#since a lot of this season has been about Wilhelm not knowing what he truly wants to be

[dumbandpoetical]

Wille removing his purple nail polish before his birthday broke my heart, especially when you consider that purple is Simon's color. He was essentially hiding who he was once again, all for the Crown's sake. I hope that in episode six he finally realizes that he can choose who he wants to be, and doesn't have to be trapped by the monarchy.

[sunflower73498]

I literally can’t stop thinking about Young Royals S3

I have always been fascinated by Wille’s relationship with his parents, or lack thereof. Specifically his mother, because until this season, his father was little more than a cardboard cutout. In S1 I strongly disliked Kristina. In S2 she seemed to be trying a little more, though her efforts were specifically aimed at achieving her own goals for Wilhelm, not his. In S3, I once again dislike her, but I feel bad for disliking her.

Because truly, her grief, the extreme psychological and physical manifestations of losing a child that she is experiencing, is all completely valid, and within the spectrum of what is expected of a parent who has lost a child. I feel sympathy for the physical and mental health problems she is experiencing, and I think it’s OK for her to be experiencing it, to take a step back to deal with it. 

What I don’t think is OK, however, is expecting her 16 year old son, a first year HS student with his own history of mental illness, who is also deeply grieving, to take over all of her responsibilities. Yeah, they don’t really mean for him to take over everything, because he’s a kid and still in school, but they’ve also really stepped up the pressure on him without offering much additional support (Farima offers some, she’s the most present adult in his life this season, and really the one who seems to know him and care about him most of the adults on the show). They ask him to start a foundation and support a cause, but neither of his parents show up to support him in doing that, even knowing that he has sometimes extreme anxiety regarding public speaking/public appearances. They don’t walk him through the process or offer guidance, just constantly remind him that he’s expected to step up, and may have to fully take over within a year or two, and send Farima to deal with him (which in my opinion is much better that Jan Olof, because Farima actually seems patient with Wilhelm and to know how to handle his emotions with sensitivity). 

While I’m mad at Kristina, despite her legitimate grief, I’m more mad at Ludvig, I think. Yes, he also lost a child and is grieving, but he’s holding it together enough to support his wife, so why isn’t he offering any of that support to his son, even when said son starts reaching out more, and clearly wants to talk? 

I also think this is all complicated by the fact that Wilhelm didn’t have a good, close relationship with his parents to begin with. Kristina was harsh and dismissive of him even before Erik died in season 1. If Kristina had only started neglecting Wilhelm, putting excessive pressure on him and comparing him to Erik after Erik had passed, I would be a lot more forgiving. But I get the impression that Wilhelm has always been compared to Erik, has always been made to feel that he isn’t good enough in comparison and needs to be more like Erik, and his parents have never made much effort to understand him. I think he often only got attention when he was in trouble, and toddlers and teenagers are similar in the fact that if their negative behaviors are what get the attention the desire, they will keep doing that as long as it is reinforced that negative behavior leads to attention. His outburst at them in episode 5 had been building a lot longer than the few months since Erik died. 

I think his parents both desperately needed to hear what he was shouting out them. I think that shouting and getting angry and destroying things wasn’t the best way to go about getting them to listen, but as discussed above, I think it’s the only way he really knows how to get their attention. And yeah, the timing isn’t great, when his mother is suffering so much, but Wille is suffering, too, and he has reached his limit. It seems like a relatively little thing, to get mad that his parents talked too much about Erik on a day that’s supposed to be about Wilhelm and that his mom didn’t feel up to sticking around for cake, but that was really just the final straw on a long history of trauma, turmoil, and emotional neglect, the last Jenga block being pulled out before the tower toppled. 

(Admittedly, this is young royals, it’s a show about Wilhelm, and we viewers have come to love him over the 3 seasons, it’s his struggle that is being portrayed, so of course I’m on his side and want better for him rather than siding with his mother even though I do feel some sympathy for her.)

Anyway, I will probably keep reflecting on this aspect of the show for a lot longer. Maybe I’ll even feel some inspiration to write fan fiction in response. We’ll see where it goes. 

I also have a lot more thoughts about August, and about Farima of all people to share at some point.

[altruistic-meme]

Hmmmm so I think that season one and season two have very different vibes if that makes sense?? Season one feels quieter simpler and more intimate somehow, like there's only a few main plot lines to follow and the focus is almost always on Simon and wille, whereas with season 2 it feels like SO MANY THINGS happened! Maybe it's bc I just watched the show so quickly and haven't really processed it yet but there were so many ups and downs and so many revelations and twists and it felt very chaotic and dramatic and angsty and messy. It's not necessarily worse or better than the first season, it's just different! And kind of unexpected. Like s1 is what you watch if you want a really nice quiet story that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you want more, and S2 is what you watch if you're in the mood for revenge and drama and lies and betrayal and chaos. What do you think?

I fully agree that the vibes are so so different, and it’s something i’ve been thinking about since my first watch. And I actually kind of really like the contrast between them! It's exactly what we were told it was: Season 2 was darker than season 1.

This is what I meant when I said that “they were all so baby” in s1: Season 1 feels incredibly hopeful. It’s very much lighter, and although the stakes aren’t necessarily any lower we don’t tend to notice them as much. Season 1 does have Wilhelm and Simon as one of the biggest focuses and their relationship, while definitely having its downs, also has enough ups to balance it out pretty well. Even though we have so many moments where they break apart, we also almost always see them come back together again either in that same episode or in the one right after. Even after the final break up in epi 6, we get the hopefulness that came with their hug and Wilhelm’s “I love you”: yes, they aren’t together, but we can see that they want to be, and now Simon knows how Wilhelm feels, and we know that Wilhelm is getting ready to fight for it. 

