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#I guess the theme of the episode is passion
denimbex1986 · 4 months
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'...“It’s fun playing bad, but actually he’s not,” the actor says, smiling as he reflects on his character, Crowley. “He’s a villain with a heart. The amount of really evil things he does are vanishingly small.”
...As it always has, “Good Omens” dissects the view of good and evil as absolutes, showing viewers that they are not as separate as we were led to believe growing up. Aziraphale and Crowley’s long-standing union is proof of this. The show also urges people to look at what defines our own humanity. For Tennant — who opted to wear a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Leave trans kids alone you absolute freaks” during a photocall for Season 2 — these themes are more important now than ever before.
“In this society that we’re currently living in, where polarization seems ever more present, fierce and difficult to navigate. Negotiation feels like a dirty word at times,” he says, earnestly. “This is a show about negotiation. Two extremes finding common ground and making their world a better place through it. Making life easier, kinder and better. If that’s the sort of super objective of the show, then I can’t think of anything more timely, relevant or apt for the rather fractious times we’re living in.”
“Good Omens” is back by popular demand for another season. How does it feel?
It’s lovely. Whenever you send something out into the world, you never quite know how it will land. Especially with this, because it was this beloved book that existed, and that creates an extra tension that you might break some dreams. But it really exploded. I guess we were helped by the fact that we had Neil Gaiman with us, so you couldn’t really quibble too much with the decisions that were being made. The reception was, and continues to be, overwhelming.
Now that you’re no longer bound by the original material that people did, perhaps, feel a sense of ownership over, does the new content for Season 2 come with a sense of freedom for you? This is uncharted territory, of sorts.
That’s an interesting point. I didn’t know the book when I got the script. It was only after that I discovered the worlds of passion that this book had incited. Because I came to it that way, perhaps it was easier. I found liberation from that, to an extent. For me, it was always a character that existed in a script. At first, I didn’t have that extra baggage of expectation, but I acquired it in the run-up to Season 1 being released… the sense that suddenly we were carrying a ming vase across a minefield.
In Season 2, we still have Neil and we also have some of the ideas that he and Terry had discussed. During the filming of the first one, Neil would drop little hints about the notions they had for a prospective sequel, the title of which would have been “668: The Neighbour of the Beast,” which is a pretty solid gag to base a book around. Indeed there were elements like Gabriel and the Angels, who don’t feature in the book, that were going to feature in a sequel. They were brought forward into Season 1. So, even in the new episodes, we’re not entirely leaving behind the Terry Pratchett-ness of it all.
It’s great to see yourself and Michael Sheen reunited on screen as these characters. Fans will have also watched you pair up for Season 3 of “Staged.” You’re quite the dynamic duo. What do you think is the magic ingredient that makes the two of you such a good match?
It’s a slightly alchemical thing. We knew each other in passing before, but not well. We were in a film together [“Bright Young Things,” 1993] but we’d never shared a scene. It was a bit of a roll of the dice when we turned up at the read-through for “Good Omens.” I think a lot comes from the writing, as we were both given some pretty juicy material to work with. Those characters are beloved for a reason because there’s something magical about them and the way they complete each other. Also, I think we’re quite similar actors in the way we like to work and how we bounce off each other.
Does the shorthand and trust the two of you have built up now enable you to take more risks on-screen?
Yes, probably. I suppose the more you know someone, the more you trust someone. You don’t have to worry about how an idea might be received and you can help each other out with a more honest opinion than might be the case if you were, you know, dancing around each other’s nervous egos. Enjoying being in someone’s orbit and company is a positive experience. It makes going to work feel pleasant, productive, and creative. The more creative you can be, the better the work is. I don’t think it’s necessarily a given that an off-screen relationship will feed into an on-screen one in a positive or negative way. You can play some very intimate moments with someone you barely know. Acting is a peculiar little contract, in that respect. But it’s disproportionately pleasurable going to work when it’s with a mate.
Fans have long discussed the nature of Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship. In Season 2, we see several of the characters debate whether the two are an item, prompting them to look at their union and decipher what it is. How would you describe their relationship?
They are utterly co-dependent. There’s no one else having the experience that they are having and they’ve only got each other to empathize with. It’s a very specific set of circumstances they’ve been dealt. In this season, we see them way back at the creation of everything. They’ve known each other a long time and they’ve had to rely on each other more and more. They can’t really exist one without the other and are bound together through eternity. Crowley and Aziraphale definitely come at the relationship with different perspectives, in terms of what they’re willing to admit to the relationship being. I don’t think we can entirely interpret it in human terms, I think that’s fair to say.
Yet fans are trying to do just that. Do you view it as beyond romantic or any other labels, in the sense that it’s an eternal force?
It’s lovely [that fans discuss it] but you think, be careful what you wish for. If you’re willing for a relationship to go in a certain way or for characters to end up in some sort of utopian future, then the story is over. Remember what happened to “Moonlighting,” that’s all I’m saying! [Laughs]
Your father-in-law, Peter Davison, and your son, Ty Tennant, play biblical father-and-son duo Job and Ennon in Episode 2. In a Tumblr Q&A, Neil Gaiman said that he didn’t know who Ty’s family was when he cast him. When did you become aware that Ty had auditioned?
I don’t know how that happened. I do a bunch of self-tapes with Ty, but I don’t think I did this one with him because I was out of town filming “Good Omens.” He certainly wasn’t cast before we started shooting. There were two moments during filming where Neil bowled up to me and said, “Guess, who we’ve cast?” Ty definitely auditioned and, as I understand it, they would tell me, he was the best. I certainly imagine he could only possibly have been the best person for the job. He is really good in it, so I don’t doubt that’s true. And then my father-in-law showed up, as well, which was another delicious treat. In the same episode and the same family! It was pretty weird. I have worked with both of them on other projects, but never altogether.
There’s a “Doctor Who” cameo, of sorts, in Episode 5, when Aziraphale uses a rare annual about the series as a bartering tool. In reality, you’ll be reprising your Time Lord role on screen later this year in three special episodes to mark the 60th anniversary. Did you always feel you’d return to “Doctor Who” at some point?
There’s a precedent for people who have been in the series to return for a multi-doctor show, which is lovely. I did it myself for the 50th anniversary in 2013, and I had a wonderful time with Matt [Smith]. Then, to have John Hurt with us, as well, was a little treat. But I certainly would never have imagined that I’d be back in “Doctor Who” full-time, as it were, and sort of back doing the same job I did all those years ago. It was like being given this delightful, surprise present. Russell T Davies was back as showrunner, Catherine Tate [former on-screen companion] was back, and it was sort of like the last decade and a half hadn’t happened.
Going forward, Ncuti Gatwa will be taking over as the new Doctor. Have you given him any advice while passing the baton?
Oh God, what a force of nature. I’ve caught a little bit of him at work and it’s pretty exciting. I mean, what advice would you give someone? You can see Ncuti has so much talent and energy. He’s so inspired and charismatic. The thing about something like this is: it’s the peripherals, it’s not the job. It’s the other stuff that comes with it, that I didn’t see coming. It’s a show that has so much focus and enthusiasm on it. It’s not like Ncuti hasn’t been in a massive Netflix series [“Sex Education,”] but “Doctor Who” is on a slightly different level. It’s cross-generational, international, and has so much history, that it feels like it belongs to everyone.
To be at the center of the show is wonderful and humbling, but also a bit overwhelming and terrifying. It doesn’t come without some difficulties, such as the immediate loss of anonymity. It takes a bit of getting used to if that’s not been your life up to that point. I was very lucky that when I joined, Billie Piper [who portrayed on-screen companion, Rose] was still there. She’d lived in a glare of publicity since she was 14, so she was a great guide for how to live life under that kind of scrutiny. I owe a degree of sanity to Billie.
Your characters are revered by a few different fandoms. Sci-fi fandoms are especially passionate and loyal. What is it like being on the end of that? I imagine it’s a lot to hold.
Yes, certainly. Having been a fan of “Doctor Who” since I was a tiny kid, you’re aware of how much it means because you’re aware of how much it meant to you. My now father-in-law [who portrayed Doctor Who in the 80s] is someone I used to draw in comic strips when I was a kid. That’s quite peculiar! It’s a difficult balance because on one end, you have to protect your own space, and there aren’t really any lessons in that. That does take a bit of trial and error, to an extent, and it’s something that you’re sometimes having to do quite publicly. But, it is an honor and a privilege, without a doubt. As you’ve said, it means so much to people and you want to be worthy of that. You have to acknowledge that and be careful with it. Some days that’s tough, if you’re not in the mood.
I know you’re returning to the stage later this year to portray Macbeth. You’ve previously voiced the role for BBC Sounds, but how are you feeling about taking on the character in the theater?
I’m really excited about it. It’s been a while since I’ve done Shakespeare. It’s very thrilling but equally — and this analogy probably doesn’t stretch — it’s like when someone prepares for an Olympic event. It does feel like a bit of a mountain and, yeah, you’re daring to set yourself up against some fairly worthy competition from down the years. That’s both the challenge and the horror of doing these types of things. We’ve got a great director, Max Webster, who recently did “Life of Pi.” He’s full of big ideas. It’s going to be exciting, thrilling, and a little bit scary. I’m just going to take a deep breath.
Before we part ways, let’s discuss the future of “Good Omens.” Gaiman has said that he already has ideas for Season 3, should it happen. If you were to do another season, is there anyone in particular you’d love to work with next time around or anything specific you’d like to see happen for Crowley?
Oh, Neil Gaiman knows exactly where he wants to take it. If you’re working with people like Gaiman, I wouldn’t try to tamper with that creative void. Were he to ask my opinion, that would be a different thing, but I can’t imagine he would. He’s known these characters longer than me and what’s interesting is what he does with them. That’s the bit that I’m desperate to know. I do know where Crowley might end up next, but it would be very wrong if I told you.
[At this point, Tennant picks up a pencil and starts writing on a hotel pad of paper.]
I thought you were going to write it down for me then. Perhaps like a clandestine meeting on a bench in St James’ Park, but instead you’d write the information down and slide it across the table…
I should have done! I was drawing a line, which obviously, psychologically, I was thinking, “Say no more. You’re too tempted to reveal a secret!” It was my subconscious going “Shut the fuck up!”
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squoxle · 7 months
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Golden Rule - L.HS ff ✧˚ ༘ ⋆。
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🎧 pairing: inexperienced!heeseung x badgirl!reader
🎧 summary: your cute and nerdy classmate lets you have your way with him in exchange for help on an assignment
🎧 cw: corruption and exhibitionism kink, oral (m. receiving), religious themes, mentions of bullying, college au, hee’s a bit subby
🎧 wc: 1.4k
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You had been feeling horny for the entire week and knew you had to get your hands on some good dick or else you’d literally combust.
Introducing your person of interest: Lee Heeseung.
He was the type of guy you could guess everything about without even speaking to him. From his glasses, the way he tucked his ironed dress shirts into his belted pants, the way you only saw him either sitting with his legs crossed at a church sermon or studying his heart out at the library.
Heeseung was the epitome of a Christian nerd, but it was his insanely good looks that drew your attention to him in the first place.
You two first met at the beginning of the school semester, but you weren’t sure if you could call it a friendship just yet, especially not with the way you’d fantasize about him with your fingers between your legs every night.
It currently 6:00pm: the same time he’d come to the library to study every week day.
“What’re you working on,” you asked, taking a seat beside him at the table.
“Nothing much. Mr. Sweeney gave me this stupid hand written essay that I have to turn in by tomorrow, so I’ll be pretty busy for the next few hours.”
“What for? I thought Mr. Sweeney taught Bible. There aren’t any writing assignments for that class.”
That’s honestly the only reason why you took Bible class this semester.
“He does, but this isn’t a part of the curriculum. It’s a punishment for the prank I pulled on Jake and his crew yesterday… let’s just say, I didn’t get away with it as easily as planned.”
