#BUT THERE YOU GO

[aphel1on]

Dungeon Lords and the Human Need for Connection

When I came across these panels again the other day, it got me thinking about dungeon lord parallels again.

...And I spiraled until I was writing my thesis statement about how All Four Dungeon Lords (Yes, Even Laios, Stop leaving him out of these discussions) Are Actually the Same.

Firstly (because on some level everything is about Thistle to me) I thought about how the lion could have very likely given Thistle a similar offer when his loved ones started losing their souls/rebelling/etc. And yet, there is no sign that Thistle ever accepted such an offer, nor any sign that he used magic to forcibly change people's opinions, the way Marcille briefly threatened the party with while she was dungeon lord:

Instead, he ended up with the fucking dining table that drives me insane. Which probably means that either Thistle rejected the offer, or the lion sensed it wouldn't go over well and didn't even try it.

Making replicas of people doesn't seem to be an uncommon part of granting the dungeon lord's wishes. In his time, Mithrun actually took the demon up on it:

(Not pictured; the infamous lamia-version of his love interest.)

What makes Mithrun different from Thistle and Marcille in this instance is that Thistle and Marcille both became dungeon lords for the sake of specific people. Both were motivated by the terror of losing their most important people, and both told themselves everything they did was for the sake of protecting those people.

Because they were motivated by genuine love, copies or mind manipulation were not palatable. I think Thistle even in the late stages of his madness probably would not find these to be acceptable solutions. No matter how twisted, possessive, and obsessive his love became under the dungeon's influence, it was still from the fear of losing those original, irreplaceable people that he was doing all this. Even as his relationship with Delgal and the other Melinis fell apart over the years... even as he was left with only their soulless bodies... he would still rather cling to whatever was left.

Perhaps on some level, Thistle recognized the same thing that kept Marcille from following through with her threats:

Even in the state of endlessly chasing their desires as dungeon lords, they couldn't feel truly okay accomplishing it that way.

For Mithrun, meanwhile, the people in his fantasy world were a means to an end. It was all-encompassing insecurity and the pain of not being wanted that led him to become dungeon lord. His desire was not fixated on any specific people - it was broad enough and desperate enough that anyone could fulfill it. The thing is, Mithrun prior to becoming dungeon lord was by all accounts well-liked. But his emotional walls were up so high that not a single one of his admirers could make him feel known and cared for. The kind of crushing perfectionism he exhibited in that stage of his life often comes with a silent and equally crushing imposter syndrome. No one actually knew him, because Mithrun didn't let them, even though every aspect of his personality then was a desperate plea to be seen and liked. I think the sad truth is that, by the time he became dungeon lord, Mithrun didn't truly believe that happiness was something that could be found in other people. (It's telling that his wish was for a world in which he had never been discarded; perhaps for a world in which he never felt the need to put up those masks.)

In this respect, Mithrun is actually more alike to Laios than he is to Thistle and Marcille.

Laios was told again and again by the world that it was wrong to be who he was - that he was unlikeable when he acted the way that came naturally to him. The lion didn't bother asking Laios about replicas; those would be meaningless to him. Like Mithrun, Laios had lost all hope of being liked for who he was, but took it one step further: Laios had lost hope that he could find happiness in the human world entirely. At that point, all he wanted was an escape. To leave the pain of the human world behind and become someone, something, different. All he really needed in order to be tempted into it was the assurance that his friends would be safe.

All four of these stories have a pretty obvious throughline when you think about it: the deep, intrinsic need for human connection and what happens to someone when that need cannot be met.

All four of them were starving for connection. All four of them experienced alienation and isolation that made them desperate enough to turn to the demon.

Marcille (a half-elf whose unstable aging left her without peers) and Thistle (raised as the only elf in a kingdom of humans) both formed intense attachments to the few people they did become close to, and went off the deep end from fear of losing them.

Mithrun and Laios were both rejected by others for aspects of themselves that were out of their control, and tried to cope by developing masks that left them unable to feel accepted by the people still in their lives.

...So it's fitting, then, that genuine human connection is also what saved all four of them in the end.

(Thistle is a little arguable here; I personally don't think he died, but even if you do believe he died at the end of the manga- Yaad being able to connect and empathize with him is what gave him peace and solace in his final moments.)