In season 2, all of this hopefulness is gone. It’s a lot more somber. We see early on that it won’t have that same back and forth that season one did. Simon admits to thinking of Wilhelm all break, but he also shrugs off his hand and tells him he doesn’t want them talking. There are only downs, for a while, between them. Every conversation is painful because you want them to be together, to be happy again, but there is too much happening between them and around them for us to have that. They don’t get a moment of joy together until epi 4, and even then that moment is disrupted and the beginning of the next episode shows that we’re back to having that space. 

We do come to a much more hopeful ending than we did in season 1 though: Simon confesses in return, he wants to be with Wille even against his desire to not be a secret, and Wille is finally in a place where he has found out that he wants nothing more than to be with Simon, even at threat of the monarchy. Wille had all-but-directly told Simon he would give up the throne for him already. He’s told Simon that he is more important than that, and with the belief that there is a backup, the final scene is him risking that for Simon. It’s the return of that hopefulness for a future that we had had in s1 and had been robbed of throughout s2. 

I use hopefulness to describe it because that’s what it feels like to me. But lightness is another way you could go. 

As far as the actual contents, i don’t actually feel like we were truly short on Wilhelm/Simon content, just joy. Like I said, most of their interactions hurt. And there was definitely a lot going on but I feel like it was more of a culmination of everything going on in season 1. It didn’t feel messy to me, story-wise. It was messy in a very real way. When all of these things begin at the same time, they’ll all come crashing at the same time too. S2 was that crash. It was everything we had worked on in s1 falling apart and coming together and the result was messy because life gets messy sometimes. 

S1 is definitely what to watch when you want that heartstring pull, but I don’t think s2 was only about drama and revenge. It pulls your heartstrings too. Again, especially between Wilhelm and Simon. The way they so clearly want each other but can’t have each other.

So yeah, I definitely agree with you that they are incredibly different seasons. I think they work well together though. I had the joy of being able to watch them back to back and honestly, the shift isn’t as drastic as I thought it might be. Because like I said, s2 was a natural crash after s1. I loved both seasons so much. I really hope we get a third, because there is definitely more we could see, and like many have said before me I think a third season would be the perfect way to wrap things up.

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Anime vs. Real Life — Escape the Monotony of Life With Laid-Back Camp Season 2

  I just can’t thank Laid-Back Camp enough for providing me with a weekly dose of eye-cleansing, soul-soothing escape during these times. Like many, I’ve been more or less confined to my same four walls for what feels like half an eternity by now, so getting to admire the sunrise from atop Mt. Minobu, watching the waves at Cape Omaezaki, or just enjoying the sunset over Lake Hamana, has been a more than welcome diversion from the current monotony of life. Of course, there’s nothing I’d rather do than go and visit all of these locations in person again like for the first season, but that’ll have to wait. But even while I was only sifting through these places on Google Street View in preparation for this article, I often found myself wandering off for hours on end, just taking in some of these gorgeous locales I’ve never seen before. So in the hope that they provide you with the same feeling of diversion I got from them, let’s take a look at over 60 real-life locations from the first three episodes of the second season of Laid-Back Camp! 

  *Author's own images are marked as such, all other images were taken with GOOGLE STREET VIEW

    The show’s opening shot paints a familiar picture, as we once again get to experience the serene and beautiful Japanese countryside by following Rin and Nadeshiko on their little camping adventures. The main setting of the show is once again Yamanashi Prefecture, specifically the area along the Fuji River and around Minobu, which is only about two hours away from Tokyo. 

      And just like in the first season, it’s so easy to get swept away by the show’s beautiful and accurate portrayal of the great outdoors. 

      At the end of the first episode, Rin sets off from around Furuseki in Minobu and passes this little train crossing near Tokiwa on her way to Nambu.

    While there are some truly magnificent views along the roads that follow the Tokiwa and Fuji River, it’s also fun to just virtually wander off into some of the smaller villages and valleys around the area, as there are some really cool little shrines and scenic spots to discover. 

      On her way to her next camping destination, Rin passes through the small town of Nambu, which is also where Nadehshiko lives. And as it so happens, the two run across each other after Nadeshiko grabbed herself a small breakfast at the Daily Yamazaki convenience store (pictured below) before her shift. 

      From there she sets off to Cape Omaezaki in Shizuoka Prefecture, but more on that a bit further down in this article. 

        While Rin is off on her solo adventure, it’s back to work for Nadeshiko, who delivers the mail for the Minobu Post Office as part of her part-time job.

      Luckily for her, Ena also works at the Minobu Post Office, so the two friends get to enjoy their lunch break together along the nearby shore of the Hagii River.

          Rin is cycling across Hagii Bridge here, which crosses the small Hagii River in Minobu. 

      Wilhelm Donko

  Wilhelm Donko

  Not too far from the Minobu Post Office is the 1,153-meter tall Mt. Minobu, which is easily accessible via ropeway. Chiaki and Aoi decide to visit their first shrine and watch the first sunrise of the new year here together. 

  Wilhelm Donko

  Called hatsumode — hatsu literally means first and mode means shrine visit — it’s an annual tradition in Japan to visit a shrine (or temple) within the first few days of a new year to make a couple of wishes and do a few prayers. Chiaki and Aoi do that at the Okunoin Shishinkaku Temple atop the mountain, which is part of the larger Kuonji Temple at the base of the mountain. 

  Wilhelm Donko

  Watching the first sunrise of the year is another popular custom in Japan, which kind of sets the tone for the whole year to come. Mt. Minobu is definitely a good place to do just that, as it also offers a glimpse of the magical Mt. Fuji. I got to visit Mt. Minobu back in 2019 when I was in the area taking photos of the locations from the first season, but, just like Chiaki who wanted to see the Diamond Fuji phenomenon, I also got a bit unlucky with the weather up top. 

