elizabeth, without affair.

As for the demon himself, my interpretation at the time of reading - which, again, it’s been years - was that what Sebastian got out of this relationship was Ciel’s own corruption of self. Yeah, he likes the corruption of an innocent soul or whatnot, but what he got out of their weird pact was a front-row seat to Ciel’s self-destructive journey. He is basically ensuring that his favorite cake is baking properly, and his whole interest in Ciel is because Ciel himself is the one corrupting his own soul, without Sebastian’s direct involvement or encouragement.

Since that’s Sebastian’s role in all this, I don’t see it as a strong possibility that he would, I don’t know, seducing Ciel for laughs as a viable option, and if he attempted, I imagine Ciel would firmly shut it down, and if Ciel expresses no interest, Sebastian wouldn’t waste the effort on trying.

Further, I cannot actually imagine Sebastian actually harboring any affection for Ciel. He is a demon, fundamentally different from a human. What he is there for is the promise of one of the best soul meals of his life - he cares for Ciel to the extent I might care for a Michelin star Asian-style Strawberry Shortcake: I’m going to watch the chef, sit in front of the oven and stare at it while it is cooking, make sure it’s decorated to my liking, and I am going to kill anyone who tries to prevent me from eating the whole thing after I waited so long. Heck, I’ll probably kill anyone who even smears the icing.

However, even without a sexual or romantic component, the two characters do still undeniably have both a power dynamic and a codependence. They both are incredibly prideful, and they are both bonded together despite their personal animosity for a perceived mutually beneficial outcome. Ciel holds power of Sebastian in all the public ways, as the Lord to demon’s Butler, but Ciel is also helplessly reliant on Sebastian when it comes to all the… supernatural stuff… and also not-so-supernatural stuff…

And personally, I love that. I love the stories where one character has all the cards and the other has to swallow their pride to get what they want, and I love stories about one-up-manship, and I love stories about people being forced to rely on one another. However, those dynamics do not have to be sexual, and they do not have to be romantic. Also, possessive behavior does not have to mean romantic/sexual obsession, especially when one character is technically a tool (a means to an end) and the other is literally a food source. I am pretty darn possessive of my laptop computer, and I would be pretty damn possessive over my Michelin-star strawberry shortcake.

I didn’t actually intend on this being such an effective analogy, but now I am super protective and territorial about this imaginary strawberry shortcake because by god, it has been years since I had a good one.

Still, my theory is that to a lot of people, when presented with a power dynamic in fiction, many readers immediately see a sexual appeal to it in a Dom/sub-esque fashion, and when presented with seeming emotional intimacy, they immediately see romantic potential. And though the author/artist may throw in fanservice, that’s just that - service. It doesn’t discourage the shippers, for sure, but it’s not necessarily support for it either.

Basically, due to modern culture, committed and or intimate and or passionate and or intense relationships in fiction are often perceived to be romantic and or sexual in nature when they do not have to be. Platonic relationships are underrated. Non-sexual hatred and obsession is underrated.

It could also just be that people are interpreting a business-arrangement-turned-emotionally-invested-relationship narrative as a platonic-relationship-turned-romantic one. I know a lot of people who think of platonic relationships as equivalent to mere acquaintanceship, and there-in might lie the issue. They may fail to perceive Ciel and Sebastian’s escalating emotional involvement (if there was any, I can’t remember) as a step up from a professional relationship. They may instead perceive it as a step up from a platonic one.

Also, Kuroshitsuji is one of those mangas a lot of people discover while young, so that may factor into the enthusiastic fandom and the eagerness for romance, considering most tween/young teen books angling for girls are romantic in nature and that is how many girls are used to relating to their fiction.

Sorry if this wasn’t the kind of answer you meant, and again, it has been years since I properly read the manga. I heard the two-Ciel theory’s been proven true? Fascinating.

#Anonymous #kuroshitsuji #sebaciel #black butler

19 notes · View notes

orionsangel86 · 7 years

Text

12x19 - Episode Review - Intimacy, Love, Faith and mixtapes

What can I even say about this episode? Since my first watch I have been going around with a goofy grin on my face while thinking of nothing but mixtapes and intimate touches between two people who love each other so dearly that even the most stringent heteronormative people must be side eyeing the show thinking “that’s kinda gay”. When I try to think about the actual plot of the episode though and what will come of this in the finale? Well, I am a bit lost… though I do have some ideas. I can’t say I am entirely thrilled by the plot structure this season. Hence my long tumblr absences as well as limited thoughts and meta since 12x12. There is too much going on, too many stories which don’t seem to have any real connection. Also Lucifer really pisses me off as a character now and every time he is on screen I roll my eyes.

This episode wasn’t up there with the likes of 12x10 and 12x12 for quality. Then again as soon as the story turns back to Kelly and her unborn Satan spawn I do find it hard to stay switched on, but the destiel this episode was glorious and gave me a lot of hope for where Dabb intends to take this. Am I still annoyed that we are lacking Cas so much this half season? Yes. Very. The fact that he doesn’t return until the finale pisses me off to no end, I will most likely disappear again after writing this review and not comment on the episodes leading up to the finale unless Dean suddenly decides to jump out of the closet and hit on handsome bisexual Max next week as a rebound for all the rejection he suffered in 12x19. (honestly I am praying to the TV Gods that Max takes a liking to Dean and we get a good helping of Gay to get us through our Cas withdrawal symptoms).