Dungeon Meshi is about alienation and connection as much as it is about food and cycles of life. (Or more like, these themes are masterfully intertwined - food is used to represent love and connection over and over again. But that's a whole essay in and of itself!)

[alphacentaurinebula]

Look at what I saw on a walk today!

It’s seen better days…

What if…what if Crowley was so sad he stopped taking care of the Bentley properly!

No, that’s just too sad.

[wisteriagoesvroom]

he’s about to claim he’s somehow 1/16 brazilian isn’t he

(the helmet’s good tho)

[zilabee]

ways to love you - - by tikk

paul / john love - happiness - domesticity 23,000 words - PG15 - Chapter 1 of 4 _____________________________________________

It's 1969 and John wants a divorce, but Paul offers him something else instead

[demon-witch-cat]

Hi there,

Question for your Branch is Keith’s Unofficial Dad AU (Sorry I can’t remember the actual name of the AU)

How would BroZone react to meeting Keith for the first time? And vice versa.

Also would Keith get along with BroZone?

And would BroZone think Keith is actually Branch’s Son?

Guess I ask more questions than I thought I would😅

(So sorry for taking so long to answer! I feel so bad!) 

Don’t worry, I only recently figured out the name! (thanks to @super-secret-agent-of-sin) Though, their relationship is less father-son, and more just big brother-little brother. That’s just how I personally see them! Which is especially funny when you throw in Brozone, Branch’s “actual” brothers.  

Before I start, I just real quick want to say that this is for if I stick more closely with cannon, where Floyd is the one captured and Keth just happens to tag along.   I have another idea for the AU, where Branch is the one captured, in front of Keith/after saving Keith, instead of Floyd. So, Floyd and Keith both replace/swap with Branch in the journey (If that makes sense). I can talk about that too, but I figured this one would be easier to work with. 

Now, I do like to think that there is a moment for each brother (maybe not Floyd, idk) where they’d see this trolling with blue hair, almost the exact same shade of blue as Branches when he was little, holding their youngest brothers hand staring at them with wide blue eyes, and immediately think “Oh shit, this is B’s kid!” And if they say this, Branch will quickly correct their thinking with a “What, no, Keith isn’t my kid! He’s my little brother, who I adore very much!” saying it both proudly, and slightly pettily. With Keith going “Yeah!” Before sticking is tongue out. 

Anyways, after that part, I think each brother would have a different reaction and feelings. 

KEITH 

Starting with Keith, he doesn’t like them. At least at the beginning he doesn’t. In his mind, they left Branch when he was little, and Branch clearly doesn’t like them, so he doesn’t like them. Because of this Keith decides to tag along on the mission so he can ‘protect’ Branch. Over the course of movie, he relaxes a bit with the creepy stares and feirce and childishly blunt comments. However, that doesn’t mean he likes them, especially with all the talk of ‘perfect’ and them calling Branch nicknames he very clearly doesn’t like. Keith doesn’t really understand the entire situation, he just doesn’t like how they just act like everything is normal with Branch. Like they are brothers. He does slowly warm up to them after the events of the movie though. Eventually seeing them all as older brothers as well. Though not after a bunch more creepy glares, blunt comments, and many pranks. Keith can be a menace when he wants to be. Branch will always be his favorite though, and vice versa. 

JOHN DORY 

John would be surprised, especially with how close they are, and probably feel jealous about it but ultimately take it in stride. Maybe during the fight, he makes a comment on the fact that Keith isn’t really Branch's brother, which sets Branch off even more, but he’d feel bad about it immediately afterwards. Especially seeing the heartbreaking look in Keiths eyes. After the movie’s events, though, he’d be all over it, and I can see him being the first or second brother to win over Keith (after apologizing for the comment). Especially with their common interest in the woods/outdoors (which is also shared with Branch, obviously). I think they could have a cute dynamic, once they get past the cannon drama. 