  Wilhelm Donko

  Wilhelm Donko

  But that wasn’t too much of a problem for me, as I treated myself to some sweet, sweet dango skewers in return. The grilled rice dumplings were served with a slightly sweet and sticky walnut sauce, and yes, they tasted just as good as they looked.

  Wilhelm Donko

  Situated a bit further down the mountain is the impressive Kuonji Temple, which was founded in 1281 by Nichiren. The tucked-away temple features a spectacular five-story pagoda and a highly picturesque 287-step staircase, called the “steps of enlightenment.” 

      The gang didn’t get to see the so-called Diamond Fuji on top of Mt. Minobu, which occurs when the rising or setting sun aligns just perfectly with the peak of Mt. Fuji, so they tried their luck elsewhere by checking out the viewpoint from this parking lot in Takaori. However, they were just a tad too late again. 

    Meanwhile, Rin decided to spend the beginning of the new year in Shizuoka Prefecture, making a quick stop at the Omaezaki Lighthouse, which is situated at the southernmost point of the Prefecture. I’ve always been a big fan of the most extreme geographical points of an area, so Cape Omaezaki definitely made it on my future travel list. 

      But that’s not all the place has going for it, the view from up top is also pretty amazing. 

      We know the drill by now — empty roads as far as the eye can see, beautiful landscapes left and right, and Rin riding her scooter, heading for the Ryuyokaiyo Koen Auto Camping Ground this time around.

      Along the way, she decides to take a quick break for tea at the Kimikura Café and later pays the Mitsuke Tenjin Shrine a short visit. 

      Rin spends the night at the Ryuyokaiyo Koen Auto Camping Ground near Hamamatsu City, but unfortunately, I was not able to get any good pictures of the place. From there it was on to the next camping ground for her. 

      You can spot the Shinkansen Bullet Train in the background.   

    This little bridge close to the Nagisaen Camping Ground was featured a couple of times already during the first season (although from the other direction) since this was close to where Nadeshiko lived before she moved to Yamanashi. 

    Rin uses the day in Hamamatsu by visiting some of the local sights, such as the 632-meter long Hamana Bridge, which spans across the canal that connects Lake Hamana to the Pacific Ocean.

    And since this is Rin we’re talking about, she also treats herself to a quick hot spring visit at the Kaishunro Onsen Hotel, which has a nice view of Lake Hamana and its famous floating torii gate. 

    The 18-meter tall torii gate was only built in 1973, but it has soon become one of the symbols of the area, and is at its prettiest when the sun sets just right into the gate. 

    On her way to the next destination, Rin crosses Hamanako Bridge, which leads her to Kanzanji Onsen. 

      If you haven’t already noticed in the anime, the Kanzanji Onsen resort area, which is located on an inlet on the eastern shore of Lake Hamana, is famous for one thing, and one thing in particular: eel!

    Lake Hamana is the birthplace of eel farming in Japan and is known for the finest and priciest eel (called unagi in Japanese) the country has to offer. This is also why just about every restaurant in the area is specialized in eel.

        You’ll find the word eel written here just about everywhere you look … oh, the eel pressure.

    However, since eel is fairly pricey (especially the famous Hamana eel) Rin opts to just visit the Shizuhana sweets shop instead. 

    Fujitaya is another sweets shop close to Kiga Station.

  After getting a call from Nadeshiko that she’s also in the area, Rin heads to the nearby Hamanako-Sakume Station to meet up with her.

  And just like in the anime, the tracks of the station are often filled with seagulls in real life as well.

  Even though Rin was a bit strapped for cash, it just wouldn’t be a trip to Hamamatsu without even trying some of its famous eel, so Nadeshiko treats her to the Unagi Sakume Restaurant close to Hamanako-Sakume Station.

    It’s only a short walk from the station to Nadeshiko’s grandmother’s house. 

      However, the location used for her house in the anime is currently just an empty lot, which marks a good end for the first rundown of all of the locations of the second season of Laid-Back Camp.

  In case you virtually want to check out any of these places yourself, check out my newly updated map below:

      What's a place from Laid-Back Camp that you'd like to check out some day? Sound off in the comments below!

      Wilhelm is an anime tourist, who loves to search for and uncover the real-world spots he sees in anime. You can talk with him on Twitter @Surwill or on Instagram wilhelm_donko.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features! 

By: Wilhelm Donko

[suburbangothc]

Hoooo boy, okay, this is a big one.

I have so many issues with people calling Noorhelm abusive and problematic.  I think a lot of their examples of abuse or problematic issues are completely misinterpreted scenes that they’re skewing to fit their own agenda.  Let’s start at the beginning shall we?

I was listening to 90’s music while I wrote this so every section is named after 90’s song titles, just go along with it.  Also this is like term paper long so if you make it to the end I commend you.

Lovefool, or The Vilde Issue

So a lot of people have a ton of issues toward William’s actions when it comes to Vilde.  So let’s start at the beginning of their interactions.  Here we have William, someone who obviously engages in casual sex with girls he meets, not really starting friendships with them but is respectful to them nonetheless.  Then we have Vilde, someone who is a virgin but is interested in the social climbing that would come with losing her virginity to William.

Vilde made it clear from the start that she was only looking to lose her virginity to William because he was the coolest, most handsome guy in 3rd year.  When talking to Noora and Eva she made it a point to tell them it didn’t matter how well she knew him, he’d be perfect because he’s popular and gives girls orgasms on their first time.  Only afterwards when he was nice and sweet to her during her first time, which is how everyone should act on a one night stand, did she become obsessed.  

