#writing it down my theory made less and less sense so idk...

[pizzapasta23045]

Sending another ask so the psot doens't get too long but YEAH I SPENT. A REALLY REALLY LONG TIME ON THAT MOUNTAIN. Actually back pre-sumeru when I had more time and energy (less school) I was extremely intense with my gameplay. I'm talking the Chasm 100%ed within give or take a week after it's release. Hours upon hours spent getting the map to full completion. It was actually INSANE.

ALSO. Also also. Opinions on the organization setup of Khaenri'ah/related groups bc like I KNOW that so far the only DRECTLY Khaenri'ah related groups are the Hexenzircle, Fatui and the Abyss Order but I have. A reallllly really strong feeling that there's a fourth group and that's the one Kaeya belongs to BUT. I am very curious as to what you think :3

100% chasm??? You are so fucking real for that, I could never!

Well, about the different organizations, i sure have some thoughts... There are probably innacurate to some oscure lore but hey, whatever...

So, the Alberich are definetely not connected to the fatui, but that should be a given at this point. The ideologies are just different, one wants to restore the homeland or some semblance of it, the other (Pierro) is described as a traitor to Khaenri'ah, does not seem to care for the restoration and his organazation mostly focuses on ending destiny and destroying celestia. Moreso the second than the first.

So the Alberich. I have a feeling that Skirk is an Alberich (you know Skirk, right? Childe's master in the abyss), because she is incredibly misterious, described as looming in the dark, ridicoulusly powerful and in the Abyss where it is speculated Khaenri'ah's survivors went. She's also speculated to be part of the Herzenicle but i don't think so becase she's only describe as a swordwoman and not as a witch.

Dain's also an alberich, imo. Since he's against both the abyss order and the fatui and he can't be part of the Herzickel.

My theory about the Alberich is deeply connected with my theory on the abyss sibling. Which is that the sibling went through the entire journey just as we did and challenged the Heavenly principals, who, since they were loosing, basically reset the entire timeline, choose the traveler as the new descender and pushed the sibling into the role of leader of the abyss to fill in the blanks.

This is because the only, as far as I'm aware, time we can hear about our sister's journey, like really and in detail, is through the Aranara who call them by a nickname and talk in riddles. Which would bypass Irminsul

There's one time from the fatui, i think, but I can't find it and it doesn't seem specific enough to be erased, plus pierro may know how to avoid Irminsul through codes and written "fake" languages.

Now, back to the Alberich. My theory is that the place the alberich had in the world is the equivalent of the fatui in our timeline. So all the fatui's plans are similar to the Alberich's, which would explain why Pierro seems to be able to tell the future. In this case Childe would be Skirk (since I think it'd be funny) and dottore would be rhinedottir (since, you know, insane scientist ect,ect)

Now, after the Alberich's plans failed (since they were using the sibling to defy the world) the intelligence network divided into two groups. Kaeya's father and company basically form the most insane case of maliscous compliance.

Like "technically" they follow the heavenly principals while slowly making sure that the heavens still are defeated. Pierro doesn't like that so he creates the fatui to continue the revolution.

Now the Herznickel I'm not sure about, haven't researched it much to be honest, but my gut tells me they are associated with Celestia. Not sure why, like I said, Haven't researched it, but i'd be glad to listen if you can disprove it or something.

And the Abyss order seems like the farthest away from Khaenri'ah, oddly enough, maybe because most of the people that are part of it are just... mindless monsters trasformed by the curse. Also, any faction (the fatuii, dain, Kaeya to an extent) all seem to hate them or want them gone? We know that Khaenri'ah used to use the field tillers to cleanse the abyss beasts so it may because of that but idk...

Honestly, this is the first time I've externalized any of this so it may not make sense at all. But I'd be glad to hear your theories in turn oh wise sage from the old times (1.3 lmao)(non making fun of you btw, we're both just as insane.

[mojomcm-fandom]

Edit: Now that it's not late at night and I have my laptop out, I'm editing this so it sounds less like the ramblings of a madwoman (tho there's a limited amount I can do seeing as it is, in fact, the ramblings of a madwoman lol). Also formatting and clarity and any additional theories/headcanons/whatever I think of while editing this.

Partly crack, partly copium, but I've got some theories/crossover/au thing going on that I wanted to write down so here goes:

Crack/Copium/Theories:

All 3 of the trailblazer kids are actually "dead" aeons.

Stelle/Caelus: Akivili (Herta makes us LARP as Akivili in Hertian Realm and we're known as the Trailblazer while Akivili is known as the Trailblaze so idk I know the player character looks like Nanook but they ain't dead soooo...)

Dan Heng: Long (maybe the High Elder Vidyadhara is actually Long's own reincarnation but they have no idea bc memory wipe. TBH makes no sense for the Permanence to be dead)

March 7th: Idrila (this one's a bit of a stretch so bear with me. The Aeon of Beauty could be HoHe Elysia expy and March is also kinda Elysia expy so ??? And March was froze in ice without memory so it's totally possible that's Idrila's mysterious disappearance)

Also:

Sampo is Aha. He gives strong vibes of being a Masked Fool in canon, but I think it'd be funny if he's actually the Elation.

Pom-pom was created by Akivili to protect the Express after Aha blew it up. Pom-pom is also a proficient marksman. This is bc of some canon evidence alluding to Pom-pom actually being really powerful (Yanqing and Welt both make mention of it iirc) and the engine of the train looking like a revolver. (Also headcanon that the Astral Express itself was made from one of Akivili's twin revolver pistols. Perhaps the other has the ability to summon the train?)

Lan has not and will not kill Yaoshi bc yin-yang/life and death balance and also bc what is a hunter without prey. The Hunt had no issue killing the Propagation, so this seems like the most reasonable reason why the Hunt has been after the Abundance so long without killing them.

On aeons and the relations between paths (I might end up making a relationship chart?):

Death Aeons: Nanook is unnatural death (think murder, natural disaster, etc.), while IX is natural entropic death (like degradation from aging), Lan is controlled, balanced death (think like hunters/predators keeping ecosystem in balance), and Oroboros is the death caused by one's own greed (think pollution, overconsumption). Terminus is the end of time and final death of the universe.

Life Aeons: Tayzzyronth is overabundant life (think how invasive species population boom bc outcompeting native species for resources), Yaoshi is overabundant continuation of life (think unnaturally prolonged life), and Long is eternity (without change or growth, entropy comes for all).

Mythus and Nous are polar opposites in path direction. Akivili is midway between the two (to trailblaze is to turn the unknown into the known).

Some paths are directly at odds with each other (opposite directions), some paths have overlap (too much overlap leads to one path consuming the other like with Ena and Xipe), and some paths are neutral (running perpendicular to the others). Mostly this matters in relation to pathstriders who walk multiple paths, as it is extremely unlikely to find, for example, someone simultaneously walking both the path of the Hunt and the Abundance.

Hooh's is the ultimate neutral path. Akivili's is also a fairly neutral path, though slight odds with Mythus's (to seek to make the unknown known doesn't really work with the idea nothing can be known) and maybe Aha (just bc Aha is a jerk and like Herta said, surely Akivili would've taken offense to Aha blowing up the Express). Idrila, Xipe, Fuli, Aha, and Qlipoth also have relatively neutral paths, though Qlipoth and Fuli are at odds with Nanook and Mythus. Xipe sometimes does not get along with Aha, if Aha is being particularly antagonistic.

Crossover/AU (Genshin):

Traveler and twin are Akivili (one soul two bodies, don't think too hard about it). Akivili is presumed dead by HSR universe bc Sustainer of Heavenly Principles imprisoned Akivili on Teyvat (a world at the fringes of the known universe/Yggdrasil/Irmunsul/Imaginary Tree). Claiming that they are siblings is far easier to explain than that they are two halves of the same god.

Zhongli/Morax is a high elder (do non-high elders have the ability to turn fully into dragons? are there any high elders who are not Dan Heng? idk) vidyadhara who arrived on Teyvat shortly before rebirth. Idk weird Teyvat magic or something made his rebirth cycle this time 10x longer than normal (should only be 600-700 years between rebirth and he's canonically 6000 years old). He is unaware of anything HSR related bc memory wipe from rebirth and nobody around to explain things.

The Imaginary Tree in HI3 and HSR and Irminsul in Genshin are the same tree (Yggdrasil), but some may only be branches of the other

So yeah, stay tuned to see HoYo prove my theories and headcanons wrong in the upcoming years.

[vgilantee]

dear devoted delicate {xavier thorpe}

xavier thorpe x reader

requested: by my beloved julie @websterss <3

words: 2.2k

a/n: the reader is an outcast of an unknown type, but not a werewolf. i love werewolves, but because of some of the setup, it's gotta be a non-werewolf reader. also i went a little off-prompt but it's still the same in essence, and all the important bits are included, just shuffled up a little. oh and yes the title is a line from the song older, but i used it mostly because dear is a sweet petname, and butterflies have delicate wings. i think i'm clever. oh and if you're new here, i hate writing dialogue and it shows in this also if you want to see some really cool drawings of poisonous plants, send me an ask (please) because one of my favourite things ever are vintage botanical drawings (this will make sense in a minute dw)

warnings: n/a. just some sweetness. there is swearing though so idk if that counts as a warning

pronouns: she/her (maybe she/they? i can't remember if i threw in a 'they' lmao)

Once a month - sometimes twice if you were incredibly unlucky - you were kicked out of your room for two days while your roommate had a handful of her younger cousins over. 

Before Nevermore, you loved the full moon. Now you had a love-hate relationship. You still loved the moon itself, but you never enjoyed showing up at your friend’s dorm, backpack over your shoulder and sleeping bag tucked under your arm, sheepishly asking if you could once again sleep on their floor. You could, in theory, go back to your room to sleep as your roommate and cousins wouldn’t be there, instead transformed into wolves and galavanting around the woods. But in your second month at Nevermore, you did that, and woke up to a room full of the less-than-dressed human werewolves, some of whom had chosen your bed to curl up on, with you still in it. Never again. 

