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bthump · 3 years

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I wanted to touch on the whole gutsca thing with someone (I know zero people in this fandom so you're my lucky pick!). Am I alone in feeling like their first time together came out of no where? My meta with Guts is that he was not at all comfortable with sex at that time of his life (this instance being his first time [outside of the rape he experienced as a child]). His choice of words too, "here I go", translated to me like someone only doing what they felt was expected of them rather than something he was yearning for. He clearly wasn't even ready given how rough he was and how he regressed and attacked her. This moment seemed very forced and almost rang to me like Kentaro's declaration of "no homo though". I would be curious to know how Kentaro felt about homosexuality (bisexuality, etc) and if he ever addressed the ever blatant gay tension and romantic-non-platonic-love blossoming between Guts and Griffith pre-eclipse. I do get the sense that this may be a case of severe queer baiting or perhaps a PSA against gay love altogether ("falling for a man will literally destroy you and send you and everyone you love to hell" type of message); but I'm a very jaded person so I hope to be proven wrong. Sigh, my point being Gutsca seems pretty dang forced and empty of true development. I buy them more as besties than anything romantic. Especially since both he and Casca are actually in love with Griffith (what a fucking triangle!). Does anyone in fandom have any opinions on the sad possibility of this whole beautiful and ultimately tragic love between Griffith and Guts actually being a fucked up anti-gay PSA? Are there any interviews with Kentaro shooting this theory down so I can stop being sad and bitter about it? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for sending this, I'm definitely down to talk about it! I hope you connect with more people in the fandom but don’t worry about sending random asks even if you do lol.

Anyway you’re definitely not alone. I have a lot of thoughts on Guts and Casca's hook up, and they're all pretty much "it feels really forced and not particularly romantic but I think you can argue that that's deliberate" lol. For instance I discuss in a lot of detail here how various aspects of the scene indicate that Guts and Casca having sex is shown to be a case of both of them rebounding from Griffith and sort of giving to each other what they were unable or failed to give to him.

And I talk a lot about how Judeau essentially orchestrates it all and what that suggests about Guts and Casca's relationship here.

And lol sorry for all the links but also this post is about how their relationship feels one-sided to an extent and is used to illuminate a lot of Guts' flaws, using Judeau as a comparison point.

Oh shit and also one more lol, here's a comparison between the sex scene and Griffith's with Charlotte that suggests that both start as ways for the dudes to repress their feelings.

(Don't feel obligated to read all those posts if you don't want, you should get the gist of what I'm saying w/ those descriptions.)

But yeah basically I do think that Guts and Casca getting together felt forced and awkward. At best it might be intended to be seen that way, as two friends hooking up awkwardly in an emotionally intense moment but probably doomed to failure because neither of them are ready for a relationship with the other, or particularly interested in one deep down, once they finished "licking wounds." At worst it’s just bad writing lol. But again like I think there are good arguments for the former.

I also totally agree that their relationship has a strong vibe of doing what's expected. Like for real, at least to me both Guts and Casca read so easily as gay and repressed lol. Casca talks about her feelings for Griffith in terms of “he was a boy she was a girl can I make it any more obvious”

and I can’t help but see it as Casca like, wow I have strong feelings towards Griffith, he’s a man and I’m a woman, so clearly these feelings must be romantic, there’s no other option. Then when she has sex with Guts she keeps contextualizing it essentially as repayment for Guts saving her, like she owes him. “I too want a wound I can say you gave me.” “Not just being given to... maybe I can give something as well.” Which just doesn’t make her desire for him look all that genuine lol.

And then you have Guts. The way he tells Casca that from the start only her touch was okay with him after he has sex with her, referencing the scene when he wakes up with her on top of him and starts to panic before realizing she’s a woman, is soooo suggestive of repression to me. Like, first off because it’s incorrect, he was also okay with Griffith going in for a face-grab after winning a duel Guts had been projecting his rape trauma all over, which seems like a pretty conspicuous omission. And secondly because the reason he was okay with Casca’s touch specifically is solely because she’s a woman, not because she’s special or because they have a magic romantic connection - it’s because she’s not a man. To me that just screams that Guts was open to sex with Casca because she’s the only woman he knows, and he’s afraid of the idea of physical intimacy with men, regardless of what he might actually want deep down.

So yeah that’s basically how I feel about Guts and Casca’s relationship, strong agree with you.

When it comes to Miura’s intent, I can tell you that Miura was asked about the subtext in an interview once, back in 2000, and he responded with something along the lines of ‘two men can have passionate feelings for each other without it being romantic.’ The interview is here, but this is a paraphrase the translator mentioned in the comments.

Other than that I’ve never seen him address it directly, but on the flipside he has cited several textually gay stories as inspiration (off the top of my head: Kaze to Ki no Uta, Devilman, Guin Saga, mangaka Moto Hagio in general), and he has straightforwardly said that the (magical intersex) central character of his other work, Duranki, was intended to have romances with both male and female love interests. Also people tell me there are strong griffguts vibes with the main, presumably canon or intended-to-be-canon ship there. So there’s that lol.

As for the no homo aspect and the potential homophobia in the griffguts subtext... I can’t deny I’ve also considered the idea that it’s a deliberate anti-gay PSA (though I haven’t seen anyone else address the idea as far as I remember, and I’ve only briefly mentioned it offhandedly). Like, Guts and Griffith’s relationship turns bad because they’re both too invested in each other, maybe the barely-subtextual desire is meant to look like a sinister twisting of pure platonic feelings that ruins everything, if Griffith hadn’t loved him the Eclipse never would have happened, etc.

But honestly I don’t think that reading holds up compared to a much more positive reading of their feelings, in which it’s their failure to understand them and act on them, thanks largely to formative childhood trauma and self-hatred, that leads to tragedy.

I don’t know what Miura intended, and there certainly are aspects of the story that are homophobic regardless of his intent, even if my best-faith reading is entirely correct, like the only textual gay attraction being pedophiles and over the top heretic orgies lol, or yk, Guts and Griffith both assaulting the same woman while looking at/thinking about the other in a very sexually charged way.

But the reading of their relationship where it’s positive and good for both of them, even including sexual desire, and only gets fucked up because they both incorrectly think their feelings are unrequited is legitimately so weirdly strong, much stronger than a reading where the sexual nature of their feelings is what fucks everything up, so I’m pretty happy just rolling with that take.

And as much as Casca can be seen and may very well be intended as a no homo, it’s also very easy for me to read her relationships with both as less of a hopeful opportunity for positive heterosexual romance and more of a “here’s how repressing your feelings thru attempts at heterosexuality fucks you up” PSA lol. Griffith and Charlotte too, for that matter. It’s definitely a stretch to think that’s intended, but whether it’s intended or not it’s an easy sell for me and I’m fine with not really worrying too much about possible authorial intent there.

Finally, I also want to link this post that goes pretty thoroughly into why I interpret griffguts as very positive rather than as a cautionary tale or predatory gay lust etc

And also have this shorter post about Femto on the same subject too, why not

Oh and maybe this thing where I split hairs about Guts’ lust for Griffith and desire for revenge to make a point that the homoeroticism isn’t necessarily being equated with violence by the narrative lol

#ask #a #b #anonymous #theme: repression #theme: homoeroticism #interviews #ship: griffguts #ship: gtsca #theme: homophobia #theme: heteronormativity

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infinitelytheheartexpands · 4 years

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Responses from the Opera Screencaps Captioning Quiz

Hello, everyone, and thank you for taking my quiz! I had SO MUCH fun reading your captions-- there were several times I literally started crying from laughing so hard at the amazingness of your work! With that in mind, the captions (which I will continue to add onto as more people take it):

(also, thank you to @dichterfuerstin for translating the German captions I got)

originally taken from: the Wiener Staatsoper’s 2020 production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, featuring Regula Mühlemann (center) as Blonde, Michael Laurenz (right) as Pedrillo, and an unnamed extra (left) as the Grim Reaper

Responses:

(Backstage warm-up) “ok so someone dropped the pulse”

me and my friends watching the fire burn after doing arson

Introducing the polycule to the parents

*boom* ... did...you guys hear that too?

Ma Signor !

Knight in whinging armour gone wrong, look at how he holds the egg. Polyamory with weird knight and death.

the father, son and the holy ghost are very gay

the gays meeting for brunch, 2021, colorized

chicken lady forces death and a very flamboyantly homosexual anthropomorphized pink bird to be parents of her egg (they dont want to be)

That’s just me and my friends on our night out (before covid rip)-- closest

A Good Friday night

good omens (2019)

["the pocket guide to boy/girl/mischief" meme] who's the boy and who's the mischief though????

Papageno and Papagena take their first-born egg trick-or-treating

Angry Birds - The Musical. A pig stole an egg and the bird unites with death to take revenge.

I love my bird wife

Someone got murdered during the funky chicken dance

throuple murders child and steals sibling of said child

When you and your friends have widely different tastes in literature

angel leading twink to his rightful place (hell)

draco malfoy from a very potter musical and a death eater are very much in the wrong show

What have I gotten myself into

Mlm/wlw solidarity but I’m not telling who is who

A woman stands with a pink dipshit with an egg and a reaper.

A bird-couple makes a pact with Death, sacrificing their first-born bird-child in order to bring good luck upon their unborn bird-baby

There are three types of people on Halloween:

Uh oh, I don’t think the mother hen is very happy about this...

oh god, they’ve invented seussical. It’s too early!

gay brunch

Three little maids from school are we

guys maybe if we dress gay enough we can distract everyone from the dead flapper bee in the back

those three killed a duck for her egg and are facing the conswquences.

Duck has egg with human, shocked and upset due to biological impossibility

When you bout to make a banging omelet so you invite your fellow queers

"No mortal man could pass that egg, but heaven shall repair your rectum."

originally taken from: the Salzburg Festival’s 2007 production of Hector Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini, featuring Maija Kovalevska (left) as Teresa Balducci, Laurent Naouri (center, in chimney) as Fieramosca, and Burkhard Fritz (right) as Benvenuto Cellini

Responses:

“In this same interlude it doth befall That I, one Snout by name, present a wall; And such a wall, as I would have you think, That had in it a crannied hole or chink, Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby, Did whisper often very secretly. This loam, this rough-cast and this stone doth show That I am that same wall; the truth is so: And this the cranny is, right and sinister, Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.” - a midsummer night’s dream, act v scene 1

"ah yes a prime specimen. see here, right in this box is our one of a kind hob goblin that can be all yours for the low low price of your soul"

what, YOU don't have a special eavesdropping chimney window?

Hänsel und Gretel plotting against the witch

man takes a wrong turn and ends up in a chimney, catches his girlfriend cheating-- closest

when you end up third wheeling the straight couple

lady cheats on her leather jacket wearing scummy boyfriend and when he unexpectedly comes home she hides the lover in the chimney

A straight girl and her gay best friend gossip about stuff idk

Idk Shakespeare?

experimental couples therapy feat. the chimney mf from mary poppins

Area Couple Inadvertently Traps Santa-in-Training in Chimney as they Attempt Rooftop Flirting

Landlords laugh over student renter's misfortune

I never asked for this

Ay yo lil mama lemme whisper in your ear

voyeurist listens to sandy and Danny from grease

Psssst! Did you hear about Susan? You won’t believe it!

lady and the tramp meets beauty and the beast?

human trafficking

And for just $30 you too could have your own tiny brick cage!

Psst I’m wearing assless chaps under this dress

A couple tortures a man in a box.

It's all fun and games being stuck in a chimney until your greasy uncle steals your crush from right above you-- okay ngl this could actually be a great Don Pasquale concept

Taking eavesdropping to the next level

Will you two stop being lovey dovey and let me out? SUMMER LOVIN, HAPPENED SO FAST—

overhearing how people talk about you when they think they're alone puts you in the shithouse

Does he know we can see him?

dear god, i am so fucking hungry, yall please just do whatever heterosexuals do so i can go eat a popsicle

the human version of the trash man from sesame street is realizing that those two are going to fuck on his trash can

Tmw you capture an angry short dude and start trashtalking him where he can hear

Omg what if we kissed but we actually kissed the lil goblin man under us

"Remember, don't feed him after midnight"

originally taken from: the Théâtre de Capitole du Toulouse’s 2017 staging of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Le prophète, featuring Leonardo Estevez (right, on fake horse) as Le Comte d’Oberthal

Responses:

“When I said we needed to drain the swamp I didn’t think there were people actually living there”

horse? what horse? no sir i dont know what horse youre referring to.

definitely don't have a napoleon complex going on

King stole La Scala‘s Lohengrin set

king breaks all his horses, has to use statue dragged by servants as transportation because he’s too kingly too walk

Emperor Söder and his subjects on a carnival procession

man on horse makes a big deal out of being on a horse

That’s not Zeffirelli because the horse is not alive

Who the fuck put a horse on the stage

isn't this that picture of napoleon on the horse

Area Count Thinks Citizens will be Intimidated by his Extremely Fake-looking Horse Statue-- closest

Everyone wants their turn on the giant plaster horse. Police are there to make sure everyone waits their turn.

Night out with the lads

Local royalty horrified at the state of his own damn kingdom

gay army fights different gay aesthetics-- hi author how does it feel to be the funniest fucking person on this quiz

Well at least I LOOK badass

ceasar if he hadn't gotten stabbed (colourised)

some soldiers jumped out of my kindergarten fairytale collection book to burn the don carlos flemish deputies at the stake

It’s just a model

Is that how you feel pulling up in your Honda Civic, Madge?

Someone rides a horse statue in public.

Just a normal party with the bros.

what is this, some kind of crossover episode?

Terribly sorry for all the fuss, it’s just, that is, my horse is afraid of neck ruffles. I’ve tried to talk to him about it, but he’s—whoaaa there—he said he was a french courtier in a past life and he’s allergic to English fashion

Horse seller, listen to me! I am riding into battle. I need your strongest horse. - We have horses at home. - The horses at home:

All hail Incitatus the king

we are not ripping off shakespeare’s henry viii. what the fuck. this is about lenny xi you uncultured swine, go drown in a pit of your own farts

oh god is that hamilton

Guy Removed From Art Museum For Sitting On Statue, more at eleven

Gay <3

Officer: This horse... is a virgin! Crowd: *cheers*

originally taken from: the Parma Verdi Festival’s 2017 staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s Stiffelio, featuring Maria Katzarava (left) as Lina and Luciano Ganci (right) as Stiffelio

Responses:

That One kid in class

its a mEntAL BreAkDowN *final countdown but kazoo*

*record scratch* yeah, that's me. you're probably wondering how I got here-- closest

Dad keeps monologuing, teenager is done

left: all of my concerned friends, right: my emo ass having a very public mental breakdown

the demons in the corner of my room when im just trying to sleep

lady gets mansplained to (do i need to say more, we've all been there)

It’s probably an area baritone telling off an area soprano-- sorry; it’s a tenor. soprano is right though.

That was a fake horse in the last photo right?

child comes out as gay to father at a particularly bad time

dissociation solves everything

I can't believe it's not butter

Honey we talked about this

My sleep paralysis demon is Crowley from supernatural

child has nightmare of boring job

When you start dating a singer but he won’t stop practicing at night

just an average day in a hetero marriage

what do i do my wife's having period cramps again

Stop having an existential crisis. It’s time to sing!