Without any further rambling however here is my review of 12x19.

It gets long down there under the cut…

Take this mixtape for my heart… complete with kisses and songs about you

The best part about this episode? Destiel. Oh boy the destiel. It was so gloriously gay. I can’t even imagine how the antis and non-shippers are feeling about this! I am so very full of joy and glee about this!

We know from the opening sequence that Dean has been pining for Cas and worrying about Cas for a while now, but the glorious moment when Cas walks into the Bunker and Dean looks up at him is just…

Oh how very dramatic. The might as well have put him in soft focus and had a swell of romantic music as his lover returned home from war… seriously. But then all the DeanCas shots in this episode are framed so romantically/intimately. Kudos to Amanda Tapping for just getting it. (then again she was present during the most heartbreaking DeanCas scene of all time the crypt scene and therefore I have no doubt that she is very much aware of Destiel and its importance.

Once again this shot escalates into an argument between Dean and Cas that Sam is stuck in the middle of. I seriously love how this has continued throughout season 12. Sam is the poor third wheel stuck in the middle whilst his brother and brother in law have a lovers tiff.

We get another classic confused kinda bitch face from Sam when Dean snaps at him because he dares to be nice to Cas…

Seriously we have now built up a nice collection of Sam bitchfaces and knowing looks when he is stuck having to deal with these two once again. Poor Sam. Let him save the day and get a dog and marry Eileen so he can finally get some PEACE! :P

“Not only were you ditching us you were ignoring us”.

“What the hells wrong with you man?”

We have a LOT of call backs to previous seasons in this episode. I mean A LOT of call backs. This one particularly was quite interesting as it threw us right back into Purgatory:

“I prayed to you Cas, every night”

“I know.”

“You know and you didn’t… What the hell’s wrong with you?”

So what does this mean? Already we have a call back to the start of season 8, which then lead to a whole story arc where Cas was brainwashed by the angels and ended with Dean managed to break through that brainwashing with the power of… platonic friendship pfft.

Doesn’t bode well for the end of this episode though does it?

Now we need to talk about the mixtape. Yes I know this has probably already been meta’d to death on tumblr. Yes I am sure some of you are sick of it (though be honest.. you aren’t really sick of it now are you? I know how long the “I love you” conversations lasted for after 12x12 aired so shut it and enjoy my meta thoughts too. :P )

Cas follows Dean back to his room (for the privacy of course – also note that he doesn’t feel he needs to explain himself to SAM) under the pretense of returning a mixtape that Dean gave him. My first though before we even GET to the subject of Dean giving Cas a mixtape in the first place, is why Cas is using the return of this very romantic gesture at all. Even with his knowledge of pop culture, I don’t think Cas realises the importance of giving someone a mixtape, hence him thinking he needed to return it in the first place. It was in no way a rejection from Cas (like he could reject Dean pfft). But Dean clarified that it was a gift anyway. Oh but can we just pause again and store this to fandom memory forever and ever?

DEAN WINCHESTER GAVE CASTIEL A MIXTAPE

And isn’t that the most beautiful, innocent, loving gesture that for these two macho manly gruff heros its almost too much to bare! Dean Winchester is such a fucking teddybear deep down I can’t quite stand it. Argh I love him so much for this moment!

So lets talk about this mixtape some more because I can’t get enough:

“Dean’s top 13 Zepp Traxx”

Except that’s not exactly what it says. Why two Xs rather than the correct spelling? Why the slight spacing between the “TRA” and the “XX”? Why, if you are spelling “Tracks” the ‘cool’ way would you not shorten it to “Trax” why two Xs unless those Xs also had a separate meaning loosly hidden in the spelling?

Basically those Xs are also ‘kisses’ and no one can tell me otherwise.

Isn’t that just a perfect mini metaphor for destiel itself though? The main text reading is that Dean has spelt the word the slang way, using the Xs as a fun way to spell the word only. Nothing suspicious here, totally platonic.

And yet everyone knows that Xs also mean kisses. Everyone.

The romantic message is hidden in the label. It isn’t totally obvious at first, but it is once you put it together with the general meaning of a mixtape.

Speaking of, for all you kiddies out there who haven’t lived in the age before CDs, ipods and MP3s, giving someone a mixtape has a HUGE meaning to it. It is also, without a doubt, always romantic.

I am sure that by the time I post this, the mixtape will have been meta’d to death on tumblr and you will all be flailing about it anyway… I know I was as soon as I first watched the episode. This is a big moment. No. Seriously. Friends don’t give friends mixtapes. People who love people and people who have major crushes on people give people mixed tapes. It is always always romantic in its meaning.

If we try to look for a platonic reading to this, perhaps Dean didn’t make this tape for Cas, perhaps its one he had lying around already (though the Xs kinda throw that reading out). Even so, it is still a mixtape that Dean made at some point and then gave to Cas. This is the canon. I just wish we could have seen the moment Dean gave it to him (probably shoved it at him with a gruff “here, you need to listen to some real music” whilst desperately trying and failing to stop himself blushing. I LOVE this and I wanna read that fanfiction.

To make this whole thing even more romantic. Dean confirms it himself. There is no denying it. “It’s a gift. You keep those” this wasn’t just something that Dean had lying around that Cas picked up and asked to borrow, it wasn’t something Dean just shoved at him and said “You need to listen to some decent music, take this” and didn’t think about it any more. Dean put thought into it because it was a gift specifically for Cas.