Full moons on the weekend were the worst. With no classes to occupy your time, you often found yourself moving from place to place around campus to find somewhere you could hide out before getting bored and moving on. 

Xavier watched as you jogged past the archery field, headphones in and running shoes muddied. It wasn’t unusual to see you go past during club practice, though you tended to avoid it after a downpour. He’d asked you about it once, after seeing you in the library one rainy Saturday afternoon.

“My room already smells like wet dog at the best of times, I’m not going to add to that.” Your voice was light with humour; you adored Sofi and she always made sure to not bring in any smells with her. But the comment stuck with Xavier and the next time you were sat next to each other in Torture through History, he sketched out a wolf before moving his hand to bring it out of the page. You giggled quietly as the ashen wolf shook itself, small flecks mimicking water coming off, then curled up next to your hand. You had smiled down at it fondly as it fell asleep before dissolving into charcoal dust, leaving a light smudge on your hand. Xavier watched you and pretended not to notice the warmth that came to his face as you looked up at him, the fond look still in your eyes. 

“Xavier, are you going to take your shot? Or you just going to keep staring at ‘em?” He shot up a middle finger over his shoulder before turning to follow its movement to see his club mates smirking over at him. 

After ducking into Ash’s room to change into more comfortable clothes, you make your way down to the library. Ash was generally the most reliable for having space on their floor for you to crash, the thin roll-out mattress a permanent feature in the beanbag corner of the dorm. 

On your way, you detour to your room to kick your muddy runners under your bed, though not before making an ‘I’m watching you’ motion toward a curled-up Sofi with a smile. 

It wasn’t uncommon for couples to be hidden away in the library, especially not on an overcast weekend. But the Grimmstone library was the only library on campus that held an original copy of an 1800s toxic botany encyclopaedia. 

After a few false turns with quick apologies to the interrupted couples, you finally found the right - and luckily empty - aisle. With your forefinger running gently along the worn spines, you made your way down the rows of books, glancing at the names of authors until you found the one you were looking for. 

After carefully sliding the hardcover book off the shelf - nearly dropping it as the loose plastic dust cover slipped - you sat down at one of the desks lining the centre of the room and began flicking through. You flicked the book to the back, finger running down the yellowed page until you reached the name you were looking for: aconitum.

----

“Big scary werewolf and you’re afraid of a little butterfly?” You laughed as you wandered into Plant Toxicology with Sofi. 

“It flew right into my face!” She waved her free hand in front of her, mimicking the butterfly’s movements. 

“And you squealed!” As you laughed, Sofi gently hip-checked you, nudging you toward your usual desk, before laughing with a shake of her head and walking toward her own. You nodded hello to Yoko as you sat beside her. 

“Alight, class. Group paper time.” The sounds of groans and heads hitting tables bounced around the room. “I know, I know. Now, rows one and three, turn around and give a little wave to your partner.”

----

You were hours early to meet your study buddy, but it was a non-issue. The time alone allowed you to make meticulous notes on the plant before worrying about formatting them into a presentable paper. 

The notes you made were messy, quick dot points from the encyclopaedia that could make into a decent assessment. The paper was only short anyway, the first report of the semester that was more of a benchmark than a large percentage of your grade. 

Headphones in, it wasn’t long until you found yourself with your feet up on the seat and book resting open on your thighs, reaching around your bent knees to occasionally take notes. 

You were in the middle of triple-checking the spelling of a latin nomenclature when a flit of grey out the corner of your eye caught your attention. But as you turned your head to see what it was, all you could see was another couple darting down an aisle, whispering to each other. You shook your head with an amused exhale before turning back to your note-taking. 

Just as you leaned forward to take a note, you saw the grey again. But this time, instead of a moment at the side of your vision, the grey moved in front of you just long enough to make out the shape of a butterfly before it landed on the tip of your nose. 

Cross-eyed to stare at the charcoal insect, you pulled out the headphones slowly, trying not to disturb it. You knew it wasn’t real, recognising the trademark sketch lines of Xavier’s art. 

Another pair of butterflies began to flutter in front of you, bouncing off of each other with tiny plumes of dust. You let out a small giggle and the bug on your nose darted away, flying right into the other two where all three of them exploded into a shower of dark powder onto the desk. Once the last of the dust landed, you turned quickly to look over your shoulders, dropping your feet to the floor, trying to find the artist.

You met Xavier’s eye as he folded his sketchbook closed in his right hand. His head was tilted with a smile as he made his way toward you, backpack slung over his shoulder. 

“Howdy, howdy partner.” You wriggled your fingers to wave as he pulled out the chair beside you, dropping down and letting his bag fall to the floor. As he did, you noticed that Xavier’s pulled-back hair was a messy damp, the kind that comes with being caught in the rain. 

“Started the fun without me.” He gestured lazily to your notebook and the two thick library books in front of you (at some point during your research you wandered back to the shelf and found a second book with information on the deadly plant).

“Wanted to make you jealous, of course.” You shot him a wink with a small giggle, turning back to your book just in time to miss the tips of Xavier’s ears go pink. “The butterflies were definitely a welcome distraction though,” you thanked, turning in your chair to face him fully, “I felt like I was going cross-eyed staring at these pages.” 

“I’m happy to distract.” Xavier sent you a dopey smile and raised one hand to flatten down flyaways, and you bit the inside of your lip while ignoring the warmth that grew on your face. In your attempt to break eye-contact and hopefully get rid of the blush, your gaze flicked down to his mouth and caught him licking his lips. 

Almost in sync, you and Xavier looked away from each other and as you looked over at the textbook, you heard him clear his throat. 

“Okay, so,” Xavier broke the silence after a moment, “what have you got so far?”

You quickly delved into giving him a rundown of the notes you had made so far, explaining ideas you had come up with for it. However, you made a point of not looking up at him. It was a little awkward at times, where you would catch yourself beginning to look at him but quickly found a drawing of the purple flower far too important to not look over at. 

Neither of you noticed that the sun had set until the howls of classmates made their way from this distance, the sound causing both of you to turn and look out the window. 

“Shit, I didn’t realise how late it had gotten.” During the week, there was an 8pm curfew, but over the weekend library hours were extended and they were a little more lenient with the time you had to be back at your dorm giving you until midnight to be back. There was just one downside to being in the library late.

“Oh my god we missed dinner.” Xavier sounded devastated at the realisation, and you looked over to see him with the back of his hand pressed dramatically to his forehead. 

“You hungry?” It wasn’t long past dinnertime, but because of the routine that came with living at Nevermore, you knew the answer would be yes. “I may or may not have some snacks hidden in my dorm.” He perked up, and though he would never tell, he was more than a little excited to be spending more time alone with you.

---

Xavier sat awkwardly on your bed as you kicked off your shoes and began to pull a box out from under your bed. Pushing some heavy clothing out of the way, you pulled out a bag of chips and a couple of packets of sweets. 

“It’s not really a dinner, but it’s food.” You showed him the food you had stashed, offering it weakly. Xavier scooched himself onto the floor, patting the space beside him and you sat yourself down cross-legged. 

As Xavier pulled open the chip bag, you sent Ash a message saying you might be over late, but would try to be as quiet as possible. They sent back a thumbs up, and you shoved away your phone just in time for the chips to be held out in front of you.

Between the sweets and bag of chips, you and Xavier managed to talk about anything that came to mind as time quickly moved by. During your time, both of you got more relaxed, losing any vague semblance of good posture and leaned against the side of your bed. And maybe closer to each other, but only maybe. 

Xavier pulled his sketchbook out of his backpack and leaned forward, listening to you talk as he drew. He hid his sketchbook from you as you tried leaning over him, giggling into his ear as you did. 

You let your body flop onto the ground beside him, staring up leaning on your hand as he readjusted how he was sitting to keep hiding what he was drawing from you. Then he tucked his pencil behind his ear and held his hand above the page. 

Lifting up with a rain of dust, a dozen small butterflies began to flit around your room. They bounced off each other, spinning in circles as they danced.

Much like the interruption of howls earlier in the evening, you are brought back into reality by the buzzing of your phone against the hardwood floor. 

“I don’t mean to stop you from whatever you’re doing,” Ash skipped the greeting as you answer the call, “but if you’re sleeping here tonight you might want to think about showing up soon.” 

“Hello to you too.” Sitting up properly, you watched Xavier as he turned on his phone screen and showed you the time, and you widened your eyes. “Oh fuck. Okay, thanks, Ash. Be there soon.” Xavier stood first, offering you a hand to pull you up which you happily took pretending not to notice the way he squeezed your hand shortly when you stood.

“I can walk you over if you want.” You were already shaking your head at the offer, knowing that you would be cutting it thin getting to Ash’s dorm and Xavier’s dorm house was in the opposite direction.

“No, it’s okay. I don’t want to be the reason you get in trouble.” He held the door open for you, leaning on the outer frame. As he pulled it shut his arm brushed your side. 

There was a beat of silence as neither of you wanted to move. Although you had spent the night hanging out, the softness in that moment was different and not something you wanted to break.

Steeling yourself for a moment, you darted forward and kissed Xavier on the cheek, turning and beginning to walk away before you could see how he reacted. 

Xavier watched as you moved quickly away, his cheeks and ears pink, He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times trying to figure out how to react. Once you disappeared around the corner, he let out a breath and sheepishly smiled to himself.

comments and reblogs are appreciated! as are asks about the fic!

rambles, feel free to ignore: this fic isn't… okay so i hold myself to very high standards which is a problem with my brain and things, and i need to stop doing that because i end up giving up on things that aren't perfect instead of appreciating that i have made something and it's mine and from my brain. again, a problem i need to sort out. but all this being said!! by my self-imposed standards this isn't amazing, and really i'm posting it as a "here! it's done! take it before i take it back and destroy it!" and that's only happening because it was a request from a mutual.

tl;dr: these rambles are more to say that i like this fic, and i'm happy enough with it, but my standards are so high that i don't think it's good enough. which is a common thing with creatives and just know that what you make is good because it's yours and you made it, and that's all that matters!

