#and that's just an episode where there's at least some basis shown for her actions because we actually see her mom pushing her

[battlekidx2]

Hazbin Hotel - Vaggie Finale Thoughts

My thoughts on Vaggie are… complicated. I think the last two episodes of season 1 do a really good job with her and I love the beats her character hits, but the rest of the season didn’t build up to some of these beats the way they should have to make all of them hit as hard as they could.

I’m just going to jump right in to explain what I mean.

Vaggie’s role in episode 7 where she has to go convince Carmilla to help them face the angels is at its core fantastic and the song that they get together is a banger, but the basis for this song– that Vaggie is being driven by vengeance and has to fight for love instead– rings hollow. 

Everything Vaggie has done this season has been for love. She’s been nothing but supportive of Charlie, putting all her effort into the hotel and Charlie’s mission. Her song and arc in episode 3 surround Vaggie’s belief and love for Charlie. Vaggie fighting for love has never been the central issue of her character because she’s been doing it all along.

I like the idea of Vaggie being driven by vengeance, considering how brutally Lute mutilated her and how she was cast out of heaven for the “horrible” offense of hesitating to kill a child this would make sense for her character, but this wasn’t shown at any point prior to this song. 

Where was this thirst for vengeance when she came face to face with Adam and Lute in the hotel room? Where was Vaggie’s anger at heaven when Charlie was calling out their hypocrisy? At what point in this season did Vaggie choose vengeance over her love and support for Charlie?

If vengeance was what was really driving her character then Vaggie would be pushing Charlie to call out heaven. She would take some impulsive actions to strike back that put Charlie’s goals in danger. She wouldn’t be the one telling Charlie to keep a cool head or singing about supporting Charlie no matter what.

This is the issue that’s been plaguing Vaggie this entire season. So much of her character has been tell rather than show. We were told by Husk that Vaggie hates herself. We were told by Carmilla that Vaggie was driven by vengeance. When Vaggie is faced with the decision to support Charlie against heaven or side with heaven to keep her secret the narrative lets Vaggie just not make a choice.

She doesn’t get to show her character and flaws through her actions. At least not the ones the show says she has.

I think this problem is a bit more obvious because when the show does build up something with her character it is really good.

Vaggie being the one to reach out to and convince Carmilla to help their cause is a great beat. We see early on that Vaggie isn’t a people person. She has trouble trusting and/or inspiring others, but here we get to see her reach out to and connect with someone else, and it's through this understanding the two have that she is able to get Carmilla to help her (by training her to fight angels) and the hotel (by providing weapons).

This exact struggle is also reflected in the moments with the hotel residents. Throughout the season Vaggie has always come across as being on their level. Charlie is well-meaning, but because of her privileged upbringing she has a very black and white view of redemption and struggles to deal with the more serious mental health issues that the hotel residents face. Whereas Vaggie is more jaded and has made massive mistakes in the past.

The other hotel residents can understand her struggle to do the right thing and redeem herself, which is why it was impactful to have Vaggie be the one to let them know that they can leave and that she’s the first one to see that they stayed. It emphasized the connection between them.

Vaggie’s fight with Lute was also amazing. Lute was the angel that cast her out, ripping out her eye and cutting off her wings. There’s a personal connection there that makes this battle investing. The way their battle ends really emphasizes the conflict between Charlie and heaven in episode 6 by showing that Vaggie, someone cast out of heaven, is more worthy of heaven and angel wings than Lute, Adam’s right-hand woman, through her decision to choose love over hate and spare Lute’s life.

It’s these moments that show the full potential that Vaggie has as a character and put the moments that they fumbled in stark contrast.

I really like this show, but I do think it has flaws. Vaggie’s character is a prime example of how the pacing of this season made certain character arcs suffer. 

I'm hopeful that the show can improve on some of these issues now that it officially has a season 2 and that it was the biggest animated release on Amazon Prime (which is impressive because The Legend of Vox Machina had the massive already established fanbase of critical role watching it). I really enjoyed watching this season week to week and can’t wait for what they have in store for us next.

Side note: The moment where Vaggie spared Lute is where she should have gotten her angel wings and specifically she should have gotten Lute’s angel wings. This would just heighten the thematic importance of this moment and show through Vaggie’s mercy– the very thing that got her kicked out of the exorcists– she has shown that she is more worthy of being an angel than Lute. I can’t take credit for this. I heard it from Sarcastic Chorus.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel vaggie #vaggie #vaggie vs lute #carmilla carmine #angel dust #husk #sir pentious #the show must go on #hello rosie #I love this show #it's so much fun #I like vaggie's character

[kindheart525]

unpopular opinions on the fim show?

I’m not entirely sure how many of these opinions are unpopular in the fandom as a whole, but they seem kind of uncommon compared to what shows up in my feed so here goes

Pinkie’s family is not abusive or toxic. I know they are portrayed as extremely old-fashioned and strict in their lifestyle, based on what is probably a surface-level understanding of Amish communities. This makes it easy to compare them to similar communities irl who engage in practices like shunning. But the Pies’ behavior in the show and especially Pinkie’s attitude towards them seems to make clear that they have not shunned or abused her despite her “leaving the community.” In other words, I think there are key differences between the Pies and some of the real-life people they were meant to emulate, so it’s inaccurate to say that abusive Pie headcanons have any real basis in the show. I wrote more on this opinion here.

Zephyr Breeze is not nearly as likely to be a deadbeat dad as some might think. He was shown to be on the road to being more responsible by the end of his own debut episode, so I highly doubt he’d be the same pony he was at the beginning of the episode by the time he would become a father. Not that I don’t think he could be at least a little bit irresponsible as a dad; I just don’t think he’d leave his child or not love them. I wrote more on this opinion here.

Amending Fences was a missed opportunity for a very important friendship lesson, one that the show never dared to touch. Which is that sometimes people are incompatible and sometimes your old friends won’t forgive you. Instead, Moondancer was written in an extremely exaggerated way (her whole life was ruined by one rejection??) yet this wasn’t regarded as an overreaction at all. It was weirdly handled at best. I wrote more on this opinion here.

Rarity gets a bad rap from the fandom. I don’t know if it’s her mediocre taste in stallions or if there’s something about her ultra-feminine nature that some people don’t care for, but I think her maturity and intelligence are severely underrated. Of course she can be a drama queen, but so can Twilight and Pinkie and pretty much every other member of the main cast. Rarity had a breakdown over getting a fashion piece critiqued, but Twilight blew up at her friends over having a late paper; the two scenarios really aren’t that different.

Just because Rarity has multiple crushes on mediocre stallions (Blueblood, Trenderhoof) doesn’t mean that she would sleep around or have a tumultuous love life. Haven’t most people had celebrity crushes? Multiple celebrity crushes, in fact, and also multiple crushes and relationships involving people they actually know before finding “the one”? I’m sure a lot of people have also been disappointed to find out the celebrity they fancied is actually a terrible person, like Rarity has. It’s part of the human experience for many, and Rarity’s TWO moments of poor judgment are not a reflection of her whole character or even her full palate of romantic taste.

Along with being a drama queen, Rarity can have moments where she’s materialistic and selfish, like the time she convinced Spike to give her his fire ruby. That was not a good moment for her. But on a bigger picture, materialistic and selfish is not her usual state. She is literally the element of generosity!!! She made Gala dresses for all of her friends FOR FREE! She has also shown herself to be a leader among her friends, at times taking charge and coming up with plans in Twilight’s absence much like Applejack does sometimes. One example is Castle Sweet Castle; the whole premise of the episode was Rarity’s idea! To help Twilight feel more at home! It’s clear that her generous spirit informs her actions through most of the show, unlike Rainbow Dash who’s only truly loyal when the plot needs her to be.

Yes Rarity is flawed, but all her friends are too. Her flaws are not objectively worse than the others. In fact, Rarity was literally under mind control once and still regarded Spike as a genuine friend, while Rainbow Dash sold one of her best friends into indentured servitude completely sober (among a long list of other things). Twilight yelled at her friends that she didn’t need them, also with an unaltered mind. Rarity has had her own hurtful blowups ofc but hers aren’t any worse than the others. Give her more credit y’all.

Speaking of Rainbow Dash, I’ve seen a number of opinion posts about how she and Applejack should switch their elements (so RD is honesty and AJ is loyalty), but as I started rewatching the show myself I’ve come to disagree. Rainbow Dash may be honest, but her brand of honesty is extremely rude. There’s no integrity behind it, not like AJ’s honesty. Rainbow Dash in general is extremely rude. There are a lot of points where I’ve wondered if she even likes her friends. There was also that Secrets and Pies episode which establishes that Rainbow Dash has lied prolifically to Pinkie over something that meant a lot to the latter, so RD really isn’t that honest either. I do agree that AJ would deserve the element of loyalty if she didn’t already have honesty. But you know who else is loyal? Spike. The elements of harmony would honestly make more sense if RD were just removed from the group entirely and Spike replaced her as loyalty /hj

I promise I don’t actually want to remove Rainbow Dash from the show, I just really wish she was written better. That’s what fan fiction is for I guess 😂

I have mixed feelings about AppleDash as a ship. I really like the fandom portrayals of it which is why I reblog quite a bit of AppleDash art, but canon alone doesn’t seem to show the good side of their dynamic very much. All they do is argue. Applejack is normally mature and levelheaded, but around Rainbow Dash she’s much less so. Dash really brings out the worst in her sometimes. It’s much different from the loving bickering that people write for them in fan works, which I think is a better spin on the dynamic. If I went off their canon interactions alone, I could see them being exes or on-and-off lovers at most, not a stable, long-term married couple.

This would only be unpopular in very specific circles, but I think it’s pretty stereotypical to insist that Rainbow Dash and Applejack are lesbians primarily based on their tomboy interests and the former’s rainbow mane. It’s one thing to headcanon them as such just because you want to, and that’s perfectly fine! I write Applejack as a lesbian too. It’s another to insist that it’s canon based on xyz evidence from the show or think it’s wrong for anyone to ship them with stallions. Even if you consider AppleDash canon, one or both of them could be bi or pan for all we know. Canon tells us very little about their sexualities so there’s a lot of room for different headcanons. I wrote more on this opinion here.

(More specific to the next gen community) Just because Fluttershy is good with animals does not automatically mean she would be a good mother. There was a whole episode (Stare Master) about how she couldn’t handle babysitting even though she thought her animal caretaking skills made her qualified. Obviously she was shown to be much better with kids later in the show (becoming very popular among the School of Friendship students), but again that’s teaching, not parenting. This isn’t to say that I think Fluttershy would definitely be a bad mom, just that her being good with animals is not a solid reason for her being a good mom.

I definitely have more opinions about the show, characters, and fandom of mlp, but I don’t think many of them are so unpopular. Like for example:

I don’t think the Apples would be queerphobic just because they value tradition and are coded as Southern US Americans. The word “tradition” doesn’t automatically equate to conservative politics, and even if it did, these ponies have been shown to learn new things all the time. But all the trans Big Mac positivity I’ve been seeing tells me that a lot of people agree with that sentiment.

I don’t think most of the popular/generic ships of the fandom (like FlutterCord, FlashLight, and SoarinDash) are necessarily bad or devoid of positive chemistry, they’re just way too often written in extremely boring and generic ways. But I’ve also seen such ships written in unique and interesting ways so I think there a lot of people who also understand that sometimes all they need is a more creative approach.

Episodes like Over A Barrel, Bridle Gossip, and She’s All Yak (among others) were horribly handled and should not have been written. I don’t even consider them canon. I don’t know about the larger fandom, but most of the next gen community that I interact with feels the same way.

