#Genuinely why did they think this was better. It’s just a constant letdown

[lionblaze03-2]

New tumblr feature where it pretends you have notifications when actually you don’t and it’s just new posts on your dash genuinely making me sad. Keep thinking I’m getting interaction with my posts and then it’s nothing, it’s always nothing. Is there any way to turn this feature off it’s. Making me fucking sad lmao

[im-justso-bored]

Week 6 of Clown Theories and Analysis

S03E06: End of Game

So this one is a bit late, I guess I was a bit underwhelmed by this episode but I’m finally getting around to typing this out. I’ve noticed that for each episode this season, I’ve appreciated it much more the second time I watched it. I think it’s because I have certain expectations of the episode and the episodes end up being completely different from what I thought but idk if it’s in a good way or not so I have readjust my expectations and I usually enjoy it more the second time around. 

Also I wanna say that while I am just as disappointed as everyone else that Eve isn’t getting the screen time she deserves, it does make sense that they would be splitting up the time for each character differently this season. With everyone being separated (Eve no longer working for Carolyn, and V no longer working for Konstantin), there are a lot more storylines to keep up with. And in the promos leading up to this season we see a lot of all four of them, not just Eve and Villanelle. Carolyn is to Eve what Konstantin is to Villanelle, they’re just as much affected by everything as Eve and V. That being said, I do want to see Eve on screen more and I think that season 4 will more Eve and Villanelle centric, hopefully with more emphasis on Eve (kind of like season 1). Especially because depending on how these last two episodes play out, it’s looking likely we won’t be seeing Konstantin at all next season and possibly even Carolyn. KE does have a history of really focuses and building up characters before killing them off (i.e. Bill and Kenny). 

Piss off forever - So I still don’t understand how Niko survived a pitchfork to the neck. I take back my RIP from my episode 4 review. 

I’m really glad that he’s still done with Eve though. Dude doesn’t even care to find out who tried to kill him, he just wants Eve as far away from him as possible and I’m here for it. Whatever it takes for no more Niko. He was still wearing his wedding ring in this scene which confused me but I think this is the last we’ll be seeing of Niko (I hope). Otherwise the whole pitchfork scene would have been for nothing because it clearly didn’t make Eve think it was V. And I guess the goal for the writers wasn’t to kill Niko either so they must be just giving Niko and Eve the only other way out of their doomed marriage which is for Eve to really see the position she’s putting Niko in by still being connected to him. 

To Villanelle, the Keeper - You never really see V care much about who she works for or why is tasked to do what she does.

For a long time, she did what she was told until Eve brought it to her attention and she stole the recording of Frank and learned about the Twelve. And then you see in episode 7 of season 1, V is asking Konstantin for the names of the Twelve. I think Eve asking about who she works for and listening to the recording of Frank opened up a can of worms for V. After this, she’s in this constant struggle within herself to either be powerful or to be free. For a long time, she’s always been stuck in the middle and given the illusion of power and freedom but she never really has either. I think V’s interest in being a Keeper this season has a lot to do with that. You see her talk about freedom a couple of times.

“Run. You’re free.”

“You’re free now. You can be whoever you want.”

Each time, she received the response of “I don’t want to be free.” You can tell she’s really confused at how someone would willingly give up their freedom. She doesn’t have that luxury, she has the illusion of freedom but she’s never truly free. So seeing others give up their freedom is something that perplexes her. I think V sees gaining power the only way she can truly have freedom which is why being a Keeper is so important to her. And despite the shit she went through in episode 5, she seemed genuinely happy to receive the news that her request was successful. Until she realizes that nothing has really changed and she’s still being given orders and not the other way around. The title of “Keeper” is nothing more than an illusion of power and freedom.

She knows she can’t touch him - I’m all here for Eve not believing for one second that V tried to kill Niko.

I’m a little confused on how Eve figured out it was Dasha who tried to kill Niko based off a couple of photos, an online profile, and one conversation with Carolyn. But I guess they do have to move the plot along so I’m just going to say it’s because Eve is a badass investigator even though we all know her and Villanelle share one brain cell. 

