#I'M WRITING AN ANALYSIS RIGHT NOW!!

[luminori-of-the-stars]

G3 CELO'S BACKSTORY!!!

Summary: Cleo was always overshadowed by Nefera ever since they were young and their parents always praised Nefera's achievements leaving Cleo behind. Their relationship is good, just that Cleo feels like she's being compared to her and she's being forgotten. This explains why she's attention-seeking as she probably didn't get a lot of attention when she was younger (This is NOT G3 Cleo slander btw)

ALSO, Nefera's actually a good and supportive sister in this version so I will not be accepting slander for either of the De Niles. I love both of them <3

#cleo de nile #nefera de nile #monster high gen 3 #monster high #monster high g3 #I LOVE BOTH OF THEM #A POSITIVE SISTER DYNAMIC WOOOO #I'M WRITING AN ANALYSIS RIGHT NOW!!

[thefruitonyourfly]

Just read a comment under a magireco Madoka's magical girl sequence that said "now Madoka is a badass" and I was like HUH

Like did some of you watched episode 12 blindfolded and with ear plugs? Because I don't think you guys truly grasp the scope of what Madoka did that episode: The Incubator has been on earth for a MILLENNIUM, meaning that has been thousand of girls before Madoka who have tried to outsmart his system and met a terrible fate for their attempts, but only Madoka has been able to beat him, do you guys understand that? The smartest and strongest girls have tried, but something always thwarted their plans—be it their potential not being that high or Kyuubey twisting their words so it would be in his favor instead—But Madoka had something they didn't and it was her circumstances (Homura and the timeloops), Madoka knew her wish would come at a great sacrifice, but just like Homura said in Rebellion "She rose to the occasion" because she knew it was something only she could do; No one would ever have the perfect circumstances to make that wish like Madoka. So, she did it.

When Madoka made her wish and Kyuubey hesitated for the first time in the series because he understood the implication of it, Madoka said to him: "Now, grant my wish, Incubator." When Kriemhild Gretchen was born and Kyuubey thought he had the advantage back again because this witch could literally swallow a planet and Madoka killed her with one shot. Madoka won, essentially. Like her system isn't perfect, Kyuubey isn't dead, and there's still suffering, but it was the best wish for the magical girl kind as a whole, and all improvements are only possible by what Madoka did here. She played within the Incubator's system and rewrote it. She is the most powerful character in the whole franchise and arguably one of the most powerful characters in anime. "But didn't Homucifer defeated Madokami?" Well, sort of. Homura's win is, ironically, also due to extreme circumstances, only Homura could've done that and only within this one scenario: and even when she won it's heavily implied that if Madoka even has a slightly moment of deja vu it's over for her, she can't win against Madoka on fair terms so even Homura herself can't achieve that feat again. That's just how powerful Madoka is.

Do you guys understand that?

And here's the thing: my problem with that statement isn't even that I don't think magireco Madoka isn't as cool as Madokami, I think she's badass too. Is just like, I thought we all thought Madoka was cool as herself?? Like even without being a magical girl or a fucking godess, Madoka was cool as shit. When Madoka risked her own life to save the lives of her friends and strangers at the warehouse? She had no powers, no backup, and had just watched Mami die to a witch and yet she still followed Hitomi. But people only want to see Madoka's character as what the witch showed her afterwards, her own survivors guilt and perceived weakness and cowardice over wanting to live and not be a magical girl despite what she promised Mami, and yet the scene prior to this conflicts with this idea. Madoka not only can risk her life for others and save them when the need arises, but she already has. Even without being a magical girl. It's just who she is. This, to me, is one Madoka Magica's core strenght as a show that Madoka spent the majority of it being the most "powerless" in almost every scenario and yet she still tried her best to overcome things, even when it didn't work It was never worthless, if anything it proved her own strenght of character and without it she would've never gotten as powerful how she is today.

If Madoka hadn't been kind to Homura on her first day of school, if she hadn't done the simple act of reaching out to someone she thought was kind shy, none of this would've have happened. Her kindness did this, not any other power.

My favorite thing about Madoka's character arc is that Madoka starts as a very naive opmitimisc girl and with a somewhat sheltered view of of the world, then she goes throught horrors few can understand and while she could (understably) become bitter with the world and grow to despise it, Madoka comes of it realizing...she was right. Madoka has felt the pain the world could give her in her own skin, has literally died, and she now thinks Hope is needed more than ever. And it saddens me a lot when people don't understand how strong and cool she is because of that, to be hurt and choose to be kinder and more understanding to yourself and the world in return, because the world can be better we just can't give up...

Basically what I'm saying with this that if you don't like Kaname Madoka, fuck you—

#*sees one negative comment on madoka* *snaps and writes an essay at 1am* #guys i am so normal about kaname madoka #this probably has a lot of typos but i'm gonna sleep right now and fix em in the morning #kaname madoka #madoka kaname #madokami #madohomu #akemi homura #pmmm #madoka magica #long post #pmmm analysis

[le-panda-chocovore]

Kinda meta but. Satosugu on both ends.

[ ID in ALT ]

Let me elaborate.

Teenagers SatoSugu is the cutest thing ever. They're the only one who are able to catch up with the other. They're the strongest together. They are pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly. They complete each other, they understand each other, they help each other and more importantly, they love each other. No one else can follow the path of Gojo Satoru and makes him feel human other than Suguru. No one else can bring a genuine smile on Geto Suguru's face and makes his life worth living fully other than Satoru. They're the epitome of young exorcists.