I think Starlight’s backstory was stupid and contrived, but it seems like the whole fandom thinks so too. We’re all rewriting it lmao

#AskKind #KindsThoughts #pinkie pie #pie family #zephyr breeze #moondancer #rarity #rainbow dash #applejack #appledash #fluttershy #my little pony #mlp fim #mlp g4 #asks open #send asks #send me asks #ask me stuff #ask me things #ask me anything

[azulas-defense-lawyer]

How do you think the Gaang would react if Iroh was forced to face a war crimes tribunal for his actions during the war?

firstly, i won't straight up say iroh has committed war crimes, because we have no real evidence regarding his actions in the war. we can speculate, but we don't know for sure because the show is intentionally vague when it comes to his actions during the war. the use of starvation as a weapon of war is a crime to my knowledge? however people argue that iroh's siege of ba sing se (somehow) didn't involve starving civilians, and it's never shown in universe anyway. the ATLA universe doesn't even have a code for war or a geneva convention, to our knowledge. that being said, i believe it was a plot of one of the episodes of book one where earth kingdom soldiers were hunting iroh down to imprison him and put him on trial (unless it was just a "let's capture the enemy type thing"), so we can assume there's some basis to put him on trial here.

now, onto the question at hand, i think initially they'd be shocked, especially toph. but i think katara and sokka are smart enough to know that he did commit wrongs he needs to be held accountable for. sokka in particular would be more pragmatic about it - the generals responsible for the fire nation aggression need to be held accountable, or at least there needs to be an example for the world...so, iroh. i think katara might not understand the full extent of his actions initially, but soon will understand why the earth kingdom needs justice, though she will urge for them not to be consumed by vengeance.

aang may also be ignorant to iroh's crimes at first, but will ultimately believe justice needs to be served for peace but also that iroh has taken actions to atone. i think the main thing is that aang would want to ensure the tribunal isn't unfair and that the death penalty isn't offered. after all, he was against killing ozai, who never doubted his nation's genocidal intentions, so aang definitely would be against any sort of death penalty toward iroh, who did ultimately see his nation's wrongs and (arguably) worked to right them. i can imagine him testifying in favor of iroh due to how iroh helped them in ba sing se and helped "liberate" ba sing se (however misguided the latter action was).

suki would probably support the tribunal, even if the death penalty was offered as punishment. after all, she's never been opposed to murder those she sees as criminal or as a threat to her island (via the unagi that she feeds 'em too). kyoshi island is a trading hub, she probably grew up hearing horror stories from earth kingdomers about the "dragon of the west" . she was eventually inspired to join the war effort by sokka, so we know she stands strictly against injustice, and may see iroh going free with no legal consequences as a crime in itself. she also never developed a bond with iroh in the first place.

i think toph and zuko, on the other hand, would be very opposed to this tribunal. toph bonded with iroh, and up until her joining with the gang, she was largely untouched by the war. she isn't ignorant to his actions in the war (when told no one has ever breached ba sing se's walls in one episode, she replied "what about the dragon of the west?"), but may not care or that it doesn't matter because he's changed. she'd side with zuko on this one.

zuko, of course, does everything he can after his redemption to make iroh happy. he is very close to his uncle, as we're all aware. he still has a bit of a temper, too. and in that episode we've spoken about in book one, he actively worked to prevent iroh being captured by earth kingdom forces. i think he'd be completely outraged at iroh being called a war criminal, or a tribunal being held for his uncle. he'd argue his uncle made some mistakes in the past, but that he ultimately helped win the war and should be absolved, or that any actions he took weren't that bad anyway. he'd try to push the blame onto ozai, or azulon, or perhaps he'd even offer to put his sister on trial (if we're talking comics zuko), but never his uncle. this issue may even provoke tensions, leading many to fear another war.

that being said, this is (mostly) assuming the gaang are their rational show counterparts, and not the comics.

and of course this is just my interpretation, it's up for debate.

#war crimes mention #atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #zuko #katara #asks #aang #suki #toph #sokka #iroh #atla meta

[rei-caldombra]

Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic Anime Episodes 4-9 Review - Rose is a 10/10.

Back for another post about Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic anime, covering episodes 4-9. I’m still loving this show and wanna talk about it more without waiting until the end. Spoiler warning. I edited the image used for the thumbnail, feel free to use it fellow Rose simps. 

The greatness in episode 8 and 9 is the main reason I am writing a new post now and will be the bulk of the post, but I’ll talk a bit about the earlier episodes. Watching the three main characters slowly grow and come into their own has been nice to watch. I still enjoy seeing them have slightly different outlooks while still connecting on the basis of the crazy situation they were thrust in. They all needed different amounts of time and experiences to process things and make up their mind. Hopefully we will get some more great stuff from seeing them be together again for the big battle. We got some solid new characters

I didn’t mention how I feel about the OP in the first post, I think it’s really great. The music really gets you hyped. The art is great, everyone looks awesome and has very detailed and expressive looks. I don’t have too much to say about the ED, it’s fine but nothing notable to me. It does remind you of the life Suzu had before coming here, which at least gives some relevant purpose to the visuals. 

A minor gripe is that as of now I really don’t see the purpose of the future vision that Usato was shown. I don’t really feel like it changed his way of thinking or his actions. I did not feel like he was especially cocky or not taking the situation seriously, and he already had Rose instilling in him (and us as the viewer) that war is terrible and that he will be responsible for keeping people alive. Maybe there will be more to it later but I do not think this did anything for me as of now. It may have just had the purpose to drive up tension but I do not think forcing it with something dramatic like this was needed. 

Now onto the highlight of the middle section of the anime, episodes 8 and 9 which cover Rose’s backstory. Hearing my favorite voice actress Konomi Kohara in episode 8 was a welcome surprise. Her voice for Aul is probably the hardest to recognize out of anything I've heard from her as the tone is very different. I immediately thought about it upon hearing her talk but was not certain until her crying when she got punched convinced me. I’d know her yelling and crying noises anywhere. Kohara excels at bringing cute, cheerful energy that immediately makes you endear for the character. 

I think the time we got with Rose’s original squad was well done. It gave us enough time to let us feel the bond, but not so long that we felt we were wasting time with characters we knew would be dying. Aul is the only one who gets proper focus, but for the purpose of the unit focus on all of them was not needed. We also did get a nice moment that helped us feel that the other members were all people with names and lives. The scene where Rose talks to the parents of Josh hits hard and got me genuinely emotional. It's great for the world to have the events of that fight have an impact on more than just Rose. Hearing such a positive spin on the death of a soldier really hit hard. I hope most parents of fallen soldiers can reach the point of healthy acceptance that these two did. This scene both helps Rose and for the point of this blurb, reminds us that even though the other members like Josh did not get focus, they have some more substance than just extra soldiers. 

A criticism I have seen levied was that it took too long to get the war content that it’s been building up to. It did take quite a while to get some proper action, but the action delivers. It is by no means at the top level of anime action that we have gotten in recent times, but it is good. The art is pretty great while being fun and engaging, with one of the best moments of the show being her chucking trees. There was solid pacing too, with the action not being stopped for too long by exposition. I enjoyed this fight and hope the upcoming fights are up to its caliber at least. 

I really appreciate the show bringing up how losing her eye in the battle made a big difference in the moment. A pet peeve of mine is how often shows degrade the impact and weight of a character losing an eye. Most of the time they just keep fighting the same as normal or acclimate way too fast. I love her mentioning specifically that her depth perception is off because of losing her eye. In a proper battle that would make a massive difference. And while losing an eye only takes away about 30% of your vision, that could also mean the difference between life and death when you have arrows and magical blasts aimed at you. Characters barely changing from losing an eye sabotages dramatic weight and breaks my immersion in combat. I appreciate that this show gave her losing her eye the gravity it deserves in the moment even if it was just a bit of dialogue. Just the proper acknowledgement of the issues losing an eye brings means a lot to me. 

The battle ending with the demon commander being saved is also an interesting one. They’re clearly setting up here that the demons are not meant to just be evil adversaries. It also shows the strength of Rose’s character by not having her fall into a blind rage and completely flipping as a character. Even after seeing her friends be killed, she still saw the meaning in her adversary wanting to save someone dying on the battlefield. This hits Rose at the core of who she is. Both humans and demons have people they care about and want to save. Up to this point I honestly didn’t have anything to say about the demons as they seemed like your standard demonic adversaries, but this makes me feel positive that we will get solid substance from them.

I think Rose’s fall into depression and recovery is well done. I like how we got a variety of her thoughts rather than jumping straight to a strong reaction. She did contemplate suicide, but she is engaging in self-punishment and doesn’t believe she has the right to die. But what should she do with this life? She thought about going on a demon murder rampage and getting revenge, but she already recognized that is not the right thing to do. She spent over a month stuck in her depression rather than going back so we can infer she considered quitting altogether. Another great aspect of Rose’s emotional side of things is how she gave herself the pep talk based on her memories, rather than getting a stereotypical pep talk from someone else. It’s important to show how support from others is important for emotional processing, but getting over every emotional hump doesn’t come from someone telling you how great you are, and sometimes you do need to work through things yourself internally. The king and other knight checking up on her likely helped but this is clearly not written the same as a pep talk. Sometimes people can work through things on their own with enough time to process. And this isn’t from negative behavior like her not accepting help or having a bloated ego. The problem was all internal and there is no way anyone else could have properly related to her as no one else has the capabilities she does. I love that it took a long time for her to reach this. It’s important to note how long it takes to cope with your emotions. And to return to the pep talk point, sometimes those pep talks that make a person’s emotional state do a complete 180 make it seem like overcoming bad emotions is easy. I really like her growth comes from her thinking about their lives rather than about their deaths. It’s obvious that after a horrific event like she experienced, she would hyperfixate on their deaths. She already had the answer as Aul was dying, that she should not hate herself and to continue being the strong and kind person she is. 

She was also told by Josh's parents that she should not be ashamed of herself and what she has done. But the severity of the moment muted the positive impact of those words. When she is able to think about what came before that terrible event, she realizes the proper way to think. By remembering what her squad said while they were alive, she was able to put her own life into perspective and find a goal. Knowing everything that happens, it feels like a logical conclusion for Rose to focus entirely on saving lives. As a character within the archetype of the tough brutal teacher, Rose feels far above the rest as a dynamic and fleshed out character who does not exist just to be hated. She does the usual drill sergeant type of thing while having proper motivation and emotional reasoning behind it. She’s not brutal just so the main character has to struggle, she is brutal because of her backstory that stands entirely on its own. Rose really is a fantastic character by all metrics and she alone makes this show worth the watch. 

This show continues to have great characters and excellent execution. We did have to wait a little too long for some great action with overall slow pacing, but it was still enjoyable, and I see some value in the slow buildup. The buildup was very successful for Rose’s side of things, so I feel confident that the buildup will have been worth it for Usato’s side as well. Hopefully this anime will continue on strong through to its conclusion. Thanks for reading!

