#casual viewer doesn't mean a casual viewer of everything

[gayofthefae]

Here's the thing also is I feel like we act like GA people are all gonna remain equally as un/invested as they are now and just like go with the flow but also need I remind you I was totally GA and thought Milkvan was really cute and was hesitant to think Will was gay but even once I did didn't even consider Byler as a real outcome until season 4 episode 2 and now I'm here doing this shit soooo...

[chaifootsteps]

I think other anon is absolutely right that Verosika got "de-fanged"

it's been a pattern across all the series - I get the impression Brandon's influence made the characters consistently sharper and meaner because he was actually working with the 'it's set in Hell' premise (or Vivzie's writing had more spine in the early days) but by S2 she was too attached to some characters to let them have any edge any more so they got sanded down into just the victim of someone else - Mammon for Fizz, Blitz for Verosika

and it's more boring, writing wise. Why couldn't Blitz and Verosika both have been assholes who were happy being assholes together, up until Verosika dropped the L bomb and Blitz tanked the relationship? That way you can still have Verosika have some flaws - the alcoholism being so bad she went to rehab goes totally unexplained & if Viv expects us to assume it's because Blitz broke her heart that badly that's just embarassing writing on her part imo - and she still feels like her Spring Broken self

Viv's lack of planning bites her as always but I think the other problem is that she doesn't have a grasp on the core of who the characters are. Someone who's petty enough to kill humans over a parking space dispute usually isn't also empathetic enough to get people together for a 'support group' (taking the episode at its word) but Verosika does both and we're not supposed to think there's any dissonance there? This episode only squares with her old self if she was just petty enough for the party to be a hate party, but we're supposed to think it's not just that

it also really doesn't help the show's efforts to paint Blitz as uniquely bad when everyone else we've seen in Hell so far (except Millie and on the whole Moxxie) are some shade of mean or petty. it makes the viewer ask why they'd be so hurt they basically need therapy once a year just because Blitz had casual sex or insulted them one time when they live in a setting where everyone is mean all the time anyway?

Everything you're saying is absolutely true, and also, I feel like this is a good time to remind everyone that Verosika and her posse straight up sexually assaulted someone. Also, that it was played for laughs.

[nenestansunsthings]

"Hey. You're Joe Hills, right?"

The man who turns to him to looks far too normal, a casual guy with long hair and green glasses and gloves. Quackity can't imagine why they beat Wilbur. Why her people campaigned so hard for him, why they had hundreds in the lead for hours upon hours until the polls closed and Wilbur lost to her. When the guy smiles cheerfully towards him, the question only becomes more poignant.

"Yup! That's me! Joe Hills, from Nashville, Tennessee." He offers their hand to shake, and in a flash Quackity takes it. Her grip isn't strong, and he blinks in surprise when Quackity's own is firm. "And you're Quackity, right? Good job with your poll!! That was a real close win, but your people pulled through right where it mattered!"

Quackity waves it off. "I never had a doubt. Of course my fans wouldn't let me lose! I'm the sexiest red bird around here, after all!" Unbidden, his wings flutter. "But heyyy, that's not what I came here for. I came here for you! We had an alliance, didn't we? Come on, hi-five, amigo, we did well today!"

Joe blinks. "We had an alliance?"

"Uh, yeah? What, don't tell me you didn't know." He scoffs. "Your fans didn't tell you? I heard you were out there campaigning yourself. Posting shirtless videos and everything! Just my kinda guy." Cheerfully, he slings an arm around Joe, pleasantly surprised when the guy doesn't even flinch. "I thought you agreed to the alliance yourself!"

"... Oh, that alliance!" Their eyes light up in recognition. "Yeah, I saw a few people talking about that. People get really excited in my chat, y'know? Though they were pretty torn." He shrugs. "I mean, Grian's a friend of mine, even if I have no clue how he thinks. But yeah, that was all them!"

Quackity can't help but stare. "You didn't know they were allying against a friend of yours?!"

"Nope! They just kinda do what they want." Joe laughs, the sound tinged with fondness. Something in that makes Quackity's gut churn uncomfortably. They just… do that? Ally against friends? Work with people who they think will stab them in the back later? And all in the name of someone who doesn't even know what they're planning? "I think it's great that they all got together to support you! But hey, there's only one person I'm hoping will win, and you know who it is! I wouldn't be campaigning for myself if I didn't want that win."

"Ha! Yeah, I know how it is." He grins back, golden tooth gleaming brilliantly. "Don't feel too down when I thrash you, alright?"

"We'll see about that!" Normally, Quackity would be on edge from that kind of declaration, but there isn't a shred of hostility in her vice. There's only delight, friendly competition. "I have faith that my viewers will pull ahead, and that I can campaign hard enough to convince people! I've been working really hard, after all. Even bought some new rainbow eyes, just for the occasion!"

"Wait, what."

Joe blinks, and when their eyes open again they are joined by a hundred others, flickering with a thousand colours and all seeing- staring- beholding. Just before he can think the word watching, they flutter shut.

"That's not the right word for me, just to be clear," Joe chastises him. "Watching. I'm not a part of that group."

Quackity has no goddamn idea what she means. So after a moment of stunned silence, he continues.

"... Do your fans think the eyes are hot?"

"I think they're sexyman enough to win the contest," he says, which clears up nothing. "But, most importantly, I think they'd vote for me anyway! Even without my beautiful, glowing, rainbow-checked eyes. Which are, by the way, divinely beautiful, and should be appreciated."

"Hey, man, if you're the kind of guy to buy new eyes for a competition, they'd better vote for you." Quackity shakes his head. "What, did they bribe you for it? Say they'd vote for you if you blinked in rainbows? That's not a healthy relationship, man, you gotta get out of there."

Joe snorts. "No, this is all for me. But thanks for worrying! If my people ever start demanding I grow new eyes before they tip me, I'll just find new people." He waves a hand nonchalantly. "I don't think my viewers would do that, anyway."

"... Hm." Quackity hesitates, settling a few feet away from Joe. "... I dunno, man. I mean, they made that alliance without you, didn't they? Hard to think you could trust 'em after something like that. Not a lot of unity in that kind of campaign, especially if there was some kind of in-fighting about voting me over your friend."

Some tiny, tiny part of him feels a little sick at the thought. But it dies down quickly enough. This isn't the first time he's brought people to blows over loyalty, after all.

But Joe looks unbothered. "They're good people. They'll figure it out for themselves. And they understand why people would vote you over Grian, or why their friends would support you."

"Oh?" Quackity raises an eyebrow. "You talk like you've seen it yourself. Did they shake hands and make up and write songs about their reconciliation? I'd love to see that- you encourage their poetry, it looks like. They've gotta have some skills."

"Nah, nothing like that. You're thinking too big, Quackity HQ." Their sunny smile shifts, softening at the edges. "They're just friends. They don't hate each other for wanting a different person to win. If this was something important like politics- which is very important, remember to vote on both a local and national level to support what's best for your community!- then it might be different. But this is fine."

He scoffs. "Please. I've seen the posts. Some of those guys came out swinging against me."

"And they know it's an exaggeration!" she assures him. "Just look around. All across this great land of Tumblr, there are people reminding each other to be kind. To be civil. To watch whether their feelings are turning into hate, and to take a step back and breathe if things go too far. Sure, things have gone too far. But that happens in all kinds of events, not just this one. And mostly, our viewers want to be kind."

"Man. You're a real ray of sunshine, aren't you." Quackity looks away. "But that's not really what I mean. It's more…"

He's not sure the words are right on his tongue. He says them anyway.

"They're supposed to be united," he tries. "I know you all wanted a Hermitsweep. Your people rule the polls. Doesn't it scare you, that they can split so much behind your back? Isn't it weird, to trust them with this?"