BRUCE 

Bruce would also take Branch and Keith being brothers in stride. He’d also feel very proud of Branch, especially when the first interaction he sees between the two is Keith tugging at Branches hand, asking if he can play with his own kids, and Branch turning to look at him in his own question, before agreeing, insisting that he be careful and to not wander off too far. His baby bro is so responsible and clearly a good big brother! Also, his dad instincts would totally kick in when he’s around him (like with tiny), but at the same time he wouldn’t usually get a chance to act on them because Branch was usually already on top of it. Keith looks like he’s wandering too far off? Branch is already calling him back or walking over to him. Keith’s looking nervous about the situation? Branch seems to know exactly what to do to calm the young trolling down. Hug time? The two don’t even think about it, Branch just automatically opens his arms for Keith to immediately jump into(or, even funnier, Keith and Poppy both race to hug Branch, who looks like he’s just accepted it a long time ago) That part does kind of sting though, as when he’d hugged Branch for the first time in years, he was shoved away with an uncomfortable, yet stern look. And then immediately almost being bitten by the green trolling. 

CLAY 

Clay, for some reason, I see him both the most confused, and maybe the most jealous over this. I don’t know why, it’s not because the two wouldn’t get along, because they would. I just see him being like, “Wait what? You have a little brother? ...How?” Like, same vibe as his late reaction to their grandma having been eaten. But then after Branch giving him a quick explanation, he’d kind of just... Doesn't interact with Keith unless he’d need to. At least during the events of the movie. After the movie events though, Clay would learn that Keith likes to create stories, specifically more morbid stories. Just like Branch, he’d also like to listen to Keith’s stories (I hc that Clay likes a lot of different literature. He just has more of an interest in ‘sad’ books).  

FLOYD 

Floyd would be like “Aw, your a big brother now too! That’s so sweet!” And then try to talk to Keith, but Keith would immediately just be on edge and glare at him, considering how the others were. This would throw Floyd, and Branch honestly, through a loop, but he’d try his best to get past it. Branch would try to get Keith relax a little bit, but Keith is stubborn and, as I said before, protective. The others already hurt Branch; he doesn’t know if he can trust Floyd not too. Of course, he’s not as much of a menace with Floyd as he is with the others. But it's literally only because he almost died and is still healing. By the time he’s recovered though, Keith would trust/like him enough not to go full menace little brother on him.  

Sorry, I just went on a tangent here, but I’d been thinking about this a lot! So, thank you for giving me a chance to talk about it! 

[queenlucythevaliant]

this is re: a super old post lol but when does harry potter make mischief just for the heck of it? yes he breaks rules but it’s always for a decent reason as far as i can remember, not just for kicks and giggles (tbf i haven’t reread in quite a while)

You're referencing this post, correct?

I don't think I was saying that Harry Potter makes mischief just for the heck of it so much as that he has a very ends-justify-the-means mentality when it comes to mischief making. He's perfectly content to lie to authority figures, even those we know to be Good, because he is fundamentally mistrustful of authority. He breaks the rules all the time because he doesn't believe that the rules are there for a good reason. (And, to his credit, he is often right about these things.)

Fred and George are a good example of the "agents of chaos" mischief makers I mentioned later on in those tags, as are Harry's dad and co. The code phrases for the magical map they all use are literally "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" and "mischief managed." The series as a whole had a very pro-rule breaking bent to it that doesn't really come up against many ethical lines. Lying to authority figures is fine because authority is Bad. Pranks are to be celebrated, even if not everyone enjoys them. Why not cut class with candies that make you sick? It's all in good fun.

The point I was trying to make in the original post is that Corin in HHB is a really good counter-example to this attitude around mischief making: both Harry's attitude and that of the series as a whole. Corin is a character who enjoys breaking rules, causing a bit of chaos, and getting into fights for fun, but he's very ethical about it. He's fundamentally unwilling to lie about said mischief, even if he could totally get away with it. He threatens to knock people down all the time, but he only really does it when people disrespect Queen Susan. Even the city guards who try to lock him up during his day of escapades get tricked into drinking wine and falling asleep, not beat up. Shasta even comments that Corin looks abashed when he gets in trouble with his dad. He's respectful of the authority figures in his life.

I don't know, I just think that the two series have very different attitudes around mischief and trouble-making. I don't think Harry Potter's attitude is bad, per se - and it's certainly not unique among children's books, many of which have a real lack of trustworthy adults - but I find HHB's attitude really wholesome. I genuinely love that Corin, the most mischievous character in the series, genuinely cannot fathom lying to Edmund.