[clownin44]

Hi, are you guys tired of my theories yet? I'm about to yap this is less of a theory and more of me just writing down my thoughts

Fast pass spoilers ahead! (So sorry)

Mr. Thomas, Kidnappings, Paper Cranes, A little bit of Ryan

I saw someone ask why the people who kidnapped the parent's outfits are different from the people who kidnapped the kids' outfits. I didn't want to reblog or comment since obvi there's some spoilers in here, so creds to @/hozaloza for pointing this out!!

I think it's because the group that kidnapped the kids were not the same people who kidnapped their parents.

A while ago, when we first saw the paper cranes group, one of them said they needed to lie low because "both sides were tracking them down" for their stunt in savanna.

I've said this before, but it's very likely that the paper cranes are a secret group within the Contamination Facility that have been taking care of everyone affected by the "fungus." "Both sides" being the kids and the bigger group they all work for.

It's because of this that I don't think Mr. Thomas is a part of the paper cranes despite having them on his desk (HEAR ME OUT). He is more clueless when it comes to the phantom world, whereas the paper cranes are more familiar with it. Ryan reacts nonchalantly compared to Mr. Thomas, who's understandably confused.

When Ryan talks to "The boss," He puts Mr. Thomas's name in quotes (most likely a fake name so he'd be able to work at the school). The boss later confesses that he plans on getting rid of him to Ryan.

So, while yes, I do think he's associated with the paper cranes, I wouldn't go as far as to say he's affiliated with them since they plan to betray him (but who knows, I could be dead wrong in assuming that the literal BAD GUYS wouldn't betray each other 😭😭 (they prob would)).

I dont have fast pass screenshots for this part :^(

Mr. Thomas also tells the children that they're sick, which lines up with what Alex explained to Ash about their condition. He could always just be lying, but he'd have no reason to. Ash was already passing out, and I doubt he'd go out of his way to do so. When we see Jasmine kidnap Tyler, she simply apologizes for waking him before putting him back to sleep (no explanation). The circumstances are obviously different, Ash got away the first time they sedated her and Tyler was already sleeping when it happened, but it's worth noting.

I'd also like to bring up how, in the fast pass, Alex tells Ash that their parents have been "informed about the situation," so he's either

Lying to calm her

Doesn't know that the parents have been kidnapped and is going off of information one of the paper cranes gave him

Telling the truth and the parents are there but perfectly fine!!!

Some other details that I found but didn't know what to do with/wanted to mention:

Mr. Thomas's eye bags and Ryan's reactions.

Idk his eye bags are incredibly noticeable. At first, I assumed it was because he was also in the Phantom realm, seeing as he noticed ashs shadow was different, but we know from Alex that the rift between the two worlds was permanently closed after the kids went into the sorrel weed house. I didn't have another explanation to tie this in with the theory, so I'll just drop it here.

Ryan seems a little uncomfortable while talking to the boss here. It's a small detail, but Red added it, so I'm assuming it's important!! It reminded me of the scene with Tyler and Taylor in chapter 34, where Tyler tells Tay to stay back while he goes and checks to see what the sound from downstairs was. It then cuts to a panel of Taylor being upset and looking away, much like what Ryan does here. (Parallels or whatever)

But then again, he looks fine when following Mike's car, so who the hell knows 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

It's late, and I've been working on this for wayyyyyy too long. I forgot what else I was gonna add, but I ran out of pictures, so I'm ending it here !! My writing is awful lol I hope this made sense

TLDR: The people who kidnapped the kids are not the same people who kidnapped the parents.

The contamination facility isn't bad, just the paper cranes.

[familyagrestefanblog]

About recent takes of Félix’ father vs Gabriel, Félix’ guilt in “Emotion” & How the amok- child abuse of Adrien works (part 0.1 lol)

Just to make this clear right from the get-go (although is sad that such disclaimers need to be made again): No, this is not written as a Félix Defense Post, this is me writing out my analysis’ and other thoughts regarding way too much out-of-context stuff from “Emotion” and the one big confirmation of Félix’ indeed BEING an abuse victim from leaks which I will only incorrperate as vague concept since tbh I dont remember details and I’m not seeking it out for this.

Aright? Let’s go!

Where is all this stuff about Félix’ father coming from? Are those from even more leaks? From what I have seen in leaks of Félix saying something about the parenting he received I too got my confirmation that Félix’ father was abusive, but where is this coming from that Colt Fathom was alot WORSE than Gabriel?

In my opinion, that directly contradicts Félix’ attitude in “Emotion”. Who knows what exactly happened before that episode, though at the very least Félix most likely knows now that Adrien is Chat Noir and thats what made such a massive difference in him:

Also there was this out-of-nowhere second carmoflaged Black Cat-like ring Félix used as amok object that looked exactly like Adrien’s, although we see later that Adrien is still wearing his? That element of the episode was ridiculously out of context, but Félix’ knowing now that Adrien is Chat Noir makes its existence and the episode overall make alot more sense in my opinion.

Its basically the only way I can properly explain anything Félix-related that happened in “Emotion”, down to his behavior when he mentioned Chat Noir towards Ladybug:

Or the way Argos straight up refused to try and take Ladybug’s Miraculous away from her by his own force. He only asked/ threatened her to surrender her earrings to him but he never went further than that. In fact, her calmly stating that she would never give him her Miraculous was what set Félix over the edge in frustration, because he knew thats IT now. Taking it from her forcefully would mean she would speak up against him when he brings Adrien back (to get the Black Cat miraculous and because Félix WANTS him by his side on good terms), but he cant snap the girl behind the mask away either or else Adrien would see him as nothing but a villain if Félix only has her earrings but SHE is gone.

If Ladybug doesnt surrender her Miraculous and remains there to ensure with her words that Adrien too should give Félix his miraculous, where at that point Félix has the chance of explaining his plan to his cousin that noone is gone for real and he just wants to create a better world for them- which in Félix’ mind lead to a scenario in which he’s not the bad guy. Look, the boy knows he, Adrien and Kagami belong to a race of enslaved magical beings and are at the mercy of tyrannical abusers (Dude, what a sentence!). I’m not expecting rationality from Félix Fathom at this point. He was still 100% the bad guy in this, but I get it.

Also Fuck u Gloob, how dare YOU leave me without actual context for this shit?? xD)

But even without that... explanation-theory of mine, in episode 18 all I can see is Félix acting on SO MUCH god damn guilt towards Adrien and trying to free him from Gabriel. He literally states he tried to succeed in this episode for ADRIEN:

Then regarding Colt Fathom’s parenting again: when Félix confronts Gabriel about how Gabriel uses them, his family, he does not treat his uncle as a lesser monster than the one Félix (may have? Idk?) known as a father:

Félix went to the upmost extreme methods to get rid of Gabriel in this episode. He sees his uncle as nothing short of a tyrannical monster that needs to get taken out with a literal SNAP so Gabriel has no opportunity to stop him and be remade with a reality changing wish.

But most importantly, when Félix called Gabriel out he named ADRIEN first:

This was NOT Félix only doing it for himself and those are also not the actions and words of a person who views Gabriel as LESS of a dangerous tyrant bc of his own father. No matter how bad Colt Fathom was, Félix is not underestimating his uncle as the madman that he is. At least not ANYMORE!

Not in a single second of “Emotion” do I get the impression that Félix has NOT finally understood in what horrible position Adrien is caught in in Gabriel’s grasp (more on this regard for the Diamond Ball in an upcoming post I’ll link HERE). Which, yes, Félix too partly caused through the s4 finale. This is most likely why he goes to such insane lenghts to try to save Adrien.

Félix feels fucking GUILTY now in hindsight for having sold the one amok ring of his cousin he already had safe and sound in his possession back to Gabriel, along with 15 more miraculous’ to make him even MORE dangerous:

Which btw, GOOD!!! He should!

Anyway. While I dont understand where these takes about how much worse Colt Fathom was to Félix than Gabriel to Adrien come from, that claim does seems to be very accurate though to Félix’ point of view of Adrien’s abuse BEFORE season 5. Hence why he was being so god damn awful to his cousin and SOLD HIM TO HIS ABUSER!

The way I see it right now, Colt Fathom was abusive on Gabriel Agreste’s level but he did it in ways more open and “obvious”.

Gabriel is an extremely abusive father, but the worst thing about him has always been that he abuses Adrien in a way for which people cannot easily get him for it. Sure, there has always been ALOT to worry about under the circumstances after Emilie “died” but Gabriel Agreste has always made sure whatever he does to his son he remains untouchable enough from a normal legal perspective.

I’m not sure if child protection services could ever have actually helped Adrien even if they tried, because while Gabriel has been stretching all lines of possible slack problematic parents are being given - because the child cant nor SHOULD immediately be taken away from their parent if not truly necessary - Gabriel has never made.. that ONE slip-up too much and too out-of-line that could set Adrien free from him.

And in my opinion, thats what the show is going for because thats what Félix realized at some point prior to episode 18 about Gabriel’s treatment of Adrien and Adrien’s own behavior towards his father, for which Félix gave him massive shit for just last season:

Félix made a full-blown 180 regarding Adrien, thats the only way I can explain it.

Its GUILT. Guilt and the desperate attempt to save his cousin from the horrible consequences Félix had a HUGE part in unleashing and to be able to somehow manage to somewhat save the strong and basically brother-like bond he and Adrien once had as cousins.

And I dont care what anyone says, its by far the one bond Adrien has with anyone besides Plagg in which he’s literally 100% his authentic self and not any degree of Adrien Agreste™ or Chat Noir™. Seriously, if you wanna see Adrien behaving like nothing but a normal boy, watch him interact with his cousin who’s basically his BROTHER.

And it doesnt even matter how much of a damn dick Félix became, in any interaction these two had in the show you could easily SEE how close these two were/are from Adrien’s behavior. Which btw, makes Félix actions before s5 alot worse, but thats the point. This is WHY he goes as far as he does in “Emotion”. Because they once HAD such an incredibly close bond as Adrien’s “naively trusting” behavior towards him always claimed.