Does it really matter who? - I love how Carolyn constantly calls Eve out on her obsession for Villanelle. Because Carolyn is kind of right, if it was the Twelve, why does it really matter? It was important for Eve to know because it means that it wasn’t V. Not to say that Carolyn is completely right though, with a death so personal, of course she would want to know exactly who killed him just like Carolyn would want to know exactly who killed Kenny. But as we all know, it’s more than that for Eve and Carolyn sees right through her as always. 

Also how is that Carolyn always has ties to sketchy Russian people? Konstantin and now Dasha. 

I send for you - I think I speak for us all when I say that I’m tired of seeing V cry or with tears in her eyes, let her be happy pleaaseee. Villanelle is desperately trying to hold on to the few people she has left. After the letdown of finally being promoted to Keeper, the only thing she has left now are Konstantin and Eve, both of whom she shot. These are her last ties to holding on to her humanity and sanity, which parallels nicely with Eve and the red string of fate. You see Konstantin choose Irina over Villanelle in this episode just as you see Niko choose his freedom over Eve. Which leaves Villanelle with Dasha who she doesn’t fully trust and Eve with Carolyn who she also doesn’t fully trust. 

Are you working for them, Paul? - Just a quick note about this scene. This brought up a question a lot of us have been asking since season 1. Is Carolyn working for the Twelve? Was she ever working for the Twelve? It seemed less likely after Kenny’s death but sometimes I still wonder and this scene definitely brought my attention back to that. 

He asked if I was his father - So I’m not even going to touch the whole “Geraldine kissed Konstantin” thing because as of right now, everything about Geraldine confuses me and she has not added anything to the plot so far. Although I do want to know why she lied about Konstantin visiting. It’s definitely not over something as small as a kiss.

Carolyn was such a badass in this scene. She’s definitely become more careless and a bit more unhinged like Eve and Villanelle. As I said before, both Konstantin and Carolyn are just as affected by all of the events that have built up since season 1 and we’re seeing huge contrasts from them then and now. This is definitely building to something big for the last two episodes. I wonder if the idea of Konstantin being Kenny’s father will have any significance later on. Also I want to know how Kenny came to that conclusion and if that’s part of what got him killed. Carolyn’s shock at finding out what Kenny asked Konstantin about makes me wonder if there is something else she’s hiding and wondering if Kenny found out. Not about being Konstantin’s son but something bigger like Carolyn possibly working for the Twelve or formerly working for the Twelve?  

Trying to get my step count up - So yeah, Konstantin is fucked.

She is perfect killing machine - Eve had such top energy here and I love it. Eve definitely surprised Dasha here, maybe even scared her a little. Eve managed to figure her out in a matter of days and then track her down. Dasha definitely underestimated the connection that both Eve and Villanelle share and it’s apparent in this conversation. It’s also very clear that Eve knows V better than Dasha does despite Dasha spending more time with her lately. Dasha sees Villanelle as a “killing machine” but Eve knows that she’s much more than that even after all the shit that V put Eve through. Dasha continues to dig her own grave by underestimating Eve and putting Villanelle on a pedestal, which I think she realizes more in the last scene of this episode. 

This is bullshit - So this scene reminded me of a scene from Dexter where after killing his brother, it really put him off his game and Dexter struggled with his next couple of kills after that. Same with Villanelle and killing her family, this is the only time that we actually see V really falter during one of her kills. 

I don’t want to do this anymore - I’m making it illegal to make Villanelle cry, I can’t take it anymore 😭 What a heartbreaking scene but also what an amazing scene and the parallel to 1x05 is just fantastic. I’m a sucker for good parallels and the ones in this show are just *chef’s kiss*.

Killing her mother definitely broke something inside of Villanelle. I guess you could say that it broke Villanelle and what’s taking place is Oksana. After her promotion not being what she wanted and Konstantin choosing Irina over her, she lost the only way to either of the two things she really wanted, power and freedom. Now she’s stuck doing the same thing she always has (reminds me of what she said during the AA meeting “I’m just so bored.”) but now she’s a different person and that’s not enough anymore. Maybe it was a little more bearable when she didn’t feel anything but now that she feels more, I can imagine that it’s much more suffocating. From the beginning (season 1), she constantly mentions wanting to be normal and do normal things and the only way she can do that is if she’s on top with no one controlling her (power) or if she’s free. But she has neither and both are slipping further out of her reach. 

Also this ^ isn’t allowed. The crying nor her still being so attractive while falling apart. Like how is that possible????