Adults Satosugu are the messiest divorced couple ever. Satoru cannot love without consuming entirely the person. Suguru cannot be saved because he's already gone too far. They are soulmates and cannot live without the other. They have been separated for years. They cannot kill each other, they cannot be with each other. They never forgot the other. Their breakup happened eons ago and they still consider the other as their one and only. And they make it everyone else's problem. Because Satoru wasn't able to burn Suguru's body, the Shibuya Incident happened. Because Suguru's memories of Satoru were so strong, Kenjaku was able to make his plan and seal the strongest sorcerer. Every one of their choices and words and actions was just an I love you so fucking loud that it doomed the universe to destruction.

#jjk #gojo satoru #geto suguru #sugusato #stsg #jujutsu kaisen #ship tropes #shipping #analysis #there's more to say honestly but i don't have the strengh right now to break myself more #also english isn't my first language and I'm getting too tired to write a dissertation #this is not just a dichotomy of kid's innocence and adult's trauma #this is way more deep than that #so maybe i'll continue it tomorrow #i know this is my own personal interpretation of the ship #i know many people won't agree and this is fine #please do not insult me. give your own point of you if you want but do not attack me. #if you find this stupid you can just scroll down

[aerithisms]

rotating the pub scene from 73 yards in my mind i think there is so much being said there about wales and welsh/english tension that is so interesting and is going so under discussed

#blahs #dw #dw spoilers #the whole thing about castles in wales being english torture centres. much to unpack #i think it's easy for most viewers to watch it and see that the characters are taking the piss and write it off #but what's interesting about it is i think rtd is basing that on real exaggerations of oppression by welsh people #most castles in wales WERE built by the english and they WERE designed to oppress the welsh. except that was like 800 years ago #and some people use this as an example of welsh oppression /now/ when it's like. not relevant to modern wales really #and 'torture chambers' is a wild exaggeration that dangerously tries to compare wales to much more recent human rights violations #i think rtd is trying to caution against a romanticised or sensationalised narrative of old wales that certain welsh nationalists have #this is also what he's doing with roger ap gwilliam #i keep seeing people say his character is 'just nukes' and i'm not gonna pretend it's The most complex politics ever #but it's also not just nukes. it's about specific political tensions and attitudes in wales. #rtd's viewpoint reminds me a lot of my dad #my dad's a proud welshman he's a native speaker he grew up in a welsh speaking community #but he doesn't really care about old welsh history about llewelyn ap gruffydd or owain glyndwr or anything like that #he doesn't see it as relevant. to him what's important is modern wales and the tensions of the 20th century #i'd wager rtd probably feels the same #and what with doctor who being produced in wales being rtd's doing i think he's enthusiastic about collaborating with england #rather than being like. isolationist about it. (that's the wrong word but i can't think of a better one) #WHICH INCIDENTALLY ties the political strand of the episode with the personal strand about ruby #who is also dealing with a self-fulfilling sense of isolation #anyway i think this episode is about wales in a very significant way. we need more welsh people writing think pieces about it #honest to god i don't think any analysis of it that doesn't talk about its welshness is quite Getting It

[hamartia-grander]

Wyll breaking up with the player character if Ulder dies so Wyll must become the Duke makes me wanna throw up sobbing because he actually thinks that just because his father's first duty being to Baldur's Gate made him a Bad Father that Wyll himself will inevitably be a Bad Lover because surely no one could match love with duty if his father couldn't, unknowing he has more love in one hand than his father had in his entire body. fuck

#More in my reblog #“my father taught me more lessons than I can count” yeah dog they were called CAUTIONARY TALES 😭😭😭 #“pull me too close and I'm destined to hurt you” FUCKIGN. BITING YOU #“a champion's heart is as sharp as a new blade” SO CRAZY I GOT THIS SICK ASS ARMOUR. TRY ME. #I'm actually in physical pain over this. Wyll my love. #I need to rip ulder in two with my bare hands right now. #sorry I JUST saw the breakup scene for the first time today and I haven't stopped thinking about it it's making me ill with sadness #he didn't even break up with ME but it fucking feels like it goddamn #bg3 #Wyll Ravengard #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 analysis #oh my GOD and the fact that he offers one last dance. I'mgoing to ufckingexplode #and he spends five whole seconds just. holding the character. not even dancing. #I watched the version with him and astarion ofc I don't romance wyll myself (lesbianism) #makes me wanna write a fucking fic (derogatory) #why the fuck is everyone so ill over astarion when mr insane mental health issues is RIGHT here (i know why. but still)

[spottys-rathole]

(all q!)

There's that scene where Baghera, Antoine, and Bad go adventuring out with their kids, and Bad leads the way trying his best to show them good dungeons with useful loot that aren't too hard

They cross a field running, jump into a speedboat and dash through until they spot a structure on the horizon. They loot it, rinse and repeat.

They just raided an outpost, Baghera has just stepped in and is trying to collect the bookshelves inside when she hears one of the eggs outside blowing into a horn, calling for attention. All the while Baghera is feeling overwhelmed. She explains out loud that she feels the others don't realize how poor she really is, how she's got nothing and how she's still discovering so many new biomes and new features that were added recently. She wants to take her time to check it all out properly, she wants to collect building blocks she likes for her house - because Baghera doesn't have a house yet.