The bond which FÉLIX comitted to burn into the ground in s3-s4:

Guilt I can only explain in the same only way I can possibly explain Félix throwing Adrien under the bus as awfully as he did til s5, and in particular the s4 finale:

I can only explain it if Félix all his life had received the other - but in this case pretty much equal - side of the spectrum of abusive parenthood and Adrien’s abuse simply looked so different and way more ”subtle” and “acceptable by society’s standarts” from what Félix’ knew as highly abusive (when he finally gained freedom through getting his ring, probably at his father’s funeral hence why Adrien wasnt allowed to be there. It’s where Félix has told he’s a Sentihuman) that he didnt recognize it as such and therefore ended up hardcore victim-blaming his cousin because he has it “so much better” under Gabriel’s fist but “still cant take initiative like Félix does”.

Félix at the end of “Strike Back” in my opinion truly thought that even though his uncle is a delusional, tyrannical man, Adrien would be the ONLY person safe ENOUGH with him and from him (I know this sounds like a hypocritical cop-out, but Félix is literally in the ONE family position as Adrien’s close and only cousin, who’s also the only other child in their families but always also lived far away enough to not be around to wittness most of Adrien’s and Gabriel’s father-son dynamic behind closed doors [especially in the last, and most crucial year], that I simply have to say that.. this is so god. damn. realistic. This is a way too realistic variation of how the once close children in abusive families end up as bitter rivals throwing each other under the bus within their own absive family system.)

Félix thought that Adrien is as per usual the ONE exception for Gabriel in EVERYTHING, so giving Papa Agreste the control object and 15 more miraculous’ he can fry his brain away with simply... wouldnt have meant endangering Adrien’s entire life in Félix’ eyes.

Which WE know is the WRONG damn reading of the situation!

But for Félix Adrien was his uncle’s one weakness “out of fatherly love” Félix most likely never knew himself, because Gabriel put/s ALOT of effort into keeping his son in the dark (”overprotectiveness”) which lead Félix to even blantantly using Adrien against GABRIEL bc he knew that threatening to tell Adrien would be the most effective way to make his uncle instantly stop denying that he’s Shadowmoth:

(Also, notice how in the upper picture when Gabriel is denying that he’s Shadowmoth, Flairmidable is shot from the ONE - the ONE - possible angle from where his character model looks similar to Chat Noir.

With whatever tons of context we are apparently missing from prior to “Emotion” regarding this entire Agreste, Graham de Vanily/ Fathom and Tsurugi mess, this visual forshadowing in “Strike Back” is in SOME WAY apparently about to become relevant now. Most likely through Nathalie but eyyyyyy, its not like we have any kind of DAMN context! <3 :D)

I already long assumed Félix’ awful but NEW behavior towards Adrien since his father’s funeral to be the result of Félix despising Adrien bc Gabriel burdened his nephew with the knowledge of being Sentihuman in the worst way and at the worst time possible while “overprotecting” Adrien. But now with “Emotion” it seemed I read it mostly right.

The way I see it, Félix did the one thing unnervingly not even uncommon in abusive families: He couldnt recognize his cousin’s extreme abuse because he was too blinded by his own that looked different, while simultaneously comparing Gabriel’s life-long treatment of him and Adrien.

And since Gabriel has probably always treated him unfairly and “worse” than Adrien in Félix’ eyes (which was probably primarily more arrogant indifference from Gabriel’s side while treating Adrien as a golden boy) Félix then most likely thought that HE was the one truly in danger of Gabriel because he isnt Adrien, when Gabriel in actuality probably wouldnt have paid his nephew alot of mind at all and would have had included him automatically in the new reality for Adrien’s sake if - ironically - Félix’ hadnt involved himself and made himself a thorn in Gabriel’s side by now out of (UNDERSTANDABLE) fear and paranoia.

So yeah, still: Fuck Gabriel.

But back to Félix’ possible abuse from his father and how that blinded him to Adrien’s:

(No, I’m not forgetting Amelie and EMILIE, this is just getting WAY too much for this one post. The three mother figures of this family (Emilie, Amelie and Nathalie) are the crucial puzzle pieces in the Agreste’s & Graham de Vanily’s narrative. I’m gonna tackle that in posts dedicated to them specifically)

If Félix for example was more physically abused with open disdain from Colt Fathom than emotionally manipulated, used and gaslit out of “love”, then he would have a hard time at first (especially if he’s UNWILLING to see it) to understand or even just recognize to certain degree all the red flags of that what Gabriel is doing to Adrien resultes/d in emotional scars so bad that Adrien was/is pretty much suicidal at times and spend most of the show stuck in his mental and emotional escapism as Chat Noir (Still, I’m also pretty sure Félix SHOULD have been the ONE person who SHOULD have recognized the resemblance between Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir, the same way Félix was able to recognize Gabriel as Shadowmoth. But ironically, for that he was too blinded by his victim-blaming of Shadowmoths SON)

And if Félix only has ONE amok object and that means whoever wore it (his father) has 100% control over him, then he could (have) significantly underestimate(d) how BAD the emotional toll on Adrien would have been all his life when he always had TWO objects and that - I must assume - resulted in two 50/50 control holds over him:

(Disclaimer at this point: The show is very consistently exploring 3 unique ways for Adrien, Félix and Kagami in how the same peacock amok control resulted in very individual abuse situations for each of them. The amok abuse is not inconsistend or poorly explained, it was never meant to be a 1 for 3 explaination the same way you cant generalize ONE case of parental abuse for ALL existing abused kids. The show is treating this as legit child abuse the way it should. And yes, I will elaborate on all of that in ALOT more detail in future.)

Meaning only Adrien’s action and emotional compliance can be controlled but not his emotions themselves, which I see no reason to not be the default for Sentihuman who only have one object. Meaning for example, that if Colt Fathom didnt wanted Félix to care about any kind of bond with another person his age but his cousin, then Félix simply would have never felt the desire to have friends and therefore also never learnt how to handle the emotional pain of not getting to have them as Adrien was “allowed to”. Adrien didnt get to have friends either, but I suppose unless you wear BOTH his rings no order about forbidding him to have friends would have stopped him from still feeling the longing to have them anyway.

So Adrien’s sounds “better enough” on surface level - which is all Félix would have seen - but its actually massively fucked up bc the clash between Adrien’s natural emotions and the actions his body and mind are forced to obey would quickly beat a young childs mind into misery and helpless fawning on their own expense just to mentally survive that constant invasion of their mind by TWO sources they cant explain to themselves.

Adrien may have been “allowed” to still have emotions but his living conditions would have quickly turned that into emotional agony because Adrien would still be forced to burry everything deep inside that clashes with his parents orders, or whenever he thinks that his behavior or voiced desires would lead to him being shut down again. Its a malicious circle that pretty much accurately represents the normal cycle of emotional oppression within “regular” emotional child abuse.

Not that being 100% controlled physically and emotionally bc of having just ONE amok is in any way “better” (Holy shit, nah!, and I’ll get to Félix’ and Kagami’s abuse in their own posts), but I cant imagine having TWO the way Adrien does as anything short of mental and emotional oppression & exhaution at best - since Adrien ever since infanthood would always have to FEEL the pain of his orders directly going against something that would make him happy/ one of his basic needs and yet he has to submit to it anyway - or basically torment at worst.

Cause can you imagine if Gabriel’s and Nathalie’s contradicting orders in “Protection” would CLASH in the same moment?? GOSH!!!

This pretty much emotionally ripped Adrien back and forth between the two wearers of his amok rings the ENTIRE TIME ever since BIRTH, which would perfectly explain why Adrien is so emotionally repressed, resilient to impossible levels and instandly tends/tended to remain in denial and fawn or submit as copying mechanism. That would have been the only way he could have mentally survived TWO PEOPLE controlling him at once against his own emotions ever since he was a BABY.

I’d say its a reality check on THIS caliber that made Félix pull a 180 regarding his attitude towards Adrien - again, most likely through Nathalie (who I think would be the most logical person for Adrien now to choose to tell his secret Identity to if he needs help in managing to keep his secret save from his father) and SHE would get Félix involved because he’s aware of Gabriel, has the peacock miraculous and KNOWS what pain Sentihumans go through. But honestly, anything in this direction is guessing into pitch darkness lol.

I have so, SO much more to say on how the control of Sentihumans works but especially Adrien’s unique case of him having TWO objects. I’ve been analysing the Agreste houshold in this regard since around the beginning of s4, but that definitely deserves its own massive post(s) the same way Kagami’s abuse via amok ring (which she got to wear ever since AFTER her debut episode “Riposte”) deserves it own post seperated from Félix’ and this one here.

This is getting SO interesting, I’m LIVING for this scale of fucked up story telling! I just wished we would get it in the right chronological order so I can look at it with all the NEEDED context, Gloob, come ON!

[rocketturtle4]

Eclipse in progress part 2

Okay so I've only seen two more episodes and I kind of had in my head I'd watch till the end of 8 before writing anymore because I have the time but episode 7 just one two suckerpunched my feelings so I need to go regulate.

For the record while I'm a sucker for crying I get WAY MORE OVERWHELMED when things are bitter sweet and this episode is whoooooooaaaaaa

@wen-kexing-apologist @plantsarepeopletoo @grapejuicegay also @thegalwhorants I'm basically gonna @ you cause you interacted with my eclipse stuff, let me know if you'd rather I didn't

So some thoughts

I had forgotten about Namo he could also have stolen the diary and I think logistically this makes mroe sense because he is in a different year level so not expected to be in class BUT where did he get the key? Whereas Thua being class president potentially gives him key acces idk and I still feel like there's more layers

We still really haven't gotten background on anyone which is why I wasn't going to post yet so my theories havent changed much except

TURNS OUT AKK IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CAR

Did both Ayan and his uncle have a necklace? I'm really unsure about whether or not Ayan legit saw his suicide or has just vividally imagined it but n the dreams they're both wearing it whereas I had previously assumed Ayan was wearing his uncles necklace.

