#like sort of a bittersweet callback

[the-impulse-to-love]

the more i listened to caramel, the more i thought about euclid. and ykw?

euclid and caramel are two sides of the same coin.

"euclid," in the sense that it's the closure to the "Trilogy," laced with callbacks and acknowledgements of everything that's happened in the past. all the references to earlier works like tndnbtg and one ep serving as fun easter eggs for the fans, sort of as treats for them to recognize. it's vessel supposedly getting closure n accepting everything that has occurred and him being ready to finally start a new chapter. and don't even forget him taking out his in ear monitors (i think that's what those were...) during the latest euclid live to hear the fans sing the tndnbtg verse back to him. i've seen the song be described as a love letter to the fans, thanking them for all the support they've given to sleep token up until tmbte.

and now "caramel," a song directly addressed to the fans, but as the title implies, in a bittersweet way. i don't think i have to explain it too much given the discussions around it lately but yeah. vessel is fucking stressed from the fame and attention and the unmasked identity craze from some… insane “fans”. he's. feeling a multitude of emotions about it, to say the least. does he have a right to complain about it? he's unsure. he's just setting his boundaries. nonetheless, he's ultimately grateful for the fans:

but i'm still glad you came, so let me see those hands

and

stick to me like caramel / walk besides me till you feel nothing as well

which i see as "join me on this journey together so that neither of us are alone." after all, vessel has constantly emphasized his gratitude for the fans (the room below, potato heart shenanigans, other ritual speeches, etc) along with the fact that we all ultimately share pain and suffering as people.

both songs involve the fans, albeit in different ways/views. euclid addresses the support and gratitude to the fanbase, whereas caramel addresses the discomfort and stress that comes from the fame and boundary-violating fans.

and also. some references caramel gave us in relation to euclid lyrics:

all my own interpretations btw. heads up

i’m fallin’ free of the final parallel -> yet in reverse you are all my symmetry / a parallel i would lay my life on

for the euclid line, i initially had some thoughts on it more aligned with the "lore" between vessel and sleep. but ykw, it can still be somewhat applied to fit the lens here.

first off, "yet in reverse you are all my symmetry." reverse is just going back to the beginning of things, whereas "all my symmetry" would mean being the perfect half of something, typically a shape or form. so "in reverse, you are all my symmetry" would be "going back to the beginning, you are the perfect half of me." the other half in this case would be us, the fans. similar to above, we all share pain and suffering. a bit similar to shelter's lyrics perhaps, in the sense of "darling i'm noticing your flaws / and i'm matching them with yours."

now, "a parallel i would lay my life on." mathematically, parallel lines are lines that run in the same direction, yet they will never cross. similar to the previous point, it could indicate how many of us feel "paralleled" to the emotions vessel tries to convey in his music.

"falling free of the final parallel." not too sure what "final" would entail in this sense. whatever it is, vessel is no longer bound by it. perhaps it could be referring to the "final parallel" between fans and the band’s real identities. many people find parallels in their music between their own lives and vessel's lyrics, but some push too far and try to find more parallels/similarities in their real identities -- thus, the final parallel of trying to find similarities and shared experiences.

so, “i’m falling free of the final parallel” would mean that vessel isn’t bound by this. he doesn’t need people to match his experiences exactly, he doesn’t need them to know every exact detail about him, and we certainly don't have to know that either to interact and praise the music. him and the band are (and should be) free to operate without the pressure of people finding "final parallels" in their own lives.

bit of a reach but. yeah. if anyone has any other theories for a connection between these two lines Feel Free To Explain

missin’ my wings in a realm of angels -> so if your wings won’t find you heaven i will bring it down like an ancient bygone

i've been especially pondering this line. if we take the line from euclid as being about us (the fans) it would read as vessel bringing heaven "down like an ancient bygone." perhaps heaven in the sense of finding comfort and peace within their music. and also, the line "your wings" with the mention of heaven in the same line evoke imagery of angels, beings that inhabit heaven. yet, we can't find heaven -- peace or solace -- even with our wings. (you could also take this as a sort of "fallen angel" theory too.) the wings in itself could represent a multitude of ideas -- falling in line with other sleep token themes, perhaps love and passion. and yet, even so, we cannot find peace with those "wings" of ours, no matter how hard we try. so, vessel offers it (or something pretty damn close to it) to us in the artistry and music that is sleep token.

so, we are given "heaven" and it is brought down to us. yet, now vessel is "missing [his own] wings in a realm of angels." he's missing them, whether they represent passion, love, creativity, etc. "realm of angels" would be referring to us, going off my previous paragraph, of course. he's brought down heaven and made it accessible to us, but at what cost for himself?

basically, i feel that yes, caramel is ultimately an offering to the fans similar to euclid, but it is a bitter offering that tells a harsh truth about the fans, whether or not we wanna hear it.

[toffee-hammer]

Big Arcane spoilers belowww.

I feel like people are assuming Arcane is going to have a terrible, devastatingly sad ending but I'm not so sure. Maybe it's the copium talking but I feel like it'll be more bittersweet/optimistic/hopeful instead.

I'm specifically thinking about this one line from Vi said (presumably) to Jinx in the preview for Act 3.

"If you come, use all of that explosive potential of yours for good. Maybe we could rewrite your story."

Vi tried to pull Jinx back from the edge at the end of Season 1 and it didn't work. Jinx wasn't interested and she killed Cait's mother to punctuate that.

But Jinx has had a new little sister since then. One that sacrificed their life to save hers.

Isha's death could send Jinx completely off the rails and return her to a similar mental state to that final scene in Season 1 but I'm not getting that kind of vibe from Act 3's preview and the trailers at all. Jinx mentioned that Isha's presence in her life had caused her to see things differently in Act 2 so perhaps Vi's offer will be more positively received this time? Maybe she'll want to honor Isha's memory somehow or, at the very least, she'll want to get back at Ambessa/Singed for her death. Maybe a mix of those two things.

Either way, when the final battle against Noxus or the Arcane or whatever that Vi is asking Jinx to come and help with happens I think Jinx actually will make an appearance. This shot from the trailer shows her holding something that looks like a steering wheel.

I'm willing to bet she'll fly in on some kind of airship to help, fire a bunch of missiles and it'll give Fortiche (who I know love referencing past stuff) a chance to do a callback to their old "Get Jinxed" cinematic where she rides one of them straight down into Piltover.

Also, I'm not gonna lie, that kind of looks like the middle column of her underground hideout behind her in the first picture there. That would make a for a heck of a scene, right? Vi asks for Jinx's help, Jinx doesn't give her an answer but it turns out she's been building this ramshackle airship in Silco's basement this whole time and she flies the thing into Piltover when all hope seems lost to airstrike the Noxians and save the day.

Once the battle is won and the dust is settling I'm thinking Vi and Jinx will probably get a little scene all to themselves where Jinx assumes Vi will want to hand her over to Piltover but is surprised when Vi does what she couldn't at the end of Season 1 and, despite her feelings for Cait, offers to flee Piltover with Jinx instead. Jinx will be happy that her sister finally took her side but she saved Cait from Rictus despite having every reason to let her die because she knew Vi loved her. She'll turn Vi down and we'll basically get a similar scene to the end of Season 1 where they recognize that they're different people now and have their own separate paths to follow but this will be a far more amicable situation. Vi will let Jinx go and they'll say their goodbyes and it'll lead into something similar to their situation in the game.

Vi and Cait will get together again, Jinx will go off to cause chaos and maybe become some kind of legendary Batman character in Zaun where she helps its people in her own criminal sort of way and that'll be that.