[snakebites-and-ink]

Maybe a strange ask but can you please write part 5 or 6 of cyo whumper to caretaker from whumpee's pov please I love ur style of writing and want to see what was going through whumpee's head

Aw, thank you anon! Not a strange ask at all!

CW for the series | Masterlist | The parts in question: 5 6

“Here, dig in.”

The meal suddenly looked more threatening than delicious. This was almost certainly a trick. Whumper was acting nicer today, but for all Whumpee knew that could be part of the trick. It definitely wasn't their normal behavior.

They searched Whumper’s face, trying to discern what they were planning, but couldn’t find any of the usual hints there. Whumpee didn’t touch the food.

“Whumpee, you need to eat something,” Whumper prompted.

Was Whumper teasing them? They knew Whumpee wasn’t allowed to eat before Whumper’d gotten what they wanted from them—it was Whumper’s own rule. “I can't, I have to earn it!” Whumpee blurted out.

“You don’t have to do anything to earn it anymore, Whumpee, I’m giving it to you—no strings attached.”

Whumpee didn’t trust this. They weren’t sure if it was a test or a sadistic game or something else, but they weren’t willing to get punished over it. Nervously they stammered, “Th-thank you, sir, but I should earn it first. I know.”

“No, you don’t. You can just eat. Please eat.”

Whumper sounded…almost genuine. But Whumpee couldn’t risk it. “I can’t, sir,” they said. Whumper knew they couldn’t.

“Yes, you can,” Whumper asserted, pushing the plate of food closer to Whumpee.

Whumpee cringed, as if making themself smaller would get them out of this situation. They shook their head no.

“Whumpee. This is irritating.”

Whumpee whimpered, frightened. If this annoyed Whumper, they might get punished either way. They still didn’t eat though; they would only make things worse for themself if they broke a rule.

“Please?” Whumper asked. 

Whumpee wished they could.

Whumper seemed to deliberate for a moment, then moved to Whumpee's level and made eye contact. “Whumpee,” they said seriously, “I know only eating once you’ve earned it is a rule you’re used to living with. But obeying me and cooperating is a rule you’re supposed to follow too, yeah?”

The implications of that were pretty clear. There was no winning this one. Whumper had them trapped: they’d be breaking a rule no matter what they did.

“That’s the more important rule. I expect you to be obedient. You’re not going to be punished for doing what I tell you to. Now, eat.”

Okay…they could do that. They nervously started eating under Whumper’s watchful eye. They hoped Whumper was telling the truth.

Taglist: (lmk if you'd prefer to only be tagged in main chapters and not bonus stuff)

@kabie-whump, @whumpanthems, @whumpsoda, @3-2-whump, @generic-whumperz, 

@taterswhump, @alivenova, @whumped-by-glitter, @expressionless-fr, @whumpycries, 

@whumpsday, @moons-cozy-corner, @echo-goes-aaa, @whumplr-reader, @starfields08000, 

@whump-blog, @ivymyers, @currentlyinthesprial, @lumpofsand, @coffin-hopping, 

@ragin-cajun-fangirl, @catnykit, @indigoviolet311, @dragongodryss, @kira-the-whump-enthusiast,

@risk606, @natthebatt, @decaffeinatedtimetraveler94, @whatwhump, @venusski

@hermitcrabs-1,  @croixph, @mj-or-say10, @kawaii-cakes, @gevwer,

@fourwingedwriter, @turtlesnap1, @whump-till-ya-jump

[deyisacherry]

AM I WORTHY ENOUGH TO JOIN THE WH0R3 ECLIPSE CULT?

AM I?!?!??!

I started this drawing before reading Sleuth Jesters...

at first I was like hehe wh0r3... NOW I'M LIKE THIS EFFIN WH0RE I HATE HIM AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH GODDAMN YOU ECLIPSE GRRRR

anyways, detaiiils

i didn't know I could draw shoes... wow

tagging cause uh- eh- uh- hi i hope you like it!

@naffeclipse

[666writingcafe]

Barbatos As A Lover (NSFW)

Before MC, Barbatos is too busy serving Diavolo (and getting used to his physical form after existing in a void for millennia) to worry too much about sex. Has he seen it in action? Yes, both in real life and in media. Has he heard it in the walls of the castle during Diavolo's parties? Yes. Has he actually experienced it for himself? No. But Barbatos is fine with that. He feels like it would distract him from his duties, and so doesn't indulge.