“No son of mine will kin Gomez Addams under MY roof”

Crowley stares into space while a teen has post nut clarity.

When he wont stop reciting jordan peterson monologues!!

Do you realize how effed you are?

Ugh, not this lecture again! Dad’s Practicing For His Experimental Indie Band Again

asking your parents for help with your own personal situation and them just ranting off about what they went through instead of helping in any way

Will he shut up already!

no one tell him he’s yelling in the wrong direction, no one tell him plnsbdjddhdj

this kid is tired of his dad listening to rush limbaugh (a man who claimed to be pro life but died anyway)

Me internally vs externally

Daddy issues

originally taken from: the Grand Théâtre de Genève’s 2020 staging of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, featuring several chorus members

Responses:

It’s the deadly eye Of Poogley-pie. Look away, look away, As you walk by, ‘Cause whoever looks right at it Surely will die. It’s a good thing you didn’t … You did? … Good-bye. - shel Silverstein

why the fuckith? my good sir, i beg of you to put your pants back on

I hate this itchy hat

Titanic Extras hear that they have to do extra hours

people waiting to board the titanic watch someone fall off the plank

pov: you’re a time traveler

guy in the flatcap is embarrassed by patriotism and pathos

No idea. For some reason Le Marseillaise comes to mind

Is this from Harry Potter?

disneyland main street usa workers on strike

local tries to hide behind Newsies cap to avoid unpleasant but inevitable conversations. meanwhile, some very fashionable ladies look on.

"Thank fuck, 2020 was just a dream after all"

“We gather here today because this bitch got exactly what she deserved” “heaven!” “Stfu Stephanie she’s going to hell and we all know it”-- not quite but this basically happens later on in the opera (and act) so yeah (except the person in question very much Did Not Deserve It)

dc movie filter on bridgerton

america?

looks like my history teacher paused the prohibition documentary again

Who still wears page boy hats bro?

Coming out to a room of people who Already Knew That

Bitches are relieved at some party.

Several drunk people exiting getting off the subway attempting to seem sober and rational but realizing they have somehow lost all of their possessions

How tf do I act natural in this situation-- closest

“do you think any of them noticed that I don’t know the pledge of allegiance”

It's too fucking hot outside for this outfit

when hyyh yoonkook ending just hits different

pedestrians watch in horror as the triangle shirtwaist factory burns and the workers throw themselves out of the windows from a dozen stories up

Starting the pledge of allegiance be like

He's having a heart attack oh no oh god oh fuck

originally taken from: if I remember correctly, the Semperoper Dresden’s 2018 semi-staging of Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus, with Jonas Kaufmann as Gabriel von Eisenstein

Responses:

“William Shakespeare wrote: "To thine own self be true And it must follow, as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man" I believe this wise statement best applies to a woman A blonde woman Over the past three years she taught me And showed us all That being true to yourself never goes out of style Ladies and gentlemen Our valedictorian: Elle Woods!” - legally blonde the musical

eat ass, suck a dick, and sell drugs

woooooorrrrd

Finally Jonas has graduated! It’s about time, considering he’s an international star.

what my professors think they look like

Prof. Dr. Dr. When someone tells him there are more than two genders

'and since you've now graduated high school, you'll be entering college etc. blablabla' .........meanwhile, there's a whole row of graduates daring each other to chug the cheap vodka one of them has brought in gallons (yes that happened at my graduation, lol)

Jonas darling baby <3-- can’t argue with that

I just realized I have no idea what the actual fuck happens in an opera

ok this one is just what jonas kaufmann always wears you can't fool me.

"as valedictorian i will share with you the importance of loving the floor"

"Yes, mother, my art degree will make me money!"

Graduation speakers are out, singers are in

Senior year takes a new meaninbg

mansplainer professor explains the concept of feminism to women

Your Prof when you finally turn in that missing assignment be like

younger boris johnson (derogatory)

jonas kaufmann retires from opera and takes up motivational speaking

What a fine graduation evening we’re having today

-70 points for slytherin you all have no swag

A man with a college hat sings.

An obviously greying actor trying to play a university student in a low-budget porn parody

How it feels to graduate high school after being held back for years

East High is a place where teachers encouraged us to break the status quo and define ourselves as we choose. Where a jock can cook up a mean crème brûlée, and a brainiac can break it down on the dance floor-

I may not have been "cool" in high school, but in ten years you will all be working for me!

I finally got my GED!

that one guy in ur intro to cultural anthropology class who mansplains to the professor somehow fucking graduated

he;s just graduating and taking his speech too serously idk

Graduation speeches with that one dude who got held back 3 times

Smrt

originally taken from: the Metropolitan Opera’s 2011 staging of Gioachino Rossini’s Le Comte Ory with Joyce DiDonato (left) as Isolier, Diana Damrau (center) as Countess Adèle, and Juan Diego Florez (right) as Le Comte Ory (disguised as a hermit)

Responses:

There is something very [disturbing grunts] About polyamorous couples - polyamorous, Chris Fleming

jinkies

femme fatale (including to herself)

I’ll have a threesome soon !

Hot guy walks by, everyone swoons.

thirdwheeling friend does not realize the other two are having sex

When your girlfriend had „just two beers“ again

jesus is exasperated about having to drag the two ladies towards doing what he needs them to do instead of purple dramatically declaring suicidal intent over the smallest trivial matters and red being equally dramatic about declaring that it's not the way! stay alive! i love you!!

The throuple is thriving

Get off the milf

orgy

my last three braincells because im a horny slut

countess receives too much love and is confused on how to react

Rasputin's lesser known romp with a much older czarina of russia

Woman's soul leaves body

Jesus and co. are worried after another woman gets pregnant without having sex

bisexual looks at photos of celebrity couples

When you go to the party to socialize with new people but your weirdo friend group starts getting clingy

Jesus cumming

one of those weird church christmas pageants but everybody's drunk

What have I done

Hozier??????????

Jesus assfucks some purple lady being hugged.

This time, the chick IS the magnet

An affair/threesome gone awry (2019 colorized)

What do you mean they canceled GLOW?

“I TOLD you it was cashmere!”

Are you wearing the - - The Gucci dress? Yes I am.

It's not what it looks like!

jesus is fucking that one cheerleader who grew up to be a suburban mom with one (1) super cool dress she stole from her kid who is desperately hugging her middle begging for it back because the spring fling is coming up and jason might actually make eye contact with her for more than three seconds.

jesus and mary magdaline and some other bitch

I’m at a bar and these drunk girls are flirting with me, do I lOOK GAY?!

Shrek 5, jesus's return

c. 2025 First attempt of an Officer and his Wife with a Handmaiden (colourized)

just about all of these are close lol

originally taken from: the Bolshoi Theater’s 1993 staging of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orléans, featuring Nina Rautio (left) as Joan of Arc and Vyacheslav Pochapsky (right) as Thibaut d’Arc

Responses:

Don’t look, I’m still pooping

yall, the audacity of this man. he fuckin talked to me

*i can't even tell you how wrong you are* *it would be insulting to ME*-- closest

Cospeto!

„No I’m not talking to you, you keep cracking bad jokes!“ - „But I got another!“

when you’re mad at him but he says he’ll buy you food if you cheer up

When I’m wallowing in self-pity but my friends won’t comfort me

right: wanna fuck ;) left: yeah, fuck OFF lmao

Her face is screaming “don’t tell me what to do”

Yeah I got nothing

gay man tries to hit on a lesbian bc he thinks she's a twink. she's not amused but she's watching this happen anyway

me tired of MET's bullshit and them organising a Netrebko, known blackface apologist, a recital during Black History Month. (sorry im still fucking salty lol)

"stop smiling at me like that I'm trying to pout over here"

"I got fleas, you got fleas... wanna fuck?"

I have the best idea!

Haha nooooo don’t hit me with that bat you’re so sexxyy

lesbian is bothered by dilf

Me trying to flirt

if call me by your name was hetero and set in america

how many more dad jokes can i take before i explode

So. You’ve gotten yourself in a little pickle again.

What if we fought in the Russian revolution together ✨???????... unless??

Two people flirt in a poor place of town/

"If you ask me what I've got under this dirty, shapeless tunic one more time I swear to god I will kick your rotting teeth in"

You look like ur gonna kill me but ok

Really? You again?

Okay, I’ve been sitting here for 20 minutes, do you think it’s safe to—oh god, he’s still there.

Have you seen Godot?

she is tired of everyone’s shit. she has done so many derivatives it physically pains her to see a variable. dont test her. ur icarus rn.

idk pick better pictures-- I HAVE DIED THE SHEER AUDACITY AND HUBRIS I LOVE THIS

200% done with your crap

Homeless man has fucking legs of steel n is gonna show off his Russian dance moves

originally taken from: the Théâtre de Capitole du Toulouse’s 2019 staging of Paul Dukas’ Ariane et Barbe-bleue, featuring Sophie Koch (right) as Ariane and I don’t remember who the person on the left is rip me

Responses:

The knight who wore this into battle sure was swaggy

dear god its hiddeous

Capitalism

Knight in shining armour gone even more wrong.

ghost contemplates the safety of spiky motorcycle helmet

„Stop! He feels bullied!“

'this is my newest take for jesus's crucifixion crown ...... what do you mean they already put him up'

That’s probably a really expensive magic helmet idk. IDK-- closest

Omg I love the adventure zone!

minesweeper (windows xp)

"Okay whatever you do don't touch the shiny spiky ball" "It's so shiny I wanna touch it"

Taking down the trash way too late

IT'S NOT A PHASE MOM

Darth Vader got stuck in the freezer.... again. Leia isn’t happy

Star Wars 2030

“And here is the very latest in motorcycle helmet trends” “Look, I only came to the mall for a pair of socks “

futuristic kkk

long-suffering jewelry store attendant really wants to retire

Put it down put it down put it down

“Hmm no you should see a doctor about that”

A weird ass crown is presented

The creation of sars-cov-2: an experimental Eurotrance nightclub art piece gone horribly wrong

How it feels to want something that u cant have

AND WE WILL CALL IT—SPIKE MAN actually do you think that’s too obvious?? Because of the—yeah, because of the spikes?? See, that’s what I’m worried about. I want it to be SCARY

I know it's risky but... lube me up

use the force luke.

that is a weird fleshlight

When you get an ugly gift and need to find a way to get rid of it, so your family member/friend offers to smash it

Touch the orb

originally taken from: the Opera Vlaanderen’s 2019 staging of Fromental Halévy’s La Juive, with Nicole Chevalier (left, with bottle) as Princess Eudoxie, Enea Scala (center, under table) as Prince Léopold, and Roy Cornelius Smith (right) as Éléazar

Responses:

When no one comes to your birthday party :(

fantastic, day 487 of mischief and they have yet to find my masterful hiding spot

i really wonder who he thinks he's playing footsie with

Marriage crisis. Reason sits under the table-- closest but not in the way you think (after all, the man under the table IS a tenor).

the last supper afterparty after jesus left

When you order the last supper on wish

espionage at the Politischer Rosenmontag

Probably the wrong opera but is that Leporello under the table

Now THIS is a Good Friday night

this was every birthday party i went to between the ages of 5 and 11

that awkward moment when you drop your fork under the table but when you re-emerge everyone else has left except one drunk lady and the guy trying to deal with her

After the last supper

Tfw you arrive to the dinner party too early and have to hide until a more fashionable hour

When the cishets aren’t home

waiter hides from customers

Nobody: My dog every time I’m eating:

what's left of the homies Jesus had dinner with

university chem lab experiment gone terribly wrong

I’ve been under the table FOR 30 MINUTES

Set your friends up by tossing them off under the table, they’ll think it’s each other n fall in luv

Someone hids under a table

"You're about to see an surreptitious-under-the-table-dick-sucking master at work"

5 yr old me trying to eat the desert under the table without my parents finding out be like:

They never invite me to their parties!

Just another girl’s night in

Oops! Didn’t notice you the table.

dionysus - bts (2019, colorized)

just a normal episode of eric andre (eric is the one under the table)

Just a normal day with the boys

Thievery

originally taken from: the Théâtre de Capitole du Toulouse’s 2017 staging of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Le prophète, featuring Kate Aldrich (left, surrounded by women in white) as Fidès and John Osborn (center, looking like a Jesus doppelganger) as Jean de Leyde

Responses:

Hold up, is that Eggman above Jesus?

holy disco

Looks like Tannhäuser. Our lord and saviour Richard Wagner. Now I need to be saved from that.

catholicism

me defending pineapple on pizza (THANK YOU)

jesus but hes about to be abducted by the alien ufo above him

Emmmmmmm Heaven? Idk

Lord of the rings?

ewww christianity gross

"behold, I am Important"

"Seriously?? It's not ACTUALLY pyjama day? Fuck you guys!"

Jesus at the Disco

Jesus Finds The Molerat People Who Live Under Bethlehem

disco is heaven

Want to join my new religion?

the kkk

church christmas pageant where everyone's sober but it's based on the director's fever dream

Am I the only one who sees the giant demon? Just me? Okay...

“Oh god I think I’m starting my period”

A party is held with a priest in the middle

"Let's get this secret Vatican sex party rolling!"

The new avengers endgame set is looking great!!

You know, guys, I try not to be a bother but...I can’t help but feel like I missed a dress code memo for this wedding??? It’s cocktail, right??”

Jesus visits Hogwarts

I must really stink if no one will even come close to me

the extra ass funeral i DESERVE

star wars life day

A cult at it’s best-- closest

Shrek 5, Jesus is still there I guess

originally taken from: the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden’s 2013 staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes, featuring Bryan Hymel (left, standing) as Henri, Lianna Haroutounian (center, kneeling in the black gown) as Duchess Hélène, and Erwin Schrott (kneeling to her right) as Jean Procida

Responses:

When the director’s like “great rehearsal guys, just a few notes before I let you go” but it’s already 9:13 and your mom’s waiting in the parking lot

loyalist of subjects

bow before your queen

They forgot to take down the stage boxes after the Vienna opera ball but the show must go on.

somebody forgot to book chairs for this funeral

Me sharing God’s (Hayley koyoko) word on the discord server

mass execution bc the oboe solo sucked ass-- closest

That’s too many black suits I can’t see shit

I can’t even tell what’s going on here

8th grade school assembly about how it's uncool to shit on the walls at school

let's all get fancy so we can go to the opera and sit on the stage (idk this one's hard lol)

"Yes i am a time traveller, now don't freak out"

Tfw you forget to pay your lighting bills

White guys make decisions that will benefit them and screw someone that’s not a white guy over-- OUCH but that is too real (although not really in context here)

dead man gives speech at his own funeral

brotus and the boys ??? last meeting before the stabbing

high society social function ends in mass murder-- right opera, wrong scene

Someone walks into the talent show stage with a dog

Black-dressed bitches worship a man.