[misterbenzadrine]

OH MY GYATTT ONE MORE DAY CK IS BACK TOMORROW OMG LAST DAY

♡ day 1: my bookie bear ♡

JUST KIDDING LMFAO

♡ day 1: demetri alexopoulos ♡

MY SHAYYYLA MY POOKIE HE MAKES ME SO FERAL RAHHHH

so there's so many things i could say about demetri, i could go on for hours. but i'm gonna have some sort of organization here.

i'll start with why i like him personality-wise. i relate a lot to him, i feel like a lot of people do. (not in the general audience unfortunately but there's a good group)

and i personally relate to him on so many levels. his pessimism is frustrating in the beginning of the show but it's sosososo relatable. i know for a fact if i was in that situation, i'd 100% make fun of and reject karate the same way demetri does. and his inability to see other peoples' perspectives at the beginning is also so me-coded ! like he gets better the more he interacts with people obviously but he genuinely seems unaware how serious miguel and eli are about karate until they start fighting about it. to him, it's a normal hobby, just an after-school activity. but to miguel and eli, it's their ticket to popularity and confidence. and demetri genuinely believed eli felt the same as him about karate until he "flips the script". and to demetri, it's not that he's purposely ignoring them, he just doesn't think it's that deep. so if he doesn't care that much, why would miguel and eli care? flawed logic !

not to mention his nerdiness and awkwardness. like ESPECIALLY the fact that he stays true to himself throughout the series is so special to me. he IS a nerd. and while eli may have fallen into the nerd life simply bc it was a comfort in the loser lifestyle he felt stuck in, demetri has 100% always been about that nerd lifestyle. while eli can push all that away and find other "normal" things to like, demetri can't bc that's just not who he is. and his constant references are so important to me, especially as someone who solely communicates in references and callbacks.

and just as it's shown in the show, i'm sure the people around me have at one time or another gotten tired with the references or felt like i was yapping out of my ass. but again ! that's just an inherent trait ! and it's not done to be mean ! me and demetri are SO locked in, i love him.

on a more bittersweet note, i also relate to demetri as someone that suddenly lost my best friend to circumstances beyond my control lmao. only mine didn't get resolved with a house fight KDFHGKJDF. but i guess that's a big reason why i found so much comfort in demetri this summer. his attempts to get his best friend back but also his refusal to dwell on it as he found people who were willing to accept him in a way hawk clearly didn't want to UGH HE IS THE REASON I GOT THROUGH IT OMFG (got through it is understatement but let's just say i project a lot on s2/3 demetri)

so demetri is so deeply important to me, i was always the tall awkward kid that was bad at sports growing up, i was always bad at socializing, i was always obsessed with stupid nerdy things instead of what everyone else was into, and seeing demetri be exactly that but still being a super cool karate guy that's moderately popular and gets the girl of his dreams and a bunch of friends by his side HES SO IMPORTANT !!

so all that being said, it's truly a CRIME how much demetri is put on the back burner. listen, i understand it's not true to his character to be a miguel-level karate champ. i do ! and i know the core four (and johnny and daniel) will ALWAYS be prioritized but if they want to keep him in the homosexual supporting cast, stick by that decision ! don't give us hope that he'll finally get a centered storyline where he can work through his trauma then make a big joke of it and resolve it in like three minutes. i know i criticize the ck writers a lot but honestly most of those are suggestions, i can genuinely rationalize a lot of their decisions from a storytelling standpoint. but s6 pt2 was such a mess i refuse to rationalize it bc that was such rushed writing. again, he didn't need a big conflict, it could've been scaled down and they wouldn't have had to cram ten different storylines into pt 2.

ALSO real quick the queer-coding???? the writers could've done something revolutionary and made him canonically bi or something, even if they used it as a way to make him seem like "a woke pussy" or whatever EVERYONE WOULD'VE EATEN THAT UP. like everything about him in inherently queer (weirdly sensual friendship with eli aside). one, he fits all the stereotypes, again the "pussy" role was reserved for him in s1/2 to show how much johnny/kreese were changing hawk and miguel. but like hello? he's not at all athletic, he's sassy, he has the trademark gay sass (gianni came in clutch), and he gets along incredibly well with specifically the girls. he barely has any bonds built between him and the other guys. and two, THE PENIS DRAWING ON HIS CAST, HELLO???? THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HOMOPHOBIC JOKE, THEY HAD SUCH A BIG CHANCE AND THEY RUINED IT KSFKDJ IT WAS ALL SET UP AND THEY STILL FAILED, I DIGRESS, SORRY

but anyway, in the start of the show, demetri is so cute. as mentioned in hawk's post yesterday, demetri obviously doesn't completely stop supporting hawk when he switches, he still supports him. he still hangs out with him, miguel, moon, and aisha. he's there with them at the park, at the beach, at valley fest, at the beach party, at the all-valley, when they go to get beer before the beach party. like this man is still very much their friend, but he sticks out bc he doesn't share their world (which really only hawk seems to have a problem with). so he's still trying to be a good friend to hawk. he doesn't completely hate on him, just vocalizes his confusion and disdain for the sudden change. again, two vocal personalities clashing.

when he finally does start karate, everyone and their mother knows he doesn't wanna be there. he knows he doesn't wanna be there, robby and sam know, DANIEL knows. but like he keeps pushing WHICH IS ADMITTEDLY REALLY COOL. there's nothing i'm really gonna say there, i just think it's really funny that he's trying but he's complaining the whole way through (which, again, IS SO ME-CODED)

his mini-storyline with forgiving chris (and eventually hawk) means so much to me too. like i genuinely expected demetri to hold more of a grudge but once daniel teaches the kids to find some middle ground, he picks it up so fast, then him and chris are underrated besties after that episode, i lovelovelove him so much.

i think i saw someone say here, maybe on tt idk, but someone pointed out that demetri should've been far more discouraged from karate after the arm break and i 100% agree (if this had been a normal 20-episode per season show). this is another instance of a plot that could've elevated demetri but, since they don't want demetri to be the focal point of the show, they kind of skip over it (understandably so but i still don't like it).

demetri and hawk being so completely gay in s4 is important to me, and his inherent LACK of screen time in s5 is such a gut punch. but i want to talk about the s6 fight:

so many fic writers and demetri fans have successfully connected the demetri we saw in pt 2 to the demetri from the rest of the show and for that, i thank all of you. i genuinely could not hold it together, the character assassination made me feel like a dead cockroach with my legs curled in the air. so all of you, you did the lord's work 🙏

so obviously, demetri spends the whole show on the back burner, homosexual supporting cast, etc. and as i stated before, that is in-character for him. they established at the beginning that he's naturally pessimistic, he's not going to ever try for greater things like the main five bc he doesn't think he's even close. he's content to accept things as they are, duck his head, and follow the herd. but when miguel and eli join karate, his whole world suddenly becomes "sink or swim" and while he's normally a "never approach the water to begin with" type of guy, he's suddenly in the middle of the ocean and needs to find his way to shore. so he pushes his way through.

but it's, of course, entirely possible for that underlying insecurity to be bubbling beneath the surface much like hawk's underlying frustration and embarrassment. something that convinces him he's never gonna be good enough but still feeling disappointed in this "fact".

and we know from earlier scenes that demetri is mainly only confident in his knowledge, whether his knowledge of nerd references or tech and science/math. his mind is his superpower (like daniel said) so mit is a no-brainer, he knows he'll get in, he knows he'll succeed there. but he's been so happy to have eli back that he didn't even question if maybe things had changed from before he joined cobra kai. in the show, it's stated that hawk doesn't even question mit until the party with kyler and brucks. but his expression when demetri mentions mit, earlier in the same episode during the college fair, he has a bit of a weird expression on his face.

obviously hawk wasn't thinking in that moment "ooh yeah, i'm not applying there" but there was for sure a pause, maybe he was already kind of thinking about mit and wondering if he should feel as sure and excited as demetri idk.

so when demetri gets progressively more excited about mit and notices that eli seems dodgy about the subject, he gets a little frustrated bc hello?? senior year in hs goes by FAST and before they know it, they'll be walking across the mit campus. if eli doesn't lock in before then, he might drown.

and this is a kind of flipped moment for them. now demetri is the one who's constantly trying to get eli enthusiastic about mit instead of eli with demetri about karate. so demetri doesn't understand the hesitation, why is eli NOW acting weird? then the reveal happens and demetri flips out obvi bc i don't think they explicitly say how long it's been, but considering the time college fairs usually happen and early decision/action application deadlines, it's likely been like two months. which means demetri's been yapping about mit for weeks while eli sat and watched, never once telling him about his doubts until around the time admission decisions come out.

so the way i see this, demetri's EMBARRASSED. embarrassed for two reasons: one, that he never considered things might've changed since they were kids, ESPECIALLY with all the changes eli specifically has gone through. and two, that eli didn't tell him in the first place. again, they don't officially get to talk but this is what i personally think was going through demetri's head. and all that embarrassment mixes with frustration and his already loud insecurities about not being good enough to go to barcelona, which makes for a great motivator when they do the flag fight.

i love gianni's offended face he's so funny

so yeah, he fights eli, he's cocky, he's more vocal about his thoughts and far more annoying than any hater could've conceived. love him.