Irina - So like Irina killing her mom’s bf came out of no where but also at the same time, it didn’t? I think it’s definitely in character for Irina to do something like that. But like...eventually. Definitely not so soon. But I guess it can make sense seeing as V and Irina are constantly battling for Konstantin’s attention and maybe Irina thought that this would get his attention if she were a killer like V. 

Thanks to Irina’s little joy ride, Konstantin is now forced to stay in London longer which makes him a target and if Konstantin does die within the next two episodes, I think it’s going to have a huge impact on Irina and she might even blame herself since he had to stay in London because of her. Or this will cause Irina to become more unhinged and for her behavior to escalate. 

OVERALL - This episode was decent, it was one of the weaker episodes for me this season. It gave me a lot to think about but it definitely lacked the excitement and tension that I’ve grown to expect from Killing Eve. Also I’m not a big fan of what they’re doing to the location title cards. I guess they’re trying to be funny or maybe match the same chaotic energy that the characters are giving off. Idk but I don’t really like it. 

I think the last two episodes are definitely going to be a lot more fast paced (or at least I hope) as the season is wrapped up. I’m really nervous for the next week and a half, also I’m sad that this season is coming to an end already! I’m glad we have at least one more season after this to look forward to.

[ardenttheories]

I think one of the biggest letdowns about the Meat Epilogue for everyone seems to be how much it trashed the development of the characters up to the end of Homestuck. 

A lot of people have been pointing this out most fervently with Dirk. He went from someone who was well aware of his flaws, of his obsessions, of his tendency to take over and control, of his capability to hurt the people he cares for most, from someone who genuinely cares about every single person he’s met and tries his best to be a better person for them... to someone who was actively harming them without a fucking care in the world, under some misguided theory that he was doing the right thing. 

And yes, I recognise that this is because of the Ultimate Self bullshit. Dirk has become every little splinter of himself that exists across Paradox Space - all the good ones, all the bad ones, all the ones in between. All of that mingles and merges into what we get in the Epilogues, and it, to some degree, makes sense. 

But here’s two thoughts for you.

Why did he have to end up like that? If, by the end of Homestuck, he was getting better, and if the chances of there being just as many Emotionally Developed Dirks as Emotionally Stunted Dirks is incredibly high, why does he have to take all those bad qualities and bring them out to the fore of who he is in the Epilogue? Why does that have to be the route he goes down, when he was in such a good position when Earth C was created and when he’s merged with plenty of emotionally capable Dirks as part of becoming his Ultimate Self? 

When Homestuck ended, I considered Dirk a Realised Prince of Heart. A Prince of Heart who’d worked through all his shit, opened up to people, recognised that he needed to share his burdens and to let people in - to use his powers for good, not for the harm of the people around him. He was aware of what he could do, and actively choosing to use it in a productive way. 

In the Epilogue, he’s a True Prince of Heart. He’s destroying without truly recognising it as destruction. He’s become the epitome of what it means to be a Prince of Heart, without any growth of character or any attempt to use what he can do for the benefit of the people around him. He’s hurting them instead; shaping them into things he thinks they should be, completely disregarding their individuality because of his own thoughts on free will and how illusive it is. 

This is the Dirk we had at the beginning of Act 6, merged with the Bro we saw at the beginning of the comic. And sure, from the standpoint of the Ultimate Self, it can make sense - if you disregard the fact that he could as easily become a Good Dirk as a Bad Dirk. 

But what makes this suck so much as a fan is that, as people, we fucking hate seeing characters lose their development, and that’s what we see happening to Dirk. He’s regressed back to a point prior to all his development throughout Act 6. Everything that we saw him achieve has been lost, and it feels cheap because it fucking is cheap. It’s a literary constant. It’s one of those things that you don’t do. Destroying a story worth’s of development for no actual reason, or without showing why they’ve regressed, will never come across well. Especially in regards to an idea as abstract as the Ultimate Self - and, again, the very clear knowledge that Dirk, even as an Ultimate Self, didn’t have to end up like this when you consider his position at the end of Act 7. 

The development doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t flow. You don’t just go from “emotionally developed individual” straight back to “emotionally distant and morally perverse”, even with an idea like “he’s fused with every other instance of himself” - because logically, if he was in a good position, why wouldn’t he remain in that good position? What about the Ultimate Self ruined his development? Why does merging with every version of himself - the good and the bad - suddenly revert him all the way back to square one?