For a second, Joe is silent. Quackity grits his teeth, turns- but the faint green glow of his checkmarks is dim, and there's a twinge of honest fear in his eyes.

"... To be honest, it feels weird." He rests his head on their knees, fingers wrapped tight around her arms. "Just a little bit. I didn't expect this much. And the competition last round was a lot, let me tell you."

Quackity snorts. "I was there, man. No need to tell me. So much voter fraud…"

"And bribery! Don't forget bribery." Joe laughs. "But I do trust them. Whatever they do. I'll be disappointed if I lose, obviously, but it happens. It's hard to really be angry when you think about the core of all this."

"Popularity?" he jokes.

"Well, a little. I've been told Scar is not a sexyman, just a sexy man. Still not sure what criteria people are voting by. But mostly, I think it's love."

"Love?" Quackity raises an eyebrow. "What made you think that?"

Joe sighs. "I dunno. It's just… it's the only thing that it could be, really. This contest doesn't mean anything. There's no prize. All it is is just people wanting the entertainers they love most to win. And look at everything they've created for that goal."

Quackity knows. He's seen the swathes of art, the stories, the people getting out drawing tablets or phones or paper and camera to thank people who voted in their favour. He's seen old artworks shared years after their making. He's seen silly powerpoints, walls of text, analysis and promotions of videos from the starts of careers. It's a little terrifying, really, in the same way angels are.

He's pretty sure Joe would know, too.

"Yeah, not every one of my viewers joined your alliance. Even with my personal campaigning, none of them brought it up to me. But whoever they voted, whether it was Grian because he's someone they fought to see this high up or you because they wanted to share the support your people offered me, they voted out of love. Because they love me, or they love you, or they love whoever else they wanted to win."

"... They love you, huh?"

It's an odd thought. Quackity's well used to heartbreak, to abandonment. To people only staying because he had something to offer. But in this silly contest, with tens of thousands of people cheering for him…

"They love you too," Joe says with a smile. "So I'm happy you won. I'd say you're a pretty worthy opponent."

Quackity barks out a laugh, turning to Joe with fire in his eye. "A worthy opponent? You'll be taking those words back when I win. My people love me, don't they? So I'm sure as hell they'll put their money where their mouth is."

"Oh, we'll see." A thousand eyes open, turning a rainbow gaze upon him. He meets their stare head-on. "After all," Joe Hills says, "You were right about one thing. We want a Hermitsweep."

[trekmupf]

The Gang fights cold war paranoia

Pro

A great short and to the point cold open that immediately flings the viewer into this new time travel setting

Bringing the 60's military and Roddenberry's vision of the future military face to face in this episode is interesting: some things are futuristic and some, by now, have happened (women in the military), some are the same (Kirk's &Christopher's sense of duty)

The balance of silly moments and humour works well with the more serious parts of the episode (Christopher and the crew possibly being stuck, the danger of temporal meddling)

I love that Star Trek roughly correctly predicted two real life Space achievements: the first moon shot being in the 60's on a Wednesday no less, and Christopher's son being part of the first Saturn probe, which in real life launched in 2004 – so roughly around the time his possible son could've been working for NASA

Everyone looks really beautiful in their close ups, once again

I like the change from “actually you contributed nothing” to “shit this guy needs to go back, his son is super important” because even though you yourself might not change the world, a person you influenced (or created) could, and therefore every person is relevant in their own way

The Paranoia and cold war mood is captured really well for a modern audience

The fact that the 60's, highly modern at the time, now feels like a museum to today's viewers just like it does for the crew; At the same time the Enterprise and it's Science Fiction is also old school to us; Old science fiction is always a great window into history also

The original special effects are once again great, the original enterprise is so adorable and beautiful (Video Link)

Kirk flirting with Christopher is its own comedy

Kirk's whole facial journey when Christopher appears

Instead of containment or anything Kirk immediatly shows of his ship and tells him literally everything while still flirting in the lift

That flight suit must be so uncomfortable Captain Christopher, you should totally change into something more comfortable :)

The fact that Christopher is such a straight guy from his time who doesn't clock this at all makes it even funnier, two opposite sites of the sexual tension scale

then Spock swooping in destroying Kirks happy threesome dreams with reality

I mean how else can I interpret Spock's look at Christopher than that of a jealous boyfriend

Spock then sticking around and not leaving Jim and Christopher alone AND casually delivering the sickest “your life was sort of useless” burn

Christopher finding out about his son, the way the others are just as delighted about it as he is and the way he smiles every time it's mentioned is not only sweet but also shows certain things about humanity won't change – the love for our children is something they can bond over despite being centuries apart

Sulu and Kirk solo adventure! Also them working well together! Also just the fact that they casually beam in the middle of a military base and aren't even that sneaky about it

Sulu's large bag is keeping all his secrets

Bones and Spock, flirting their way through Kirk's absence

The entire scene were Kirk and Sulu get discovered is comedy gold: them pretending not to hear the obvious beeping, Spock eyeing the frozen military man up and down, Kirk's absolutely done with this plot reaction, Bones taking the gun and communicator off him in slow motion, it's all so well paced and acted

Us? We are so so innocent and don't know anything :)

The fight scene is so very Trek, but a) just very believable as it's just chaos and limbs b) Kirk reacted so quickly and well to the situation as it was never about winning but about giving Sulu time to escape and c) Sulu reading the situation correctly and doing the right thing

Kirks giving the policemen nothing but cunt and he's such a pretty boy doing it, giving severe I'm beautiful & I don't deserve this vibes

I literally made so many screenshots of kirk being done with what's going on that I made a seperate post

“Oh this little thing? Just something I slipped on” Kirk STOP flirting with the military guys!!!

Con

the entire "Kirks pc is a sexy lady" is just weird, serves no purpose and feels very out of place

The way the situation is solved in the end feels very sudden and fast compared to the rest of the episodes pacing

Counter: Nothing

Quote I made an error in my computations (Spock) Oh? This could be an historic occasion. (Bones)

Moment: It's hard to choose, but the fight itself is so great and classic TOS including Kirk yeeting himself at all three of them

Summary: The classic Sci-Fi time travelling trope done Trek style, with some team shennanigans, including a very "I'm done with life" Kirk trying to flirt with a time traveller, a "I have done nothing wrong in my life, ever" Sulu and some classic TOS fighting. The episode also offers some deep thoughts on the importance of a single person in our society and the dangers of temporal meddling, setting a precedent that will shape future directives for Starfleet and time travel. Previous Episode - Next Episode - All TOS reviews

[amive2567]

Ingredients: Suna Rintaro x gn!reader, Kenma x gn!reader, Kuroo x gn!reader, Ushijima x gn!reader

Contains: headcanons, social media, mentions of social media apps, not proofread

Type of order: macarons (headcanons),

Suna:

he always takes pictures, on dates, at the gym, during training, and even at home 

His Instagram is a great priority in his life 

There is no day without a post and a story 

One of those influencers 

His fans should always be update 

And even at games he takes pictures and uploads them hem on Instagram 

He also uses twitter pretty often, he makes his dad joke there and uses it to annoy Atsumu 

If he gets hate comments he just blocks the person instantly, but if someone makes a bad comment about you it is over for the person they will get humiliated during an Instagram lifestream. No one will be mean to his s/o

He will roast the fuck out of everyone who will talk bad about you 

The haters are crying on the floor 

Will send you snaps all the time, your flames are really high 

His snapscore, therefore is astronomical 

You're on almost every post of his and you're not people get suspicious and form theories about your breakup 

Fangirls/boys are always sending him some weird dms so he has to be creative with his way of answering those terrible pickup lines 

