#it's definitely a theory worth considering

[savageboar]

"some theorize that humans ourselves are suffering from zoochosis"

[riacte]

"It's rotten work," Ren says. His tail swishes nervously. He has the demeanor of a sad scolded puppy even though no one's scolding him.

False looks up from where she's placing down mud blocks in accordance to the roads that Ren lined out. Ren's theatre kid behaviour must be kicking in now, because to call her work rotten is dramatic and almost insulting.

"It's not rotten to me. There's stuff I would call rotten work, but this is no where near it."

False places down another block. Ren obediently shuffles out of the way.

"Rotten work is when I'm at a tourney and no one's listening to my strategy so I'm left all alone, but then they use my strategy and we actually win while everyone ignores me. Rotten work is when someone sabotages me and I'm the one left to sweep away the pieces. Rotten work is when someone attacks me on purpose and I'm the one who has to apologise for being mad and pacify everyone else. This?" False pulls out another mud block, "is building. And building is not rotten work."

Ren cautiously observes what False is doing, then also pulls out his mud blocks. He moves a few steps forward so he's placing blocks, but out of her way. "It's still work," he admits. "A lot of work, in fact."

False is nonplussed. "But that's what builders do, don't they? And I am the Minister of Transport."

Ren laughs, but it's a quiet laugh. He pauses like he's hesitating, then he mumbles,

"I'm a lot of work."

Now it's False's turn to pause. Her hands continue with placing the blocks, because that's what she does. Building. Grinding. Helping friends out. So on and so forth.

"It's peculiar work for sure," False says, her tone light. "Picking up your stuff when you spontaneously explode. Bugging you about MCC. Teaching you basic colour theory. You can't get orange from blue, Ren. It sadly doesn't work that way."

Ren chuckles at the jab. "Worth a shot, eh?"

False coughs. "Yeah, like I said, peculiar work. But it's fine. I like doing peculiar work because I'm a peculiar person and you're a peculiar person. But together we are normal. Very normal indeed."

Ren considers it. "What if I don't want to be normal?"

"Then we won't be normal."

"What if I want to be normal?"

"Then we'll be normal. Or at least pretend to be."

Ren laughs. "That doesn't make any sense."

False smiles wryly. "Come on now, Ren, when have I ever made any sense?"

He shoots her a grin. "But you're like the most sensible person in the Neighbourhood!"

False lets the silence hang between them for comedic effect. "... No."

"No?"

"If I were sensible, I would've left the Neighourhood long ago."

"Hey!"

"Just kidding. That's why I'm not sensible. That's why I like not being sensible. Besides, I'm not the one who organised the ministry or planned the roads. You did. You're the one with the vision. I'm just following it."

Ren looks around the paths and his tail wags in excitement. "But you're contributing to the vision! I saw the bits and pieces you added! It looks great, by the way!"

False nonchalantly continues placing. "Yeah, you see, that's part of the peculiar work. You draw up the canvas and I edit in the details. It's like how we did the raceway last time."

"Yeah, but I haven't grinded as hard this time around. Too busy with my permit, my dude."

False giggles. "Would you call getting the beacon permit drawing a short straw?"

"I mean, I was the second to die in Demise, but you won and everything worked out in the end, so I don't mind." A pause. "Also gives me a chance to kill those dastardly withers as revenge for all the times they defeated me."

"Right, it's a lot of work to kill them, never mind farm them."

Ren sighs deeply. "There's definitely a lot going on. Especially those buttons, man."

False glances up. They're both still doing the roads. She watches Ren shift up a step and place down a mud brick slab.

"Yeah, but it'll be worth it. I'll buy your beacons. Actually, you can go do your buttons. You can kill some withers. I'll take care of this."

She can almost hear his apologies— sorry that she's doing the roads that he was supposed to do, sorry that he didn't reply to her messages, sorry that he's the way he is.

(And maybe he picks it up too— the way she actually means "I'll take care of you". He always seems to instinctively know what she means under her contradictory and confusing words. In the same way she instinctively knows what he means.)

Ren softly chuckles. "It's peculiar work."

"It's peculiar work especially if it's me, and especially if it's you—"

False sets down a mud brick slab right next to the one Ren placed. Just one slight push, and the pattern of the bricks align like they'd been inseparable from the get go. The corner of her lips quirk up.

"— but that's why I do it."

[phantomrose96]

Oh okay so I have a Pikmin theory.

So for starters: Pikmin 1->2->3 are chronological. Pikmin 4 is a sort of AU of Pikmin 1, precedented on Olimar not making it off PNF-404 alive (sort of a bad-end of Pikmin 1, but also with various other AU differences).

This leads me to wonder... is Pikmin 4->2->3 arguably a canon sequence of events? Cuz either the differences between 1 and 4 have knocked canon off course, and as such 4 will never lead to 2 and 3. Or you can string them together in a way that makes 4->2->3 a plausible canonical chain.

The biggest thing that stands out to me is Louie. In 1->2->3, no one was ever sent to rescue Olimar in 1, and the second he arrives home in 2 his boss informs him that Louie was attacked ("attacked") by a space rabbit that ate the precious cargo of golden pikpik carrots, launching the company into massive debt (and he forces Olimar back to PNF-404 to treasure hunt to pay off the debt.) It's later revealed Louie was never attacked, and he ate the cargo himself.

In 4, LOUIE is sent to rescue Olimar. (He never does. He completely gives up because he forgot what Olimar looks like, and then becomes the biggest pain in your ass after YOU rescue Olimar, because Louie starts taking hostages and running from you insisting he never wants to leave PNF-404 for... some unclear reason?)

This feels like it could break 4->2->3 as a plausible canon, considering Louie is not home on Hocotate to eat his whole cargo (fucker). But I realized something.

Pikmin 4 starts more or less around when Olimar's life support runs out and he dies. You get his SOS signal not long at all before this happens. And TBH, it's probably a good additional in-game month in 4 before you actually rescue Olimar and encounter Louie. In a good-end run of Pikmin 1, Olimar needs to repair his ship and escape PNF-404 before his life support runs out. So in short: Louie fucks up the cargo sometime prior to Olimar's life support running out, and Pikmin 4 is set after his life support runs out. (Technically, they changed the amount of time his life support lasts between 1 and 4, but I figure that was to trim down Olimar's Tale in 4 and not actually for a canon reason).

My point being, Pikmin 4 being largely set after Olimar's life support runs out means Louie had plenty of time to fuck up the pikpik carrot cargo.

Then there's the fact that in Pikmin 4, Louie is desperate to STAY on PNF-404 for reasons he refuses to ever explain. Maybe, because, ya know, he's waiting for the other shoe to drop. He knows he's responsible for plunging Hocotate Freight into what was essentially $10 million of debt. Louie doesn't want to be charged with $10 million worth of theft. And without Olimar bringing home the bottle cap, there's no plan for repaying that debt.

Louie maybe wants to stay on PNF-404 because he's not going the fuck to jail.

All this to say: I think 4->2->3 is actually a completely reasonable canon sequence, if you figure the "Louie lost (ate) the $10 million of golden pikpik carrots" happens in the background, right at the start of Pikmin 4 before Olimar's life support has run out. Olimar's SOS comes through, and President, desperate for his only competent employee back to help fix this, sends Louie to PNF-404 on a rescue mission. On PNF-404, Louie figures himself a fugitive who'd rather spend his days cooking bulborbs than ever return home to Hocotate to potentially face the music of his "this was definitely a felony" crime, and so he kicks and screams and fights to stay on PNF-404...

...And you drag him home anyway, along with poor rescued Olimar who's died and come back to life... just in time for their boss to be like "YOU idiots, go get me out of debt! Go back to PNF-404"

[kentomilk]

ᴶᴶᴷ & ᴬᴼᵀ ᴵᴺ

𝐖𝐑𝐀𝐏 𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ‧₊𓎩˚

with your partner yearning for an approachable gateway and immersion into your culture as well as an official introduction into your family, what better way to do that than with dumplings?

catalogue. fluff, modern au, pre-established relationship, written with fem!reader in mind; but no pronouns specified. cw: food preparation/ intended consumption, mildly suggestive (?) cultural traditions, domestic family teasing, mentions of children, alcohol consumption/ age not explicitly specified; but intended to be over 21 per US laws. wc: 1.2k thea’s preamble. by definition a dumpling is a small mound of dough flattened, maintaining a certain thickness for chew or absolute thinness, then filled with a well-seasoned paste/mixture, usually meat. like, gyoza 餃子, mandu 만두, xiao long bao 小笼包 which is my primary inspiration. BUT there's also lumpia from Indonesia and the Philippines, Italian ravioli, Indian modak, Polish pierogi, South American empanadas (i fucking love empanadas), pasteles, Ukrainian vareniky, Botswanan madombi, British pasty. my point is if you don't read into it too intensely, this is for anyone.

it was intended to be such an intimate moment and in their eyes the official inauguration to your family, as well as the perfect entry point into learning about your culture that you’ve only grown stronger and more confident in with age. and what better way to immerse yourself in another’s culture than through food?

with that being said…they tried, they really did.

it seemed simple in theory, add a decent bundle of the filling to the center of the wrapper, fold the wrapper over itself, and apply the liquid adhesive to seal the seams, crimping, folding, or rolling the seams shut as needed. simple right?

well apparently not, there’s a tray full of “complete” dumplings with tears in the dough and the filling either smeared or oozing out, over-filled, or not enough… and it's quite obvious who made those. the intricacy and swiftness that you and your parents achieved thus producing a quarter sheet pan’s worth, overwhelmed the poor baby. they certainly have their strengths lying primarily in physicality, but the agility and patience needed for such a small product outcome were not in their capabilities.

you reassured them that it wasn't uncommon to have such results, frankly, it was impressive for a first-timer that they didn't collapse from frustration. "you'll get it eventually, today you just relax." you consoled, rubbing your hand on top of theirs.

