Wounds that do not heal, a Light that I cannot see
Onwards... Even so, I just keep moving onwards
And ohhh this is so striking!
This is the cover that slaps you in the face with what it wants you to be looking at. All the lines and angles draw the visual focus directly to Lava Lamp’s eye as he stares directly back. It’s quite the confronting moment. It’s defiant. It calls back to the heavy lidded focus he had when he was still missing part of his soul and hadn’t had the chance to be anything other than his goals for years and years of his life. And arguably this is still the case, but with slight windows of characterisation opening up every now and again, almost against his will - which is very much in line with the splash text. Lava Lamp has dedicated himself to this existence of SUFFERING in order to fix [the big important something], and he would seemingly trade away any part of himself to make it happen and see it as more than a fair trade. Or more than that. He sees his suffering as irrelevant. He sees his suffering as something that must happen, and he will pay it again and again until he achieves his goal.
But all that aside! Here in the image the stark contrast of light and dark gives us the Full Syaoran Imagery Experience, especially when combined with the inversed colours in the background. The play of black and white against each other is trying to evoke the conflict between the Syaorans and just how different they are - and the focus on the eye in particular is hammering this home. Because what IS his eye here, other than a dark circle with a smaller circle of white within? It’s a banner showing his half of the yin yang symbol and a call back to everything this is a metaphor to.
And on a more story level, the Evil Wolverine Magic Prison Lines are here as a timely reminder of what happened to Lava Lamp so that we’re thinking about it while we finally get to visit the Clow Ruins and presumably find out more about that all happened in the first place.
Something I like about Leo is that he’s honestly really chill? It’s easy to remember the moments where he’s being obnoxious or excitable but I feel like most of the time he’s incredibly “go with the flow” and has an overall affable demeanor.
hey man. i'm just saying. why would we put inexperienced teenagers with over-inflated egos and obvious emotional issues into combat classes and make them claw their way to the top of their dorms and expect things to just run smoothly. who actually thought this
Okay, theory time! Basically, what I think is the reason for Wish Craft to smell/taste of burnt sugar! So... to start of, Wish Craft is a type of Craft that can grant wishes, and we all know that the power to do so is a double-edged sword. It depends entirely on the contents of the wish if it'll turn out good or bad, and in In Stars and Time, the wish can be granted in a variety of ways. For one thing, it can be granted immediately and outright (Siffrin mumbling whenever he makes something and unknowingly using Wish Craft during then. Whatever he makes turn out great if that's what he wanted! Like a wood figurine looking amazing). Another thing is that the wish isn't "granted" but you're instead given the means to fulfill it yourself (Such as leading you to an item or person that is the solution to your wish).
So, why is Wish Craft's specific scent "burnt sugar"? First, let's take a look at "sugar." Sugar has a very rich history, it symbolizes wealth and happiness. There's also various expressions related to sugar as well, anything that can be described as "sweet." Overall, many positive meanings is tied to sugar. But then Wish Craft has the scent of "burnt sugar," something sickly sweet. Burnt sugar is basically caramel, but Bonnie also described the scent as "caramel left to burn for hours," so it can't just be simple burnt sugar, but it's "burnt caramel." If caramel itself is a very sweet dessert, what'll happen if caramel, something that was made by burning sugar, burned even more? It'd taste Bitter.
Bittersweet is an expression, the combination of something sweet yet bitter. It can also be used to describe something that is a mixture between happy and sad. Kinda fitting in a way for a wish granting power to be bittersweet, isn't it? Because granting wishes can be something happy, it can also turn out sad, and most of all it can be bittersweet, all depending on What the contents of the wish are and Who is affected by it. For Siffrin especially, it truly was something bittersweet, his wish was granted in the form of power over time (the ability to use Time Craft, specifically looping time). It's sweet at first, because no matter what happens, everyone is safe, no matter what mistake Siffrin makes, it'll be fine because he can just loop back before that mistake ever happened. A wish that started off sweet yet later turned bitter. To start again and again and again, countless deaths, a routine repeating seemingly endlessly, none of their family members ever remembering anything.
It was sweet then turned bitter. A bittersweet wish, throughout the game, the scent of Wish Craft was mostly described as "burnt sugar," something sickly sweet. But during Siffrin's fight at the end, Bonnie described it as "burnt caramel," because that's what's technically happening to Siffrin's wish. It keeps Burning. Like a star nearing its end. It just burns and burns until nothing of it is left, Siffrin's wish kept burning, so much so that it got to the point of being able to destroy the world. Because at that moment, Siffrin reached his breaking point, he couldn't handle it anymore, the seemingly neverending loops, the fact that no matter what he does his family members will go their separate ways at the end of the journey, leaving Siffrin all alone without the Home he found himself in which is their family members.