“Oh, so you do have a naughty side?”
“Hardly,” he sharply defended, “All I did was swap their video game discs out with episodes of The Brady Bunch on dvds. But, Sunghoon snitched, so now I’m here.”
“Tough.”
“I know. It’s not like I don’t deserve it, anyways.”
“Nobody deserves to be bullied, Hee. Those guys were assholes and you stood up for yourself! They’re the ones who should be playing Shakespeare for the night,” you argued passionately.
His eyes widened at your use of a swear word, such language that was forbidden by your university code of conduct.
“I appreciate you taking sides with me, but please don’t call it bullying. Makes me feel all… soft, and… vulnerable,” he cringed at his own words.
“You look pretty soft and vulnerable to me,” you mumbled, hungry eyes falling to his pouty lips.
“Excuse me?”
You cleared your throat, “Uhm, what’s the paper on?”
“The Golden Rule.”
Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “The what?”
“Loving your neighbors as yourself? You should really pay more attention during Mr. Sweeney’s sermons.”
You chuckled at his comment, nudging him on the shoulder, “Hey, maybe I would if he wasn’t so damn boring… How many pages does it have to be?”
He sighed, “10 at least.”
Having to come of with 10 pages worth of “Golden Rule” greatness sounded much more challenging than you knew it actually was.
All he had to do was write in VERY BIG LETTERS.
You peered over his shoulder, examining the paper. He was just getting started on page two.
“Hmm. We have similar handwriting,” you added, making Heeseung look at you with his desperate doe eyes.
“Oh my God, ____! You have to help me!”
“Watch out, church boy. The pastor might make it 11 pages if he hear’s you calling the Lords name in vain.”
“Ughhhh,” his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he groaned, “Can you please just help me out?”
“Uh-huh, and why would I do that?”
“Look, I’ll do anything! You’re a way stronger writer than I am, and my brain is in the verge of kermitting suicide!!”
He was right. Writing was never a strong subject of his, so he really did need your help.
“Fine,” you gave in, looking around the library before whispering in his ear, “If you can be quiet while I suck you off until you finish page two, I’ll do the rest.”
His eyes widened in disbelief, “What?”
“You heard me,” you said cattily, sneaking under the table and between his legs.
“____, get from down there!! This is inappropriate!”
“Says who,” you giggled, unbuckling his leather belt.
“We’re not a married couple, ____. Hell, We’re not even dating!” He whisper-yelled from above the table, fidgeting with the pencil in his hand.
You could feel how tense he was just my touching his thighs, “You’ve never been approached like this before, have you?” You asked yet stated.
He took a deep swallow, already feeling himself throbbing in his pants, “Of course not… I’m trying to save myself here, y’know?”
“Aww, that’s cute,” you pouted, rubbing his bulge through his boxers.
“F-fuhh,” he mumbled, screwing his eyes shut at the feeling, “I don’t know if I can do this, ____.”
“With God, all things are possible, Hee! You should really pay more attention during Mr. Sweeney’s sermons,” you mocked, shimmying his boxers down to his ankles.
You adjusted yourself under the table before grabbing a hold of his impressively large dick, starting with gentle pumps.
“I’m not hearing the pencil penciling, Hee. Be a good boy and keep writing,” you slithered in a sing-song voice, licking a stripe up his shaft. The foreign texture of your tongue sent pleasurable shivers down his spine.
“____,” he cried with a surpressed moan, “how am I supposed to focus when you’re down there doing that?!” He worried, looking around as if waiting for someone to catch you two.
You released your lips from his heat with a pop, “Down here doing what, Hee? Sucking your virgin dick in the library? I always knew you had a naughty side.”
“Mmm,” he moaned again, rutting his hips up into your mouth, “please tell me you’re almost done, ____.”
You grinned at the sound of his begging, feeling yourself grow wetter with each second you spent between his legs, “Depends on if you either finish that last page or cum in my mouth first.”
Taking him past your lips again, you bobbed your head up and down, stroking the remaining inches you couldn’t fit comfortably in your mouth.
He tried his best to keep writing, but with that way you were sucking him off, his hands couldn’t help but drop the pencil before getting lost in your hair.
“Fuck,” he whined, finally letting the word come out.
He started to use your head like a toy as you sucked him in even harder, “just like that, baby. Please don’t stop.”
You were surprised by how his body slowly submitted to you the more you pleasured him.
Meanwhile, he was surprised that this was actually even happening. You moaned with the gag that tried to escape your throat, clinging to his thighs as your tried to hold in your sounds.
Your eyes started to poke with tears as he used your head more aggressively than before, finally shooting his warm load down your mouth, panting as if he’d just ran a marathon.
“Shh, you’re so noisy,” you teased, stroking him to a point of overstimulation.
“Okay, that’s enough,” he whimpered, taking your hands in his to stop your ministrations.
You licked the cum that dripped from your mouth before pulling his pants back up, getting from under the table.
You fixed your hair with your hands after literally just getting your face fucked by your sweet classmate, taking in his hot and bothered frame.
“How was it?” You asked casually, sitting next to him as if nothing happened.
You tried to ignore the sticky moisture that stuck to your thighs from your own arousal, figuring that you’d think about this moment while you pleased yourself later.
“Amazing,” he said with a shaky breath, still feeling his orgasm fresh in his veins.
“I’m taking about the page you just wrote, silly,” you teased, moving the sheet of paper closer to you before examining what he came up with, “Dude!”
“What, dude?” He asked back with flushed and sleepy features.
“This is garbage!” You exclaimed, ripping the piece of paper in half.
“Yeah, I don’t know why you would’ve expected anything different.”
“Gimme that,” you retorted, snatching the pencil from his hand, “I’m gonna need some coffee to write all these pages for ya…”
“Ugh,” he groaned, understanding that you were indirectly asking him to get you something to drink.
“Iced?”
“Always.”
He got up from the seat, searching through his backpack before pulling out his wallet, “Thanks by the way,” he smiled, trailing to the library exit.
“What can I say? It’s the Golden Rule,” you replied, jotting down the first of many sentences you’d write for Lee Heeseung, the guy you just blessed with the best blow job of his life.
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❀ Thank you all so much for reading! Make sure to check out other works on my masterlist!
❀ 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:
@chlorinecake @hoyeonheeseung @sussyjake @furious-eagle @cherrriesss @abbyizzy @weyukinluv @addictedtohobi @thatonenoona @wavykook @givemeyourtmihyun @jaeljn @hoonmywk @valennshit @19-yunalyn @hoonbby @frostedblankets @hoonsyo @no-mannerism @perfectxserendipity @chubbibish @ihrtlix @bunniesforsoobin @thereadersparadise @thatbooknerdfr @aiden2001 @belongstoheeseung @jakeybabe @donut-crazs @rizzhee @nikimeows @woonieees @uarmyxtae @rebecca-johnson-28 @they2luv1naia @isa-2007 @silcry @riverscafe @pearlwhitesoul @nikohiroshi @thatbooknerdfr @wonniewonwon
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sokkastyles · 2 months
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Came across a few posts about how Azula is the best firebender in the series, and that subject is probably more based on opinion than fact I guess, but still feels like saying that is antithetical to the themes of the story. What do you think?
I agree that it's antithetical to the themes of the story. Azula cannot be the best firebender because she is not working with a complete understanding of firebending, which is linked to the themes of the story and bending as a metaphor for how we engage with ourselves and others.
I recently saw a post that said the dragons would judge Azula worthy because firebending is about drive. And oh, boy, does that completely misunderstand the themes of that episode.
The whole point is that the Fire Nation's post-Sozin relationship with fire, the idea of "having the power and drive to achieve what you want" and valuing that above all else is exactly what caused the world to fall out of balance. It is this drive for power that we see corrupt people like Sozin, Zhao, Ozai, and yes, Azula.
When Zuko faces the dragons, the original firebending masters, he learns that fire is so much more than just a drive for power. Fire is life itself, it's passion, it's warmth, it's something to be both kept in check and nurtured to become healthy. Like a little heartbeat that can be snuffed out if you aren't careful, or can burn out of control if not tempered.
So many people like to say Azula only lost the final agni kai because of her mental state, but the truth is that 1) Azula was never in a healthy mental state, at any point that we saw her in the show, and 2) she does not have the wisdom to see anything beyond her own drive for power, and that is going to prevent her from having a true link to her element.
The elements themselves are inspired by different martial arts. This is well-known. But martial arts is a form that emphasizes discipline over raw power, especially Xiaolin, which firebending is based on. It's all about self control and finding balance within oneself. Which is a theme that is cited over and over again in the show.
Iroh tells Zuko at the beginning of the show that he cannot move on to advanced forms until he has mastered the basics. He is trying to teach him how to develop the control he needs to be a true firebending master. Zuko acts this way towards his element because this is what he learned from Ozai, and from watching Azula, who has no self control and no patience. We see her practice her forms, sure, but we also see her get incredibly angry when it's not perfect. Azula has some moves that she's perfected to cause the most damage, but she's not comfortable when stepping outside of that zone, cannot take criticism at all, and threatens anyone who says she is not the best. She cannot possibly be the best firebender with such a limited understanding of her element.
Which is also why she loses even with the power of the comet on her side. Because all the power in the world won't help if the spirit isn't in balance. People will act like Azula's mental breakdown only existed to "nerf" her in the finale but it's like, literally the whole point, and was something that was building since the beginning of the series.
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genericaces · 2 months
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if u did a tier maker of buffyverse ships i would enjoy it 🙏
This is tricky because ships are one of those things that people can get really passionate about, and I don't want to upset anyone. I try to steer clear of any drama when I can, but I also want to feel free to express my opinions, you know? Because god knows I have them.
I guess I'll say before I wade into any discourse that, disclaimer: my enjoyment of a ship doesn't mean I condone what goes on in it, and I can separate fiction from reality. I try not to moralize when it comes to fictional ships and approach them both objectively in terms of quality and also subjectively to my personal tastes. But I also believe that, at the end of the day, it's just fandom and people should do whatever floats their boat.
So with all that being said, here's my (highly personal!) rankings of the ships in Buffyverse:
C Tier:
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ATS 1x09 - This is the ship with the bomb that Doyle sacrifices himself to disarm. Now it's a good episode, but this is really the only wide shot we get of the boat. I literally forgot that the climax takes place on the water. The interior is fun with lots of stairs and various apparatuses for fight scenes, but it could just as easily have been a basement or abandoned factory. Honestly, I wasn't too impressed by the ship factor. Rating: 4/10
B Tier:
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BTVS 2x13 - You might be thinking, "You're ranking a BACKGROUND ship higher than an actual location?" but hear me out: because the ship is in the background, I actually remembered that this scene had a ship. There's a great fight scene in front of it where Buffy uses the chain along the docks to choke out a bad guy, and then she gets thrown into the water. The ship hangs out in the background the whole time and brings together the whole nautical-themed fight. Rating: Angel diving into the water/10
A Tier:
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BTVS 3x15 - Now we're cooking with gas. We get a FULL shot of the whole ship on the dock. The establishing shots linger on the boat more because Buffy and Faith have a confrontation here. Not only do they have a conversation with someone visibly ON a boat, Faith starts out on the upper deck of the boat then swings herself OFF the ramp to argue with Buffy on the docks. Bonuses for a visually dynamic conversation and the boat representing Faith's plans to fuck off, interrupted by HER choice to get off and get in Buffy's face about it instead. Rating: Saving the girl that's supposed to be your enemy/10
S Tier:
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ATS 3x22 - I know, we're getting into controversial territory here. But look how beautiful this ship is. Is it a boat? A schooner? A yacht? I don't know, but I DO care. Extra points for it being a plot-necessary boat, of course, since they had to get Angel out into the middle of the sea somehow. What's great about this ship is that it's really condensed all the ship elements into a smaller vessel, so you're aware throughout the tense emotional scenes that you're actually ON a boat in the middle of the sea. It really emphasizes Angel and Connor's isolation at this point in the finale, both physically and emotionally. And, I mean, look at this: we actually have a shot that has most of a boat AND most of a person in it. AND it's the climax of a season finale? THIS is the ultimate Buffyverse ship. Final rating: The misunderstanding-to-patricide pipeline/10
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morkofday · 10 months
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HAPPY PRIDE MONTH ♡ — with love; from all the couples of our skyy 2!