"plus, you're still considered a guest, you have plenty of time before you're officially let into the pack and forced to do the mountain of dishes or babysit." you chuckled.

to which they agreed, today their strengths would lie in being the human ladder to get objects from high-up places, refilling wine and liquor for the adults, providing sliced fruits, and just sitting at the table supervising the unspoken competition of who can make the most dumplings, replenishing scarce ingredients as needed to. salivating at the sight as well as the uncooked aroma from the fresh herbs and spices used. surrounded by family, engaging in lively or even profound conversations, no matter how shy they were initially.

rest assured, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, and maybe another time they’ll give it another shot, but for now, they’ll leave it to the pros.

EREN, JEAN ANNIE, GOJO, TOJI

their initial attempts were… admirable, but they weren’t satisfied with that. they wanted to do right by you, secure the approval of your family, and not feel absolute guilt at only contributing to the conversation and not the actual meal assembly process.

simply put, they're quite stubborn. they carefully studied each family member, the differing methods, and tendencies. from the angle of spooning the filling in the wrapper to the adhesive sealing— plain water vs. starch water?

they were determined, and with patience and encouragement from family, they were finally able to produce a perfect little flavor receptacle, savory and hearty. shrieking out an unexpected, "i did it!" that garnered a reaction that you couldn't help but laugh at either.

but they would not yet allow themselves even a minute victory until they garnered 100% of the acceptance, mainly from their own inner conflict of merit.

this may be their first time truly comprehending the phrase, ‘tasting the fruits of your labor’. and never had they had a sweeter meal, not in the literal sense of a saccharine feast. but the resolve and dogged attitude (stubbornness) was a taste that they would savor in the complete dish, something they would come to value greatly come the next culinary undertaking. "i made this!" they'd think to themself.

try not to be too surprised if you catch them in the early morning, meticulously crimping, folding, and rolling the edges of the wrapper, ensuring as little air as possible gets in the center, just as your grandmother taught them.

more than that it was an amusing sight seeing them nearly nude only wearing a pink frilly apron that you were gifted from relatives, "what do you think?" they teased, a question which you rolled your eyes at, considering they weren't asking about the food.

though you must admit, they did look incredible, for a rookie. and it was a beautiful sight to behold, an incredibly attractive person cooking in your kitchen, insistent on making you proud. i guess now the only issue lies in the lack of space in your freezer in contrast to the large batches of dumplings that are sure to last you months. let's hope this is an acceptable housewarming gift for the new neighbors.

BERTHOLDT, REINER, CONNIE , SUKUNA (hear me out), CHOSO

are we surprised? though they may not seem like the kinds to thrive in arts and crafts, their handiwork is nimble, and their dexterity is unmatched. they were initially slow to follow the instructions given to them, but after diligent observation, it was a task pursued and completed well. almost as if they too partook in similar repetitive affairs in their youth. sitting around the dining table, with heaps of filling and a lofty stack of dough wrappers, sometimes there’d be music in the back, but even if there was it would always be drowned out by the conversation that were being had. an endless variety of discussion topics, filled with light-hearted quarrels and absolute fits of laughter.

and if you’re being completely honest, it’s been approximately 5 minutes since the laughter erupted, and you can’t even remember what was so funny that you’re now clutching your stomach in what may be the best kind of pain, struggling to catch your breath and maintain composure. those were some of the memories you held dearly when you were younger, and it’s no different now. and with them by your side, falling in love over again with what seems like the acme of your joy, one they’d hope to preserve and maintain for as long as possible. a pride that one simply can't explain.

but where there is pride and inflated egos, there are grandmothers and aunties to humble you, making remarks comparing your tray to your partners.

"wowww, this is your first time, and they look perfect!" they'd exclaim, making their way around the table. "you should take lessons from them." they'd continue teasing you, whilst pinching your partner's cheek or slapping them on the back just a little too hard.

by the end of the feast, your partner certainly got the elders' approvals, no less by your parents, who absolutely adore them. it’s also a food they loved eating, lovingly introduced by you, and now you’ve made them even more of a fiend then they already were. fully enjoying the bonding experience this has facilitated, as well a first-hand experience to the little things that helped maintain your cultural identity.

and they would be lying if they weren’t completely consumed by the thought that one day you would be the ones your ancestors depended on to carry on the traditions. with the future generations of your bloodline, if not your own children by preference, then your nieces, nephews, and cousins, who are currently wrapped around their very finger. to them, a jungle gym to be climbed, a pristine and willing model for a family-renowned makeup artist, an unsuspecting outsider that could be the green light for some sweets that the parentals refused earlier, but they don’t need to know that.

ERWIN, LEVI, ARMIN, SASHA, MIKASA, GETO, NANAMI, SHOKO

above all a lovely bonding experience for you and your partner:)

[interactions] reblogs, comments & likes are appreciated ₊˚⊹♡

dividers by @/pettypixels-love

[hollyrogerbay]

anyone else notice how Deltarune seems to be getting more advanced each chapter, diegetically?

chapter 2 introduces the Recruits system, and updates save points to show all 3 slots in-game. chapter 1 was not retroactively updated to include the feature - it's an in-universe change. (although i believe chapter 1 npcs are automatically recruited once the system is introduced.)

and is it just me, or does it almost sound like the soundtrack is getting more advanced, too?

chapter 1's soundtrack was almost all soundfonts, chiptune, more retro synths, etc. - and the same goes for chapter 2, mostly. (mostly except for Susie, notably. her and her maybe-synth, maybe-live distorted guitars.)

we don't have much to work with, so this may not be anything worth mentioning, but the three songs for chapter 3-5 we've gotten sound noticeably more "real," i'd say?

"Hometown Day" is definitely the least notable of the three in terms of this, but still sounds relatively "realistic"/live

"My Funky Town" was what gave me this thought in the first place. the more live-sounding guitar in the left ear, something about the drums i can't quite describe accurately, the electric piano being played/recorded live. of course, it's not entirely "live" sounding, notably the saxophone being straight from the Touhou soundfont. but still much more than anything in chapter 1 and most in chapter 2.

"Green Room" is an odd case in general, considering it's pretty much just a remix of "Hip Shop," unlike any other song i can recall. but, yet again, it does sound a lot less "digital," would you agree? more effects on pretty much everything, the spacey drums and electirc pianos, everything.

this may not go anywhere, but i figured it was worth noting. the idea of chapters becoming more and more advanced as each one is added could also definitely be theory-crafting material methinks

[mouse-fantoms]

Thinkin about the boys being like “it’s Halloween, we’re ghosts we have to be spooky!” And Julie is like “…pff good luck 😂” bc I mean just look at them,

Luke’s like “😠 no we’re ghosts we can be scary”

Reggie’s like “yeah we can be spooky!”

And Julie points out, “…none of you wanted to take care of the spider that was in the garage the other day bc it would come back as a spider ghost and haunt three.”

“In their defense, we haven’t seen a ghost spider before and didn’t want to test the theory.” Alex defends.

Bc Julie can always see them, it takes the spookiness out of everything. They can’t make anything look like it’s floating to her bc she can see that they are holding it, they can’t float or anything bc they haven’t figured out that part of being ghosts. After feeling like they’re out of spooking options they decide to resort to the classic ghost stereotype in media of using a white bed sheet.

They just wait in the garage for someone to come by and spook em but turns out it’s Julie and she once again cannot be spooked and this time she says their downfall was choosing the garage bc since she already links the garage with them she already knows there’s ghosts there so it doesn’t catch we off guard to see “ghosts” in there.

They decide to throw in the towel, they cannot spook Julie at all bc she has a good point and good reasons for not being able to be spooked.

When she leaves the garage she left the door partially open and the boys are like “huh she didn’t close the door kind of weird? Luke you go close it.” As he has his hand on the door to close it all of the sudden in the crack of the door in his vision he see a white figure with a black face who does a “BOO!” cry. Luke stumbles back and falls to the ground out of fear as shouts “AHHHH!” which match Alex and Reggie’s cries who were near the door and who saw the sudden figure appear just as Luke had. They suddenly hear laughing from behind the door.

“Good job Carlos.” They hear Julie’s voice and the white figure, who they now realize is short and has a black sharpie drawn on face opens the door to reveal her. “That was perfect.”

As Alex and Reggie help Luke up from the floor and they’re trying to process what happened they see that the white figure takes off their white sheet to reveal that they are in fact Carlos. They see Julie holding out a high five that Carlos returns with a smile on his face, proud of his part.

“You recruited your brother to scare us?” Reggie doesn’t know how to feel considering he always join in on Carlos’ “paranormal videos” and how much the two have bonded bc of them.

“You scared ghosts with a ghost?” Alex points out the irony.

“You can’t just do that!” Luke holds his heart like he’s trying to relax his breathing. “My life just flashed before my eyes.”

“Your afterlife.” Reggie corrects him with a whisper.

“That’s how you properly spook someone.” Julie smiles.

It takes them a second to collect themselves but once they do they can’t help but laugh and congratulate Julie, she got them good.

Julie explains that Carlos already had the sheet with the drawn on sharpie face ready bc for several years he got Ray multiple times with that same gag. Every Halloween seasons it’s like a tradition for him to spook Ray and even though Ray suspects it his son still gives him a fright bc he always catches him off guard. It was just her idea for him to use it to spook other people which was definitely worth it

[lostyesterday]

Does O’Brien Really Suffer More?