Kenma:

his job is social media, but he is still a streamer by heart 

He is daily streaming on twitch, even when he has an important game to play 

Will announce his streams on Twitter and Instagram 

He sometimes uploads cute couple pictures of you on Instagram 

His viewers want to see him and you play different games, so you set up a day where both of you game together like animal crossing, stardew valley, phasmophobia, and other stuff. From horror to casual everything 

Mario kart is still a heavy topic because it almost caused and an insane argument 

Just like suna, he will not be nice to any haters he will make fun of every hater in his chat 

When someone bullied you in chat or on Instagram he will bring hell upon them, they have chosen death 

He will report them and they will lose all their social media status and dignity 

Has multiple corporations and sweepstakes 

He is one of the most famous influencers in japan 

But he will not tell everything on his social media, some things are still private like the engagement or the wedding 

Kuroo:

his Twitter account is filled with chemistry puns/memes/jokes 

He will brag about you on every platform 

Makes occasional tik tok likes pranks or educational 

He once pranked you with the salt spoon prank and you never let him back into the kitchen even though it was a prank 

He doesn't do extreme pranks like breakups or injuries, but he still tries to get you mad on purpose 

He thinks it's kinda hot 

Just has fun on social media 

Isn't as active as his friends but he still shares parts of his life with his fans 

A big part of his life is you so you will be in almost every picture 

Whole japan is shipping you because of Kuroo's cheesy captions 

Ushijima:

thinks social media is a waste of time 

Wants to spend his life in a reality where not everything is perfect and photoshopped 

Still has to use some platform to be present as a celebrity he is 

Only uses Instagram to share his gym experience 

He is one of the fitness influencers 

He gets used to social media and uses it quite frequently 

Pictures of him and you are limited because he doesn't want to use your relationship for cloud 

But every time he posts a cute couple picture everyone is over the moon about how cute the both of you are 

Charity galas are often mentioned in his posts and he even has links so you can donate for multiple fundraisers 

His post are authentic and real

[pinkeoni]

Arguing for realism in Stranger Things

So whenever the take "Mike and Will can't be together because it's not realistic" comes up, usually from twitter or reddit, I often find it met with the argument on here of "Well, this is a supernatural show about monsters so who cares about realism!" or something similar along those lines.

While I understand the the sentiment behind it, and yes advocating for realism in a sci-fi fantasy show may seem silly, but I find this argument to be kind of flawed.

The initial take isn't coming a genuine advocacy for realism, but instead using "realism" as a flimsy cover for their homophobia. The more appropriate response should be to question why they believe a happy resolve for homosexuality is unrealistic in the first place. You countering their argument by claiming that the show is unrealistic is only backing up their belief that a happy ending for gay people is also unrealistic.

Stranger Things is a realistic show.

And, okay, ST does not fall into the same category of cinéma-vérité-dogme-95-esque-hyper-realism that a show like Succession may fall under, but it does try to capture real emotions and real experiences using supernatural elements as a vehicle to explore such things. Sure, alternate dimensions and tentacle monsters are not realistic, but the American government trying to coverup and undermine the suffering of queer people, as well as the constant fear of an encroaching foreign power, is incredibly realistic to that time period.

It's not often caught on from the casual viewer because it's carefully placed under layers of subtext, although in the show's defense for some of these viewers the Reagan/Bush signs from season 2 are purely just set pieces and don't have any further meaning. But the supernatural elements are not arbitrarily placed and the show doesn't take place in the 80's simply for the nostalgia factor, these facets all work together to speak to real experiences.

And sure, sometimes even the non-supernatural elements can come off as exaggerated, such as the Russian storyline, but one could argue that this is a dramatization of very real Cold War anxieties that did exist at this time.

So, when it comes to displaying realistic emotions, why should the way the show handles queer identity and relationships be any different?

And the show does handle queerness in an almost tragically realistic way. The show’s queer characters must adhere to the precedents of the 1980’s, and the supernatural element is one way to exemplify some of those fears. Will lives in fear of something slowly taking over and killing his body, while the Reagan Administration government scientists treat his possible death as a non-issue.

If then, the show is realistic and aiming to portray queer experiences as such, does this mean that byler can’t happen because that would be unrealistic?

Well, I think that people might he conflating “realism” with “pessimism.” I think if the show wanted to have an ending with a pessimistic outlook, then I could see byler not happening. Yes, there are plenty of gay people who died during the 80’s. But there also plenty of gay people who got in relationships and lived too. What people consider realistic may also be influenced by the type of media they have consumed in the past as well. “Well, gay people usually die/end up alone, so that must be what the realistic outcome is.”

So, with all that being said, when considering the ending of the show, it now just comes down to everything else. What is the show trying to say thematically? How has the show handled other character’s storylines in the past? How is the show being written? What kind of ending is being foreshadowed? What type of ending would best serve to fulfill the needs of the themes and storybeats, while still maintaining relatability?

[very-straight-blog]

Hello! I was thinking, what if HOTD writers made Helaena choose Jaehaera so "easily" over Jaehaerys so that they could use it as a way for Aegon to blame her for telling them who his heir was? I mean, that would make casual viewers dislike him and side with Rhaenyra.

Also, given the fact they changed so many things regarding the book and Maelor doesn't even exist, I hope Aegon makes Jaehaera his heir.

Hi! Actually, I read the theory that Helaena pointed at Jaehaerys specifically so that Blood and Cheese wouldn't believe her, because "she wouldn't give us the heir so easily" and then they'd have killed Jaehaera, and she'd have saved her son. I don't know if it's true, but there are such thoughts. As for Maelor, everything is unclear, maybe he exists behind the scenes, maybe it turns out that Helaena is pregnant, maybe they'll just forget about him. The ideas of our screenwriters are a mystery. But yes, it would be nice to see Aegon calling his daughter the heir.

[angelsdean]

was reading an article abt all of dean's deaths on the show bc i was looking for a list of all his deaths and just. the way the article ends talking abt dean's last death saying, "The brothers eventually meet in Heaven where they're finally able to live peacefully, reunited with their friends and family." Like ??? That's how the general audience / casual viewers interpret the finale and it's so ???? like you clearly missed the point of the show entirely if you think them dying and being reunited in Heaven is a good ending. And if you think them being dead means they're somehow finally getting to "live peacefully with their friends and family." Like, they're dead !!! There is no living. This new open-world Heaven isn't the same as being alive on Earth. If it were then why keep them dead in the first place ??? Also, literally a HUGE recurring theme of the show is that they DIDN'T want peace or 'paradise' over freedom. Especially Dean. Dean always wanted freedom over peace, because peace is meaningless if there is no freedom. And I guess you could argue that they got their "freedom" if you're doing a surface level reading of 15x19 / 15x20 and take it for face-value that they actually defeated Chuck. But that ending echoes Chuck's ending almost to the T. It's bleak af when you take .05 seconds to think about it. Dean dies young on a run-of-the-mill hunt and sam has now lost everyone (dean, cas, jack, mary) and seemingly doesn't marry eileen (his most recent major love interest) and doesn't seem to keep in touch w/ any of his hunter friends and family (garth, jody, donna, claire, etc). And he continues to grieve dean into his old age, like he never gets over it. It's depressing. But yeah oh, reunited in heaven so it's fine. Like !!! They deserved to LIVE. After everything, if they really defeated chuck and won their freedom they all (including cas and jack) deserved to live and finally write their own stories !!!!