Worst school assembly of all time

POV:You're the window in the classroom and someone said "its snowing"

When the conductor shows up fashionably late to the orchestra concert

That's what you get for choosing the cheapest ticket option, get back in the mud where you belong

theyre just trying to jump into a grave at a funeral leabe them alone this is normal

oh my god he really whipped his dick out in front of everyone, this is just like in 1776 guys, except some women are actually in the room this time,

A funeral, stop wearing so much black

I want to slap their bald heads like rice

originally taken from: the Teatro Real Madrid’s 2018 staging of Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, featuring Roberto Tagliavini (right) as Raimondo

Responses:

Crowd “haha!! Looks like someone missed the all-black memo!! Now it’s laugh-in-your-face time! / Guy on the floor (whispering to guy against wall): go, save yourself! I’ll hold them off...”

if i leave now i wont be a witness and can tell the police i had no idea

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Guy in the back pretends to help but is to far away to even know what’s going on.

priest walks in on beginning of an orgy, contemplated joining but is too scared-

when someone brings up capitalism but you’re just trying to play minecraft

lol lets trample this guy while the judge isnt looking

Again. Too many black costumes

Loved this Dostoevsky novel

i would know if opera directors were more creative with clothing choices ngl

me on parties lol

"imma just sneak out of here while everyone else is distracted"

"Where did he get this flooring!? Amazing!"

Everyone act normal!

The tell tale heart but they got REALLY drunk

man tposes to ward off vampires after being caught undercover

boys ???? night

the priest really shouldn't have visited the insane asylum-- closest

He’s FINE everyone’s been hit by a car before

Something happens in a room.

Perks of being a wallflower

There's always that one person in the fight whos trying not to get involved when they really wanna

Oh good, they’re all posing for a Rembrandt painting, I can just sneeeeaaak out the back here...

The gamer livestreaming Resident Evil + everyone watching the stream ? waiting for him to open the door just knowing it will trigger a chase scene

Quick!

the guy t posing in the back is regretting his every decision.-- also accurate

the us senate jumps ted cruz, some other wack ass gop senator is trying to sneak away

...I spoke too soon, however this is a James Bond mission

Queers help fellow queer do math but it's a struggle

#opera #opera tag #results #screencaps #captions #caption #caption this #caption contest #this seems to have gone over well and I am Pleased

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 3 years

Text

Psycho Analysis: Lucifer/Satan

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Please allow me to introduce this villain. He’s a man of wealth and taste...

Satan, or Lucifer, or whatever of the hundreds of names across multiple religions, folk tales, urban legends, movies, books, songs, video games, and more that you choose to call him, is without a doubt the biggest bad of them all. He is not just a villain; he is the villain, the bad guy your other bad guys answer to, the lord of Hell. If there’s a bad deed, he’s done it, if there’s a problem, he’s behind it. There’s nothing beneath him, and that’s not just because he’s at the very bottom of Hell. He is the root cause of all the misery in the entire world.

And if we’re talking about Satan, we gotta talk about Lucifer too. They weren’t always supposed to be one and the same, but over centuries of artistic depictions and reimaginings they’ve been conflated into one being, a being that is a lot more layered and interesting than just a simple adversary for the good to overcome when handled properly.

Motivation/Goals: Look, it’s Satan. His main goal is to be as evil as possible, do bad things, cause mischief and mayhem. Rarely does anything good come from Satan being around. If he is one and the same as Lucifer, expect there to be some sort of plot about him rebelling against God, as according to modern interpretations Lucifer fought against God in battle and was then cast out, falling from grace like lightning. When the Lucifer persona is front and center, raging against the heavens tends to be a big part of his schemes, but when the big red devil persona is out and about, expect temptations to sin, birthing the Antichrist, or tempting people to sell their souls.

Performance: Satan has been portrayed by far too many people over the years to even consider keeping count of, though some notable performances of the character or at least characters who are clearly meant to be Satan include the nuanced anti-villain take of the character Viggo Mortensen portrayed in The Prophecy; the sympathetic homosexual man portrayed by Trey Parker in South Park and its film; the hard-rocking badass Dave Grohl portrayed in Tencaious D’s movie; Robin Hughes as a sneaky, double-crossing bastard in “The Howling Man” episode of The Twilight Zone; the big red devil from Legend known as Darkness, played by Tim Curry; the shapeshifting angel named Satan from The Adventures of Mark Train who will make you crap your pants; and while not portrayed by anyone due to being entirely voiceless, Chernabog from Disney’s Fantasia is definitely noteworthy in regards to cinematic depictions of the devil.

Final Thoughts & Score: Satan is a villain whose sheer scope dwarfs almost every other villain in history. It’s not even remotely close, either; Satan pops up in stories all around the world, is the greater-scope villain of most varieties of three major religions, and his very name is shorthand for “really, really evil.” Every other villain I have ever discussed and reviewed wishes they could be a byword for being bad to the bone. Even Dracula, one of the single most important villains in fiction, looks puny in comparison to Satans villainous accomplishments.

Satan in old religious texts tended to be an utterly horrifying force of nature, until Medieval times began portray him as a dopey demon trying to tempt the faithful (and failing). Folklore and media have gone back and forth, portraying both in equal measure – you have the desperate, fiddle-playing devil from “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and the unseen, unfathomable Satan who may or may not exist in the Marvel comics universe who other demons live in fear of the return of. Satan is just a very interesting and malleable antagonist, one who is defined just enough that he can make a massive, formidable force while still being enough of a blank slate that you can project any sort of personality traits onto him to build an intriguing foe.

One of the most famous examples of this in action is the common depiction of Satan as the king of hell. This doesn’t really have much basis in religion; he’s as much a prisoner as anyone else, though considering how impressive a prisoner he is, he’d be like the big guy at the top of the pecking order in any jail for sure. But still, the idea of Satan as the ruler of hell was clearly conceived by someone and proved such an intriguing concept that so many decided to run with it.

I think that’s what truly makes Satan such an interesting villain, in that he’s almost a community-built antagonist. People over the ages have added so much lore, personality, and power to him that is only vaguely alluded to in old religions to the point where they have all become commonplace in depictions of the big guy, and there really isn’t any other villain to have quite this magnitude on culture as a whole. It shouldn’t be any shock that Satan is an 11/10; rating him any lower would be a heinous crime only he is capable of.

But see, the true sign of how amazing he is is the sheer number of ways one can interpret him. You have versions that are just vague embodiments of all that is bad and unholy, such as Chernabog from Fantasia, you have more nuanced portrayals like the one Viggo Mortensen played in The Prophecy, you have outright sympathetic ones like the one from South Park… Satan is just a villain who can be reshaped and reworked as a creator sees fit and molded into something that fits the narrative they want. I guess what I’m trying to say is that not only is Lucifer/Satan one of the greatest villains of all, he’s also one of the single greatest characters of all time.

Now, there are far too many depictions of Satan for me to have seen them all, but I have seen quite a lot. Here’s how Old Scratch has fared over the millennia in media of various forms, though keep in mind this is by no means a comprehensive or exhaustive lsit:

“The Devil Went Down to Georgia” Devil:

I think this is one of my favorite devils in any fiction ever, simply because of what a good sport he is. Like, there is really no denying that Johnny’s stupid little fiddle ditty about chickens or whatever sucks major ass, and yet Satan (who had moments before summoned up demonic hordes to rip out some Doom-esque metal for the contest) gave him the win and the golden fiddle. What a gracious guy! He’s a 9/10 for sure, though I still wish we knew how his rematch ended…

Chernabog:

Chernabog technically doesn’t do anything evil, and he never says a word, and yet everything about him is framed as inherently sinister. It’s really no wonder Chernabog has become one of the most famous and beloved parts of Fantasia alongside Yen Sid and Sorcerer Mickey; he’s infinitely memorable, and really, how can he not be? He’s the devil in a Disney film, not played for laughs and instead made as nightmarishly terrifying as an ancient demon god should be. Everything about him oozes style, and every movement and gesture begets a personality that goes beyond words. Chernabog doesn’t need to speak to tell you that he is evil incarnate; you just know, on sight, that he is up to no good.

Quite frankly, the implications of Chernabog’s existence in the Disney canon are rather terrifying. Is he the one Maleficent called upon for power? Is he the one all the villains answer to? Do you think Frollo saw him after God smote him? And what exactly did he gain by attacking Sora at the end of Kingdom Hearts? All I know for sure is that Chernabog is a 10/10.

Lucifer (The Prophecy):

Viggo Mortensen has limited screentime, but in that time he manages to be incredibly creepy, misanthropic… and yet, also, on the side of good. Of course, he’s doing it entirely for self-serving reasons (he wants humanity around so he can make them suffer), but credit where credit is due. The man manages to steal a scene from under Christopher Walken, I think that’s worth a 10/10.

Satan (South Park):

Portraying Satan as a sympathetic gay man was a pretty bold choice, and while he certainly does fall into some stereotypes, he’s not really painted as bad or morally wrong for being gay, and ends up more often than not being a good (if sometimes misguided) guy who just wants to live his life. Plus he gets a pretty sweet villain song, though technically it’s more of an “I want” song than anything. Ah well, a solid 8/10 for him is good.

Satan (Tenacious D):

youtube

It’s Dave Grohl as Satan competing in a rock-off against JB and KG. Literally everything about this is perfect, even if he’s only in the one scene. 10/10 for sure.

Robot Devil:

Futurama’s take on the devil is pretty hilarious and hammy, but then Futurama was always pretty on point. He’s a solid 8/10, because much like South Park’s devil he gets a fun little villain song with a guest apearance by the Beastie Boys, not to mention his numerous scams like when he stole Fry’s hands. He’s just a fun, hilarious asshole.

The Howling Man:

The Twilight Zone has many iconic episodes, and this one is absolutely one of them. While the devil is the big twist, that scene of him transforming as he walks between the pillars is absolutely iconic, and was even used by real-life villain Kevin Spacey in the big reveal of The Usual Suspects. This one is a 9/10 for sure, especially given the ending that implies this will all happen again (as per usual with the show).

The Darkness:

While he’s more devil-adjacent than anything and is more likely to be the son of Satan rather than the actual man himself, it’s hard not to give a shout-out to the big, buff demon played by Tim Curry in some of the most fantastic prosthetics and makeup you will ever see. He gets a 9/10 for the design alone, the facty he’s Tim Curry is icing on the cake.

#Psycho Analysis #Satan #Lucifer

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candied-peach · 5 years

Text

ao3: “still standing” rating: T warnings: supernatural au, blood, food, cheating implication (but no actual cheating), remus typical stuff, sympathetic deceit, sympathetic remus, dukeceit genre: angst with a happy ending description: Sometimes the best present is each other. And perhaps a Milkbone? (written for @timelesstragedy as part of sanders sides secret santa 2019 ♡) (beta’ed by the amazing TheLittleTrashCat)

It's getting late, Dee frets, shoving his hands in his coat pockets and wandering down the sidewalk, eyes scanning the busy shops for any sign of his boyfriend. Snowflakes lazily spiral down from a slate grey sky, nestling in the soft wool of his yellow hat, knitted by his friend, Patton. It's a little clumsy, but Dee treasures it.

He also treasures the lack of sun right about now. The stories are, in the whole, wrong (he has no issue with garlic, for instance, and the profusion of selfies on his phone shoot down the pernicious idea that he can't see his own reflection), but the sun certainly doesn't do him any favors. He doesn't burst into flames or anything as dramatic as that, but it does weaken him. And a lack of energy does not bode well when it comes to dealing with his boyfriend.

Speaking of Remus, Christmas is fast approaching and Dee still has no idea what to get him. Nothing that springs to mind feels worthy of the greatest gift to ever stumble into Dee's life. He knows that a lot of people are put off by Remus. They find him abrasive, crude, and obnoxious. Gross, even, by his sense of humor and lack of personal boundaries. But Dee knows he's trying, he really is, and what's wrong with a little exuberance and curiosity? No one else in his life has ever dragged him out of bed at three in the morning to go pelt stray students with open packets of barbecue sauce (they almost got caught by campus police and Dee nearly forgot in his panic to run like a normal human would, not putting on a preternatural burst of speed).

His tongue absently swipes across one of his fangs (dismissed as an unusually sharp canine tooth) as he finally catches a glimpse of Remus, talking animatedly to a mall Santa who looks like he's just clocked out for the day. The mall Santa has a dazed look on his face under the fake white beard. A common occurrence for strangers meeting Remus for the first time, Dee thinks in amusement as he sidles their way.

"-and personally, I think frog spawn makes a great gift," Dee hears as he picks his way across a thin scrim of ice. Remus turns his head, catching sight of Dee, and his whole face lights up.

"Dee Dee!" He exclaims, abandoning the mall Santa without a second thought. "There you are!" As if he's not the one who ran off in the first place.

"Here I am," Dee agrees. The wind is cold suddenly, biting into his exposed skin and making the birthmark that covers one half of his face ache. He still doesn't know why it does that. Perhaps it is a side effect of his vampiric status? It certainly never did it before, or perhaps he never paid enough attention. "Are you ready to go?"

"For now," Remus says. "What next?"

"We're meeting up with Virgil, aren't we?" Dee asks, surprised by the cloud that sweeps briefly over Remus's face. "Is something the matter?"

"No," Remus denies. It's a lie, but Dee doesn't want to push it. Remus will tell him when he wants to tell him and until then, he'll clam up, stubborn as any old hard-headed mule.

Virgil waits for them at the smoothie shop- surprisingly still busy, despite the icy weather. He stands out amongst the festive shoppers, clad in purple and black like a gloomy storm cloud. Purple-dyed hair falls over one eye and black eyeshadow swoops beneath both eyes. He smiles when he sees Dee and Remus, standing up from the tiny table he'd ensconced himself.

"Hey," Virgil greets. "Did you get everything you wanted?"

"Not quite," Dee admits, rueful. "It's so hard to buy for this one." He nudges Remus playfully. "I want to buy him the moon and stars, but sadly, they aren't for sale."

"Ask Logan," Virgil jokes. Logan is the neighborhood librarian, and he is more obsessed with astronomy than any person Dee has ever met.

"Buy me a human skull," Remus suggests, his eyes glittering with suppressed laughter. "Ooh, better yet, Dee Dee, just get me a human skull! A fresh one!"

"I'd rather not end up in prison," Dee says, laughing. "But there's a macabre idea. I like it."

"Want a smoothie?" Virgil asks. Dee nods.

"Nah," Remus says, stuffing his hands in his pockets. His shopping bags dangle from his elbows. Virgil wanders up to the counter and Dee takes a seat, sighing as the weight is lifted from his feet.

"Are you still going out with Virgil later?" Remus asks abruptly. Dee nods.

"Present shopping," he lies. In reality, he and Virgil are fang buddies (although he's told Virge more than once never to utter that phrase again), and they need to go and feed.

"Oh," Remus says, his face clearing a little. "Okay."

"Here you go," Virgil says, arriving breathless, his cheeks flushed. He presses a berry smoothie into Dee's hands, sipping on his own mango one. Dee takes a happy sip, offering the straw to his boyfriend. Remus regards it for a moment, then takes a noisy slurp, his cheeks hollowing out.

"Leave some for me," Dee jokes. Remus's eyes sparkle as he swallows his mouthful of ice cold smoothie, before pain creases his forehead.

"Smoothie headache," he says, his voice creaky.