A popular topic of discussion in the DS9 fandom is the idea that terrible things are constantly happening to poor O’Brien. I’ve also seen several people push back against this idea and argue that terrible things happen to other characters just as much or more than they do to O’Brien. I decided to try to answer the question of whether or not O’Brien really suffers more as objectively as possible.

First of all, what do people mean when they say that O’Brien suffers more than other characters? Here are a few possible theories:

A larger number of bad things happen to O’Brien onscreen than to any other major character. This is so obviously untrue it’s not worth investigating, at least partially because characters like Sisko and Kira are more often focused on in the show than O’Brien, and so clearly a larger number of bad things happen to them. Also, it would be almost impossible to count every single bad thing that happened to every major DS9 character, so it’s not a useful definition.

A larger percentage of the things that happen to O’Brien are bad compared to the percentage of bad things that happen to other characters. This has a greater likelihood of possibly being true in the show, but it has a similar problem of requiring a catalogue of every single thing that happens to every character, which would be ridiculous to attempt.

The bad things that happen to O’Brien are worse than the bad things that happen to other major characters. This is impossible to measure in any kind of remotely objective way, and anyway, I don’t buy the idea that the things that have happened to characters like Kira or Bashir are somehow less bad than the things that have happened to O’Brien.

So instead, I’ve decided to focus on the idea of the “O’Brien Must Suffer” episode, which is a concept that has existed in the fandom for a long time from what I can tell. The idea is that an “O’Brien Must Suffer” episode involves a strong emphasis on terrible things happening to O’Brien. I looked in various places online to find lists of what people consider to be all the “O’Brien Must Suffer” episodes. From there, I tried to compile a reasonable definition of what an “O’Brien Must Suffer” episode would look like, and then generalize that definition to apply to any character. Then I could ask, how many “Kira Must Suffer” or “Bashir Must Suffer” episodes are there, and are there really more “O’Brien Must Suffer” episodes than for any other character?

This is the definition of an “X Must Suffer” episode that I settled on:

The episode features a major character suffering something very bad/traumatizing even by Star Trek standards.

The suffering is entirely or mostly caused by outside forces without the character having any control over them (so no moral dilemma episodes where the suffering is caused by having to make a choice or take certain actions willingly).

The episode focuses significantly on this character’s suffering (meaning it doesn’t happen entirely off screen/in the past).

This character is either the only character shown experiencing this particular type of suffering (as in no other important characters undergo the same thing in the same episode), or has something substantially worse/more horrifying happen to them than any of the other characters in the same situation.

The problem with this definition is that it’s arguably too strict. A lot of the episodes commonly considered to be “O’Brien Must Suffer” episodes don’t fit it, mostly because they break Rule 4. But Rule 4 is necessary, otherwise there would be no way to distinguish between an “X Must Suffer” episode and an “Everyone Suffers” episode.

So I decided to allow for episodes that mostly fit the definition, but don’t quite fit one or two of the rules. These partial “X Must Suffer” episodes are worth half a point, and any episode that fully fits the definition is worth one point. Partial “X Must Suffer” episodes include: episodes where the suffering is partially caused by the character’s own actions/choices but is still mostly out of their control, episodes where the suffering happened in the past or is not given central focus in the episode, and episodes where two characters (rather than only one) experience the same terrible thing.

Here is a graph showing the number of suffering points each major DS9 character gets according to the definition listed above and giving half points to episodes that partially fit:

Notes: For the purposes of this graph, I counted Jadzia and Ezri as the same character, and I counted double episodes/arcs as singular episodes. I’ve also listed all the episodes I counted for each character below the cut.

Conclusion: O’Brien does not have a larger number of “X Must Suffer” episodes than the rest of the major DS9 characters. He’s definitely in the top four (with all having distinctly higher scores than the rest of the characters), but Sisko, Kira, and Bashir all have higher scores than O’Brien using my definition.

Potential further avenue of analysis: If O’Brien doesn’t have a larger number of “X Must Suffer” episodes than every other character, why is the fandom perception that he does so common?

List of All Episodes Counted in the Above Graph for Each Character:

O’Brien:

Armageddon Game: 0.5 points (Bashir suffers too)

Whispers: 1 point

Paradise: 0.5 points (Sisko suffers too)

Tribunal: 1 point

Visionary: 1 point

Hippocratic Oath: 0.5 points (Bashir suffers too)

Hard Time: 1 point

The Assignment: 0.5 points (Keiko suffers too, also this is technically a moral dilemma episode but there was really no other option here so I’m counting it for half points)

Empok Nor: 0.5 points (Nog suffers too)

Note: There are two episodes commonly considered to be “O’Brien Must Suffer” episodes that did not fit my definition even partially. Time’s Orphan is a “Molly Must Suffer” episode, not an “O’Brien Must Suffer” episode. If I counted this episode for O’Brien, I’d have to count any episode for any other character where their suffering is due to seeing a loved one suffer way more, and there are a fair number of those. Honor Among Thieves doesn’t count either. It’s a fairly standard moral dilemma episode, and if I counted that, I’d have to count tons of other moral dilemma episodes for other characters like In the Pale Moonlight for Sisko.

Sisko:

Paradise: 0.5 points (O’Brien suffers too)

The Jem’Hadar: 0.5 points (Quark suffers too)

Past Tense: 0.5 points (Bashir suffers too)

Through the Looking Glass: 1 point

Shattered Mirror 0.5 points (Jake suffers too)

Rapture: 1 point

Waltz: 1 point

Far Beyond the Stars: 1 point

Shadows and Symbols: 1 point

What You Leave Behind: 0.5 points (situation partially due to Sisko’s own choices)

Kira:

Duet: 0.5 points (technically a moral dilemma episode, but a lot of focus is placed on suffering outside of Kira’s control in the past)

Necessary Evil: 0.5 points (suffering in flashbacks)

The Circle/The Siege: 1 point

Crossover: 0.5 points (Bashir suffers too)

Second Skin: 1 point

The Darkness and the Light: 1 point (I do not consider it reasonable to say that the events of this episode are caused by Kira’s choices - I’m not going to agree with the serial killer here)

Ties of Blood and Water: 0.5 points (primary suffering shown in flashbacks)

Wrongs Darker than Death or Night: 1 point (Kira does make choices here, but most of the bad things that happen to her are sufficiently out of her control to award full points in my opinion)

Covenant: 1 point

Dax:

Invasive Procedures: 1 point

Equilibrium: 1 point (Joran’s decisions do not count as Jadzia’s decisions)

Change of Heart: 1 point (Jadzia’s the one dying painfully so she gets full points)

Tears of the Prophets: 1 point

Til Death Do Us Part/Strange Bedfellows: 0.5 points (Worf suffers too)

Bashir:

The Passenger: 1 point

Armageddon Game: 0.5 points (O’Brien suffers too)

Crossover: 0.5 points (Kira suffers too)

Past Tense: 0.5 points (Sisko suffers too)

Distant Voices: 1 point

Hippocratic Oath: 0.5 points (O’Brien suffers too)

In Purgatory’s Shadow: 1 point

Doctor Bashir I Presume: 0.5 points (main suffering is in the past)

Inquisition: 1 point

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges: 0.5 points (technically this is a moral dilemma episode, but his choices don’t matter much here so I’m awarding half points)

Odo:

The Alternate: 0.5 points (primary suffering in the past)

The Die is Cast: 1 point

Broken Link: 1 point

The Ascent: 0.5 points (Quark suffers too)

When it Rains: 1 point

Quark:

The Jem’Hadar: 0.5 points (Sisko suffers too)

Body Parts: 0.5 points (suffering partly a result of Quark’s choices, but not very directly)

The Ascent: 0.5 points (Odo suffers too)

Worf:

By Inferno’s Light: 1 point (other characters suffer, but Worf suffers a particular bad thing that no other major character does onscreen so I’m giving him full points here)

Til Death Do Us Part/Strange Bedfellows: 0.5 points (Ezri suffers too)

Jake:

The Visitor: 0.5 points (Technically speaking this is a moral dilemma episode, but Jake’s primary suffering throughout the episode is due to a situation out of his control so I’m giving half points)

Shattered Mirror 0.5 points (Sisko suffers too)

The Muse: 1 point (Jake is severely manipulated, I don’t think his choices count here)

The Reckoning: 1 point (others suffer but Jake suffers more)

[fandomofone]

Ok, I was watching the Paris special today for the 2,697th time and I had some thoughts...

It's not an original theory that Emilie Agreste might not have been as great of a mom as the show leads us to believe. (exhibit A, Your Honor, Adrien's apparently lifelong incarceration- wtf kind of mother allows that to happen??) I've also seen fan theories that she might possibly have been aware of, and/or even an active accomplice to, whatever Gabriel was trying to do when he first started searching for the Miraculous before Adrien's birth. We're not given a lot of information on her through the course of the series- and what we do see is an idealized version of her in Gabriel's, Adrien's, even Nathalie's eyes.

We see/hear even less of Emilie in the reverse universe than we do in the regular one (which makes sense considering it is just one special worth of material) but it is implied that her death is that of an innocent- she is just a tool, killed by the Supreme as a punishment for Gabriel's defection. And if Gabriel is good in the reverse world, chances are Emilie was too- or possibly, like him, reformed. (we don't actually know to what level he was bad, only that he willingly participated in the Supreme's corrupt system of power for a time)

Soooo.... If the reverse world of the Paris special is truly a mirror, and Gabriel and Emilie are good and Adrien is bad (later to be reformed), then it stands to reason that in the regular world, since Gabriel is definitely bad, and Adrien is definitely good, Emilie was probably also bad. That also means.... this might be foreshadowing that we might not like where Adrien is headed in later seasons of the show. 🫣

Anyways, it's probably nothing. Just a thing I was thinking about.