my personal favorite little detail was the inclusion of demetri referencing lebron james after he does his whole makeover. BECAUSE demetri's known for his references, obvi. he only speaks in references. and he never cares to cater his references to present company, he backtracks a couple times or clocks the confused look on their faces but doesn't come up with a new reference. he just comments on the lack of understanding and moves on. but all his references are always some sort of nerdy reference. and the ONE time he makes a non-nerd reference is after his best friend called him a control-freak and his "obsession with mit...annoying"

AGAIN I AM DEMETRI, and pulling from personal experience, when someone, specifically someone you care about and put a lot of value into their opinions, calls you annoying and controlling, the insecurity takes over but it manifests into a great crash out. and demetri crashes TF out (well he starts to). so he's being a little asshole on purpose to show eli how much of an idiot he thinks he is.

from here, i truly think there are glimpses of this version of demetri. the farting storyline took center stage obviously but i wish they hadn't forced hawkmetri into the comic relief role so much (a few jokes are fine but cmon, FOUR EPISODES?!!)

i think demetri should've stayed like this, not so much name-dropping mit every five seconds but just openly making comments toward eli. "idk i'm sure anyone with half a brain could figure it out, which i have two of btw. how many do you have, eli?"

and while the pessimism was in character for sure, and i was expecting him to be annoying since it seemed like he cared less about holding back his opinions, i think him being a cocky asshole would've also been cool to see. again, he's spent the whole show thinking he's not even good enough to be in the main five's league. so if he fought so hard in that flag fight to make sure hawk wouldn't go to barcelona, plus the motivation from yas to win, it would've been nice to see him pushing harder than ever before to at least out-perform hawk.

could you imagine how hilarious it'd be to see them all showering after the fights and demetri being like "yeah we're getting obliterated. interestingly, i got us five points though. how many did you get again eli? negative four?" but i digress.

i really think the whole fight should've boiled down to demetri not feeling good enough (for barcelona AND hawk) and feeling like he was getting left behind (from barcelona AND hawk's life, much like the s2 divorce)

and eli obviously isn't saying he doesn't want to be friends with demetri. he makes that much obvious with how much he tries to talk demetri down in his confession and how he holds back from actually fighting demetri in the flag fight (AND refrains from being too harsh with demetri in barcelona before he explodes at him). but demetri doesn't see it like that. he just sees eli pulling away from him AGAIN and his own insecurity is boiling over too much to ignore.

demetri 100% could've had this crash out and it really would've just changed a couple of his lines. anyways.

i shudder to think what they have planned for him in pt 3. i fear for what his relationship with yas will be. while i'm a hawkmetri truther, i don't trust the writers. so yasmetri is a close second, i loved them together. and i just know in all the drama, if they do get a redemption, it's gonna be extremely half-assed and not at all deserved. ik some fans don't see a big deal but there's a difference between innocent dancing and flirting dancing, and demetri OBVIOUSLY flirted. so i can only imagine how the writers see it (especially after they had the audacity to have that storyline with robby/zara and say it was "robby's mistake" like ??)

!! headcanons !!

okay guys i have actual hw to do so this'll be rushed ksdjfkj (more hc on the hawkmetri post obvi !!)

adhd/add but undiagnosed

queer/unlabeled

BIG on yapping

single mother :3

the other miyagi-do kids during the events of s2/3 found the way demetri talked/acted at times (some jokes he said as if they were inside jokes) weird, for lack of a better word. they later realized these slip-ups were the way he used to talk to/treat eli when they were still friends (and since he was his only friend for so long, they guessed it was inevitable for him to only know how to be one specific person's friend)

demetri's abandonment issues 100% stem from his absentee father. he loves his mom but he sometimes wonders if she's disappointed to be left with a string bean of a son while his father is living a child-free life elsewhere

he moderately likes classic literature and movies, which he yaps about with devon (a fellow yapper)

he LOVES being one of the girls and it super grateful he, yas, and moon get along so well considering their rocky start.

he definitely doesn't know how much eli loves him, especially after the whole "red hawk" fiasco. he gets more than a little shocked when eli makes it clear he thinks about him and gets excited to spend time with him as much as demetri does

his guilty pleasure in college is chappell roan.

so final thoughts (bc legitimately i have so much hw, i'll edit this later i promise, YOU DESERVE BETTER BOOKIE): demetri didn't start as my fav character. honestly, he felt like i was watching myself on-screen, which was so uncomfortable ! but like i said, this past sumer was really hard for me and idk i was just watching a hawkmetri edit and his whole arc stayed in my mind. and the way he handled the s2/3 divorce and how he continued on in s4/5 really comforted me. and seeing him eventually brought such a big smile to my face, and here we are lmao. but i don't think i can put into words how much demetri means to me. he really did help me through that whole situation and becoming an active part of the fandom BECAUSE of him these past months really made my life so much better. and it's because he inspired me. and i hope gianni knows how important demetri is. character assassination aside, and despite it not being canon, demetri feels really important to me as a queer-coded nerd that's honestly kind of chilling in his annoying nature. and i know dudebro fans love to hate on him, but he really is such a good part of this show, he's made this experience so entertaining from his very first appearance to his final scene. demetri, you may be an underrated king, but you deserve the world. while i still feel like your story can continue, i'm sososo grateful to have gone on this journey with you, watching you grow confident and social. i can't wait to see you tomorrow bookie. until we meet again 🫶

[ageless-aislynn]

Aislynn's Jumble of Random Thinky Thoughts on Halo s2 ep4 "Reach"

SPOILERS, but of course

Cpt Admiral Keyes went out like a total badass. I really do hate to lose him but I'm glad he got a better send-off than he did in the game (Halo: Combat Evolved). Seeing him with a pipe was an awesome little callback to the game, IMO. (Though smoking is bad; don't smoke, kids! 👎😬😉)

The fact that The Powers That Be took Silver Team's Mjolnir with them as they ran like cowards evacuated but abandoned actual Silver Team is the most realistic bureaucratic part of the episode. 🙄

I suspected Louis wasn't going to survive but him losing Danilo and then choosing to make that stand immediately after was both heartbreaking but bittersweet: he couldn't live without his beloved and his sacrifice gave John and Riz a chance to escape but also ensured that he didn't have to live long without his beloved. 💔

My Halo vehicle fangirling was cranked up to 117% 😇 here, with me pausing the show to yell, "WRAITH, IT'S A WRAITH! I love hijacking those things!!!" and then "SCORPION! A SCORPION TANK! Aw, man, I do BUSINESS when I have a Scorpion!" *wistful, lovestruck sigh* 💖 Please imagine my dad's 🤔⁉️ face during all of that, lol! 😇

John, my beloved, and Scorpion tank, my beloved... 😍🤷‍♀️😇😉

I was legit upset that Kai was gone the entire ep, not just 'cause I wanted to see her, of course, but because it seems an awful lot like she abandoned her team and that just doesn't seem like her at all. I know last ep she was very torn and upset about John and not really believing what he was saying, but also not wanting to narc him out, either. When she finds out what happened to Vannak, I think she'll blame herself for not being there and, honestly? I think she should. (Same as she should feel bad about not believing John, evidence to the contrary.) Not saying she could've prevented any of the bad stuff, of course, but she wasn't there when Silver Team desperately needed her and if they don't have her feel guilt over that, then that's really going to be OOC for her, IMO. 😔

And then of course, the "two" of the "one-two punch" from this ep... Vannak, nooooooooo! I was completely not expecting to lose him here but I really should have, considering we're straight up doing a version of Reach's game storyline and, as we all know, Noble Team didn't make it out of the game alive (other than Jun).

And yet still... Vannak! Not when he's just learned to love animal documentaries and feeding the birds! The big guy had so much more living to do!!! 😭😭😭 I'm going to really miss him and I'm going to completely ignore his death in any fanfic I ever again write, I'm just saying. 🤷‍♀️😉

Are we feeling like Soren will be getting a place on Silver Team, at least temporarily?

Okay, so I was a little surprised but in a good way over how hard everything about Keyes hit Halsey. She was genuinely kinda tongue-tied at seeing him, then her absolutely screaming at his death and her sobbing... I wasn't expecting that sort of reaction. She really did love him and I wouldn't have thought that before this episode.

I feel vaguely like John's ex just kidnapped his current girlfriend, lol. Also, I keep staring at Makee, thinking, "Is her hair a different blonde? Is she dying her eyebrows or something?" more than anything else so I really need to get over that, lol! Annnnnd I could kinda ship her with her Arbiter but nobody should be surprised at that 'cause I can ship a character with a mop that has a wig and googly eyes on it if the chemistry feels right to me...