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hello! Love your blog - please allow me to bring back a topic to the table:

How long did Daniel spend with Louis and Armand back in the 70s? I see a lot of speculation that some version of DM takes place back then. And, it would be very dramatically compelling to have Daniel realize that he’s not just lost a night of memories (which I think is what he believes presently?) but actually several months/a whole relationship/a side of himself. However, in every new clip from the 70s thus far the trio seems to be wearing the same clothes as from the flashback in episode six. Also, I think in some official interviews it sounds like they are referring to a single event when they are talking about the first interviews. Of course, this could be a deliberate obfuscation as to not spoil anything…

I read a theory speculating that Daniel will early on in the season remember a few flashes of Armand. Specifically that after having saved him from Louis, Armand basically considered killing him. That this is what the ”I’m the quiet you’ve been longing for…” scene is about, and that this is why Daniel at some point fears Armand (as heard in the trailer). He will probably believe that Armand must have erased his memories after Louis tried to kill him (which might also be just what happened if DM doesn’t take place) as he learns of the extent of Armand’s mind ability (which could be connected to learning about the Théâtre des Vampire as they are probably hypnotizing their victims?). Listening to Louis’ and hearing his inconsistencies he will probably put two and two together and realize and help Louis realize that Armand has interfered with his mind.

If DM happened in the past, this could result in a really explosive ending in which Daniel first believes that he has finally come to understand all there is to know of the story between Louis and Armand and also of his first encounter with the two, but then as more memories comes to the surface he is faced with the realization that there’s a lot more to it.

(1/2)

Hey!

Glad you like :))

Sooooo I think that the Devil's Minion of the past will likely unfold pretty much the same as in the books, namely the hunt across the globe, and then years of relationship.

However, I do not think that will be something we will see everything of already. AND I think that both Devil's Minion and Lesmand have been mostly kept out of the "general trailer" as not to confuse the more casual viewers. So that is nothing I would go by, actually.

Daniel remembering is - contrary to Louis! - a deliberate thing (at least from Armand's side - I do believe Louis also tries to remember deliberately, but Armand probably does not really want him to, which... I get. Ahem.). Others have posted about this too, but the medicine he gets should have other effects - and the sheer presence of Fareed means there's... something going on.

I think he will continue to remember, more and more, and there is a high chance that he will remember Louis, too. Personally I think that it was not Armand who erased Daniel's memories (contrary to Louis'). This could also be the reason why for Louis some bleed through... and for Daniel they didn't. (But we'll see about that^^).

I am very sure DM did indeed happen in the past - up and until Daniel not being too healthy and wanting to be turned. And then something happened differently than in the book.

Remembering will indeed be a shock to the system for him - as you said, he more or less settled. Though his subconscious remembers. The Bosch-puzzle, the "Savage Garden" book. Set design, yes, but done on purpose. He also knows there's something that doesn't match, because he probably cannot remember where he got the bite mark.

Considering these vampires can heal these wounds... that's a visible claim. By Armand.

And yes, this is a very... insidious kind of horror. And it is a theme in the chronicles. The road to accept themselves as the monsters they are is rocky indeed.

Daniel realizing he "loved this thing" is also part of it all. (That is a quote, too^^). Daniel does not see Armand in any kind of idealized light - he sees him in his entirety. And yes, of course Armand thinks what he does best... he's not doing it out of malice. He thinks he's helping... in his own, inimitable way.

"L'amour est un monstre".

They didn't choose this headline just for Loumand on the posters :) No, as with so many things... this goes for several relationships and situations.

Armand will indeed not be able to let Daniel die, imho - but that won't be this season... I think this season will need to deal with the fallout on Louis. For Daniel and Armand that will come up still, in some kind of way.

The upcoming season will be very interesting for DM, but I doubt it will be the last - I think it will open it up, so that the truly interesting, gritty conflict can come about in the upcoming seasons :))

I for one am looking very much forward to it.

[clonehub]

I don't think journalists and earlier viewers hyping up the whole season helped things tbh. The writing for all of S3 was still lackluster all around. The characters still don't feel emotionally developed. Crosshair's "redemption" is missing pieces and I don't think "I left the empire because they weren't loyal to ME" shows growth at all. Was the Empire's violence against Innocents -- including violence they made you committ -- not also a factor? Why? Assajj ventress's episode was...pointless? If we take it out how much do we really lose?

If both assajj and fennec can find the bad batch and the empire was able to find the bad batch why would they go back to Pabu? Why not try and leave the first time they were warned? I get project necromancer is done now but do the batch know that? The left right before Tarkin showed up. Why did Rampart think simply downloading the project necromancer stuff would be enough to blackmail the empire into rehiring him??? The EMPIRE. Why didn't hemlock just kill rampart? Why did they hold onto Nala se if she was useless and had also been tampering with the project?

What was the point in making Emerie a clone? She could have said and done everything she said and did and been a regular woman. It's not like being a clone gave her any particular advantages or disadvantages. She was just There.

They did nothing with wrecker. He's a weapons and demo expert who uses blasters and fights monsters more than he displays his knowledge of bombs and weaponry. He didn't get the time or attention that literally every other character got. This team of mercenaries still doesn't feel like a team to me. They're too stoic and too detached and the writers never go far enough with the themes or messages they want the audience to pick up.

They freed a bunch of regular clones but many if not most of them died to try and help free the bad batch. I'm not sure how many even get named, if any. Omega was the only one to consistently care about them. It's like any clone that appears has to work in service of the bad batch.

Clone CX2 ended up not really meaning anything. At first I thought maybe I misread the signs and he was just meant to be a watery look at what crosshair could have been, but even casual viewers are saying they feel baited. I definitely thought there'd be a reveal. If it's meant to be a crosshair parallel, not done well. If it's meant to just be a cool mysterious guy, not done well. If there was actually supposed to be a big reveal, not done well.

Underwritten and underdeveloped through to the end. The finale felt like a long episode that could have fit in with any other season, besides crosshair's misgivings about really being a team or being able to go into Tantiss (which also felt out of place to me).

[glitteringcrab]

Rick and Morty unresolved plot points (I think)

Cocky Morty

Rick: Just don't get too big for your loafers, Buster Brown. A cocky Morty can lead to some big problems. Can be a real bad thing for everybody.

Morty: Oh yeah? How's that?

Rick: Uhhhhh...I...I'll explain when you're older.

By the end of the episode, the blatantly obvious cocky Morty to us viewers is Evil Morty... However, Rick C-137 didn't know that and wasn't referring to that.

Which means there has been a previous incident (or incidents) where a Morty went sorta rogue and, like with Evil Morty, all hell broke loose.

The "I'll explain when you're older part" initially comes off as... I dunno. I mean it's the sort of thing you tell a child when they ask about the birds and the bees (which is obviously unrelated here).

Or, when a child asks a difficult question which has a complicated answer which requires years of wisdom, experiences and insight to understand.

I get the feeling Rick was avoiding the question because he felt Morty would NOT like the answer. And, given Rick's (and Ricks') past and his narcissistic tendencies, I wouldn't be surprised if he is at least partially to blame for the reason the answer would not be easy.

Now, we've seen Morty Prime getting sliiiiightly unhinged when the "right" (wrong) circumstances present themselves (purge episode, the time he shot Rick in blind fury in the citadel, death crystals episode, narnia episode) and I've read a theory that there is something inherently wrong with Morty, and that Rick's constant criticism is keeping it in check. That Mortys HAVE to stay with their heads down, because otherwise they'd be dangerous.

However, I don't think that's true. I feel like if that's what Rick was going for, that would be gaslighting. The idea that abuse is good for the victim, that the victim is irrational for not liking being abused is pretty manipulative. And Rick is absolutely abusive. He constantly belittled Morty (more so in the previous seasons), made fun of him, manipulated him out of his netflix dream, is currently forcing him to sell drugs, and... well, the worst episode for me was the vat of acid. I kid you not, I felt literal disgust for Rick during that episode. That episode was like a punch in the gut for me. The abuse is always so absurd it's played for laughs, but in that episode I did not find it funny at all. The pettiness and cruelty of it felt way too real.