"Press your tongue to the roof of your mouth," Virgil advises. "I think it's supposed to help." Remus looks dubious, but does it anyway. Moments later, relief floods his face. Dee brushes a few strands of his unruly hair out of his face, fingers sliding through the grey streak in front. Remus won't admit if he's dyed it or if it's a stroke of luck that it's all centered in one or two locks of hair (although Dee's money is on Remus dyeing it).

They start the long trek home not long after, Virgil trailing after them. Dee is acutely aware of the other vampire's presence, even as he makes small talk with his boyfriend. He reaches over and snags some of the bags Remus is juggling, purely to grasp the chance to hold Remus's hand. Remus's slow growing smile is a reward in and of itself, and it makes precious warmth bloom in his chest.

"Love you," Dee murmurs, just loud enough for Remus to hear. Red stains Remus's cheeks, climbing up his neck, and Dee smiles in satisfaction.

"You little-" Remus cuts himself off abruptly.

Virgil's phone rings behind them, disturbing the moment.

"Sorry to interfere in your homosexual love affair, guys," Virgil says dryly. "But I gotta take this. It's Patton." He slows further, mumbling into the phone until Dee can't hear him very well.

Patton is a mutual friend who just so happens to be a werewolf. You would never know it, though, looking at his sunny exterior, Dee muses. Slightly chubby, spattered with freckles, and always smiling, he doesn't exactly fit the 'look.' Then again, Dee doesn't really look like a vampire, does he?

Now Virgil, he really looks the part, a brooding emo with purple-dyed hair and a perpetually black wardrobe. People used to jokingly call him a vampire in high school. They never knew how much it hurt him. Maybe it shouldn't have, Virgil told him one night, as they sat on the roof of the school and watched the moon come up. But it did, anyway.

I could hurt them, he remembers Virgil saying, sprawled out over the roof. I could really, really hurt them. Bet they wouldn't make fun of me then.

But you won't, Dee had said, with utter certainty.

No, Virgil had admitted. I won't.

Remus slides an arm around Dee's waist, pulling him free of his reverie.

"Do you have to go so soon?" He whines, licking Dee's ear. Dee scrunches his face.

"Don't do that," he says, laughing. "And I don't have to leave quite yet."

"Good," Remus says smugly, just as Virgil catches back up, stuffing his phone in his pocket.

"Patton wants to join our quest," Virgil says. "If that's okay with you, Dee." What looks like relief passes over Remus's face as Dee nods and he wonders why.

"Fine by me," he says. He knows what Virgil really means. Patton has found a willing blood donor this time.

"Here we are," Dee says, stopping by the walk up to their apartment. "See you in a little while, Virge."

"See you!" He says, giving a short flap of his fingers and continuing on, shoulders hunched.

"I'm going to find you the best Christmas present in the whole world," Dee tells his boyfriend, as they start up the stairs. Remus looks wistfully at him.

"I just need you, Dee Dee," he says. "You know that, right?"

Dee doesn't know what to say to that.

-----

Remus watches his boyfriend continue up the steps, too low to even give his customary salacious wink and wiggle. It's a sign of how preoccupied Dee must be that he doesn't notice. He hopes that it's purely because of what Dee said, he's trying to come up with the perfect Christmas present (Remus himself has long since given up on the idea of perfection). But he can't help but fret there's a more sinister undertone, one that he desperately doesn't want to think about.

It's just your intrusive thoughts, he tries to convince himself, as Dee unlocks their front door and ushers him inside, shopping bags banging against his side. It must be just his intrusive thoughts. Dee wouldn't do something like that, would he? Not with their friend, Virgil.

But he's been friends with Virgil a lot longer than he's been boyfriends with Remus. And they're always hanging out. Dee never outright excludes him, but after a long life in his brother Roman's shadow, Remus knows when he's not wanted.

But Patton will be there, he argues with himself, taking his shopping to put up in the back of the closet, where Dee can't reach without a step stool. He's always been a little persnickety about his short stature, but Remus has to admit it has its uses right about now.

Unless Patton is in on it-

But no. Not even his intrusive thoughts can believe that. The same goes for Logan, the librarian who's so much fun to tease when he gets all prickly. He knows all the cool books about cephalopods, though, so Remus doesn't tease him too much. Besides, if he does, Roman will find out and he's taken great pains to distance himself from his brother.

It's not that he doesn't like Roman. He does. They're twins, after all. But Roman is-

Well, it feels like Roman is everything that Remus is not. Roman is good. Valiant. A prince. Human.

Remus winces as his own thoughts remind him of the monster he transforms into, every full moon. He keeps his human mind when he transforms, but somehow, that's almost worse.

Sometimes he wishes his brother shared it. Other times, he's relieved that Roman, at least, gets to be normal. He knows, of course. It would have been pretty hard growing up otherwise. But it's always been impressed into both twins that it's a family secret. Not even Dee knows, and Remus kind of hates himself for it. Dee isn't hiding some earth-shattering secret like being a werewolf-

No, instead you're just freaking out that he's cheating on you and you don't even have the balls to ask him straight up what's going on. He winces, returning to the living room, where Dee has sprawled out on the sofa, winter coat folded over the arm.

"You all right?" Dee asks, his brows crinkling in concern.

"Never better, Sir Hiss a Lot!" Remus chirps, lying through his teeth. "Just a little tired, that's all." He flops dramatically next to Dee on the couch, hand splayed over his eyes.

"Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well," Dee says, deadpan. "Are you going to take a nap then? When I leave?"

"Yeah, probably," Remus says, letting his arm flop to one side. He turns his face aside, avoiding the truth.

He intends on napping. That much is true. But he also knows that curiosity is burning like a trash fire, deep in his belly, and he can't guarantee that he won't try his hand at a bit of espionage. He used to follow his brother around all the time when they were kids, and Roman never suspected a thing.

"Okay," Dee says, cuddling into his side and basking in his warmth. He feels cold and Remus yanks him closer, wrapping a warm arm around his boyfriend and breathing in the soft scent of Dee's shampoo.

There's nothing going on. He's sure of it, he thinks, relief sagging his shoulders. There is no way that Dee can cuddle him so lovingly and have something going on the side. He knows his boyfriend.

But he thinks maybe he'll follow Dee, anyway. Just for the practice.

-----

"Sleep well, my little cephalopod," Dee murmurs, kissing Remus's forehead. His boyfriend whines, clutching at him, and for a moment, he's tempted to text Virgil and tell him that he can't come after all.

But no, it's been too long since he last fed, and it's hard enough to line up willing donors as it is. He feels like an ass when their only option is a blood bank (as funny as it is to think of a vampire stabbing their teeth into a bag of blood like a Capri Sun), but he refuses to feed from someone who's not willing.

Virgil's waiting outside, his hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie.

"Remus is gonna take a nap," Dee greets him. "Do you think maybe I should tell him on Christmas?"

"If you want to," Virgil says, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "I don't think that he'd freak out."

"I don't think so, either," Dee says. He bites his lower lip in thought. "I just- What if he doesn't believe me? What if he does and wants to break up with me?"

"What if you're borrowing trouble when there is none?" Virgil counters. Dee laughs shakily.

"All right, good point," he acknowledges. "So, where's Patton and this mystery donor, anyway?"

"The library," Virgil says. "Patton reserved a conference room."

"Only Pat," Dee murmurs, with a laugh. "Afterwards, I still need to buy Remus a Christmas present." He sighs. "I hope Logan and Pat have some ideas, because I am clueless."

"Have you asked his brother?" Virgil asks. Dee looks at him in surprise.

"You know, I still haven't managed to meet him?" Dee says. "Remus always has an excuse."

"I've only met him a couple times when he's hung out with Pat," Virgil says. "But I think he and Remus don't get along very well."

"I wonder why," Dee muses.

"He and Remus are complete opposites," Virgil says. "I prefer Remus, to be honest." A fond smile touches Dee's lips.

"So do I," he says, a dreamy look entering heterochromatic eyes. Virgil snorts, elbowing him.

"Of course you do," he says.

"Dee! Virge!" Patton's exuberant voice spills out of the library doors before the rest of him. He beams at the two of them, hands clasped in front of him. He reminds Dee of a Christmas postcard, dressed in a pastel blue sweater, his familiar cat hoodie tied loosely over his shoulders. It has always amused Dee that a werewolf would be so enamoured with cats (although Patton's deathly allergic and Dee's had to tug him away more than once).

"Back here," Patton says, leading them into the warm confines of the library. Logan nods to them from the reference desk, adjusting his glasses as he bends over his computer. The library is closing soon, but that's all right. Logan and Patton have arranged everything. It's easier for them to do it. Virgil gets so anxious about the thought of arranging his own blood donor that he would rather die of thirst, and Dee's too self-conscious about his birthmark. He still does, of course, but he has to admit that it's easier when Patton volunteers. He likes to arrange for a special tray of Patton's favorite cookies to be sent over afterwards. Patton loves his cookies, especially chocolate chip ones.

"Are they here, Patton?" An unfamiliar voice asks from the dimness of the conference room.

"Yep!" Patton answers cheerily. It's easier when it's dark, Dee thinks as he sidles past the pun-loving werewolf. At least for the initial bite. He doesn't mind seeing afterward, but looking into someone's eyes right before you sink your fangs into them is a little, well-

Uncomfortable, to say the least.

"Don't take too much," Virgil cautions, but Dee already knows the generally unspoken rules. Their new blood donor sits at one of the tables, and Dee can barely see the pale expanse of his neck, bared to him.

"Er, maybe your arm would be better?" Dee suggests, hesitant. "Just so, you know, you don't have two holes in your neck..."

"Oh!" He sounds startled, but soon enough, a wrist is thrust in front of Dee's mouth. "That makes much more sense. I just assumed-"

"A lot of people do," Dee says, trying to hide his amusement. "This will only take a moment."

He sinks his fangs into the delicate skin of the stranger's wrist, just beginning to feed, when suddenly the overhead light flares on, and he looks into the shocked eyes of someone who could only be Remus's twin.

"Remus, I told you, they're busy in the-" He hears Logan's voice stutter to a stop as Dee jerks back from who could only be Roman, eyes wide.

"When I followed you, I thought I had to worry about Virgil, not my own brother," Remus says. He sounds utterly heartbroken, and Dee feels his heart crack that much more, hearing the utter desolation in Remus's voice.

"Remus, it isn't what you think," Virgil tries, but Dee could have told him it's the exact wrong thing to say.

"Really?" Remus snaps. Now he sounds very brittle. "My own boyfriend won't even face me. He's too busy facing my stupid twin." Dee's not facing him because he's too afraid blood is smeared all over his mouth, but how can he say that? As if his boyfriend will believe that he's a vampire now.

"That's what I thought," Remus says heavily. Dee stands there, listening to the plod of his boyfriend's boots, leaving the conference room, and his heart shatters.

"This has gone on long enough," Logan says after several long, tense moments. Dee's eyes burn with the force of his suppressed tears. "Dee, he deserves to know the truth."

"My brother's boyfriend is a vampire," Roman says, staring in wonder at the puncture marks on his wrist. "That's a new one."

"I'm sorry," Dee whispers. It's all his throat will let past.

"No need," Roman says. "Hey-" He thrusts his other wrist at Virgil. "You were gonna feed, too, weren't you?" Virgil jumps, his eyes darting around the room.

"Maybe later," he says. "I uh- this should probably get resolved."

"Agreed," Logan says crisply. "There is no reason to hide the truth of your vampire status from him any longer, Dee."

"But what if he-" Dee starts.

"I think he'll accept it," Roman promises. "I can't say why, but trust me. He will."

Dee heaves a ragged sigh.

"I hope you're right," he says.

-----

A brisk knock on the door interrupts Remus's crying jag. He looks up from the pint of Ben & Jerry's he's dived into, eyes red rimmed and nose running.

"I'm not in the mood to hear it!" He yells at the door. "Why don't you go back to my brother?" Of all the scenes he thought he would walk into at the library, seeing Dee bent so lovingly over his own twin never even came close to the realm of possibility. It still hurts, burning deep inside like a tablespoon of sea salt packed into an open wound.

"Your brother is with us," Logan calls back, his voice measured. "Dee has the key, Remus. We are coming in, whether you like it or not."

"Fine," Remus growls, dropping the spoon into his ice cream and stalking over to the door, jerking it open. Sure enough, everyone is crowded in the hallway. Dee's eyes look just as swollen as his own must be, and Remus feels a vicious splinter of satisfaction at the sight.

"Please let us in," Patton requests, twisting the knotted together sleeves of his cat hoodie. Remus steps back, watching them shuffle past him. Dee won't even meet his eyes.

"What do you want?" He asks sharply.

"You misinterpreted what happened at the library," Logan says.

"I'm not cheating on you," Dee whispers. "I wouldn't- I couldn't, Remus, it would physically destroy me, I love you so much-"

"Then explain your little lovey dovey scene with my brother," Remus hisses. Dee winces.

"It's complicated," he mumbles. "I, um-"

"This will take forever," Logan says, with an exasperated huff of breath. "Dee's a vampire, Remus. So is Virgil. Roman was going to be their blood donor."

"And I'm a werewolf!" Patton pipes up, an uncertain smile spreading across his face.

"What?" Remus asks blankly.

"I'm a vampire," Dee says, glaring at Logan. "Logan's not wrong. Virgil and me- we are best friends, but a lot of the time, when we don't invite you, it's because we need blood, and I, um... I didn't know how you'd react."

"You thought I wouldn't accept you?" Remus asks. Hesitant, Dee shrugs.

"I don't know?" He says. "And that's- well, that's part of the problem, I didn't think you'd take it bad or want to break up or think I was crazy, but I didn't know-"

"Bluebirds on bagels, this is too funny," Remus says, leaning against the wall and wheezing a little. "Roman, you didn't tell them?"

"It's your secret, bro," Roman says. Dee looks at him in confusion.

"It's been a big family secret," Remus says. "And I've been so afraid to tell you, but I'm a werewolf."

"Like me!" Patton squeals, and suddenly, Remus has an armful of Patton, squeezing him round the middle.

"Like you," Remus agrees. He looks up, serious. "I'm sorry, Dee. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that. It wasn't fair- to anyone."

"I should have told you sooner," Dee says, his gaze downcast. "I'm sorry." Remus crosses the room, tugging Dee to him.

"I love you," Remus says, kissing Dee's temples. "So much."

"And I you," Dee murmurs. Remus barely registers the others filing out, shutting the door with a quiet click.

"I guess I'll have to find you a real Christmas present tomorrow," Dee mumbles, as Remus leads him to the sofa, curling up on it and pulling him to Remus's side.

"I told you," Remus says, peering into Dee's mismatched eyes. "The only Christmas present I need is you."

tag list: @k9cat @i-wanna-be-m-e @paravigilant-virgil @croftersgamer @airiervessel @bexxbeauty @did-he-just-hiss-at-me @yalltookmyurlideas @matthindavick @killjoy-3000

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lady-divine-writes · 7 years

Text

Klaine one-shot - “Not a Warlock” (Rated PG13)

Kurt and Blaine's son Tracy has a unique request for what he wants to be for Halloween, which Kurt is more than happy to help him with, but it ends up coming with some unexpected stress ... and an equally unexpected revelation on Kurt's part. (2469 words)

A/N: Tis the season once again. I'm feeling a little Halloween-y so I thought I would post this. This is also a re-write. Let me know what you think <3

Read on AO3.