I could also see not-Thel!Arbiter as being a suuuuper jealous boyfriend trying to prove he's better than Makee's ex... *shipper glasses, I has 'em at all times!* 😜😉

Since Makee didn't let her Arbiter (whose name is escaping me at the moment) go ahead and kill John, one wonders if it was because she does still have feelings for him or if she just needs him for some later nefarious purpose. And why does she need Cortana? I'm still wondering if we're going to get some sort of "evil" Cortana ala Halo 5 since her new look reminds me a lot more of her Halo 5 look.

This is a still, not GIF, from Halo s2 Cortana's new look, so you don't wonder why it's not moving. 😉

Halo 5 "evil" Cortana.

And you can see s1 Cortana in the GIF right above all of this.

Annnnd my favorite version of Cortana...

Halo 4 Cortana, whom I imprinted on as my very first Cortana, so this is her definitive look to me, what can I say? 🤷‍♀️😉

And bringing things back to the episode once more, I also had a game fangirling moment when John yelled, "Frag out!" as he lobbed the grenade. My dad soon learned that the marines tend to yell that as they're lobbing frag grenades in the various games, too! 😎

Ooo, and almost forgot John's absolute panic eyes when Keyes called him forward during his inspirational speech, lol. Poor Chief, d'aww! But that was a really great moment to show people that Master Chief isn't a robot, he's a flesh and blood person, and I think that was used to great effect in this moment. 💖

In summary, this episode had me

💖

[zalrb]

if stefan and elena were in a situation where they end up having sex when they weren't supposed to (like delena in 5x17 or 16?) what do you think their walking up after that night scene would look like?

So, they sleep together even though they're broken up and decide it's best not to be together? I mean ... if it's SE, them not being together is going to be for a very angsty reason, it's going to be because of an external obstacle with a lot of stakes so the way I envision them waking up after a moment of weakness is some sort of iteration of what I've written in fanfics:

She faced him, leaning into his body and immediately, he put his arms around her and she folded into his embrace, clutching onto his jacket. “I missed you.”

“I missed you,” he said and he held her even tighter, his mouth atop her head, in her hair. Elena blinked slowly in comfort, in relief and her hands slipped up to his chest and she pulled away slightly so that she could look directly at him. After a moment she lowered her gaze to his lips. Stefan paused, an expression of conflict passing over his face, and then he closed his eyes and pulled away further so that their embrace was almost broken.

“We can’t,” he said.

 “I know,” she said. “I know.”

Stefan lowered his hands so that he was no longer touching Elena and they stared at each other, their mouths moving silently with things they wanted to say. And then —

So, repurposing something like this, they would wake up holding each other, say they miss one another but nothing has changed and basically be Fitz and Olivia with their stupid one minutes where they let themselves be for a moment and it's bittersweet until one of them leaves

or they're Nick and June

Or it can be them waking up and awkwardly getting dressed and Stefan being like, "Last night was..." and she'll go "a mistake?" and he'll do that "turn sharply"

and then be like, "No, it could never be a mistake but it was selfish. We were selfish" as a callback to 2x06.

[bottombatch]

Fanfic Writer Questions

thanks for the tag @optiwashere!

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged! But here is one more for the road: @collegeoflore

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Apparently I have 20? That's news to me lol. I would have guessed like 10 to 12. I've used this AO3 account for a while, I guess.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

62,119 words, according to the statistics.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, only Baldur's Gate 3. Before that I was writing lightcanon for League of Legends.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. And They Were Roommates

2. To Muzzle a Gith

3. Misfit and Nomad

4. I Thought About You

5. Workouts in a Winter Hellscape

Damn. Some of these are callbacks.. Not too surprised, though. These either have popular ships or popular fandoms. LoL lightcanon in 1, 3, and 4 make sense to me, even if I'm embarrassed by the writing in them. Continually shocked by To Muzzle a Gith. I guess Shadowzel is that popular? I don't know. I have so little desire to write for them again and the writing in it makes me cringe, tbh. Same with #5 LMAO. You couldn't pay me enough to reread the fics I wrote in highschool.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes, always! Well. If someone comments on something really old I might not? But only because im scared they'll ask me to update it lmao. But in general, yes! I love talking and hearing what people liked!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

If I'm including the 20 QOTD Challenge fic (and i am because this is my post), I'd have to give it to Nerves, ch19 of that challenge. I mean, its a flashback scene about killing a childhood friend (and maybe lover) for a crumb of an uncaring goddess' attention.

It's pretty much the only piece of angst I've written that doesn't have some overtone of hope to it. I'm hoping to work it into my act 1 rewrite because I like it so much.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

To me, its Savoring Seconds from the challenge. It's bittersweet but after everything those two have been through... It's the happiest I can envision them ever being. Maybe that's just my bias tho :P

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No? Do most people get hate on fics? I haven't had anything of the sort. Hard to imagine what that would even be like..

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, I do. Outside of To Muzzle a Gith, I think I write pretty tame stuff? More emotional than anything.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

A Common Song was really the only crossover, but even then.. it was really just a League of Legends fic with a cyberpunk2077 au. It had some good ideas tho.. maybe I'll return to it some day.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I've noticed?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not really. I've helped with brainstorming before but that's really all.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

This.. is tough. I change fandoms too often for something like this 😭 If I had to pick a bg3 ship... Laz/Karlach. Is it cheating to say my OC ship? Probably. But fuck you, its MY post. I've cried multiple times on the bus just thinking about these two, no one else had quite the strangle hold on me. (I was thinking abt Karlach's funeral btw).

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

A Common Song. I was cooking on some of those ideas but I was FAR too ambitious lmao

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'm... Not totally sure, to be honest. Its hard to read your own stuff and see what's uniquely strong. If you have any thoughts, please let me know!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I don't think my writing has much rhythm to it. I'd like to work on that. Also my grammar is shoddy at best. English classes were always my lowest grades :,)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

For fantasy languages I think it's fun! It can add a lot of depth and creates a lot of insight to a characters culture. Dabbling with Drowic for example was a lot of fun.

But like, a real language? Naw. I don't know any other languages so unless it was a phrase I knew a character said in canon.. I wouldn't want to risk a shoddy google translate.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Uh. It was either Invader Zim, Mass Effect, or SAO? I'm not totally sure. This would have predated AO3, when I was in middle school or something. I've tried to find those fics but I think they're genuinely lost.

Probably for the best lol.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Currently, it is Snowfall. Once I post it, I think it'll be the act 1 rewrite.

[crusherthedoctor]

🦋 😎 🚦 💌

🦋 Which character is your favorite to write?

To the shock of no one, Eggman and Trudy. Eggman is my favourite character, and Trudy is my character, so naturally I tend to get especially into it when I'm writing for them.

I'm not ashamed to admit that, because unlike some writers with their own characters (hint hint), I always make sure it never comes at the expense of the other characters' respect and dignity.

😎 What fics do you prefer on a scale of canon compliant to wildly original?

Canon all the way. Years of fics and adaptations where the characters barely resemble who they're meant to be will do that to you.

I also consider it an engaging challenge to take concepts that would never happen officially, and try to tackle them in a way that would hopefully make sense in its execution if it were done officially.

🚦 What sort of endings do you prefer to write: ambiguous, bad, happily ever after, etc.?

Happy endings with a hint of bittersweet.

It hits the sweet spot for me, in that the villain leaves a undeniable impression, whose impact can't be swept under the rug so easily, but the heroes are still able to ultimately triumph after a lot of hard work.

💌 Is there a favorite trope you like to write?

This ain't all of them by any stretch, but here are some examples that come immediately to mind:

Villains who are both hilarious and genuinely ruthless. (Hi Eggman.)

Villainous breakdowns.

Characters getting to see the world for the first time.

A new setting for the hero(es) to explore, with its own history and atmosphere.

Cool environments with eye-catching aesthetics.

Fun and creative designs for antagonists/bosses/etc.

Building up to a mystery that seems to have an obvious answer on one hand, but remains mysterious in spite of that because of additional factors.

Gradually building up to darker elements as the plot goes on, with the optional bonus of said elements in question being not what you'd expect in terms of tragedy or creepiness. (Don't worry though, it'll never go into misery porn shenanigans, that's not my thing.)

Shy characters gradually building up their courage over the course of the story, without becoming a radically different person by the end of it.

Callbacks and continuity references, but only if they're used in moderation and feel organic.

Contrast. This can apply to anything, be they characters, creatures, plot beats, or even locations.