With MC, things begin changing after the human successfully seduces Barbatos during the tutoring session for the Advanced Speechcraft exam. Diavolo catches his butler staring off into space more frequently with a wistful expression, and eventually gets him to confess that he's daydreaming about MC. In typical fashion, this excites the Demon Prince, and he starts behaving as Barbatos' wingman (much to Barbatos' chagrin). MC acts oblivious, but in reality they're plotting a plan. They know that they have to get Barbatos alone and in a relaxed mood before they can do anything, and so they're waiting for the right opportunity to strike (which doesn't happen for a good while, because either everyone's up MC and Barbatos' butts, or Barbatos is in butler mode). Eventually, one presents itself in the form of concert tickets. MC won two tickets to see one of the butler's favorite Devildom metal bands on a Saturday night, and they decide to make a weekend vacation out of it, even going so far as to reserve a hotel room near the venue so that they don't have to travel very far (and can get away from prying eyes). The two of them leave Thursday evening and spend the entirety of Friday and Saturday morning getting to know each other, and it quickly becomes evident to both parties that there is some serious sexual tension between them. By the time the concert's over, they're about two seconds away from ripping each other's clothes off, and well...let's just say that they don't get much sleep when they return to the hotel and that they check out the next day noticeably disheveled and with marks and scratches that they didn't have before.

[balanceoflightanddark]

What if this happened?

Azula and Zuko manage to capture the avatar right after Katara quickly healed him while still in Ba Sing Se. The gaang were forced to leave without Aang, altering the day of black sun plan into a rescue mission.

Until the end of "Day of black sun pt 2", Aang is stuck as Azula's prisoner. As the main character, Aang would still have the most screen time but it gets shared with Azula and he spends the most time with her.

What do you think will happen between them? What could "The Beach" episode look like with Aang in it?

Well, this is an interesting ask.

The first most definite thing I can say is whether or not Azula and Zuko know that Aang is alive. I would wager they would capture his body which might not necessarily be conscious to show that the Avatar is indeed dead. Naturally, this could lead to a nightmarish scenario like at the start of Book 3 where Aang wakes up on a Fire Nation ship, only for it to be under the control of the Fire Nation instead of being captured.

Course, I wouldn't imagine Aang's initial escape attempt being too successful given that he just recovered from being shot in the back. Azula and Zuko would still be able to hold him till he gets to the Fire Nation where Ozai...I doubt Aang is going to be kept in good condition since killing him would just cause the Avatar to reincarnate. Therefore, I could see Ozai keeping him in torturous conditions not unlike what Zhao put him through in Book 1. Alive, but unable to do anything. Might even give Azula the "honor" of watching him since Zuko has returned to become the Crown Prince.

But let's assume that Aang is able to try and make an escape attempt a few times. I mean let's face it, he's not exactly someone who's easy to keep down. I could see Azula wanting to keep his escape attempts under wraps so Ozai's wrath would not directed towards her. Now here's where things get interesting. She starts noticing that Aang is avoiding killing anyone, isn't going into the Avatar State, and overall isn't acting like what the Avatar is expected to act like by the Fire Nation (which we can get some interesting worldbuilding by seeing how they view the Avatar from their perspective).

If we go down this avenue of thought, Azula might assume that putting the Avatar in torturous conditions isn't working since he keeps trying to break out. What she might feel work better is if he was broken mentally so he simply wouldn't have the will to fight. To this end, she might give him better conditions that are less torturous, but she'll try to break him by passing stories about his friends dying or being captured or something. Make it clear that he can escape, but break his will to fight. Maybe have daily "chats" taunting him.

Now here's where things get interesting: Aang won't break. He knows Azula's lying to break him...but in the process, she inadvertently starts letting him know about her upbringing by divulging what her worldview is. Maybe even starts to feel a bit sorry for her than anything. I mean he did feel bad for Zuko even when the latter was trying to kill him, so it's completely in the realm of possibility. Which in turn befuddles Azula since everything she does to break him doesn't work, and she knows he's sympathizing with her.