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as always when it comes to edits like this, i want to ramble about things. so here i go, sharing my thoughts and my love for these couples:
red – patpran red as a color is all the things intense and fiery. it's passion and love and desire, excitement and energy and power. it's also danger and aggression and anger. it burns, no matter how and with what emotions. thinking about these couples, it was very obvious to me that red would be pat and pran. they are intense. they wouldn't be here, together, if they hadn't been so strong about it. if their love didn't burn everything in front of it. in our skyy 2 they might've settled a bit more but the fire is definitely still there.
orange – guncher orange is about positivity and having fun. it's playful and enthusiastic, full of spontaneous ideas and action. it also provides emotional strength. watching the whole of a boss and a babe – where gun and cher collide and then teach other about all these new things and feelings – and then their our skyy 2 eps where cher is still helping gun learn about Emotions seemed to correlate with orange a lot. they're a playful couple full of silliness and fresh ideas. but they are also incredibly warm and understanding towards each other. they're strong bc they have each other.
yellow – akkayan yellow is about happiness and joy. it's the cheerful color full of sunshine and summer heat and hope. but it's also the color of intellect, idealism, and creativity. akk and ayan seemed to fit this part of yellow so well i hated to change it to anyone else. their whole dynamic is based on clashing ideals and understanding them, of curiosity towards the world and others, and figuring out new things. also, i do wish for their happiness and for them to have joy. them getting that gives them and us all a lot of hope in this cruel world.
green - kluendao the color of youth and growth. despite not being the youngest couple in our skyy 2, kluen and dao give me this feeling of newness. they seem a bit unsure of where they stand after the struggles of getting together, but they're slowly growing, together and into each other. their our skyy 2 eps were, in this sense, about taking the next steps in their joined life, so green seemed to suit them. there is also the theme of luck: they're lucky that they found each other again after parting ways once.
turquoise - phuphatian turquoise is a serene color. it connects to the feelings of calm and peace, and stabilizes our emotions and minds. phupha and tian have always had this sense of calm to them despite the drama of their lives. they also feel very mature despite their silly argument in our skyy 2. they support each other, find comfort in each other. they are always able to rely on having the other one there when they need it. and after that proposal? it's forever, baby.
blue - palmnueng the first image i made for this set, as palm and nueng's relationship seemed to so strongly scream for blue. it's the color of safety, loyalty, and trust. it makes us feel calm and protected. it boosts confidence and also inspires honesty. with these two, all these things seem quite obvious. they're a couple willing to both die and kill for each other, and they trust the other with their lives. i guess that's also part of the deal as soulmates like our skyy 2 made them in the episodes, so i don't think i need to explain to this that much more.
purple - tinngun in most cases, purple as a color relates to royalty and mystery. out of all these colors, purple was the hardest to place bc of this. but it is also the color of imagination, inspiration, and fantasies. which, when you think about the whole of my school president and not only their our skyy 2 eps, is the core of the tinngun relationship. their story is full of fantasies and imagination, and they both inspire each other to do their best. the hint of magic only got added in with the concept of multiverse which makes their story only that more inspiring.
pink - puentalay the most obvious one out of all of these but no one can probably blame me for it. puen and talay are just the epitome of pink; of love, romance, care, compassion, and acceptance. there's a hint of playfulness in this color too which is absolutely fitting for these two. i also personally like that this became the last image of this set. they feel like the fitting crown to end this whole journey.
i know this set is late considering we're already over halfway through this month but pride is every month anyway. we all deserve to celebrate who we are and how beautiful love is in all of its forms every month. so i am simply telling you all to be happy and remain colorful ♥
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tinietaehyun · 5 months
Text
Oh, Lover Boy.
[Bf!Hueningkai x Reader] [Post-College!AU] [One-shot]
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Pairing: Bf!Hueningkai x Reader
Genres: Post-College!AU, romance, fluff, slice of life, just a feel good and cute fic!
Contains: Profanity, suggestive dialogue/themes.
Link: MASTERLIST
Note: Recommended to listen to “Invitation” by JUNNY (Feat. Gaeko), to really get into the vibe! Something short and sugary sweet, in comparison to my usual longer one-shots.
Summary: With your hellish final year college exams over with; both you and your boyfriend needed time to catch up and unwind from the stresses of life during your break together. What better way to start things off than staying at home, cuddling together whilst binge-watching your favourite show, or- well trying to binge-watch it. It’s not your fault you couldn’t resist his puppy-eyed gaze and sweet kisses!
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You squeal in utter joy watching the main couple on screen finally kiss (that so very passionately, you may add!) in your new favourite show. You’d been waiting for this; it’s been half a season already! “Finally,” you grin almost feeling your cheeks hurt and your heart flutter from the way the couple on screen hold each other.
“What? They finally kissed, hm?” A very familiar voice calls out from the kitchen. You yelp, “Yeah, you missed it. I’ve been waiting ages; genuinely, I was beginning to get worried they’d never get together!” You hear your boyfriend chuckle amongst the clatter of kitchen utensils. The aroma of the food he’s making wafts into your nostrils; incredible!
You call out with a smirk, “Wow, you’re not burning something for once,” a chuckle escapes your lips as he scoffs loudly. “I’m not that bad at cooking you know. I can hold my own.” Rolling your eyes, you hum in reminiscence, “Remember that one time, two months ago when we stayed at-“
“Shut it, y/n. Don’t be mean,” he whines making you cackle atrociously. It wasn’t your fault, that Huening Kai wasn’t exactly a great cook. Making anything above cup noodles, ramen and coffee was entering dangerous territory in relation to Huening Kai. That was why you mostly supervised him in the kitchen but today he was adamant that you let him in the kitchen to cook himself. You wonder how he survived during your college days - then again his roommates: Taehyun and Yeonjun probably saved his ass from starving or living off takeout.
You snort and he scoffs once more, “I know you’re laughing at me.” Humming playfully, you respond, “How’d you guess?” You can almost hear him roll his eyes, “From the gargantuan snort you let out, you pig.” You gawk at his insult, “Is that how you insult the love of your life?”
“You’re insulting my cooking skills!” He calls out in a playfully offended tone.
At this point the rest of the episode you were watching becomes background noise. You coo, “Oh come on baby, I didn’t mean it. I was just joking around.” Kai snorts in response and replies, “Sure, yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, love.”
A giggle escapes your lips; you were cheesing hard. You loved pestering and annoying him; his reactions were always so adorable and endearing! You made sure to never cross the line though; you’d never dream of hurting Huening Kai ever. This man only ever deserved the absolute best.
His personality was sweet, soft even. Almost akin to a clingy puppy at times. He could keep up with your teasing, even teasing you back creating for humorous banter and bickering between the two of you. Not to mention, his insanely good music skills, you were lucky to have him. You remember how he often serenaded you to sleep, or wrote songs for your birthdays and especially last year; he produced a song dedicated to you for your third anniversary together. You knew he had a tender heart, a soft spot for animals, for you. A pure soul, one that enjoyed every moment of life.
“Kai, you almost done?” You call out. “Yeah, give me a sec. Just got to turn off the cooker and clean the counters a little,” he hums back. You twist yourself back around to face the screen and realise you’d missed quite a few minutes when you suddenly see the main female lead crying her eyes out? Damn, what the hell happened? Wasn’t she just with her man, making out a few minutes ago? You shrug to yourself; oh well.
Your eyes dart around the room as your hand finds the remote reversing the episode back to the point you’d left it. It was a relaxing atmosphere with the way the sunset light shone through the curtains in a golden hue giving the room an ethereal and warm glow. A haphazard pale blue blanket was thrown across one of the cushioned chairs to the right of you; the one you had used to cuddle with Kai yesterday. The view outside the main window encompassed dreary cityscape with vehicles passing by and regular pedestrians wearing their summer clothes; majority of them getting back from the beach. You could imagine the light breeze and warm air outside of the fading summer days.
You enjoyed tender and tranquil moments such as these. You and Huening Kai, had finished college a month back right after your hellish final exams. You shudder thinking back to that period of time; so utterly stressful and you barely had time to see each other. It was awful. Luckily, your daily messages, video calls and phone calls kept you going as you both cracked down to study hard. Fortunately, for you both, it seems your persistence and resilience had paid off! You both felt that your results were gonna be pretty good (well you were both trying to manipulate yourselves into a state of positive thinking, at least).
Your eyes gaze over to the potted plant on the window sill pitifully wilting and you can’t help but sigh with a smile, “Oh Kai..” He loved to try new things; often getting carried away with just how much he thinks he can handle. You tended to overwork yourself to the brink of exhaustion; something that Kai had managed to help you control. You helped him with his nervousness and efficiency whilst working. You both balanced each other out; what one doesn’t have, the other has. You were each other’s bases, each other’s home.
Often, you reminisce on how this all started. You still remember the slightly anxious and quiet boy who would be in your lecture hall two rows above you. He was attentive but with the way his eyes constantly met yours; the shared glances and smiles that made your heart flutter; you knew you both had a connection. His method of wooing you also made you laugh; it was endearing to say the least.
The way he would always lose his pens and come to you, to ‘borrow a pen,’ and then give it back only to ask for it again the next lecture you had. You had managed to catch on rather quickly what his tactic was; you still remember how flustered his cute and handsome face was! Then, it was followed by you asking him to work with you on an assigned project and the rest was history.
You finally asked him out during one of your study dates and from then on, you had been inseparable throughout the last two years of your degree. From all that educational stress; you both wished to unwind, relax and make up for lost time that you could have spent together; and this summer was perfect time to do it!
Your reverie is broken as you feel an arm wrap around your shoulders and a warm body press into the side of yours. You adjust yourself against him as you lean your head back on his shoulder with a soft smile. Kai murmurs; his voice low yet comforting, “What are you thinking about?” You hum peering at him to the side, “You.”
His eyes widen ever so slightly with a twinkle and his cheeks blossom into a faint reddish hue. “Me?” He questions bashfully, “What about me?” You coo running your hand through his dark brown locks, “Everything about you, love.” Kai clears his throat as he wraps his arms around your waist snuggling into you, “Yeah?” You hum, “Mhm.”
His body heat seeps through your clothes and you relax as the smell of his cologne invades your senses; you loved it - a subtle and sweet tangerine scent. It comforted you. It was on practically all his clothes; even the hoodie you had on right now (technically it wasn’t yours - not that he minded you wearing it, of course!)
Suddenly, he tightens his arms around your waist and hoists you onto his lap. A warmth spreads through your cheeks at the sudden motion. He always did this; yet it got you flustered every damn time!
“What episode is this?” He hum twisting his face back towards the screen. Composing yourself, you reply, “Episode ten, I practically missed half of it though. Still am, now that you’re here.”
His eyes glimmer playfully, “Why? Am I distraction?” You pout, “Yes, you are, Kai. You know that.”
Kai leans in close to your face with a playful smile, “You love it really.” You hum, “Do I?” His nose rubs against yours in a flurry; something you adored about Kai. He’d give these to you often or rub your tummy in the most random moments. He was such a tender and loving soul. Kai places a delicate kiss atop your nose point making your heart soar. You admit defeat, “I do.”