“What an adorable little warlock!”

Kurt sighs to himself. It’s the first comment that they’ve gotten so far, but they’re only at the first house on the block. Kurt knows it’s not going to be the last.

“Actually” - Kurt puts his hands protectively on his son’s shoulders, preparing to deflect whatever unintendedly offensive remark his explanation might garner - “he’s dressed as a witch this year for Halloween. Not a warlock.”

“Oh?” The woman at the door, holding a bowl filled with Butterfingers (Tracy’s absolute favorite candy in the world), sizes the little boy up and down. Kurt’s son stands patiently on the woman’s doorstep dressed in a black, ankle-length gown that Kurt designed and made; holding an authentically-styled besom, which Kurt and Tracy made together using twigs they’d gathered in their front yard. Kurt spent close to an hour doing Tracy’s makeup, covering the boy’s skin with green face paint, shading his cheeks and eyes black to make his chubby, cherubic boy sinister (which didn’t work too well since Tracy’s natural cuteness prevailed against Kurt’s makeup mastery). Kurt even fashioned a hooked nose prosthetic and wart from liquid latex. Kurt went through all of this in the hopes that Tracy would look undeniably and unmistakably like a witch, a la Idina Menzel from Wicked. But, apparently, it didn’t work as well as he thought. “But, aren’t male witches traditionally called warlocks?”

“Maybe,” Kurt says, keeping his voice bright and his disposition cheery for as long as he can before he’s forced to call on his inner papa bear for reinforcements, “but Tracy decided he wanted to be a witch for Halloween, so that’s what he is.”

“Yup,” Tracy says proudly, holding his bag up for a piece of candy, “and Hepburn is my animal familiar.” Tracy looks over his raised arm at the Ander-Hummel’s pet Labradoodle sitting obediently beside him. The woman’s eyes follow. She raises a brow at the off-white colored dog. Tracy leans in close to the lady putting two bars of chocolate in his bag. “We were going to dress him up as a cat, but I thought that might be a little mean. You know … because he’s a dog.”

“Gotcha.” The woman gives Tracy a wink that, thankfully, looks genuine. “Well, you definitely have my vote for best witch costume this year. Happy Halloween!”

“Happy Halloween!” Kurt smiles, steering Tracy down the street. He breathes a sigh of relief, but it doesn’t calm him. They’ve just started their route. They still have about three blocks of houses to go.

And each one goes about the way Kurt pictured it.

Knock-knock.

“Trick or Treat!”

“What an adorable warlock!”

“I’m a witch.”

“He’s a witch.”

“But isn’t a male witch called a warlock?”

“Normally, I suppose, but this year Tracy wanted to be a witch. So, he’s a witch. Trick or Treat!”

Knock-knock.

“Trick or Treat!”

“Look at the cute war---“

“Witch. He’s a witch.”

“I’m a witch.”

“But, aren’t male witches…”

“Still a witch. Happy Halloween!”

Knock-knock.

“Trick or Treat!”

“Oh, Tracy! What an inspired little warlock---“

“Witch! He’s a witch He’s dressed as a witch this year, not a warlock! A witch!” There’s an awkward moment of quiet staring between Kurt and the matronly lady at the front door. His smile, about as fake as his exhausted, twitchy lips can form, somehow grows to meet the lines wrinkling his stressed brow. “Happy Halloween!”

By the twenty-fifth house, Kurt’s face is frozen with strain. He’s smiling too tight and grinding his teeth. Before people open their mouths to say anything about his son’s costume, Kurt barks out, “Witch! He’s a witch. Not a warlock, but a witch! He wanted to be a witch, so he’s a witch! Got it? Trick or Treat!”

If Blaine was going door-to-door with them instead of manning their own front door with a bowl of full-sized Snickers, he would joke that people are giving Tracy two candy bars instead of the requisite one (which they are) not because he’s so damn adorable (which he is) but because they want crazy-eyes Kurt Ander-Hummel to go away and not come back later in the night to torch their houses.

Knock-knock.

“Trick or Treat!”

“Oh, Tracy!” Mrs. Henderson, one of their older neighbors, with a son already grown and gone, puts a slightly shaking hand to her lips as she gets a good look at the beaming boy on her doorstep. “Don’t you make the sweetest little---“

“Witch!” Kurt cuts in, his reaction a reflex by now. “He’s a witch!”

Mrs. Henderson stares at Kurt, wide-eyed with surprise, but aims a delighted smile at Tracy.

“I was just about to say what a smart little witch you make, Tracy,” she says. “And what a bold costume choice.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Henderson,” Tracy says, rolling on his heels and waiting patiently for his candy.

“You know, when my Artie was seven, he wanted to be Malibu Barbie for Halloween.”

Kurt’s stiff veneer, crackling along the edges, softens at the green-eyed woman addressing his little boy.

“Really?” Kurt asks, astonished.

“Yup. He’d made up his mind the second those dolls hit the shelves, and asked me for a costume every day after that. Told everyone we knew about it. Even told people on the street he’d just met.”

“Why did he want to be Barbie so badly?” Kurt asks, relaxing enough to lean against the doorframe, no longer gearing up for an argument.

“Well, look at her!” Mrs. Henderson chuckles. “She had a dream house, a Corvette, she was a doctor, went to the moon, flew a plane, she was even president!”

“True,” Kurt agrees, surprised that he’d never thought of it that way. With the way people always cry out to ban Barbie for promoting an unhealthy body image, Kurt had overlooked all of the positive things Barbie has done in her life, things little girls (and boys) should be encouraged to try and do.

The conversation pauses while Mrs. Henderson reaches for a treat for Tracy, the inevitable question hanging in the air, but Kurt feels like a hypocrite for considering asking it.

“My Artie isn’t homosexual,” Mrs. Henderson says, answering the question anyway, as if she knew that’s what Kurt was waiting for. She tucks a homemade popcorn ball and a Three Musketeers into Tracy’s bag. “But that wouldn’t have mattered. Barbie is a role model as far as I’m concerned, and I felt there was nothing wrong with it. Other people” – She shrugs – “well, you know what they say about opinions and butt holes.”

“Mrs. Henderson!” Tracy exclaims with a giggle.

“Yeah, I know.” Kurt laughs. “So, what did you do?”

“Well, I made him two costumes that year. I made him a Malibu Barbie costume - the gold swimsuit with a pink cover-up shirt that ties in the front, and a big blonde wig. But I also made him a Superman costume with a cape and …” Mrs. Henderson shakes her head. “You know, in the end I knew which one he was going to pick, so I put extra time and effort into it.”

“Which one was he?” Tracy asks. Kurt inches forward, on the edge of his seat.

Mrs. Henderson puts a finger up, reaching out to a shelf by the door for a photo album. She flips a few pages, then shows Kurt and Tracy a photograph of a smiling boy in a blonde wig, wearing a gold bathing suit with a pink cover-up.

“Oh my goodness!” Kurt chuckles. “He looks adorable!”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Henderson says, holding the album lower for Tracy to see. “You know, there were three other children dressed as Barbie that year, but he was the cutest. Everyone said so.”

“Where’s that costume now?”

“Artie’s daughter wore it for Halloween a few years back,” she says, returning the album to its shelf. “This year she wanted to be Cobra from G.I. Joe, and you know, no one gave her any grief about it. Most people think it’s cute, her being a fan of boy things.”

Kurt nods. “Strange, huh?”

“Meh.” The older woman waves a hand in front of her face. “It seems to be the way of human beings to try and stick everybody in a little box with their name on it, and three lines maximum saying who they are, but there’s only one time in your life you should ever let that happen, and even then, make sure you approve of the summary.”

“Yeah,” Kurt says, catching her meaning. He remembers his mom and dad both saying something similar when he was growing up. It’s still excellent advice. “Good night, Mrs. Henderson. Thanks so much for everything.”

“Yup,” Tracy agrees, happy to move on since most of the conversation had started going over his head. “Your popcorn balls are the best!”

“I’m glad you like them. Have a safe night.” She sends Kurt and Tracy off with a final wave, then closes her door, and the smile on Kurt’s face starts to look a little less manic.

***

“Okay” - Blaine climbs under the comforter with his worn-out husband, already in bed and reading a magazine - “I got the story from the munchkin while I was tucking him in. Now you tell me - how did it go?”

“About sixty/forty.” Kurt closes his magazine and sets it aside. “But to tell you the truth, by the time we reached our last house, I began to realize that most of the stress of the evening was on me. Nobody was trying to be mean to Tracy or make him feel bad about his costume. It just needed a little explaining. I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“Did you see the look on his face when he got home?” Blaine lays with his head in Kurt’s lap. “If anyone did give him the evil eye, I don’t think he noticed one way or the other.”

“They didn’t,” Kurt reassures him.

“That’s good,” Blaine says with a they better not have or else expression on his face.

“That’s because we live in a nice, polite, mostly tolerant, sheltered little hamlet,” Kurt says. “We might have our differences with a few of our neighbors, but for the most part, they’re decent people.”

“Does the include Mrs. Sebiane?” Blaine raises his eyebrows playfully, waiting for the rant he knows is coming.

“Okay” - Kurt starts, talking mostly with his hands - “I mean, I love butterscotch chips as much as the next person, but please! They shouldn’t go in everything!”

“She says it’s her secret ingredient.”

“Yeah, well, FYI, it isn’t a secret, especially when everything she bakes comes out puke orange!”

“Oh, God! That image is going to be burned into my eyes forever!”

Kurt crosses his arms, grazing his husband’s nose with his elbow, but Blaine stays put. Horizontal with his head in his husband’s lap is one of Blaine’s favorite positions in the world. But right before Blaine’s eyes, the fire in Kurt’s expression dims, and an overall look of tired returns to his face.

“Blaine?” Kurt stares at the wall when he speaks, at the pictures hanging there of their little family – Blaine and Kurt on their wedding day, Tracy on the first day of school, his father and Carole from last Christmas, old pictures of Finn from way back in high school. His eyes land on those and stay there, on pictures taken in the choir room, the auditorium, the gym – places he considered both home and hell for him. “Is it awful that I hope that Tracy … isn’t gay?”

Blaine sighs. He saw this coming, and not just because of tonight. It’s been weaving its way into the background of many of their recent conversations with regard to their son. The moment Tracy asked Kurt if he could be a witch for Halloween, at the start of the school year when his class started reading selections by Roald Dahl, Blaine had seen something foreign in Kurt’s eyes, something Kurt wasn’t talking about, something Blaine himself had never even thought to consider.

“No,” Blaine says, taking his husband’s hand, “it’s not awful, sweetheart. It’s understandable. You don’t want him to have problems. You don’t want him to get bullied the way we did – Slushied in the face or beaten up outside of a school dance. You don’t want people to make the choice to hate him without getting to know him. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“If the world were just a little bit different …” Kurt starts, but a sniffle stalls his progress.

“I know.” Blaine kisses Kurt’s soft skin. “And it’s Tracy’s generation that has to carry the burden of making it different. I mean, you and I, and the generation after us, we’re doing what we can, but I’m not sure it’s going to be what it needs to be when the time comes.”

“That’s part of what I’m afraid of,” Kurt admits in a shaky voice. “I catch myself praying that if he is gay, he changes, not the world, and I …” Kurt’s words bleed into a nervous laugh “… I kind of hate myself for it.”

“Hey” - Blaine sits up, pulling his husband into his arms and rocking him gently - “it’s okay. Don’t be so hard on yourself. I mean, isn’t that my job?” Blaine bounces his eyebrows, and Kurt chuckles at his husband’s weak attempt at raunchy humor.

“You’re not doing it very well if I’m thinking about all this heavy stuff.”

“It’s okay to be scared,” Blaine says, kissing his husband on the forehead. “You’d be a fool if you weren’t. But the important thing is that if Tracy ever does come to us and tell us that he’s gay, or bi, or pan, or ace, or trans, or anything else under the sun, that we’re the most loving, supportive parents we can be, right? We should live in the kind of world that accepts our son no matter what, not the kind he needs to change to live in, but … that’s not reality.”

“I know,” Kurt says. “We have to roll with the punches, and be prepared to handle the big issues when the time comes.”

Blaine runs a hand through his husband’s hair, cradling his cheek when his palm brushes against it. “No one said being parents would be easy.”

“You’re right.”

“I know I’m right.” Blaine chuckles. “It happens quite a bit. You always sound so surprised.”

Kurt shakes his head. “How did you get to be so smart, and compassionate, and know the perfect thing to say all the time?”

“I lucked out.”

“Genetics?”

Blaine squeezes his husband tight. “Nope. I married the smartest, most compassionate man I’ve ever met, and he’s been rubbing off on me ever since.”

#klaine fanfiction #klaine #klaine fic #Frankie writes

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londonwayne · 7 years

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I'd give the new Beauty and The Beast a 6/10. There were certain things I enjoyed and certain things I didn't. This will focus more on the things I didn't because I will be listing out more of why I didn't like them.

Spoilers below the cut:

The additional backstories and fleshing out of characters like Belle's mother and Gaston as well as the plot hole fills, like why the servants were turned and why the villagers forgot Adam existed, were well done and I appreciated them. I didn't care for the book change in the beginning (she's reading Jack and The Beanstalk, not Romeo and Juliet; It's literally a line of the song,) the loss of an actual bookshop, or the omission of the scene where she sits on the fountain and sings to sheep (it's my favorite scene.) The hill Gaston is first seen on and where the Belle reprise takes place was treated like it was a couple steps outside the village when visually it was much further away. Beast shouldn't have been done digitally since he's covered in fur that'd have much more movement than it did. He felt quite stiff. During the huge dance scene, his fur has little to no movement which made no sense. The library scene wasn't as grand a gesture in this version as it should've been and the loss of her reading to him in the green dress irked me, as it's such a lovely romantic scene. While short, it's a lovely scene that shows their blossoming love.

Her new gold dress fell completely flat. I wanted live action Cinderella elegance and was handed off-the-rack prom dress. I understand she didn't want to wear a corset, but, even so, that dress could've been SO MUCH BETTER. Emma Watson essentially had creative control over her looks in the movie, despite the fact that the costume designer, Jacqueline Durran, has won awards for her costuming in period movies. I'm sorry, but Jacqueline Durran should've been the person solely designing the clothes, not Emma Watson. I love Emma, but, if you don't want to do things befitting of the time period, in a specific time period movie, don't do the movie. The Cinderella ballgown was breathtakingly beautiful. Belle's iconic yellow ballgown looked like something you could get from a department store. There was absolutely no wow factor. Where were the gloves? Why wasn't it off the shoulder? Emma Watson stated outright she didn't want a princess ballgown. Did she forget that she booked a movie where she's literally playing a Disney princess? It was infuriating. It took somewhere between 230 and 270 hours to look that boring. I'd love to see the designs done by the actual costume designer without Emma Watson's ideas. Someone that won awards for Pride and Prejudice and Anna Karenina, as well as being nominated for Atonement, should absolutely have done better and I'm disappointed with what I saw.