Writing Trudy's dialogue for so long has given me a very specific one: subverting the "sesquipedalian characters are always high and mighty" cliche. I dunno, it's just unexpectedly fun writing a character who is humble and down-to-earth, and juxtaposing that with her occasionally verbose language. (She doesn't use big words 24/7, just on the rare occasion, as I thought it'd be a nice little quirk for her that makes her dialogue that extra bit memorable and - hopefully - endearing.)

[hiroukeimou]

My thoughts on the (hopefully) season finale.

Let's hope I can keep myself sorted because I have had a long week in real life. Also, I'll be bringing up a few callbacks to previous episodes during this so bear in mind if you're super behind on the show.

Spoilers under the cut.

Right off the bat, let's tackle Rafael.

There is something I began to notice last episode in-between all the joking about his hair/posture: How much do we know about this antagonist from his own mouth? All we know about Rafael going into the finale is he might have been betrayed by his own comrades and fell into human hands (as per Shall concluding this without direct confirmation or flashbacks). There isn't much to go on about how or why he desires to be king over his own species other than for power. Because, if you think about it, if fairies betrayed him and humans subjugated him, why should he want to be king for anything other than power? And yet, in the finale, he's supposed to feel sympathetic in his final moments on screen. The problem is this is the final episode and he has primarily served as an exposition dump for the previous two episodes (outside of antagonizing Shall & Anne's relationship). Genuinely, I did not know if I was supposed to feel sorry for him or not because I know literally nothing about his person (of course, Lusul saying "I feel sorry for him" doesn't help). The worst part is he's been here for close to eight episodes…

The fight between him and Shall is… anti-climatic. There's an issue I had during this episode: The big confrontation they hyped up since last episode barely lasts two minutes in the episode itself. No joke, they trade blows for a bit then Hugh and Earl of Downing finally find their place (thanks to Shall) and Rafael simply throws himself off the fortress out of the blue. … … I'm sorry, WHAT!? That's it? This was my problem with the finale following the source material so faithfully because it shot itself in the metaphorical foot here. The animation is fire though; in fact, it's like that for basically all of this episode.

The lull after the fight feels alright. The downside of this small arc is I know none of the fairies names aside from Lusul and their time on screen is super short compared to the artisans earlier on. Regardless, at least they're free. I do have to question when and where Shall found all of their wings and still managed to catch up to them before the soldiers arrived. Especially since he was fighting Rafael most of the time...

The scene of Anne falling to her knees to hug Shall will forever live in my heart. The handholding scene, too.

The timeskip is a bit jarring since it goes from "soldiers incoming, explain thyselves" to "we're home everyone" within one cut. The reunion of Anne & Mythril was the most adorable thing. All of the artisans looking relieved also felt sweet. Even though it's a bit jarring everyone is acting like Anne was on vacation, I found it kind of cute how they all know Anne is worried about the sugar confections above everything else.

If I had not received vol.4 of the light novel on the day this aired, I would have found the conversation between Anne & Bridget odd. I'm not surprised she dissolved her engagement to Elliot or her relationship with Orland blossoming in the background.

Finally, Anne & Shall (plus Mythril at the end).

The ending of the show is bittersweet, of course, but it also isn't really uplifting either. The Holy Festival goes down without a hitch. However, Shall & Anne are now affected by Rafael's words and so there's no confession. The romantic tension of the previous six episodes has now died. It's sad because the trio themselves feels disconnected from every bit of plot that's happened in the last six episodes, I swear. They're optimistic for the future, and I love them for it, but I also felt so conflicted watching this scene in particular. There's something off about this bit of the episode, and looking at social media, I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling like this.

Hopefully J.C. Staff will come back to this. Until then, it's a long four-year wait until all 18 volumes of the light novels are finally released in English (provided Yen Press doesn't give up). Maybe I'll come back to this episode a bit more positive once I can read the volumes of the light novel these last few episodes covered. For now, this is all I can articulate.

[cantalooprat]

His Marriage Partner is Scheming

What I Liked

ngl a transmigration story doesn't have to hit this hard wtf

one of those novels that's actually p different from what i expected. mb sort of reverse "evil star general" which had a funny summary n i thought it was one of those "deceptive" meme summary heart-crushing plot but it was actually as lighthearted as implied. here it has a deceptively lighthearted, seemingly perfunctory, not-at-all different from other transmigration stories, but it's quite unlike the "usual kind" of transmigration stories which... damn i hate saying it like "she's not like other girls" but this wn really is different.

author actually wrote abt it in the last ch author notes, how this wn has a narrative style that isn't often used in webnovels these days n i get it. this novel is p insane. the beginning is laced with an undercurrent of melancholy at a seemingly bleak inevitable future, then it slowly, quietly blooms into a warm love story. the narrative is oftentimes vague and ambiguous, sometimes veering into seemingly irrelevant territory but dear lord it all ties together at the end, heartbreakingly so.

this story is a secret shared by a pair of accomplices, a paper bag full of sugar-fried chestnuts, strangely shaped strawberries, a bouquet of roses for a bass player, an umbrella-less kiss at a rainy night, a bridge built by an old man for his wife, golden sunlight filtering through a green-colored glass, strawberry-flavored rose and cactus-flavored vanilla and hydrangea-flavored blueberry---it is an eternity hidden within fleeting moments, the extraordinarily ordinary story of a sanctimonious capitalist and a dentist who was good at coaxing people.

author also mentioned in the author notes that novels r like a game in which there r 3 participants: the recorded people (the "protagonist"), the person recording (the "writer"), and the person flipping through the records (the "reader") and i was just like. hello orv my old friend.

both leads are highly rational people working together with each other to avoid their inevitable doom, with a dynamic that actually lowkey reminds me of teio's duotang... rly far away isn't it, but they give me that sort of vibe. accomplices drifting in that line between unreserved trust and a distance between their hearts at first, having tacit understanding but knowing that there's a line they "shouldn't cross". but when they do cross it, it's beautiful like a rose in full bloom.

he qiao and chi xueyan

their love story is so... dear lord. "love was a game that gave brilliant meaning to ordinary memories" is the best way to encapsulate it. i love how chi xueyan was falling first but then he qiao drew a line and then chi xueyan just tried his best being like "oh. he doesn't like me back. then we'll just be friends!" but then he qiao started to fall and had to try his best to chase chi xueyan lmao. but even all this takes on a very bittersweet note considering what actually happened in their previous timeline.

also love the four "iterations" of their lives: the main story, the high school au, the happy end au, and the original timeline (which made me cry wtf it didnt have to hit that hard)

i cried at he xiao's "conclusion" and the "backstory" of the "transmigration" spoiler this isn't transmigration it's regression and the beauty of it is that the "transmigrator" himself is an unreliable narrator.

i can't talk enough abt the narrative style it's almost like a fever dream. this isn't the type of story to be speed-read, it has to be savored and one has to remember details because there are constant callbacks and seemingly open-ended details that end up as closed loops and it's so incredibly beautiful. it's extremely introspective, told from the point of view of someone who "likes interesting things" and finds the most beautiful moments in his mundane daily life.

What I Disliked

damn idk nothing?? mb the clearly edited mtl lmao ok to be serious i feel like this novel can either sound poetic and beautiful or pretentious af, depending on the reader's taste.