#anime #review #blog #winter 2024 anime #the wrong way to use healing magic #Chiyu Mahou no Machigatta Tsukaikata

[addictedtostorytelling]

Hey there. Being someone who understands gsr on a deeper level, do you think sara might have asked grissom about heather after they sailed into the sunset? Do you think she might still be curious about the "relationship" of the two.. And why they might have a safe word?

hi, anon!

thank you for your kind words!

i personally don't think that she does ask him.

the thing is, i think that when grissom and sara are together the first time around during the pre-divorce era (s5-s12), sara understands that whatever grissom's relationship with heather is, it isn't sexual.

he as much as tells her himself that he only has sex with people he loves and that she is his only love, so on some level, i think she knows that heather is never really her competition in that department.

she may not understand the appeal or what the basis of the friendship is otherwise, but she trusts in grissom's monogamous nature and loyalty to her enough to know that he's not going to run off and sleep with heather when he is in a committed relationship with her.

even during the events of episode 07x23 “the good, the bad, and the dominatrix,” i don't think she's actually upset that grissom champions heather and stays the night at her house because she suspects him of being unfaithful. rather, she is upset because she feels as if grissom sometimes shows disregard for her as his life partner, making unilateral decisions that will affect the both of them without consulting her or asking her input.

as i talk about here,

she doesn’t necessarily think grissom stays the night at heather’s because he’s fucking the woman; instead, what has her upset is her sense that grissom is much too willing to make big “leap before he looks” kinds of decisions without her (like jeopardizing his career for the sake of a hunch), even though they ostensibly should be partners who work together in those kinds of situations...

she’s standing there thinking, “if the tables were turned, i would have asked for his input. why doesn’t he ask for mine? does he not think of me as a life partner in the same way i do him? and how come he’s fine with putting his job on the line for heather when for years he’s refused to do the same for me? why don’t i inspire that kind of bold action in him? is he not as in love with me as i am him?”

it’s more of a deal where she’s concerned about the “herself and grissom of it all” rather than the “grissom and heather of it all.”

it’s part and parcel of her larger s7 “insecurity” arc.

the whole heather aspect is just incidental.

she’s actually okay with grissom spending time with heather when him doing so doesn’t jeopardize their whole lifestyle.

that’s why, come s11, we’re shown that sara approves of grissom and heather maintaining a friendship that she obviously doesn’t play much part in herself (see episode 11x19 “unleashed”); they obviously keep in contact and share life details with each other without much or any oversight from her, and she abides it, even though she clearly doesn’t have a very high opinion of heather or her profession overall.

to my mind, things only change—i.e., sara only starts to get jealous of heather where grissom is concerned—after the divorce.

and why?

because at that point, sara doesn’t know where grissom’s heart lies anymore.

since grissom never tells her his true motivations for leaving her, she’s left to imagine his reasons for herself, and what she imagines is that, after years of living apart from her, he has somehow tired of and/or fallen out of love with her.

while i don’t think that at the time of the divorce in s13 she at all believes that he’s leaving her because he has some other partner already lined up, i do think that in the years following the divorce (during s14 and s15), she does consider that it is at least possible that he might eventually allow someone else to claim that “free real estate” in his heart that is no longer occupied by her.

when he shows up to vegas during the events of “immortality” for the purpose of proving heather’s innocence in the serial bombing case, sara’s fears in this regard are seemingly confirmed.

at this point, sara latches onto the idea that grissom and heather are together—because why else is he taking phone calls from heather when he wouldn’t take them from her back when they were married? and why is he being so adamant in arguing heather’s innocence, even though all of the evidence in the case so far points to her guilt?—which is why she acts so defensive, hurt, jealous, etc. around him and heather throughout the course of the investigation.

all the way up to the time when lindsey willows gets her to watch the video of grissom and heather’s exit interview, sara remains convinced that grissom is now is in love with heather and sleeping with her—hence why she confronts grissom about having a safe word with heather as they survey the elementary school gym together.

however, once she watches the video, i think she realizes just how mistaken she is.

listening to grissom’s confession (and heather’s response to grissom’s confession), i think sara realizes that for whatever grissom and heather’s relationship is, it’s never been the case that he’s in love with her or has slept with her; for him, it’s always been sara and no one else.

while sara may still have questions about the ins and outs of his and heather’s friendship—including why they have a safe word if they’ve never actually had sex—i think that after sara hears grissom pouring his heart out on that tape, she feels reassured that, despite what she had erroneously believed in the wake of the divorce, he had never actually fallen out of love with her. 

that’s what gives her the confidence to go to marina del rey and find him on the pier.

and at that point, i think she decides that since the only question that really mattered to her—i.e., does grissom still love her the way that she loves him?—has been answered, she’s content with not knowing all the particulars of his friendship with heather otherwise. 

they can correspond and have their phone calls.

they can confide in each other.

whatever they are poses no threat to her and grissom’s marriage, so she’ll just let them do their thing, keeping in contact however much (or little) they choose to going forward.

of course, all of the above said, even though i don’t think sara ever asks grissom about the nature of his and heather’s relationship, i think it’s very possible—and perhaps even likely—that he tells her about it unprompted.

after all, as he says in reboot episode 01x07 “in the blood,” he’s not in the habit of keeping secrets from his wife anymore.

so whether it happens as part of their “oh my god. what made you decide to come after me? i’m so glad you did” conversation after sara shows up to the marina or at some later point, i think he explains to sara more clearly than he ever has before what his and heather’s friendship is actually all about—not because he feels guilty but just because he wants her to understand something that has been and continues to be an important part of his life.

it’s not something he does to absolve his conscience (because it doesn’t actually need to be absolved, as he never did anything truly wrong where heather is concerned) or to placate sara’s curiosity but rather just to share with her.

and i think that once he does tell her, his words really just confirm to sara what she had by then figured out on her own, which is that while heather is someone who is really important to grissom (and is very much a kindred spirit to him), their relationship isn’t something she has ever needed to be jealous of.

—that’s just my take, though. ymmv!

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

#answered #anon #asks: csi #** #my meta #meta: csi #speculation csi #csi finale #let's talk shop #csiverse

[know-the-way]

I know it’s really stupid of me but I was kind of hoping for a redemption arc for Faustus. 😅😢

It’s not stupid, not at all! It’s natural to want to see the best in people, particularly when you believe they can be better than what they are now, so it’s completely understandable.

And, ya know, if the show gets picked up - he may have one yet still, we don’t know!

To me, this season really highlighted what the purpose of Faustus’ character is supposed to be, imo. Thinking of episode 4, we’re shown three different levels of corruption through three different characters.

The first is Harvey. Pure, sweet, golden boy Harvey is revealed to have some deep-seeded hatred of witches. Does he have any reason to hate witches? Well, let’s check - he lost a brother, got manipulated, controlled, and lied to by his first love, and has been in an endless cycle of extreme danger for the past year of his life. I think it’s fair to say we all understand that prejudice is not okay, but is it equally understandable why Harvey has some hang-ups about magic and witches? I personally think it is. (Not to the point of joining a literal witch hunt or angrily accusing your distressed best friend of killing your dad at her 17th birthday party 🙃, but understandable nonetheless.)

I personally think the intention with Harvey’s character being a cadet in Blackwood’s army was to demonstrate how, even when we believe someone to be morally good and just, they can become someone else when they endure pain and that pain is never properly addressed.

Did Sabrina apologize to Harvey for everything that happened between them? Yes. But did she repeat the same troublesome behaviors in different ways after that? Also yes. She didn’t demonstrate change in her actions, and a loootttt more happened with Harvey and the witch world in a negative way beyond his relationship with Sabrina, so the mistrust he feels isn’t entirely unjustified.

Then - “oh wow, oh my God, my second love has also hid being a witch from me, can I catch a fucking break here? Why should I ever trust another witch in my life?”

Answer: because they are humans, none being wholly good or bad, and they love you.

Roz talks to Harvey, tells him she believes he’s good, and demonstrably proves her own “goodness” by sacrificing herself to save others at Dr. C’s. Roz shows Harvey that she means what she says and her feelings for him are real - that she is a scared, broken human like him, just trying to do her best with what life has given her. Hence, when the moment of truth comes - Harvey remembers his humanity and proves his own “goodness” by saving her. But if Roz had never spoken to him, never acknowledged what he’d been through and that his feelings were valid... if no one had ever truly cared about his pain? It seems apparent that Harvey would have continued down a very dark path.

Which brings us to...

Mary. Mary has been literally murdered, had her identity hijacked by a demoness, her fiancé is dead, she doesn’t remember several months of her life, and her previous favorite student is a witch who has seemingly performed magic more than once on her.

Mary has every right to fear witches at this point. She has had zero trustworthy interactions with the witch world and from her perspective - her entire life has been stolen and no one cares. No one checks in on Mary, no one validates her pain, and as a result - no one in the witch world seems to have any compassion, humanity, or kindness in them. Enter the Pilgrims of the Night, who recognize her pain and fear without even knowing her, acknowledge it, and offer her solace in their congregation on the basis that her experience with witches is shared by the Reverend Lovecraft and his flock.

They prove themselves to her when the advice the Reverend/Faustus gives her (“let the dark in”) saves her life. My God, someone finally seems to care if she lives or dies!

People who care about others are good, so the church and the reverend’s mission must be good, too. Therefore, she is absolutely invested in whatever is asked of her and will blindly follow their lead in order to protect others from experiencing what she has. To me, Mary in the perverted universe represented the crossroads of corruption - where you truly believe what you’re doing is the right thing, even if it hurts others because those “others” have hurt you... and they will surely hurt again if you don’t stop them.

However, I think if Mary was finally told the truth - the full truth - and Lilith herself apologized for being the first piece in the puzzle... along with all the other witches... AND they showed that they actually cared about her well-being... Mary could find her way back through forgiveness. Or, at the very least, she could understand and process everything so that she could find a way to heal that doesn’t involve persecuting others.

And now, there’s Faustus. We aren’t entirely clear on Faustus’ history altogether, but we do know he’s had many experiences of being slighted by the churches of darkness (despite following the rules to a T).

He was rebuked by Edward for wanting to marry Zelda after mentoring him for who knows how many years, lost the office of high priest to him, and when he finally gets the title - here comes Edward’s self-righteous brat to fuck him over again. There he is trying to carry out the Dark Lord’s request to get Sabrina to sign her name in the Book of the Beast, even though she insults their doctrines and faith at every turn, and the coven and academy he’s had working like a well-oiled machine for the past 16 years is being slowly ripped apart. Why is the Dark Lord allowing this? Why is he having to endure a meddlesome child’s antics? Why is he not being rewarded for doing exactly as he’s been asked and returning the Church of Night to stability after Edward nearly destroyed it altogether? Like hello Dark Lord, can you throw me a fucking bone here?

Small victories - he finally secures Zelda’s hand in marriage and an audience with the anti-pope. This is what his life should’ve looked like two centuries ago, but no matter. He’s correcting it all now and by Satan, nothing is going to stop him this time.

But then...

Oh cool, Sabrina is here to intervene again and has presented the text of his old rival for consideration along with his (clearly superior) manifesto. What’s that, you say? Oh, she’s also gonna crash my wedding, accuse me of murder, and spread claims about my manifesto without having even read it? Wow, ahaha, sounds hilarious... except why am I not laughing?

He arrives in Rome and gets an inkling that the Dark Lord may finally be taking action about this heretical little monster because he’s offered the title of anti-pope by the unholy high council themselves. Finally, some appreciation! He just needs to hang on a little longer, eliminate these small meddlesome threats, and soon he will reside over a peaceful kingdom far removed from anymore mortal nonsense.

Oh, for fuck’s sake, what do you mean Sabrina convinces the council he’s unfit to be anti-pope? This is bullshit, man! You know what? Fuck this place, I’m gonna make my own damn church and ensure no other headstrong witches like Sabrina Buzzkill Spellman can ruin it. That’ll finally return things to ord- MY WIFE KEPT MY OWN CHILD A SECRET FROM ME?! WHAT THE FUCK?! Alright, that’s it, The Spellmans are clearly here to poison others (ironic foreshadowing) - time to wash my hands of them completely, I am so over thi- what’s that? The Dark Lord’s here? GOOD. About time this asshole showed up to set people straight and remind them that the values of his unholy church, which Faustus has exemplified perfectly, must be respected.