Another issue people have is that William didn’t wear a condom when they had sex.  Do I think that it’s incredibly idiotic to not wear a condom, ESPECIALLY if you’re participating in casual sex with multiple partners?  Uh, of course it is.  Like wtf you doing William???  But do I think that that Vilde had the ability to say, “No I only practice safe sex”?  Of course she did!  This idea that Vilde had no control over the situation is a ridiculous notion.  She could’ve just gotten up and left once he said he didn’t have sex with condoms.  She chose to risk it.  It was a stupid choice, but it was HER choice.  Also, people have said Vilde was so drunk she couldn’t walk and I’m like l o l okay girl was like chugging from a wine bottle at the party in the 5th episode, I think she can handle a glass of wine.  She was perfectly in control of her actions & thoughts the entire scene we see her in, and she leaves right after that.

Another issue I see people have is that William treated Vilde like garbage after they had sex, which isn’t true.  When he saw her afterward at school he said hello while passing by.  He didn’t shame her around school, he didn’t talk trash to his friends about her.  He treated her like all the other girls he had casual sex with, which is perfectly fine since there’s nothing wrong with having casual sex, and casual sex was Vilde’s intention in the first place.  I also don’t believe that Vilde’s evolving obsession with William really should have any affect on how William lives his life after their tryst.  If this were the other way around, and William developed obsessive feelings for Vilde, but she didn’t like him romantically, and she kissed another boy at a party, would we really be having this same discussion?

The scene where William tells Vilde she’s not good enough, we have to remember that she approached him with the intent on humiliating him and embarrassing him.  She wanted to gain back her dignity by making him feel small and like an asshole for basically treating her like he treats every other girl he’s been with, which is not hostile, not with disrespect, but like a very casual acquaintance.  I don’t understand why this is an issue, seeing as they don’t actually KNOW one another, and neither of them were interested in getting to know the other beforehand.  The difference between her and the other girls is she’s built this delusion in her head that their time together meant more than either of them intended it to, which, y’know, happens to a lot of people who think they can keep sex casual but can’t.  It’s not really a flaw of Vilde’s, but it’s also not William’s fault she developed these feelings.  This is also not me excusing his remark, because it was a pretty douche move.

Where in the School Yard is Noora Sætre?  (does anyone know this show)

After the “you’re not good enough,” line, we see Noora stand up the way Vilde wanted to and completely destroy William.  Instead of upsetting him though, he immediately becomes interested in this blonde girl who stood up to him in a way nobody else would dare to.

Now we get to the part where people call him a “stalker”, which honestly makes me laugh cause…okay.

Let’s break it down into the times William actually talked to her before she goes on a date with him:

First Scene: Justin Bieber Scene.

Okay, so here we have Eva and Noora sitting on a park bench literally in front of William’s car.  He comes up behind her, asks her to come home and do homework with him (smooth), she laughs and calls him Wilhelm for the first time as a suppression technique she learned from Suits, says she’ll call him an asshole if she can call him whatever she wants, he laughs and then walks to his car to leave.  Like, his car is right there, was he supposed to walk a different way to it?

Second Scene: School Stairwell.

So we’re two for two in the places they meet being at school.  I feel like the antis never went to high school?  You run into the same people a lot in the hallways btw.  So stalking now means walking down the stairs in the common building of your school and running into someone and stopping to talk to them.  Cool.

A lot of people have issue with this scene in general saying that it’s manipulative of him, but throughout this entire scene she’s making fun and laughing (at his expense but whatever).  I see a lot of people misquote what William says as, “To get rid of me you have to go on a date with me,” which is…not what he says lol.  William doesn’t really know Noora at this point, but he can tell when something’s a game, and this is a game.  She’s not demanding he leave her alone, she’s not blocking his number.  She’s smiling and making fun of him, sure, but her challenging nature is what drew him in in the first place.  What he DOES say is, “So If you really wanna get rid of me, just go on a date with me.”  I honestly think if she had said this to him, “Listen asshole, it’s never gonna happen, so leave me the fuck alone,” and walked away that s2 would never have happened.  I think he sees this as a playful game between the two of them, but if she ever truly told him to leave her alone that he would.

Then she asks if that’s all, and he says, “Fucking hell, you’re so beautiful,” and he got this girl Shook™.  The girl who always has something to say is s p e e c h l e s s, smiling and looking at her friend.  We see him not expecting that response, but delighted that it happened.  I think it not only shows to him, but to the audience, that his attention is not unwanted from her.  That him telling her she’s beautiful is a good thing to her, even if for just a moment.  She smiles as she passes by him, lightly bumping into his shoulder, and he says, “Just tell me what I should do!”  To me, all of this is incredibly playful banter.

Let’s get into the next part that I feel is the biggest misconception of their entire relationship:

Can’t Fight the Moonlight, or The Deal + The Date (honestly listen to this song lmfao it’s william to noora)

So while we don’t actually see the deal going down (s1 is from Eva’s POV so unless she’s there we don’t see things happening), we can properly assume that the deal was Noora’s idea.  At the end of their last interaction, he yells out “Just tell me what I should do!”, and then she goes to the school doc and finds out that Vilde just has gas from her weird breakfast of diet coke and gum (????? lmao).  When Noora tells her she knows what Vilde is doing in terms of her eating habits, Vilde brings up the “but not good enough.”  The camera pans to Noora’s face after Vilde leaves, and you can tell her thinking cap was just placed on her head (lol).

A lot of people blame William for Vilde’s slow descent into almost having an eating disorder, but I can let you now as someone who has HAD an eating disorder that that is NOT how that works.  One comment isn’t going to break you like that, especially since eating disorders are based on your own perception not other people’s, as well as consistent pressures put on you (dancers, models, etc).  I had plenty of people telling me I looked awful how thin I was, but it just wasn’t thin enough for ME.  We also never see Vilde eat before the 8th episode, so we have absolutely no idea what her eating habits were like before as a base line.