Notes

one of my most unexpected finds of 2023

will buy in jj this novel is Worth It

i want to erase my memories of this novel and reread it

rly quite insane how 57+12 ch managed to pack so much it's an extremely dense story. idk if i'll ever reread in full bc it's actually an unexpectedly heavy read in the sense that one should activate all senses + brain to fully compute the story but it really is beautiful.

this story also reminds me of eill's finale in a different way compared to hfa, but at the core it's a song about happiness that comes from an ordinary love in extraordinary circumstances, so...

it's 02:40 and im typing this

[supersonic1994]

okay here we go again

Only for the young is the dreams you might not have (starts off in an ambiguous plane, speaker uses 2nd person narrative as an act of distancing themselves [McCartney is also famous for this], "only for the young" the speaker is looking back on a particular time in their life, "dreams you might not have" invokes a sense of vagueness: did they even exist in the first place? dreams = goals, or memory recollection), only for the young is the things we wont remember ("things" create vagueness, during the speakers youth something occurred that made them forget -> "wont remember" suggests the speaker is aware they happened, only they've become unreachable. Speaker uses "we" perhaps addressing another figure), and long ago there was things in the past (confirming that there was an "event" that occurred, speaker exists in ambiguity and vagueness perhaps due to memory fragments), and they never would be wrong (the "things" in the past that occurred are not wrong they simply Were), and for the young is the things we might remember (speaker suggests that it could be possible for them to remember) sitting here i'm waiting, a cause without a name, sitting here i'm waiting (speaker still doesn't seem to remember, and if they do then its a very private affair: it is unnamed, ref. to title, they are attached to the event(s) that occurred in their past) and I will feel, and down I will kneel (illusion to religiosity, sexual undertones, act of submission), 'Cause you were the one i'd never known, livin' in sin, living within (speaker addressing a sort of god-figure, sexual undertones continue; speaker feels impure and tainted internally, feeling of rejection arising from god-figure), is all the things i'll never know? (speaker phrases this as a question, they are unsure if they'll ever understand the god-figure, callback to first couple verses: speaker uses "things" ref. things in the past -> will they know/will they remember what they have forgotten/been turned away from?) only for the young is the things we might not know (ambiguity and vagueness again, seems like speaker is referencing the event that "never would be wrong" in connection to sin in prev. verses. The events that occurred were bad/wrong but the speaker doesn't see it that way, rather as things that happened -> with no recollection comes no wrong emotion) only for the young is the things we wont remember (back to "wont" remember rather than "might" remember, the speakers brain wont allow itself the memories, even if the speaker knows they exist), and long ago I said to myself that I feel inside I know (switch to first person outside chorus, speaker confirms that even if they aren't able to remember through their mind, their inside/body remembers -> body remembrance as sexual undertone [there's been multiple articles written on cell memory, but you don't need to read these to understand if you're familiar with, well, your body], only for the young is the things I don't remember (plural "things" ref. multiple events over the course of speakers youth, continued first person "I"), [repeat chorus] [repeat chorus again] and I remember life without a name (the things/events that occurred shaped the speakers life so that there was a before and after period -> "without a name" suggests the thing/events have a classification) and I remember, my life without a name (even if speaker can't remember the thing/events that occurred, they remember their life prior to it; bittersweet, possibly uplifting at time to have those memories, but it means that the speaker will forever be chained to them, because all else is lost -> confirming "sitting here i'm waiting, a cause without a name") [chorus repeats, though livin within changes to being within suggesting the events are a part of who speaker is now]

how much money would it take you to post an analysis of the lyrics in untitled on here

baby I wrote a whole fic

[luanna801]

“Will you swear to be my friend forever and ever?” demanded Anne eagerly.

Diana looked shocked.

“Why it’s dreadfully wicked to swear,” she said rebukingly.

“Oh no, not my kind of swearing. There are two kinds, you know.”

“I never heard of but one kind,” said Diana doubtfully.

“There really is another. Oh, it isn’t wicked at all. It just means vowing and promising solemnly.”

“Well, I don’t mind doing that,” agreed Diana, relieved. “How do you do it?”

“We must join hands—so,” said Anne gravely. “It ought to be over running water. We’ll just imagine this path is running water. I’ll repeat the oath first. I solemnly swear to be faithful to my bosom friend, Diana Barry, as long as the sun and moon shall endure. Now you say it and put my name in.”

- L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables (1908)

Anne and Diana’s vow in Anne of Green Gables the anime (1979), Anne of Green Gables (1985) and Anne with an E (2017).

[twilightofthesandwiches]

I mean, the thing that’s really amazing to me about the Rocky Horror Cult Phenomena is how much it fits with the themes of RHS. Like, Rocky Horror becoming The Midnight Movie and gaining this huge culture of callbacks and cosplay around it wasn’t like something anyone planned for or anything like that - it was a super-unexpected and strage and organically-grown thing and it just amazing how well it resonates with the movie itself. So many movies gain Fandoms that are kinda at Odds with What the Movie is Actually, so it’s really incredible that even with the Rocky Horror Fandom being what it is, it’s also so in-sync with the movie it’s based around in a strange way. 

Like, if you actually wanna think seriously about RHS, there are few major lenses of interpetation you can view it through: as a 70′s-style mockery of the 50′s, as a narrative about both the anxiety and thrill that comes with the changing times, as a Garden of Eden allegory starring a weird Reverse-God whose gospel is debauchery... but I think one of the biggest ones for me is how it is obviously a tribute to the experience of watching horror and sci-fi movies late at night - and the way these movies, however silly, can offer a sort of getaway from the restrictive, repressive environment of your everyday life. 

Like that is kinda what “Science Fiction/Double Feature” is literally about?

It’s about how much the speaker wants to watch a late-night screenings of science fiction\horror movies. And the verses are peppered with all of these vaugely sexual innuendos, it’s clear that this is at least part of why the speaker wants to go to the late night double feature picture show. Whatever it’s because sci-fi outfits allow for a bit more fanservice than your Regular Movies (”And Flash Gordon was there/In silver underwear”), or cause the thrills of the monsters can become strangely sexual (”And I really got hot\When I saw Janette Scott\Fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills”) or just for some midnight alone-time in the back row...

And in the stage version that line is usually sung by an Usherette character which kinda makes it like... it puts another layer of reality between the audience and the plot. Like, what is seen on stage isn’t a musical abstraction of Brad and Janet’s misadventure but a musical abstraction of the experience of the Usherette (and the cinema audience played by the Actual Audience) watching a horror movie starring Brad and Janet. In the Picture Show, this is replaced with just like... a lot of intentionally kitchy transitions and editing tricks to constantly remind the audience that This Is a Movie. Because regardless of the medium, Rocky Horror is in some way about the Experience of Watching Movies.

And this also comes up when the Criminologist speculates about the nature of reality - it is actually true that life is an illusion and reality is a figment of the imagination, because he is a fictional character in a movie. And Magenta’s verse in “Time Warp”

Like, I suppose literally in-universe she’s talking about her hobby of spying up on people in the castle (like she did to Janet and Rocky in ‘Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch Me’) but like... this is also about being The Audience? Like, the Audience watching the movie are the one who are sitting invisible in ‘another dimension’ and see everything that’s going on... and are being freed by fantasy. (and also it’s important to note that Magenta and the Usherette generally share an actress on stage, and in the Picture Show, share lips but not a voice).

I think you can very easily read Rocky Horror as being About how yeah these old horror movies are cheesy and stupid but they’re also, like, a place of escape from mainstream conservative culture, where you can allow yourself to celeberate the weird and transgressive. Even if it’s kinda bittersweet under the conditions that this transgressiveness always has to come from Monsters and Aliens, and that it was to always Obviously Be Bad, and it must be Defeated and Destroyed at the end - as both the protagonists and the audience must return to the daytime world of normalcy.

Even with Magenta kinda being the Usherette, I think the comperison between Brad and Janet and the Audience is a bit more important. They’re the one who transition from the everyday daylight world of social norms into the late-night world of transgression and release that is Frank’s Fantastic FuckCastle. I mean, that’s why they have so little agency in the plot, they are mostly just sitting back and watching the events unfold. That’s also why Brad seems to have adapted the “Dr. Frank N. Furter did nothing wrong” position by the movie’s climax (”What’s his crime?”). It’s kinda like he’s not really viewing him as a real life person within his own reality, but like a fictional villain. Which is also how Frank views himself - as we can see at the end of “I’m Going Home”. From an in-universe perspective, it seems like a delusion. but from our perspective he is 100% correct. There IS an audience of people watching that entire show unfurl and cheering for him. 

Basically yes I am saying Frank N. Furter is himself’s, Brand and Janet’s Problematic Fave

And then when Frank dies and the Servant Duo beams back to their home planet, it’s explictly not a triumphant moment. It’s not a moment of heroism or any sort of moral victory for normalcy over transgressivism. Like, Frank and Riff-Raff share a lot of the same rotten personality flaws - it’s just that Frank is confident and flamboyant about them while Riff-Raff is resentful and self-loathing. That’s part of why Columbia and Rocky had to die, to drive home the fact that Riff-Raff isn’t doing any of this out of concern for Frank’s victims or even really to go home. It’s purely about his own personal beef. And for Brad and Janet, the ending is really melancholy due to the way they have been stranded back in the ‘real world’. All of the strange characters are either dead or gone, the setting itself literally beamed off the planet. They’ve been changed by their experience, but now they’re back in this daylight world that they escaped from. Cause in the end, the Science Fiction Double Feature always ends. 