I could have lived without the solo broadway number by Beast. The scene should've ended on a sad feeling instead of on a belting note. Gaston's gun also annoyed me. I didn't mind his use of it the first time, but you lose that sense of complete betrayal and asshole-ness by him shooting Beast after he doesn't drop him. Gaston stabbing him was a better fit for that scene and shows more of what a coward Gaston is. He waits for Beast to be at his weakest and most vulnerable, after banishing him rather than killing him, and then literally stabs him in the back. While they did great work really making Gaston so much more sinister, which I loved, that bit was a miss for me. The fact that we fully see everyone turn to objects was heartbreaking and was an excellent choice. I cried (as I usually do) during those moments right before Belle says she loves Beast, except it was due to the objects rather than Beast and Belle. It was gut wrenching to watch Mrs. Potts change before getting to see Chip again.

LeFou was done well, with the exception of the upped camp while singing Gaston. It wasn't necessary. If you couldn't tell in the animated one that he had feelings for Gaston in that song, you weren't paying attention. I enjoyed that they really pushed it further and I appreciate that you see him go from being obviously in love with Gaston to seeing him for who he really is. Everyone complained about how it was a 2 second dance scene that was the gay part, but that couldn't be further from the truth. His homosexuality is strung throughout the entire feature, from his first moments on screen. I'm not sure what you were expecting, but it felt a lot more realistic the way it was presented and I was pleased with the additional character development. Mrs. Potts tells him that he's too good for Gaston, clearly recognizing that he has feelings for Gaston and not shaming him for it. It was refreshing to see something treated normally. I blame the media for blowing it up and giving people higher expectations. Were people expecting him to just start making out with some random guy on screen because it's still a Disney children's movie and even straight couple's don't full on make out. Please return to reality with the rest of us.

The singing was done well. I didn't expect it to be at the same level as Paige O'Hara and it felt more natural to have Belle's singing not be some incredible note belting thing. The emotion was there and I enjoyed that. Why was Phillipe's coloring changed? Was it that hard to find a Belgian horse? The omission of Belle looking into Beast's eyes and saying "It is you!" because the joy and recognition in that line is beautiful and important. Why was Babette's name changed to Plumette? (I'd have also been okay with Fifi.) Why weren't the triplets placed in their individual colors of red, yellow, and green? Why was Mrs. Pott's given a husband? It's always been implied that she and Maurice get together in the end and, if they do want to give her a husband, why does she give that weird long look to Maurice in the end of the movie that leans more toward romance than just a friendly glance?

Finally: Can someone explain to me why half of Belle's peasant dress skirt was always pinned up showing her bloomers? I understand it after she gets off Phillipe because she'd have done that to ride him, but it's like that from the moment she steps out of her house and is shown like that anytime she's seen in it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I saw it in theatres and I will end up buying it, but it's doubtful I'll revisit it regularly.

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sherlockgayaturgy · 8 years

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The Gay is On

“ Hey all. I saw a lot of people despairing last night and questioning this episode and I also saw a lot of people generally confused but optimistic. I have confessed myself skeptical of TJLC but hopeful in the past and… I gotta say… this episode might just be MY episode. The episode that convinced me more than any others. This is gonna be a long post, in which I’ll throw out some theories that are pretty loose, but overall I hope the message you take away is not to worry, to trust our dads, and to remember that this SHOULD be the lowest that we see these characters for their story to unfold the way it needs to.

Okay. Jumping right in. It’s long, so read under the cut.

We start with the cover-up, or how they got Sherlock off the murder charge. Mycroft provides us with codenames. We know that each person in the room has one of the names.

I’m inferring that Avalanche is Mycroft (Ice Man)

Lady Smallwood is later revealed to be “Love.” (That’s the codename she’s assigned by the rest of that group but we find out that she not the “Love” this show is trying to uncover.)

That leaves Langdale and Porlock for Sherlock and Sir Edwin. I believe Porlock is Sherlock ( “shifty and evasive personality”) and Sir Edwin, who we don’t know much about yet, is Langdale. Based on Langdale in the stories, Sir Edwin might be responsible for all of these government secret leaks to the papers that have been troubling our heroes so.

Very noteworthy that Vivienne Norbury, the actual person of import in this episode, does not have a codename. She’s written off as the secretary, as unimportant. But she goes onto have her own code at the end of the episode when Sherlock asks Mrs. Hudson to say Norbury to him if she ever feels he’s too full of himself.

They doctor the video footage of Sherlock shooting Magnussen. They’re setting us up to know, once again, that records can be changed even when you have VISUAL PROOF of what happened. Especially when we’re looking at a video recording. This will be VERY important later.

After the credits, we get the story of the Merchant of Bagdhad, a story of a man who tries to outrun fate and instead runs towards it. All of this is undercut with Sherlock traveling through the London Aquarium, presumably on his way to meet Vivienne Norbury. I believe this entire (or the majority) of the episode is Sherlock recounting the events to Ella while he’s in therapy, which I’ll show later too. The important thing to takeaway from that part of my theory is that Sherlock is an unreliable narrator. He has a very distinct perspective, and that perspective is going to influence everything we see for the rest of the episode.

Then we get the cases. The first of which is called “Dusty Death.” It involves a man who drowns (water=emotions) yet he was filled with sand. Sherlock calls it “superficial.” (Mary “dies” in the aquarium, beneath a lot of water, yet is her death really as emotional as it’s made out to be?).

There’s also “The Duplicate Man” -- the story of someone who was in two places at once and ended up dead at one of them.

That’s not a theme in this show. At all. There aren’t multiple people who’ve done that. And it’s certainly never twins. COUGH. (I’m not entirely made up yet who they’re referring to specifically, but it HAS to be either Mary or Moriarty, meaning that one of them, possibly both, are still alive).

Finally, there’s “The Cardiac Arrest.”

Whoops. Sorry. Wrong “Cardiac Arrest”

A man is found strangled in the bedsit he shares with his brother. They’d always gotten along well, and there wasn’t anything that suggested otherwise. It turns out that the man was strangled by a jellyfish. While I think the other circumstances of this case will come to fruition, I’d like to point this out from the end of the episode.

“What was directly behind you when you were murdered?”

So Mary seemed to be getting along well with the gang, there was something sinister about the JELLYFISH in the room full of sharks. We weren’t looking in the obvious place. Sometimes its the more ordinary thing that is the most dangerous, and what was it that Mary so desperately wanted? An ordinary life.

This piece is immediately followed by the 59 missed calls bit. So Sherlock and John are chatting about an assassin lurking close by, John checks his phone, and Mary’s been trying to get his attention. Cool.

Then there’s the birth scene, then Hudders taking pictures, and she has a line that I ADORE ( “They never come out when I take them”) some baby schmoop that I thought was pretty funny, Sherlock hiding his heart phone from the congregation who were all throwing their lot in behind the Watson family, Sherlock preferring a male Siri... so on.

In between, we get John’s first interaction with “E.” I’ve already written a bit about “E” here. I’ll highlight a couple of things.

This is the first shot we see of her. I was reminded distinctly of Irene Adler with the red lipstick. Other people have said she seems like a literal red herring with the red jacket, red hair, red lips. We get this beauty as well:

Wherein John, who has not fully accepted his own bisexuality, is reflected in a window, staring at the woman, with the TPLOSH flower in his hair. Now, the scene in TPLOSH that I’m referencing is the one where Watson ends up dancing with a bunch of men with a flower in his hair and the dance troupe leader later asks him if he’s bisexual. So we see John, who has just gotten a text from Sherlock, whom he desperately loves but hasn’t allowed himself to, turn around and contemplate flirting with a woman while he’s got the flower in his hair -- the reminder of Sherlock and what he’s repressing still on his mind.

“E” already has a paper in her hand. A lot of people have pointed out that it’s weird that she has this ready for John. I agree, though the first time I wrote my theory I didn’t see that she hadn’t yet actually written her number. Regardless, the theory still stands.

John gets off the bus, sees the flower in his hair, and thinks the woman was laughing at him for it. We think that that’s the end of that.

Then we get to the case.

(”Give the people what they want”) cough

We’re introduced to it with some food=sex coding that as far as I’ve seen got swept under the radar, especially if you look at Charlie (the son) as being gay (which I’ll show).

Charlie is on a gap year with a bunch of male friends in Tibet.

“Your mom wants to know if you’re eating properly.”

Your mom wants to know if you’re sleeping with women.

We get further hints that Charlie is gay with this:

Which some folks have pointed out, being the blue power ranger (I believe the actor who played him was kicked off for being gay? someone correct me...) indicates Charlie prefers men. He asks his dad to take a picture to “show his friends” (prove his homosexuality).

I think we all in the TJLC community know what Thatcher symbolized to the LGTB community of the UK. From there, we can certainly imagine what Charlie’s life must have been like growing up with a father who worshiped Margaret Thatcher. And of course Sherlock, as a gay man, would have picked up on that as well.

This is the first time Sherlock sees the shrine with the missing bust. It’s a bit obvious that he first looks at a shrine of Thatcher and thinks, “Something sinister is going on here.” But more than that, the entire thing is shot as if it’s underwater. We already know that water symbolizes deep emotions. A basic symbolism search for me turned up this as well:

“Water generally cleanses... it inevitably becomes a symbol of characters in stories handling difficult life scenarios. In any case, water is a symbol of power in stories. It has the ability to free characters as well as claim them.

Oceans... often represent obstacles or abysses from which things emerge or that characters must journey across to reach a destination. Oceans are often symbolically mysterious places that can symbolize overcoming a great obstacle or being dragged down into deep depths by it.” [x]

Now, we know later that Mary dies in an aquarium, filled with oceanic animals, so I think it’s safe to assume the ocean metaphor can apply here. It also fits with the theme of the story -- going on a journey, overcoming obstacles, having the opportunity to be freed by water but also dragged under. So this story, the part one of three, is these characters entering the “abyss.” They’re being pulled down to the depths, and the next two installments will be about them making their way out.

In certain instances, too, water can represent introspection. We know Sherlock goes to therapy later in the episode (though I think that MAY be MP... either way, this applies) and introspection is a big theme in therapeutic work. If you believe, as I do, that this is told through Sherlock’s perspective as he’s recounting it to Ella, then the narration at the top of the episode is likely him telling that story to Ella. And as it’s told with the water symbolism stamped over the top of it, we have to be wary of any other time they use blatant underwater imagery in this show.

So have a look at this picture again. It’s underwater. We know that Sherlock was recounting events to Ella the last time we saw an underwater image. I believe that’s what’s happening again, here. Sherlock sees this shrine. He is remembering (much later) that this is the moment when he was pulled into the case that was going to bring about Mary’s downfall. He feels he should have recognized it sooner. But he presses on anyway.

Now, many people feel it’s weird that Sherlock pretends not to know who Thatcher is -- he clearly knew Thatcher in THoB. John points out that he’s playing for time so that he can piece together the case, and I believe that. I also think Sherlock thoroughly enjoyed messing with a Thatcher enthusiast by pretending not to know who she was. That didn’t really bother me.

We learn that Charlie died having never shown his true self to his parents (:-() and then we’re on to the real case of the episode, the six Thatchers. Sherlock also calls his death “superficial,” the same as he called the victim in “Dusty Death” earlier. I’ve shown how this is going to be connected to Mary’s “superficial” death later, so what’s connected here? A boy, pretending to be something he wasn’t, dies randomly and tragically before he could reveal his true self. He’d also pre-recorded a video message in the hopes of “surprising” or “getting the attention of” his parents.

“Thought that might get your attention.”

But that story was never allowed to unfold. The footage was doctored. We even see that visually on the screen:

Plus, you know, the literal rainbow over Charlie’s face as he yells “Surprise!”

Any time we see something that’s been “pre-recorded,” it’s not what it seems. Remember that.

Why is Sherlock interested in the bust case? A lot of people have wondered that, too, or thought it felt off. Mycroft tells us, in the scene immediately after, that the Black Pearl is still missing -- one of the last known pieces of Moriarty’s web that’s still active. Of COURSE this would be haunting Sherlock, while he pretends otherwise. He is waiting on his toes for Moriarty’s next move -- Moriarty is representative of his greatest fear, his greatest failure in his relationship with John. The time he had to leave John alone. So if someone’s smashing busts of Margaret Thatcher for non-political reasons, Sherlock thinks, “They’ve hidden something inside it.” He thinks someone has led him to this case, and that it could be the start of Moriarty’s post-humus game. He’s correct, of course, but not in the way he anticipates.

We also get Sherlock and Mycroft’s conversation about “premonition” here.

This shot comes with Sherlock’s line, “There’s something important about this.” Introspection, remember? This is future Sherlock bleeding through. This is a moment where he felt something -- a pulling of the strings -- and he didn’t realize what it meant. Hindsight is 20-20.

Mycroft brings up the Baghdad merchant story -- how Sherlock hated it and how he’s been changing the ending because he didn’t like its. Sherlock wants to change the story that’s been told for hundreds of years. He wants to get it right.

I feel like there’s another story that’s really old that people “haven’t been getting right...” Hmmmm....

Does anyone else see Mary here, not Thatcher? Just me? Ok...

Alright, we’re about to get my favorite little, “Sherlock is gay,” in a moment. I’m going to set it up now.

Lestrade and Hopkins, both waiting to talk to Sherlock about a case. Hopkins is there to talk about the Black Pearl -- the case Sherlock is actually working on -- but he turns her down.

The way this scene is written, it’s almost like Hopkins and Lestrade are competing for Sherlock’s love. They say things like, “You see a lot of each other?” “It’s nothing. Nothing serious.” “How long have you been seeing him/known him?” Things like that. And there’s a lot of general posturing going on between them. Sherlock buts in and asks them to shut up. He’s not ready to deal with choosing between them at the moment. Also the door to the kitchen, where John is, is wide open, so he can hear everything.

John is starting to think he’s not valuable to Sherlock. Sherlock is shocked and embarrassed that he’s made John feel this way. I just... can you imagine John drawing the face on that balloon? While Sherlock was deducting?

Then there’s the guy talking about the tattoo/the girlfriend he was indifferent to. I believe this is foreshadowing for how we’re going to see John feel about Mary, especially from the parallels that Sherlock makes up about the man in the “fake deduction.”

Sherlock blatantly pushes the woman -- the one who’s coming him with the case he’s actually working on -- out of his flat. He rejects the lady. He does not like the ladies.

But who does he let in?

The dude... who’s dressed quite a bit like a certain army doctor.

There’s this, which I can’t tell if it’s Thatcher’s face superimposed over Ben’s, or Ben’s face...

Then we get this -- and we know that they put this scene in because the dog was being uncooperative and Mark/Steven had to improvise something.

You’re not picking up that I like you, but I know you’ll get there one day

You don’t need the me

I love you.

He still doesn’t get it.

Yeah... subtext isn’t as covered-up as it usually is but hey, they wrote it in 10 mins.

Then there’s some lovely mirror shots of the Watsons, which I’ve already written about.

And John starts getting texts from “E” but we don’t learn that until later.

Then a really great fight scene in which Sherlock is literally being drowned in his emotions/hindsight/introspection... held down by Mary’s past.

Sherlock smashes the bust, thinking he’ll find the Black Pearl -- the next part of Moriarty’s game. Instead he finds

And once again -- consciously or unconsciously -- the audience is MEANT to associate Mary with Moriarty. Once you plant an idea, it can never be killed.