A laugh escapes his lips, “Of course you do.” His eyes flit down to your lips; his pupils dilate ever so slightly. A sly smile graces your face as you lean forward and trail your fingers down his cheek; he noticeably shivers. With that, he presses his lips against yours softly and passionately. Once again, the show continues to run on. At this point you think, you’ll never be able to get past episode ten!
Kai’s lips move with yours softly, slowly; your lips connected in an affectionate and gentle manner. You cup his cheek caressing your thumb against his cheek bone as his fingers slips under the hem of the hoodie to feel your warm, supple skin underneath. His fingers make your body tingle with delight as they draw slow circles against your hips and waist. The moment is raw, tender and passionate. Slow, almost ever so sloppy kisses with him were what you considered the peak of comfort. A way to de-stress and forget about the world around you. It was just you two.
You both part for air, both breathing shakily. You knew if you continued this; you’d never finish the episode, rather you’d end up in another room entirely - the bedroom. His lips trails down your neck as he nips and leaves sweet, seductive kisses along the curve. You whine breathlessly, “Kai, the s-show. This is going to be the third time I rewind it to catch up.” He suckles on your neck gently making you groan. Your fingers entangle into his silky hair. Kai muffles against your neck, “Forget the show.”
“We always do this,” you whine with a chuckle as he separates from your neck and peer at you with the most adorable puppy-dog eyes. You shake your head, “Nope, I’m determined to finish this episode at least. One episode.” You place a kiss onto his forehead as consolation upon seeing the pout on his rosy lips. “Why, you don’t wanna reward your handsome boyfriend for all his hard work cooking today?” You huff, “Of course I do. But I wanna watch this with you! To cuddle with you.”
Recently, Huening Kai had gotten an internship at a producing company and so you couldn’t as spend as much time out as you’d have liked. Though, you were incredibly happy for him! Kai was phenomenally talented in regard to music; everything from producing, songwriting and playing various instruments from which you could see with the guitar case that leant against the wall beside his keyboard.
“Oh? My sweetheart wants to cuddle, then cuddle, we shall.” You release giggle placing your hands over his forearms as he wraps his arms around you tightly once more. He nuzzles into your neck with a playful smirk, “We always have tonight after all, to do what we both really want.” Your eyes widen as you become flustered by his cheeky remark giving him a playful smack, “Kai!”
He shrugs innocently peering up at you, “What? It’s the truth, no? You weren’t complaining yesterday?” You whine crashing your head into his shoulder in embarrassment; a burst of desire courses through you. “Okay, okay, I get it, love,” you huff out making him cackle.
“You’re so cute when you’re flustered. It’s my only defence against your teasing, honestly,” he grins. You peer up with a mischievous glare, “Just you wait…” Kai bites his lower lip in anticipation, “Oh believe me, I will…” You peer over our shoulder seeing the credits of the episode and you groan, “Oh for fuck’s sake.”
Kai bursts out laughing at your frustrated expression, “Oh too bad.” You pout, “We were supposed to watch it together, this episode is apparently really good.” He hums, “According to who?” You huff, “According to Twitter, my friends.” Kai shakes his head, “Ah yes, very reliable and unbiased sources.” You scoff, “Oh shut it, you like this show too. I’ve seen the way you peek over whenever you pretend you’re working.”
Kai feigns offence, “Pretend I’m working? Excuse me?” You hum, “I’ve seen you flip through the same music sheet four times every time you look up at the screen whenever I watch a drama.” A slightly embarrassed expression coats his features and he scoffs back, “I just get easily distracted, is all.” You laugh running your fingers through his hair on the back of his head. He closes his eyes in repose and contentment. Kai always liked you playing with his hair; as you liked it when he played with yours.
Kai requests adorably, “Can we switch? I wanna lie my head on your lap?” You have to stop your heart bursting from your rib cage. “Of course, love,” you speak softly as you get up and he stands with a dazed smile on his face. Your heart twists and churns; he looked at you with so much love and adoration. God, you loved him so much. You wouldn’t know what to do without him, really.
Kai lies his head down onto your lap and you caress his forehead; his honey-toned skin glows under the hue of the sunset. Your fingers make their way through his hair and he nestles into your lap comfortably with his eyes closing. He murmurs, “I love moments like this…” You hum, “Me too, love.” A smile appears on his face; almost goofy. It makes you giggle in response.
He takes your other hand intertwining his fingers with yours giving it a squeeze. Kai softly speaks, “Love you, sweetheart.” Genuinely smiling down at him, you reply, “Love you too, Kai.” He nuzzles into your stomach making you laugh; he knew you were ticklish. Huening Kai was perfect in every aspect, you could ask for no one better.
“You’re perfect,” he suddenly utters opening his eyes. Your heart jumps and twists in joy, “I could say the same, love.” A blush paints his cheeks faintly. Kai questions, “What about episode ten?” You snort, “We’ll watch it another time.” He pouts, “Sorry…” You chuckle, “Don’t worry about it, I prefer time with you anyway.”
“How about we watch something else?” He suggests. You shrug with a smile, “If you want?” Kai ponders in thought before speaking, “How about we watch that thriller drama, you told me a few weeks ago? Have you started?” You nod, “I watched half of episode one, but had to leave it be due to work. Totally forgot about it. It had such a cool concept!” He grins, “Let’s get to it then,” as he grunts reaching over to grab the remote from the coffee table.
He begins scrolling through the available dramas and you point to it and it begins playing. You both contently focus on the drama for once and are immersed into the plot; as you both discuss the various aspects of the first episode, then the second and then the third. “Fucking hell, this is good,” he gets up from your lap stretching. You nod excitedly, “So good, the actors did such a good job.”
Kai grins, “Your ass would be dead in a heartbeat, if you were in a situation with a killer like that.” You deadpan, “Look who’s talking.” Your stomach rumbles and you huff, “Hungry.” He nods with a teasing smile, “Thought so, come on. We’ll get back to the show afterwards.”
As you both enter the kitchen; the scene becomes wholesomely domestic. You grab some plates as he checks on the food. You peek over his shoulder, “Holy shit, that curry looks amazing.” Kai looks smug at your praise, “Saw this Thai curry recipe on Insta, and just had to try it. It was super simple too.” You hum as you begin serving the curry with rice onto the plates, “Damn, seems you aren’t too bad of a cook, after all.”
Kai wraps his arms around your waist from behind leaning his head atop your right shoulder, “Mm, see? Your boyfriend is somewhat skilled in the kitchen. He can sorta cook, he can sing, play the guitar and piano…hm, the list goes on and on…” Rolling your eyes with a smile, you hum, “Wow, real humble aren’t you?” Kai snorts nuzzling into your neck littering one or two kisses, “What can I say? I’m nothing short of modest.”
“Mhm,” you nod sarcastically as you pick up the steaming plates full of deliciously tempting food. “Let’s get eating, I’m starving!” He says excitedly as you both sit down at the small dining table and tuck in immediately. As expected, it tasted even better than how it looked. You were proud of your boyfriend; he’d made such an excellent meal!
You muffle contently, “So, so good!” He chuckles wiping some curry off the side of your lips, “I can see that.” A smug expression coats his features, “Praise me more.”
You munch on the food; deciding to feed his ego for once to which he responds delightfully to. Afterwards, you both work to clean up. “You did so good. You’ve gotta definitely make that again,” you smile. His eyes glitter, “I’m glad you liked it. I’m super happy.” You smile genuinely at him, “Good job.”
“I’m gonna change into my pyjamas, yeah? Get comfy. What about you?” You ask peering over your shoulder. He nods, “Sure. I’ll do the same. We can continue the drama afterwards.” With that, you both change into some comfortable pyjamas with some bickering and teasing and find yourselves back on the sofa in front of the TV screen wrapped in each other arms, cuddling.
Episode four, episode five pass. You find him immersed into the show and you smile mischievous beginning to roam your hand under his shirt, up along his abdominals. Kai stiffens snapping his head to face you with a sly gaze, “What are you doing?” You hum playfully, “I don’t know, you tell me, love?” His face flushes at your seductive tone. He pouts, “Is this revenge for what I did earlier?” You nuzzle your head into his neck beginning to litter kisses; he shivers making you smile.
“Perhaps it is, love,” you breathlessly murmur against his skin. “Anyway, didn’t you say you were looking forward to tonight?” You inquire coyly. He whines, “You’re so mean. Petty even.” You murmur, “Hypocrite.” His hand trails under your pyjama shirt, “But you’re too difficult to resist…” His eyes meet yours and your lips soon follow melting into each other passionately; a hint of roughness this time.
With you pushing him down onto the sofa; it was clear; episode five was where you’d stop for tonight. His eyes peer up at you with so much love, affection and adoration. You lean down towards his lips with a soft smile, “I love you.”
Kai whispers blissfully looking into your eyes, “Love you too, sweetheart.” Oh, no one could compare to him. Your heart belonged to him and him alone.
It always will. Your sweet, lover boy.
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sxs-kav · 18 days
Text
I saw Frozen Empire, so obviously I have to talk about it. Spoilers ahead.
Also disclaimer that these are my personal feelings, so if we disagree that's okay too!
So, overall I would rate the movie as good. Not my all time favorite in the franchise, I think that will always go to the original, but I enjoyed it. The story could have used a little work in some parts, but hey, nothing is perfect.
Favorite part of this whole movie: one Dr. Raymond Stantz, hands down. He is so cute as an old man-child whose enthusiasm hasn't waned the least bit over the years. Honestly, in Afterlife he seemed like he'd become cynical, but here his true nature really rang through. And I adore him being a mentor for Phoebe and the other younger characters, while also getting into mischief with them. That little sparkle in his eye when Phoebe asks "Aren't you retired?" No, Ray is never retired, he will always be ready to suit up.
I also loved in the police station when Phoebe was standing up to Dickless Peck, Ray had this face like he was so proud, like he could see Egon in her, memories of him saying "YOUR MOTHER!" 😆
The other thing I liked about the movie was the expansion of the Ghostbusters as a business, with the research lab. First off, I love that Winston, the one who didn't even believe in ghosts when he was hired, is now almost like the CEO of the company. But also, it opens up more possibilities for this new era and allows for more playing with the world building. Though I feel like it was a wasted opportunity to put in some easter eggs for TRGB. Unless the ghosts featured were in the (*shudder*) Q5 episodes, I didn't recognize any of them from the show. Then again, I guess they're newer ghosts so that wouldn't make sense, but maybe they could have been similar kinds of ghosts. Just as a small reference.
Other favorite parts include:
-The near-lesbian romance between Phoebe and Melody
-Ray smuggling the Mini Pufts from Oklahoma (because of course he would)
-Also just the Mini Pufts in general (why are they so violent?)
-The way Ray's face lit up when Peter came to the firehouse
-Peter being proud that Ray quit smoking
-Peter's unwavering faith that Ray's idea is good and will work, and saying they all trust him
-The library ghost (did they never go back to get her???)
-Gary saying the words to the theme song
-Janine in uniform!
-Slimer eating the pizza with the posesser ghost in it
Now, onto the areas that I felt were not as strong. First of all, I found it wild that Phoebe was being ousted by everyone without any kind of fight. She's the one that started the whole thing up again, she's got the passion, she's got the brains, she's got the glasses and the curls! Her mom says a grand total of NOTHING to defend her in Peck's office, and they all just accept that she can't be a Ghostbuster anymore. Yeah, they don't want to get sued, but it's just weird to me that they don't even seem like they feel that terrible that she got benched. Callie and Trevor are very callous about the whole thing. Only Gary seems like he gives a shit, and he's not even her dad. The way Phoebe's benching ended wasn't all that satisfying either. It would have been nice for the other three to maybe struggle a little without her, realize they need her to balance the team, and try to find a way to get her back. Winston was really the one that got Peck off their backs in the end, no thanks to anyone else (also, I'm pretty sure in that scene, someone in the crowd yells 'dickless' 😆).