And you’ve got all of this, and then you look at Rocky Horror The Cultural  Phenomena and it’s like....... it became like the ultimate encapsulation of what it was tributing to begin with. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is THE late-night science fiction/horror movie event. Midnight Screenings carry this movie and this movie is iconic to Midnight Screenings. And it’s this place that allows you an escape from normalcy and a space to be transgressive - through shouting sexual and\or dark jokes along with everyone else in the movie theater and through being a space for experimenting with gender presentation and\or sexually provocative outfits....It really just became the extremely concentrated version of the experience it was trying to convey in the first place.

And the whole Audience Participation and Shadowcast phenomena really works to enchance the movie’s film of nonreality, which is I think Important to it. Like you know, when you’re sitting in a very rowdy movie theatre shouting profanities at the screen while a bunch of friends mimic the actors’ actions with a few cardboard props because they’ve seen the movie so many times they know them by heart - the murder and the cannibalism seems more and more unreal by emphasizing how much it’s Performance. But “Don’t Dream It, Be It” - already an in-universe Performance by the one character who knows there’s an Audience, feels just as real as ever. 

And it just, it FITS SO WELL TOGETHER, it’s amazing none of this was intentional or even predicted. It’s really just beautifully poetic that this fandom happened.

[swearingcactus]

and then we go to Callback and the haunting emptiness of Skyhold which is nostalgic and bittersweet and all but all I can think of is my shithead inquisitor Tobias Trevelyan and that smirk you wanna slap out of his lips, sitting whorishly on his skyhold throne, addressing duchess florianne with, "Welcome to Skyhold. My party."

like surely he would have thrown some sort of fit for having to lose the chance to do that again by relinquishing the rights to the fortress 😔

reading Tevinter Nights and nothing prepared me for the whiplash of going from a kind and quirky necromancy (aka my absolute favorite subclass of any fantasy setting) short story with a wholesome ending straight to The Horror of Hormak

[onceuponalegendbg]

Thoughts During TOH 3x01 Thank to Them

Alright, here we go. Let’s do this. Final season of the Owl House.

Man, the first six minutes are so bittersweet. All the adventures we would have had. But honestly, Dana and crew made the most of that intro holy cow.

It’s really cute that they were all trying to learn Spanish. Amity referencing the top student star. Ha.

Finding that little box was a little quick but I’m not gonna hold that against them.

Luz, baby, you really are too hard on yourself.

Luz being like “mom” and Camila not understanding that Luz is trying to warn her about something in the road actually reminds me of something that happened with me and my mom. We were trying to decide what to cook for dinner for a party. I saw a deer in the road and didn’t want to freak Mom out so I very calmly was like “Deer.” Mom didn’t get it and replied “I don’t think that would be a good idea for this.” And so more emphatically I said “No, Mom, deer,” and she finally saw it and hit the brakes.

….Anyway, back to the show.

Hunter has gotten really good at sewing. And wolves are cool.

Finding a character your relate to in an effort to try and sort your own stuff out? Say it isn’t so.

Camila is such a good mom, y’all. I’m crying. She loves Luz so much. Every scene with them hits so hard, why are they so good?! Frick me.

Willow is so supportive of her man lol.

Belos goop!

I never knew to fear giraffes until now.

Oh hey, Grey Griffin Goth Kid. Which flag are their nails painted for? Vee seems smitten.

The photo album of adventures we could have had. Sigh….. Last time I’ll bring it up I promise.

Oh? A little magic in those glyphs?

Oh, Hunter… we know you’re not crazy.

“You’re family now.” Aw, sweetie, don’t cry. Luz and Hunter’s sibling dynamic is all I ever wanted.

Nerd bros.

Uh, Camila? Got something to share with the class?

Luz baby… You couldn’t have known. I mean, the audience knew… but you couldn’t have.

Oh god everyone looks so cute!

Ah! Man! No! Not possession!

Oh. Hi. Jacob.

Oh, Goth Kid! (Do they have a name?)“Boo! Just lie to me!”

Evelyn? Interesting. Sounds like a Clawthorne.

“Sounds like big bro got a hot witch girlfriend and little bro got upset, but that’s just me.” Facts.

No! Belos is possessing him!

Man, she’s been making video diaries since she was a kid.

Awww no! The Azura books were something her dad left for her!!!! No! Don’t make me cry!

I’m gonna be honest, I completely forgot about the cut on his finger.

Oh! Interesting. Titan Blood = Able to do Glyphs.

Not gonna lie, Hunter looks dope.

Yooooo! The animation just got a boost! So smooth!

Leave Flapjack alone!

So… can Hunter not swim or….?

Yo are we actually going back now!!?

Man I saw the theories but I really hoped Flapjack wouldn’t die man.

“Sit up slowly, baby.” Aw Camila, why are you so good?

Of course they don’t blame Luz.

Camila is really coming with us? Oh man. I’m so excited for that.

“We’ll be back after we get some revenge.” Oh my god I love her.

Aw, the callback.

Man that was a lot. I’m still really processing all this but… man I’m so glad this show is back. I think the next one isn’t airing until 2023? But regardless, just having this was phenomenal.

Dana? Crew? You guys did amazing! Can’t wait to see more.

[theepsizet]

Sanders Sides Season 2 Finale Predictions

Or rather predictions for Pt 1/4 of the Season 2 finale, b/c I honestly have no idea what the plot is going to be AT ALL.

So, the Season 2 Finale is coming very soon, according to Thomas. Naturally, there’s still a lot of speculation into what will be shown. This entire post will be the obvious predictions (again for Pt 1/4), as well as a couple ideas that might seem far-fetched but can possibly make sense considering what the series.

And yes, this has been done before, but I might as well review the important points.

Prediction #1: Wrap Up Loose Ends

POF ended with a bittersweet end-card, but with tension still being in the air. Roman is pissed that Janus is accepted — his black-and-white mentality makes him believe/convinced that “Dark Sides” = evil, and it certainty didn’t help that both snapped at each other; aka that scene — and he’s even more upset that Patton is giving “the snake” a seat at the table.

Thomas said in one of his instagram Q&As that the Season 2 finale will have 4 parts, and with this in mind it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to believe that the Season 2 Finale will tie into POF and, subsequently the “Wedding vs Callback” trilogy — SvS, DWIT, and POF.

The trilogy was an emotional roller-coaster. It was a simple turned thought experiment where the final decision had dangerous consequences. This included Thomas worsening his relationship with intrusive thoughts — despite the beneficial outcome that Remus can now show up, he’s still not fully accepted by Thomas; his existence as “Dark Creativity” is just acknowledged — and revealing that Patton’s moral code was so extreme he believed/wanted Thomas to purse martyrdom and literally die for others for the cost of being a good person.

It’s wasn’t pleasant. And it certainly isn’t over.

Virgil and Janus have always had tension between each other every time the latter showed up. And since Virgil does know him personally, it makes the grudge much worse than Roman’s. It’s heavily implied — and even a common theory at this point — that the two had a fallout, of sorts, otherwise Virgil wouldn’t have any qualms for Janus being around.

And for a side who is 100% against anything that Janus brings to the discussion board, Virgil would naturally be absolutely pissed that Janus is accepted by Thomas.

There’s actually a very subtle hint in FWSA, where Virgil & Roman at the beginning of the episode both admonished Thomas for simply using “little white lies” that are otherwise harmful/not really impact compared to using deceit as a solution for trust issues.

(Side-note: Deep down, Virgil does understand Janus’ importance, but their past implied fallout would only diminish this idea. Virgil would only agree with Janus reluctantly, and even then he wouldn’t like to admit that the latter has some good points.

This could also tie into Virgil’s biggest of being seen as the “bad guy” again. He tried so hard to be accepted, and when he finally opened up about him being a Dark Side, Thomas was shocked... what would happen next? Will Thomas reject him once again? The answer is no, of course not. Thomas accepts him for who he is, but Virgil is still anxiety, and these questions can’t easily go away. Not only that, but no amount of deception/denial will help diminish this; hence why Virgil might even lash out if Janus even tries to remotely assure/comfort him.)

Speaking of Janus, Patton is also going to be someone that Virgil & Roman are both pissed at. For Roman, the reasons are explained above, but for Virgil... well...

It started after DWIT. Virgil was disappointed in himself that he couldn’t protect Thomas from, and since he is the embodiment of anxiety, he naturally thinks of the worst possibilities. And since Patton was pretty accepting of Remus existing — while he’s still uncomfortable, Patton understands that intrusive thoughts are natural and chastising Thomas certainly doesn’t help — Virgil is naturally going to think that if Patton accepts the others, then what bad thing could they do to Thomas?