If only Cas had actually realised that fact. Though I will talk more about Cas’s continued unknowing rejection of Dean this episode a bit later… first this shot:

Its beautiful, and you all know me and my hand obsession in SPN. Hands have meaning. They are important. They leave a print. There is always intimacy in moments like this. The way Dean and Cas exchange touches throughout this season always brings me joy. This moment is no different.

I have decided to make a separate post about hands in this episode because I am a nerd who got super excited about all these beautiful close up hand shots that have such a massive significance. Anyway, back to the mixtape…

Ultimately, there was no plot related reason for the mixtape scene. Other than to give Cas an excuse to come find Dean… which he had anyway? To apologise and try to clear the air (and also to find the Colt) so… why the mixtape? Why even bring it into the show if not to emphasise Dean and Cas’s relationship and the romantic nature of it that is now more than heavily implied. After a previous one sided love confession how is ANYONE supposed to read their relationship as anything other than inherintly romantic?

Cas’s quiet “Oh” just infuriates me because REALLY CAS? You didn’t KNOW what that meant? Urgh. I mean, yeah okay so he never has been very good with the whole social conventions and stuff like that but still. Then Dean just goes and does something which makes me love him even more. He starts a conversation. Oh boy how he has grown. Communication is key and Dean FINALLY seems to be understanding this.

“Cas, you can’t… with everything that’s going on you can’t just go dark like that”

Interesting. Dark like Superman going darkside yeah? We are back to 6x20. We are seriously getting flashbacks to Destiel’s greatest hits in the space of a few minutes here. Also, this whole conversation is just so freaking intimate in the way it is shot, the dark moody lighting, the way both actors are speaking relatively softly compared to their usual gruff tones and just the sheer weight of emotion in Dean’s face.

Its forcing the viewer to get up close and personal with Dean’s feelings here. Forcing them to really consider how much he is hurting and therefore forcing them to ask the question WHY. Why does this make me, as a viewer, feel like I am intruding? Is this a common shot composition for friendly conversations between platonic friends?!? Um. Nope. Hence this ENTIRE SCENE SCREAMS ROMANCE. And also, sadly, betrayal.

At least we get an explanation from Cas. The thing is, we see Dean’s POV most of the time, therefore we don’t really get to understand Cas’s reasons for doing things, but this episode he does get a chance to justify his actions, and as expected, it all comes back to Dean…

“I needed to come back here with a win for you… for myself”

Because Cas has failed so much, is still suffering from depression (though it hasn’t been brought back into maintext for a while now) and is so conflicted on where he is supposed to be going nowadays. He has lost his mission, he has no riteous path, and no faith… and this episode is all about faith when you get down to it… faith and fate, destiny and hope for the future… though not from the right place (and we are now back even further – in season 5.) and Dean is desperate to get him back on track but still doesn’t really say the right things.

“We will find a better way”

“You mean we?” *gestures to the both of them

“Yes, dumbass, we.”

Dean is still having to clarify for Cas that he is part of their family and that they want him around. Cas still doesn’t get it, because even if Dean thinks he is being clear, he really isn’t. Not to someone who has struggled with their self worth, struggled with depression and feelings of total worthlessness. It will take far more than some words about the three of them to get Cas to realise just how much Dean cares. Remember folks, from Cas’s perspective, he has confessed his love and hasn’t heard it back. He didn’t a get a “I love you too” or even a “we love you too”. Just a “we ain’t leaving you behind”. Which is easy to explain away as the Winchesters not wanting people to die on their watch. The Winchesters always try to save people, meaning Cas isn’t any more special than any other random civilian who the Winchesters wouldn’t leave to die… when you think about it from Cas’s perspective, its still a bit of a kick in the teeth.

“You, me… and Sam. We’re just better together” Again, Dean isn’t quite giving Cas what he needs? The pause, then the added “and Sam” just takes us right back to the beer run in 11x23 and Cas’s dissapointment, It becomes easy to understand Cas’s motivations when you look at it from a destiel perspective and consider that he has been rejected and continuously referred to as a third wheel to the brother dynamic. In Cas’s mind, Dean doesn’t return his feelings, and by not understanding the implications of a mixtape as a gift, nor the extent to which Dean would go to forgive him, Cas continues down his path of destruction and takes the Colt. They may be communication, but they aren’t really communicating. Its such a classic romance trope and I’m pulling my hair out STILL over these two.

“Lets go Team Free Will”. Could the callbacks to previous seasons be any more obvious? Now we really are in season 5 and in the past 5 minutes have travelled back through the greatest hits of destiel. From Purgatory guilt, Season 6 betrayal and now season 5 loss of faith. These are the major themes of 12x19. Cas is stuck in a cycle of self destruction. Where will this end for him?

The next scene with Dean and Sam discussing Sam’s theories and the grace extraction as a potential solution just proves how far they have come. Its no longer “how do we kill the thing” but “how do we stop the thing from being evil without resorting to violence?” I call this the “Amara Effect” and I am very happy about this. Anyway, what I really wanna talk about here is just how happy Dean was to finally have a solution and how his FIRST THOUGHT was “I’ll get Cas”. Like he just wanted Cas to be there to work with them on this together. He really did mean what he said to Cas in his room. My heart breaks for him when he realises Cas is gone.