Namo also seems to genuinely believe in the curse so where did this rumour come from, I don't feel like it's NEW, did Akk hear it and just capitalise on it? or has someone else being doing this in the past? Is it passed down from the head prefect

also Khan and Wat are prefects were they indoctrinatinated by candelight??

1984 stuff was WAY LESS SUBTLE than I was expecting when Akk first found that book

Ayan convincing Akk he needs to 'tell the truth' and Akk being woried about his family and his reputation is obviously legit but also feels like a coming out metaphor ngl

Khan thinking Ayan is playing with Akk and Thua but gently confronting it rather than getting jealous made me appreciate him even more

ALSO THE POWER DYNAMICS in the framing of Ayan and Neo’s convo on the stairs, Neo is SO MUCH HIGHER and yet from the loew position Ayan managed to be confident and understanding.

IM SORRY ARE THESE CHILDREN EXPECTED TO WEAR THEIR BLAZERS REGARDLESS OF TEMPERATURE????

The three prefects convo was interesting when you consider the queer metaphor of the fact that Wat (so far) ISNT queer and is the one most openly empathetic to the protests, because he doesn't have the same personal stake as our gay boys

I want to know what wanna-be-prefect Nom and Aye think of the three prefects clearly non-prefect behaviour.

FUCK Firsts Goofy Smile is nearly as good as his doe eyes

Akk is way to relatable help me

god they're so proud this is gonna hurt

As a person who silently cries VERY SIMILARLY to Ayan (and just Khao in general because he cried like this on TC as well) I feel VERY SEEN by the way his tears just fall

HOW CAN I BE RELATING TO BOTH CHARACTERS HERE

I spent way to long examining the order of the boys and realising that Aye and Namo had swapped places

and that arguably you're more vulnerable when you're sleeping

THis ENTIRE SCENE

the interchanging eye opening

they both think each other was asleep

he's never really sleeping is one of my FAVOURITE tropes for forwarding a relationship and they doube whammied it but this one was CRAZY BECAUSE ITS NOT GOING TO FORWARD IT

Khan looked SO HAPPY TO HAVE KISSED HIM WAAAAAAAAH

DOUBLE WHAMMY

I have taken way to many screenshots and I can't believe episode 6 was a dream kiss and then episode 7 left us hanging but I'm still stopping for a bit. Have a few more moments that punched me in the gut

bye for now.

[moa-broke-me]

honestly I have a rant locked and loaded but I don't know if this is something anyone else has noticed so I'm gonna lead with a question:

Have you noticed Rick Riordan's work has become less... Idk... Human lately? As in, leaning more into the symbolic and abstract, particularly when it comes to his characters?

Because I certainly have. I made it to, like, chapter 6 of TSATS before I had to quit because I just couldn't get into it, and even I noticed.

Like... Idk, the whole reason I'm thinking about this was that one post going around explaining that, yes Octavian is flat as a character, but when you start to view him as a symbol of neofascism, then everything clicks into place. And I think that analysis is good, don't get me wrong! It's actually a very well written piece. I wish I had the link to it at the moment so you could all go and read it for yourself.

However, the series doesn't really lend itself to that kind of symbolic, metaphorical thinking. Like there is metaphor in the series, yes, but I don't think there's ever been a human character that's treated as a straight up *symbol* for a certain concept. At least, not frequently enough that it's established as a pattern or even a possibility in the readers' minds.

Notice how I said *human* character. That's important, we're putting a pin in that.

Now, as an aside, I do think that the post could be misinterpreted as 'if you give octavian a backstory or a redemption arc in your fic then you're basically a fascist' and, no. I'm pretty certain that's not what the author of the post intended, don't get defensive and don't delete your blog.

Personally, I think his characterization could also be explained as him being someone who turns to a dangerous, destructive ideology because deep down, he's desperate for unconditional love, and he feels the only way he can get it is through force. Playground bully mentality, basically.

And if you'll notice, though both explanations tie into fascism, mine still emphasizes the humanness of Octavian. Because, well... He's human.

See, my theory is that the gods in the series are basically everything I've said the human characters aren't. Metaphors for different concepts, and how people see those concepts. It's barely even a theory, it's basically canon, but it's something that I feel needs to be pointed out for this analysis to make sense. Like, Zeus is the god of authority, so the way he acts is reflective of the way that human authority figures do. Hades is the god of the underworld, so like the underworld, he's dark and gloomy, mostly ranging between the gothic serenity of asphodel and the burning rage of punishment, though he can be kind, even nurturing at times, like Elysium.

This leaks out in more one on one interactions too. The whole reason Dionysus was so hostile to and dismissive of Percy the whole series is because his only experience with alcohol had been hostile and dismissive. Hera's nice to people at first, but makes it clear that she doesn't extend that kindness to everyone, just like a lot of 'looks good on paper' families (including Annabeth's own stepmother). Eros publicly humiliates Nico, because he sees love, his own love in particular, as humiliating.

And it seems, now, that Rick is shifting away from writing these characters as humans, and moreso how he'd write a god. Which may be why the books are starting to go downhill.

or maybe I'm fulla shit who knows?

[parcferm3]

Like all the youtubers who aren't using AI to write their scripts and are just pumping out regurgitated articles ganked from google, I've had a few hours to process this morning's news and have allowed it to digest past the 'called it' and 'love to see him back, hate to see how it played out' kneejerk reactions, and to be honest, I'm perhaps a bit less WTF than I was at six this morning when I walked into the kitchen and made my partner spit coffee onto the kitchen blind.

So Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo, Daniel.

DRDRDRDRDRhmmmmmm right then.

That was quick. I was definitely in the camp that it would happen over the summer break for a few reasons, not just because of the extremely unsubtle vibes that the Red Bull camp have been throwing out all over their social media, but also because it made sense.

Do I think it's not great that DR's got a drive in an objectively even worse way than he lost his at McLaren seat? Yes. Do I think the way Nyck de Vries has been spoken about publicly by his own team is pretty damn terrible and probably hasn't helped with his confidence? Of course. It was a clear case of buyer's regret that's made everyone look pretty terrible and has probably left poor Nyck de Vries feeling not unlike DR last year.

Do I think it's a good business decision from two not-quite-separate constructors who both exist only as moving billboards, and know a good marketing dynamic when they see it? Uh. Yuh.

Why not Liam Lawson? Well... apart from not having the immediate hype and recognition of DR, I think he's destined for that seat next year. For once, Red Bull isn't going to do what they did with de Vries and almost everybody else (hopefully) and set the guy up to fail. There's a reason he wasn't in the car at the start of the season, they're biding their time until he's ready. Let him finish out the Super Formula season. It makes sense to give him a full pre-season program before putting him in the car, and they've got nothing to lose and potentially a whole lot to gain, by giving the seat to Ricciardo.

Nothing to lose:

Daniel Ricciardo is, if nothing else, a safe bet, and a benchmark for Yuki Tsunoda and for the car itself. Is there a possibility that he tanks? Sure. Maybe the brakes in the AT are even less suited to his driving style than the Mclaren's and all the lockups, prangs, and off-track shenanigans we've seen this year are down to the car more than they are the drivers, however. Even Daniel on a bad day is probably better than Nyck on a good one, and that's not me slating Nyck, that's just experience.

So Alpha Tauri gets an experienced driver who's already on the payroll to compare Yuki against, who at worst won't score points and crash the car on occasion (which is a nett 0 swap) and at best, will score points, demonstrate what the car is capable of, and potentially get them above Alpha Romeo in the constructor's championship by the time the summer break rolls around. Heck, if he does great, maybe even beyond Haas and Williams. The reality is somewhere in between, but at the moment all it would take is for a 6th and a 10th at the Hungaroring for AT to draw level with Alpha Romeo, should AR have another zero points scoring weekend (which is not outside of the realms of possibility, considering AR has only scored in 4/10 of the grands prix actually run this year), and if it's a 6th and an 8th, that pushes them level with Haas and Williams (again, provided neither score points).

A whole lot to gain? Really?

I'm going to say it. I'm gonna. It's coming. Here it comes oh my god what is it what is it?

Sergio Perez is gonna retire at the end of this year.

It's out there. There it is. I said it. Whew.

Why do I think this? IDK folks, it's just the vibes.

Vibes, along with things like Christian Horner's joke about Perez 'making babies' at Silverstone this past weekend, which definitely pushed this theory along a bit. Not necessarily in a 'he's made rumblings about more kids' kind of way (although like, sure, possibly, whatever), but a 'is this a hint that family is on the guy's mind a lot more' kind of way. And Checo himself has said 'as long as I'm enjoying it' which he just... really doesn't seem like he is at the moment.

And the, y'know. It's a loan. Very specific there on your press release, Red Bull.

But then some part of me thinks this was always sort of at least part of the plan right from when DR was announced as third driver in the first place. Nothing set in stone, but paths being laid out and options being put on the table not just for Red Bull as a whole, but also for Perez.

(Sidenote, I actually don't think de Vries was pushed two races out from the summer break, I think he asked to go so he didn't have to endure any more of toll that the RB meat grinder was taking on him. Please set me free, I'll even leave without you paying me out for the rest of the season I just want to get out of here good lord. But that's a whole 'nother story and again, just vibes.)

Every. Single. Interview. With Daniel Ricciardo, he's made it very clear he intends to be in that Red Bull seat next year. I'm not digging through the bin for all the ticket stubs, you've read them already.

Once DR's got a few races under his belt and has (optomistically) proven that he's capable of getting a few points in what we currently assume is the worst car on the grid, they'll give Checo the green light to chuck it in.

The thing about Ricciardo, is he's a known entity. He's been Max's team mate before and understands the dynamic. He wasn't prepared to be number two last time, but this time rather than a young talented upstart coming in to usurp his position in what's already his team, he's coming in with his eyes wide open, a focus on team results rather than individual. He'll know his job is to be the classic wingman a la Barrichello/Bottas/Webber etc etc because it's obvious and it'd be stupid to think otherwise, because Max really is just that good.

And as much as I root for Yuki, I just don't see him in that second seat right now. They want a solid, steady, reliable presence, who won't collapse under the pressure of being Max Verstappen's teammate, and at the moment, the best person for that job is probably Daniel Ricciardo.