[plague-karm]

Right time to analyse this shit because god dammit I have been silently making theories about this show the second I saw the premise I’m about to become the most annoying person on the planet on god so LETS GOOOOOOO-

First things first the animation looks fucking phenomenal (let Kevin Temmer cook, that man can do no wrong). Also Caine the guy ever, he is the silly and I love him wholeheartedly, he’s just a fucked up little guy who’s living his best life fr.

And also NEW CHARACTER HELLO.

They do be circling though.

THE SILLIES ARE HERE LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOO 🎉🎉🎉

Smiling Gangle spotted ten seconds before disaster, no thoughts head empty indeed.

ALSO I WASN’T EXPECTING STUFF OUTSIDE THE CIRCUS BUT IT’S A WELCOME SURPRISE WHOA

They have come to steal your credit card information.

The thoughts I had of Ragatha being the lone brain cell keeping everything together were completely correct I CALLED IT- (it has been said by Gooseworx that she has been there the second longest so she’s probably gotten used to the zaniness by now…maybe)

A door that leads to a void?

Maybe it has something to do with this room in the teaser trailer? Possibly.

Tumblr sexyman spotted.

''If there was a way to leave I'm sure we'd have all left by now''

They're ✨suffering✨

This caught me off guard when I first saw it lmao (holy FUCK I love Zooble's design, they're everything to me).

''Welcome to your new home...AND your new body...''

So they're aware that they were human before they entered the circus? That's interesting considering what happens in a few seconds (I'll get to that soon). It's also worth mentioning that Gooseworx has stated that their clothes ARE a part of their bodies.

Case in point...

At the end of the character introduction compilation Gooseworx posted to their YouTube channel Pomni is heard saying something along the lines of

''How do I...take this...headset off?!''

I saw a few people theorizing about her talking about a VR headset and that was how she entered the circus to begin with (I had the same thoughts until very recently). However, considering how much of the visuals and character designs are based on old media (also a teaser image was set up as the menu screen for a retro game), I'm beginning to think that this isn't the case.

So it's incredibly likely that Pomni is actually talking about her jester headpiece since she can't take it off.

This scene is probably the first time Pomni sees her new body, pinwheel eyes and all.

''I'm fine with whatever, as long as I get to see funny things happen to people''

I love him he's so unbothered.

I'm sad that we didn't get to hear any dialogue from them but I can't wait to see them in the pilot! Kinger is love, Kinger is life.

''After a while you start to realise that you really can't leave, and constantly chasing an unattainable goal will start driving you a little crazy''

She's a little fucked up actually wow who saw that coming.

It sounds like Ragatha tried to leave a few times and just resigned to her fate after a while, her description DID say that she was the ''sweetest little optimist in the digital circus'', so maybe she's told the others that escaping is impossible and that they should make the best of their situation instead? (Also the framed picture of the right looks like some kind of void, a lot of void imagery here).

Also, Gooseworx released this image a short while ago and it has the same background that Ragatha had while she was talking so she's DEFINITELY talking to Pomni here.

''OH GOD! WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER MY NAME?!''

EXCUSE ME? Okay time for some more speculation. I knew that their names definitely weren't their real ones but I wasn't expecting them to forget them!

Now, since the premise is said to be centred around Pomni and the others getting messed with by AI and their traumas, maybe instead of forgetting what their names were, they actually REPRESSED their memories from when they were human due to the trauma they went through? (Which would include their names)

I don't buy that they've COMPLETELY forgotten who they were (Zooble is aware that the body they're in isn't the one they used to have so I'm guessing everyone else knows that too.)

I'm guessing that their human lives absolutely SUCKED and they've now repressed their trauma to the point where they can barely remember who they were in the human world, this is just speculation.

''Thank goodness this is all a dream, right Pomni?''

What a sassy little guy (it's so weird hearing Michael Kovach sound so reserved, he's normally feral as hell playing these kinds of characters). The little mannequin symbol on the door is probably there for when new people stumble into the circus.

She's definitely seen some shit, I wonder what it could be though?

OH MY GOD THERE'S MORE OF THEM 😭

Wow this background looks...oddly normal. The only thing I can think of this being is Pomni witnessing a flashback of her human life before she showed up in the circus.

''You completely lose sight of who you are and why you're even alive and when you reach your breaking point something REALLY terrible can happen''

OH? Okay speculation time again. This is the closest hint we've gotten to what exactly one of the gang's traumas could be. Ragatha may have forced herself to stay positive in really shitty situations during her human life which likely lead to a lot of negative thoughts which eventually lead to her doing...something, I'm not sure what though, maybe it lead to her losing an eye? (Maybe her new body represents that?) I'm not sure. Maybe this is why she's been in the circus for as long as she has, instead of dealing with her feelings and existentialism, she instead continues to try to be someone who's more adjusted than they actually are.

Again, this is all just speculation, maybe it's just an Infinity Train type of thing where they can't leave until they learn to accept what they went through and how to work through it healthily idk.

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? Well, I'll tell you what I think it is.

I think it's this weird tar like tentacle thing from the teaser trailer, I don't see what else it could be.

And I'm 90% sure that whatever it is, it's connected to this room, and I think that THIS is gonna be where we'll be seeing what the gangs traumas are (Ragatha looked TERRIFIED when she was grabbed so if this was the case I wouldn't be surprised). I'd also like to speculate that this could possibly be another AI. There's Caine, Bubble, and whatever the hell those little shape creatures are, so it's very likely that other AI does exist, we just haven't seen them yet.

But who knows? I'm probably looking too much into it.

Woah new background, he is angy.

I would go into another theory I have about how their designs may hint at what trauma they have but I've spent over an hour writing, compiling trailer screenshots, and speculating every individual frame while suffering with chest pains I wanna go to bed

Holy shit that took WAY longer than I thought it would. I cannot WAIT to watch the pilot, this show has become one of my most anticipated projects of the year over the last few months and I can't wait to see what it has in store.

TL;DR: The trailer looks fire 10/10 can't wait for the inevitable Pomni plushes.

[neonghostlights]

A/N: I am reposting this because I accidentally originally posted this at 6 am (;

Warnings: Death (Reader is dead and a ghost), loneliness (both reader and Eddie are very lonely), mention of dealing drugs

Wordcount: 1.1k

Series Masterlist

The Shortcut Chapter Two: The Wait

He took the same shortcut as last time, winding through the woods and avoiding the fallen branches and rotted roots that would trip him up like last time. 

Last time meaning every night had come here since the first time he saw you, hoping to get a glimpse of you again. 

It had been a month of coming to this cemetery almost every night just to leave disappointed again. 

Tonight he felt different though. The moon was full again, just like the last time he had seen you. He felt charged, electrical. His skin buzzed and glittered like the moon was shining directly on him alone. 

He had a good feeling, a theory that the moon being full helped him see you. 

He hoped like hell that he was right. 

The thought of possibly seeing you made him feel less alone. It didn’t help the overall creepiness of the woods, the way the branches reached and clawed at his jacket, and the way that he constantly looked over his shoulder at shadows that looked too human. 

It was Halloween night, after all. The whole world was supposed to be creepy. 

Eddie crossed the threshold into the cemetery, fighting the chill that rolled down his spine. 

His feet picked up, following the riding cemetery drive that would lead him to where you were. He scanned the lot, searching for any type of movement. 

He almost thought you wouldn’t be there, almost thought that you wouldn’t show until he happened to see you, smiling down at your headstone in front of you. 

Eddie let out a sigh of relief, heart skipping a beat at the sight of your ethereal beauty shining in the moonlight. 

You looked exactly the same as he last saw you a month ago, as if you had been frozen since he had last had the honor of laying eyes on you. 

He was so screwed. 

He wiped his hands on his jeans a few times  before clearing his throat and making his way towards you. He hadn’t thought about what to say when he actually did see you, but he knew he definitely didn’t want to scare you off. 

You spotted him before he had the chance to say anything, eyes landing startled on him, almost as if you had seen a ghost yourself. 

Eddie waved, a short wave, before saying hello to you. 

You stared at him for a moment longer before a smile crossed your features. 

“Hi, Eddie Munson,” you said, cheerfully. Like you were happy to see him too. 

Eddie reached you, standing on the other side of your grave. He wasn’t sure what to say now until he saw the way your eyes shone as you stared down at your grave with a smile. 

“Do you like the roses? I wasn’t sure-” 

“You did this?” You interrupted him, surprise evident in your face. 

Eddie had shown up a few days ago and decided to give your grave a deep cleaning. He scrubbed the years worth of dirt and grime, your name now easier to read. The weeds surrounding the base all got pulled too. He got some little vases, stuck them in the ground beside your stone and put red roses in them. He wasn’t sure if you even liked roses, it wasn’t like he could ask you. 

He learned a little bit about you then, like how you were born in 1933 and died in 1956. Besides your name, birthday, and date of death, there was no other information about you. 

He thought about going to the library to see what he could find about you, but it felt like that would be cheating. He didn’t want to pry into your past. He wanted to hear it straight from you. 

“Yeah, I did. I hope that’s okay,” Eddie admitted, suddenly feeling shy. Was cleaning your grave considered crossing a line? 