However can we please just take a moment to be so fucking thankful that FINALLY IT IS CANON THAT CAS HAS A ROOM IN THE BUNKER!!

This is CAS’s ROOM! CASTIEL HAS A ROOM AT THE BUNKER. Number 15 to be exact. 3 doors down from Dean. (yes I know this was also the number of the room used by Mary apparantly earlier on in this season but clearly Cas stays there because why else would Dean have gone to this random room to look for him and not the kitchen or the archives hmm?)

LOOK AT THE HEARTBREAK ON HIS FACE WHEN HE REALISES CAS IS GONE AGAIN

Oh Dean. It is such a common trope though. Just when he thinks he has the person he loves back by his side again, they are gone. We really are back to season 8 here with Cas being the one rejecting Dean. (please lets not forget that the extent of the rejection for the past three seasons has been on Dean with Cas holding the torch for destiel and it is only now that we are finally experiencing the brunt of the shift back to Dean.) This episode is by FAR the most romantic we have had so far in terms of destiel in the past FOUR seasons. The only episodes that really surpass it are 6x20 and 8x17 (though 12x10 is a close contender). This is being written, and shot as a romance and my gosh I love it. Poor Dean.

THEN we get further justification for Cas’s actions. I know that this episode hasn’t really done him any favours for painting him as a bit of a villain and I know that the Cas haters will have a field day with his treatment of the Winchesters, but we are getting solid explanations for his actions here, and they all point back to Cas’s love for the Winchesters, his love for Dean…

“I am doing this for the Winchesters. I stole the Colt to keep them out of this mission”

“I will kill this girl, so that Sam and Dean won’t have to.”

Because that really is love, Cas would do the dirty work to spare Sam and Dean the pain of having to do something that could traumatise them further. Cas is doing this so that they won’t have to suffer that. He is doing it to protect them, because he loves them. I swear to god if I see a single post from a cas hater trying to paint him as a villain who doesn’t care I will be all over it. They have NOTHING to back up their arguments.

It is of course, the same tune that Cas is singing again and again. This is the reason behind ALL of his motivations. Its always about the Winchesters. Its not about his reputation, glory, praise, its not even about saving the world. Its about sparing Sam and Dean from doing something horrible. He just wants them to have the peace and freedom they taught him was so important back in freaking season FOUR. I won’t be holding his decisions in this episode against him, because I think Dabb has a very clear idea of where Cas is going with his story arc, and its all about emphasising what is truly important to him, what Cas basically lives for now. Yeah, he needed the win. He needs to put a stop to something that could potentially destroy the world, but his true reasons for doing it are spelt out in this episode.

Coming back to Sam and Dean, the conversation about the Colt:

“How did Cas even get the Colt out of the safe in the first place?”

“…”

“Dean, you put the colt back in the safe right? Dean?”

“… it was under my pillow… I like to keep it close.”

“He came into my room and he played me.”

“He played us both.”

What I love about this exchange, is that until this moment we don’t know where Cas got the Colt from. He could have just broken into the safe, or he could have got it from where Dean previously kept it under the table in the library. But they chose to have him steal it from under Dean’s pillow. Once again there is added intimacy to a scene where really, the intimacy is unecessary for the plot. When you start to put together all the choices that the writer and director made for this episode, it becomes really difficult to see it from a persective that doesn’t involve Destiel.

Yes, we know in the previous scene that Dean left Cas alone in his room, but the way Dean acts when he owns up to Sam that it was stolen from under his pillow makes it sound like it WASN’T innocent. “Cas came into my room and distracted me and manipulated me enough to find and steal the colt from under my pillow.” It just stinks of sexual subtext and it makes the betrayal that much worse. As I said before, this is 6x20 all over again. But this time its even MORE personal BECAUSE of everything they have been through since then and just how much they have admitted to each other including a bloody love confession and a mixtape. The theft from under the pillow of all places only adds a sexual layer to that heap of intimate subtext. Am I saying they had sex? No. I am not saying this. What I am saying is that having Cas steal the Colt from under Dean’s pillow rather than from a safe or from another safe place adds a layer of intimacy that was not previously necessary. It makes the theft a bigger violation of Dean’s trust than stealing it from the safe, it makes the betrayal a lovers betrayal rather than the betrayal of a friend in the subtext. (I’m not sure if I’m explaining this well, but hopefully you all get the general idea).

Basically, it is another point to add to the list of things in this episode that show that Dean and Cas’s relationship is romantic rather than platonic at this stage (even if textually it isn’t… its how they both act and feel around each other and emphasises how their feelings for each other are NOT PLATONIC.)

As always, at this stage, if you are still struggling to see a destiel reading, consider the same scene but with Sam rather than Dean. Would it work the same way? Have the same impact? How about instead, just considering WHY this never happens to Sam? Why Dean gets the emotional close up with the sweeping string music whilst staring longlingly into Castiel’s empty bedroom and not Sam. Why its Dean that runs off to get Cas, why its Dean’s pillow that Cas stole the Colt from under, why its Dean that gave him the mixtape, and not Sam.