Side note, I really don't like Callie's character that much. I think she's self-centered and doesn't seem to care about the kids' feelings unless the situation becomes dire. Maybe she does deep down, but mostly her attitude about everything stinks. Idk, I wouldn't care if she wasn't in the movie at all.
Anyway, back to the plot. I liked the idea of Phoebe's plotline. I wish they'd gone all the way and had her and Melody kiss, I really thought that was coming when she separated from her body. But I have an issue about that particular moment. The decision to suddenly put herself in the chamber like that seemed to come out of nowhere, at least I thought so. They made it like Melody was supposed to be the one tricking her into doing it, but she really never said anything to convince her. Phoebe just decided on her own to try it. I know she mentioned a couple of times wondering what it would feel like to be a ghost, but it wasn't a strong enough buildup to such a risky move. Honestly, when she asked Ray about him wanting to be a ghost, coupled with Winston saying Ray was going to get himself killed, I thought they were foreshadowing killing Ray (and thank God they didn't!).
They also hint at Phoebe specifically being the one that needs to be used but why? Anyone could have been tricked into the chamber and been controlled by Garaka for the chanting.
But moving on from that, the other issue I have is with the firemaster. He was a little too good at controling the fire after what, a couple of hours of practice? I think the character could still work, he could still be a quirky weird guy, but I think I would have made him more of a reluctant inheritor of his grandma's powers. Maybe he struggles with it at first and he figures he can sell the artifacts to Ray to get rid of the responsibility. Then later he can finally accept his fate to help beat Garaka when he starts believing in himself.
Those are the only major parts that I felt could have been tweaked. Besides that, I would have loved to see Slimer and Ray get a moment, just as a nod to their friendship in the show, but I guess they want to stick to one continuity. Of all the things they could have referenced from the show, though, it had to be the Junior GB 😆 It was just a throwaway line, but still, I don't want to remember they were a thing.
Tl;dr, the movie was good and there were a lot of parts I really enjoyed. For the parts that were weak, I'm confident there will be another in the future, so hopefully they'll keep improving.
Also, who the hell voted for Peck to be mayor? I bet he rigged the election.
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biceratops7 · 2 years
Text
Let’s deconstruct this…
Ok, so at this point I’ve seen a great many things written on Who Ed is with a capital W, and even I’ve thrown bits and pieces of my hat in the ring. But there is one particular thing I have a burning desire to express, and that is, respectfully, Edward’s softness is his own damnit.
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There’s a pretty popular notion gaining traction in the fandom that Ed’s softness is just as much a performance as Blackbeard. That him embracing it fully in those brief moments of episode 10 before “the kraken” was unhealthy actually, and he wasn’t being true to himself. In summary: Ed requires Blackbeard to be whole. And my question is: why do people find Ed an unreliable narrator in his softness, or more specifically, why do people think he lacks autonomy of it?
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It bothers me when people say that Ed is trying to be like Stede to gain approval in these moments, because the only major similarity I see is aesthetic. Guys a huge theme of the show is older queer men finally finding ways to escape varying forms of toxic masculinity, and understanding that their queerness does not exclude them from manhood. Homogenizing two effeminate gay men and implying that one is “losing himself” to the idiosyncrasies of the other goes directly against this goal. In fact it actually perpetuates negative gay stereotypes, but I’ve made a video essay where I discuss that at length.
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Edward writes and performs a song on deck when he wants to process and share his feelings openly. Not only is this waaay more emotional honesty than we ever see Stede express (on purpose at least), but this is a creative outlet unique to Ed. Theatrical story telling is an established motif in Ed’s character the same way literary storytelling is for Stede’s. Edward’s not only dealing with his hurt in a way Stede definitely wouldn’t (he didn’t, Stede went out of his way pretend everything was fine in episode 8), he’s also doing so through an established passion of his.
The Swede wasn’t full of shit when he said that performance can simply be an expression of you. This is not Ed trying to put on a new mask when the old one proved ineffective. This is him finding comfort and even joy in finally using performance to reveal himself instead of hide. I don’t understand why the credit for this beautiful moment of self discovery must be ripped from Ed and used to accuse Stede.
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It’s the same with the “SiLk GoWn”. This is the same person who lovingly touches every piece of nice fabric he lays eyes on, and lit up like a fucking Christmas tree the second someone said the word “fashion.” Ed has had a deep love and longing for such a soft pretty thing since day 1. These were ingrained and suppressed in Ed all long before Stede came on the scene. That robe may literally belong to Stede, but just as he wore it as a sign of his newfound boldness under the safety of someone loving him for who he is, Ed’s choice to wear it symbolizes the blossoming autonomy of his own identity. To continue enjoying the things Stede made him feel safe enjoying even without his presence.
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Now let’s move on (or backwards I guess?) to the academy. Something I’ve seen a lot is people decrying that Ed is sacrificing his authenticity to play a housewife for Stede. Guys… he just folded some socks, calm tf down. Saying something like this about a gay man just trying to do something small and sweet for someone he loves, again, really seems to perpetuate the toxic masculinity this show hauls ass to deconstruct. Yes the answer to toxic masculinity isn’t just “effeminacy is perfect and good”. But Ed can be genuinely content with finally being able to partake in the domesticity he never got to experience without perpetuating that.
And you know what, he can be unsure of the best way to fulfill that desire and change his mind. I don’t quite like the disregard for Ed’s autonomy when people say his decision to stay at the academy or find an escape is driven only by whatever he thinks Stede wants. He is taking Stede’s feelings into consideration because that is perfectly healthy when you love someone and want a life with them, but his choices are still absolutely driven by his own needs moment by moment too.
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I think people really take Ed understandably not wanting to be subjugated by the British and run with it. Like yes he is visibly uncomfortable with the soldiers treating him like an exotic animal they’ve tamed because no shit. But I don’t know how many times Ed has to blatantly state he does not want to be a pirate anymore for it to be believed.
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Edward is not an exception to this. Even if he managed to thrive emotionally in this line of work once upon a time and there are aspects of it he enjoys, Ed still became a pirate out of desperation. He didn’t choose it any more than Oluwande and Jim did, he was fleeing poverty and abuse.
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It’s not that piracy is a net bad and that Ed should want to distance himself from it. It’s that he assumed piracy is the only option he’s ever had in life even when it hurts him, and the realization that he has the freedom to choose differently is empowering and a net good. Him wanting to run to China with Stede, or take the crew’s funky acts on the road, whether they’re practical or not (especially in this show) is beside the point. The point is Ed’s absolute unbridled joy in their possibilities, the pure delight in discovering that you are not chained to a series of decisions you made under extreme duress 30 years ago.
No, Ed is not doing a complete 180 of his personality during his NoBeard era. He’s been forced to sacrifice his personhood for decades, and is now finally wrestling it out the grasp of thousands of people… at the age of 50 and during two of his darkest moments no less. How absolutely amazing.
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saiskulls-110 · 5 months
Text
Break Point — Finished Episode 5
OKAY BREAK IT DOWN *DJ TURNTABLE EFFECT*
OBVIOUSLY SPOILERS FOR HILDA 3'S FIRST 5 EPISODES BELOW
Episode 1.
THE WAY I WAS JUMPSCARED BY DAVID'S VOICE. HOW OLD ARE THEY NOW??? LIKE IT'S GOTTA BE TEEN YEARS BECAUSE GODDAMN PUBERTY BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF MY GUY. MY GUY. MY GUY WHY IS HE SO TALL?????? DAVHDISD??????
Frida's new clothes are so cute she's my baby she's bmy baby no-one can speak ill of her EVER stay WAWAY HSISSSS HISSSSS
Trans flag doormat in Astrid's house. oh my god. oh my gos.sh. trans grandma...
TONTU BEING A TOURIST??? IS KILLING ME??? HE'S GOT THE HAWAIIAN SHIRT AND EVERYTHING I. HELP
Alfur. Alfur I Don't Like This Foreshadowing. Alfur. Alfur Stop Playing The Board Game. ALFUR.
+ of COURSE tontu is the shit-eating smug gamemaster that beats everyones asses no remorse. i'm going go murder this walking hairball (affectionate) ❤️
I'm glad they were straight up with Astrid's "oh, hi, yeah, no I'm not a witch I just really like witchcraft." LIKE IT'S SO REAL??
not to be that guy but why's Astrid kinda fuckigjgn. ADORABLE. please. please. please. just one chance
I'm Normal
Episode 2.
okay but the writers did SUCH a good job portraying what folklore towns are like here. Like everyone KNOWS things but none of them are accurate. also?? just in general a REALLY well-done montage. I do wish I knew what sauce Hilda picked for her ice cream though /hj
Johanna traumatised as fuck (We all saw this coming ❤️)
Thaose are NOT FAIRIES‼️monsterlovers come get your food though
shroom aliens. just in general a very eerie atmosphere done very well
PORTALS??? TO OTHER LIKE. FAE REALMS. I MEAN I'M NOT LIKE. SURPRISED. BUT. WHRHOUH??
mmmm HILDA SAW SOMETHING AND NOW SHE'S BEING FOLLOWED. i'm guessing its something to do with Johanna's "thank goodness they didnt see you :)" because. I mean initially you think it's about the mushroom creatures but it VERY EVIDENTLY IS NOT. aough
Episode 3.
ALTERNATE REALITIES ARE NOT ONLY REAL BUT ALSO ACCESSIBLE
woodman is just the caretaker of ancient trees i guess. ALSO HIS SASS AT THE BOOK "well i'm not in there :/" guess what i'm in love with you
the animation in this episode was absolutely GORGEOUS. literally no 2D animated show has ever done flame-ridden scenery in such a perfect, gorgeous way before I think.
HILDA WITH A SWORD HILDA WITH A SWORD HILDA HAS A SWORD YEAHHHHH!!! bisexuals rule da woooorld
oh. oh the. the giantslayer is a k- oh... oh noooo...
oh he's very. passionate i wonder wh-
holy shit. that poor fucking kid (⁠´⁠;⁠︵⁠;⁠`⁠) like that was. that was so much. oh my god??? jesus christ. this season is getting progressively more unnerving with it's darker themes.
ALTHOUGH IT WAS A WOODMAN EPISODE!!!! WIN!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THAT BARK CREATURE SO MUCH!! PLEASE LETS. BE OKAY
i LOOOVE the snow sister's voice so much. she's wife to me.
Not sure if it was done on purpose or not but every time it played that boom sound whenever Hilda turned back to look at the flaming tree it. it made me laugh. it made me giggle. it was so stupid looking, gave me IZ:ETF energy and really let me calm down from the emotional ride of the last few minutes
seeing more giants is really neat. the sound design for when they jumped away was MAD..in general this season feels like it was made to be listened to on a surround sound speaker system tbh
GOOD EPISODE. uh oh now there's Guys I Think
Episode 4.
Nah this guy boutta be a tumblr sexyman 😦
OKAY OFF THE BAT I ADORE LOUISE. LOUISE IS MY GIRL. I LOVE THEM. I LOVE I LOVE I LOVE. THEIR ENERGY IS SO SWEET??? BUT LIKE I WAS SCREAMING INTERNALLY THE WHOLE TIME BEING LIKE "oh my god. oh my god why are you LYING TO HER and treating her like a Normal Person she's very clearly a little freak like you. oh my god."
AND THEN WHEN THAT WAS BROUGHT UP BY THE MERMAN-- "Oh, you think Louise is SO innocent..." like??? ok first of all THAT LINE DELIVERY?? massive props to the VA. secondly YESSSSS SPIT THE TRUTH. and then Louise does speak up and its like. fr. fr. i love you. be a main character be a main character plrase lpease plea
STOOOPPP... stop THE MERMAN'S a theater kid?? i'm going to start , having feelings AND I DON'T WANT IT!!!
that animation change for the musical number(s) is so good. like..oh my god. oh my GOD the animation is gorgeous. very much a "i wonder if the creators have been on hallucinogens before" kind of thing though adgasjskfwheg
generally just another REALLY GOOD REALLY COOL EPISODE.
my only criticism though this is to Literally All Kids Media Ever is that no-one knows how to write accurate bullying/exclusionary activity (in this episode regarding the ginger kid and his scout group). no kids act like that. please i was bullied so hard i should know
spinning in circles WHEE WHEEEE I WANTT. im gonna download the merman's song. put it on streaming platforms Now‼️
Episode 5.