I see SO many people saying that he forced and manipulated Noora into their first date but…like…are we watching the same show?  A deal was made between the two of them, William had to apologize to Vilde, and then Noora would go on a date with him.  Like I said, we don’t actually see the deal going down, but we can assume Noora was the one who brought up the deal.  Why would William, who we know from their first date thinks that him apologizing to Vilde was a terrible idea, go up to Noora and say, “If you go out on a date with me I’ll apologize,”?  No.  What makes all the sense in the world is if Noora went up to him and told him that if he apologizes to Vilde she will go out on ONE date with him.  He immediately apologizes to Vilde at the Christmas party (I honestly don’t think he really meant what he said to her before, he was just trying to get her to leave him alone), and then the season ends.

Now jump to two and a half MONTHS later, and we’re at the beginning of season 2.  So for the last two and a half months Noora has been evading fulfilling her side of the bargain.  This part is what makes me kinda mad when people talk about William manipulating Noora, when it actually up until this point she was the one who manipulated him.  She had a problem (she wanted to fix Vilde), and she figured out a way to use someone’s feelings and emotions to get her way (even though she should know William apologizing isn’t enough to fix ingrained self-hatred and low self-esteem).  She used William’s feelings toward her to get what she wanted, with no intention of following through with the deal.  That is kinda shitty.

It’s further shown to me to be a game in between the two of them, especially with the “you lose” text at the end.  I honestly think the thing she’s most upset about in that moment is that if they go to a party Vilde is gonna find out and think something is going on between them.  Then at the end of the episode we get him trying to contact Noora, and she keeps ignoring his call.  He then calls Vilde, and all the antis freak out about what an asshole he is for manipulating her.  Once again, they made a deal.  He made good on his side of the deal, and she’s been avoiding hers for two and a half months.  If she really wanted it to be like it was no big deal, she should’ve just gone out with him to make good on the deal, deleted his number, and never talked about it again.  Do I think that using his connection to Vilde to get Noora to finally commit to a date was a little shady?  Sure.  Do I think what she did was shadier?  Yes.

Then we go on the actual date, and she’s resisting everything (which we knew she’d do), and then they finally get to talking after William weirdly talks about his grandma’s blue room (lmao I honestly would’ve said the same thing as Noora).  I honestly think they’re both a little wrong in this moment, but that’s okay.  I feel like he did pressure her some to finally commit to what she promised, but all the drama wouldn’t have happened if she would’ve just committed in the first place.  I understand where he’s coming from in terms of what he said to Vilde, like I still don’t know if I particular agree as I think just like a harsh toned “leave me alone” would’ve sufficed lmao, but I get the idea that no matter what he said would hurt her because of how obsessed she became.

I also completely understand what he’s saying about how Vilde came to HIM, as I’ve stated earlier.  I’ve seen people talk about how he like lead Vilde on and how he never told her they weren’t going to be together, and I’m like when the hell did he say they WOULD be together?  All I can think is people who think that way obviously hold prejudice against people who involve themselves with casual sex, and I think that’s gross.  Sexuality is a personal thing, and as long as the two people are consenting then that’s their business.  Like I said before, Vilde went into that tryst looking for a casual, hot dude to lose her virginity to to get it out of the way in a social climbing way.  More power to her, but you can’t think it’s okay for her to be like that, but it’s not okay for William to have consenting sex with multiple partners.

I think a lot of people misunderstand him when he asks Noora, “Does that make you good?  Does that make you fair?”  The entire scene with Vilde was a call-out scene, with each person intending to humiliate the other person.  Vilde tried to humiliate William, who in turn humiliated her, and Noora finished the job.  All of them had the intent of hurting the other, so what makes Noora’s justified?  Is it okay to hurt someone if it’s justified in righteousness?  As much as we love that call out she does, he’s technically right, it’s not fair for her to feel in the right when all she did is exactly what Vilde and William did.  This is the beginning of him asking why she feels certain ways, and then flipping the script and playing devil’s advocate and making her really think about how she is viewing the situation.

So then after their date, we get the Shook™ slow-mo scene, and then her at his party.  The only thing I can think of that needs to be talked about other than she o b v i o u s l y likes him at this point and is one of the best parts of the entire season is the fact that this is another instance where he’s playing devil’s advocate with her beliefs, trying to make her think in regards to calling his mom a name (which I called my mom like everything under the sun when I was a teenager, I don’t understand this as an issue but okay).

Hey Jealousy, or Sold (The Oslo County Auction Incident) (i’m sorry)

Then we get to episode 5, i. e. where Noora is insanely jealous and is grumpy 24/7.  A lot of people have an issue with the entire premise of him telling her that he’ll donate 20% to the refugees if she just shows up at a party.  There’s no other qualifications, nothing he’s demanding of her.  He simply gives an incentive to just show up to a party she would probably get dragged to by her friends anyways.  Would a perfect person just plan on donating the 20% to refugees without ulterior motives?  Sure.  Is William a perfect person?  No.  Is anyone on this show perfect?  Not in the slightest.

Most of this episode is her struggle with accepting that something’s there between the two of them, and she decides to go with her heart (yay).  Someone said that he was dramatic for leaving the party, but I mean if the person you really, really liked just straight up looked in your eyes and was like, “I don’t like you,” you’d wanna go home too.  Like, why is he supposed to act like it means nothing to him?

Champagne Super-Violence (just let it happen guys I’m not gonna stop)

So let’s talk about violence.

Is it cool that William hit that guy with a champagne bottle?  Maybe not the wisest thing to do.  People seem to have more of an issue with the way he views violence.  This is another instance where both of them are wrong, and that’s okay.  She is seeing things way too idealistic.  To be honest, he’s right, her viewpoint on how to handle someone like a street gang of teenagers is pretty naive.  BUT they should’ve tried the police FIRST.  The moment the gang attacked Chris, Jonas, and that other dude (lol) with KNIVES and beat Jonas bloody, the police should’ve been the first place they went.  