Which leads to the Ember Island. This could be Azula's last chance at breaking Aang, showing how pathetic he is for sympathizing with a monster and not even attempting to escape when he has a chance. It backfires since Aang knows enough that Azula is NOT a monster, and tells her this. And the reason he doesn't want to escape is because he's afraid that Ozai's going to come after her for letting him escape (which isn't out of the question since Ozai is becoming more and more frustrated with Azula's lack of progress). As badly as he wants to escape, he doesn't want anyone else to suffer on his hands. Not even Azula.

Now here you can go a few routes. For me, Aang would eventually escape once he realizes that Azula won't budge. But he times it during a time where her back is turned, like the Day of the Black Sun so there's a reason for why her security is lax. Or he comes into contact with the rest of the Gaang and he escapes during the Black Sun Invasion so as to make it look like a rescue instead of incompetence on Azula's part. Either way, I do feel that Aang would advocate for mercy on behalf for Azula or at least make sure she doesn't rot someplace after Sozin's Comet. Azula would obviously assume that Aang abandoned her like everyone else, but Aang coming back and telling her the truth would give her a bit of a mental safety net and possibly lead to the road for recovery.

All in all, this was a good ask. You can do a lot with this, either go Azulaang, worldbuild for the Fire Nation, humanize Azula to Aang, maybe cause Aang to form a rift with Zuko or Iroh due to their differing opinions on Azula. You can do something with this given the ideas I just pointed out.

[kalinara]

I’ve thought about this a lot, and it occurs to me that I don’t think Ted’s problem is that he doesn’t get angry or needs to learn that not everyone has to be forgiven.

Because we already HAVE someone that Ted is angry at, someone that Ted doesn’t forgive:

His father.

Ted Lasso has never forgiven his father.  And we can see that in so many ways:

1) His refusal to go to the funeral.  That was a child’s decision, of course, but we can hear it in the way he talks about it now.  The rapid speech, the sharp note in his voice.  “Because he quit.”

2) The whole thing about quitting.  Ted Lasso doesn’t quit.  It’s a big motif.  For the most part, it’s a positive one (see: Sharon using it to motivate him), but it can get him trapped in a hopeless spiral (see: Michelle).

3) The darts monologue with Rupert.  Curiosity vs. judgment.   Per Ted, a truly curious man would have asked “Have you played a lot of darts, Ted?”

Thing is, and I can’t believe I’m defending Rupert.  But he DID ask Ted a SIMILAR question.  He asked, “Do you like darts?”

But that was the wrong question.  Because Ted’s answer is a very ambivalent “eh, they’re okay.”

When you think about it, does that emotional reaction fit with everything that comes after?  The folksy anecdote?  The softly fond reveal of playing darts every Sunday from age 10 to 16 in a Sports Bar with his father?

Unless the darts aren’t exactly a happy memory, not anymore.

5) Henry’s name.  This is something that’s haunted me for some time.  That bit in Goodbye Earl when Ted tells us about the dog that bit him.  About the dog he kept, until it died.  That dog is Hank.

Hank is a diminutive of Henry.  

If we take Ted’s anecdote at face value then, Ted had a parent die in his adolescence.  One he clearly did love.  And he named his son after the dead dog instead.  

So yeah, I think Ted has absolutely never forgiven his father.  And that’s the crux of his problem now.

Folks have said that the series really should have made Henry 19.  It would easily fit in Ted’s timeline, and wouldn’t read as much like Ted’s abandoning his son...

Except think about it for a second.  When do kids usually read Johnny Tremain?  Fourth grade?  Fifth?  When they’re about ten years old?

How old was Ted when his dad started (from his perspective) prioritizing his friends over his son?

When did Ted’s father START playing darts with him every Sunday?  

Is Ted really abandoning his son?  I don’t really think so.  But Ted thinks so.  And why does Ted think so?  Because young Ted thought so.  Ted has never forgiven his father, so he can’t forgive himself either.

And that’s what makes it particularly ironic that these fans who say Ted shouldn’t have to “forgive everyone”, and by “everyone”, they mean Nate.  Not Rebecca, not Trent.  Nate.

And the thing about Nate is that Nate is Ted’s son too.  Not literally, but everything in the first and second season built that symbolic relationship.  From Ted noticing him and uplifting him.  Buying him his first suit.  Taking him as his plus one for the Gala.  Including him in the Diamond Dogs.  All of it.