[cowboylikeekatie]

here’s reddie lyrics: evermore edition!! (ahh i can’t believe this series thingy is almost done i’ve had sm fun!) if this post is super long don’t make fun of me this is my fav taylor album EVER i’ve annotated every song it’s just so easy to find quotes

“the more that you say, the less that i know, wherever you stray, i follow , i’m begging for you to take my hand, wreck my plans, that’s my man” - willow (eddie’s pov)

“show me the places where the others gave you scars” - willow (richie’s pov)

champagne problems is if eddie divorced myra after pennywise round 2

“your hometown skeptics called it champagne problems” - champagne problems (okay idk if this makes sense but myra’s pov?????)

“so inviting, i almost jump in” - gold rush (richie’s pov)

gold rush plays into my eddie kaspbrak when emma falls in love theory thingy idk

“at dinner parties i call you out on your contrarian shit” - gold rush (eddie’s pov)

ALL OF TIS THE DAMN SEASON

“and it always leads to you in my hometown” - tis the damn season

“i parked my car right between the methodist and the school that used to be ours” - tis the damn season (richie’s pov)

“so i’ll go back to L.A, and the so called friends who write books about me, if i ever make it, and wonder about the only soul who can tell which smiles im faking, and the heart i know i’m breaking is my own” - tis the damn season (POV DOESNT MATTER THIS IS THEIR BRIDGE. AHH)

“there’ll be happiness after you, but there was happiness because of you too” - happiness (richie’s pov)

“honey when i’m above the trees, i see this for what it is, but now i’m right down in it, all the years i’ve given” - happiness (richie’s pov)

“i can’t see facts through all my fury” - happiness (richie’s pov) (like when the losers wouldn’t let richie take eddie because they knew he was already dead)

“it’s never too late to come back to my side, the stars in your eyes shined brighter in tupelo (metaphor for derry??), and if you’re ever tired of being known for who you know, you know, you’ll always know me” - dorthea (richie’s pov)

“i’m sitting on a bench in coney island wondering where did my baby go” - coney island (richie’s pov) (i heard this live so i have to include a quote)

“id meet you where the spirit meets the bone” - ivy

“forever is the sweetest con” -cowboy like me

“takes one to know one, you’re a cowboy like me” - cowboy like me

(cowboy like me is my all time fav taylor song)

“i tried to pick my battles till the battle picked me” - long story short (eddie’s pov)

“pushed from the precipice, clung to the nearest lips, long story short it was the wrong guy” - long story short (eddie’s pov) (because he’s in love with richie not myra) (after leaving his mom, he CLUNG to the nearest person who made him feel at home)

“every scrap of you would be taken from me” - marjorie (richie’s pov)

“if i didn’t know better, id think you were still around” - marjorie (richie’s pov)

“what died didn’t stay dead” - marjorie

“it cut deep to know you right to the bone” - closure

“don’t treat me like, some situation that needs to be handled” - closure (eddie’s pov) (but about his mom not richie)

“this pain would be for evermore” - evermore (richie’s pov)

“guess i’m feeling unmoored, can’t remember, what i used to fight for” - SO EDDIE CODED (eddie’s pov)

“catching my death” - evermore (eddies pov)

“strangers get born and strangers get buried, trends change rumors fly through new skies, but i’m right where you left me” - right where you left me (richie’s pov)

“did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen, time went on for everybody else, she won’t know it, she’s still 23, inside her fantasy, how it was supposed to be, did you hear about the girl who lives in delusion?" - right where you left me (fits both of them in different ways)

" or that moment again, he's insisting that friends look at each other like that" - its time to go

"sometimes giving up is the strong thing, sometimes to run is the brave thing" - its time to go (eddies pov)

“he’s got my past frozen behind glass, but i’ve got me” - its time to go (eddie’s pov ab his mom)

[far-eviler]

Hi Val, just saying I'm obsessed with your rune work in the shadowhunter chronicles and I would like too know more about what the runes mean and do, especially the ones that aren't talked about as much in the series. (like the abundance rune) I'm in the middle of making my own gray book and if you could help me out with the meaning of the runes it would be a huge help. Thx

Hello Anon! I truly appreciate the shared obsession. Creating, sharing runework and tattoo designs have been one of the more fulfilling things in my career. So, thanks for sharing that w/ me. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

In truth, I have a literal tiny handheld Gray Book of my own that carries a carnal alphabet I use (with broken down origin glyphs). It is a godsend. Whenever a new challenge comes around I whip that out and re-read it to lay groundwork. I've made too many Runes at home to actually fit into any singular book (mostly rejected designs btw). So, good luck with your version, I'm utterly fascinated to know how it goes. Lemme know!

When you say ones that "aren't talked about as much" I think it's more nuanced than that. There were some that were deliberately designed/requested/highlighted like "Fearless" and others that weren't like "Courage in Combat", whereas the later means vastly more to me personally. How two things can seem so alike but actually mean v different things idk. If you were writing lit, fic or theory you can go forever on just that! But then that's art isn't it?

If you're asking directly about "Abundance"... hmm? it's been a while. Let's look at my notes. While the literal spelling is "Abundance" what I've got translated from the glyphs used is 'being Present'. So, it's less "Abundance" of riches but more like a proficiency in Passive Perception. Does that make a little more sense? See, this shit is hella nuanced! (I did put synonymous titles for Runes names that were a bit... sparse, pre se. But they're on my uploads and weren't often on other sites or maintained when the publishers printed it. This is why source materiel is best material.) I go into loads of notes on DA, feel free to poke around.

BUT when it's your Gray Book , your notes, you do you. Answer to no one. Feel free to ask me whatever but still answer to no one. It's your grimoire, go nuts!

[squirrel-fund]

Auds! I missed you ❤️ How are you doing today? If you’re up for some headcanon questions here’s a challenge I came up with

Headcanon challenge:

1. Besides “Mick” and “Mickey”, what’s Ian nickname for Mickey? From all the nicknames Mickey calls him , what’s Ian’s favorite?

2. What’s the story behind Mickey’s knuckle tattoos? (When / how / by who) When Ian gets a tattoo for Mickey, what is it / on what occasion?

3. Random turn-on for Mickey and a random turn-on for Ian? (Bonus: something that really shouldn’t be a turn on but is)

4. What’s their Instagram @ ? When did they start following each other?

5. If they get a pet, is it a dog (who walks it more often?) or a cat (who cuddles with it more often) ? 

Can’t wait to see your answers 😉

Anon xx!! Fancy seeing you here, love! I'm good! How are you??

Ohhh so many questions!! I have avoided everyone else's answers so I could try to not be influenced by anyone's amazing headcanons!

Putting below the cut because I got chatty (TW for mentions of a white supremacy group)

1. I fucking melt at the idea of Ian calling Mickey, "Baby" and he pretends to hate it but we know he secretly loves that shit. Especially when Ian is balls deep and hitting that perfect spot. And I also like to think that Ian calls Mickey, "Tiger" from time to time. (Thanks, Paula! You fucking psycho)

And when it comes to Ian's favorite nickname that Mickey uses for him? Ian adores them all. Because, Mickey says things by saying other things.

"Whatcha thinkin' bout, Firecrotch?" Really means, "I see you in this exact moment for everything that you are. I know you're overthinking and it's okay. We're okay."

"You listenin', Freckles?" Really means, "Hey, talk to me. It's not your problem anymore, Ian. It's ours to work through together."

Idk, I just think Mickey always has love behind his nicknames, no matter what.

2. Okay, I'm so glad to see this question! I have a headcanon for this that I was going to put in a fic that I'm no longer writing. (I'll probably use it in something else, but I'm excited to put it out in the world)

So, I believe Mickey got his knuckle tattoos on his 13th birthday. He had them when he was in ninth grade and ninth graders are usually 14 to 15 years old. Now, I've done some googling (lord I hope the government doesn't have me on a list) and the number 13 is an important number for an Aryan prison gang down in Texas. It's the second largest white supremacist gang in the state of Texas and one of the largest gangs in the United States.

Now, stay with me here, (I'm not going into any more of THAT because I am not interested in it at all but I thought it was interesting in regards to Terry) anyway... Terry worked for the Sinaloa Cartel for a year and I've seen articles stating that it's not unusual for a Mexican Cartel and a large white supremacist group to work together for mutual gain. So, in theory, it would make sense that Terry probably has associates in the Texas Aryan Brotherhood.

Now, saying all that... he would also adopt some of their symbols. Such as thirteen. I believe that Terry made his children get the knuckle tattoos on their 13th birthday as a disgusting right of passage.

And Mickey got the worst of it. FUCK-U-UP on your knuckles obviously comes off as a threat. Like, "hey buddy, guess what these hands do? Yep, fuck you up."

But I feel, deep in my bones, that not only are those letters a threat to anyone that finds themselves on the other end of said knuckles, they are also a threat TO Mickey.

I definitely believe Mickey adored his mother and often helped her with "women things" cooking, cleaning, things Terry didn't want his son to enjoy. So, he chose the the words FUCK-U-UP in an attempt to always have the upper hand on Mickey. A constant reminder that Terry himself, would indeed fuck Mickey up if he got to soft.

For who did it? Probably some guy who was actually a professional but scared shit less of Terry so he did it for free.

Before Ian gets a tattoo for Mickey, he does "research" on Pinterest for months (yes, Ian 100% has a Pinterest board for gardening and other "domestic shit" as Mickey so loving likes to call it) he finally decides on a heart made with Mickey and his fingerprints. And underneath: I + M

He gets it on Valentines Day, the soft bitch.

3. Random turn on for Mickey: When Ian is talking to his plants. He read, on Pinterest, that talking is beneficial to plants. Something about vibrations and blah blah blah but damn it... when Mickey hears Ian tell the tomatoes they look delicious or whisper to the lillies that they're his favorite?? Mickey can't help but grab his husband, push him up against the wall, and fucking devour him. Cute ass motherfucker.