This isn't the first time she brings it up on this evening. Since the first time she encountered BBH earlier that day, he has been slowly introducing her to the idea of building a house near him and Pierre. He said so himself to the eggs that he's trying to convince her to do so. At first he asked her if she had anywhere to live, then upon learning she's only got a hole dug on the flank of a hill so far, he told her they needed to get her a house. Then he showed her his place, welcomed her in and showed him everything that could peak her interest :

Here's BBH's storage room, Baghera can have free unlimited access to it. Here's a flower field surrounding the place, it's really pretty isn't it ? Here's the beach house Pierre built on the bank of this cool lake, look how gorgeous it is, she could build the same if she wanted to. Also don't fail to mention there's a nearby lavender field around, Baghera really likes purple right ? Surely she could enjoy the biome enough to decide to settle down over there.

And Baghera's immediate response is to use Pierre's waystone to teleport the gang to her actual place. Actually, she doesn't exactly teleport them to her place, she teleports them to Phil's place first, which is right across the river from where she lives. Because she doesn't have a waystone to herself, because again : She is poor.

She then proceeds to show them around her "house", which is a (yet to be) repurposed dungeon. It's empty so far. BBH notices and remembers it's a dungeon that he had already raided with Dapper a week ago before Baghera found it.

Baghera doesn't have much if anything at all. She started the afternoon with -37 coins and a gapple which she offered to Acau as a welcoming gift. Still she was so happy when she accidentaly discovered that dungeon and loved its aesthetic, even if the loot that was left inside was barely useful, but to her it was all she had.

Back to the pillager outpost, Antoine overhears Baghera mention how exhausted she is and how meeting everyone at spawn earlier has been really draining for her. That's why she usually prefers exploring alone because then she can do it at her own pace without feeling pressured, because what is of interest to her may not be for her adventuring partners.

Antoine immidiately tries to reassure her the best he can, tells her that she can take all her time and shouldn't hurry for them, that they will wait for her. Baghera apologizes. While BBH is wondering what they're doing, Dapper goes up the tower to check on them, Antoine asks them to wait for them as they are taking their time. Baghera apologizes. When alone with her again she explains that it bothers her to not be able to take breaks and go at her own pace, but she blames herself for it because she accepted to go exploring in group and obviously even if Antoine and Bad keep telling her that they understand and try to make her feel the most at ease, and giving her food and gear. Well anyone would still feel pressured because making the others wait all the time might become boring for the rest of the group whether they say they're okay with it or not. At some point Baghera explains to Bad that she isn't feeling so hot, when she turns around he is 30 ft further ; something caught his attention and he wanted to check it out briefly. She comes up to him again and tell him she needs to get sugar because she is feeling dizzy, she insists that they shouldn't wait for her. Once she comes back, she tells the group that she wants to part ways and go back to building her house. Right on queue, Bad reminds her that she is the most welcome if she wants to come live near his place. Baghera still doesn't explicitely agree nor disagree with the idea, she only says she wants to build because that's what she enjoys doing. Right after, the group catch her up on what they were doing while she was afk : They're about to go raid this very dangerous sky dungeon, and Bad invites Baghera to join them. She iterates that sadly she will not, but Bad who's attention was caught by Dapper, has already ran off to listen to his child. Pomme and Antoine tell her it's okay, but then Bad rushes back towards them to excitedly show them what cool shenanigan Dapper is up to. Baghera bids them goodbye and Bad seems both surprised and disappointed to hear she's leaving now. As she is walking away, Antoine once again whispers to Bad that she was feeling real tired to which the latest answers he completely understands.

It's not so relevant of a moment lore-wise, but I've still been thinking about it a lot because I'm usually really into these kinds of small interactions that are still loud because of everyone's points of views ? Baghera's been there for 3 days and she still hasn't properly brought up to anyone what happened to her during Purgatory - she is not doing fine (I'm not going to go in depth because I'd have to slap a big ol trigger warning but her reaction to reading Pomme's and Richas' signs kicked me in the guts with the strenght of a 3T truck). And meanwhile BBH is this close to kick the bucket too and there's all his motivations that push him to surround himself with people when he would previously be paranoid about inviting anyone to his old base (and none of the french-speakers knew back then). Antoine is just vibing good for him (this was his last qsmp stream too lmao pretend i'm not crying rn /hj)

But it's one of those cases where everything was set up perfectly for it (Pomme was literally jumping with excitement at the idea of two more of her parents getting to live near) but it simply wasn't meant to happen -at least not that day-

#just to be clear : this is not me pointing fingers and going such or such character reacted wrong hell no #i am never about this i just point my finger towards a general situation and go “hey look at this interesting thing unfolding” #I'm staring at sand slowly decanting in a glass of water right now #I already know the outcome but I still think it's interesting #as i repeated baghera felt overwhelmed -> because it was an overwhelming situation and not just for her #when you're in group there are so many things to look around for that will distract you #and it's completely normal and there's nothing to blame about it #ie deadly mobs creeping up on you and eggs communicating in non verbal ways which requires different parts of your brain to operate #okay now i need to figure out how tf i tag this uhhh #i usually write these big ass nothing texts on Discord either about fictional women or about RPZ Forum Drive Families my belovèd #the fuck do i do #q!baghera #q!antoine #q!badboyhalo #qsmp analysis #-> (BIG QUESTION MARK : decanting sand) #qsmp #11/02/24

[missanthropicprinciple]

There is so much going on in this short scene. I can’t stop thinking about it.