In the Asides, Virgil made two sarcastic quips towards Patton that were pretty insensative on his part. It would make sense he would make this when Patton accepted that Remus and Janus should be allowed be more prominent:

When Patton suggested they should try to relax: “You [Patton] do realize who you’re talking too?” (ATHD?)

“Oh that’s great, you’re giving Thomas permission.” (WTIT)

Even the 5th anniversary made it clear that Virgil wasn’t too thrilled with Janus being included, and found the best way to actually make him into a flustered mess  (“Ask Janus about our song ‘Lies’”).

So, with that out of the way, what does this mean for the Season 2 finale?

There is going to be tension between the 4 sides that will possibly result in a pissed-off argument: Janus & Patton — who simply want what’s best for Thomas — vs Roman & Virgil — who also want what’s best for Thomas, but are too arrogant to understand the problems of listening to only SPECIFIC sides, rather than all 7.

And that’s what Thomas CANNOT do.

If he listened to Virgil & Roman only, he would not only diminish the importance of the other sides, and a black-and-white mentality + his anxiety would only highlight this need to diminish the others to a concerning degree.

Except Virgil & Roman’s job has nothing to do with Thomas’ morality. Not really:

Janus is Thomas’ self-preservation. He’s there to stop Thomas from going over the edge by reminding him to take care of himself.

Patton is Thomas’ morality. He’s there to as Thomas’ personal guide to what’s right and wrong.

(Another side-note:

That isn’t to say that Roman and Virgil’s concerns aren’t valid. Both Janus and Patton need to stop the other for going too far, but POF expressed the idea that it can ONLY be Patton and Janus. Not any other side because it isn’t their job.

Keep in mind that Patton and Janus are not only mature sides with a grey mentality and understand/accept the mistakes they make, but both are assertive sides. Janus fights back to whoever harms him (as showcased when Roman), and Patton reminds the group if an idea is bad/reminds them not to be arrogant:

SVS: “What is this wacky talk? I- You don't mean any of this. I'm your morality, I wouldn't be here if you did!”

LNTAO:

Logan:

Patton:

Moving On, pt 1:

Thomas: I'm sorry I got excited. I know that Virgil's room is where I have to go in order to heighten my anxiety. I gotta think that your room is literally sunshine and rainbows.

Patton: Wha... -laughs nervously- I— -laughs- It's- It's not quite like that, uh...

Thomas: Still, you're at the core of a lot of my happy feelings.

Patton: I'm at the core of a lot of your feelings.

In-conclusion: It’s going to be a mess. A fight where the 4 sides are so pissed off at each other that nothing will be accomplished.

Prediction #2: Patton will snap

So just before Halloween last year, Thomas posted this picture on his twitter:

This tweet was theorized to be a reference to 2 things:

Logan’s Line in AA pt 1 “Flames. On the side of my face. See-Seething... Seething fire”)

Or what occured in WTIT; specifically that infamous scene with the orange eyes:

Interestingly enough, the Spyro Youtooz was later put on Patton’s box. And this can be seen in the background of 2 videos that occured after this tweet. These videos are the 5th anniversary, and, more recently, the video where Thomas plays FNAF for the first time:

Sanders Sides is a series where the devil is in the details, and the fact that Patton’s box has the Spyro Youtbooz led to many theories regarding one specific side.

Yes, I’m talking about Orange.

If the Orange Side embodies rage/wrath, it would make sense that he would have an effect on the other sides. And if the Season 2 finale has 4 of Thomas’ sides pissed at each other, it wouldn’t be to far-fetched to say that Patton will probably snap out of rage at the other sides — again, probably Roman and/or Virgil, for reasons explained above (aka he’s Thomas’ morality, it’s HIS job to know what is right/wrong for Thomas, not theirs).

(Side-note: This isn’t my theory, btw. Many people have already pointed this out; I just thought to bring this point up again to table.)

There’s actually another point to keep in mind, but if the discussion does turn into an argument where the 4 sides are at each other’s throats, then it makes sense that Orange will have subtle influence. He will definitely play a very important part, just like how Virgil & Remus played a subtle yet important part in POF (<cough, cough> the Trolley Problem).

Another thing to keep in mind: In an anger-driven argument, its easier to tune the other person out that actually listen to them. This is just how all arguments become fights. Because of course you’re right. What do they know? The other person is wrong... right?

Tuning the other person out and attacking them out of anger is what naturally occurs in most fights. And these fights tend to be pointless. Nothing gets accomplished, and in the end, both parties simply feel like it was a waste of time.

Prediction #3: Speaking of Orange’s influence

It’s possible he might make a debut. Not a full debut, but possibly a cameo. Maybe. This is going quite beyond simplicity, but it makes sense considering one simple fact.

Season 2 focuses on Thomas realizing he’s not perfect, and that there is no such thing as labeling “good” or “bad” to individual aspects of his personality. Especially to sides he was completely unaware of.

Still, it will only be a cameo. Not a full debut. I still affirm my point that the Season 2 finale will focus on Janus, Patton, Virgil, & Roman, and not have anything to do with Orange. If he does show up, it will be in a penultimate scene or endcard of Pt 3 or 4, showcasing that he does have influence on the other sides.

And his influence could actually prove that Orange possess a hidden role that Thomas should have and needs: catharsis.

Anger isn’t an emotion you can simply repress; it's practically designed to be let out. Holding it in actually makes the anger a lot more volatile, and just like Remus will actually have consequences the more it isn’t released. If Orange is catharsis, the 4 sides fighting each other will help prevent further fights from occurring in the future. It would further prove the duality of a Side: Orange can be harmful, even violent but be needed to blow off some steam before it gets worse.

Final words:

Ooh boy, this post was a lot. I apologize if it’s a mess, but there is just a lot to talk about. I kind of needed to get it out of my system. Feel free to ask me for clarification if you need any.

(Also, more of a personal note, @beauty-and-passion​ thoughts?)

[bexrisa]

out of all the friends she's made in the years since moving, kou was (very debatably) the most fun. while they weren't exactly peers, and it often ended up with risa looking out for kou like another younger sibing, she was thankful to have someone that constantly reminded her of home, no matter how bittersweet.

so when kou wants to run an errand for her- something simple, surely that should be easy, as he assures her, risa doesn't really think twice about it, sending him out with in hindsight what was definitely too little direction.

it's almost suspicious how quickly the younger returns, though she doesn't think past it. (kou has always had some sort of extracurricular speed when it came to things- which has come in handy before.) after all, she's got bigger things on her mind, like preparing an audition song for a callback that she actually, wasn't really expecting, and there's an ache in her to tell someone, anyone, but she hasn't.

kou shows back up with bag in hand and a grin, and she rolls her eyes with a laugh, "ahhh, i guess it was a pretty treacherous journey for you." risa teases, taking the bag from his hands with an affectionate pat on the head. "i guess that's why there's already ramen waiting for you in the kitchen, hm?"

bleach starter for @bexrisa

the task had been simple enough. get risa some hair dye. yet for some reason, kou had felt as though risa didn't quite trust him enough to complete such an easy task. "i can do that much," he'd told her. all he had to do was go to a store, find some black hair dye and then – bam! he was done. as much of an idiot as many claimed that kou was, he wasn't a complete fool. he found a store not too far from risa's place, and lo and behold! a whole section dedicated to hairstyling products! kou smiled to himself as he inched closer to the area, covered in many different shampoos, conditioners, moose and waxing products. but he needed none of this. stay focused! he told himself as he searched the area.

"ah," he mumbled aloud when he found the row of hair dye. but here though, came the problem. while finding the hair dye was easy ... finding the right one, would perhaps pose a problem for someone like kou. the words were written in either korea or english – neither of which kou was exactly fluent in. he'd grown up in japan after all, and his family rarely ever used english. and while kou could speak fluent korean, there were still words that he couldn't quite grasp.

he stared at the row, furrowing his brows. "black hair dye. black hair dye. black hair," he repeated to himself in japanese. still, what exactly did they call black hair dye in korean? he had to figure it out. and while he could've easily picked up the phone and sent risa a text, he decided against it. he was not going to let her have the satisfaction of knowing he failed. and so, kou picked up a box with a photo of a woman and black hair and called it a day.

he arrived at risa's place soon enough. "hey!" he greeted, holding up the bag proudly. "i completed my mission. i accept payment in the form of some ramen please," he joked, passing risa the bag.