“Eddie,” you sighed dreamily with a sweet smile, “this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.” 

“I’m sure it’s not the nicest…” Eddie mumbled, kicking his feet a little. 

You nodded. “Oh, it is. So, I take it that you figured it out?” 

Now was Eddie’s turn to nod. “Yeah. I came back a week later and saw the name. At first I didn’t believe it but you did seem a little…” 

“Dead?” 

“I was gonna say ghostly,” Eddie corrected you with a laugh. 

You shrugged, wringing your hands tightly in front of you. 

“What’s wrong?” Eddie asked, walking around the headstone to be closer to you. He didn’t dare try to touch you, he kept his distance.

“I don’t think I’m very good at talking to people,” you said softly. “It has been a very long time…I think.” 

“I think you’re doing a good job. How long do you think it's been since you…” 

You looked up at him with a sad look. “Since I died? It’s okay, Eddie. You can say it.  I’m not sure how long it's been. You’re dressed very differently so I’m assuming it’s been at least a little while.” 

Eddie laughed at the way you described his clothing. He couldn’t blame you, it was the same way some adults described his clothing style as well. 

“It’s 1986,” Eddie said, watching as the emotions crossed over your face. 

Shock. Anger. Sadness. 

“I’m sorry,” Eddie apologized softly as you stared back down at the headstone again. 

“It’s not your fault,” you mumbled. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” 

“No. I think I want to be left alone,” you said, voice colder than it was before. 

“But why?” Eddie asked, panicked, not ready for you this to be over. He didn’t know if he would ever see you again. How many times could you get away with having a conversation with a ghost before the universe caught up with you? “Don’t go. We can talk about something else.” 

You shook your head, turning to walk between the headstones surrounding you until you disappeared into the night. 

Eddie promised himself on the walk home that that wouldn’t be your goodbye. Next time the moon was full, he was coming back. 

[charmwasjess]

Sometime, I'd love to do another lightsaber theory/analysis post with Vaapad vs. Makashi, i.e., me just wanting to lovingly imagine how a Dooku vs. Mace Windu duel would go.

My first instinct is that this would be a really beautiful and interesting fight to watch, but one that Mace would definitively win, as the strengths of Vaapad would play well against the weaknesses of Makashi, specifically it's inability to take a hammering from a real power form. And Dooku's usual mitigating factors to solve for this weakness - his sheer physical strength and height, his creativity in using his Force talents to interpose lightning or ...pieces of decor to give himself a break - seem like things Mace would be prepared for and adept at countering. Mace's 6'2 (1.92m) height to Dooku's 6'5 (1.96m) means our Count isn't quite enjoying the reach bonus he's used to, and Mace knows him personally, knows his fighting style in a way that his little surprises and redirects aren't as fresh.

In terms of sheer lightsaber ability, we might also consider that Mace is able to get the upper hand on Sidious in a duel, whereas Dooku decidedly treats Sidious like someone who can and has thoroughly whipped his ass, even going as far as to trying to enlist his graduate students to help him take him down. (Implying that he's considered and rejected the prospect of doing it on his own.)

On the other hand, I think it's worth weighing the fact that neither one of them really want to destroy the other, even if they both would definitely do so for the sake of their causes. I think there's a little bit a lingering psychological reluctance there that has Mace going after Jango first, not Dooku, on Geonoisis. For Dooku's part, he doesn't even pull out his lightsaber during their confrontation. A little thing, but little things can determine lightsaber duels. There's also the possibility that Vaapad's ability to uniquely combat and channel/redirect dark side users might be less effective on a Sith like Dooku, who doesn't appear to (typically) get off on the same towering rage-fueled murder frenzy other Sith demonstrate in battle, who has 50 years of Jedi breathing exercises under his crunchy Sith candy coating. If anything, he appears to be genuinely having a great fucking time during most of his duels. (After all, when does he ever get to do anything fun?!) I'm not sure that passes the sniff test though; alas, even I am capable of Dooku apologist tendencies.

Anyway, it's interesting. What do you think?

[tendergraphite]

The Mountain Lion: It Isn't A Theory

Bellow is a recollection of events in the order they happened. Keep in mind, within the book details are brought up (Such as the color of the man's shirt) Before being given plausible excuses that leave no real reason to dig further—This is done whenever suspicion could arise from the reader.

Now, I hope we're all ready to leave the phenomenal world, and enter into the sublime?

It was either luck, or because she heard the water (As it was pointed out the river really wasn't far) But could be where she would've dumped the evidence; After all, the rock would look like any other rock—And if she simply dumped it, the incoming rain from the next day would've cleared up her handprints and all the clotted blood on the grey surface. This would've given herself a chance to clean up the blood splatters on her feet, too. Also as someone who gets periods, fresh blood comes out really well in cold water.

Camilla was ahead, so when she burst threw the brush it startled the large cat who'd been eating the man. There is a good chance he was still alive, despite his neck being used as a rag doll it doesn't guarantee an immediate death—He'd of been being eaten alive from his stomach I'd wagor. I believe Camilla had picked up a large rock, and in an act of mercy lugged it over the man's head a few times (Or once, depending on the size and weight.) Crushing his skull. It explains how the man gained the strange injury, why the police were considering foul play, and what motivated her to head towards the river.

First of, her hair: Like Henry, Camilla genuinely believed in the supernatural (Consider how she said the piglet had cleansed them from the murder, and believed Bunny's corpse being unburied was leading to bad luck) It's not all to much of a stretch to say she ritualistically dipped her hair into the carnage.

''When someone is experiencing traumatic stress, and their body goes into fight/flight (or freeze) mode, blood is diverted away from the parts of the brain responsible for language and speech production, and consequently, their capacity to formulate language and to initiate speech is significantly reduced''

^This is an explanation for why she stopped speaking. It wasn't due to some mystical spiritual consequence—But due to trauma. Of course that hadn't been thought of prior, after all isn't psychology such a terrible word? Isn't it better to not question, and enjoy the awe?

That bush definitely saved Charles life, but almost doomed Henry's own—As the Lion would've given up, and gone back. Cunt wanted brecky.

We move onto the laughable events of poor Charles own lucky escape from death: The Lion hadn't finished it's meal, and had been provoked. So when it dashed into Charles who had been aggressively running threw the forest, it assumed an easy meal. Well, not so much once it clamped it's mouth around Charles protective arm, and found itself thrashing in a bramble bush.

Francis I can assume watched on from a distance, he would've remembered the event but due to simply watching and not helping he hides the fact this happened. Charles is known for amnesia induced from alcohol, so the fact he wouldn't have remember this incident is likely.

Henry whose eyesight is dreadful, is tackled by the Mountain Lion, covering him in blood due to the cats own escapades. Henry gives it a good thwonk after his first attempt was shit, and the Lion finally decides that's enough for tonight, this was no longer worth it either. (Especially after the bush incident with Charles; the Lion king gone wrong am I right?) The cat screams. Now dear viewer, howz about you go re-listen to the above video,

A question, but first let me set the scene: You're a late middle-aged Chicken Farmer, and you've probably just gone out on a midnight stroll. You catch a whiff of a right stink of booze and heaven knows what—You look to see a half-starved, naked, scrapped up mud stricken over 6-foot-tall ox of a man dressed in bed sheets. He looks like he's tweaking out of his mind (Without shoes, nonetheless.) Would your first reaction be, to tackle him?

Obviously not, no sane man would do that. What the fuck?

For Tartts part? Beautiful diversion having the Farmer wearing a yellow plaid shirt, it answers our question so quickly we don't bother to look closer, we automatically assume the yellow blur is the Farmer and not the Lion that has just dashed back and is pissed.

I'll wait (:

It screams, and now I must inquire: Could you scream from the sheer shock your bodies just endured? And then with your neck just broken and your skull exploded—On that subject, how did the man end up with 3 injuries if Henry only hit him twice? His neck/skull/stomach? Exactly, not plausible. Henry had even specifically pointed out his first hit was with his bad hand too.

Look here okay, I was fully fooled at first. Once someone here pointed out the potential reality that it had been a Mountain Lion and not Henry, that's when I actually took pause and began to question.

Donna Tartt is critiquing Academia here, anyone who reads the book knows that—So I'd be fitting the Bacchanal would be the most deceptive part of the book as it's painted to be so mystical the reader ends up too starry eyed at the romantics to see the full picture.

Richard doesn't ever question what is happening (He did a horrendous job of pretending to be shocked as well, he really is a baby Julian in the essence of caring more about the dramatics than reality.) He genuinely is an idiot. And none of the group question it either! For heaven's sake, once it went as far as murder, at that point you've gotta commit—You can't question how Henry simultaneously broke a man's head open and snapped his neck and exploded his stomach whilst malnourished to the point of potential starvation.

[aurae-rori]

AVENTURINE TRAILER ANALYSIS - THE GOLDEN TOUCH

SPOILERS FOR 2.1 CONTENT & AVENTURINE’S TRAILER! 

TW FOR VERY VAGUE SUICIDE MENTIONS. 

Hey girlies, hold still. On another note, hello again! I will be going through visual analysis, symbolism, and talking about how this trailer ties multiple aspects of Aventurine’s character together. Some of the things covered here I will be covering in my full analysis of Aventurine himself, so feel free to give that a shot. 

My disclaimer! Although I have been researching psychology personally for about six years, I am NOT a professional. (Yet. When I do, Tumblr Will Know.) Any conclusions I come to are because of my own deductions, personal interpretations, analysis, and logic. You are free to disagree with what I say! 

I also do NOT know card numbers and symbols – what they mean and symbolize and all that jazz. Sorry guys. :( 

Now, let’s get into it. 