Which brings me on to thought two. I hope you’ll excuse me for the really dumb choice of fandom to explain this.

Supernatural is notorious for frequently setting its main characters - Sam and Dean - back to square one in terms of emotional development. Inevitably, something that was resolved in series 6 ends up being revisited in series 7 without explanation. Emotional issues that the brothers had resolved almost always become an issue again; relationships that they thought had healed always find a way to come back; issues with their past that they had come to terms with almost inevitably cause them to split up yet again, and become the main issue to be resolved throughout the new series. 

This, from what I can tell, is a big reason why a lot of people fell out of the fandom. It’s why I did. You can only watch characters grow, and regress, and grow, and regress again over the same thing so many times before it starts to get disheartening. Just when you think they’re better, that they’ve solved it, that everything’s okay, it’s brought up all over again to make them suffer over and over and over. There’s only so much of this you can take in a character before it becomes dull, or boring, or unrealistic. 

And that’s exactly the issue with Dirk’s development in the Epilogue. For a lot of people, it’s unrealistic. Even with the Ultimate Self taken into account, it still seems wrong - because we’re seeing him go through the same mistakes all over again, and when you’ve already seen it once, seen him get through it and grow and progress and and become better, seeing it again but worse does not leave you feeling satisfied. It’s disheartening. It’s narratively a cheap move to try and cause more tension. 

The fact of the matter is, whether that’s the point or not, it’s a sign of bad storytelling. There’s no reason for Dirk to have slipped during the Epilogue, other than “because Hussie said so”. Narratively it just didn’t need to happen. Narratively, it’s not what people were expecting, either. And dropping something this huge without providing any hints beforehand just doesn’t work. If you’ve set up a character to get better, to be in the best possible place he could be, or on the road to recovery, suddenly pulling out a regression of character doesn’t work. It won’t feel satisfying because you didn’t imply the possibility - you didn’t build suspense, you didn’t leave the seed for people to think about at the end of Act 7. You just dropped it, at random, and expected people to be prepared for it.  

This is like Hussie pulling out a gun and yelling “aha! Look at how wonderfully I have crafted this masterpiece!!” without ever having insinuated that he was going to pull out a gun to begin with. 

Compare this, for instance, to the reveal that it’s Adult John who ends up getting sucked into the Ultimate Treasure alongside Teen Jade, Dave, and Rose as part of the Epilogue. This is a good drop. This is a good reveal. We knew this was an event that happened; we knew that it was something an unreliable narrator had said; we knew this was something that never actually ended up happening in the main story of Homestuck. This isn’t a surprise because the foundation of the reveal was all there. We knew it was John, Dave, Rose, and Jade that would end up in there - we just didn’t know which John, Dave, Rose and Jade it would be, or why. Our expectations for that scene are shattered, but because of how it was set up it ends up being more shocking and more exciting because of it. All the pieces were put in place for Hussie to build on. 

That’s not what we get with Dirk. The pieces put in place for him were that he was meant to get better, that he was improving, that we’d see him as the best Dirk Strider there could possibly be - a foil to Bro, the abusive dickhead Dave had dealt with his entire young life, someone who would step up and take the shape of a healthy familial figure in Dave’s life. This subversion doesn’t work. Not in a satisfying, enjoyable, or natural way. It’s shocking, yes - but it’s a bitter shock, a shock that no-one saw coming, rather than a shock that suddenly blows your mind.

A Dirk who goes from “I wish I could love Roxy, because (s)he’s the best one out of the lot of us, and (s)he deserves that” to “I’m going to actively misgender my best friend because part of my Ultimate Self was merged with Lord English and I rely heavily of the dichotomy between male and female to understand myself” is interesting, yes, but not the way it’s done. It’s fucking horrific to read Dirk talk about someone he’s meant to love that way, and it’s not a good sort of horrific. 

Ultimate Self Dirk being the douchebag he is in Meat can make sense and work, sure. But not in the way Hussie framed the narrative of Act 6-Act 7. When you’ve framed your narrative to make the character grow, reverting everything in some shock twist at the end will never settle well with your fanbase. That’s why Dirk’s role feels weird, and out of place, and overall bad on an emotional level. The jump was too big, too unbelievable - and for the main plot point of your Epilogue, that’s not really what you want to end a series. 