Violence should always be the last resort, but sometimes violence is a necessary evil.  As someone who has Donald Trump as their president, and sees him inflicting serious harm to innocent people with defunding sanctuary cities, building border walls, and laying groundwork for mass deportation, you start to see how our fight for freedom from injustice, bigotry, and hate could turn into one where violence is necessary.  Sometimes sit ins, marches, and chats don’t do what they’re intending to do.

I think the Sana/Noora talk is very important, and I answered about it in an ask right (here).

Don’t Speak, or When William Went Radio Silent (all 90’s references yah)

A lot of people like to assume that William’s reaction to Noora after she tells him she doesn’t know if she had sex with his brother is because he blames her for what happened.  I assume people who think this do not know this character, and have never had a moment where everything is so wrong you feel like you want to throw up, die, and punch someone all at the same time.

Let’s backtrack.  Noora, during this whole time, should’ve told William.  She should’ve called him the moment she left his house and told him she blacked out at his house and woke up with his brother.  Word of advice to everyone: JUST TELL PEOPLE THE TRUTH.  Lying does nothing but hurt, both you and the person you’re lying to.  This is of course in perfect person world, and Skam is not perfect person world.  It’s full of real people and real feelings, and when you’ve been sexually assaulted, your world isn’t really even reality.  

Since Noora did not tell William, she did not get control over what he heard, nor did he hear her side of the story first.  We all know that Nico made up some sick af story about what happened, and with his naked picture of Noora as proof, William believes it because it’s his worst nightmare but he’s been expecting his brother to ruin the thing that’s so precious to him.  He’s had a lifetime of dealing with Nico destroying his happiness.  He believed it kinda like how Noora completely believed Nico when he went on and on about how William will never change and he’s cheating on her and he’s super violent because that’s her worst nightmare but she’s also expecting it because it plays up to every insecurity she has.

So when he comes up to her, this is right after he’s been told the nastiest, most wrong story of what’s happened.  When she says I don’t know, we just see him shut down.  It has nothing really to do with Noora or blaming her, but everything to do with him not being able to handle emotional pain.  He doesn’t yell at her, he doesn’t fight with her, he just shuts down and leaves.  Now, is this something that Noora needs right now?  Does he really have Noora’s best interest in mind?  No.  Is it okay to worry about yourself more sometimes when you’re really overwhelmed in a situation and need to take a break from it?  Yes.  

Y’all act like he’s supposed to be this super robot who is the perfect person with all the right moves and all the right decisions.  This ain’t the movie Her guys!!  Like, he wasn’t CREATED for her, he is a PERSON.

So many people talk about how she told him in text that it was assault and he STILL didn’t respond, but I don’t think he was kidding that his phone died while it was there, and he probably didn’t want to talk to anyone anyway.  Eva said that even Chris couldn’t get ahold of him.

When he comes back and is super cold, this is once again NOT him blaming her.  He actually never once says he blames her for what happened, or says anything to that nature, so when people say he’s a victim blamer I’m like lol what.  In the 12th episode he apologizes to her for what his brother did to her, and even when she says it wasn’t his fault, his facial expression tells all of us that he blames HIMSELF for what happened to her.

If you read the additional texts, Sana & Vilde hit the nail right on the head when they say he’s not mad at her, he’s shut down (lmfao the humanity switch).  He’s turned his emotions off and has decided that the pain of being without her is easier to deal with than the pain she could cause him.

When they meet up by Chris’ car, he’s still like this in the beginning, but once she starts talking, you can see his indecision.  You can see him fighting with himself, trying to remain stoic and aloof and failing.  It’s very much reminiscent to Noora in the 5th episode.  She’s trying to remain unaffected, but she’s as lost in him and he is in her at the end of the 11th episode.  What she’s talking about is this exterior that he presents to the world, this asshole facade that stops people from getting in and stops him from getting hurt.  She knows who he is, she knows he’s better than this, and she knows he loves her.  She just knows what it’s like to have that fight within yourself, to let yourself run the risk of being hurt to gain the benefits of being loved by someone.

To the Moon & Back, or The Aftermath (honestly the beginning of this song IS Noora if you ignore that it’s also Savage Garden)

I have talked about this e x t e n s i v e l y in my tags, but a lot of people take issue with them moving in together and I think it’s completely understandable them taking this next step so quickly.  They’re both two people from broken homes.  They’ve relied on themselves for pretty much everything for a long, long time.  Neither of them felt love in their home lives, and both have been severely neglected by their parents.  It makes sense that these two people, once they find someone they love and trust, would latch on so strongly and so quickly.  Not only do they crave the connection and attention from that person, they also crave someone who understands them.  I have a feeling that neither one of them has felt understood in a very long time.

I could go on and on about this topic forever, but if you wanna know more go scour my crying on every single noorhelm post lmfao.  In those I also pretty much talk about how William is my soft, sensitive child which he IS.

So this is the end of my thesis on their relationship and how it’s not perfect, but it’s not “abusive” or “problematic”.  I hate the term problematic because everyone is problematic.  Like it’s a word that just encompasses human beings as a species.  We ALL make mistakes.  We ALL learn from them.  This relationship isn’t abusive by any right.  It’s a REAL relationship with REAL people who have both been hurt over and over again in their lives and finally found someone to call home.

s3 is not canon to me and does not exist so I will not talk about it :)

<3

[chicagocityofclans]

Audo Wilhelm → Finn Cole → Witch

→ Basic Information

Age: 257

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual

Powers: Oracle

Birthday: November 19

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Religion: Agnostic

Mark: Wilhelm

Generation: 1st

→ His Personality Audo is a man who lives by his morals. Most things in life are black and white to him and he often doesn’t soften his views to comfort others. The utmost serious of people, he has the weight of the world on his shoulders and prefers to keep adding to it rather than to relax. In this manner, he feels he needs to do what it takes to protect those he loves, even if that means lying or doing something he’s told someone else not to do.