So that's why I think Wish Craft's scent is "burnt sugar" as a way to signify wishes themselves. Wishes can be sweet, wishes can burn, wishes can be bitter, and wishes can be bittersweet. But that's also not the only thing wishes can be, because sugar isn't only found in good things, it's found in the dead as well, specifically plants. When a plant wilts, its scent is "sickly sweet," isn't it? And the way Euphrasie described it every time you talk to her, she says "something is rotting," because she can smell that "sickly sweet" scent of Wish Craft like Bonnie could. Euphrasie is especially familiar with the scent of rotting plants considering how she's surrounded with plants everywhere. So wishes too, can rot.
crashes ur board meeting n drags u out by the collar but its fine bc youre the one always saying shit like "im looking for people i can use" ok lol. get used idiot
On the train of your last ask, what are your thoughts on dragons sexuality?
Personally I think he’s Demi something (more attracted to personality than looks or gender)
Honestly because we don't know that much about the guy it's kind of hard for me to form an opinion, and if Crocodad Real then we're going to find out his orientation eventually (since we gotta find out if that was a contributing factor to the Dragodile Divorce (assuming they're divorced)) so I'm kind of okay with not forming any headcanons, since the headcanon could get thrown out the window
If anything, what interests me is how Dragon's orientation could impact the story-- like when I've discussed the Dragodile Divorce I have mainly focused on speculating how Crocodile would've felt about it, but how Dragon felt about that is interesting too
Because if he's straight then yeah that probably contributed to The Divorce, but how did Dragon feel about it? Learning that the love of his life is now happier than ever before after transitioning and being happy for him, while also losing the version of Crocodile that he fallen in love to begin with? No longer feeling thet draw to him because of the thing that has brought him so much joy and comfort? Knowing that even if they did take down the WG the family Dragon had hoped to have would never come to be, because their relationship would now end? And that it would be on some level his fault, because he's not attracted to Crocodile anymore?
Like even if Dragon took things well and the divorce happened "on good terms", it would've been sad for Dragon too.
But then there's a slightly juicier option, because what if Dragon was bi, but the Divorce happened under unpleasant circumstances (be it Dragon lashing out or things getting violent because he couldn't recognize Crocodile) and he didn't figure it out until it was too late?
Because you'd still have Dragon going through some if not all of those previously mentioned feelings, of having to come to terms with the version of his significant other whom he had fallen in love with no longer existed, the family had pictured in his mind would never become a thing, that those things were be kind of his fault and that he had hurt Crocodile deeply in the process.
But then he'd be looking at some news article of Crocodile's most recent heroic stunt, seeing his handsome face with that usual, unbothered expression, and realizing he still loved him? That he still wanted to be with him, wished they were together, even now that Crocodile was a far more handsome man than he was? And then the realization that he's bi hitting him like a fucking truck
But it's too late. The divorce already happened. He already hurt Crocodile too deeply. Knowing Croc, he had probably already moved on. There was no fixing it, the relationship was over. At least for now, trying to go see Croc could be dangerous due to the WG and not wanting to risk the WG finding out about them and The Kid and Croc would probably be furious if Dragon even risked that at this point, after what he had done.
Oh, and then Crocodile killed thousands of innocent people attempting to usurp a country by manufacturing a civil war. Something Dragon can't forgive. (Not to mention, hearing he had been taken down by their own son... Oof)
But what if despite all that, and not knowing the full circumstances behind what had happened (like the fact that Crocodile didn't know who the hell Luffy was), Dragon still loved Crocodile? What then?
So I've seen some (I assume) show-only people really, really upset about Hopper's death. Like, calling the show runners sick, awful, disgusting people for it. So, insane as it is, I'm here to defend the murder of fluffy canines.
Wolves in the Wheel of Time world are not cute little companion puppies that are just so sweet and innocent and perfect. Killing a wolf is not killing a helpless creature that is relying solely on human kindness to survive, nor is it done just for shock value.
Wolves would be VERY UPSET if you viewed them this way! They are just as independent and capable as any of the human characters - they have their own society, lives, and beliefs. They fight in battle.
Hopper wasn't just standing next to Perrin as his little dog on a leash and then was murdered out of the blue - he chose to join the battle and attack an enemy. The enemy then killed him as he was seeking to kill one of them. Hopper died in battle just like any human would have (and did many times over in the story).
Yes, the Whitecloaks and people at large do only view them as animals - dangerous animals that can kill them - not as equals to humans, but Perrin does understand their importance as beings in their own right. He was reacting to Hopper's death not as a 'you just killed my pet out of the blue!' but as a 'you just killed a member of my family (pack)'.