Then we get shots like THIS:

Which lets be honest, are oozing with sexual tension. I was discussing with @godshipsit about how when I first watched this scene, my heart kinda skipped a beat and I was stunned for a second into thinking “this is how they will go canon” (not in this exact scene in this episode of course, but it will be like this when it finally happens. Because I can picture this shot, I can picture the frustration between them and Dean just deciding enough is enough and taking that final step forward and just kissing his dumbass angel so that he finally gets it) The framing of the shot again is beautifully done, the circle around them, framing them and also making the viewer feel like once again they are spying on them. Yes Dean is angry, but Cas is letting him manhandle him up against a wall. Remember he is an angel, he could easily stand his ground, but he doesn’t. He lets Dean get out his frustration here. Lets Dean be threatening. Notice how Sam doesn’t ever react in such a way. Because its not really how friends react is it?

Okay so Dean and Cas have a volatile relationship, that sometimes leads to moments like this which could be viewed as violent or even dare I say ‘abusive’ and gosh wouldn’t the anti’s have a field day with that. But think about romantic tropes for a second, the old hollywood types. Its never friends that get angry and have moments like this that are shot in such a way, but lovers? Having lovers tiffs? Yeah, this is common. The fighting, the pinning against a wall, the staring into each others eyes trying to stand their ground? Its classic sexual tension. Dean doesn’t hurt Cas in this scene remember. Cas doesn’t hurt Dean either. Not physically. The only reason that Cas hurts Dean emotionally is because he doesn’t realise how much Dean cares about him. He knows he is betraying his friends, he knows he is doing wrong in terms of a friendship but views his actions as justified to keep them safe. From a romantic perspective Cas has not yet grasped just how much he is emotionally hurting Dean at this point – because Dean hasn’t yet given him reason to believe he is hurting him this much – though he makes it pretty obvious from the audiences perspective.

Then if we hadn’t already had it spelled out to us again Cas once again gives us his reasons:

“I wanted to keep you out of this, I was trying to keep you safe”

“this is my responsibility”

The writers are constantly trying to remind the audience that Cas’s reasons are always about the Winchesters. There isn’t a selfish bone in his body. He may be jepardising his relationship with them, but to him the end justifies the means. Cas wants the Winchesters kept safe, so his betrayal makes sense to him. Like I have said before. It is season 6 all over again. I just hope it ends differently.

I have to give Dean major kudos here though for being the most understanding boyfriend on the planet, because even after Kelly and Cas steal his beloved Impala he STILL is able to stick up for Cas

“He’s so desperate for a win now he can’t even see straight”

In case the viewers weren’t aware already that Cas is SO NOT THE BAD GUY HERE, Dean spells it out for us in his own words. Yeah, he’s pissed, but he is still able to see Cas’s POV, he gets it, he still cares, still wants to be there for him. I am sure there is some awesome symbolic meaning behind him fixing Cas’s truck up for him as well. If the way Dean fixing up the Impala is supposed to symbolise him healing his own soul, fixing up Cas’s truck has got to also symbolise him fixing Cas. Dean will be there for Cas when he comes back, like he always does.

Dean has come so far this season. His development, his ability to see other peoples POV, his distaste for lies and his slow deconstruction of his ‘performing Dean’ mask. I just adore how far Dean has come, and I can’t wait to see more of this. Dean is being forgiving, he is understanding, he is communicating and I think it is wonderful, really. Not just for destiel, but for his own health and state of mind, and for all the other characters he interacts with.

Moving past the epic finale with baby lucifer taking control of Cas to destroy Dagon, I need to talk about this scene:

Because yeah, something is wrong with Cas, but he was still himself enough to show this level of care and consideration to Dean. The gentle “you’re hurt” and this gorgeous and intimate (again the intimacy in the shots this episode has me majorly fangirling at Amanda Tappin’s excellent direction) caress as he heals him. Dean doesn’t get a standard tap on the forehead or glowy hand hovering a few inches above an injury. Nope. Dean gets gentle, intimate caresses as he is healed. Because Dean is and always will be special to Cas.

Dean won’t let Cas leave, even after everything Cas has done this episode, he still worries about him and argues to stay with him

“Whatever that thing did to you we’re not just gonna let you walk away” Dean knows that Cas isn’t right, he knows that he can’t leave him now. Dean has been down this road before, and that whole speech about faith and the baby well, it just brought back major 8x17 feels to be honest. It sounded like Cas talking about the angel tablet all over again. That was after the brainwashing was broken remember? More on that in a bit.

Basically, this episode was full of destiel moment and I am a big heap of emotional mess thanks to it. Nevertheless, there is more to talk about than just the glorious destieliciousness of this episode (yes that is totally a word).

Therefore, let’s consider what we learned about:

Lucifer’s Baby, Faith and the Future

The fact that this episode started out so darkly, immediately screamed to me that it was not going to end well either, or that any of this was going to end well. Kelly was so very lost to the point that she killed herself. A striking visual for the viewer, and one that is all too common in TV and film nowadays. Kelly couldn’t cope with what her baby would become, and so resorted to taking her own life and the life of the baby instead.

Honestly this is the first episode that I have actually liked Kelly’s character. It feels like the first time she has had any real depth and personality (which is fitting since its also the first time she has been written by a writer other than the terrible duo).

The baby saves her though of course, since it is half angel and therefore has the power of grace to heal her. This shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who understands angels but Kelly treats it as a miracle. She has a change of heart and suddenly we are on the “faith” path.