He has taken on a lot of responsibility in his life recently. He took in a baby 6 years ago and it completely changed his focus in life. Previously he had worked tirelessly on his powers, striving to be the best Oracle of his time, but since Margo his focus has been building a strong life for her. Another new person Audo has brought into his life is Skylar. She was like a lightning bolt to his powers. He knew she had to be in his life, and that she would make an irrevocable change in him.

→ His Personal Facts

Occupation: Fortune Teller and Account Manager for Shutter Magic Imports & Exports

Scars: None

Tattoos: None

Two Likes: His Jeep and Diner food

Two Dislikes: Interspecies Interactions and Bad German food

Two Fears: Losing Margo and Being stuck in a vision forever

Two Hobbies: Side Businesses and Teaching about the supernatural world

Three Positive Traits: Protective, Assertive, Fair

Three Negative Traits: Serious, Hypocrite, Dishonest

→ His Connections

Parent Names:

Unknown Name (Mother): Audo was left at an orphanage as a baby. He’s gotten glimpses of her in his visions, but doesn’t know her name or why she gave him up.

Sibling Names:

Margo Wilhelm (Sister): Margo is Audo’s world. He found her a few years back after going with Emmett to investigate a freak death in the nursery ward. He found that Margo had a nearly pure Wilhelm mark, save for the hard lines of a warlock parent cutting through it. A nurse said she’d been found in their anonymous donation area earlier that week. Audo immediately knew he had to take her and more or less stole her from the Maternity wing with Emmett’s help. He’s been taking care of her ever since with help from Emmett, his friends and the Cleirighs.

Children Names:

None

Romantic Connections:

Skylar Beckham (Girlfriend): Audo had a vision the night he met Skylar that he needed to go to the Lake for something life changing. He hasn’t told Skylar that she was his life changing thing, but he’s falling for her quickly, and hopes she stays with him. He’s enjoying introducing her to his life and the magical world.

Maya Hanes (Ex-Betrothed): Audo spent a good five decades avoiding marrying his however many times removed cousin before she finally told him she was a lesbian and they got out of that disaster. She still drops by his place every once in a while with her girlfriend. Audo dreads the day that she meets Skylar, since she can’t help but joke about their non-relationship.

Roxy Goode (Ex-Girlfriend): She was the last person Audo dated before finding Margo. They had a tumultuous relationship at best, and nearly every one of Audo’s inner circles hated her. She was wild and carefree and exactly what Audo thought he wanted, until she dumped him to travel the world.

Ebony Anderson (Ex-Girlfriend): Audo only found out about Ebony being a hunter 3 years after they broke up. She’d never seemed like she was scheming with him, but he’s kept his distance since.

Chiara Ricci (Ex-Girlfriend): He had not learned his lesson with vampires yet when he met Chiara. She was very into the mysticism and tarot world that was popular at the turn of the 20th century. They began talking when she found out his power and had long conversations about reincarnation, tarot, and being an oracle. It was a good 10 years before she spoke to him again after they broke up, but they're mostly ok now.

Collin Lowes (Ex-Fling): Audo developed feelings for Collin, a vampire, in the early 1910s. He used him and Audo hasn’t been with a man since. His dislike for vampires began here.

Platonic Connections:

Vladimir Draga (First Mentor): Vlad was the first mentor who was willing to take Audo in despite the Wilhelm name. He trained with him for about 20 years, before ultimately winning Ronan over and switching to him. They are still friendly and Audo still uses his spellbooks in his studies.

Ronan Cleirigh (Current Mentor): Audo worked for nearly two decades to get Ronan to accept him as a mentee. He knew that Ronan was the best and wanted to become better than anyone else. Ronan has been a monumental force of help when it comes to his power and Audo knows he has made the right choice by joining him. Ronan has accepted him like a son, and he hopes to stay connected with him long after his mentorship is done.

Emmett Wilhelm (Best Friend and Great x 8 Nephew): Emmett is his best friend, and the reason he got into the supernatural world. They hated each other at first, before Audo realized he could trust Emmett and finally lowered his walls. He spends most of his downtime with either Emmett or Lyla, and considers them his family.

Lyla Wilhelm (Best Friend): Lyla got him out of his shell when he was first getting into the supernatural world and taught him everything she knew. She is one of the kindest and funniest people Audo has met and he spends much of his down time with her and her husband. He considers her his sister and trusts her completely with Margo.

Kady Gaines (Friend): Kady and Audo immediately got along when he was first brought into Ronan’s mentees. They were trained together often and have developed a unique connection with their magic. Audo has been trying to trigger visions to help Kady in her quest to gain entry into the book of Marks.

Judson Cleirigh (Close Friend): Judson has been a big source of support for Audo since he’s taken over care of Margo. He taught him how to change a diaper, feed her, and in general care for a child. Judson has been her babysitter since she was an infant and he trusts him completely with her wellbeing.

Ryan Cleirigh (Friend): They are neighbors and friends. Audo and Ryan have a regular arrangement to watch soccer during the season. He bonded with Ryan and found it easy to change their relationship as Ryan grew into his own person. He’ll never tell him, but he uses his podcast to fall asleep most nights.

Belle Cunningham (Acquaintance): Audo likes Belle, and wonders what she sees in Flower. They haven’t had enough time where he’d call her a friend but he likes her.

Eric Lasiter (Work Associates): He and Eric didn’t have much to talk about before he took Margo in. It was about a year before Eric shared information about his past and his daughters. Audo has started taking Margo with him to hangout with Eric and has noticed an increase in his mood. He also noticed that Skylar has the Lasiter mark and was the one to inform Eric of what he saw.