WELL. THAT'S ONE QUESTION TIED THE FUCK UP ISN'T IT?????????? I'M STILL PROCESSING. OH MY GOD THOUFH. OH MY GOD???
"I just kind of assumed he died when you were a baby..."
"I thought it was some tragic accident!"
FRIDA AND DAVID THAT'S SO REAL OF YOU. thank you for being The Fandom. I love you. I love you. I l
YEESH. um.. Johanna's beef is so. real. and human. oough. this show has GOTTA stop making episodes about my childhood man!!! that's not fair
Alfur immediately not liking his vibes got me 😶 cause like. yk the elf has that autism intuition. so
THE. THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HILDA AND THE TROLL..ONCE AGAIN. every time without fail. the trolls are just. they're nor angry creatures they're just kind of. Done With Human Shit™ and want them to stop interfering lmao (don't we all)
Johanna and Hilda having that Moment™ at the end where they have to acknowledge his shortcomings but like..the ONE time that Hilda has to face something like this is the ONE time it's actually not his fault. Like straight up sorey babygirls but he got yoinked by the dementors. um.
Okay on another note. anders has kind of got that dilf swag? not like. as a dad. but as a loser. you know losers. help me help help help help help *clawing at the floor as i get dragged to hell for enjoying a character i absolutely should be seeing red flags for*
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heliza24 · 7 months
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Wilhelm and Sara as A Plot and B Plot Protagonists
This meta was originally a part of two-part answer to an ask box question, but since I've seen the idea of Sara and Wilhelm as parallel characters catching on recently, I decided to repost it as it's own meta for easier reference. This is one aspect of my personal Young Royals interpretations I'm most passionate about, so it's been great to see people start to talk about Sara and Wilhelm this way, and I look forward to future discussion. Ok, here we go:
Let’s talk about story structure for a minute, specifically TV story structure. Most TV has an A plot and a B plot (and sometimes a C plot too). In old school cable procedurals, the A plot would be the mystery of the week, while the B plot would be about whatever was happening in the characters’ personal lives. If there was an overarching mystery or storyline that tied the whole season together, that would be the C plot. As you can guess by how they’re named, the A Plot would take up the most time and do the most to drive  the episode forward. The B plot is next most important, etc. Once shows started to become more serialized in the age of streaming, the concept of A and B plots changed a little bit. Now the plots are divided by character and theme. The A plot will be headlined by the protagonist and will explore the main themes of the show. The B plot will be headlined by a secondary protagonist, who doesn’t have as much to do as the A plot lead, but is still answering a dramatic question that relates to the central themes of the show. A lot of times the primary and secondary protagonists’ actions influence each other, but they don’t share a ton of screen time. (If they did, their stories wouldn’t be separate.) You can think of the A and B plot protagonists as two sides of the same coin. They’re intricately connected, they’re exploring the same ideas, but they rarely come face to face, and they often represent different perspectives on the same themes. Black Sails is probably my favorite example of this. (I’m not as active in the Black Sails fandom as I am in the Young Royals fandom, but Black Sails is probably my all time favorite show and I absolutely love all the ungovernable pirates over in the Black Sails tag. Shout out to them). James Flint is the main protagonist and headliner of the A story, but Max is the secondary protagonist that headlines the B story. Both are struggling with the question of how to achieve and wield power in an unjust world, and their political maneuvers consistently influence each other’s plots. They share a lot of secondary characters across both of their plots, but they themselves never interact. So that’s one example, and if you look around at your favorite shows you’ll be able to find lots that adhere to this formula, including, I would say, Young Royals.
I think a lot of people are kind of subconsciously looking for this kind of structure, and have decided that Simon is the protagonist of the B plot. I understand this, because we all love Simon. He’s really well written and acted, his personality is so compelling, and his chemistry with Wilhelm is great. I spend a lot of time writing him in fic (I’m the writer of all the Simon content in Heart and Homeland) so I understand this impulse. But if you were looking for Simon to be anchoring the B plot in season 2, you might have been disappointed. Because in reality I don’t think he’s the secondary protagonist. I think Sara is. 
Sara is set up as a foil to Wilhelm, the main protagonist, in so many ways. I always say that the driving dramatic question of Young Royals lives with Wilhelm, and it’s something along the lines of “should I conform and live the oppressive life that was designed for me, or rebel and find my own path to happiness?” Sara is wrestling with a similar question that’s kind of the inverse of this; for her settling into a prescribed role in the Hillerska class system initially seems like a relief. So maybe for her the dramatic question is something along the lines of “is the price of fitting in worth it? Will it lead to true happiness?” They feel so much like opposite sides of the same coin to me. 
So Sara and Wilhelm are both trying to define themselves in relation to their families and also the class system. This comes up in the similarities of their family structure (they both feel very connected to their class position through their families; they both have complicated relationships with their mothers and bad to negligible relationships with their fathers; they both have a deep connection to their siblings) and in the relationships they choose to embark upon. They’re both navigating a very serious and complicated first love. They’re both dating across class (in the opposite direction, a perfect example of the “different views on the same theme” aspect of primary and secondary protagonists). They both have concerns about how and when their relationships become public, and by extension are both playing in the sandbox of themes around privacy and authenticity that defines so much of the show.  
Both have difficulty regulating and recognizing their emotions. Sara seems to exhibit alexithymia, a common aspect of autism that makes it hard to recognize one's own emotions. Wilhelm has been taught to repress his emotions, which he does well until he explodes (like when he got into the fight at the top of the series or when he yells at his mom on the phone). He’s also managing a lot of physical symptoms of anxiety. 
Both also struggle with questions of justice and how to make things right. In the beginning of season 2, Wilhelm is initially determined to destroy August because he thinks August will never repent, but by the end of the season he’s starting to realize that this was the wrong technique. He realizes this largely because of Simon; he only puts down the gun and walks away from August because Simon does first.  Sara makes the opposite journey: she starts by trusting that August will change and repent on his own, but then she is forced to confront the fact that this is not true, and that she needs to use the legal system to bring August to justice. She also makes this realization largely because of Simon, and seeing the ways that she has hurt Simon, in the same scene with the gun. 
The other big argument in support of Sara as the secondary protagonist of the show is that she and Wilhelm never directly interact. Their actions affect each other all the time, but they don’t share a scene together. They’re living on parallel but separate story tracks. 
Simon is a crucial character in both Wilhelm and Sara’s stories, but the fact that he is close with both excludes him from being a protagonist of his own plot line. (I would say the same about August, who is a sort of antagonist for both Wilhelm and Sara, and Felice, who is a friend and confidant to both.) That doesn’t mean that Simon isn’t well written. He has a very compelling character arc, motivates much of the plot, and his relationship with Wilhelm forms the heart of the show. But I think the reason people were disappointed in his story in season 2 is that they were expecting something from him that the structure of the show doesn’t support.  
If you’re interested in reading more about A/B/C plot structures I found this website really easy to understand. Also shout out to @bluedalahorse for talking to me about Wilhelm and Sara and helping me articulate what I was trying to say here.
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tarisilmarwen · 10 months
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Rebels Rewatch: "Wings of the Master"
Hera focus this time 'round, let's go flying.
Technically not a Friendship Fetch Quest episode, at least in terms of allies specifically for the Ghost crew. We DO gain an ally, but he and his creation are really more useful to the wider Rebellion at large. That is also a major recurring theme of the show: Building up the Rebellion piece by piece, ship by ship, cell by cell, person by person.
Not entirely sure why Kallus is heading up an Imperial blockade, that doesn't usually seem his area of expertise.
I think we're supposed to understand that Empire learned about them trying to smuggle aid to Ibaar and enacted the blockade to capture/destroy them but... honestly they just seem really really petty about preventing this one planet in particular from getting food.
It's always weird when one of the background bit roles is clearly just Steve Blum or Freddie Prince Jr.
Hera taking control and barking orders at everyone one by one, a nice hint foreshadowing that she's our focal character for today.
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Sad Hera makes the heart hurteth. :(
Oooh, really liking this 360 dolly shot around the briefing holodisplay and the way the harp notes almost seem like they're in time with Rex's steps.
Kanan volunteers Hera for the mission to retrieve the B-wing and booooooooy the bad takes I had to see about that. Fandom could not give the boys a break, always took some of the most reaching uncharitable interpretations of everything they did.
(Fortunately most of them went away after the Season Two finale, with occasional hiccups.)
All I'm gonna say is that it was clear from the action prologue and basically the entirety of how Hera'd been acting that she was tunnel visioning and needed to be broken out of that single-goal mindset, or at least redirected to go after the solution that would actively help.
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I do wonder if the reason Hera was so unusually determined to blunt force her way past the blockade had anything to do with her Clone Wars experiences. Ryloth was blockaded and starved out as well.
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You know, after the crap he dealt with last episode it's really kind of nice to see Ezra feeling and acting lighter, he seems much less stressed.
Also this whole exchange is hilarious. Love Ezra banging on Chopper's dome and then pretending he didn't do it.
A new cue starts up here, a bit akin to the "Victory" leitmotif, sounds like snare drums handling the beat there maybe. Makes it sound a bit more exotic.
This whole sequence has some great camerawork and blocking. Really makes you feel the speed and wind and hard turns.
I appreciate that they could have played Zeb's weight tilting the ship dangerously off the edge for laughs but didn't, they stayed very serious throughout.
Quarrie is obviously named after Ralph McQuarrie, one of the big concept artists for the Original Trilogy. A nice little homage.
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There's this really pretty quality to how Quarrie's irises are painted. Rebels' eye models are always so detailed and vibrant and look like a lot of hard work to make so consistently lovely, I totally get why the animators sometimes went out of their way to avoid doing them lol.
I'm frankly still a little confused by Quarrie's initial refusal to let them take the B-wing. I guess he was doing a Secret Test Of Character and once he heard why Hera was motivated to fly he decided she was up to snuff?
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The set design for Quarrie's shipyard is nice though.
A little bit of Hera backstory! Honestly, I never thought Hera as a character needed much explanation; What we get about her motivation and past in this episode is pretty much all we need. (We get more obviously when we meet her dad but that's kind of a bonus.) Hera is straightforward (passionate about flying, channeled her skills and passion into the Rebellion) and her character arc is nearly already complete by the time we meet her, only missing that reconciliation with her father.
She doesn't have as many character struggles but then she doesn't exactly need them. She knows who she is, what she wants, what motivates her, and there's something to be said for that kind of self-assuredness.
The show would shake up her foundations later, as things got more serious but for now this was just enough character exploration to satisfy.
Anyway, Hera's speech is what Quarrie was waiting for, apparently, and he lets her test fly the B-wing.
This beautiful sweeping cue I think might be Hera's theme. It first turns up in this episode and has played periodically throughout.
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I know a lot of fans have praised this flying sequence so let me just add to the chorus, it's really good. You get a solid sense of the speed and maneuverability of the B-wing.
Lol Sabine and Quarrie spatting over who's going to modify and refine the B-Wing.
The Phantom gets a mid-season upgrade, now capable of hyperspace travel on its own, independent of the Ghost, a feature which gets puts to a LOT of use the rest of the season as Kanan and Ezra split off from the rest more and more.