I think that Cas was probably always going to bond with Kelly after this scene. It may still only be buried in the subtext, but we have had enough call backs to season 8 this episode to make us remember that very heart breaking moment in 8x08 when Cas admitted to Dean that he might kill himself. Cas has been suicidal in the past. With everything he has been through, it’s no wonder he couldn’t go through with killing Kelly.

Whilst I don’t think that the baby will be quite the great evil that Dagon thinks it will be, I have no doubt in my mind that it has Lucifer-like tendencies to manipulate and that at this point its main concern is its own survival. I don’t think it is inherently evil, but still:

“Every sad weak human, every tight ass angel, every snivelling demon, they’ll all be consumed.”

Doesn’t this all seem very Amara-like to you? Because honestly the use of the word ‘consumed’ kinda throws big Amara signs my way. But surely not because we did this story last season. (see this is why the Lucifer baby story annoys me). Anyway, the stories are really similar. The Angels all want this baby dead, so they go to great lengths to kill it, only Cas can’t do it because hes’ Cas and he may talk a big game but killing innocents hasn’t been his thing since well… Jesse… and that is yet another time they basically did this freaking story.

As I mentioned though, Kelly gets through to Cas because of their similar experiences with desiring suicide and feeling hopeless. They are both mirrored this episode as feeling lost and hopeless and therefore vulnerable and easy to manipulate. Isn’t that always the way the devil gets to you? Isn’t that exactly what Lucifer did to Cas last year?

The whole conversation about faith and destiny is very season 5 and is very intentional in an episode that has already used the phrase “team free will” to refer to Sam, Dean and Cas. Other things in this episode that seem kinda pointless on the surface but must have some deeper meaning include the death of Joshua. Why bring him back for all of one episode only to kill him like that? Unless of course he was simply there to remind the viewer of something? Just like the mentioning of “team free will” even though honestly why Dean would say such a thing to Cas who was unconscious the first time he said it? This isn’t just fanservice. This is to take the viewer right back to season 5 and the BIG theme of that season. Free Will, Freedom and Choice are far more important than destiny and fate, and that faith can come from all kinds of different sources.

The last episode where we met Joshua was Dark Side of the Moon. The episode where Castiel lost his faith. Since then, Castiel has had only one real source of faith: the Winchesters. Yes he has been lost and low and broken over the years but he has always had one overall believe, and that is the Winchesters and what they do. In the same episode where we see a massive increase in Destiel subtext and Pining!Dean we also see the return of Joshua for all of two seconds and Dean trying so hard to get through to Cas, to convince him that the three of them work best together, but Cas still doesn’t get it, doesn’t see it, because Dean hasn’t given him the real reasons, hasn’t spelled it out for him the way Cas did to Dean in 12x12. There has been no obvious love confession from Dean. So Cas is still lost, still wondering, still without a guiding light to bring him home.

Hence he is an easy target for the creepy baby to come and take him as its personal protector. By the end of the episode, Castiel is not our Cas. Not the Cas that chooses the Winchesters anyway. Not the Cas that chooses love over all else. This is a Cas who is reminiscent of Cas when he held the angel tablet and it spoke to his angel coding and told him to keep it safe at all costs. This isn’t brainwashing as such, not the way Naomi brainwashed him, or Rowena cast a spell on him, or Lucifer possessed him. This is a Cas that is vulnerable and in desperate need of a mission to keep him preoccupied to stop him from feeling utterly worthless because he couldn’t bring Dean a “win”. That baby latched on to those feelings, and convinced Cas that he was the best chance of a better future.

The fact that both Kelly and Cas had these yellow eyes is clear proof that this is NOT GOOD. Okay so they still have their pupils in tact unlike the Princes of Hell, but it is still yellow and it still came with that unsettling sound effect that was always associated with Azazel (and then brought back for Ramiel). The baby may not be “evil” in the literal sense, but it is not a good thing. It will not be born and be the “savior”.

Castiel and faith do not go together. When you give Castiel faith in anything that isn’t a Winchester, well, its just not done. This won’t be good. Especially when the words “The Future” were heard over this shot:

Isn’t that ominous. Castiel may have come back to his senses enough to gently heal Dean’s injury (proving that our real Cas is still in there somewhere – always thinking of Dean when he is hurt) but real Cas would NOT just leave Dean and Sam lying on the ground vulnerable outside the ENTRANCE TO HEAVEN AND ALL THOSE ANGELS THAT HATE THEM. WHAT THE FUCK? Yeah so not good basically.

Whatever the future that the baby showed Cas was, it seemed to please him. Now, since it showed Kelly the real future that we saw in this episode then it must have been somewhat real, it also had to be something that was enough motivation to give Cas his faith back… but what could that possibly be? A world without SPN creatures? A world in which Sam and Dean have the peace they deserve? Safety? A life outside of hunting? What else could possibly motivate Cas to go along with this babies ‘plan’ if not something to help the Winchesters?

I’m still unconvinced that this will be anything but bad and that Castiel has been shown a lie. Either that, or this is how they tie the whole thing into the BMOL plot where they want to get rid of all spn creatures as well… even though Sam and Dean are also against them (or will be once they realise the extent of their crazy fascism).