[euphanisms]

dnp venus signs

so i was reading up on Dan & Phil’s natal charts kind of recently, specifically their Venus signs, to get a better understanding of their relationship & love languages. a lot of us who are interested in astrology have probably looked into this already, but i just wanted to compile some stuff here in case this is new to you

i added a couple of my own notes into what i’ve copypasta’d from Cafe Astrology, but i’m sure you’ll be able to see other parallels in this text as well

Dan ~ Venus in Leo

Venus in Leo men and women have high expectations, but once you know that these expectations revolve only around how much attention you are giving them, you’ll see that they are really quite big-hearted about most everything else. They are threatened by a relationship that appears to have settled too much, or one that’s lost its spark(1). They are also threatened by indifferent or impersonal behavior on your part(2).

a cool thing about Dan & Phil’s relationship is it’s always ALWAYS been fresh. it’s always been an adventure. even just meeting each other was charged with so much excitement. then they moved in together for the first time & started the radio show, & then after being constant sources of inspiration to each other for their personal channels, they started DanAndPhilGAMES. TATINOF, TABINOF. II. all of their side projects. their travels, moving houses, growing as people & becoming famous. all by each other’s sides. so it’s no wonder that Dan feels safe in his relationship with Phil: they’ve never lost that spark.

sounds like our sweet, jealous Dan

Although their needs for physical expression through sex are generally quite strong, their need for love is perhaps even stronger(1). It is hard for Venus in Leo people to separate love and sex, and even their most erotic fantasies are infused with love and affection. For this reason, few Venus in Leo folk would last long in a relationship that is mostly sexual. On the flip side, they may last longer in a love-only relationship in the absence of satisfying sex, but they are unlikely to feel very satisfied(2).

yea like. we been knew that Dan loves him some sex. but his edgy exterior isn’t quite covering the glaringly obvious softie within. this boy straight up just wants to be loved, & he’s not gonna let many people close enough to give him that (hi Phil)

is it just me or is this screaming 2012? when dnp were carefully & cautiously maintaining a very obvious distance from each other, they still stayed together. they still wanted to live together & work together. they were still so close. we can’t truly know what happened away from cameras & the internet, but we know that while their relationship may have changed, their bond did not.

Pleasing Venus in Leo involves paying loads of attention to them. If you’re willing to make only one adjustment in your ways, it should be to remind Leo how wonderful they are(1). Respect and appreciate them, always. Put up with their childlike moments and their tall tales. They want to be seen as attractive by you, so avoid (at all costs!) putting them down in this area(2). They actually lose interest when they perceive the slightest loss of interest in their partner, and you can expect that any letdown will be acted out in a dramatic fashion. Remind them, in a gentle way, that your emotions count too. If you are feeling a little jealous, let them know. Remember, to Venus in Leo, your small jealousies are affirmations that you find them attractive and expect the rest of the world to as well(3). Let them decide where to go on a date, and let them pay too. When Venus in Leo feels loved and appreciated, they reward you with loyalty, a big sense of fun, and plenty of physical expressions of their love.

yep. Dan loves attention.

to me, it always seems like Phil is genuinely happy to allow Dan his little Extra Moments™. he’s just giggling good-naturedly & looking at Dan like sunshine is coming out of his ass. & you better believe Dan is fucking Thriving off of that

@ jealous Dan 👀 u seeing this, babe? yeah, Phil’s hot. people with eyes are gonna look at him. but dw, you already got him. he fucking loves you. you can breathe.

Love is magnificent and grand to Venus in Leo people. They take pride in love and their love relationships, and they are typically generous with their money(1). This is a warmhearted, teasing, expressive, proud, and extravagant placement for Venus. Love is a bit of a game–a game that is perpetual, as Venus in Leo is forever stuck in the romance stage of a relationship(2). They feed on attention, acknowledgement, validation, and adoration. Venus in Leo loves to be adored, pampered, and admired(3). They have a strong ego investment in their love lives. The negative expression of this placement is overstating of feelings simply for the effect, as well as extravagance(4).