Hell, even Nate’s name.  “Nate”.  “Nate the Great”.  Nate’s real father only ever calls him Nathan.  (Oh, and isn’t there a fascinating comparison between “Wonder Kid” and “Nate the Great”?  Ted has NEVER to my recollection EVER called him the “Wonder Kid”.)

Nate’s anger at Ted is real.  He feels that Ted abandoned him, and he has some justification in that.  Ted was so wrapped up in his own issues that he missed that Nate needed help.  He did (accidently) insult and undermine Nate a few times, in ways that I’d like to think the more alert Ted of Season One would have caught and avoided/mitigated.

But at least SOME of Nate’s anger at Ted is really misdirected anger at his actual father.  This is what causes Nate to believe the worst of Ted, without really any basis.  Is Ted really dismissing Nate’s contributions?  No, of course not.  He’s very quick to credit him.  But Nate hears his father’s cold dismissal deeper in his heart.  The absence of Nate’s picture has nothing to do with dislike, that picture is on his mantle next to Henry’s picture!  That’s how IMPORTANT Nate is to Ted!  But Nate doesn’t know that, and he has no reason to expect that.  And it’s really really sad.

If Ted and Nate never reconcile than what does this mean for Ted?  It means he’s failed a son.  It means he’s failed a son just like he’d been failed.  It means that he’s failing TWO sons.  He needs this reconciliation with Nate as much, if not more, than Nate himself does.  Is Nate’s deed unforgiveable?  Maybe, it’d be to a stranger.  Maybe even to a friend.  But is it unforgiveable to a FATHER?

No.  A parent’s love is (supposed to be) unconditional.  Of course, he will forgive Nate.  Nate’s already BEEN forgiven.  But if they can reconcile...in a way that Ted cannot and will never be able to be reconciled with his father?

I think that would do more good for Ted than any “learning it’s okay not to forgive” lesson ever would.

[i-dont-even-know-by-this-point]

So I don’t know whether my brain is just totally lagging behind (very possible), but I just thought back to this shot of Mikasa with the bird wings in the last episode (and the manga):

And when I was first watching the final chapters, I was too hyped to pay much attention to it and just thought ‘sick frame’, but looking back over it, it’s pretty symbolic considering the strong imagery of birds representing freedom within the show: I’m taking it as showing that in this final battle, out of Eren and Mikasa, Mikasa is the one acting out of free will here — she’s the one who’s free by fighting against her emotional ties between what she wants to do (live peacefully with Eren) vs what she needs to do (stop—and kill—him before he destroys the whole world); she’s the one who’s fighting to break out of this cycle of violence, whereas Eren is only perpetuating it.

Basically, for all his talk of freedom, Eren in this battle is a slave to it (as he says so himself); just treading the course he’s predetermined for himself. Mikasa is the one who we thought throughout the series had the ‘least’ free will (regarding all the false ideas of the Ackerman bond and even just through the strength of her devotion to Eren and compliance with his wishes), but it turns out in the final fight that she’s the one unshackled by destiny or hatred here, not Eren, whose nature has led him down an unchangeable path he has to follow because of that nature.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Colours in Our Skyy 2 Bad Buddy ep 1

I was nervous in the run up to the Our Skyy 2 eps, not least to see what Aof and the team were going to do with our beloved characters and their stories, but also to see if the colours I had interpreted during the series stayed consistent.

And after two out of three (four?) episodes, I think they are.

In ep 1, right off the bat Pat's Blue and Pran's Red make an appearance...but the faculty jackets lend themselves to offering consistency here (the photo makes the blue look black but they are a dark blue).

But as soon as the action shifts to the auditorium, we can see Pat and Pran's world is full of blue and red. The red curtain is a big part of this but look at the array of random blue and red objects in the room...some of which also move into a different spot later.

Pat and Pran quite rightly (and as others have already pointed out) exchange their colours in the early part of the ep. I thought it was interesting that they didn't feel like they needed to hide their...friendship...to Ajan Pichai - the senior who Ming could quite easily hear about them from - not reacting at all to him seeing Pat's arm around Pran.