You mean for me to bow down to whom now? The halfbreed brat who has been directly and willfully wreaking havoc on the congregation he’s patiently and painstakingly lead back to greatness? Are you fucking serious, m8? No. Absolutely not. No. I’m getting out of here, and since I won’t have the little twat poison anyone else, I will literally poison them instead. Be free, sheep!

It’s up until this point that I believe Faustus was still mostly at the crossroads stage, same as Mary. He believed everything he was doing was the right thing, based on the teachings from the religion he devoted his entire life to, and that he’d be rewarded for serving the Dark Lord so faithfully - until the Dark Lord proved several times in succession that his religion was all a lie. That three+ centuries worth of groveling and abiding and waiting has meant absolutely nothing.

So now we have the Eldritch terrors. Beings more powerful than the oldest gods. He spends 15 years isolated in a time bubble purifying himself, devoting everything to them, and won’t it be so glorious when they welcome him into his ranks? He’s set them free now, after all, they owe it to him.

But doing the same action over and over and expecting a different result is what? The definition of insanity, friends. Of course the Eldritch terrors reject him, too... of course Sabrina gains their attention and veneration instead... of course he should have tried to seize their power for himself a long time ago... so, fuck it all, he’ll do that now. There is no right and wrong, there is no observed justice - if there was, he would have been rightfully recognized for all the time, effort, and pain he’s endured only to receive nothing in return.* No one ever acknowledged his pain... no one ever even considered it. Over time, that takes its toll.

(*Clearly, I mean this to be from Faustus’ perspective and not my own.)

Of course, he has inflicted more than his fair share of pain himself and I am of the personal belief he needed to pay for that, but... equally imagine being hurt over and over and watching those who did it walk away, not only without reprimand, but with the belief that they were right and just to do it? Could it slowly drain on one’s soul to watch the rules apply to some and not others? Debatable, I suppose, but I personally think yes.

So... I say all of this only to point out that there is still potential to acknowledge his pain. And thus, there is imo still potential to understand, communicate properly (I am very interested in any conversations he and Sabrina may have had during their training - I know he said she took a vow of silence, but clearly some talking occurred for Sabrina to learn so much about the void from him), grow, and finally - for him to be given the chance to repair everything he had a hand in breaking. It wouldn’t be an easy or painless task to get to that point, and no one would be faulted for not trusting him to do so, but I think there is potential for it. If they get picked up and they want to finally allow the characters some time to reflect and process shit, they could include Faustus in that.

#faustus blackwood #mary wardwell #harvey kinkle #caos #caos spoilers

[raven-nacht]

The Owl House: Mrs. and Mr. Blight Theory

So I’m pretty sure that the mystery girl in this photo is Mrs. Blight and that this has big ramifications and foreshadowing for the whole series.

I saw this picture posted in a thread talking about how it looked like Eda had a “gal pal” herself back in school and how it was similarly interesting how Lilith actually is looking pretty jealous of that relationship. I totally agreed that is interesting, but it got me thinking about how lots of things kind of mirror each other in the series or foreshadow other things with how Luz acts like Eda or vice versa and has allowed me to think I’ve got a decent theory on how a lot of the show could be resolved.

To start, I will note that my assumption that the mystery girl is Mrs. Blight started almost entirely from trying to observe hair color.

This might seem a bit simplistic, but as mentioned in the post already put out by my roommate when we were bouncing theories off each other earlier;

www.reddit.com/r/TheOwlHouse/comments/ickxz9/i_think_we_just_got_dropped_a_huge_lead_on_who/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

hair color is very important in this series. Of the seven most prominent characters in the show, three of them have been shown to very dramatically changed their hair since they were younger in moves aligning with very prominent character development for them (Eda with the curse; Amity once she started having to no longer associate with Willow and start following the “Blight way”; and Lilith due to currently unknown reasons). It thus makes a lot of sense to me that hair color being the earliest clue to this person’s identity is totally on-brand for the show.

With the assumption that she’s Mrs. Blight there and noting she already had green hair; my first observation was that Mrs. Blight is thus the “Blight by birth”, whereas Mr. Blight married into it (and is thus a bit of a “social climber”). My next guess was then that Mrs. Blight might’ve been a bit cocky in school initially, but eventually softened and developed a crush on Eda, much like Amitu doing the same thing to Luz (since like teacher, like student). This slow-burn relationship between Mrs. Blight and Eda and the ensuing love triangle Lilith is thus my guess for how a large part of why Lilith and Eda are “two witches torn apart, now alone”. I think lingering resentments over this and the Blight’s likely-intimate connection to the Emperor’s Coven is no small part in why Eda also didn’t want to join, even though it had actually “been Eda’s dream when she was younger”, according to Lilith.

The Blight’s (presumed) intimate connection to the Emperor’s Coven, what we’ve seen about “witch status” so far, and Mr. Blight’s identity as a “social climber” are the main basis for the second part of my theories on the show though, which is that I think Mr. Blight is being setup to either be the true Big Bad of the series (or at the very least be largely responsible for a majority of the show’s conflicts). To start, I’m pretty sure that, like Lilith, he was jealous of Eda’s connection to Mrs. Blight and thus he is ultimately the one who cursed Eda (or who caused Mrs. Blight or something else to curse Eda). And, I know, your going to say that all the way back in episode 4 we saw this figure:

and that Eda said “Wait, you’re the one who cursed me, aren’t you?!” and while I do agree that that is almost certainly Mrs. Blight, I’m thinking this is a red herring or simply close to the truth. After all, we’ve already had confirmation that destroying memories isn’t that hard and it makes more sense to me that the culprit would delete all memories of themself but be less careful with getting all traces of those only secondarily related to the deed (like Mrs. Blight).

As a brief sidenote, I do wanna point out that in that thread by my roommate, a great person named npapeye pointed out a really interesting observation in that the emblem on the door by the shadow figure does seem to be the Blight family symbol and that actually made me a lot more confident in all these predictions.

Like, just look at these pictures:

It feels fair to say that between that emblem and the fact that the shadow figure wears the fully-circular glasses just like in the first picture, we can pretty safely conclude that the mystery girl is the shadow figure seen in this dream (and before you point out that Lilith also used to wear those same circular glasses; I would just note I don’t think this shadow was Lilith just because Lilith’s behavior makes very little sense to me if she was the one to curse Eda and also that Lilith doesn’t have much connection to that emblem from what I noticed).

Now then, on the subject of shadows, it felt worth pointing out that we have seen three shadows in the show so far from what I could tell. First, of course, is Eda’s dream as above where she says “I hate this memory”. The next was a very traumatic memory for Amity of her parents and how made her stay away from Willow. The third and most recent shadow we’ve seen was finally, of course, Amity’s literal greatest fear and was the shadow of Luz rejecting her.

By applying the note that both of Amity’s shadows are rooted in her greatest fears or most painful memories, it also made sense to me that Eda’s shadow and thus her connection to Mrs. Blight might also be her most painful memory or her biggest fear at the time. With that, even if Mr. Blight didn’t mess with her memory, between the ravages of the curse on her mind and her trauma that gave her this shadow, it’d still make sense how she’s forgotten the details of what happened.

Theres still a few details I had thought worth pitching in this theory. Mystery girl (who I’m still guessing is Mrs. Blight) is undeniably in the Bard Track. The Bard Track is at the top-and-center of the picture of all the covens and is the only coven that hasn’t been mentioned at all yet in the show:

First, that lack of acknowledgement of a whole track feels very suspicious. especially as we saw when Luz started classes; between Luz being initially assigned Potions and then seeing the Detention Track students’ interests, the narrative has gone out of its way to highlight seven of the nine Tracks. Secondly though, I wanted to note that Bard Track is right next to Abominations Track, which was described by Willow as being “the best track for getting ahead in the magic world and thriving”, thus causing her Dad’s to put her in said-track initially. If Bards are right next to the currently “best-known” track, it makes sense for a Blight to be in it.

Let’s finally talk a bit more on Mr. Blight though. As a social climber, he was almost certainly in the Abominations Track. His presumed-cursing of Eda likely relied on his innate magic to some degree, which felt like it could explain the “mud” mentioned in “the curse of feathers and mud” that afflicts Eda. Elsewhere, he’s likely the one with naturally brown hair and who passed it onto Amity, and I think her having said-brown hair is why he is so hard on her and pushes Amity so far, because he sees “weakness” in his origin and family hair color. (It’s still likely that when we first see him, his hair will be green though, but I bet he dyes it and pressured Amity too as well). I think this pressure to follow him is also why Amity was likely pushed to decide on Abominations Track herself on that note. My final guesses on him are that he likely works directly for Emperor Belos, he is likely the largest push behind all of Belos’ upcoming “plans” mentioned by Lilith (and possibly the motivator behind wanting to catch Eda), and that he likely has aspirations of taking the title of Emperor for himself (which would suck just because it makes Amity have to “pick sides” and that sweet cupcake deserves better... but yeah 😅).

Anyways, I’m not saying that Mrs. Blight is clear of blame with any of the above either by the way, I’m guessing she’s at least fairly complicit in his actions nowadays, I just think all this fits pretty well from the perspective of narrative mirroring and foreshadowing. The main thing I’ve since been unable to at all crack or fit in is who seems to sending letters home to Luz’s mom since none of this really explains that, but we’ll see...

(Also, there’s nowhere else to put this, but it just bears pointing out here that the shadow figures of Mrs. and Mr. Blight here are literally the most imposing hinted “villains” shown in the show so far, beating Belos and one-off villains by a landslide to me so far, and thus I think by that virtue of foreshadowing alone, if they don’t turn to be some of the biggest “challenges” for the protagonists in the show, it’ll fully flabbergast me.) 

Thanks for reading though, I’ve been trying to post this for the past couple days but kept getting distracted, I hope this is a fairly new theory at least since I’ve not read most all of this anywhere else yet, instead mainly just been overthinking the show for days now.

#toh #owlhouse #owl house theory #owl house theories #amity blight

[ralexsol]

On the Subject of Underverse S2

You read that correctly: this is a post about one of the greatest shows ever created, the Undertale animated series Underverse, written/animated by @jakei95​. I have a lot of theories that I’ve been pulling together ever since I watched both Underverse and Xtale (the Underverse prequel series). Maybe one or two have no basis in anything, but for some reason they popped into my head and I’ll stick by them until they’re proven incorrect. I will discuss the possibility of a Geno/Ink fight, Fresh!Ink, XI (you’ll definitely want to read their section!), and the fates of many different characters. This is quite the long post, so buckle up for a long ride.

Let’s begin!

GENO/INK FIGHT:

I’m putting this theory first because it is the least important. At some point in time, I somehow got it into my head that there is supposedly going to be a fight between Geno and Ink. I have no idea where I heard about this, and when I searched for any specific videos or posts about the subject, I found nothing. But I personally think a fight scene between Geno and Ink would be pretty cool, so I’m adding this in here.

FRESK!INK’S EXISTANCE:

This is a more relevant theory. Ever since Jakei announced that Fresh!Ink would be a part of Underverse, I have wondered how he would be incorporated. I don’t know if she means for him to be in the future “Beach Episode” or something more serious. (Of course, I know almost nothing about this supposed “Beach Episode”, which is apparently when Epic!Sans will be showing up, so I really wouldn’t know.) But there is an important thing to remember: Ink and Fresh made a deal in the first season.

Ever since I saw this Underverse - Xtra Scene 2, I have wondered what this “prize” could possibly be. What was Ink’s side of the deal? What did he promise Fresh? Hmm... maybe a new body to take over?