Does it suck to see canines killed on screen? Yeah. Does that mean that if a story includes the death of a canine that means the writers are disgusting, sick, cruel people because 'killing the dog' has gotten a bad rep in media? No.
Including wolfbrothers means including their role as beings who are also fighting against the shadow. That means some are going to die in battle. Just as Uno's death was significant and meaningful to our characters, just as Rand's mom dying was meaningful, Ingtar's death, Karene and Steppin's death, etc, are all meaningful to the story and the characters, so is Hopper's death.
If the death of a canine is triggering to you, I get it. Torture scenes and graphic depictions of violence are triggering to me. But that doesn't mean that I thought the showrunners were disgusting, sick people for having death in the show, or lingering on people's last moments and giving them their due rather than brushing right past the death.
If the death of any being other than a human - especially canines - really gets to you, then The Wheel of Time probably isn't for you as the wolves play a very important role in the fight against the Shadow. They're warriors just like the people are which means they're going to fall in battle too.
I know this post is probably only for a very tiny fraction of people who watched the episode, but I felt it needed to be said. Calling writers bad people for wolf death is just wild to me.
do not get people acting as though elminster is some kind of villain also, as if it's not abundantly clear that he and gale are very close friends and elminster would rather be doing anything else and deeply regrets having to deliver the news. like did we play the same game did you not see This
Forgot my Unhinged Solar lover tag there on the previous ask but yes, while Solar roasted him that one time, that was when Eclipse is in Solar's dimension and doesn't have the star. Eclipse doesn't have the star right now, he admits that, but who knows what he can do. If he really was the one who knocked out Solar, he was stealthy enough to do that. Not to mention, he (I'm assuming) seemingly disarmed the computer's guns in today's episode. The way he mentioned Solar in his monologue doesn't sit well, not at all. My timbers are forever shivered until this Eclipse is gone. What more if Lunar sees this Eclipse?
Fjofks its fine i figured it mightve been you lol
Well even yeah like eclipse was in solars dimension solar also adapted to his new home. Hes recognized by the computer (however that MAY actually be the case of how eclipse couldve disarmed are messed with things too. Since theyre similar coding right??)
So yeah while its safe to assume solar might be in danger from eclipse, solar DOES have many people behind him that care. Also eclipse doesnt... at least OURS dodnt actually kill anyone aside his own brother (and if the theory of this being october eclipse then even further this man has killed no one, more torturing and psychological ways of torment than anytbing.)
Solar is also well aware of how eclipse came to be and how he is as well. However now this also comes down to Eclipse knowing things too (such as solar and his moons encounter...)
Your timblers may be shivered but i think we may survive this one for once maybe.
As for Lunar... lordy i mean he WAS subjected to seeing a vid of death over and over via puppet and monty podcast. Vs the first time solar came by without warning he didnt panic immediately. Not saying he wpuldnt be upset by seeing eclipse (a very... bad time esp given he needs to control his emotions rn). Hes also not defensless either. Also this eclipse has a new look.
The fact that Leo can go literally anywhere on earth to be alone with his thoughts at a single moment’s notice is something that shakes around in my head all the time. Like, portals and teleportation are amazing and convenient abilities both in and out of battle, but they could also so easily be used to run away as well.
I don’t think Leo ever would, at least not most of the time. He loves his family too much, and is too dependent on their love and attention to cut himself off so suddenly like that, but it’s a very real possibility nonetheless.
It’s a good thing Leo’s overall temper is more on the mild side and he prefers going to his room or something to complete solitude, because it really is dangerous for a kid to have the ability to isolate themselves like that at their fingertips.
i had a shit sleep and then on top of that this morning, like only 20mins after i woke up, my sister's partner suddenly exploded in anger, because my dog barked at our other roommate (who my dog is scared of). and i know sudden loud noises are a trigger for him (the partner) who also has PTSD but then he just, yelled and slammed doors and stomped around and. everything that triggers me, he did. and i know it wasnt to purposefully trigger me of course, and he's stressed and sick and overworked, and i know it's probably not really about my dog. but trauma doesn't care about the details, it just goes yelling angry man = dangerous = triggered as fuck. so i escaped and hid in the backyard and calmed myself down from having a panic attack... by dissociating lol. but thats what dissociation is, a protective (if at times maladaptive) coping strategy. and then eventually i went back into the house and hid in my room, thankful that the door locks (though I also know im not in any danger, he's not my stepdad). music + weighted blanket + comfort toy + dog + self soothing skills. feeling better but this is just gonna ruin the next few days for me, and I'll have nightmares tonight. my sister was also triggered, but she apologised on his behalf (annnnnd thats also triggering, it's too much like how my mum constantly was apologising for my stepdad....) and told him to talk to someone today, while he's gone (he left, thank fuck).