All I can hope is that Dabb knows where he is going with this. The emotional plot seems to be far stronger than the actual story line this year. Which is great in one way, but I still feel we are lacking structure, and I cannot see how this is gonna end. I kinda want to believe that Dabb has decided to let Cas get sort of brainwashed again just so he can have another go at the Crypt Scene (and get it RIGHT this time) because really what else is gonna break Cas out of this weird kind of semi-controlled state? Other than Dean’s love? Why else would they ramp up the subtext to 11 in the same episode that Cas loses his own free will if not to prove to us that Dean will yet again be the key to his freedom?

Overall

The Destiel was great, the plot kinda meh, I have no idea where this baby plot is going and if we get a repeat of season 11s baby Amara plot I’ll be pissed. If Lucifer doesn’t die in the finale I’ll be pissed (I want Cas to hold him down whilst Sam kills him). Fingers crossed for a Crypt Scene but with a canon confession of love from Dean far greater than 8x17s “I need you”. After all, he has been shedding so much of his performance mask, trying so hard to be honest, to accept other people into his life… he is opening himself to vulnerability and accepting that it is okay to do – even when those people hurt him… Dean is learning to be emotionally healthy and really, this route can only end in him doing the one thing he has always struggled to do. The return of his mother this season has only emphasised this. Bearing in mind she is the only person he has ever said the words to before. Could we be on track to getting a confession of love from Dean to Cas? Isn’t it about time? After this episode, I actually think it’s a possibility.

I hate that Cas is not himself again. It breaks my heart. I imagine a lot of people see this as a regression, and I am trying not to. He needs to learn that there are other ways. The difference is that now Dean knows the reasons why Cas is like this. Cas did use his words to explain his reasons quite clearly, so Dean understood. Dean just needs to figure out the key to getting Cas to see things from his POV.

This episode had many great points in it. Obviously the destiel was glorious. The camera work and framing and composition and direction were also fantastic. I hope Amanda comes back and directs again. The one word I will use to describe this episode is “intimate”. Because half the time I felt like I was watching very private moments between characters and I don’t usually feel that way. It was really well put together. I do hope it all comes together by season end, though I am still not too sure. Either way, I liked this episode, even with the baby plot and Lucifer turning up in the middle there. It was satisfying. I’ll give it a 8/10 for how it made me feel after my first watch.

127 notes · View notes

socialattractionuk · 5 years

Text

Why Thor’s First Date Strategy Is Different To What You May Expect (Podcast Transcript)

You can find the original article at http://www.socialattraction.co.uk Connect with us Google+

Okay. Welcome back to today’s episode where we’re going to be looking at Thor, the Marvel character.

In this episode, there are three specific areas that I’d like to focus on. Now, firstly, it’s his physicality as a man, secondly, it’s how perfect his dating strategy was in the first film, and finally, it’s how he puts his calling in life above women. Now, all three of these are super, super attractive to women and also, typically, as guys, we tend to revere these characteristics, which is why the Thor films did so well. And, even in the Avengers, he’s an amazing character that a lot of us buy into.

So, let’s begin with his first characteristic, which is that he is physically big. I mean, this guy is a physical specimen. He is massive. And if you imagine the Thor film where Chris Hemsworth is half the size, you can imagine it wouldn’t make the same kind of impact, and there are several reasons for this.

First of all, when a guy is physically big and strong, it conveys a lot of good things about him.

So first of all, it shows that he has good genetics because he’s physically strong. Second of all, it conveys that he can protect you and look after you, again because of his size. It also shows that he can stick to something, as in, you know, weight training and committing to it. It also shows that he doesn’t quit because he’s still that big over a period of time. And it also shows that he puts himself first which means that he takes care of himself.

Now, what I find fascinating about all of these attributes is that they’re conveyed before he speaks his very first word. So, being in physically good condition, specifically being physically big, like a big guy, is value that you can take around with you before you’ve spoken to women. And it’s actually quite unique in that vein. I mean, unless you’re putting out some kind of content, like you’re an artist of some vein, typically, when women first see you, they’re going to make a first impression of you.

And if you are physically bigger, that first impression’s going to hit a hell of a lot of fitness indicators all at the same time. If you’re not sure what I mean by fitness indicator, I did an episode about Charles Darwin earlier on in the series. But in a nutshell, it’s like a, it’s a signpost to your genetic disposition that women will decide about whether you’re attractive or not. So, being physically big is certainly something that we can learn from the Thor character, and if we are doing weight training, specifically focusing on gaining in size and being physically bigger, it’s going to make you more attractive to women.

Now, on to our second, attribute of Thor, which is that he had the perfect dating strategy in the first film.

Now, there are a few things which he did remarkably well, right? He did some, used some amazing principles. So, first of all, he delayed gratification. Now, I think the lady’s name in the film was Jane. I mean, he didn’t just grab her and try and kiss her straight away, right? He specifically delayed going for the kiss, and I’ll talk about how he kissed her just in a little bit. But part of his dating strategy, right?

So, what he did is rather than just having one date with her, which is what most guys do, he had loads of mini-dates. So, he had food with her in the diner he had the going to get his hammer back, so they had, like, a little adventure together, and then they had a little romantic point in their date where they ended up sitting around, it was almost like a fireplace, but it wasn’t like a bin with stuff in it, but burning, like a fireplace.

And that’s when they shared their stories together, and, and really got to know each other on a more, like, intimate level. He spoke about his history and gave her support and confidence in her that she could also achieve her dreams. So, during this dating strategy, just, just to break this down a little bit, what he basically did is he had loads of different date venues, he was an enigma to her until, really, they sat down over a fireplace and got to know each other, and I think that there’s something innate about sitting around a fireplace.