Ink’s body doesn’t have a SOUL- that’s basic “Undertale AU Knowledge 101″. What does this have to do in regards to Fresh? To my best knowledge, the actual parasitic creature True!Fresh feeds off the souls of other creatures to survive. In fact, his soul-feeding would kill his victims if he stayed long enough in one body, but he likes to play it safe and leave his victims alive in case he needs to use their body again. But he wouldn’t need to do this with Ink. Because of Ink’s SOULless nature, Fresh could theoretically feed off his body forever. Some might object that since Ink doesn’t have a SOUL, Fresh wouldn’t be able to feed off him. But then how does Fresh!Ink exist?

So, what was their deal? Fresh watches over the Xtale AU while Ink is gone, and after Cross and X!Chara are taken care of, Ink comes back and lets Fresh take over his body for a little while. There may be something else I’m missing, but the pieces seem to make sense.

XI’S PURPOSE:

For those of you who don’t know who XI is, I suggest you watch this video about Jakei’s Overwrite merch. This is when the character of XI was introduced to us, back on good ol’ April 1st, 2019. Haha, yes, the joke character of XI- funny April Fool’s Day video, a good laugh for everyone. Jakei has made a few comics about XI since then, but overall, XI hasn’t been involved in Xtale or Underverse so far. That has never sat right with me, and I’ve always thought there would be something more to him. I was proven absolutely correct when Xtale - The Movie came out. But before we discuss the little extra scene tagged onto the end of that video, I would like to point out some very interesting facts about XI.

On October 6th, 2019, Jakei posted a traditional speedart. Obviously, the art is gorgeous like always and every time I watch it I wonder if I will ever get to the level of skill she is at. But besides that, there is a very important aspect about this video. In the speedart, Jakei drew two pictures: one of X!Chara and X!Frisk fighting, and one of XI. In XI’s picture, they are depicted in full armor with a magical purple sword & shield.

Hmmm... I wonder who this could possible resemble?

Every time XI is shown, whether it be in comics or artwork, their bangs hang over their eyes. Their armor looks exactly like Kris’s from Deltarune. Heck, they both use a sword and a shield! What does this mean? XI is X!Kris. There is no way to deny this. This is why they are X!Chara’s and X!Frisk’s little sibling. I would also like to point out XI’s silver oval locket. I find it interesting how he has a different piece of jewelry from everyone else- all other important characters in Xtale have a matching golden heart locket. Does XI also have people he has given copies of this necklace to? Perhaps X!Susie and X!Ralsei, if they exist? But XI being X!Kris is only the beginning of this theory. Remember how I mentioned Xtale - The Movie earlier? Take a look at this picture.

This is a five-second frame pegged at the very end of the video, after an entry written in wingdings by Mister XGaster himself. The message is as follows:

Entry Number Eleven: As clear as a reflection in a mirror, I have found the most perfect projection of forbidden visions. Get ready. Your time is coming.

Okay, just whoa. Not only is the entry #11, but the person standing there is XI. Oh, and let’s take a closer look at what they’re holding in their hand.

I knew that silver locket was going to be important. There is no way that XI is not going to play a major part in either Underverse S2 or hmm... maybe a spin-off about the Xtale versions of Deltarune characters? To my knowledge, Jakei has not said anything about her plans after she finishes Underverse. She has her Metadora project, and I am aware that her husband @nyxtheshield​ is planning out his own Undertale series- someone will need to animate that, and I’m sure she would be able and willing to do the job. She has stated that there will be no seasons of Underverse after S2, and the finale will be 1.0. But that doesn’t mean she won’t make a new series. If she does, will it be about all the Deltarune characters? Will the other Xtale characters show up at certain points in it? Will XGaster play a large part in it? There is no way to know, as the idea of a new show is simply drawn from that there may not be enough time in S2 to fully expand what XI is.

In any case, XGaster states in the entry that “your time is coming”. This could either reference a new show or XI’s appearance in Underverse. I find it extremely interesting how XGaster words his message. “The most perfect projection of forbidden visions.” What does that mean exactly? XGaster has seen something in one of his many visions, obviously. The most perfect image of prohibited sights. XI is a person that stands for something that should not be allowed to exist. That makes sense- XGaster, a man, somehow got pregnant and birthed them, as shown in the Overwrite merch video. The “forbidden visions” might imply that he has seen something quite “cursed”, as us modern Internet-users would say. But then he tells this projection to get ready, because their time is coming. XGaster is telling XI to prepare themself. This just proves that XI and XGaster are tied together very closely, and that if XI does get their own series with X!Ralsei and X!Susie, XGaster will be involved.

Whew! That’s a lot of information to take in all at once. This was the big “theory” I wanted to discuss, so now we will move on to the different fates I believe may befall some of our beloved characters.

INK, FOR GOOD OR FOR WORSE?:

Ah, Ink. One of the true protagonists of Underverse. Remember: a protagonist is not necessarily a hero, just one of the leading characters. It has been seen that his story arc is the most important throughout the entire story. He is the one that inspired XGaster. He is the one that made XGaster’s plan succeed. And he very well might be the one to make it fail.

Wait, you’re asking me. I thought he was on XGaster’s side? What do you mean he will make it fail?

I didn’t want to address whether Ink was going to stick with XGaster or flip until a certain song was posted by Nyx two days ago on December 5th, “Soulless Heart”. If you haven’t listened to it yet, go ahead and click that link because the song is beautiful and absolutely necessary to continue on with this theory! The song is the Underverse 0.5 Ending Theme, and guess who it’s about? You guessed it, our good old buddy chum pal Ink. I’ve been listening to it on repeat since it came out, and it really is incredible. (Nyx, if you’re somehow reading this, I would like to personally congratulate you, because not only is the music amazing but mwah! Your voice is a joy, and I would not have any other singer do the vocals.) But the most important thing about the song is the lyrics. Here’s the first verse.

How long have I been longing

to be free and not broken

in this ocean of hollowness?

I don’t want to be forgotten.

Instantly, the lyrics hit you hard. This is about Ink, though, so you can’t expect anything less. Essentially, the song is about the emptiness that Ink feels without a SOUL. This goes along with one of his main aspects in Underverse. The only reason why he worked with XGaster to make sure XGaster’s game worked was so he could feel more emotions. As a chaotic neutral character, Ink literally only cares about himself and his personal goals. But what is interesting about this song is that he addresses the pain he has caused.

Sacrificial lambs

laid upon my path

now are broken worlds

killed by senseless wrath.

Ink knows that he has hurt people. I mean, in the present timeline when 0.5 is to be set, Ink’s actions just caused Error to literally “pull the plug” and destroy all the AUs. (Although, how many AUs were actually destroyed is impossible to determine, because there are still multiple Sanses that will be incorporated into S2 that were residing in their AUs at the time of their supposed destruction.) Ink knows that this is his fault. And now that XGaster has won, Ink will be receiving all those emotions he wanted! In the S2 teaser, which was released on the original Underverse 0.5 release date (the episode was unfortunately delayed due to issues with Nyx’s distributor, RouteNote), shows something very important.

Look at those vials in his hand. Those aren’t just colored vials. Well, they are, but their colors are especially important. Look at their specific colors: orange, yellow, and amber. Previously, Ink’s vials have been seen as very straightforward: roy g biv, that sort of thing.

You have one or maybe two variations, although in this picture there seems to be about four different aqua vials. But there certainly isn’t an amber vial. This goes to show that XGaster followed through on his promise, and Ink has a lot more variations in his color-coded emotion vials. The obvious conclusion from this is that he can feel a lot more things than he thought was possible- including guilt. With his newfound feelings, he could realize that what he did wasn’t just wrong, it was horrible. He might start to blame himself for getting all the AUs destroyed, which in turn might result in a betrayal of XGaster. With his emotions, he would become a real good person. But ultimately, without XGaster’s Overwrite abilities, Ink’s new emotions will fade and he will return to be the same old Ink as before. He will no longer understand why he sacrificed his emotions, and the cycle will start anew. Ink will never be truly happy, because being happy will always mean the suffering of others.

Or, Ink will stick with XGaster. It would be the same fate, after all; if the heroes defeat XGaster, Ink will still lose those emotions. This, though, might leave him feeling bitter and even more willing to do anything to get what he wants, which could potentially lead to him becoming a real villain. Perhaps XGaster isn’t the final boss of Underverse. Maybe the one to start everything will be the one to finish everything.

XGASTER AND UT!GASTER:

This wouldn’t be a real theory post without discussing our favorite fanfiction writer, would it? And yes, XGaster is literally a fanfiction writer. He has symptoms of OCD concerning the world-building of his universe and he just loves to add as much angst as humanly (or monsterly) possible. It just so happens that he lives in his own created universe, so his creations have the pleasurable chance at getting revenge.

Now, there are obviously two ways that Underverse can go: XGaster succeeds, or XGaster fails. This doesn’t necessarily mean that this will be the ending of S2. As I mentioned above, perhaps XGaster will be defeated at the end of 0.9 and 1.0 will be about everyone trying to stop Ink from taking the Overwrite SOUL for his own, I don’t know. In any case, I don’t really have anything to discuss about XGaster specifically, but I am pretty sure I know what his last scene will be if he happens to lose.

It is shown in the Underverse S2 Prologue - Owners that XGaster and UT!Gaster spent a lot of time together in the Void between the events of Xtale and Underverse. Not only do they hold an entire conversation together in Owners, but in Underverse 0.1 when Sans is hit in the head with a ball, he has a vision of the two of them standing together.

In XGaster’s and UT!Gaster’s conversation in Owners, UT!Gaster tells XGaster that he will fail in his quest for perfection. XGaster brushes him off because he’s an egotistical prick, yadda yadda. But this conversation is important because I believe it will parallel the ending of XGaster’s quest. In the end, UT!Gaster will approach his old Void-buddy and tell him to just give up on his pointless venture. XGaster will turn to dust after saying something like, “I will never give up”, and then we have Ink going on a rampage. That’s pretty much all I have to say on them, but I thought it would be worth adding.

DREAM AND NIGHTMARE:

Lastly, we have the brothers. As with XGaster and UT!Gaster, I don’t have much to add with them. But I do believe they will both play a major role in S2. They will be the overseers of the battle to come. Out of all the characters in the Undertale fandom, they are the most omnipotent. They are the protectors of the Tree of Feelings, which is one of three trees to give the Multiverse life. In Underverse 0.4, when X!Chara accused Nightmare of “watching us all this time as if we were part of a show”, Nightmare responded by saying:

Of course, Nightmare mostly means himself, Error, and Ink. Dream is much more active in helping people be happy, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t on the same god-tier level as his brother. Dream could sit back and watch the world tick, but he chooses not to because that goes against his morals.

In other words, Dream and Nightmare will probably affect the outcome of Underverse more than any other characters. They’re both pissed about what Error did: all those people that Dream cared about were murdered, and Nightmare can no longer generate negative feelings from innocents. They both have invested interest in this Multiverse war now, and their powers will certainly come to the forefront.

I believe that at the end of the story, the Multiverse will essentially go back to the exact way it was before Xtale was invented. XGaster will be dead, the Xtale characters will be put back in their AU, the other AUs will be restored, and at the end of it all, Dream and Nightmare will be once again pitted against one another. We may even see an alliance between them during Underverse S2 to stop XGaster, but afterwards, they will reestablish their rivalry. Unless the Omega Timeline comes into play, which it very well might, I don’t see the two brothers reconciling.

CONCLUSION:

Thank you everyone who took the agonizingly long time to read this! I hope this shed some light on certain characters (especially XI) and encourages to make some of your own theories. Stay safe and good night!

#undertale #underverse #xtale #xgaster #xchara #xfrisk #xtale xi #xkris #fresh!sans #fresh sans #ink!sans #ink sans #dream!sans #dream sans #nightmare!sans #nightmare sans #ut!gaster #wd gaster #gaster #geno!sans #geno sans #fresh!ink #underverse s2

[holdthosebees]

Reasons: A Study

So. I want to talk about anchors, and parallels, and That Line from mag 167. 