i know we all love the idea of sugar ddy Capita£ester, but i also bet Dan has his own little ways of spoiling Phil that would probably make us all dissolve into a pathetic pile of tears & puke if we knew 💕

immediate visual of Heart Eyes Howell

i think this is part of why Dan does so well with YouTube & liveshows & all that, despite his introversion & social anxiety: he’s got a really deep-seated need for validation & adoration.

ahem

Venus in Leo people may spend a lot on entertainment or sometimes just to show off! They generally are big tippers and give special and generous gifts. They are attracted to art, furnishings, clothing, and music that is bold and passionate, renaissance, lush or opulent, lavishly comfortable, and romantic(1).

like if that doesn’t have Dan’s name written all over it idk what does

Phil ~ Venus in Sagittarius

When Venus in Sagittarius people are in love, they need to feel they can grow and expand their horizons through their relationship. They want to learn new things, and experience everything together(1). These are idealistic lovers who want you to appreciate their beliefs, visions, and ideals. They can be a confusing mix of the lighthearted and serious(2). They are roamers and seekers, and don’t commit in their relationships as easily as others.

now who do we know who are attached at the hip & have been through every major milestone in their adult lives together? 🤔🤔 i’ll echo what i said for Dan: every success they’ve achieved, all their self-growth... they’ve attained together or by each other’s sides. i’m not crying you are

P H I L - WHAT DOES THAT SPELL

Venus in Sagittarius men and women turn others on with their big smiles and laughs, their jokes, their grand schemes, their dreams, and their friendly, flirtatious behavior(1). They pride themselves on their open minds, but you may notice they can be judgmental too. They are threatened by inhibitions on the part of their lover, dullness, and emotional overkill. They are restless, and won’t put up with lovers who dwell on any one thing. When the going gets tough in their relationship, they have an overwhelming need to run away. Usually this only means getting out and experiencing something new before they come back, but sometimes it can be for good(2). They are attracted to people in love with life. You don’t need to be refined, polished, or graceful to win their favor(3).

aka Phil’s entire channel + why we all love him to fucking death. also, the friendly, flirtatious behavior thing?? omfg, they’ve got his fuckin number there

man, i mean. again: we don’t for sure know all of what happened in 2012. but we do know that their relationship is resilient. maybe that’s in part due to the distance they placed between themselves. who knows

good news, Dan :+)

Pleasing Venus in Sagittarius involves allowing them lots of room in the relationship to grow. Avoid getting stuck in a rut, and understand their need to move on. Learn to laugh, but take their rants and raves seriously(1). Avoid criticizing their beliefs, join them in debates, and philosophize along with them. When they feel the need for more experience, join them! Learn to look past their clumsiness with you and your feelings, and avoid cornering them or forcing them to commit(2).

“So what japes do we have planned for today, Phil?” Dan asked, a fond smile playing at his lips even as his eyes flicked skyward for a half-second. yeah, we see that all the time. Dan is very good at going along with whatever silly thing Phil wants, & that is important

Phil is clumsy... he might be clumsy with feelings sometimes too. that’s pretty normal for Aquarius (his sun sign) as well

Romantic adventures, as well as a straightforward–even blunt–approach to love(1), are themes with Venus in Sagittarius. Truth and higher meaning are things that take priority with Sagittarius. There can be some inconstancy and possibly a tendency to escape or flee when love is too complex, intricate, or needy(2).

hey remember 18 year old Dan tweeting to Phil like his life depended on it until he got a response? & then remember how fucking openly flirty Phil was with him all the time after that? pepperidge farm remembers

yikes. i mean i’m js: this is likely a tough point of contention that they deal with often in their relationship. Dan is a v emotional dude. Phil might find the need to detach himself from that intensity sometimes & i guarantee that Dan is Not having it. :/

They are usually sincere, upright, and straightforward about what they want. They enjoy getting to know a lover on a philosophical level, exchanging ideas, and experiencing things together(1).

again, i really feel like this is their whole life together. they’re always bouncing ideas for content off of each other, talking about pop culture & world events, & everything they experience (say it with me) they experience together.

Venus in Sagittarius people are not always especially attached to personal possessions. They are not known to be especially frugal(1), although some of them equate money with freedom, and will gladly put money aside for travel.

js

all in all: these boys work stupid well together. in love, creativity, friendship, & their professional life. it’s literally written in the stars. sorry i don’t make the rules

Venus Signs - Cafe Astrology