Max has observed that Oskar is desperate to solve a case, perhaps thinking that Oskar is insecure. But after they visit the cemetery Max has finally figured out the root of Oskar’s sadness and restlessness. I can’t blame Max for his fascination and satisfaction at discovering what he feels and knows to be true about this man. This is I think where Max the analyst and Max the friend meet, the intersection of study and caring, when we come to Max’s motivation as a person to help people. Yes, he is fascinated by human nature in a detached way, but he is also very keen to help people. In this scene he is moved by Oskar’s restrained emotion and is struggling not to show emotion, struggling to remain the analyst. I also think that Max wasn't expecting to hear about a child's death. In his profession sympathizing or showing intense emotion is discouraged and I would say the same is true today. But Max can no longer maintain a professional distance because their relationship is not one of patient and therapist. This is partly due to Oskar’s honesty about his feelings.

Oskar is not going to spare anyone’s feelings; he’s going to protect himself. I sympathize with Oskar. He values the fact that Max has noticed his grief when most people likely haven’t, but he is also on the defensive, and rightly so. It’s an insult to be dissected when you don’t want to be, particularly when you're grieving. Oskar did not ask to be psychoanalyzed. He has not consented to be picked apart because he did not ask for help. He desires understanding. He states that he does not want to be “dissected”. When you’re grieving a loved one the last thing you want is someone coldly picking at your brain like you’re a specimen. When you’re grieving you are both your basic self and not yourself at all. You are diminished; your senses are heightened and yet you are numb as well. Oskar just wants to work. He’s clearly still in a lesser period of shock. As you grieve you experience many, if not hundreds, of layers of shock. It’s like you keep waking up over and over again. The shock wears off very gradually. The deeper in shock you are the more you want to just work. You are focused on utility and your brain keeps you numb to prevent more severe damage.

Max might have pushed further with someone else but I think at this point he understands that Oskar is no longer a subject to be observed, no longer someone he can coldly analyze, but a colleague and a friend. He realizes that Oskar is not ready for analysis or therapy but needs understanding and occupation. Max sees Oskar’s hand shake, knows and actually listens when the man tells him he cannot talk about his grief yet. Oskar has taken a great step even telling Max, a young foreign man he barely knows, that all he has is work because his beloved child is dead and his wife has left him. I think that Max understands the enormity of that in this moment. Max says, “if there’s anything I can do to help…” Because he knows that he has to offer support and hold back on his impulse to treat Oskar like a case study.

Max is an example of someone who has the capacity to stay completely cold as a psychoanalyst but his own emotions prevent him from being wholly methodical. In a later scene when Amelia is “cured” he has tears in his eyes. His compassion takes him beyond a single-minded analyst.

The emotion he has in the lecture hall is the same emotion he has in the café, magnified. When Max sees Oskar’s hand shake does he want to reach out and calm him? As a friend you often have that impulse. Oskar has a hard time looking at Max. Human connection and eye contact can stir huge emotions that a person might not be prepared to face. They look at each other briefly. And Max, the observer, looks down with emotion, perhaps even giving Oskar privacy. His shoulders change, no longer proud with youthful overconfidence or even arrogance, but timid and shy. He hunches down just a tiny bit, looking sideways at Oskar. And once Oskar has said he needs to solve the case so he can be “fine” Max instantaneously changes the topic to the case and more importantly how he himself can help Oskar take action.

#Vienna Blood #THIS KILLS THE SARAH #speaking of analysis that no one asked for #I kind of ship them but right now I'm focusing on their friendship #GUESS WHO IS EMOTIONAL THIS EVENING #also if you're wondering why I am pontificating about grief I have lost 6 family members including my father as well as a family friend #ACTING #my writing #max liebermann #oskar rheinhardt #long post #grief #mystery

[raayllum]

Detective Rayla Theory

Otherwise known as: Why I think Rayla is Real in the Reunion Scene and Where I Think the Plot is Going, Subsequently. Discussion both for and against the Fake Rayla Theory here. Without further do, let’s get into it:

So I was having a good think on the bus today, turning it over and over in my head as to why Rayla would come back when she clearly hadn’t completed her mission - and trying to think up alternatives to 1) self worth development with Ethari in a flashback since that’d moot some of her natural S4 arc or 2) Aaravos somehow whipping up an illusion Viren for her to murder, as both seemed a bit more complicated than necessary. 

Which is to say: I think I’ve got it, and I think it explains more of the season this way, too. Basically: 

I think Rayla has come back to Katolis because the Dragon Queen, Zubeia, is there, and Rayla has information (based upon Claudia’s evil doings the past two years) that can’t wait to be shared, and she believes that the boys won’t get involved (because in her mind, why would they?)

Rayla has always been loyal to the Draconic royal family and would have been keeping an eye out for any dark magic-y stuff in Xadia because. I forget where it was said (an interview or AMA I believe) but Terry is more in tune with the minerals/earth side of Earthblood magic than flora or fauna, with possibly the ability to help make tunnels. We know he and Claudia have been running around Xadia collecting ingredients and doing dubious things to revive Viren. This means Rayla could’ve been somewhat tracking them, but ultimately foiled for obvious reasons, even if she could still find something clearly disturbing and worrying happening in the meantime. A trail of sorts.

There’s also the fact that with Zubeia is the only character we know of who’s 1) around prominently and 2) knows a shit ton about Aaravos. Avizandum is the one who imprisoned Aaravos in the first place (—3x06) and Zubeia would’ve seen the mirror in her lair every day for 300 years. Callum has no reason to think it was in the Dragon King and Queen’s chambers, but there’s a wealth of information at his finger tips if they can just make the connection.

But I’m getting ahead of myself: how and why does this relate to Rayla?