Maybe it’s down to our cultural heritage because that’s where stories used to be shared.

But something that we can learn from that, actually, is if you go to a lot of bars and restaurants around London, in the background, a lot of them will have TV screens on. And on the TV screens, they’ll have a fireplace. And I always think that is such a great setting for a date, and especially if you’re going to take girls back to your apartment, rather than puttin’ music on TV, why not go onto YouTube, type in “Fireplace HD,” and then have a fireplace playing in the background with the sounds, and it’s just something warm and cosy about it that can, you know, allow people to open up. It’s, is, it’s more about setting the environment up correctly that’s going to allow that date to go well.

And as I say, he also was mysterious to her. I did an episode about the Joker, talking about being enigmatic, but in the film, we didn’t really go into too much detail about who he was until they went and sat down by that fireplace, and then they shared their stories. And that’s also something interesting, because a lot of us on a night out, typically is to try and talk too much about ourselves, and there’s a real power in holding back some of that for the second date or even the third date, you know? You don’t want to let too much out too early. You want to let that mystery build.

And obviously, this leads up to the moment where they kiss, which is an absolutely amazing kissing scene, because they, in this film, they got it spot on. They let the sexual tension grow. They got to know each other really well. And in the kissing scene, rather than just going into kissing her, what he did was he held eye contact with her and he kissed her hand first, which really, like, amped up the sexual tension even more, and then she grabbed him and kissed him. And it’s a wonderful kissing scene.

If you wanted to learn about creating tension, holding eye contact, watch the Thor kissing scene in Thor one, because it is, it’s a, a great example of, actually, how to go about kissing women that isn’t desperate or try-hard, and it’s, yeah, it’s fantastic.

Okay. So, now on to the final point which I wanted to discuss, which is the fact that he puts his calling in life before women. So, in the end of the film, basically what he does is he breaks a bridge which stops him from ever going back to Earth. Also, before that, when he left her, he basically reassured her and let he let her know that he’d be back to see her again.

Now, what’s really happening here is, he’s creating uncertainty about whether they’ll see each other again, and that is hugely attractive. A lot of us can typically say, “Yeah, when were you going to organise our next date,” and be a little bit desperate about it. But in this situation, obviously, due to the environment, Thor couldn’t set up the future date, so he just promised her that he’d be back. So, he was reassuring her, he was creating uncertainty, and then at the end of the film, he has to break the bridge, thus not being able to go back and see her. And this kind of sets up, you know, part two a little bit better.

Moving away from the film and more into how this can help us with women, specifically, he puts his calling in life first before women. Now, I just want to show you how this can play out in different areas of our life. So, for example, in my experience of coaching guys, a lot of them are, you know, training hard. They’re focused on earning money. They’re trying to develop their lives. And then when they finally meet a girl and they start dating, typically, they’ll start to eat, and more unhealthy food.

They won’t train at the gym as often. And what’s happening is they’re allowing this girl to influence their life away from what their calling in life may be.

And it’s very easy to miss a gym session here, to stop reading as much to spend time with a girl. But I’ve always found it pertinent to try and set up your relationship how you’d like it to be perhaps in 10, 15 years time. So, if you can fast forward that far, you’re not typically going to be spending, you know, all of the waking hours with this girl. There’ll be limits in place and you’ll have other things going on in your life. And I think it’s an important lesson to be able to segment, right at the start of your relationship, and set up the framing correct so that you’re able to then stick to that moving forward in the relationship.

Also, there’s something specifically attractive about a guy that can’t be influenced, right? So, we, we typically hear that you know, women are drawn to the guys they can’t get. Well, it’s the same when you’re in a relationship. You know, if a girl’s getting back from work at 6:00, and you’re training at the gym from 6:00 till 8:00, you’re limiting your time already, which again makes you more attractive. You’re also working on your longer-term goals because you’re being in physically good condition that makes you more attractive to other people.

Now, the Thor character, just as an archetype, is amazing. I mean, really, he is like the epitome of masculinity.

He’s also very eloquent in the film, which I also think adds a nice bit of depth to him. But we see this archetype, like, all through history. So, you know, a real-life example of it would be The Rock, again, who’s someone who’s physically big and strong, and even back to, like, old stories, like Hercules. So, the example of, like, the big guy being physically attractive to women, although it’s something we’re all aware of, it is still something that we can all work towards.

And you know, if you’re not necessarily a big guy to start with, just, you know, building some kind of physique where you are getting physically bigger than what you are, is going to allow you to set goals. It’s going to allow to focus on yourself. It’s also going to aid your self-confidence. So there’s a hell of a lot that comes from physical training to be big.

I’d probably say, with regards to any of the other fitness indicators, assigning time to train at the gym to get physically big is probably going to be the best use of your time if you are looking at attracting more women. You’re going to get the endorphins from training. You’re going to specifically meet women at the gym, depending on what gym you go to. You’re going to be able to carry that value around with you, so if you ever go travelling around the world, before you’ve even spoken, you can put out your value to women right at the start.

Listen to The Gary Gunn Show Podcast #10 – Why Thor’s Dating Strategy Is Different To What You May Expect

Want to learn how to become more masculine around women? – View our upcoming courses here

0 notes