First of all, let’s fucking go, let this man ENJOY himself (well. A little. This trailer is not as happy silly as it seems, just like the character himself.) He gets to have a silly boogie woogie! Look at you go!! (He is not boogie woogie-ing.)

Second of all, time for game theories.  

The first scene is really pretty. It’s a coin falling down, toppling against a few stray objects before we flash to the next panel, the ground, as it rolls to the feet of a young boy. Gently, he reaches down, before picking it up, and then, in true Aventurine fashion, proceeds to flip the coin in his hand. However, this gesture actually holds more meaning than I originally thought it did. The coin that Aventurine has seems to transcend his definition of ‘time’ – his inherent ‘value’, or his ‘roots’, never changing. It also shows his connection to his younger self – how he’s still holding onto that child, still connecting to that child, and showing that this child is still a part of him, even if it’s only his past self. 

I believe that the coin that he always has flipping around actually represents Aventurine himself – it represents his ‘value’ as a gambling chip. In Aventurine’s eyes, interpersonal relationships are just like that – they are gambles, where people take advantage of one another and backstab each other. However, it also represents how little he seems to care for his own life – he tosses the coin around, does tricks with it, and is overly flamboyant – just like how he presents himself to the outside world. This single gambling chip is actually the presentation of how Aventurine sees himself and presents himself to everyone else, as well as encompasses his worldview – bet himself, going ‘all in’ with his own worth, or doing nothing. That worth has been with him his entire life – the worth of being a child blessed by a God from his home, being blessed with good fortune. 

Also, sick ass transition. Love that shit. 

Pay attention to the next scene – there’s a brief moment where it shows him walking through a hallway… through the lens of a camera. This could definitely be alluding to the idea of always being watched – I mean, he’s the last of his own race, of course there’s going to be eyes on him. People are going to be asking questions - how is he still alive? Why is he with the IPC? Can he be trusted, considering his race was known for scheming and plotting? 

And then, he tosses open the door in a grand display – a grand display of his fake persona. He opens the room to a whole bunch of robots, who are all gambling, and they stare at him in surprise. That’s Aventurine – flamboyant, showy, confident. He holds a captive audience and all of the others move to the side as he strides towards the slots machine – and as predicted, due to his good luck, he gets three in a row. However, what I think is important to note is that he slides his coin into the machine – and remember what I said about the coin representing his worth? This is what I mean by he bets himself. He is just another gambling chip that he will use to achieve victory no matter what. He is another pawn on the table who has made his way this far, and it’s all or nothing – his whole worth, or not worth the gamble at all. 

Also, at 0:42, we see a briefcase open up to reveal a gem – definitely a callback to the 2.1 trailblaze quest with his moment with Ratio. Damn, gay people. 

Then, after that, he slides many chips towards the table – and interestingly enough, they’re all copies of his one singular chip. This, your honour, is what we call a ‘bluff’. Pretending to be more than you are in order to appear more confident so that your enemies will fear you. Pretty good strategy, honestly. 

Also, cool editing with the machines falling into the Void of Cards. Maybe symbolism for how people fall into his persona easily and fall for his schemes? 

Epic ahh pose, 0:54. Love that for you, my silly homosexual lad. 

Also, him in the elevator going to the top at around 1:02? That means more than you think it does. Probably most likely a representation of how he had to crawl his way from the bottom to the top, and yet, now, it’s showing that he is at the top now. He takes an elevator instead of having to climb – he’s gotten higher, he’s gotten more status. His ‘all or nothing’ mentality pays off. 

And then, he’s set into an arena. Representation of life, honestly. His whole life is a stage, a play, something to be watched. He’s here to put on a good show. He’s being watched, which is a callback to my note about the camera at the start. 

Then, the horrors are set loose. He does his gambling stuff with the cup in his hand while he dodges the monsters. That’s him, alright – taking gambles in dangerous situations, relying on his luck, smiling through what should be terrifying. 

“The wager will be life and death,” but oh, that’s your usual wager, Aventurine. We all know how you have self-destructive tendencies. 

1:42. Hand behind his back. Oh lord, we all died. We all know what the hand behind his back means. We all know how much emotional damage that caused. 

1:46. The dice cracks. Just like his cornerstone, eh? Just like his façade, right…? :) 

And then, everything is drowned in gold coins. Yay! 

And then, he’s standing on a ledge. Possibly a callback to how he said that he had “tested death” in the dreamscape. What better way to test it than jumping? 

And then his enemies are drowning in coins. Probably a metaphor for his win against them. 

And then, here is where things get interesting at the two minute mark. He tosses his coin down, again, like at the beginning of the trailer. Kakvasha flipped the coin up, trying to get higher, and then, Aventurine tosses the coin down, keeping his connection with his younger self. It falls down to the ground, and Kakavasha picks it up with awe in his eyes. He’s still keeping in mind his younger self, still keeping him with him, even to this day. Holding onto his past like a lifeline. 

Aventurine’s trailer… while it does seem on the surface that you’re having fun, you’re really not, when everything is a show and a gamble, right? 

Alright, thanks for reading, everyone! :) 

[cat-mentality]

PLS ELABORATE ON THIS [the theory on which eggs fit which sins]

OKAY BUCKLE UP ANON!!!! This is straight up tin foil hat territory, i'm just like manifesting from nothing because it is incredibly fun in my mind

For this to make a little of sense i'm going to consider Purgatory as my catholic school taught me- A place where the sinners go to repent to their sins, either for all of eternity, if the sins are too big or too terrible, or until they have been forgiven and i'm taking Dante's inferno as my guideline on how this whole thing operates.

I'm also going with the theory that Black Cucurucho was the one responsible for taking the eggs/scaring them away, maybe to make them vulnerable and fall on his trap, is my personal theory that the Black Cucurucho is literally the anti-Federation, as in order versus chaos and as such he is looking to destroy everything the Federation is building and using the egg's to do so (and also Cellbit!!! If it's not the Rebels giving him the information i bet on Black Cucurucho more than the Feds themselves).

So, basically: The eggs get kidnapped by this new strange force (not evil per say, not more than the Federation itself, but less interested in pretending not to be, like the Anfitrião in Ordem Paranormal) and they get stuck in Purgatory, who is made by 9th circles, divided by the type of sinners they are set to punish. The tickets are the passage to get into the circles, Virgil acted as Dante's guide in this case the train will be responsible for taking them from one circle (island) to the next IF they manage to complete whatever task will be set in their way.

I believe the placement of each egg (in my delulu head) has less to do with their own sins, as the Black Cucurucho is not really interested in them but rather in the suffering he can inflict on the parents using them, but in the mortal flaw he sees on their parents.

Chayenne i would put being stuck in the 1st circle, Limbo. It's the less worse of the nine as it is the place where the unbaptized and virtuous pagan stay, endlessly walking in eternal darkness.

Why you ask me?

Well Chayenne IS the son of the Angel of Death. His other father is also a being blessed by death (or cursed with life, your pick). He worships the Blood God. He is dear to the Goddess of Death herself.

What's more pagan than that?

Besides Chayenne IS virtuous himself, he is a warrior, devout to the Blood God however not for bloodlust, but for the desire of protecting those he loves and cherishes. Little Chayenne, walking endlessly searching for his siblings, praying to his fathers' goddesses to shine a light, to show him the way, to protect his siblings, but receiving nothing back as the goddesses is forbidden from interfering with the living, even the ones toying the line into her realm.

I actually changed my mind and we are putting Tallulah in the 2nd circle, Luxury. Now, we about to play loose with the definition of luxury here as this is the circle where the damned are tormented with strong winds that drag them through hell, i'm focusing not on Luxury as a carnal sin, but rather the element of desire.

And for this we are going to consider Wilbur as the parent being punished, not Philza.

Wilbur who left for fame.

Wilbur who left for months and months and months. Who lusted for the world, who wanted to be known, who wanted to be adored, who lusted after a life of his dreams.

Wilbur who in his lust for the world forgot the one person who always considered him her whole world.

Tallulah lusting after safety, lusting for a place to belong, lusting to leave a mark in the world so that it doesn't forget her, trying to grab onto anything to prove her worth and her value but now being stuck in those winds. dragged without a destination, powerless and alone.

Pomme is then in the 3rd circle, Gluttony. The 3rd circle is the circle for those who were gluttons, who over indulged, are now stuck in pits of dirty, freezing mud, tormented by Cerberus and also a storm of snow, hail and thunder.

Etoiles, always hungry for the next fight, for the next dungeon, for the next opponent.

Baghera always hungry for answers, for things she cannot have, cannot do (she wants an explanation about what happened to her, she wants to save her friends when she cannot even save herself, she desires for the world to be good and kind).

Antoine, always hungry for power, selling his soul, his family, to achieve it. Devouring faces, devouring stories, devouring lives, swallowing everything whole until he doesn't even know who he was supposed to really be.

Pierre always hungry for connection, for warmth, hungry for those he meets, trying to fill the void in his heart with the temporary warmth of another body.

Pomme hungry for adventures, hungry to prove that she is worth of love (she remembers, those first days, the distrusts, the coldness, the way they considered not taking her and she never wants to feel that cold), Pomme being stuck, helpless when she knows so very well that helplessness gets you killed, that it makes you weak and unworthy.

The 4th circle, Avarice is empty, of the eggs at least. A respite, as much as they can have in that place.

They find Ramon in the 5th circle, Wrath. Localized on the Styx, the river that cuts through the Purgatory, made of boiling water and blood, that is the place where the wrathful are locked on eternal fights on the surface of the river, on the bottom the sullen are forever stuck drowning on the things they never got to say.