Morty Prime does seem to be in danger of veering off to the wrong path, but if that happens, I think the reason would be Rick's influence, worldview, and the fact that Morty Prime is constantly exposed to danger and violence. Not the lack of constant criticism on Rick's part.

Back to the matter at hand: what would a cocky Morty do? What is a cocky Morty? As I understand it, a cocky Morty is a Morty who thinks he's better than Rick; or otherwise, a Morty who thinks Rick is less (less clever, less capable, less valuable) than a Morty. Or conversely, a Morty who thinks Rick can be defeated by a Morty. A Morty who thinks Rick SHOULD be defeated, and who is willing to try. It's not a Morty who becomes narcissistic enough to think that he, Morty, is a super-powerful god; it's a Morty who understands Rick is NOT a super-powerful god, but a human being who has as many failings as everybody else and can be treated as such. A Morty who holds Ricks accountable.

I think a cocky Morty is simply a Morty who doesn't let himself be abused anymore. A Morty who stands up to Rick and stands his ground. My guess is that the majority of Ricks would not tolerate that and retaliate... And given the "big problems, real bad think for everybody" part I think it's safe to surmise that said cocky Morty would be QUITE CAPABLE of wrecking as much havoc as Ricks do. E.g. imagine a Morty who discovers the Morty Factory and decides to try everything in their power to stop it-- if said Morty has even 1/10 of Evil Morty's capabilities, then all hell would break loose, with many Rick casualties. Or, to not go to such extremes, a cocky Morty who constantly stands up to their Rick would lead to a progressively more aggressive Rick who would try to re-assert his dominance in increasingly cruel ways. Not fun for anyone involved.

2. Morty factory - it's complicated

When confronted by Morty Prime on the matter of the Morty Factory, Rick C-137 said "it's not the whole truth" (to which the answer was "liar") and then he added "it's complicated".

When Morty Prime insisted on wanting answers right then and there, Rick changed the subject by breaking free and attacking Evil Morty's guards.

We never found out what the "complicated" and "the whole truth" part were. Sure, we saw Rick's downloaded brain, but that held no answers (other than his tragic backstory). We saw that he did not agree with what was going on in the citadel, but we didn't see exactly WHAT was going on- or why.

Evil Morty's parting words were "you can't outrun your past, Rick".

I can understand why Rick C-137 would create the Central Finite Curve (so that Rick Prime could get trapped inside) but if the Morty Factory was simply a byproduct of other Ricks' actions, why would Evil Morty hold him accountable? The Central Finite Curve traps Mortys in Rick universe, sure, but the Morty Factory would have occurred one way or another. Although, from the moment the Ricks banded together, they'd all find out about the Morty brainwaves thing, and therefore the demand for Mortys would soar; so I guess Rick IS kinda accountable.

Still, I feel like there is something more that might have happened, and that we don't have the full picture yet.

3. One True Morty

Initially I thought this was a (hilarious) joke (and it could very well be simply that), but... it's oddly specific. Given that this is a universe where there are clones of Mortys... I dunno. There could be more to it. It could be an actual person.

4. Oh man, he built it again

What Rick C-137 said the moment he approached Rick Prime's Omega Device:

Originally I thought it was referring to the weird trippy base Rick Prime had in Season 6, Episode 1:

But then I remembered that Rick C-137 hadn't really destroyed that. He had run off to help Domestic Beth and Space Beth. Theoretically it self-destructed afterwards, but I don't think that's what Rick C-137 was really referring to. Also, if you look at the screenshots, it looks quite different.

Rick C-137 also didn't seem surprised to hear that Diane had been wiped across all dimensions (he even said "I don't wanna talk about this" to Morty and Evil Morty) AND he had already heard the name "Omega Device".

The conclusion I'm getting is that Rick C-137 had already destroyed Rick Prime's first Omega Device... Which Rick Prime improved on, since it can now "fire more than once".

[dorkynerd23]

Honestly, even knowing how flawed Hazbin Hotel is and how some things about it aren't the best and are done pretty poorly, I honestly can't help but still love and enjoy the series and l'm honestly looking forward to the show and feel excited for it. Yeah, I know it won't be the best and won't be a masterpiece but I do hope it'll be decent and watchable at least! I think the reason why I'm not as hard and critical of HH as others may be, is because I found and discovered Hazbin during a hard time in my life and just can't help but find comfort in it. But I will admit, despise my enjoyment of Hazbin and my love for the characters, it's not perfect and IT IS flawed! Heck, at times..apart of me feels like I shouldn't even enjoy Hazbin because of how flawed it is (same with HB, which is extremely flawed) and heck, apart of me feels ashamed of being in the fanbase because how so many fans, (which some are adults, almost in their 30s, btw) are VERY toxic and mistreat people who give criticism, (even if it's out of care) they act so horribly and bully anybody for saying anything negative. Now, I know not everyone in the HH (and even HB) fandom are bad and awful and just these toxic individuals, as I have friends in the fanbase, but it just sucks being in a fandom this toxic and horrible. :(

l just wish fans would realize that YOU can still love and adore something, and still be critical of it. You can love any piece of media and still give criticism on it, that's not a bad thing. Like with me, besides Hazbin, there are many shows out there that I absolutely love and enjoy, but I know they aren't perfect like Smiling Friends, The Cuphead Show/TCS, Murder Drones, ect. I enjoy those shows so much and think they're pretty creative and just fun to watch, but I still acknowledge that they aren't these masterpieces like many (especially the diehard fans) usually claim they are and not everything is perfect or even works, and could be improve on in the future. That's what I wish the fans in the HH/HB fandom would realize, just because someone (whether they're a fan or a casual viewer) gives criticism doesn't automatically mean it's out of hate or meant to attack anyone, we just wanna acknowledge and point out the issues on the shows and how they can be improve and get better! We aren't haters and aren't trying to go after the fans or stop them for liking the show, (you can love what you want afterall, as long as it makes you happy and such! It's not hurting anyone, you can enjoy and watch what you want) and we're not even trying to put Viv and the Spindlehorse team down. We just wish the fandom and the creator herself would just realize that HB has many, MANY issues and just how flawed it is, and we just wanna see it improve and get better overall, that's it. That's all. Like I said, even as a fan of Hazbin myself, I still see that it's not perfect and it's very flawed and it has many problems that could be improved in the main show, hopefully. I don't see it as anything grand or some masterpiece, but it is something that makes me happy and is enjoyable, even though it's not 100% perfect. :)

[shmackhaystack]

The Queen and Her Levi- Chapter 1: The Debt

King!Levi Ackerman x fem!reader

Description:

"All my life I have never known what it was like to love someone, if anything, really. Until I met you, and everything changed, you brat."

"Reader" has a name, if you don't like it, then change it to your own, the world is your oyster.

Will contain VERY mature and triggering content. Viewer discretion is advised and minors please DNI.

Posted on Tumblr April 2024, also on Wattpad. If you would like to message me please feel free! I would appreciate and encourage any feedback, as well as messages if you are wanting more! Hope you enjoy.

Prologue here!

Next chapter here ;)

[word count: 3.4k]

Chapter 1: The Debt

Levi woke up in the master bedroom of his castle within wall Sina, alone, as usual. A lot of the time he has occasional women who he decides to use for the night, whom he sends away after getting what he sent them there for. Most of them fall in love with him and wish in their heart they could marry him and become his queen. Their wishes were always just dreams, though, Levi did not care much about who he slept with nor what they wanted. He was frustrated, only feeling like he needs the pleasure of sex but feeling nothing more emotional than that. 