Well, mostly because of these three things: Rayla shows up in Katolis conveniently when the Dragon Queen and Zym are already there. While she wouldn’t want to drag the boys into everything, that’s also her queen and she wouldn’t keep information from Zubeia. And we know that the kids all end up in Xadia together, with Zubeia, later on in the season, and that the kids at are the Storm Spire before this too (since Callum already has Ibis’ staff).

— so whatever is going on is big enough and involves Zubeia enough, somehow, to have her travel with the kids and at least partially come on their adventure with them. And I don’t think Zubeia can know ahead of time that as much trouble is brewing in Xadia as it is, since I don’t think she’d be popping over to Katolis if she knew shit was about go down back home (she’d already been absent for one traumatic event at the Spire of her husband’s death, she’s not going to take any chances of something like that happening again)

We also get these lines from Zubeia (which given she only has one line in the whole show, no wonder I couldn’t place at first) and from Rayla, which have to factor into the season somehow:

which is all to say, I think Rayla, off sleuthing and doing detective work back in Xadia the past two years, has found something worrisome enough she has to tell the Dragon Queen right away, and has heard through the grapevine that Zubeia is in Katolis. Cue Rayla letting herself be indulgent (justify it to herself) to see the boys (and Callum) even though her mission isn’t over. To make sure he’s okay. Now that she’s reached what may be the final leg of her journey, she won’t be deterred by his presence — and she knows that the boys have been happy, busy, and safe in Katolis. Why would they get involved and leave now?

Only, the boys insist (or perhaps Zubeia asks), leaving Rayla to be upset and worried. This means she can go into full “protector” mode when they and Soren do accompany her and Zubeia back to Xadia / the Storm Spire, not realizing she’s just exacerbating her and Callum’s issues (i,e. “I don’t need to be protected” on his end and “Who’s protecting you?”). It also gives the group a reason to leave, a plot reason for her to come back so soon (just like Viren, her return is the plot catalyst) and to start hashing out the emotional consequences of her previous choices neither she nor Callum have fully dealt with.

Zubeia’s knowledge of Aaravos also gives Callum an opportunity to have room to mess with the mirror on his own before he fully knows what he’s dealing with. He (and the audience) can learn some of the reasons why and know enough that it would be a terrible awful thing for Aaravos to get out of his prison... because he’s getting out this season, and Callum likely has the Key.

However if Rayla comes back to kick off the Plot with Big Important Things and she’s right about Viren being alive (even if it’s not the way she thought), that means all her TTM decisions have been validated... and we can’t have that. Her first fuckup, perhaps, may be thinking she can see the boys without dragging them into her business, bringing back those good ol’ “I failed” feelings. The second fuck up will probably have to be far greater and given that we know aged up, scarfed Callum finds her blade later on this season, it is probably that she has been captured and then will be used against / to bait her loved ones.

This means that the Plot reason behind Rayla’s absence is because her paranoia about Viren and Claudia is the only character incentive we had for anyone to catch on, of the main cast, to what they were / are doing. The main S4 synopsis makes it sound like they know that Claudia is trying to free Aaravos (or at least something terrible and scary) and that they have to try to stop it. We know that whatever gets the kids out of Katolis with the political unrest Ezran is facing is big enough that Zubeia comes along for the partial ride. Rayla coming back out of a sense of duty also answers 1) why come back here and now specifically when she couldn’t have completed her mission and 2) leaves her emotional issues open and ripe for the picking.

It also means that the Narrative Weight awarded to her absence, at least in the most straightforward way with the information we have now, is to accentuate Callum’s love for her, as he has the other half of their post-TTM arc. Prior to this point, one of his main motivations was that he couldn’t / refused to lose her, such as when he did dark magic in 2x07, much of S3, the main climax of Arc 1 with him jumping off the Pinnacle, and all of TTM.

But post-TTM, he has lost her, and he’s had to live with that every day for two whole years. He hasn’t moved on, it’s still a deep core wound for him, Aaravos will likely be able to witness their reunion through the mirror, and Callum has his Key - and Aaravos will likely have Rayla.

Those who fail Tests of Love are simple animals.

And we also have this line from Rayla’s letter to Callum as well:

They said that, sometimes, we make sacrifices so that the ones we love don’t have to. It’s part of protecting them—part of protecting you. Taking on hard choices and going to dark places is an act of love.

Rayla made that decision back in TTM and then made an active choice to come back to Callum in a way, while he remained more passive. By the end of the season it’ll be his turn to go after her and make a choice — and pass the Test of Love Aaravos has set for him for her life, because re S4, he’s lost her once. He’s not going to go through that again, and that’s the Point of her absence from a Thematic standpoint, too.

Basically me trying to connect the Plot, Theme, and Characterization Dots together desperately with the endgame of Aaravos getting out of the mirror this season (because we already know) and I hope you enjoyed my latest two cents / probably the path I’m leaning the most towards with the info we have right now.

#detective rayla theory #tdp #tdp spoilers #rayllum #cube hostage exchange theory #the dragon queen #s4 #s4 spoilers #predictions #like depending on how the reunion goes we'll know right away if she's legit or not #but for now i'm leaning towards 'yes and' #arc 2 #trailer #the dragon prince #zubeia #aaravos #writing this wore me out tbh #analysis series

[trans-axolotl]

so hot out. fainted twice already today! chugged a gatorade. trying to do things but i think the rest of the day will be for lying on the floor. trying not to get lost in my brain but this place is full of ghosts and i am haunted. just going to hold. until i leave tomorrow night.