Fit who lived his whole life in a desolate wasteland where fighting was the only thing he could do. Fit who knew no rest, no peace, no sound of those fighting and those dying.

Fit who fought his whole life, who is still fighting, who doesn't know how to rest, who doesn't know how to forgive, who chokes on his wrath, who forces it down his throat because he wants to be better but anger was all that he knew during most of his life.

Fit who looks at those people in their eternal battle, bleeding and making others bleed for no reason, with no end in sight, with no real purpose but to cause harm, and feels at home.

Ramon who tries so hard to be light, to support and help his father in whatever he needs, who drowns his own feelings because he doesn't want to bother others, because he wants to be the rock they can lean on, drowning at the bottom of the Styx.

Leonarda is on the 6th circle, Heresy. This is the circle where the sinners had the intention of sinning, the one destined to those who denied the existence of god, who went against the beliefs of their time, and now they lay on open graves as fire burns them.

And what is Foolish if not a non believer?

He believes in no god, no authority, no deity. He believes in himself, he believes in his family, he believes in what he thinks is right.

Oh he plays pretend of course, he smiles at the Federation, he works for them, he joins the Ordo, he participates in their reunions, but do he believe in any of them? Does he commit to one dogma over the other?

Of course not.

Foolish is a non believer. He will join the side that offers him the most, he will betray them as easily as he joined, he will jump from a place to another as long as that keeps his family safe, as long as that is what is better for them.

Foolish who sins and smiles as he does so.

Little Leonarda who believes in her Pa above everything and anything else, burning in a never ending fire. Little Leonarda who doesn't give a fuck about anything else as long as he is okay, as long as he is by her side, who would follow him into whatever mess he got himself into, who couldn't care less about other's morals or expectations, who would gladly sin as long as they are together.

Richarlyson is on the 7th circle, Violence. This circle is actually divided in three parts but i think only two would be used the Valley of the Phlegethon where the ones who were violent against others were submerged on a river of the blood of those they hurt, and the valley of the suicidal, where those who were violent against themselves became either trees, eaten by harpies or chased by hungry dogs.

And well, it's self explanatory isn't it?

Who has spilled more blood than Cellbit? Between the war, the prison and not the Island he has enough blood on his account to drown them all.

Forever? Oh there are bloodbaths in his past too. There is rage that blinds, that takes hold of him and only leaves when he is standing in the aftermath of a carnage.

Mike does not mind blood. Never has, never will.

And who hurts Pac more than he does himself? Who hates Cellbit more than he hates himself? Who blames Forever for things, more than himself?

They may turn their rage against the world, may bath it into blood, may spill it until rivers form but they drown themselves in it too.

And Richarlyson? Little boy who saw too much, who knew death and suffering too early, who lives at war with a part of himself who wants nothing but to hurt and destroy.

Finally, Dapper is on the 8th circle, Fraud. This circle has ten pits in it, each designated to a type of sinner with their own punishment, raking from being whipped by demons to being submerged into boiling tar or being dressed into shiny clothes who were as heavy as lead.

And what is BadboyHalo if not a fraud?

Who even knows who he truly is, what he truly thinks? Probably not even himself.

This is a man of many layers and many masks, a man who presents himself in any way he thinks is right regardless of what he truly feels or thinks, this is a man who will lie to anyone, including himself.

This is a man who embodies every single sin punished, who could easily be put into any of the pits. Is he not a seducer? Is he not a liar and a thief? Corrupted by his own darkness? A hypocrite, to others and to himself? Does he not sow discord, does he not give bad advice?

And isn't Dapper too much like their father? Little Dapper who lies and lies and lies, who hides behind her own masks, who is now being punished because they do not know who they truly are underneath all the masks.

And the 9th circle, the last one?

Betrayal.

Sometimes the only way to leave hell, to leave Purgatory, is to be worse than the devils.

[gigijenga]

simple (?) definitions of the functions

Edit: I made some changes (they are in italics)

Without a basic knowledge of the cognitive functions, it can be extremely hard to understand mbti. Here are the simplified definitions of the functions:

Ne (extroverted intuition): this function spreads intuition/ideas externally. The main thing Ne values is possibility. Ne wants to understand the dozens of ideas that stem from one event. It does not like to stick to one idea.

ex: when it sees a flower, it comes up with dozens of flower designs of its own. It thinks of all the possibility the flower can look like, thought Ne does not care if it is practical (or considered a “good” idea). 

Ni (introverted intuition): this function forges an intuitive idea internally. Ni takes information in and thinks of one idea, one insight, on possibility. Like Ne, Ni is focused on what might be possible, not on what is tangible. It wants to dive deeper into the “truth” to find a secret meaning/contradiction.

Ex: when it sees dozens of flowers, it comes up with its own design of a flower. Unlike Ne, Ni takes its time to analyze the depth of one specific idea. Ne does not care much about the accuracy and worth of its ideas (it values possibilities more), while Ni wants its idea to be valuable.

Se (extroverted sensing): this function is focused on the external physical world around it. Se is focused on the present and what is happening in the moment. Like Si, it is focused on the small tangible details. Se is a fairly direct and objective function. It does not like to meddle with hypotheticals and theories (this does not mean Se is unintellectual). This function is a kinesthetic learner and likes to meddle with its environment.

Ex: when it sees a flower, it simply, well, sees it. It's a concrete object that has no other poetic meaning to it. 

Si (introverted sensing): this function is focused on the real world in its head/internally. Si is oriented towards the past, towards repetition. It makes decisions based on how similar events in the past enrolled. Si values predictability (not necessarily tradition).

Ex: when it sees a flower, it remembers how the flower connects to past sensory details and it stores the details of the flower in its head for further use in the future.

Fi (introverted feeling): this function is focused on its own internal moral code/philosophy. It makes decisions based on how moral the situation is based on its own feelings and values. Fi is often seen as the function that wants to be authentic because it is concerned if the current situation/its decision aligns with its personal values.

Ex: when Fi gives gifts to other people, it contemplates on what gift it would like/value. Fi also analyzes how the gift would be valuable according to the person’s inner feelings and beliefs.

Fe (extroverted feeling): this function is focused on the external moral code. It is concerned if its actions align with external beliefs and ethnics. Fe makes decisions based on what the majority values. It is aware of how its actions will impact/meddle with the emotional state of other people*. Unlike Fi, Fe believes ethics are not decided by itself. Fe is objective, like Te. 

*Though other functions might have this ability, Fe knows how other people feel on a “deeper level” and it is confident in its ability to do so (just like how Fi is confident in its ability to analyze its own beliefs). For example, Te might be able to analyze emotions on a surface level, but it has trouble understanding the emotions of others on an in-depth level. Plus, Te is not concerned with the emotional environment.*

Ex: when Fe gives gifts to other people, it gives gifts based on what the majority believes is the best gift.

Ti (introverted thinking): this function is focused on the logical world internally. It forges its own logical claims, reasoning and conclusions. Ti is mainly concerned with the internal consistency and analysis of one thing, rather than external evidence that supports it. Inductive reasoning. “The ball will fall because I’ve seen the same ball fall down multiple times, therefore it will fall down this time.” Ti cannot understand how one thing can contradict its own “rule”.

Ex: when Ti gives gifts, it forms an analysis on what gift would be the most beneficial based on the patterns and observations it witnesses.

Te (extroverted thinking): this function is focused on the external world of logic. It is focused on data, evidence and facts from the outside world. It is focused on if something is practical/aligns with external rules and principles. It analyzes things based on how it relates to similar external logical principles. “This ball will fall because I’ve seen other rubber balls like this fall, so it is logical to assume that this one will fall.” Deductive reasoning. Te cannot understand how one thing can contradict the “universal rule”.

Ex: when Te gives gifts, it analyzes what is the most beneficial gift by evaluating the already the existing/assumed benefits each gift option has and picks the gift with the best benefits.

[tylered-up-in-blue]

Response to “The Magic Trick You Didn’t See” / The Coffee Theory

I, like many people in the Good Omens fandom, have already read the big essay “The Magic Trick You Didn’t see” –which blows up the coffee theory that’s been circulating on my twitter page to greater heights and big claims. I have some thoughts.

First of all: I think that the original essay has a few details wrong, essentially because it falls into a kind of utilitarian perspective with the whole magic show metaphor. The thing is –sometimes details which are left hanging, or themes which are shown to be important, don’t always tie up somewhere. Sometimes they’re there because they’re interesting, or poking at intrigue –trying to get you to notice and note down for later, rather than evidence of one ultimate solution that’ll be revealed as a holistic great plot. Also “I didn’t think the writing was good in this moment” isn’t very convincing to me, I’m sorry.

But –I do think that they were onto something. I hesitate to make any grand claims, like “Maggie isn’t real,” or “The Metatron is editing the book of life,” because -to be honest- I don’t trust myself to put my name to something as big as that, and I don’t want to erase my favourite thing about Good Omens: its whimsicality. But I will say that there are themes and notable elements which I think will be important later and hint at some larger fuckery (if you’ll excuse the OFMD reference) going on, so consider this a kind of rejigging of the theory to be a more thematic approach that lays out things I just thought were interesting under an more open-ended (or flip-floppy, depending on how you take it) idea:

Something was going on this season which will be revealed as a Heavenly plot to split Aziraphale and Crowley up by the end. It worked. And the person to reveal the greater plot will be Muriel.