Running a blockade stationed on one side of a planet might seem weird when there's a whole back half of the planet that's not blocked off but remember, hyperspace lanes are a thing, it takes more work and effort to chart new paths through hyperspace than it does to just use the existing lane, which will only let you out at a certain spot. All the Empire has to do is sit in front of that spot to prevent you from maneuvering around and outflanking them.
The new Rebel Alliance cue that we heard in the first season finale makes an appearance to herald Hera's arrival.
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"Oh shit that's my wife, lol y'all screwed now."
And the B-wing takes out a huge chunk of one of the Imperial cruisers. This is why developing the TIE Defenders became so important, never underestimate the importance of fighter superiority.
The success of the mission prompts Sato to promote Hera officially to Phoenix Leader and everyone looks so proud of her. As they should lol.
This is one of my husband's favorite episodes. If we're consuming Rebels like comfort food it's one of the ones he tends to pick. The man likes starfighters and the B-wing is his favorite, what can I say?
It's not a very complicated episode but it's beautiful and leaves me feeling light and happy.
Sabine's turn for basic backstory and minor character development is next and... well I'll just comment about it when I get there.
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anemoflower · 13 days
Text
Ship: Sophie x Elias Word Count: ~ 1.6k Warnings: Again a few nerd references. Not fully proofread (again) and it's... not too detailled. I think I could do better but I'm tired xD. It's a bit angst-y in the end? But those who read the "first part" to this know there's a happy end :> A/N: Just wanted to write some kind of Prequel to this one [click] in Elias POV :3 It's also some kind of practise to write him? Idk (There are a few re-occuring scenes from that one. I don't think you have to read this beforehand but it's good for a little more insight) Divider by @/cafekitsune
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Elias first saw her when she knocked over a cup of cocoa over the desk he was sitting on at the Café.
“I-I'm so sorry!” She apologized around a hundred times while wiping the spilled beverage off his desk with a napkin.
Elias just smiled at her and said: “It's alright, don't worry about it.”
“Sophie, stop flirting, we're already late!” A girl with black hair grabbed the girl on the arm and dragged her with her.
“I wasn't-” the girl named Sophie started to protest, her voice went very high and Elias could have sworn her cheeks blushed.
Sophie. That's quite the pretty name.
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He wouldn’t have thought to see her again in the comic book store he was working at. He recognized her by the glasses and the curly dark blonde hair, which barely reached over her shoulders.
She looked at the Marvel comics section and talked to her friend, full of excitement. Her smile was the prettiest he ever saw. But what he really admired were her eyes. They glowed. They glowed with so much passion and interest for the things around her.
When Elias’ shift was over and he went down to the main floor, she was still there with her friends. She was looking up the huge glass cabinet with famous statues and figures from anime and seemed to debate with her friend, the one who has been with her at the café, next to her. 
“But it’s too expensive!” Sophie exclaimed.
“You never buy something for yourself”, her friend said. “I think you can indulge yourself a bit.”
They were clearly looking at the statue of Loid Forger from Spy x Family, showing him in a graceful but powerful pose. It was part of a collection and you could buy daughter Anya and wife Yor also to put the family together. A huge fan (with too much money) would have bought them all. Elias was one of these people, not because he had too much money, but because of his inability to handle his finances very well. And there was too much cool merch to buy. The amount of money he already spent on figures of his favorite characters from One Piece… not to mention the lightsaber replica which hung on the wall in his apartment.
Sophie fiddled with the keychain, a small plushie of a chubby cat, on the strap of her pokémon themed bag, her cheeks turned a little rosy as she was fighting with herself if she should buy the statue or not.
Should he go to them? His shift was over, so it wasn’t his responsibility anymore. And it would have been weird if he just started a conversation, as he had never seen a single episode of that anime.
He decided against it, turned around and as he was leaving the store, he could still hear her voice out of the loud chatter in the store.
“I don't have room for that anyway,” she said.
“You can still think about it”, her friend said, “We can come back when the book I pre-ordered arrives.”
Elias smiled by the thought of seeing her again.
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A few days later Elias was scrolling through an online shop for various suits, looking for something like that Loid guy was wearing in the anime series.
“Will you attend a wedding or something?” His co-worker Joshua - Josh for short - was looking over Elias' shoulder. 
“Do you think men in suits are attractive?” Elias asked him.
Josh looked at him with raised eyebrows and blinked several times. “Dude, I feel very flattered but-”
Elias groaned. “Hell, Josh, you know what I mean!”
Josh shrugged. “Uh, yeah, I guess?” Then he frowned, his face got closer to Elias' and he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “So who is it?”
“Who... is what?”
“The girl you got a crush on?”
Elias felt how heat rushed through his face. “It's- it's not a crush-”
“Elias, my bro, my guy, my dude”, Josh patted him on the shoulder, “Weren’t you the one who always told me ‘just be yourself! Don’t change for anyone.’” He changed his voice to a higher tone to impersonate his co-worker.
Elias just rolled his eyes. "I don't sound like that."
“So, why are you looking at stuff you would never wear?”
“I know what you mean but-” Elias' face turned hot. “For some reason it is not that simple-” He fell silent when he heard steps coming closer up the stairs to the first floor of the graphic novel and comic section. It was her. Sophie.
Today her dark blonde hair was tied into low pigtails. She wore a cyan colored coat with a brown belt around the waist, a small ribbon kept it together. It looked good in combination with her brown boots. Cute even.
But something was different. Her friends weren’t with her this time. Her fingers nervously fiddled with her keychain again, her eyes darting around. She looked uneasy like an anxious deer on a wide field, far away from their forest. Alone she seemed so lost and… almost fragile. 
She searched the shelves with the letter “E” but seemed not to find what she was looking for.
Josh watched how his friend kept staring at her. “Ohh.” He grinned at Elias, who opened his mouth to explain but got cut off by his friend.
“I will go check the newly arrived mangas in stock. Maybe you can help her?” Josh winked at him and left Elias alone at the checkout. "What? Wait you can't-" He could only watch his colleague disappearing behind the next door and then glanced back to the girl, still looking around the comic books.
Normally he wouldn’t have any problems talking to people, he loved that. Get to know someone and their likes and personality. But for some reason this girl made his heart beat faster than before.
Nonetheless, she was a customer. And it was his job to assist her to find what she was looking for. He ruffled through his dark hair, tidied his gray shirt, straightened himself and walked over to her with the kindest smile he could bring up. “Do you need any help?”
The green deer eyes looked at him directly now and he felt a tingle in his belly. She blinked at him, then looked away, adjusting the glasses on her nose.
Elias couldn’t help but smile at her, maybe it would help her feel more at ease again. Her hands stopped fiddling with the keychain and her gaze found his again.
“The comic book ‘Extraordinary’ by V. E. Schwab?”
He blinked as soon as he realized that she started talking to him. Her voice was soft and reserved so he didn’t notice it at first. He remembered seeing the title she just mentioned somewhere yesterday. “Ah, that's quite new, we didn't get to fill them in the shelves yet. Wait a sec.”
When Elias went to check the stock he found Josh again, who was looking at him with a teasing smile. “How's it going?” he asked curiously.
Elias just shoved him to the side to get to the comic book he was looking for. “I’m gonna pay you back for this” he said in a dangerously low tone.
“Oh come on! You should thank me, you started talking to her now!” He crossed his arms while Elias glared at him annoyed, ”Will you invite me to your wedding?”
Elias knocked against a pile of Mangas while walking back to the door and the books fell over in Josh’s direction. Josh pushed his whole body against the pile to prevent it from falling to the floor and squeaked out a high-pitched: “Elias! Help!”
“Sorry, I have to assist our customer” Elias hummed, waved at his co-worker innocently and walked outside, leaving Josh alone.
He found Sophie again at the shelves in the Marvel comic section. Curiously she pulled a few books out, admiring the covers with a little smile on her face.
Elias had to stop himself from staring and walked over to her. “You're lucky, I saved that one from getting buried beneath tons of newly arrived One Piece Mangas.” His heart skipped a beat when she started to chuckle.
They started getting into a conversation about Marvel comics and Elias felt like she was finally opening up a little. She smiled and there was this glow in her eyes again. That beautiful glow that made her shine...
But suddenly an invisible force made her face change again to that insecure shyness. Elias wondered if it was something he said. She thanked him for his help and walked down the aisle to look around more.
He waited for her at the checkout, Josh still hadn't returned from the storage room. Hopefully he wasn't buried by the Mangas. Elias felt bad for him and thought about going to the storage room to check on his friend, but then Sophie approached the counter to pay for the comic book. Her eyes were focused on anything, the pokémon TCG packs displayed on the counter, her hands in her purse, anything but him.
While she was distracted putting the comic book into her backpack, Elias decided to do something he had never done before.
He scribbled a small note on the receipt. Something nice. Something that maybe could put a smile on her face again. “Keep that glow in your eyes, it suits you :)”
Whatever it was that made her feel uncomfortable, he didn’t want that to be the last thing she would remember when leaving the store.
“Oh and don't forget to keep a close eye on the receipt?” He said. “Sometimes the computer writes down strange stuff on it. Really weird.”
But she didn't pay attention, the receipt disappeared in the pocket of her coat and she went down the stairs again. Elias leaned over the counter to check if she maybe would glance at the receipt, but she didn't. A sigh left his lips and he hoped that she wouldn't just throw his message in the trash.
Josh returned to the checkout, his light blonde hair was tousled and there were a few stains of dust on his clothes.
“30 volumes of Monkey D. Luffy just kicked me in the guts. You better help me clean the mess right now-” He blinked at him confused as Elias wasn't answering. “Bro, are you alright?”
“Yeah, I'll help you clean up.” He said with a apologetic smile, which didn't reach his eyes.
- -
Taglist: @jils-things @ceruelaen @huggsbury @satosara @lovinglin If you want to be added or removed please let me know
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shipthepuppy · 8 months
Text
My current theory on the Dimension 20 Mentopolis season, post episode 4:
Spoilers under the cut!
So, we've now worked through 2 of the 4 responses. All that are left are Flight and Fawn.
How are they going to come into play saving Elias?
Let's consider Elias's situation.
He's fired the grappling hook (Fight)
Froze up so he could successfully kick through a window (Freeze)
And we know now that his next steps are getting the fuck out of there (Which, logically, would be Flight)
Therefore, we can all pretty reliably guess how Flight is going to come into play saving Elias: by getting him outta the damn building, duh!
Now, Fawn, on the other hand, is the one that isn't as clear. I have two theories, however!
The first, more fanfic-y trope theory:
The Barista That Smiled At Us.
Once he's out of the building (with further aid from Fight and Freeze), Elias needs to lay low quickly. Where can he go?
Maybe the coffee shop nearby he's gone to a million times? Where he knows there's a lovely Barista who's been kind to him and might hide him so he can escape?
And I can see Fawn helping in that situation!
Theory number two; the more likely option:
As they are escaping the building with Flight (Fight and Freeze assisting), Elias's boss confronts him before they can get out. And in that moment, Fawn could help Elias get in close, or buy a few moments for one of the other responses to make a move, and all of them work together to get Elias out.
And best part? It could be mirrored in the mind with the D.A./Scary Mind Key Guy in place of Elias's boss, which fits with the themes we've seen of the players echoing actions Elias takes, to show who he really is inside.
Bonus theory about the epilogue:
And then the epilogue is about Elias being a whistle-blower on Gobstopper Industries/The Military and maybe reconciling with his twin and finally having the courage to talk to The Barista That Smiled At Us.
And there will be echoes of that in his mind. Like The Fix reaching out to Pasha. Imelda and Anastasia reconciling as family and being closer. Whistle-blower Conrad and Hunch.
As for Mr. Fucks/Phucks/Fuxxx/etc. (Who I interpret as Elias's sense of pleasure in general, including libido, because he Fucks With Everything, not just sexual stuff. Tho it is mostly sexual stuff. Elias is really pent up, and, it turns out, potentially a passionate lover if given the chance.), Dan is just raking in the pleasure from all of this new-found joy in Elias's life. Sugah's is thriving. The people who have looked to him for hope that he's supported with a grin and a booming voice are able to enjoy life. And so is he.