More blue and red pairings are seen in Pran's shirt and the ice pack (which I pointed out in my addition to @grapejuicegay's post that Pran is 'icing' the same shoulder that he hurt in BBS ep 1 when Pat had the bruised cheek even though Pran didn't get hurt this time round), in Ink and Pa's outfits (the pic is a bit blurry but I wanted to show Pa's red handbag - I really wish I could see what was written on her top), and in the Hightem meeting room. (Note also that Pa carries a tote bag which has orange and lime green - their colours).

Pops of blue and red also inhabit Ajan Pichai's office (the plaque, book, flowers, even the pens!) but I want to draw your attention to Pichai's shirt - a dark/olive green - a colour for 'bad' things (conflict, an obstacle to Pat and Pran's happiness etc) - and we see Pichai pit them against each other rather than choose between them to end the argument, thus causing them further problems.

Later, Pichai wears a lighter shirt...which could be labelled as light blue, grey, or a light mint...but regardless, he accepts the end to the auditorium dispute and unknowingly sets up an opportunity for Pat and Pran to have some couple-time alone up north. This is also when he sees Pat with his arm around Pran, so perhaps it also shows his silent support of their...friendship.

Back to the dark green and it's also on the tent in Pat and Pran's apartment, so it's no surprise that things go wrong for Pat when he comes back and thinks Wai is Pran. (Note also the orange...but I'll talk about that in ep 2's post 😏)

But on to yellow - the colour that seems to symbolise Pat and Pran's love and happiness - and I thought it was a nice touch to have Korn pick out the broom with the yellow handle and then be thankful for Pat and Pran and tell Wai he loved him. Yellow was also in the cushions that Pat and Pran (and Wai in the morning) laid on when they had their Soft™ lovely-dovey moment, and it was heartbreaking to see Pran had changed into a yellow t-shirt to go and find Pat before their second 'honeymoon' trip only for him to hear Pat exaggeratedly badmouthing him.

And finally brown - a colour that seems to represent sacrifice, submission, or yielding - and we see it first on Korn as he tricks Pat into drinking with them. Pat then yields to peer pressure and ends up staying longer and drinking much more than he originally planned. That choice ultimately meant he sacrificed his opportunity to go to Pha Pun Dao with Pran the next day. Pat, also already having to sacrifice an open relationship with Pran because of their family situation, is somewhat forced to speak bad of Pran to hide their relationship causing a conflict between him and Pran who overhears him from outside.

The next day, Pran sets off for Pha Pun Dao alone, wearing a brown jacket (and an orange t-shirt which I will also talk about in ep 2's post). He sacrifices the companionship of Pat in order to show he can do things without him (and is ultimately glad when Pat turns up even if he doesn't show it well) but also has to sacrifice his dignity in the process when he has to walk to the village after the jeep breaks down. And if it weren't for the fact that it was another expected and delicious parallel, the olive-green of the jeep was a clear give-away that Pran was about to suffer in this.

Lastly, I'll just mention Pat and Pran's backpacks - teal and mint green respectively - the colours which seemed to symbolise Pat and Pran's union as a couple (I couldn't think of a better way to put it 🤭). They were supposed to go on this trip together, to have a second 'honeymoon' where they could be together freely...but despite being apart, they're still carrying/keeping their unity with them. Note also that Pat is shrouded in yellow (on his socks as well!) when he's trying to show his love for Pran and return them to a happier place, albeit unsuccessfully.

[ep 1] [ep 2] [ep 3] [ep 4] (<- I'm being hopeful)

[vlindervin7]

found out that on average humans only spend twenty minutes eating meals a day and i think that is just so incredibly sad. breakfast alone should take longer than that

[fire-lord-katara]

The ideal sunday

[wonderingabout]

i love my brother but i do find him obnoxious as he is earning a lot of money being a tech bro for banks and he boasts about it…a lot which makes me feel so jealous and disdainful. however when he isn’t talking about money or finance he is a delight, a very warm and loving man who kisses his friends. is it just cute for him to kiss his friends? is this homoerotic behaviour playful alpha male nonsense? i think for him it is, but it is so interesting. i do love my successful brother even as i envy and despise him. such is life. I am sure he is annoyed by my holier than though attitude. his Consultant for Hedge Funds and Investment friends ask me what i do and i say I am a child therapist for women’s refuges and they say wow..thats a real job! and i think don’t be so patronising and give me half your salary.