I’ll write down first of all a list of things that have been introduced to the world of Good Omens which I think are important, and highlight why one of them sticks out to me. Then I’ll work on a thematic basis of what things are shown to be worth narrative focus/presuppose S3. The first two themes are very much commentary drawing on the essay I’m responding to, and the second two are more my own ideas –certainly the fourth.

Okay, so: there are introductions to the Good Omens-verse which are clearly there to expand our world for later use. I don’t know if all of these things will come up again, but by the end of this season we know:

There are Nazi (and possibly more) zombies running around London.

There is a gun in Aziraphale’s bookshop -in case it’s needed. 

Heaven is interested in keeping things quiet, and they will fiddle with memories to do so. Erased memories can be “stored” in things/creatures.

There is a thing called “The Book of Life” that if you’re written out of, you NEVER EXISTED. (It can be edited, too, presumably.)

Crowley is possibly the most powerful being in the show. “Half a tiny miracle” ends up being enough to resurrect someone 25 times over, and his attempt to stay calm after a little tiff with aziraphale results in draining the street of electricity. Also he created the entire universe. (coming back to amend this with the fact Neil said he got going just "that tiny corner of space" -but I still feel there is significant evidence to say he is very powerful:) )

I lay these out because they’re just good to have noted down, really, and because they’re definitely GOING to be important. ALSO because the last one makes sense for the greater aim to be breaking up the ineffable husbands. Emphasis on Crowley’s power –and for their shared power– sets up a REAL threat for what we KNOW will be the basis of s2: The Second Coming. If you’re Heaven, and you want the second attempt at an apocalypse to be successful, you’d be stupid to let the two celestial beings who were meddling in the whole averted-apocalypse ordeal last time to just be AROUND for it. Especially when one has the ability to stop time!!! You’ve GOT to break them up. 

Theme 1: Investigation (Muriel!)

Investigation is a fun little theme in s2: Aziraphale goes full detective mode. He loves the clues, he’s in his little trilby investigating. All the marketing was very investigative and invites the audience to pay close attention. And there are SO many little easter eggs. From The Colour of Magic appearing to Gabriel reading the first lines of Good Omens –even as small as a Terry Prattchet impersonator speaking over the tannoy in Hell, or the film in The Resurrectionist being chosen specifically to play because there’s a scene where Jimmy Stewart talks to a fly. 

So! Investigation is fun! It’s important. And my favourite part of the essay I’m responding to is definitely that about Muriel. I think that all this build up to the detective-vibe is going to cumulate in their s3 role. Essentially: I entirely agree that they are coded as the one to blow open this whole case in S3. The police costume and giving them The Crow Road are certainly suggestive–but more than anything, leaving them in charge of the bookshop (full of Aziraphale’s diaries and books and everything) props them up perfectly to earn the promo they got for s2. Because I’m not sure about you, but my mutuals and I were shocked that the NYCC scene (“hello hello hello, I’m a human police officer!”) didn’t happen until episode three. From the way the promo was going (character profiles, trailer etc.) I thought Muriel would be in s2 WAY more.

They also make a HUGE point of how Muriel is considered “nobody.” They say it themselves, they’re called “the dull one” by Metatron.

They set them up perfectly to solve this later.

Theme 2: Memories and Stories:

Memory! Another theme! –memory that can be tampered with, contained, erased and returned.

Heaven is willing to meddle with and erase memories if necessary. They are, then, SUBTLE.

There is no God narrator.

There is a statue immortalising a very real Gabriel (somehow/for some reason –Gabriel was also involved in its making?) 

My favourite part of season 2 was definitely the minisodes. The costumes, the settings –I was so surprised to find the horses and carts in ep 3 were CGI in the X-Ray! They look so good! I loved how every single flashback was incredibly vital and interesting to expand on Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship –that convo on the rock in ep 2? WOW. Stunned. Anyway, not to go on.

I completely disagree with the conviction that these were edited. I think that, to the contrary, these memories are (IF there’s something going on with temptation/persuasion (more on that later) and The Book of Life) are ENTIRELY real. And the reason for that is highlighted in the very essay: each memory is tied to a physical record of it happening. The Book of Job; the Polaroid in ‘41, and Aziraphale’s diaries. This is not to say that there aren’t still gaps: where was the “I’m sorry” dance of ‘41? If Aziraphale wasn’t drinking in 2500 BC then when did he start? Just little things like this.

This is the thing: stories, words, are vital. The challenge that they gave the guy who did Sherlock (I can’t remember his name I’m sorry!) –it’s talked about in the X-Ray– was to have words pop out in 4 different ways across S2. This a fun stylistic choice, but it also gives words narrative attention, so ties in with all this. Without God to narrate, narratives and accounts are left to the characters within the world. It’s fun and important both. So is the spelling stuff. Maggie can’t spell, neither can the demons. (She may be a demon herself –I’m not entirely convinced it’s this simple, tbh, but Aziraphale’s miracle not working on her in ep5 is definitely a red flag.) Anyway – it’s also interesting.

With all this, my idea that Heaven/Metatron had been planning the aziracrow divorce from the beginning might mean they’re tampering with The Book of Life –it also could mean that they’re ABOUT to do something weird with Aziraphale’s memories, or all these pieces are going to become very very helpful for Muriel’s investigation.

I really do wonder what this role of records, memories and narratives will come to, but I have a feeling it’ll bleed into s3.

Theme 3: Food

Crowley was the reason Aziraphale tried food in the first place. I just wanted to put that down because of course he was, but also it is deeply INSANE that he INTRODUCED AZIRAPHALE TO THE CONCEPT OF EATING. God, David was right. They really don't exist without each other.

This is kind of the point I make with food here: it’s a HUGE theme in s2, largely just to emphasise the fact that it’s powerful.

For some reason (jokey or otherwise) eccles cakes can “calm you down.”

Aziraphale becomes significantly bonded to Crowley by eating the Ox in ep2. Later, Crowley is “as strong as an Ox." –fun little echo.)

They drink the same wine as always in ‘41 –they share no wine in s2, just the sherry and whiskey respectively. They also don’t share a meal, which seems interesting. I personally think that it’s to do with consumption being a metaphor for queer desire, and the absence of it being a sign of C/A being on “their own side” in s2. Crowley abandons temptation as Aziraphale abandons attempts to “save” Crowley. –-Or it may mean something else!

Crowley drinks laudanum and it makes him go lala. It ALSO makes him turn tiny, then giant, and he does something kind –kind enough to get him dragged off to hell and tortured so badly that he’s asking for holy water as “insurance” 40 years later.

That fucking oatmilk almond coffee. Okay. So if food is powerful, this has weight. From the colour of it being weird against the background to the fact (to quote my dear friend Jey) “nobody fucking drinks almond syrup!!” –I’m sure you’ve see all this going around. Almonds are obviously very poison-coded, and considering the above point I smell something strange. (I don’t believe it was quite a case of drugging per say, but more metaphor: Aziraphale is being tempted. He’s being manipulated, and drawn back into the culty office world of heaven.)

So what we know here is that food is powerful. An important metaphor and force (especially for aziracrow.)

Theme 4: Resurrection

OKAY: so, this is the most original of my listing in these themes. I am so interested in this resurrection thing they’ve got going.

The Resurrectionist pub: where Gabriel and Beez come to their plan. We see that The Dirty Donkey is a lift to heaven (which NOT enough people are talking about) –so what about The Resurrectionist? What power does it hold as a space? Why is the legacy of Mr Dalrymple important?

Why did (wee) Morag’s eyes glow briefly? Is she a zombie now?

Zombies exist. We know this. They’re also tied to the concept of consumption, which is cool.

Heaven measures miracles by Lazarii.

Gabriel, in one of his flashes of prophecy, says: “there will come a tempest (...) the dead will rise from their graves and wander the earth once more.”

These are all cool. Thematically, it seems that being raised from the dead is going to be something big. I’m interested in this, considering that after Gabriel said the above mentioned prophecy my good friend Jey said “hold on, is this going to be about The Rapture?”

Now: we know that “668: Neighbour of the Beast” was supposed to be set in America. Whether it actually is or not, I don’t know, but I think that if it is about a second coming on American soil, The Rapture feels VERY pertinent. The dead are the first to rise and be with God in The Rapture, but all believers join them: and they join them permanently. In some versions, there is a period in which Christ rules the earth. All very fun and interesting prospects for s3!

Where this leaves us:

S2 is the “bridge” between 1 and 3, in Neil’s words. It’s the “romantic filling” of the sandwich.

I would argue that some seriously tough bread started with “oh Crowley, nothing lasts forever,” but hey ho, that’s the very ending of the season. I just want to talk about coded language/draw on what I’ve just said to talk about how we’re set up for the structures of s3:

Heaven is a CULT. A serious cult. From the (temptation) manipulation of the coffee, to the man at the pub calling Gabriel a “mason” –which I’m assuming he means freemason– to the frankly INSANE smile on Michael Sheen’s face as the credits roll (also sickening lighting there)– they are a big threatening cult, and that is going to be important. I think it’ll just get increasingly so.

FurFur and Shax have it OUT for the ineffable husbands. Like they are NOT fans. And they seem to also be buddies now so… not great news.

In The Scene </3 Crowley stops himself short of saying he’d like to spend eternity with Aziraphale, and instead asks him to “go off together,” just like s1 –I think their language is going to develop hugely in s3. It’ll go back to being the space they “carved out for themselves,” only further.

And finally: a bet. The last time we see Crowley, he’s in a car full of plants because he’s carrying “their side” away with him. I am willing to bet –not that this is a hottake or anything– that it’ll end, as it began: in a garden. S3 will end in the garden of their South Downs Cottage !!!