MARTIN: So, when you say Gertrude wouldn’t have been able to go on without a reason-- JON: Yes, Martin, you are my reason. 

First, while we’re all melting down about the adorable queerness of this exchange, I want to nail down exactly what they mean. 

On one level, it’s a declaration of romantic devotion. It seems pretty clear also that what Jon is alluding to is that, without Martin, he wouldn’t be going to the panopticon; he wouldn’t be trying to fix the world at all. Instead, he would be “resigning” himself to “ruling [his] domain,” which is a fancy and way of saying ‘going full Beholding, turning full monster, and spending the apocalypse siphoning the suffering out of his victims. In short: having Martin around, having someone prompting him keep moving in a semi-linear fashion towards a concrete goal, and having a relationship he cares about protecting is what’s keeping him human. Or, as close to human as he can get, anyway. This is... complicated. There are people who are reading it as super romantic, and I get that! I don’t in any way want to say that they’re wrong, and this post isn’t about how Jon and Martin’s relationship is secretly Bad and Doomed or whatever. But TMA has consistently shown itself to be a show willing to dive into the messy bits of relationships between traumatized people, and ‘this one person is the only thing keeping me from spiraling into monster hood’ is definitely messy. 

There are a few parallels that immediately spring to mind, and I’d like to go through them one by one.  First: the obvious parallel, and the one that most people are drawing, is to Martin’s line in 158:

[MARTIN]: And then Jon came back, and suddenly I had a reason...

This is a line I see quoted out of context a lot, in the ‘tumblr likes to take bits of text and mash them together to make moodboards’ way. Often, in more Jon/Martin-y contexts, the sentiment behind it is filled in based on the line that came before it: “Maybe I just thought joining up with you would be a good way to get killed.” The implication drawn, then, is that Martin is saying that Jon coming back gave him a reason to live.  That is, however, not actually what he’s saying! This quote is actually rarely quoted in its entirety; what Martin actually says, specifically, is

[MARTIN]: And then Jon came back, and suddenly I had a reason to keep your attention on me. Make you feel in control so you didn’t take it out on him. And if that meant drifting further away, so what? I’d already grieved for him. And if it meant now saving him, it was worth it.

By drifting further away, he doesn’t just mean from Jon--he’s talking about his choice to keep working with Peter, to keep pushing himself into the Lonely. Jon coming back, in context, didn’t so much give him a reason to live as it did give him a reason to sacrifice himself. He was still aware that he was losing himself, and might wind up dying; Jon being around just made that feel meaningful.

This, I feel it should be noted, is exactly what Elias was counting on. Martin made the choice to continue on his own, to try to jump on the grenade without telling anyone that it was there, and this turned out to be a huge mistake. It was one heavily influenced by grief, by trauma, and by the impact the Lonely had already had on his mind. 

It was also the exact opposite of what Jon’s saying now--except for the ways in which it isn’t. They both cite one another as their reason for working towards a goal that they know might be impossible, because the act of protecting each other gives meaning to a potentially meaningless existence. For Martin, though, that meant courting avatar-dom, while Jon is trying to push it away. For Martin, this singleminded devotion turned out to be unhealthy; his prioritization of what he thought Jon needed from him over his own wellbeing wound up causing both him and Jon a lot of grief. And as for Jon...

Well. We don’t know yet. Jon and Martin are alone together in a horrific apocalypse landscape, so singleminded devotion is kind of par for the course. Martin is literally the only good thing Jon has left in the world, so I’m not going to say that he’s wrong for using Martin as a grounding point. And we know, from previous seasons, that focusing on building positive, trusting relationships is one of the things most effective in maintaining humanity! 

At the same time, though, there’s another parallel I’d like to talk about--and that’s the parallel between Jon and Martin’s relationship and Daisy and Basira’s.  The first thing that “you are my reason” pinged for me, right off the bat, was the memory of Elias calling Basira Daisy’s last tether to humanity in season 3. Their relationship for the latter half of season 3 mirrored Jon and Martin’s season 5 relationship in a number of ways; mainly, the more monstrous partner (Daisy, Jon) who’s thrust into the thick of things (fighting monsters, trying to manage the Beholding) to protect the human partner (Basira, Martin), who meanwhile is anchoring said monstrous partner to their humanity while basically hanging out and making big picture plans anti-Elias plans. 

It’s not a perfect parallel, obviously, but the dynamics are there. They’re both avatar-human relationship based around that idea of a single anchor point--and, whoo boy, did Daisy and Basira problematize that dynamic. Daisy killed people, and Basira turned the other way. The fact that Daisy was so reliant on Basira to act as her moral compass means that, in the cases where Basira didn’t interfere, her own moral compass degraded. Her reliance on Basira to anchor her meant she wasn’t anchoring herself, and, combined with Basira’s enabling, that lead her down an extremely slippery police-brutality lined slope. 

Why is this relevant to Jon and Martin? Because the justification Martin gave when trying to convince Jon not to feel guilt after Not!Sasha--that it’s fine to kill monsters, as long as you aren’t going after innocents--is extremely reminiscent to how Basira and Daisy justified Daisy’s actions for a long time. 

In Mag91, when preventing Daisy from murdering Jon, Basira tells Daisy that she’s always known what Daisy’s been doing, but she was alright with it, because she thought Daisy just killed monsters. Like Martin turning Jon’s tape over to the archives crew, she steps in once she realizes that someone she thinks of as a person is also in danger. Later, when confronting Jon, she seems to draw a firm line between Daisy’s actions, which were compelled and so required no guilt, with Jon’s actions in going after innocents. Compare this line from Martin, in Mag166:

[MARTIN]:  This isn’t like it was before! We’re not talking about innocent bystanders in cafes here, Jon; these things are - th-they’re just evil, plain and simple, and right now they’re torturing and tormenting everyone! If you want to stop them and have the power to, then - then, then yeah, let’s do it, let’s go full Kill Bill!

Once again, we’ve got a clear black and white moral boundary: if you want to kill monsters, that’s fine, because the things you’re killing aren’t human. There’s the differentiation between compelled attacks on innocents, and the choice to go after things that are evil. Both Martin and Basira brushed aside their partner’s guilt, on the basis of compulsion; both Martin and Basira encouraged them to use their powers to go after monsters, which they considered morally justified. The circumstances are different--Basira didn’t want Daisy to die, while Martin wants Jon to stop blaming himself for the end of the world--but the choices they’re making are in some ways very similar.  

We know where that goes for Daisy and Basira. Basira, while initially Daisy’s reason for staying human, also becomes her reason to return to the Hunt. She, like season 4 Martin, makes the choice to give up on her humanity to save the person she’s anchored to; unlike Martin, nothing stops her before she goes through with it. We’ll have to wait until the Hunt episode of this season to see how it ends, but it’s definitely not going to be happy. 

All of which is to say--it was a sweet moment that shows some great development in their relationship, but if Martin is Jon’s one reason for staying grounded, we have historical reason to believe that this isn’t necessarily a good thing. It is, at the very least, a complicated thing, and something that probably won’t escape the same exploration of codependency, us-vs-them mentality, self destructive behavior, and interpersonal responsibility that has shown up in almost every relationship in the podcast. This time, though, the stakes are even higher--if Jon loses himself, he doesn’t just kill a few people, he becomes what the Beholding intends for him to be. 

(This also isn’t even getting into the weeds of codependency in regards to Martin’s caretaker trauma, and what it means to be relied upon as the sole person keeping another human being grounded and together, or how that ties into the ways in which trust in their communication seems to be slowly eroding over time and under--but that’s another post entirely.)

#long post #tma spoilers #the magnus archives #tma #mine #cynical #character study #season 5 #mag167

[ruffiorocks]

Kara was never going to permanently change the past.

I think some people, (mostly those that hate Lena) have completely missed the point of the last episode.

They are cheering "yay! Kara didn't decide to change a thing!"

But that's just it, Kara was never going to truly be able to change anything. Everytime she changed something it all went to sh*t.

That's the whole point of being shown the past. It's like Scrooge, he is shown his past but he can't change it. But what he can do is learn from his mistakes, he can learn to do better and redeem himself.

The writers, in I'm my humble opinion were never going to have Kara permanently change anything.

Kara was given the chance to change things because no doubt she has been wishing that she could, going over every encounter in her head and thinking "what if I'd just done this?" Like we all do when we make an mistake.

Kara got the opportunity, but ultimately she learned that no matter how she went back and changed things something even worse would happen.

Lena either forgives her and dies, or she never gets to meet Lena and sees that she's been turned against her will into a villian. She also gets to see more people, like Mon El die again and Sam can't be saved etc. Etc.

So, even though Lena is mad at her in the current timeline she at least is still alive, Sam is alive and has been cured, Mon El is alive. So no matter the consequences of Kara's actions, in the end we are being told that she made a decision at the time and that's how things need to stay. In this timeline at least Lena is still alive and has her shot at changing her mind and forgiving Kara.

So the point was never to change the past permanently at all. Kara isn't Barry Allen f**king things up so far back to suit himself. The only time Kara has changed the past was seconds after Reign killed Mon El and Jonn, mere seconds. It didn't have the same effect that Barry f**king with the timeline on an almost annual basis did. The consequence wasn't a different timeline, it was the creation of Red Daughter and that's only because Harun El was involved.

Kara went through all of that as basically her therapy session. She needed to see what would have happened if she had made better choices. The show wants to portray (a bit annoyingly and very biased in Kara's favour) that despite what is happening now Kara made the right decision all along. Because apparently every though Kara tells EVERYONE who she is down to Bob she gets her coffee from that she's Supergirl it's only LENA that somehow suffers for it if she had been told sooner 😑. But I suppose that's the writers way of showing just how important Lena is to Kara and that if she knew Kara's secret sooner others would see how incredibly close they were and use it against her.

Still not a fan on how they make Kara look like she was always right though... But whatever.

I personally think the more logical solution would have been to have a proper conversion with Lena along with Alex and explain what happened and how she's always defended her, and not a few boo hoos, this is all about me and I haven't really given much thought to you tears, but that's just me 🤷‍♀️. That doesn't make for quite as an exciting episode.

So Kara didn't go back and choose Mon El, she simply got a do over where she got some wise words from Mon El, probably some of the best words he has ever said to her and he even supports Lena. But she didn't suddenly change her mind and think "ooh I can change things so me and Mon El can get back together!" No, she got to hear Mon El tell her she deserved to be loved, giving her some closure to truly move on (hopefully not with William! Doesn't have to be Lena, but please if it's someone else make it someone who isn't an arsehole to her from the start, even if they are pretending).

Kara ended the episode knowing than no amount of do overs can change what's happening now. That changing the past isn't an option. The whole point is that her and Lena's futures can still be saved. Yeah she didn't need to be so much of a hard assed d*ck to Lena when she went to see her (I will not entertain the idea that it was Mxy! Because that invalidates the whole episode! It means we ended it as we started it, with Lena being lied to and manipulated) but she has forgiven herself. Kara has finally realised she can't move on without forgiving herself. She knows she messed up, but she also knows now that Lena knowing sooner would have had disastrous consequences. She now realises that she can't just ignore what Lena is going under the guise of "she's just hurt, she'll come around, I mean this is my fault". No Kara has snapped back to reality and knows that if Lena goes through with her non nocre plan and teams with Lex to do bad s**t she's going to have to treat Lena like a villain. She didn't say she WAS a villian, she said if she acted like one.