#personal #vent #don't know what to tag this as tbh #abuse tw #have been more psychotic this week then in a long time #almost every day i have been hallucinating angels. talking to some of them #anyway. apparently this is the city i go to if i want to talk to angels. #have been mostly holding it together but i can tell that the edges #are leaking. i can't read long paragraphs right now because the angels have so much commentary #i drove past the place where i first started doing survival sw and one of the angels told me that she is furious with god for trapping her #and i cannot write or think until the angels are quieter. i cannot remember things about myself right now. it's hot and i'm melting and #the angels talking is new. usually they just spend time in electrical lines and pigeons. and such. and i know they're there #i don't mind them too much but i would like to be able to read without them critiquing the analysis LMFAO

[imminent-danger-came]

https://youtu.be/7zl1LtEnqW8 here is the clip🐉

Thank you so much anon! Twas a short clip, but I'm no chump and there are actually things to talk about!

So.

Here we have Mei in the armor we saw on the new lego sets, and she looks great! She also looks like she's being antagonized (by possibly Azure? I'll get to that in a sec), and this pushes her to a breaking point, which is the exact opposite thing Subodhi told her in 4x09

"You are capable of so much more if only you would slow down and think!".

This screenshot also reminds me of this scene in 4x05 (except she's even angrier in the teaser):

Which in itself is a parallel to 3x02!

Next we have this

With Tang's magic all around the screen-

-that transitions to these shots, with a very distinct red in the background—as in it's very similar to the red that appears when Azure faces the Jade Emperor at the end of 4x10:

So, presumably, Mei is fighting Azure or someone Azure has given power, if he can do that. Mei's also surrounded in the same glowing green she was at the end of 4x07, so I wonder if Tang's powers have something to do with that.

What's especially intriguing to me, is that if we assume the first shot with Mei tensing in anger and the later shots with Azure exerting his Jade Emperor power are the same scene, Azure is going to taunt Mei in a very personal way. That's exactly what the Jade Emepror does initially:

"How is it you come to stand before me today Azure? Is there a point where you questioned it, or were you to caught up in your own delusion to see that you were a mere piece in somebody else's game? You may try Azure, the throne will be yours...but if you think I'll gift it freely, you are mistaken."

I think in particular Azure will taunt Mei about her initial trust, or at the very least some mistake she's made. Trust for Mei is something that has been significant before and will be significant again, so that's what I'd bet on.

Overall I'm super excited! It seems like we're going to get a Mei V Azure showdown, which would be great. She's gone up against Azure twice and failed, so she's more than due for a win! However in order to successfully do that, she's going to need to go through some character development first, so we'll see. But this is all just me theorizing, who knows what actually happens!

#doing my best writing this on the fly on my phone #Screenshots are both shitty and is the Subohi quote 100% right? idk #y'all get the point #*muah* #yes this was a 5 second clip. yes I am going to break it down #lmk #lmk analysis #lego monkie kid #lmk mei #lmk azure lion #monkie kid #lmk theory #wait it now occurs to me Mei is green. As in jade. Like that green glow. I'm going to try not to think too hard about that #asks

[bedlamsbard]

I was at Galaxy’s Edge this past weekend, and it reminded me how stressed out Star Wars made me and still makes me -- there’s a reason I had to get out of the fandom, but even today I tend to get increasingly hysterical when I talk about it.  (Which was really fun this time, since I was starting to lose my voice already.)  I came out of the EU/Legends (little known fact, since I’m mostly ~known for TCW and Rebels fic), but something about the way the new canon deals with -- well, canon -- is very panic-inducing for me.  I think it’s how back in 2014 when they decanonized the EU and had their whole “moving forward EVERYTHING will be canon of equal weight” thing, but since then that’s been increasingly untrue, even as Lucasfilm still swears up and down that it still is true, as does a certain subset of fans.  It makes me feel like I’m being gaslit (Mando was especially bad about this), which I don’t say lightly, while also tripping my paranoid tendencies.  I felt like I never knew what was important or if it was going to be retconned two weeks later by the same people who made the original thing or if it was going to be treated like it never existed at all, all while the PTB were saying publicly that it was all equally important -- or worse, that it had always been like this, wasn’t I paying attention?  By the way, you have to know EVERYTHING, but everything’s not actually important, but we’re going to tell you that everything is.

I realized how bad this had gotten when I was on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (the new attraction at EPCOT) last year and I almost had a panic attack wondering if I had to be paying close attention to the fucking ride because what if it was important to the mainline MCU?  (Also because wow, it turns out roller coasters are not for me; CR made me sick, though it’s a stunning piece of technological innovation.)  Only thing is, the MCU has never worked that way, while Star Wars does.  (Look at Black Spire Outpost, Batuu, and the Halcyon not only getting namedropped in books, but even in the films like Solo.)

Coming out of Star Wars, there’s something really reassuring to me about the fact that the MCU PTB are honest about things being retconned (soft or hard), forgotten, or just gently set by the wayside -- even the way some PTB will just say “yeah, I didn’t see XYZ.”  Like, that doesn’t necessarily make for good storytelling (often it makes for very bad storytelling!) -- but I don’t feel like I’m being gaslit about it, either.  And that’s worth a lot to me right now.

(Interestingly, I’ve seen people saying the opposite about the MCU -- that right now it makes you feel like you have to see all of it -- which I really don’t think is true.  But I can see how it feels that way; a lot of longterm MCU fans are where I’m at with Star Wars, and it’s a very...interesting...experience to see it from the other side.)