We see a slice of Mary’s past -- are introduced to the code “Ammo” -- and learn that Mary was one of four assassins, only two of whom have been accounted for.

Sorry. Finger slipped.

Now, later we learn that the “English woman” is Vivienne Norbury. Except Ajay didn’t know who she was. A.G.R.A. didn’t know who had hired them. They didn’t know who “betrayed them.” They didn’t even know who “Ammo” referred to. So why do the terrorists think he will be betrayed by learning about what the “English woman” did? Because it was someone who Ajay knew.

This looks VERY similar to the transition we saw in the Czech trailer with Sherlock. Hold me I’m scared.

I wanna read that text.

Sherlock’s read the drive. But he wants to hear Mary say it. Because he knows records can be altered.

We still NEVER get confirmation that what Mary tells Sherlock is the truth. All of the truth. We never know if he believes her.

The agents names are Alex, Gabriel, Rosamund, and Ajay.

Alex - “Defender of mankind.”

Gabriel - “God is my strength” -- also possible reference to the archangel Gabriel. ( “On the side of the angels”)

Rosamund - “Rose of the world” also “protection” ( “This is my protection... I make my way in the world. I misbehave.”) The “Rose of the world” is not actually a literal translation -- it’s a reference to Rosamund Clifford -- mistress to King Henry II, who bore him illegitimate children and whose maternity was disputed.

Ajay - “Unconquerable”

Mary says her memory stick was absolutely secure. Ajay’s was secure as well, yet CAM had her info, which means someone else from A.G.R.A was responsible for the leak. A leak to someone obsessed with scandals and news organizations.

“Langdale.”

PBS subtitles are kind enough to give us this to go along with the pirate kids from Sherlock’s dream.

I believe this is the recurring dream he talks to Ella about.

You will find me deep down in the ocean... down in the abyss. Waiting to cross through to freedom.

“Not you... not you...”

“Is that sentiment talking?” “No. It’s me.”

“A.G.R.A.” “T.J.L.C.”

Now the whole Mary sequence is odd to me, because everything up to this point has mostly been Sherlock’s perspective. But we know Sherlock and John are tailing her, so it makes sense that Sherlock would have pretty good knowledge of what she’s doing.

We also find out that it was John’s idea to put the tracker on the memory stick. He knew that Mary would run as soon as Sherlock confronted her. He does not trust her in the least.

“I’ve always liked Mary.” “Yeah. Me too. I used to.”

We know at this point that John has been involved with “E” for a while.

If we believe that “E” was a set-up, and that Mary is in on it, I believe this is part of Mary’s plan to build John up so that he feels immensely guilty when she dies at the end of the episode.

That’s um. That’s nice, Sherlock... but nobody was asking... you? Also the way they framed this whole conversation -- John and Mary having an intimate discussion and then we realize Sherlock is there the whole time?

There’s a mirror there at the back, too, with John and Mary appearing to sit on Sherlock’s shoulder. He has the weight of trying to keep their relationship together and it’s (visually) keeping him down.

Also let me point out that John, who killed a man for making Sherlock eat a pill, has a perfectly clean shot to Ajay -- the man who has a gun to his wife’s head -- and he doesn’t take it. Not even after he goes on and on and on about how badly he wants to kill her.

And when does Sherlock clue in that “Ammo” is actually “Amo?” (Love)

“What did I hear? Every day as they tore into me? Ammo.”

Sherlock is remembering Serbia. Remembering the awful torture, and remembering that the only thing that got him through was love. Thinking of John, how much he loved him was the only way to get through that pain. Amo = Love.

Which of course prompts him to think of Lady Smallwood’s codename.

There’s this wonderful shot. “Love” being denied by a foil in the background. The receptionist, who nobody expects.

Then John on the plane. We get a lovely callback to earlier:

With this:

And then we learn that John actually did go through with his affair (I know some people think he didn’t. I believe he did -- it makes more sense with John’s romantic arc and Moriarty trying to burn Sherlock’s heart out)

She says, “I like your daisy.” She’s also wearing a rose necklace (Rose of the world). We associate roses with Mary already. Yet she’s trying to trick John with something else -- a daisy -- symbol of quick wit, creativity, purity, cleansing. John was the one with it in his hair -- these are all things relating to John. It’s also, from TPLOSH, a symbol of his bisexuality. He tells her, “It’s not really me.” And she doesn’t believe him.

She gives him her number, signed “E”, and he texts her. The last three digits of her number are “552″ or “JLC.” Johnlock Conspiracy. (”1058″ -- random number wasn’t the correct code -- they never choose random numbers on this show) -- Thanks dads!

I think he was texting her in bed, I know some people think he wasn’t. I think he’s about to break it off here:

“I’m not free.” Good choice of words John.

And then he steps off the bus and there she is (WAY TOO CONVENIENTLY)

By a poster of Smith, who we know is going to try to tear Sherlock apart in the next episode. If Smith orchestrated E and John’s affair, he may try to use it against Sherlock in the next episode.

This -- this is the moment John decides to go through with it. And this is the moment I believe proves that he DID have a serious affair with E. I also love the arrow behind John’s head encouraging him to run the other way. Subtle.

“NO! DON’T! SAY NO TO THIS!”

Then the interrogation scene.

Lady Smallwood’s codename is “Love.” She insists she is not the one who betrayed them, though. She is not the “Love” that is the answer. But... maybe... this one is. Not. One. Not the One.

Lady Smallwood’s love is not the answer. Sherlock’s is.

John’s drinking in this scene. Which is symbolic of fear. He is afraid and he has something he needs to tell Mary. I believe he’s telling her that he wants out. He could just be telling her about the affair, coming clean, but we know divorce is already on his mind. We know he feels trapped in the marriage, which is why he had the affair in the first place. And that’s going to eat at him later when Mary dies.

Sherlock on a bridge thinking about water -- rainbow in the corner -- while the Moriarty’s coming music from s1 and 2 plays. It’s almost like what’s about to happen is... connected to Moriarty...

Also the receptionists, the ones who “write everything down” “THEY KNOW EVERYTHING.

More building John up.

Sherlock never tells Mary where to go. He’s testing her -- testing to see if she’s in on the plan and knows where to go. John he tells, because he’s not in on it.

And Mary goes. She gives in without a fight.

“You will find me deep under the ocean.”

Sherlock’s lines strongly echo lines from TAB when Moriarty broke through his dream. “Never could resist a touch of the dramatic.”

John is telling someone to meet him there -- I assume Lestrade and Mycroft. But how did they get there before him if he’s already on his way? They could have been closer, but what if they were in on it, or someone deliberately kept John from the room so he couldn’t see all of what happened?

If John were to divorce Mary, he’d look for a new partner, and Sherlock would be a likely choice.

But a widowed John would fill the void. He would find a rebound. Convenient he’s already got one.

Then this:

“Pets do that, or so I’m told.”

Pets fill the void of a lost love. Redbeard could have possibly filled a void in Sherlock’s life. But John is also told repeatedly that he’s like a pet to Sherlock. Even in this very episode he’s compared to the dog. He fills a void in Sherlock’s life. And Sherlock would very much like to fill that void in John’s life after Mary dies, once John is ready. But “E” is going to take that hope away from him.

Then this.

“You’ve got a way out, well good luck with that.”

And.

This is a man very clearly preparing for a bullet impact. Again. He knows what it feels like, and he’s steeling himself for the sensation. He’s not expecting what happens.

Mary jumps in front of it. She doesn’t push Sherlock aside. She doesn’t pull him to the ground like we saw her do with John. She jumps.

Who else jumped and faked their own death? I can’t think of anyone...

That. Is. The. Face. Of. Someone. Whose. Plan. Just. Worked.

And it hearkens back to this:

Surprise! The doctored footage from earlier in the episode. A hint that what we’ve just seen is not real. There’s something else going on.

John conveniently comes in just after Mary is shot. He didn’t see anything that happened before, so when Mary says this:

And even though John will have the full story explained to him. For a moment. Just for a moment. What the hell is he supposed to make of that?

“You were my whole world.” She is just laying it on. And it’s tearing John up because of what he’d done and what he was about to do. He can’t reciprocate, even on his wife’s death bed, he can’t tell her he feels the same. And that’s being lain out for everyone in the room to see.

This is going to be me taking a moment to just please... please ask that people stop making fun of the noises Martin makes. They’re real. They’re genuine. They make us laugh because they’re uncomfortable -- I hope no one has ever had reason to make or heard someone make these kinds of sounds in their life because I have, and it’s awful. That concludes my request.

John is experiencing grief here -- but it’s different from the grief he experienced with Sherlock, and that comes out in the noises. This is grief laced with fury and guilt. Guilt which he’s going to project on

(God, I just... Sherlock is trying to help, trying to connect, and this happens I just...)

It’s there -- it’s small but it’s there -- tears. John’s emotions are real in this scene.

He snaps. He blames Sherlock because he can’t bear to blame himself, or acknowledge what he did. It’s awful. It’s not fair. It’s horrible to Sherlock. It’s going to put Sherlock through agony. But John is not perfect, that’s the whole point of this episode. And the more human Sherlock has become throughout this story, the more John has fallen apart because it means he’s going to have to get closer and closer to recognizing his true feelings for Sherlock.

Mary is cremated -- but the transition and the flames make it look like water. She wasn’t able to escape the depths.

There’s also the looming threat that this -- Mary’s death -- is going to be the catalyst for really burning the heart (John’s love) out of Sherlock.

But cremation also allows for an opportunity for a body switch and the destruction of evidence.

We see John in a graveyard again. But notably we don’t see him making a speech begging for her to return. We don’t see him wishing her back like he did with Sherlock.

I noticed here that both his limp and his hand tremor seemed to be back.

Which it’s interesting that we didn’t see it after Sherlock died if it really is there. That’s because this -- this event -- has truly made John doubt Sherlock. He didn’t doubt Sherlock when he jumped and he could go on with the happy memories that he and Sherlock had shared. But all of that is tainted now with Mary removed in such a violent way.

I also think John decides to delete his blog and that’s why we have the “John Watson will not be updating this” message on it now. It doesn’t say it won’t be updated -- it says “John” will not be doing it. He really wants to cut Sherlock out for good.

Which was Moriarty’s plan the whole time.

And... well... Sherlock keeps trying. (The contact name is too long to be “E”)

Look at that. John ignoring his heart.

Sherlock visits Ella

She tells him, “Do you want to talk about it? This is a two-way relationship, you know.” Basically, he needs to talk to John.

This whole set-up looks weird to me. It looks like Sherlock’s chair that they’re sitting in. They seem to be in a church -- but there are weird wall cut-offs or mirrors on the outside. A lot of people think this is MP -- I think it might be as well... or at least Sherlock’s visualization of his therapy sessions. I think he’s actually talking to Ella but visualizing it in a different way. Things that are in Sherlock’s MP are always places he’s visited. He also wouldn’t know what Ella looks/sounds like if he hadn’t seen her. And he goes to her for help -- that’s what she symbolizes to him.

We also have John sitting in a chair that looks like HIS 221b chair when he goes to sessions with Ella. We now have Sherlock sitting in what looks like HIS 221b chair. This all implies that when they sit down, across from one another, in those chairs and open up about what they really feel, the show will come to a completion. A shattering climax, you might say. If only we had any indication that we might get that this season...

Oh...

Then we see Mycroft’s flat. Which makes me a little sad.

But there’s an elephant on the fridge. So that makes me happy.

The sticky note says 13th on it -- TFP will be the 13th episode of the show -- and Mycroft puts a call through to Sherrinford. The clue they gave us for TFP was “Sherrinford.” We’ll be seeing that play out in the 13th episode.

Sherlock asks Mrs. H. to keep him in line by reminding him of Norbury if he ever messes up. He views it as a mistake -- he wasn’t in on whatever the larger plan was.

We are, once again, asked to associate Mary with Moriarty. That. Is. Intentional.

Who. Even. Are. You?

Also -- remember -- pre-recorded videos are not ever what they seem on this show.

Then there’s John’s mirror looking more like a John mirror than she ever has in her life handing Sherlock the letter that’s probably gonna burn his heart out completely and telling him that John would rather have ANYONE but him. So.

And after the whole Irene Adler thing, I don’t know how to take the phrase “Have anyone” in any other way but romantic/sexual.

“Save souls now! John or James Watson!”

“You’re lettin’ him down, Sherlock. John Watson is definitely in danger.”

The ending text:

“When does the path we walk on lock around our feet?” (When is it too late to change the ending?

“When does the road become a river with only one destination?” (When do we get swept up and inevitably carried out to the abyss?)

“Death waits for us all in Samarra, but can Samarra be avoided?” (The love story will die if we take it down the road it’s always gone. But can we change the ending?)

But before Sherlock gets to that happy ending, he has to go through the abyss.

This is VERY much the 1st part in a bigger series 4 arc.

Then we get this in post-credits.

Many think it could be referring to Hell, Norway. Which would make sense. Some people despair because they think this actually does redeem Mary in the end. But even so, the way they’ve framed this makes sure we still doubt Mary. We aren’t meant to trust her. They keep telling us that over and over and we have to trust them.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading my thoughts. It’s taken me all day to write this, so I don’t know if people have already gotten to these theories on their own. I’m going to tag a couple of people because I’m curious to hear your thoughts: @roostruk, @deducingbbcsherlock, @loudest-subtext-in-tv, @skulls-and-tea, @inevitably-johnlocked, @fuckwitjulite, @warmth-and-constancy, @finalproblem @johnlockhell221b @incurablylazydevil @victorianlovers @221bmeta @going-to-my-mind--palace @skeilig @bakerstreetstorytime @the-7-percent-solution @whatsortofcase and of course, anyone else who would like to contribute!

I think in the next episode, we’re going to get confirmation that “E” was planted by Smith, and we’ll see the fallout from that. We’ll see Sherlock’s devastation at John apparently having moved on. We’ll see Sherlock suspect that Mary faked her death, only to have it revealed that she really is dead (like the bride in TAB) -- I think that’s the morgue scene, and I think that’s where the lines “So what is this, a trick?” (Mary’s death) and “Of course it’s not a trick, it’s a plan.” Except Sherlock will be wrong again, and that’s when John loses it and hits him in the morgue -- conveniently with “E” standing right behind him.

#tjlc #johnlock #t6t #meta #sherlock #sherlock bbc #sherlock meta

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thewatsonbeekeepers · 8 years

Text

Initial thoughts on TLD (in no particular order)

- When Sherlock and John finally reunite, it is interspersed with the scene between Sherlock and Mrs. Hudson where the gun (the most constant phallic symbol in the entire show) and tea (glass of tea, tea = homosexuality in TPLoSH) are almost lost but caught before they hit the ground.

- Use of the phrase ‘the game is afoot’ once raises alarm bells - Mark and Steven constantly draw attention to the game being ‘on’ and have never used ‘afoot’ in the present day. Does this suggest that that moment was MP or ‘corrupted’? If it’s MP, is Wiggins there and what does he represent?

- Molly and John are dressed similarly as ever when they gather at the psychiatrist’s / Sherrinford’s.