Kara has let go of the past and knows she needs to move on. It doesn't mean she loves Lena any less or she doesn't regret what happened. It means she's moving on with her life like everyone eventually has to. But she is still giving Lena the choice to come back to her. She's playing the tough love card and giving Lena a dose of reality, no matter how bad Kara messed up Lena makes her own choices.

It would have been much easier if Kara had taken the tapes, gone to Lena and told her what happened, but noooooo Lena has to be in the dark while Kara gets her closure!

But anyhoo, the point wasn't to change the past, that was never going to happen. The point was to learn from it and move on.

#mon el #supergirl #lex luthor #lena luthor #kara danvers #supercorp #mr mxyzptlk

[inspector-montoya-fox]

#10 - Jailbreak

Setting: let’s enter the SpOOkY!!! girl, i’m sorry i have to take a moment to appreciate the KI that this episode is. from the statues that come to life to the purple water, the red sky, the bat props that Sly can ninja-spire onto, the music. it’s like a Scooby-Doo episode. Contessa’s house looks like a freakin insane asylum hahahahaha this is all fantastic. i’ve been to Prague and the towers are literally the same. i know i should be analyzing this in the Themes section but in terms of environment, Prague (both levels) are the crux of Sly 2, if not narrative-wise, then definitely emotionally-wise. @designraccoon made this amazing post a while back which went into detail about how the Prague levels represent the darkest nights in the entire series and then in Canada it’s day. i mean, the whole game is great but these central four episodes (from A Starry Eyed Encounter until A Tangled Web) are, in my opinion, what make it so amazing. there’s definitely climax because the stakes are so high. 2/3 of the gang and Carmelita have been captured, Neyla has double-crossed us, Bentley (who was up until this point the weakest link physically) is all alone, and as we find out by the very beginning of the episode, the Contessa is a secret Klaww Gang member. well, this is all dandy. having Bentley alone further establishes how haunting this episode is because we first witness the hub as him, which has never happened before. he’s an itty-bitty-witty turtle roaming around the ultimate spooky level. and the Contessa, she didn’t come to play hunty. i’ll go into more detail about her character below, but she feels more of a threat than Rajan or Dimitri. not because she herself is scary, but because she’s built an empire. Dimitri had bouncers and Rajan had his staff, but Contessa has an entire army and (at this point) Interpol backing her up. in terms of environment, the hub feels huge because of the giant prison in the centre. it truly is a pain in the ass to enter the prison, but that just highlights the fact that, well, it’s a prison. in general, SP really captured the essence of a European town: the stone pavement, the bridges and the sections under them, some historical arcs blocked by cage bars, etc. all this being said however, if we factor in the narrative, Jailbreak’s Prague feels very dead. maybe it’s done on purpose, but due to the gang’s absence and the prison’s overbearing presence, this (similarly to A Starry Eyed Encounter) feels like a prelude. we’re defo onto something big, but we first have to break out Sly and Murray. and lord knows what comes next is big...

Characters: i want to expand the Setting section here but also leave the big gang moments for the Theme section, so this is really about the Contessa. this episode is soaked in melodrama. the themes are heavy, the morale is low, the narrative is complex to say the least. The Predator Awake’s ending was such a shock that we genuinely forget about Carmelita’s whereabouts, as she’s not even mentioned here. we meet the Contessa and, even though she’s already been introduced, this is the first time we really get to know her. the hub really encapsulates her character: a total psychiatrist witch whose gothic surroundings reflect her malicious intentions. a true villain, the definition of the word. she’s a member of the Klaww Gang but also has an ulterior motive and even gives the gang a run for their money with her hypnosis. the bitch also has a blimp she uses for swift getaways, i mean what more can you want. and this is not even her ultimate form as A Tangled Web will see her deliver some very important lines of dialogue and truly show off how evil she is. but for now, she lurks in the shadows. similar to Rajan in the previous level, she spends most of the episode absent (you’ll notice there’s no Clockwerk part in this episode too). this is probably done to give the player some breathing space after the Neyla twist and allow the gang to gather their strength. but her presence is felt, due to how she embodies her hub, the personification of the obscure and the SPOOKY ! for me, the Contessa is as big a villain as Clockwerk, Neyla and Dr M. she’s just selfish and that’s her downfall, as we’ll see in the next episode where she’s presented in a very Nietzschian fashion. it’s like they merged Miz Ruby and Clockwerk: they honed the spooky aspect by added intelligence. Miz Ruby was too short sighted and lacked ambition. the Contessa created herself after she murdered her husband, made herself rich through her psychiatry scam, earned a strong rep via Interpol, and touched the divine by getting her hands on the Clockwerk eyes. the self-confidence is unreal.

Themes: uh, fear theme !!!!!!!!! (like the full shebang, not the half-baked version from The Predator Awakes) our characters are put to the test, forced to face their fears. Bentley had to learn how to drive the van, drive all the way from India to Prague, and explore this nightmare of a level all on his own. Sly was captured by the police and Murray was rendered weak, his will and control taken from him with the use of spice. the theme fits the level like a glove and everyone gets to confront their fear. Bentley succeeds in saving his friends, Sly (although not shown directly but instead mentioned via the Contessa) breaks free from the “hole” under which he’d go mad, and Murray goes head to head with the Contessa at the end of the level. as i analysed in the Setting section, the fear theme is further established by the spooky environment and missions (werewolf statues and evil robots that come to life), as well as the prison’s interior. i mean, consider the gang’s biggest fear is getting arrested but enhance it by a hundred by making the prison seem as hellish as possible. its sombre green and blue tones are reminiscent of Arkham. it truly feels like an insane asylum, with its towering cells, booby traps and devices used for hypnosis. the fear theme is dominant here, but there’s also the theme of separation. up to this point in the game, the gang’s unity has been taken for granted. soon after Bentley and Murray learn the basics, the gang is split. this not only increases the difficulty of the challenges they have to face on their own, but also puts things into perspective. mainly, things only work out when they’re together. you’ll notice that after Jailbreak (and by extent A Tangled Web), there’s an increase in group missions. He Who Tames the Iron Horse, is full of them. their time apart has all three of them realise that teamwork is essential, and that their friendship is the basis for their success. and lastly, a mind theme. i feel like there’s a connection between the hub and the Contessa’s character: her trained mind is so hard to breach, similar to the prison with its high walls. she’s a brittle spider but shouldn’t be underestimated. mind over matter, basically. her head’s interior is full of high security and intricate designs, spotlights and guards. everything feels so claustrophobic in there. both her expertise in psychology and the prison are devices used to break through with her prisoners. and once Sly and Bentley manage to penetrate the walls and get through to Murray, she’s caught off guard because of her seemingly flawless fortress.

What I Like: lots of stuff here. i was always a fun of the spooky-ooky so this is perfect. Bentley is my least favorite gang member but i really enjoyed his narration and how he came through even though the odds were stacked against him. the Contessa is my fav villain from the game, maybe even the series, so there’s that too. in terms of details, i really like Sly disguising himself as a werewolf statue on the bridge, even going so far as to imitate their open mouths. and the prison’s interior is great too. OH! AND that little bell you can hit to distract guards in the hub. i love that little bell.

What I Don’t Like: i’d have to say, the missions are kind of a drag, especially after The Predator Awakes which had some pretty good ones. apart from following the Contessa around and playing as Murray in the prison, the rest are tiring in my opinion (i’m not referring to the operation). specifically, Code Capture and Lightning Action feel like filler, maybe because they’re all made available at the same time, when Sly breaks out. i was never fond of the hacking and this is the episode it’s introduced in so... yea...

Quote: Inconceivable! She's no health care professional!

#inCONCEIVABLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #SHE'S NOT HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL !!!!!!!!!! #Bentley sweetie... she's not. #sly cooper #episode project #this essay embodies chaotic energy #and i love that for her

[aion-rsa]

Vikings Season 6: How Lagertha’s Legacy Lives On

https://ift.tt/3n3LEgt

This article contains Vikings season 6 spoilers.

With the release of season 6 part two on Dec. 30, Vikings has come to an end. While the spinoff Vikings: Vahalla is set to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2021, it will pick up the story of the Viking and Anglo-Saxon conflict 100 years after the last events depicted in the original series. Thus the series finale of Vikings means we are saying goodbye to all the characters whose exploits viewers have enjoyed these last seven years. Whether in the flesh or in flashbacks, this is the final farewell. And no character will be missed so much as Lagertha.

When Vikings began, in the spring of 2013, it was a largely misunderstood enterprise (and still continues to be, by some). Premiering as it did on the History Channel, a cable channel best known for its WWII/Hitlerian focus in the 90’s and more current shows like Pawn Stars and Swamp People, many assumed that Vikings was a testosterone-heavy fight-fest created to feed the key male 18-49 year-old demographic that the network targets.

But that was never really the intention of creator/writer/showrunner Michael Hirst. As Hirst tells Den of Geek, women, particularly Viking queen Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), were always supposed to be central in the series’ storytelling. 

“I was hoping she would be popular,” Hirst says. “History Channel is a male-viewed channel. And I think History Channel initially picked the show up because they thought it would appeal to that natural base. That they thought, ‘Well, you know, it’s obviously going to be a show full of battles and fights and so on.’ But I always thought it was going to be about Lagertha as much as Ragnar. And I like writing with women.”

Hirst’s focus paid off. Women, like myself, eventually found (generally through word of mouth) the series, and we loved what we saw. Lagertha and the rest of the women on the show were more than pretty faces and eternal victims. They ran the gamut from the initially innocent and oppressed Anglo-Saxon Judith (Jennie Jacques) to soft-power-wielding Gisla (Morgane Polanski) and Aslaug (Alyssa Sunderland) to shield-maidens like Torvi (Georgia Hirst) and Gunnhild (Ragga Ragnars).  

But it wasn’t simply the variety of types of women on the show. It was that none of them were ever simple and they were never just plot devices. Whatever label their cultures applied to them, they have always exceeded them. The women of Vikings have been spouses, parents, politicians, strategists, lovers, and friends—everything that their male counterparts were, and often more successful in their endeavors than those men. It was surprising, and on a show like Vikings, something rarely seen on American television.

And Lagertha—farmer, visionary, wife of Ragnar, mother of Bjorn Ironside and Gyda, shield-maiden, Jarl and Kattegat’s queen in her own right— was the first among the women we tuned in to watch. Which pleased her creator.

“What was wonderful for me was that the show, on History Channel, was getting 50/50 male/female viewership,” Hirst says. “In other words, particularly Lagertha was making women watch the show. And it was about so much more than fights and battles and things. So I was really proud of that. And I think that Katheryn was just brilliant in the role.”

And she has been. Appearing in over 80 episodes (and directing season 6A’s “Valhalla Can Wait”), Winnick shows up more than any other actor, and helped the show bridge the gap when Hirst’s other primary antagonist, Ragnar, was killed off. Doomsayers predicted the end of the series after the departure of Travis Fimmel’s excellent Viking legend. But Winnick and Lagertha went a long way in ensuring we continued to stay engaged and tuning in.

Not that everyone was pleased. From the start, there has always been some Internet criticism of Lagertha that accuses the character of “forced feminism,” ahistorically expansive sexuality, and the impossibility of the existence of actual “shield-maidens.” Some have even argued that women do not possess the physical strength to wield historically accurate Viking weapons (despite watching female actors, Winnick and Georgia Hirst specifically, regularly do just that on Vikings on a regular basis).

In fact, Lagertha appears to be closer to the truth than even many historians assumed when the show began seven years ago. According to the series’ historical consultant and writer Justin Pollard, not only was “Viking society, for all of its apparent terrors to Christians, a much more egalitarian society than Christian society, and women had a much stronger role in it,” but despite “quite a lot of howls of complaint, since then, we’ve found a number of excavated bodies, often excavated in the 19th century, that have been reanalyzed and now been shown to be women.”