Most of the time he wishes he could feel like sex meant something to him, but it never did. 29 years old and he never felt anything. Was it his mind? Does he think it's something messed up in his brain that he thinks he could never feel any different when it comes to some girl in his bed. Who knew, and who cares. He had a kingdom to run.

He thought he was alone, in fact, most of the time he preferred it, but he turns to see a girl in his bed. Ah, of course. It was the handmaiden who he ran into after an all-nighter of paperwork and research, he was honestly disgusted with himself. 

"Why are you still here?" he says, to blonde haired girl who he doesn't remember the name of.

"Sorry... I was just leaving" she responds.

"I thought I told you to leave right afterwards-"

"Sorry, your Grace, I just thought-"

"Thought what?" he snaps, with a more passive tone than usual. 

The girl looked at him with fear, as he stared her down and gets up to put his clothes back on and get in the shower. She doesn't say thing, too petrified to answer. She knew it didn't mean anything, she knew that the King didn't give less of a rat's ass about what she felt. He didn't even look at her as he got dressed. She attempted not to cry as she got up, put on her handmaiden dress and walked out, without a single glance from the man who was just inside her the night before.

Levi took his daily morning shower and got dressed into his fancy clothes, ready to put on a show to those he couldn't give less of a shit about. 

"Morning, your Grace!" says the Military Police guards who watch his bedroom door every night.

He doesn't respond. He walks by with his casual stoic expression that engrains everyone's mind every once in a while.

As he walks by people to get toward his office, he sees all of them looking and bowing to him as if he was some sort of God. He wasn't a God, he was just a man. A man who somehow managed to become the King of the life as we know it. As if everyone knows, this is the only life in existence, nobody around him knew if there was life beyond the walls or if this was it. If they were stuck in a nightmare that was impossible to escape. 

Levi always dressed professionally and casually, except for when he was in his Scout uniform, he was a clean and professional person anyway. Nobody would ever see him look his worst, nobody would ever see him cry or look like he's been defeated, he refused.

As he walked to his office for his meeting with Commander Nile Dok of the Military Police and Commander Keith Sadis of the Scout Regiment, he runs into one of his closest colleagues, Section Commander Hange Zoe. 

"Leviiiiiii!!!" Hange says with passion. She didn't bother to call him 'your Grace' or 'my King' because it didn't matter to her. Whatever she says to him, he wouldn't punish her anyway. 

"Huh?" he says without looking at her. "I got somewhere to be."

"With Nile, right?" she responds. He actually looks at her with confusion. Hange shouldn't know about his meetings with commandments she has nothing to do with. 

"Yeah, about that," she continues. "It's about Dan Reiss."

The thought of that name made him fuel with rage, but he hides his anger deep inside him. Everyone he is surrounded with knows that he can visibly get angry, almost furious like he is about to murder everyone around him, but he stays calm this time. 

"What happened now?" Levi questions with a sigh. 

He knows all too well the name of Dan Reiss. A nobleman who is particularly rich within the walls. He has two other brothers as he knows, but never met them at all. Dan Reiss was the only Reiss who actually had a relationship with King Levi. They didn't make much of a friendship, but they had a particular type of business relationship after all. Reiss' money was scarce for a long time, and with his power hungriness, it became almost nonexistent. 

Dan Reiss is an alcoholic, and gambler. He spends most of his days drinking or playing poker at the local village next to his estate, without a care of the world towards his caretakers of his land or even his only daughter. He believed that his money and status would save him from anything. Though, when it came to his relationship with the King, he didn't have much luck anymore. 

"So, yeah" Hange laughs. "He's absolutely bankrupt! All the money he owed you is gone, I think?"

He looked at her with furious rage. Why did this man get to him so much? He was a nobody. Levi had all the money in the world yet this man continues to aggravate him to his limit. Maybe it was the reason that Dan Reiss had claimed numerous times that he would pay him back, and that he would help the kingdom with the constant famine and poverty that lies within it. Not to mention the orphans that continued to roam the street unwanted, the thought of all those kids out there with no family makes his blood boil. There was plenty of men and women who owed him money, but he didn't give them a second glance. For Levi, his anger was all put towards Dan Reiss. He kept betraying Levi at every turn, and Dan was going to pay for it. 

Levi gathered up all of his closest comrades and guards to his office. He didn't care about what he had to do that day with other political business that he secretly couldn't care less about. He was ready to storm Reiss' front door and make him pay for what he owes. 

Erwin Smith, commander of the scout regiment. Hange Zoe, section commander of the scout regiment. Hange's assistant, Moblit Berner. Nile Dok, commander of the Military Police, and all of his closest guards had agreed to accompany Levi on his trip to Dan Reiss' estate. 

Dan's estate was within a safe haven village of wall Rose, it took about half a day to ride there on a horse. Levi still didn't understand why he chose to pursue this man. It wasn't much for him anyway, Levi was rich, the most powerful man in existence for all that everyone around him knew. He didn't need to pursue anybody, maybe it was fate, because it led him to something he never thought he would ever be led to. 

It took longer than expected to arrive at Dan's estate. Levi with his many guards and colleagues arrived on the land of Dan Reiss's estate. With roughly 20 some men surrounding the estate, with Levi and Erwin at the front. Levi's eyes looked more upsetting than usual, which makes Erwin look at him in curiosity. Even Erwin didn't understand what Levi's motive was. Perhaps Levi was done with people taking advantage of him.

He stops at the front of the estate. Putting his hand up to let his men know to halt. He looks up at the estate to see the man himself looking at all of the royal men at his doorstep. Surprised, and drunk, Dan Reiss gets up from his seat on the porch deck of his estate, absolutely shocked to see the King himself with his men glaring at him on his property. 

He walks towards the men, stumbling and not being able to see clearly. He stands there without saying anything.

"Lord Reiss!" Erwin Smith says loud enough for everyone on the land to hear. "May we have a moment?"

Levi says nothing, he just stares the poor man down with his familiar stoic glare. Dan is terrified, though can sense why Levi and his men are here at his doorstep. 

"Your Grace!" Dan says with excitement. "Wasn't expecting ya!" 

Levi stops his silence. "Reiss, you and I both know that this isn't a friendly visit. Why do you continue to defy me?" 

Dan is absolutely terrified at this point. He knows why Levi is here. His gambling addiction has finally gotten the best of him. He used all the money he meant to sent to the King to use for himself. He doesn't even try anymore, he knows that him and his power are now gone. He expects execution. He expects a brutal beating from Levi until his brains are on the ground. He drops his glass of whiskey that he poured 5 minutes before they arrived. He gave up.

"I know why you're here, King Levi" Dan says quietly. 

"Do you now?" Levi says. Erwin and his men look at Levi and expect the worst. Levi walks toward Dan while he sits there defeated. Dan is ready for Levi's wrath, he doesn't expect any less of him.

"You owe me a debt." Levi continues. He pulls out his knife from the sheath stationed on his right hip, damn, it was sharp. 

That is when a girl he had never seen before walks out of the large house, with a basket of fruit to harvest. She looks at Levi and all of his men with confusion, wondering why the hell they are at her doorstep confronting her father. She continues to look at these men, and looks at her father as if she's asking a question without words, but looks right back at the King.

Levi's eyes widen. He did not expect to see a young girl during all of this confrontation that was about to be violent. She is wearing a casual dress, a pink and white layered outfit that seems to be soft silk fabric. It looks like something that would be worn when doing yard work or handling cattle. He doesn't take her eyes off her as she looks with confusion at him and his men. She puts down the bucket and looks right back at her father.

"What the hell is this?" the girl says. 

"Go back inside, honey." Dan responds. 

The girl doesn't do what she's told, she continues to look back at all the men who look like they are from the royal side of town and glares at them. 