- H. H. Holmes - Henry divorced from a Clara - probably nothing but a nice touch.

- Molly tells Sherlock that it is not a game - same thing as John says in HLV.

- Suspicious cabbies...

- Faith!Sherrinford is associated/mirrored with John by Sherlock with cane and the fact that they are suicidal - can we infer that John self-harms or just that Sherlock thinks he may?

- We might also infer that Sherlock self-harms given that he believes Faith!Sherrinford to be a manifestation of his own consciousness and given the suicide parallels for most of the episode.

- Reverse Garridebs! The theory of Garridebs was employed and John came perilously close to a confession!

- Am I wrong, or did Lady Elizabeth Smallwood’s card say Lady Anna Smallwood? Also, what’s up with her interest, given that Mycroft according to all reliable sources is either ace (the show) or gay (Mark)?

- Attention is drawn to Hudders saying that the game is ‘on’ and later Mary says the same, a phrase only ever used by Sherlock and seldom John. Note that the game is not ‘afoot’ - characters other than Sherlock are highlighting this like Lestrade tried to get us to check out the blog in TST.

- Speaking of the game being on/afoot, there is also a lot of attention being drawn to the game, possibly to make TFP more heartbreaking as Sherlock is out of his depth when the game stops being a game.

- The fact that Sherlock didn’t recognise his sister suggests that she’s heavily disguised - also does that give us hints as to her mental state given that disguise is always a self-portrait?

- I have ‘back eating together’ written down - I hope this refers to John and Sherlock but I don’t remember!

- ‘How long have you been working here?’ was never explained...

- ‘Tower’ reference (re Sherrinford) - sounds like Tower of London which links Sherrinford to Moriarty.

- Sonnet 73 (I can’t remember where the number 73 was visible but I have a vague notion that it was on Sherlock’s ‘deathbed’) is about how seeing the love of your life dying makes your love burn stronger.

- ‘It won’t happen in the future - with Sherlock’. This gives away firstly Sherrinford but it also gives away Mycroft’s involvement with the ‘baddies’ because he knows that Sherlock will be in a specific danger in the future. This was actually easier to pick up on than Sherrinford and I’m surprised that John didn’t.

- Smith can’t stop confessing - link to the Bond villain? Simply a dark pastiche or more?

- ‘The man we both love’.

- Revealed some of the unreliable narrative of TST but still not done - my guess is that we were right about Sherlock getting drugged partially involuntarily, and the memory drug looks perfect. How is it getting into his system? I hope not Wiggins or Hudders, but I imagine Faith!Sherrinford pulled something to make him collapse.

- John leaving his tea in 221B after the closest to a confession of love we came - he’s so close.

- Mary is somewhat sinister - keeps talking about the hat of hetero and wanting Sherlock to put it on. Why does he put it on at the end? Is it to make the grand reveal more clear? Or is it that Moriarty’s plan clearly involves sexuality and false appearances, forcing Sherlock to acknowledge his sexuality and repress it.

- Even when Sherlock puts on the hat he references Mary - a clear link to Mary/Moriarty and the hat of hetero given that he can’t see her.

- The feature of interest, which we know from TSoT to be John, is described as the solution - to what problem? Sounds to me like The Final Problem, a.k.a. the answer to Sherlock’s final problem will be John. This should echo the feature of interest scene in TSoT where he says that ‘it takes John Watson to save your life’ - John has saved Sherlock’s life once in TLD (aside from all the other times) which means he’s going to need to do it another way. Hmmm. What could this mean.

- Hudders is the queer mother once and for all and proved that Sherlock is run by sentiment, which was a bit of a middle finger to the ‘ice man Sherlock’ naysayers.

- If the Queen wanted to kill someone... Smith says that she wouldn’t, ‘not the Queen of England’. If we interpret that differently to how we originally do, which queen is he talking about then? Well, Mycroft is the obvious one (queen ref in ASiB) - and apparently ‘The Queen’ and Smith are best buds and tell each other everything. How interesting.

- Hiding in plain sight referenced way too often to be a coincidence - works on numerous levels. Textually, you have Culverton Smith hiding in plain sight as a serial killer and Sherrinford hiding in all of their lives. Sherrinford is also hiding subtextually as a woman, which should bring to mind Jeff Hope from ASiP and also the women in TAB, who were clear parallels for the use of hetero tropes to hide queer literature in plain sight. Just saying.

- Above also backs up narrative manipulation by Mofftiss and Doyle to hide and reveal the queer bits.

- Even Sherlock’s ‘death’ was by phallic pipette (disclaimer: I hate Freud but it’s that sort of show)

- When they go back to 221B for almost confession of love - water was superimposed over that scene for the promo shots. We therefore know even more that they’re drowning in gay feelings, given the water symbolism in TAB and TST.

- Go to Hell - hell = devil = Jim if we go by the show’s constant antichrist imagery. Another link between Smith and Moriarty.

- Mary asks John if he missed her - another link between Mary and Moriarty, even though they dragged up the Miss Me? DVD in case anybody missed it.

- Apparently Sherlock doesn’t wear the hat any more (thank god) so why does he put it on at the end? Because Moriarty has driven a repressed wedge between them?

- Irene Adler - I assume some people are going to be upset but I for one think this is a really good development, because in MP and in ASiB she represented love in MP and to a degree in real life, and whilst a lot of casuals go on about her and Sherlock it’s important to recognise that actually she brought out a lot of the gay jealousy and confronted John about his feeling properly, not just in a ‘I think you’re gay/bi’ way. ASiB was definitely the gayest episode until s3 largely because of Irene Adler (don’t forget that she’s a lesbian mirror for Sherlock with Kate) so there is no need to worry.

- Conclusion: we have seven days to wait for canon Johnlock.

#tjlc #bbc sherlock #meta #mine #tld #johnlock #the lying detective

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asylum-ireland-blog · 6 years

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Why men's voices are vital in Ireland's abortion referendum

New Post has been published on http://asylumireland.ml/why-mens-voices-are-vital-in-irelands-abortion-referendum/

Why men's voices are vital in Ireland's abortion referendum

Male allies in politics, the creative scene, and all walks of Irish life are stepping up alongside women to fight the system that oppresses them

‘Ireland Unfree’ is a Dazed mini-series telling the stories of Ireland’s bold fight for abortion rights, in the run up to the monumental referendum on the eighth amendment. Stirring protest, creativity, personal politics, and vital conversation, these Irish people push for autonomy. Here, we share their journey on Dazed.

The death of Savita Halappanavar in 2012 had an earth-swallowing feel to it. Denied of the basic healthcare required to ensure her survival, a constitutional amendment deemed her life – 31 years of complex human love, colour, and learning – of the same value as a 17-week-old fetus. She died in Ireland’s University Hospital Galway in Ireland due to the complications of a septic miscarriage. Her husband, Praveen, was dutifully left to channel her lost voice and carry her legacy on his already burdened shoulders.

On Friday May 25, Irish citizens will go to the polls to determine if the controversial Eighth Amendment of the Irish Constitution, which equates the right to life of the mother to the unborn, should be removed and repealed. The amendment, which criminalised abortion in almost all cases, was brought about as a result of a 1983 referendum, a time when the Catholic Church in Ireland was still very much an arm of government. Divorce was still illegal. Contraception was a taboo. Homosexuality remained outlawed.

The Irish man, of course, has no such lack of bodily freedom. Yet, about 70 per cent of Irish women who receive abortion care in the U.K. are married or with a partner. That is, conservatively speaking, thousands of fathers and partners that the Eighth Amendment has, too, bound to secrecy and shame.

Actor and author Emmet Kirwan – who last year created the beautiful spoken-word short film Heartbreak – views the redressing of Ireland’s wrongs broadly and disputes any sense of moral responsibility on individual men. “It’s not just a binary issue of males versus females: It’s an institutional issue,” he tells me. “Whether they be governmental, health, Church – all various arms of the state. There has been an institutionalised gender bias.”

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On Irish streets, in local bars, on shop corners, through headlines painted across newspapers and hashtags proliferating via social media posts – there is a bitter political divisiveness that this debate has wrought, a clearly-defined chasm that calls other political ruptures of late to mind. No wonder there have been questions of sinister outside interference akin to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In response, micro-campaigns have popped up all over social media – necessary conversation-sparking tools.

Ger Murphy, a 35-year-old events manager from South-Dublin, decided that Irish men needed to contribute to the dialogue around abortion rights. A conversation that, without question, needed their support. In late February, he founded the Men For Repeal Facebook page – ‘balls to the 8th’ is its light-hearted but defiant URL – after some troubling conversations about male engagement. Murphy sought to, at minimum, challenge the many outspoken men on the other side of the debate.

A large subset of the Irish male population, Murphy tells me over the phone, feel this is not their vote, that this a women’s issue that has no true bearing on their existence. Outside of the reality of crisis pregnancies which routinely affect women everyday, the idea that it’s a women-only issue is misguided, disingenuous, and, frankly, outdated. In truth, indifference largely translates as pro-choice.

“Whether they be governmental, health, Church – all various arms of the state. There has been an institutionalised gender bias” – Emmet Kirwan

“There is no problem in coming out and saying there is a male aspect to this issue. The vast amount of women would agree that the men in their lives are being affected as well,” Murphy says of the messaging. “The left trips over itself sometimes trying to be too PC about these things.”

Complacency is participating in neither debate nor democratic process, and it’s something to be concerned about. Kirwan, one of the most vocal Irish artists, explains there are no excuses for liberal-minded men eschewing their right to vote in the referendum: “The kind of passive, non-participation is essentially giving the vote over to the other side. This kind of idea that you can affect change by doing nothing; it’s a logical fallacy.”

Gordon Grehan of the Transgender Equality Network also tells me that repeal is “imperative to ensuring the rights of all people who can become pregnant, including trans men and non-binary people”. He adds: “As a trans organisation, we know the importance of ensuring self-determination, bodily integrity and physical autonomy.” As previously detailed in Brian O’Flynn’s report on the pro-choice campaign’s push for inclusivity, marginalised people like trans men who can get pregnant must be included in the conversation.

I’ve listened to women’s stories they deserve better. A No vote won’t stop abortions but continues the hypocrisy, shame and stigma. A Yes vote moves us to fairer, safer, more compassionate healthcare in Ireland. It’s our responsibility to put the hand out to our women. #men4yes

— Eamon Mc Gee (@EamonMcGee) April 24, 2018

So glad to see #men4yes emerge. I’m voting yes because, as a man, there is no medical procedure unavailable to me to protect my life or my health. I want the same for women.#TáDoMhná

— Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (@AodhanORiordain) April 24, 2018

Men For Repeal, along with Lads For Choice, have thrust the conversation of male engagement directly into the national discussion with Together For Yes, the campaign in favour of repeal. Through the #menforyes hashtag, men online have told their uniquely positioned and shared stories of loss, shame, and state-sanctioned oppression. One such story, which was posted by Men For Repeal’s Facebook page earlier this month, attributed to a man named Enda, illustrates the culture of shame embedded in Irish society.

Enda’s mother – empowered by his coming-out as gay – confided in him that she had an abortion pre-marriage, but for fear of judgement, had told just Enda and one of her sisters. “She’d felt sure that my grandfather would disown her for having sex outside of marriage and he died never knowing,” Enda writes. “I remember her saying she felt as if she was damaged goods with my own father, and had been terrified of telling him in case he no longer wanted to marry her.”

Elsewhere, Murphy alludes to meme culture (check the Ireland Simpsons Fans page for some of the best) and the use of internet spaces as a shareable access point for men, more so for those that are tentative or unsure about their place in a large, fast-moving campaign. Murphy’s resourcefulness also helped him develop a video series where male musicians cover female artists.

via Ireland Simpsons Fans

Creativity in the arts has propelled much of Ireland’s political movements, and the Repeal Project is a major example. The monochromatic sweatshirt – simple, inclusive, and unisex – is boldly inscribed with ‘Repeal’, now iconic in Irish millennial culture as a statement of aesthetic defiance. Repeal founder Anna Cosgrave recently guest edited local music and culture magazine District with the ‘Men’s Issue’ of its Dublin City Guide. The issue profiles male Irish allies across sport, music, film, and politics. Dance music magazine and online community Four Four has been passionately supportive of repealing the 8th on its pages.

Dublin’s vibrant young music scene sees lyrics that continue to reflect Ireland’s bewildering reality, from DIY punk to burgeoning R&B. Rising Dublin hip-hop act, KOJAQUE, recently rapped: “Sovereign state; they’d rather see my mother bleed out than build a clinic.” Elsewhere in the fashion world, designer Richard Malone has been an outspoken supporter for repeal, taking over Selfridges’ window display to write messages of support. In a powerful open letter for Vogue, Malone describes the “infuriating and unjust treatment of women” he has witnessed at home, the misinformed, Catholic-based education about sex and abortion he and his generation received, and the social and class structures that hinder women’s right to choose. “We have to use our vote to speak for ourselves and for the generation of young people coming directly behind us,” he writes, “who remain voiceless in the votes on their future.”

Toxic masculinity is seriously affecting Irish young men’s mental health, sexuality, and attitudes towards sex, the latter manifesting itself in one of the most widely reported and divisive public trials in Irish history: the rape case involving Ulster Rugby stars Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding.

The voice of brusque social sensibility in Ireland today, Blindboy Boatclub of Irish comedy duo Rubberbandits is in equal parts an absurdist and a realist. He’s become an unofficial spokesperson for these disenfranchised young men, men who accounted for 80 per cent of Irish suicides last year. With one of the highest percentages of teen suicide in Europe, a silent epidemic pulses through Irish society.

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During a revealing 2016 interview on Ireland’s The Late Late Show, Blindboy asserted that feminism is, in fact, a remedy for male-centric mental health issues and toxic masculinity, something that rings through with this referendum and long afterwards. “I have nothing to offer a woman, I have nothing,” he says of young men’s attitudes in Limerick, his native city. “How am I supposed to provide for a woman? The fact of the matter, is that that is a patriarchal attitude that is no longer relevant to us in the 21st century.” Blindboy has become a pivotal voice in the movement; utilising social media and his increasingly popular podcast to speak to men directly. His recent book, The Gospel According to Blindboy, delves deeply into such issues – he’s a leader, and a cultural reckoning force behind the pro-choice movement.

In a more recent filmed conversation with Cillian Murphy, Blindboy and the actor rallied for men to excercise their right to vote. “Men and women are both custodians of this society…we need to go out and support women,” Cillian Murphy said.

For too long, Irish women have been defined by their struggle. Those single mothers, those women who claim asylum under Ireland’s dehumanizing Direct Provision system, women of disparate colours and backgrounds, those with varying sexual identities and disabilities: it’s a vote for all women, and now isn’t a time that men can be complacent or indifferent. May 25 gifts Irish citizens – men equally – the opportunity to right one of our nation’s great wrongs. Though cis men will never know what it is like to carry a pregnancy, men are inextricably linked to this upcoming referendum. Men have a duty to engage with, support, and amplify female voices and stories so that an experience like Savita and Praveen’s is never relived again.

, http://www.dazeddigital.com/politics/article/40058/1/why-mens-voices-are-vital-in-irelands-abortion-referendum

#abortion rights #asylum ireland

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