#as a fic writer I feel like I have to know All The Things #but I work exclusively in phases 1-3 which is right now completely closed #and that's a huge relief because I hate working in an open canon #I can mostly turn Analysis Brain off about phases 4-5 since it doesn't matter to what I'm writing #(BW aside but that's really a phase 3 movie like FFH is really a phase 4 movie) #and I could NEVER turn Analysis Brain off with star wars because you just...never knew #it's the uncertainty that drives me up the wall #your girl #bedlam watches star wars #bedlam watches the mcu

[thevegetablewhichnoonedaresname]

.

#pickle pontificates #girl help is the lilyorcharddungeonmeshi video gonna be what finally drives me to make a video essay now that school's over #or am i just gonna watch it and rant to my sister and then forget about it as usual #OR am i gonna decide to be normal and not watch things i know are gonna make me mad #i barely know anything about The Discourse surrounding her and i do not care #i just know i saw the steven universe video and another one awhile back and i kept watching because i was hoping in good faith #that there would be A Point #but there never was #it's just a really weird anger and vitriol and attempt to justify not liking something by arguing that it's bad #and a stubborn insistence on analyzing the separate parts of a thing without even attempting to see whether there's anything #in how the parts fit together. like that's media analysis 101. you see what's there. you see how it fits together. you interpret it #you turn it around and play with the interpretations #you try to figure out what the author was trying to convey and then you look at what you got out of it and what others got out of it #you acknowledge that stuff can be good and you can still hate it. or you acknowledge that stuff can be bad and you can still like it #and you acknowledge that sometimes stuff is just neutral and may have different effects on different people #not just ''raaaaaagh this character did bad things and is therefore bad and irredeemable and there is no other option'' #newsflash babe. most characters are like that #and like. i acknowledge that there may be ragebait at play here #but i do like engaging with weirdo opinions sometimes because it gives me a chance to articulate my own feelings and investigate why #i feel that way #but i do have to be careful to make sure i'm not just getting off on being mad and falling down the hole for no reason so. we'll see #edit: i remember what it was now it was the writing tips video #it's the weird black and white there's only one way to do art and i'm right about it all the time attitude

[sisterdivinium]

Honestly, one of the worst things about social media is that nobody takes time to even breathe a little before frantically typing something in response to something else they saw wherever.

We don't know what's going on yet. Go draw fanart to relax or something, it's better than adding to the collective freak-out which helps no one in the end.

#i'm not tagging this but some of you drive me mad sometimes. you're anxious because you want to be. #i promise you that screaming into the void won't magically fix the situation -- a situation we don't even fully grasp yet #i understand being mad when there's something to be mad about but right now it's all conjecture and uncertainty after a whole ass strike #anyway. i'm busy writing my silly stories and planning my little analysis. no one can take that away. #i suggest focusing on these positive and tangible things if you don't want to have as much white hair as i do at my age #tbd

[kikizoshi]

I think I may have figured out how to put it: Nikolai sees people's souls through the cracks in their masks, and Fyodor sees people's masks as a facet of their souls.

Then, since for Nikolai this perception goes both ways, he's never had anyone see much of his soul through his own mask's cracks (and we can sort of see this with Atsushi, that even when Nikolai let his mask drop entirely—both literally and symbolically—Atsushi still didn't see or "get" him at all). So, it must have struck him especially hard when Fyodor easily saw his entire soul with (not even in spite of, but simultaneously with) his mask. For the first time, someone engaged with Nikolai's soul, and that person couldn't be anything other than his dearest, most intimate friend.

#this is yet another attempt to understand Nikolai #I may still not have gotten it quite right #this is attempt number 'who can even keep count anymore' #after my third time reading 'The Overcoat' #my fifth time of reading a 'The Overcoat' summary & analysis #about three biographies of Gogol #a collection of his short stories #and 'Dead Souls' #and countless. countless hours of thinking and writing #over at least 3 years #and only just now I /might/ understand his worldview on a most basic level #I mean yeah I've always known some of it was developmental #and I'd have to wait until my brain was old enough to understand some of it and some of the nuance #but still #it hurts #and I don't even know if I'm right this time #:') #BSD #BSD Fyodor #BSD Nikolai #Godos #Godost #Fyolai #Fyogol #BSD Analysis #ah: I forgot to say that the reason all that reading is important is that I've been basing their worldview on their namesakes' works #and while Dostoyevsky comes to me comparatively easily #Gogol has laughed at me from behind a veil for years

[whysamwhy123]

I feel like absolute shit right now for various reasons so Imma ramble on under the cut about my blorbo DG and some of my unpopular opinions regarding him and his current direction because I want to distract myself from The Pain. You can read it if you want, but like, I wouldn't recommend it, LOL

I feel like I'm in a weird position as a DG fan. Like, I'm with everyone on feeling glad that the Jericho stuff is done because I hate that dude and I only suffered through JAS segments purely for Daniel so thank god that's over. But my opinions get decidedly unpopular now because...I really don't want him to join the BCC? Or join up with Danielson in any way? And it's purely petty on my part because I just don't really like the BCC at all and Danielson's not my guy either (I don't really know anything about him pre-AEW so I don't have the attachment towards him that everyone else seems to have, he's really Just Some Guy to me *shrugs*) Like, I know it would make a ton of people happy, Daniel included, but I'd probably lose all interest in him if that happened? He wouldn't be able to do his dance anymore or show any of the character he's developed over the last year or so. He'd have to go back to being a Generic Tough Guy Technical Wrestler and that would be soooooo boring to me. He'd be going backwards, character-wise. Plus he'd just be in the same butt-monkey position that Yuta's in, does that really sound like fun to y'all??