"I'm sorry?" Levi interrupts, "Who is this, Reiss?"

Dan Reiss hesitates to respond at first, but knows that he is screwed either way. "Your Grace, this is my daughter, Asuna. She manages most of the work around here."

Levi sits there listening to every word. His eyes do not leave the girl in question. She looks back at him, not with lust, but with disgust. He isn't used to a girl looking at him like that. He wasn't used to someone not looking at him with fear or desire. Most of all, he wasn't used to being fascinated by a girl he has never seen before. 

Few seconds after she walked out of the house, another young man comes from behind the estate with a rake and some yard supplies. He stops in shock and quickly runs up to Asuna and stands next to her in a protective stance. 

Asuna had emerald green eyes that glowed in the sunlight, her dirty blonde hair was put up in a side braid that went down past her shoulders. The bags under her eyes made it look like she didn't get much sleep. She must be working nonstop on the estate and the land that came with it. She must be too overworked while her alcoholic of a father sits back on his ass and drinks day and night. She was a short girl, Levi guessed that she was slightly shorter than him. 

Dan stops and turns to his daughter. "Honey, I really think you should go back inside," he continues. "This isn't something you want to see." 

"You got in more trouble, didn't you? What the fuck did you do?!" she shouts at him. "And who the hell is this?"

Levi is shocked at her boldness, her strength, he doesn't think anyone had disrespected or stood up to him like this before. 

"You better watch your mouth, girl!" Nile Dok shouts at the girl for her defiance. "You're talking to the ki-"

"Nile- stop" Levi cuts him off. "If the girl wants to act that way then let her, it won't do her much good anyway." He smirks at her. She immediately backs off and continues to glare at this so called King of the Walls. 

Asuna didn't need Nile to finish his sentence, him about to say that she was speaking to the King gave her the answer to her question already. She realizes her mistake and quickly backs off, refusing to give eye contact any longer to Levi or his men. Though the expression on her face showed that she was more angry than scared. She denies her father's wishes for her to go back in the house, she just steps back and stands next to the unknown boy who appeared shortly after her. 

"Your Grace," Dan speaks up. "If you're going to arrest me, chop off my head, torture me, because of my poor actions, please, just do it already." He pleads with an almost crying emotion to his voice. "Just don't hurt my daughter." 

Asuna looks at her dad with a silent plea, tears forming in her pretty green eyes. The unknown man who stood next to her put his arm around her as she attempted not to cry, she didn't want to look weak. She was taught by her father and others in her life to be strong. Despite her external strength, deep inside she doesn't know what to do at this point. If this raven haired man who stormed her property was the King, then there was nothing she could do to change her father's fate. Levi doesn't take his eyes off her, almost feeling sympathetic for her feelings. Is he really about to take this poor girl's father away from her? He didn't know why, but he was infatuated by her, the way she defied him and kept looking at him with a glare, he had to be honest, he was slightly attracted, most would say turned on. 

Levi contemplated quietly, looking back at Erwin with a look that Erwin was all too familiar with. Levi was asking him without words on what he should do, but this was on him. He needed to make a decision now. Was he about to kill Dan Reiss in front of his daughter? For the first time in a long time, he was unsure what to do. 

"Dad?" she cries. Dan turns to look at his only child and gives her a soft smile. "It's going to be okay honey," he replies. "Be good, okay?" 

And with that Dan walks down his porch stairs and towards Levi and his men, preparing for the worst and sighing in defeat. Asuna turns around, hugging the man who stood next to her as he held her, she didn't have any wish to see what is about to happen to her father. He was a good man, except very flawed. The fact he is the oldest of the Reiss sons who came from a noble family life with a good amount of money. He became careless towards his estate and grew socially distant from his daughter and workers as the years went by. He became a struggling alcoholic who owed debts to countless merchants and noblemen, and eventually, the King himself. 

"Wait." Levi suddenly speaks. Dan, Erwin, Hange and all of his guardsmen look at their King in confusion and shock. Dan stops in his tracks, Erwin and Levi both glare at each other as Levi smirks back, he knew Levi better than most, almost every time he could tell what he was about to say or what his next action would be, but this time, he hadn't the faintest clue. 

Asuna turns around, wiping the tears from her face as she looks at Levi patiently waiting on what he is going to say. He turns his back to Erwin, then to Dan, then lastly, to Asuna. 

"Asuna, right?" Levi asks with curiosity. She looks at her dad in confusion for a couple seconds, took a deep breath and responded.

"Yeah." she replies. Some of the guards gasp as her response, mainly on how she responded first of all. Almost everyone responded to Levi as 'Your Grace' or 'My King'. Most people would consider not saying that to him as an act of defiance, and deep down she knew that. But the disgust that she felt towards this man fueled her with every inch of her being. Knowing that he was about to take her father away from her, the only family she really had left as she knew it, she didn't care at this point, she just wanted him to say what he was going to say and get on with it. 

"Okay, Asuna. How old are you?" Levi questions. 

She was surprised at this random question, secretly trying to find the true motive on why he was asking how old she was. She holds her chin up high, without losing eye contact with him, and doesn't say anything. Though deep down, she was terrified. 

"She's nineteen, Your Grace." Dan answers for her. Making her cuss him out under her breath. 

Levi doesn't say anything, he just looks down at the ground and sighs. Everyone awaited for him to respond. Erwin, still looking at him, still doesn't have the fainted idea what is on his mind. He sat there for almost a minute and stayed lost in thought. He knows what he wants to do, and knowing that he is the King and can basically do whatever he wanted in the world, he was going to do it. Suddenly, Levi looks back up with ease and looks right back at the pretty girl, then right back at Dan Reiss. 

"Reiss, I never liked you." Levi begins. "I always hated how you continue to push my buttons despite knowing all too well what it would cost you. You want to know why I traveled all this way today? I was going to kill you. I was going to make you pay and finally rid myself and my kingdom of your impulsive habits. You continued to defy me and my people, maybe you just want to be punished. Not sure. But now I realize killing you may be too kind for you, and for that, I will pardon your crimes and debt that you owe me."

Dan's eyes widen with shock. Did the King really just pardon him for his crimes? After everything he did? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Everyone else looked with shock and confusion. Levi wasn't the type of man to forget those who have wronged him, nor was he the type to travel half a day for no cost whatsoever. Finally, he speaks up.

"I will pardon your crimes, and your debt, if you give me your daughter's hand in marriage."

And just like that, everything changed for Asuna Reiss. 

AN:

[3500 words :0, good lord I really went overboard haha. Thank you for reading, it means the world to me. Honestly I am really proud of myself for finally writing it down and showing it to everyone. &' yes, her name is Asuna. It has nothing to do with SAO or anything I have just always loved the name I think it is very beautiful and unique. Yes, she has dark blonde hair and green eyes. This is mainly meant to be a Levixreader story, so if her features don't match with yours then feel free to change them to your own! In fact, I encourage it. I just think it's easier if the girl has a name. Some may think that this story with Levi as a king may be kind of dumb, but I believe the story in my head is actually very sweet and touching, especially if you love Levi Ackerman as much as I do, not to mention this story very brutal but what's the fun if its not? I'll make sure to include trigger warnings when the story gets dark! 

- Kat

[imfagentsworld]

The following contains spoilers of Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning part one, you have been warned.

Goodbye Mission Impossible series. Goodbye IMF team.

When I watched Dead Reckoning Part One, I was heartbroken, angry, and confused. Now a few days later, I don't have any of the above emotions, I only have infinite disappointment and feeling sorry for them, for this great series, for a group of actors who are one of the best in the world, and for those brilliant characters that the audience loves dearly.

I feel so fucking insane, How did this even occur? What the actual fuck are you doing? McQ? You're telling me this is what we've been waiting five years for?