Bill White (Business Partner): Bill and Audo have recently started a business in helping people reach their departed loved ones. It’s gone ok so far, and Audo is excited to see where it goes.

Ishtar Cleirigh (Friend): Ishtar has always been a pleasure to talk to, despite his dislike for Time Manipulators. There’s a real danger if they cross paths at the wrong time and he’s terrified of getting trapped in a vision.

Hostile Connections:

Cat Barr (Pities): He doesn’t think Cat truly understands what raising a child is like, and he knows better than anyone that a baby doesn’t fill the loneliness gap inside.

Nada Rajui (Dislike): Audo warned him that the hyenas would pay dearly for all the people they changed when trying to find their new alpha female. Nada stuck a gun in his face and told him to fuck off. Audo is seeing his visions coming to life, and watching the fire begin to spread and thinks it's Karma.

Dan Prior (Hates): Audo caught him staring at Margo too long one time and confronted him about it. It ended before anything could really happen, but Audo now tries to avoid taking Margo outside Cleirigh wards at night.

Pets:

None

→ History Audo was born in Michigan around the mid 1700s. His mother left him at an orphanage when he was a baby, where he spent his entire childhood. Only at 16 was he able to leave to go work for a local banker. He was taught accounting and how to do the math to balance the books. However, in just a few short months, Emmett and Lyla Wilhelm would come stumbling into his life. He’d had this feeling of dread for a week before they arrived. Strong gut feelings controlled the way he moved for that week, taking him in different directions than he would normally go. When he arrived at work that very day, Audo felt nauseous, like he knew his world was ending. His boss later introduced him to Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm, his new accounts. The two began asking questions soon after his boss left the room. Where was he from? Had he experienced any strangeness outdoors? Or odd feelings. He admitted to just knowing things sometimes, which seemed to interest them. They invited him to stay with them, after explaining that he was a witch, to help teach him about his gut feelings. Something told Audo to say yes, and he moved in with them later that week. He and Lyla clicked nearly instantly, and she reminded him of a few of the girls he had grown up around. He and Emmett were like oil and water and Audo felt like Emmett never listened to him. He’d tell him his gut instincts were powers and true, but go against everything he warned him about. Audo felt terribly ill a few weeks later, and he knew they had to leave, but Emmett refused.

So Audo ran. He borrowed a horse from a neighbor and rode as far as his gut told him and then he waited. For a few days he just practiced the spells and charms that Lyla had taught him while he waited until his gut told him to go back. Which it eventually did. Emmett and Lyla let him back in and he resumed some of his training. Lyla got him a set of charcoals and pencils and Audo began to draw out his visions, he would sketch the things he saw. Oftentimes he’d experience an episode and his only memory of what had happened was the drawing under his hands. A few years later, a large black mark began appearing constantly in his drawings, and with those drawings came the same fear. He tried at first showing the images to Lyla and Emmett but it fell on deaf ears again. He couldn’t explain the fear and dread that he felt looking at those images to people who had never experienced it, and so he began hiding the images when they approached and would disappear until it was safe again. After a decade of this same pattern, Audo was about to leave again when Emmett suggested they leave together, and run away from the Wilhelm’s control. They left in the night for Illinois and never looked back. The three of them travelled for a while, before settling down in the brand new Chicago.

Lyla found a mentor first because she was Lyla and by far the most likable of them all. Thanks to her, soon after Audo began working under Vladimir Draga. He offered more structure than Lyla and Emmett could, and Audo saw his powers improve quickly with that. However after a few years with Vlad, a different mentor caught his eye. Ronan Cleirigh was possibly the strongest warlock in Chicago. He’d never seen anyone move out of the way like they did with Ronan. He exuded power and respect and Audo realized that is what he wanted. The respect that people never gave orphans, and the power to make sure nothing happened to his future. The first time he asked Ronan he got a flat rejection, but he kept trying. And after about 2 decades managed to switch onto the eldest Cleirigh’s service. Audo worked tirelessly to achieve every expectation placed on him.

For the next two centuries, Audo was solely focused on himself. He had friends and flings and Lyla and Emmett, but his only goals had to do with advancing and mastering his powers. That is until Margo. Six years ago,  Audo had gone with Emmett to investigate a couple of mysterious deaths in a maternity ward. Both the mother and one nurse passed within the babies presence in the first 72 hours. Emmet thought Audo might be able to tell if there was good or bad in the baby's future. When they laid eyes on her mark both immediately knew they couldn’t say a word about her. She had a nearly perfect Wilhelm mark, cut through jaggedly by what had to be the mark of a warlock. Neither of them had ever heard of a Wilhelm actually having a child that wasn't with another witch. When Emmett snuck down to see the mother’s body in the morgue, he didn’t recognize her or her mark, but she clearly wasn’t a witch. Emmett was trying to figure out what to do with her, but Audo already knew. He grabbed the baby, and with Emmett’s help snuck her out. He couldn’t let them hunt her down like they did with him for decades. He’d protect her the same way Lyla and Emmett protected him.

→ The Present Audo’s life has just begun to calm down with Margo. Aside from the occasional need to hide her from a visiting Wilhelm, they have become their own different kind of family. Margo is growing at an exceptional rate and he is very happy that she will have mentors around her who specialize in Necromancy for the entirety of her life. He is considering how to move forward as she is starting to need to be in school. Audo is worried that she may accidentally expose herself as a warlock and not officially a Wilhelm. He is too busy between his own training, side business, and working at Shutter and isn’t a master yet.

Audo just recently found Skylar Beckham half drowned by Lake Michigan and washed up on a beach. He didn’t know why he needed to be there, but he’d been having visions for months about it. They seemed almost like the visions he had as a young Witch with the Wilhelm elders. But instead of fear and repulsion, this hole in his vision was calling him closer. Audo is trying not to overwhelm her, but refuses to let her slip away.