And that's my Mentopolis theory!
I'm probably very, very wrong! :D
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Preliminary Poll
Kurt Hummel
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Submission reason:
Forgot all their personality from first seasons and made to bend backwards to accommodate their abusive boyfriend in the name of true love
Okay okay okay. So Kurt had this problem of being the fan favorite for the most part but not the "official" "lead" of the show. /That/ was Rachael berry who is as much of a primadonna as Lea Michelle herself is and the absolute worst. Kurt was constantly being overshone by Rachael, and not just because Rachael would throw herself into the spot light, but by the writers themselves. The first big Kurt storyline in the show is in an episode called Laryngitis and it is both the shows best and worst episode. Kurt's storyline is this lovely arc of him feeling neglected by his dad while he does manly things with Kurt's soon to be step brother Finn and so Kurt starts to act straight to try and get his dad's attention. He dresses like his dad, sings a favorite song of his dad's, makes out with a girl. When his dad realizes what is happening they have this beautiful heart to heart where Burt tells Kurt that his only job is to be himself and Burt's job is to love him. It's stunning, it's gorgeous, it's incredible. At the same time! Rachael gets laryngitis and she loses her voice and she is freaking out over it never coming back and to comfort her, Finn takes her to see a friend of his who is paralyzed from the neck down to show her that other people have it worse. And it's terrible. And you have to sit through that atrocity while Kurt is having this lovely and heartfelt storyline. Okay, so there's also this running theme throughout the show that any time Rachael is upset Kurt must comfort her, even if he has good news in his life and if Rachael is happy Kurt must be happy for her even if he's feeling awful but they never make Rachael do the same. Key moments where this happened are when Kurt got moved into the finals to get into college and Rachael didn't it was all about her but when Rachael bullied her way into getting into college anyways and Kurt didn't make it... It was /still/ all about Rachael. Rachael ruined her own career by being an idiot and Kurt broke off his engagement around the same time and yet Noone gave a shit about Kurt's pain, only about poor little Rachael. And they made him participate in the cheer Rachael up party and had a different character (who is known to hate Rachael most of the time, except when Kurt decides he's fed up with her too) bitch him out about it and completely tear him down for being sad and not being in the "let's make Rachael happy train". Kurt gets his first boyfriend and they get to sing a duet together at the competition and do you know what song they sing? A breakup song that is representative of Rachel and Finns relationship at the time. And they do that more than once. Multiple times Kurt and his boyfriend Blaine sing songs that are about Rachael and so often don't sing songs about them. And when he and Blaine eventually have a kid, guess who the surrogate is because everything must be about Rachel berry at all times, even Kurt's own child. Kurt's storylines we're constantly getting nuked in one way or another because they would have allowed him to shine as bright as he was and that would cast a shadow over Rachael and it wasn't allowed.
Propaganda:
Sorry if I screamed too much, I'm very passionate about Kurt Hummel and how he deserved more than he got.
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pinchinschlimbah · 10 months
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In defense of “The Chokes”
Throughout my fandom travels I’ve seen a pretty decent number of people saying that “Party” and “the Chokes” should be swapped for penultimate and final episodes, or that Chokes can/should be skipped entirely.
Now…is Party one of my favorite episodes? Yes. Is Chokes one of my least favorite episodes? Also yes. But I do also think Chokes serves an important purpose as the ending of series 3’s heavy focus on the meta narrative of Howard and Vince’s interpersonal relationship, and those two episodes are in fact in the correct order to satisfyingly tie up both series 3 and the show as a whole.
Think about how the Party episode ends- Howard and Vince have their big moment of declaring their love for each other and acknowledging that the show has been building up to this moment from the start…..only to both go nah never mind I don’t need you, and run off each chasing random girls who we’ve never seen before this episode. What a terrible series ending that would have been after the show has been so much about the two of them together! But when watched as intended as the penultimate episode, it sets up the themes of the final episode perfectly.
In Chokes, the girls from the previous episode are nowhere to be seen. It was never really about them. The episode is the most intense version we’ve gotten yet of a concept that’s been explored on the show before (Electro, Charlie) of what happens when Howard or Vince, or in this case both, decide that they’re going to drop the other one to go pursue their passion that they think the other one is holding them back from. And guess what? It sucks! It’s not fun to watch, it doesn’t work out well for either of them, because the main delight of the show is watching the two of them bounce off each other and this episode has them going in opposite directions for most of it. Even in the past when the two of them have split after a conflict, they almost immediately default back to trying to figure out how to find their way back to each other or rescue the other one, but that doesn’t happen here. It really makes you realize why the show is so good the rest of the time and how much that spark is missing in this one and I think that has its own merit even if the episode itself isn’t the most enjoyable to watch.
The real important part comes in at the end, where we see Vince and Howard both realizing the dream careers they thought they wanted weren’t all they dreamt them to be, and that they’re happier back home with their chosen family. With Vince returning to the shop first, we see that he’s even gotten a stand-in Howard doppelgänger to keep him company, but that guy is unceremoniously booted when the real Howard comes back. No substitution could truly replace what they had.
The final impact of this episode and the show as a whole is the understanding that Howard and Vince are in fact soulmates who want and need to be together in whatever form that may take, and are happier working in their little shop together or doing any other otherwise unremarkable thing together than they would have been as famous rockstar or actor without the other one in their life. To me it does feel like the correct place for the show to have ended, with the audience having the satisfaction of knowing that Vince and Howard (and the rest of the crew) are back where they should be and will continue to be, and that it doesn’t matter what else they’re doing as long as they’re with each other.
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tezuze · 4 days
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Hi I’m gonna rant about Ghost Game for a second
Not to meaning to add to the endless “What the hell happened to Ghost Game????” discourse but uh, yeah I guess I am contributing to that
I have quite a bit to say about my theories on what I think went wrong and what they could’ve done better and why I desperately do not want a season 2 (I know the irony of how that looks on me) but if I wrote all that in one space I think it would be so long that even I would start begging for me to shut up
So, I’m going to split these up into more digestible categories that I’ll write whenever I’m procrastinating
In case I never get around to anything else, I’m going to start with the biggest loss to me, how I think the Digimon were supposed to influence their tamer’s personal growth and visa-versa
I’ll put the rest below the cut before I get outta hand
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Hiro and Gammamon: Augh. These two frustrate me the most. So much lost potential in my book, but I would feel weird putting the mc anywhere but the top of the list, so I decided to put them in the order they join the cast and therefore you get my most passionate feelings first.
Almost one of the first things we learn about Hiro as a character is how self-sacrificing he is. He’s your stereotypical mc who wants to help everyone, but the narrative points out that he’s willing to be helpful at the expense of his own wellbeing, which paints his conventionally good trait as a flaw. And that’s about all they touch on in the base show, with a lot of reading between the lines. I would’ve loved to see the ramifications of his self-sacrificing nature and have the cast point out how he’s really harming himself and stretching himself thin just to appease others. I don’t think the “being helpful is good, but not at the expense of your health” moral is touched on enough so I always get excited when stories have that as one of their themes.
And then there’s his partner, Gammamon, the exact opposite of Hiro. He’s needy, dependent, wild, and selfish at the start. He doesn’t care about others (or their belongings). He’s demanding. He’s destructive. He proves to be a handful for our polite little Hiro, especially with his dad missing and this responsibility suddenly thrusted upon him.
I would’ve loved to see Gammamon teach Hiro to be a little more selfish (or at least, more self-preserving), while Hiro teaches Gammamon to be more considerate and tame. Of course, we see Gammamon grow in this way but the story doesn’t really make it clear that it was necessarily Hiro’s doing or give much of a catalyst at all for why Gammamon has personal growth other than it would be troublesome to have such a brat as the main creature. Now, I know that Guilmon’s arc was kinda similar in that they didn’t have direct events or anything that would make him mature, but it still felt more… realistic? Tended to? Idk I’m going to force myself to move on.
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Ruli and Angoramon: Honestly just kinda disappointed with the lack of attention these two got in general in comparison to the other pairs, but I digress.
We meet Ruli with the impression that she’s brash, headstrong, and charismatic. She does things her way on a whim. Especially in the first few and select episodes, but in my opinion, it seemed like they kinda pushed her to the background and her personality was very passive and mild at times (and I don’t think that was on purpose).
Similarly to Hiro and Gammamon, Angoramon has quite a few contrasting personality traits. He’s softspoken, knowledgeable, and introspective. When Hiro first meets Angoramon, he doesn’t want to reveal himself because he’s nervous and doesn’t want to be a bother.
I think these two were supposed to balance each other out. Ruli would learn to think about things more and not run in half-cocked, maybe start to appreciate the more slow and peaceful things in life like nature and reading (Yeah Ruli, don’t think I forgot about that scene where Angoramon wanted you to read one of his favorite books and you DIDN’T and never DID). Meanwhile, Angoramon would come out of his shell more from sticking around Ruli. Possibly learn not to be so overbearing? Idk, honestly I don’t think Angoramon has as much room for growth because he seems the most level-headed character in the cast.
Lastly,
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Kiyoshiro and Jellymon: Now, I know I have some bias toward these two so it might seem I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt but I’m going to try to come at them as objectively as I can.
They kinda half-executed what I think they were going for with these two, so they don’t offend me as much (which I think is part of the reason why I like them so much), but a full written out arc between them would’ve been a dream.
Kiyoshiro at the beginning of the series is, well, a sniveling inconsolable scaredy cat. On top of that, he’s kind of cocky and stuck up, obsessed with order and somewhat an introvert (to a lesser extent and differently than angoramon, in the “can’t relate to other humans” kinda way). Outside of his flaws, he is at least kind and pure of heart (I mean his name more or less means “pure white”) with a strong sense of justice and morals.
Jellymon, the devil creature, is so chaotic her intro episode goes right for the “everyone is going to die and it’s all Jellymon’s fault” thing. She has her moments of scheming and kinda like Gammamon, is pretty selfish and demanding with hints of Ruli’s recklessness as well.
As far as their canonic growth goes, Jellymon’s the only one that sees the bravery in her darling, which helps him nurture that courage and cast aside some of his fears (which, yay they actually kinda do in the series albeit pretty indirectly and kinda inconsistently). Also, the narrative never outright says Kiyo is lonely but he surely doesn’t have any companions, but we can see him grow on his partner and admit that it’s nice to have such a close friendship (pretty sure the whole “I like humans” thing was directed at Jellymon, even though she’s not human shhhhh it makes sense I promise)
Now for what they didn’t really touch on, I think these two were supposed to break each other’s stubbornness. I think Jellymon was supposed to show Kiyo how to relax more and not become so absorbed in studies/research and such. We meet him already knowing he has a love for anime, idols and the like so I’m not sure if he could really learn the lesson to appreciate more of the little things, but maybe she’d show him to love some more like, people-centered type things? (I mean she does love festivals). On the flip side, I think Kiyo was supposed to use not his classroom knowledge, but his personal knowledge to show Jellymon all there is to love about humanity outside of their monetary worth and give her a genuine love for the human world. Oh yeah, and teach her to stop scamming people.
“”””I’m gOinG tO tRy To LiMiT mY BiAs oN KiYoSHiRo aNd jElLyMoN”””””””” *Proceeds to spend half my rant talking about Kiyoshiro and Jellymon even though I think they did them pretty well*
Anyway, would love to hear other’s opinions on this as well as if it seems like I’m reaching and there weren’t supposed to be arcs like this. I just feel like the characters are too inherently flawed and contrast too perfectly with their Digimon for them not to have intended some more character-centered personal growth arcs.
I’m sorry and thank you for reading my dumb thoughts.
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