Random turn on for Ian: Mickey has picked up playing sudoku on his phone, and sometimes in a giant book he stole from a client's waiting room. And the concentration on Mickey's face as he figures put what number goes where... it just fucking does something to Ian. He absent-mindly sticks his tongue out, slowly licking at the corner of his mouth and Ian practically loses his fucking mind. It's worse when the book comes out. Mickey chews on that stupid pencil, leaving indents in the soft wood, making Ian wish he were a fucking number 2 pencil. It's embarrassing and Mickey won't let him live it down.

4. Mickey only has an Instagram to stay in touch with his sister and a select few cousins who he gets along with. He says it's stupid and he can't explain how his profile ends up "hearting" Ian's pictures when Ian's out with Lip. Conspiracy, if you ask him.

Mickey's Instagram: @dontfollowme

Ian's instagram: @IanG

They started following each other when Ian got into Mickey's phone and did it himself

5. Okay, I'm going against this assignment and saying: both.

On their second anniversary, Ian went out and rescued a pit bull for Mickey. It was a female red nose pitbull (of course). They named her: Bonnie.

On the same day, Mickey ran into a group of juvenile delinquents who were entertaining themselves with scaring the crap out of a small black kitten. It was mewing pathetically and it's left eye was all gunked up. Mickey told the kids to get lost before scooping up the kitten and taking it home. They named him: Clyde.

Clyde prefers Mickey. Bonnie prefers Ian. Mickey calls it Stockholm Syndrome. Ian calls it love.

[ladyhindsight]

"How are they so indulged in the mundane world and culture but apparently are so secluded from it?" -In the beginning, I thought Shadowhunters that live in Institutes and the newly Ascended Shadowhuters are influenced by mundane cultures or prejudices. It would make sense for Shadowhuters in Idris to villainize Downwolders and Mundanes, but it doesn't make sense for them to have prejudices against Persian, Indian or other non-European cultures. But then I was once again disappointed by CC's lack of skill in world-building and her inability to think before she answers questions about her writing. Speaking of Prejudices, I'm I the only one who's not convinced with CC's answer to "Why prejudices against only SOME mundane cultures exists among Shadowhunters"?

2 things bother me most from her answer:

1

"Moreover, Shadowhunter Academy, as we saw in 1899, was populated overwhelmingly by white boys–who were also presumed to be straight–being brought up in what was thought of as Shadowhunter Tradition, capital letters. The Victorian Era was a time of travel and an expanded world, but also a time when the British Empire —which stretched over vast portions of the globe — uplifted white men as the default, the natural ones to have power, and the Clave is influenced by that as they are always influenced by the bleed of mundane culture into theirs."

European empires of that time brought massive bloodshed to various parts of the world. No one welcomed the British to occupy their territories- there were many wars fought that would eventually make the Brits empire the most powerful.

"The war had caused increased demonic activity—as all wars did, demons taking advantage of chaos caused by battle—which was almost overwhelming the Shadowhunters." The Ghosts Of Shadow Market, Cassandra Clare

Idk about Europe but the Victorian era was a period of Rebellions/Battles/Wars for many countries (particularly against colonial powers - World Wars 1&2 are not the only War that was fought throughout history CC), so there must be an increased demonic activity that must have caused a lot of problems for Shadowhunters. It was already established that demonic activities increase when wars happen. Don't you think it would make more sense if the Clave is more annoyed with the Mundanes being white supremacists and waging wars against other Mundanes than to get influenced by it? Like silly little Mundies causing so much trouble to the Shadowhunters with all their wars.

Even if they did get influenced by Mundane ideologies, don't you think that it makes more sense for a Shadowhunter to apply that 'superior race' theory to their species and show more prejudice against the Downwolders and being more violent/rude/ inappropriate towards Downworlders (without breaking the First Accords) becoming a norm at the time? That could explain where Valentine's ideology comes from.

"Clave is influenced by that"

Is CC saying that Clave, the Shadowhunter's governing body consisting of Shadowhunters from across the world (Asians, Africans, Australians, Americans, Europeans) are totally down for the White Skinned Shadowhunters to hold all the power and let them think they are the superior because Mundanes ideologies are influencing them?

The more I think about it the less sense it made!

2

Well, she brings up the topic of sexism among Shadowhunters to compare both issues, which was hilarious because sexism among Shadowhunters doesn't make sense either.

Overall, I hated the answer she gave. It was stupid at best.

I was the that sent this ask. I accidentally sent it anonymously.

You're right. The plot holes in TSC worldbuilding could've been avoided had CC put more effort into it. In my personal opinion, the inconsistency of CC writing shined throughout the TLH series more than in any other series of TSC.

The part of that answer, “Shadowhunter society is folded into ours, never entirely independent of ours,” seems to only apply to things Clare wants to include in her writing and her characters to have knowledge of. Illnesses both mental and physical having actual names, treatments for them, technology to an extent (as it is disallowed for some reason?)—these are not part of the Nephilim world. Neither is the very basic infrastructure that keeps our societies afloat but anyway.

In her answer, Clare also leaves it pretty vague (or does not go into it at all rather) how the colonialism of the mundane world influences the Clave when the Nephilim generally regard themselves separate from the mundanes and do not understand the mundane ways. How exactly does the “mundane culture”—which there are thousands, mind you—bleed into theirs? “Silly little mundies” is my thought exactly. It’s more a matter of convenience than anything sound to do with the world-building. As it is convenient that the Nephilim reject mundane medicine and technology, for example.

I don’t think a lot that she said there were reflected in her writing, except the most obvious treatment of Charlotte as a woman and Alastair as Persian. It just is fundamentally impossible for me to believe that the Shadowhunters would be in any way sexist among themselves, or have developed such mindsets, because women make half of their force, the very first of them being the first of Iron Sisters who forge all their weapons and are masters of a craft that is, in mundane world, associated with more men than women. I see no consistency as to any of this.

I agree, TLH burns brightly with inconsistency because Clare wanted to implement those period typical mindsets and behavior to her own fictional world always having existed pretty separate from that of the mundane, but never doing the groundwork to justify any of it. Just suspend your disbelief and you’ll be fine, I guess. Also: “Alastair, the son of a suspected murderess and a disgraced and despised Shadowhunter (we’ll see what’s up with Elias in TLH!), does not.” Murderess? What? Was this another retcon?

[johannwolfgangvongoethe]

Reading Umineko for fun and profit? hopefully?

multiple of my twitter mutuals love this game and talk about it all this time. and it looks really interesting, doesnt it, despite its incredibly intimidating length.

so, there is very little going in that i know about! and i am excited to experience it. :) (assuming i can fight my way through the whole thing) apparently they are all on an island. and someone dies. or something like that. if you are around people who love the game, it is inevitable to know some of the main characters, at least on a surface level. there is obviously beatrice, the woman in the painting, who my (similarily clueless friend) once called "the joker for trans women", which accurately describes her vibes. (i mean this in the most positive way. i am on the edge of my seat) otherwise i really only know battler because of his stupid name (its like hes a shonen protagonist - he has to BATTLE. FIGHT MAN) and the two girls who frequently get drawn alongside each other (the blond and the blue one) that aside, i had the vague mind to ask my friend for specific content warnings i usually look out for and they arent actually in there! even though my friend described the game as "well, in theory, umineko needs a bucket full of content warnings but if i were to list them like an encyclopedia, it would spoiler half of the thing" (great sign)

anyway, so i will write whatever thoughts i have about it. this absolutely will involve spoilers. the version i have is english and has newer sprites. (sort of sad, i actually genuinely think the original round boxxing glove artstyle has an incredible amount of personality to it and despite being wonky, the facial expressions are great)

intro + opening

kinzo in his musty dusty study talks to danjo, his doctor. despite them being friends, their relationship as a doctor and resisting patient is likened to a game of chess. and kinzo is obviously losing. i really like the analogy. his struggle with alcohol and health and his inability to improve his habits are direct moves against his friends medical advise. yet he is also framed as a very wealthy character, a king of sorts. so either way, whether he lives (the doctor convinces him) or dies (he succumbs to alcoholism), the king is lost. is this purposeful? who knows. really paints a picture of him though; there is nothing he wishes to write in his will, he needs no advise, he is actively destroying himself, and he wont leave any inheritance. so adding to his physical health, he really isnt doing well mentally, huh... makes me wonder How Much Of his sickness is related to drinking. it seems like something else is going on, too. him dying to alcoholism would paint a different picture than him being terminally ill and choosing to end his life this way (while still suffering from alcoholism but! you know). maybe then the lost king makes sense - he is lost either way, but he could still choose to make a few last good moves. also he made some sort of contract with beatrice and she has him wrapped around her pinky. well, we shall see.

this line specifically does not seem to bode well. beatrice what are you going to do to those people.

also i didnt watch the opening. my friend told me to watch this one instead :) good music

episode 1, part 1

battler has less dignity to him than i thought. idk what i expected. his name really is that stupid. he is a bit cringe but adorable nonetheless.

Both groups are at the top of my must-kill list. george is voiced by suzumura...