Where is the man who can write a script with a well-conceived, plausible plot that resonates with audiences and makes them want to walk into the theater again and again? (All the people around me are saying they won't watch it again because it's heartbreaking and overlong. Box office receipts won't be low because of the dazzling stunts that will seal the mouths of people who want to give it bad reviews.)

What about not weakening one character for the sake of highlighting another?

(You mean the White Widow who became retarded to set up Grace's awesomeness? Or Ilsa, who ridiculously sacrificed her life to put Grace on the throne? The White Widow is a ruthless, highly intelligent arms dealer who trust no one. And she just casually enters a compartment with no private security. Have you forgotten how great a fighter she was in the Grand Palais in Paris? And she was instantly overpowered by a petty thief with absolutely no training. Ha, just like that. Oh, and we should thank you for interspersing a couple of giddy, goofy scenes of her, that worked. She does looked retarded and weak.

Ilsa, a world-class top agent who can kill men much stronger than her with her bare hands, who can kill Bone Doctor with a knife and beat Solomon Lane even if she's tied to a chair at first.

She's holding a sword. Using a long weapon against Gabriel's short blade. Do you have any common sense in weapons melee combat? Ilsa can cut him to pieces. But hey, don't worry, let's make Ilsa drop the long sword and spin around a couple times to get stabbed to death by Gabriel. Omg it's so smart. I don't care if Ilsa faked her death or will come back to life in MI8, you've already ruined everything.)

What about "story is king"?

（The whole movie revolves around the queen Grace and various stunts, plus the concept of AI ruling human society, and a few dry laughs. At nearly 3 hours long, it doesn't tell the story well. All the wonderful characters are completely instrumentalized. Large stretches of unnecessary dialog and stunts for the sake of stunts make the movie worse.）

Rebecca and Vanessa please don't return for the next movie, I'm shocked how you even agreed to come back to MI7? It seems like you guys think like us that they won't mess it up haphazardly. You guys exist to set someone up for greatness and your characters have been ruined. So go to a movie crew that actually values you and go work happily in a toxin free environment. I'd rather Fallout be the last in the whole series. I refuse to accept everything shown in Dead Reckoning.

You have failed to live up to the legacy and reputation that the great directors, thousands of cast and crew members have built for the series over the years. You have failed to live up to the expectations of all the IMF fans and viewers around the world. You have ruined the good characters and outstanding results you created before. You killed Ilsa and the love for this movie series in the hearts of countless audiences. That's a crime.

I wonder who will take the blame, the unknown and unrepresented Eric the old man? Or you, the man who built and destroyed everything? The cinema is dead, the last worth waiting for series is gone, and maybe that's the worst thing in this industry. Goodbye mission impossible, goodbye IMF team. When we started this journey, no one would have thought it would end this way.

[outrunningthedark]

i feel like i watch the show the same way you do. i pick up on the ~vibes~ and see how buddie COULD work if they went that route, but i don’t think they ever will and i also see how if they did it would come completely out of left field to a casual viewer

Yep, this is exactly it. I was absolutely 100% in the same boat as the bloggers coming up with ways in which every Buck and Eddie story line can bring us to canon!Buddie back when I first joined fandom (in time for season four) right up through 6x01, but after that...sometime between Eddie not going to Buck to talk about Chris's quest for independence (despite CONFIRMING that if Chris would confide in ANYONE it would be Buck) and Buck actually being a successful sperm donor after what you'd think would have been multiple "signs" from the universe that he shouldn't go through with it...my brain like, rewired itself where I just...stopped looking at everything as a shipper. And listen, there's nothing wrong with only watching a show for a ship - I have admitted many times that the Buckley-Diaz fam is what interests me most because of Chris's presence - but realizing that this show and this ship doesn't dictate my happiness or my reason for existing on tumblr allowed me to step back and take the content for what it is in the moment instead of trying to figure out what secret meaning there could be behind it *if* (I think there are some folks who definitely forget we're speaking in hypotheticals!) the show runners are contemplating making the transition from friends to romantic lovers. Everything we've seen from Buddie so far in s6 is an extension/continuation of something from a previous season, save for Eddie showing legit fear when Buck was dangling from the wire, but...even in his delirious state post-shooting he was worried about Buck, right? The concern was elevated a notch to match the circumstance. (& then Oliver had to come out and be like "Please do not read into it right now. It's how a best friend should react.") The biggest reason why it felt/feels "different" to people is because we just went through well over a full season of both characters in relationships and the show couldn't throw either of them into ANOTHER ONE right away, so we were bound to get Buddie/Buckley-Diaz content while living the single life to mirror s3. The funny thing is, though (it's one more thing nobody wants to point out)...Buddie content outside of work was nonexistent in 6A because of "different dynamics" WHILE THERE WERE NO LOVE INTERESTS. Once 6B came around and Eddie's dating arc was about to start? Once Buck was about to meet Natalia for the first time? Oh. Look who can be friends again. How, exactly, is that different from what we witnessed in s4 and s5? Uh huh. That's what I thought. :)

[bohemian-nights]

I truly fear next season is gonna be Francesca's because 1) Bridgerton is only renewed through s4 2) JB is only contracted showrunner til S4 (so I've heard) and they could replace her after that especially if she doesn't deliver which she hasn't been 3) that casting call for "molly" being s4 lead which should have been for Sophie 🙃 but apparently it was for Michaela 4) the lack of actual set up for Benedict despite hints and the time jump AFTER the masquerade that Benedict's story requires meaning if the masquerade is next season it would be longer still til he finds Sophie.

The fact that Bridgerton hasn't announced who's leading the next season too is odd. I can't recall how soon after S2 we found out Polin was S3 but I feel it was pretty fast. Also given the amount of anger from fans you'd THINK they'd appease them by distracting and saying "Look! We're doing next season by popular demand!" and thereby distracting casual viewers from the anger too. But they haven't yet which only continues to give me the bad feeling that they're skipping over Benedict again because JB is a narcissist who NEEDS to have her self insert fanfic. And speaking of JB: she spoke A LOT about Francesca during press and so did Hannah Dodd. By comparison Luke T got very little press and Benedict little mention.

All this is telling me something is fishy as hell. Ngl tho I'd actually be entertained by how this clusterfuck plays out if my theory is right. I've given up on Bridgerton and no longer care for it. So for both Franchael fans AND Benophie fans to be angry at the showrunners would be so fun to witness. Casual viewers who are mostly middle aged women make up a good 75% of the demographic and also won't be pleased by Benedict getting skipped over again for a story where they were robbed a hot romantic lead and that John is also going to be dying since Johnesca stole hearts this season.

Seems to me that Shondaland and JB are gonna have to deal with the consequences of letting down multiple factions of the fandom and casual viewers. That's why they're avoiding even more negative press rn since they know they don't have anything up their sleeve that will actually make the fans happy. They have something that will only piss them off further. And Benophie fans were already mad as hell to be skipped over for Polin.

Do I see Bridgerton getting renewed for S5 after all this? Well... Hard to say. Apparently S3P2 got HALF the viewers of S3P1 and wasn't even #1 on drop day. A BIG ooofff for Netflix's prize cash cow after a month long expensive press tour. All ruined because of Jess' self insert fantasies. Shondaland is gonna continue to pretend nothing is wrong but execs are probably angry as are the fans. Good. Shondaland and JB deserve every bit of ire they're getting from every single demographic they're getting it from. It's only unfortunate Jess Bronwell and her greedy little soul will only be leaving after messing everything up for everyone else.

All I can advise for your piece of mind is to let the show go and let it flop. The idiots and racists who are happy with this crap can keep it alive(if they can even do that)🤷🏽‍♀️