And if I'm being totally honest...even if he doesn't join the BCC, I'm probably gonna lose all interest in him the second they start seriously pushing him and presenting him as a Big Deal. Like...I like my DG PATHETIC!! What can I say, I was drawn in by his stupid dance and his sad, kicked puppy dog looks and the fact that he's clearly the dumbest fuckboy who ever fuckboyed. I legit LOVE what they're doing with him right now because it appeals so much to my weird, personal taste. He's beaten down, abandoned, everyone around him doesn't get him and they're treating him like shit and telling him he's wrong. He's still doing his stupid dance and the fans love it but he's been pressuring to stop it by his chosen family and that sucks for him and so he pouts about it and makes sad faces. I'm sorry, but this is just Peak Male?! He keeps losing and losing and can't seem to catch a break and he regrets his choices and so he distracts himself by going out to clubs every night, partying with his bros, and trying to bone every woman in a five-mile radius that he can thrust his hips in the general direction of and I AM HERE FOR IT, THIS IS SUCH GOOD FOOD TO ME, GIVE ME MOOOOOOOOOORE.

But I know it ain't gonna last. He's gonna stop doing the dance, he's gonna either fully turn face and lose a lot of his current character or join Don Callis' group and be trapped in the exact same position he was in the JAS, just with a different annoying middle-aged Canadian weighing him down now. And then he'll start actually winning matches and being taken seriously and maybe he'll even win a title somewhere down the line and it'll be great for his career but a sad, sad day for ol' Sammy Sam-Sam. He is currently one of my most precious blorbos...but I know that's gonna change the second he starts *scoffs* succeeding!

Still, at least he'll always be cute.

#Should this perhaps have stayed in the drafts? Almost certainly. #But whatever my blog is a disaster #If I wasn't such a limited slow writer I would totally write a whole DG character analysis fic #But I barely have time to write the other stuff I want to write sooooo I guess I'll have to settle for whatever the fuck this is?! #Anyways DG should lose all his matches forever and then break down crying in the middle of the club/ring while still dancing all the while #For he is my sad pathetic meow meow and that is all I will ever want from him #........I'm fucking weird LOL shut the fuck up Sam what is your deal?? #Look I am having A Time right now OK?

[variousqueerthings]

the thing about Margaret, is that she was an interesting character from season 1. I know she may not necessarily have been intended to be that, and probably not at all in her previous iterations in film and book, but here, from the very beginning, there was a something (and I say that as someone who started learning more about her future journey around... s3... vaguely, so I genuinely didn’t know she’d be getting these kinds of stories and narrative Weight. I know at this point that she’ll continue to grow until the end, but that’s about it)

and for whatever reason -- because the show was being created with a lot of mutual respect between the people on it (for the most part), because loretta swit was just that compelling, because because -- that potential was picked up on

she grows and gets her point of view and emotions explored, and crucially has the underlying ideas behind her actions all the way back in s1 -- when she wasn’t so fleshed out yet -- respected in hindsight

and it’s still so rare to see that! especially in female characters of course, it’s like there’s a mental block against seeing their potential. there’s absolutely a version -- a far far lesser version -- where Margaret could have been eternally trapped, beating against the narrow walls of her narrative and societal confines, while the narrative occasionally touched on something just interesting enough that you could taste her motivations and complex feelings (you know, maybe that is the book and/or movie version of her, I don’t know I haven’t engaged with either), but we get to see the one where she takes a sledge-hammer to the expectations that were placed upon her by said narrative and society in which that narrative takes place

a narrative that responds to when she’s internally fighting something, to her contradictions, that lets her yell and scream and punch (literally!) and be incredibly messy and so so fun to watch. I don’t know if it seems obvious in hindsight, but I keep thinking of how many lost opportunities there have been over the years, but this one time it’s an amazing experience

#margaret houlihan #MASH #im watching MASH #im almost halfway through s6 now #i feel like a large part of it is alan alda #and generally the environment on-set #of course you want your good friend loretta swit who's a fantastic actress to have some great material to work with! #and because you're not a fucking moron and you know women have internal lives it makes sense that margaret would too! #and while you're at it -- it must be hard to be a woman in her position in the military so that's an obvious place to start the exploration! #and why WOULD a woman like her -- sharp as a tack and strong (willed and physically) and beautiful -- be with someone like frank? #well maybe those two questions have the same answer! aha! writing is happening #(me recreating the writing and creative rooms in 1972-onwards) #also look: I'm personally not a fan of *hot lips* and a lot of the *jokes* directed her way in s1+2 especially #were misogynistic on the part of the other characters -- and at that point there wasn't necessarily much thought to it #(as in the thinking was probably *it's just jokes*) #but it DOES make for very good character analysis -- margaret's of course #but also hawkeye -- considering they're slowly becoming friends (very very good friends) #why would she want to be friends with the men who objectify women left right and centre and diminish her hard work in favour of her body? #two men who have no respect for the institutions that she's worked five times as hard to succeed in? #in favour of frank burns who alright if she's thinking about it (she tries not to) is kind of an ass and a bit TOO gung-ho in the wrong way #and possibly a coward actually (and when she looks back used the hierarchies that she needed to survive as a way to bully others) #but he was THERE -- and if she didn't think too hard he was good to her and gave her validation that she couldn't get literally anywhere #and ESPECIALLY not from hawkeye and trapper (or henry who was also a womaniser and an insult to military hierarchy) #(again -- the hierarchy that she based her whole worth and self on) #I just -- margaret makes so much SENSE! #and there's a version of her that would always just be the female frank who could have been more #but she IS more!!!! #*cries in loving margaret*