.

free space for those who know about my affliction of being a lavi d.gray-man fan. sometimes i can still hear his voice. his glasses do the scary anime villain thing. for now he is very nice, though i am fully expecting some bait and switch for his personality.

anyhow. some more notes:

does battlers upside down cross zipper mean anything??????? i like to imagine hes just a bit chuuni.

everyone in the family has that silly little emblem on their clothing

jessica is an instant fave for me personally bc of how she speaks

eva and natsuhi have some incredible beef going on in the back. love the toxicity going on here. both of them already seem like there is a lot to them, just from the first expressions

there is also some obvious conflict between the servants and the ushiromiya family and also... just between the servants, which is most visible in kanon

apropos. kanon transgender? eyebrow lift

so grandpa beat his kids and grandkids with his own fists and wooden sword. AND his hobby is dark magic. damn

the family is unwell, it seems

i have to strangle battler with my own two hands

the family introduction is very cute and they seem very lively and real, like an endearing bunch. battlers internal monologue is very on point for an 18yo. so sorry about whatever is going to happen. also are their weird western sounding names and the architectures of the guesthouse related to their patriachs obsession with beatrice? (points at her.... white woman.... i think) i wonder how the flight attendants knew how to pronounce all that. its funny to imagine the staff took little notes on it when they checked in.

knowing battler is a mamas boy is a very interesting little bit of info. "father issues damage you but mother issues rewrite your dna" or however that post goes. i absolutely believe in this. its horrifying. knowing battlers mother died and then he lived with his grandparents AND THEN THOSE DIED TOO. GIVE HIM A BREAK!!!! ..... wait this game is about mysterious murders isnt it. oh god.

we are informed there used to be a torii on the coastline of the island but it got destroyed by a lightning. ominous. maria also reacts to this. kumasawa wants to elaborate further on local myths but jessica stops her. there are also no seagulls (ah.... namedrop) to be seen anywhere. lets put a pin in all that for now. children with promonitions are a common trope after all.

now this is a bit of a personal thing but the fact they have a rose garden in full bloom on october is ridiculous. and youre trying to tell me they smell too, despite obviously being modern crossbreeds? get real.

welp. glass shatters. the clock strikes 12 o'clock. thats where im pausing the notes for now.

all that said, dont you think spending that much time talking about how much battler wants to touch his cousins boobs was strange :( dont you think

[morkofday]

8 Shows to Get to Know Me

thank you for tagging me josi @wanderlust-in-my-soul​​ ♥ am always happy to talk about shows that are important to me~

(tried to write these down in order from oldest to newest! meaning: when they came into my life and changed me)

I. Merlin (2008-2012)

one of the first shows i ever watched from a streaming site (aka illegally online haha), tho i did start watching it while it was airing on our tv. i adore the atmosphere, the world, the characters, and the whole journey throughout all five seasons. it feels whole. the fandom here is also amazing, even if i mostly watch it from afar ♥

II. Theory of Love (2019)

am not really sure when exactly i watched this for the first time, but i have vague memories of the last ep or the special ep only having just aired. it was one of my first introductions to bls - to good and more thoughtful bls - and i loved it with my whole chest. after rewatching it a year ago, i can still say it’s one of those shows that has rearranged something permanently in me. 

III. Sense8 (2015-2018)

the show that feels like it was made for me. it’s just so full of things i love: fantasy, mysteries, action, character bonds, found family, love, acceptance, understanding, and even psychological themes. i love each of the characters very dearly and enjoyed all of their relationships with each other. i also loved what this show did with intimacy, both the emotional and physical kind, by showing how it can be a source of great comfort. 

IV. The Untamed (2019)

my first ever cdrama that opened up a whole new world for me. it became one of my first ever big hyperfixations, one of my great loves. it let me dive into the world of other cdramas and so even more great shows. and it brought me to many new things and ppl here on tumblr after leading me into editing and so to the mdzs network ♥

V. The Lost Tomb 2 / Explore With The Note (2019)

i cannot really pack dmbj into only one show bc each of the adaptations has given me something to chew on, but tlt2 is always my baby. it is the show that made me love pingxie, the show that made me insane about their story, and the show i would die for. it gave me serious brainrot for such a long time, and even if it’s not the best one of the adaptations, it’s still very, very dear to me.

VI. You’re My Glory (2021) 

i never thought a romance show would get to me but this one did in so many ways. it taught me some precious lessons and i think it changed how i see accomplishments, dreams, and working hard to reach personal goals. it gave me hope and strength, and it just made me believe in love that is comfortable and adjusts to your needs. 

VII. Bad Buddy (2021)

the show that changed me about a year ago. the show that somehow opened up a lock inside of me, that allowed me to feel new things, that comforted me and understood me. idk if any bl can ever feel as much home as bb does. little did i know that when i started watching this silly bl during the christmas it was still airing, it would consume me, heart and soul, and then lead me here, wrapped up in this bl world. 

VIII. Vice Versa (2022)

if there’s one show to define me right now, to define me for the past year, it’s vice versa. it’s everything to me in every sense. it’s a show i go to when i want to cry, or smile, or feel warm, or happy, or sad, or delighted, or comforted, or loved. it’s a show that feels like a hug, a show that heals me in all the ways i need to be healed. it means so much to me. and it doesn’t hurt that it’s still one of the most beautiful bls i’ve ever seen ♥ (i could write essays of vv, tho at the same time it feels like the jane austen quote, “if i loved you less, i might be able to talk about it more”)

some honorary mentions: 

The Long Ballad (2021), Not Me (2021), My Country: The New Age (2019), The Blood of Youth (2022), and 3 Will Be Free (2019)

tagging: @leonpob​ @stormyoceans​ @dimpledpran​ @hils79​ @psychic-waffles​ @ardentlytess​ @oswlld​ @sanoreo​ ♥

[koszmarnybudyn]

Happy to report i have finished episode 14 (and this time I have thoughts AND drawings) so as always here we go (SPOILER WARNING FOR EPISODE 14 OF DUNGEONS AND DADDIES!!!)

Also these are traditional doodles I made and they are kinda ugly but who cares!

Now to the thoughts part! (Also i will write down what I written in the schetches since my handwriting is shit)

Link deserves a gun :)

+1 self confidence armor (I got attention)

Only I'M allowed to be mean to Normal!

Rip Normal (nakey)

Yeah...sure-teach me sensei

Were you guys really scared?

Just a flesh wound

The sky is a butt now

Don't look at the sky

Can we get Normal some clothes? Or some shoes at least?

Sidekick!

<3Besties<3

So many nat1

I'm gonna go

It's good not everyone got dodlariezed

Can't belive the joke they made once turned out to be a plot point now

Maybe they will let him go since he is very stinky?

Okay now the actual thoughts:

I'm glad we got Hermie back, but now I am nearly convinced he is somehow magical or something (my bets are he is related to the Likelys), he and Taylor are offically besties (also Hermie and Normal is such a good ship in fannon but it makes a lot less sense in canon). Hermie is so weird and I love him (he feels so autistic to me ya know?)

Normal got more trauma yay! (This was a sad yay) He nearly died. Also my theory on "normal was still in his underwear" was proven correct and that neans I know have to figure out how to make a band tshirt :/ (why does he have so many outfits and why is each one worse than the last?)

Scary and Normals relashonship is so dear to me, they are besties your honor

Also Link just keeps slaying, he is so fun, i just love him, he is so responsible, awkward and yet badass and he cares so deeply :(

I fucking hate the dodlerized folks, they are so creepy (did we all forget the Mayor is still out there and is going to get an army and wreach havoc? Because i just remembered she is and that is not great)

The interactions with the parents were lovely (i have to relisten to that scene so i can figure out all their ring tones)

Taylor got so many nat1 this episode and also just awful rolls

Scary is so freaking powerful!!!

Does soneone know who the head could be? (I thought it was the Lance but then someone said it was terry sr and that seems more belivable but idk)

Wait can someone do the math on how much time has passed for the dads since every minute is about 2 weeks? (Im probablly wrong on how it works because that would mean years for them and that is not great)

That's it for now, I might edit this when i have more to add (i usually do)

Have a fantastic day/night/evening :)

[emblazons]

I like reading theories here (and i like to theorize on my own too) but I just kinda wish there was more "realistic" Bylers here who theorize about what actually migh happen in terms of character arcs and story and relationships in the next season. Because when it all comes down to it, we will have to arrange our expectations regarding what is most likely to appear on our screens in S5. And I just feel like there are not many blogs doing or considering that. I especially agree with you on this-- reading Bylers' analyses and theories before vol2 really meddled with my expectations and it feels like the majority of our fandomside just went overboard and focused on what they wanted to see instead of what was likely going to happen or happening in story's direction and that is why the majority of Bylers misunderstood things or just got very disappointed or got shocked by what happened.

I feel like majority of the Bylers are still misreading some things in the plot (that being Mike's characterization most of all) and that because of that reason, many people will get blindsided again in S5 like they have in vol2. Because people expect and want to see certain and specific things about characters and plot, and they are setting themselves up, so it kinda feels like ppl just going to be disappointed again by certain things due to them not actually considering Duffers' intentions and writing style/choices.

That is why I wish there were more "realistic" Byler blogs in this fandom who do not go overboard or do not get too attached to their headcanons and do not build up way too specific expectations based on those-- i feel like it would honestly be the best way to get ready for S5 and arrange our expectations in this community for what is likely to come in the next season.

I agree! Honestly, I can appreciate people wanting characters to be the kind of people they can relate to or enjoy (or more specifically fleshed out than this ensemble cast of characters allots for sometimes), but when you combine that with a sense of "I know better than the writers" a lot of people have, it leads to either vast disappointment or bitterness, which...idk. Maybe I'm just good at managing my hyper-fixations with logic/ who The Duffers are as people, which makes me more lenient LMAO

Especially in terms of the Mike characterization bit / how a lot of theories don't really align with the narrative so much as their desired characterization of him...I can deeply empathize with why people think certain things about him, but the way I see a lot of people still analyzing based on single looks from Finn in S1 scenes or off of another post where someone cherrypicked 45 seconds of a scene without the whole episode or season as context...like, I just feel like they're setting themselves up for upset. I obviously also have my own preferred interpretations and I do definitely think some people are better at pulling and synthesizing important bits of the narrative / details into a sensical way than others, but...like I said in another ask, I'm not holding anything with an iron fist.

Lately I've just stopped waiting for other people's analyses for any new knowledge + have started working on my own Mike analysis (kind of a companion / extension of this concept I started for Will + Dustin) where I talk through the narrative setup of his character for S5, less so than whether or not I want him to be gay/bi/end up acting first etc (just because....be the change you wanna see in the world LMFAO). I've already written several posts about my perception of Mike's arc + his characterization outside of any strict interpretation of things like Finn's looks or his labeled sexuality, and...that's how I'll continue to process his character for as long as it makes sense to lol.

--I'm also entirely unsure how I became the spot people went to talk through their feeling weird about how theories are made in this fandom, but! I appreciate you all trusting me with your honest opinions haha