The most famous of these is the grave of what many historians had referred to, up until 2017, as the archetypical “ultimate Viking” of the tenth century, found on the island of Birka, Sweden. First discovered and documented in 1878, it was assumed to be the skeletal remains and grave items of a male warrior—sword, spear, axe, arrows, shields, etc. One year after Vikings premiered, an analysis of the pelvic bones and jaw by bioarchaelogist Anna Kjellström strongly suggested that the skeleton was that of a woman. In 2017, analysis of the DNA and Strontium isotypes on the skeleton by a team led by Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson confirmed that the body was a woman, and consistent with the geographic profile of someone having lived in the correct place to be a Viking. 

Lagertha, and women like her, weren’t a modern-day invention—Hirst’s women warriors were a strangely prophetic echo from the past. 

Read more

TV

Vikings Ending Explained

By Jamie Andrew

Nor are women incapable of the type of fighting we get to watch on the show. I brought up the point when I interviewed Clive Standen (Rollo) a few years ago, asking whether it was odd having Winnick, who stands as much as a foot shorter and weighs half as much than many of her male co-stars, on the battlefield. He laughed outright, assuring me that the actress, who holds black belts in two martial arts and founded three martial arts schools before the age of 22, is more than a match for those her character faces on the killing fields of Vikings–a not inconsiderable recommendation considering Standen’s own martial arts background. In other words, what we saw on the series was just as, if not more, real than the reality shows that make up a great deal of History Channel’s programming.

But whatever problems that naysayers may have had with the depiction of shield-maidens in general and of Lagertha in particular, her fans are legion and loyal. Word of her impending death began to circle as early as 2017. Article after article conjectured that she was always about to be killed off—even well past the point where most of Aslaug’s sons had given up their mission to avenge their mother. 

So we had long been emotionally prepared for the death of the semi-retired Lagertha. That the means of her death was less glorious than the eventual end of her son Bjorn might have rankled had it not been so very much like the woman we have come to love. Both die in defense of their beloved Kattegat, but for Lagertha, the moment is about the heart of the show: family. 

Vikings has always been less a historically-based action series and more a family drama told on an epic scale. And as it is as true now as then that rivalries and alliances, anger and empathy, misunderstanding and enlightenment, are constantly in flux in families. Lagertha has always had reason enough to hate her murderer. His birth alone might have earned him death at her hands. But like her equally illustrious partner Ragnar, she has never been as simple as the blood vengeance we traditionally and often erroneously associate with the Vikings. 

Both are complicated characters, and capable of seeing the bigger picture when it comes to their family, to honor, to their fates. She recognizes that his actions are enough to rip apart the wounds only half healed among Ragnar’s sons. That she is able to comfort her own killer, to reassure him that he has done no more than live his destiny and hers, speaks to complexity and compassion all but absent in depictions of Vikings before the show began its run on History Channel. 

And in that, Lagertha is precisely the embodiment of Hirst’s wish for the series:

“One of the things I most wanted to do was to overturn all the cliches about Vikings. I was told by some people at the beginning that I couldn’t really make a show about Vikings. Or, at least, I couldn’t make a show where Vikings were the heroes. Because they were always the Other. They’re the bad guys. They’re the people who come in the night and steal and rape and burn. And how could I make them heroic in any way? And of course, people thought they knew about the Vikings. Actually, they didn’t know anything, which is often the case. And so I thought, “Well, how do I show that?”

It turns out, you do it by creating a character like Lagertha. You do it by taking one of the most misunderstood members of a misunderstood culture and turn her into a hero who makes mistakes and silent sacrifices, enjoys triumphs and endures losses, bides her time and acts impulsively, regrets and doesn’t compromise, gives and takes, and loves and hates, and still goes on, even in death. 

You make her one of us. 

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

And that’s why we have loved her, cheered her on, cried over her pain, and now mourn her end. Because Michael Hirst and Katheryn Winnick made Lagertha someone we could recognize some modicum of ourselves in, creating a link between Vikings of the 9th century and our own 21st century lives. She reminds us that carrying a sword in battle isn’t what makes a hero. Heroes are so much more than that, and while we will never wield axe or spear, the heroic is always within our own grasp.

The post Vikings Season 6: How Lagertha’s Legacy Lives On appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/387HG2f

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[cassandra1447]

Lucifer 5A Thoughts

Lucifer season 4 was great. It had a nice solid plotline, it had great character development for pretty much everyone, I actually thought the Eve-Lucifer-Chloe triangle was done both purposefully and realistically with reasons why all three of them acted as they did, and just generally felt like a breath of fresh air after the mishmash that was season 3.

I had few complaints - a few but not many. 

I was super hopeful about season 5. Guess what I binge-watched this past weekend?

Me:

Cue rant (under cut b/c there are spoilers aplenty and if you liked this season - please keep scrolling)

To be fair: I have only watched season 5 once. 

Unfortunately, I have no desire to watch it again. 

First of all, the lack of creativity.

Maze betrays Lucifer (again for like the 10000th time)

Michael being a jerkass - I’ll grant them his fear mojo, but could you have reached for any other concept than Lucifer vs. Michael? Or give him something more interesting than an ego-problem to fuel his evilness?

Ella’s boyfriend - look, there’s foreshadowing and there’s eye-rolling, damn it really, this guy is clearly only here to serve a plot point and he’s either going to be the victim or the murderer

Ella deserves a genuine good person and good relationship - WTF did you have to do that to her? There’s no point besides hurting her

It would have been better - and more surprising - if he had been a truly decent person even if the relationship ended up not enduring

And then there’s Chloe...and oh dear...

“Being a gift” consternation

Okay, yes Chloe is allowed to be upset and to be struggling with the divine side of things - in fact, I actually liked how they depicted that in Season 4

But in Season 4, when Chloe’s reactions hurt Lucifer, there’s a clear consequence. It’s part of why he turned to Eve, and there are a couple of excellent moments - the part where he confronts Chloe about neither being an angel like she wants or the devil like Eve wants for instance - that showed Lucifer was coming to understand himself and to stand up for his own sense of self to a degree

This time round, we get a lot from Chloe but little from Lucifer aside from him desperately wanting to be with her and willing to do just about whatever she wants to have that 

And unfortunately, whereas by the end of season 4, we definitely get Chloe seeing past the divine bombshells and remembering that she cares about Lucifer for himself - that progress is completely nullified by the “you’re a miracle” bombshell and I didn’t need to see that again

Also - WTF does Amenadiel’s spiel to Chloe about seeing Lucifer truly work on her anxiety over being made for Lucifer? Did I miss something? Chloe’s upset over this seemed to me to be because of a lack of free will - not that she didn’t know who Lucifer was. Why - when free will is such a major deal for Lucifer - was that not discussed? Why did no one - Lucifer for example - come out and say “Humans have free will. Period. You can choose to walk away from me or tell me to go, and I will. I don’t give a damn what my Father did or wants or intends. It’s your choice.”

The “I love you”

I do not get why Chloe doesn’t know if Lucifer loves her. He may have not used the three words but he literally told her the prophecy (his first love) was about her not Eve. Or what about “I would do it again”? Or any of the many actions through which he’s demonstrated that he cares about her, that he values her, that he loves her. 

And okay, maybe she needs those three words to be 100%, absolutely sure, okay. Then just ask him. How do you feel about me? What do you want from this relationship? Where is this going? You know, normal adult questions.

I’m not expecting Chloe to do emotional labor for Lucifer but if she needs something from him, she needs to ask him. I think that’s fair.

It also highlights a problem with Chloe’s empathy for Lucifer IMO - it feels like she’s once again so caught up in her emotional turmoil, she’s incapable of even seeing his. This is someone who literally just returned from thousands of years in hell, who has a family  had cast him out and treated him like the worst, has been vilified by humanity for millennia, and because of all of this has a low sense of self-worth and has come to believe that he’s a monster - love is something Lucifer literally hasn’t been shown in millions (billions?) and until very recently hasn’t been in a position to express love in return - and you expect him to drop an “I love you” nonchalantly?

Again, it’s okay to have Chloe focus on her emotions rather than Lucifer’s. But if I say something hurtful to someone - even if I’m under duress - it’s still hurtful. I still owe them an apology. 

The “not in relationship” evasion

Despite the fact that Michael lying was such a key factor in Chloe knowing he wasn’t Lucifer and Chloe clinging to the fact Lucifer doesn’t, Chloe doesn’t seem to make the connection that telling the truth to Lucifer is essential

One unaddressed factor from last season - Chloe lied to Lucifer and allowed him to think that everything was fine and that she wanted a relationship with him...and then on what he happily thought was a date almost roofied him (at minimum, who knows what was really in that vial).  Lucifer subsequently found out about the plan - so there’s a historical basis for her to lie to him about how she feels (in order to betray him) -  Chloe, he already thinks he’s unworthy of you, he’s already used to people he loves hurting him - you need to be straightforward with him

This includes not evading (or lying) about being in a relationship with him. 

At least she does eventually tell Lucifer she needs time & space I suppose

Mojo switching

Why? Just why? It happened and then it stopped. What?

Various other characters:

Linda:

Why did we only have like 2 therapy sessions? Why did Linda not get to do her job this season? Her sessions with Lucifer did help him grow - why the hell didn’t she help Lucifer & Chloe work through some of their issues

I don’t like having her plot this season revolve around children. It’s a personal thing I know - but it���s such a default plot device to use with female characters. 

Amenadiel

IDK about the timing of filming for this season but it felt really off-key to have a black man depicted as thinking the best way to make the world safer for his son to be aggressively trying to work with the police. Season 4 had an episode that dealt with the endemic racism in our justice system - why in the hell was that not carried into this season? Why don’t we see Amenadiel protesting or volunteering with a local group trying to address the systematic racism? 

Where the hell did the “reflection” thing come from? I never saw Lucifer’s mojo as reflecting, more bringing to the surface what someone already felt/wanted/knew. And even if I buy that - Amenadiel never had people behaving as if he was reflecting love before. Oh and for Lucifer’s mojo, for it to have a visible impact, he generally has to be intending it to (except for when he’s in his devil form). There’s a few examples in earlier seasons where there’s an indication there’s a low level field continuously but nothing like what Amenadiel had happen in the convent. And doesn’t that give Amenadiel two powers (time + love mojo) while Lucifer and Michael only get mojo? 

Maze

Oh look, Maze betrayals Lucifer again. Never seen that before. 

1 freaking episode with Trixie!!! And it’s also the only episode with Lucifer & Trixie and Lucifer being adorable with Trixie and then - oh, it’s not that Trixie likes Lucifer, it’s that she’s being paid by Maze to get information  (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

WTF does Maze believe Michael? He’s a lying liar who lies. I can’t believe Maze would be that stupid. 

God

Just no. 

Previous seasons seemed to be having the message that God isn’t responsible for your life, you are. Lucifer has a similar realization at the end of season 4. So why are you going to muck that up by making God an active participant???

Other things that bug me:

Lack of LGBTQ+ representation

The old-timey bit doesn’t count IMO - Lucifer gender-flipped characters at Trixie’s request so any LGBTQ+ moments aren’t genuine

Lucifer & Maze are attracted to men and women (no defined label - maybe bisexual or pansexual) but there are no moments where either of them actively show it (or someone of the same gender was obviously attracted to them); I think we get a single line about Lucifer having been with both men & women but that’s all I can recall

Is there a single non-hetero couple depicted on screen (that didn’t have to be gender-flipped)? Seriously. I’m asking. 

Ella’s treatment

Already talked about this - but it was blatantly obvious the boyfriend plot served no purpose for Ella herself, just was a way to get this character looped in for other plot purposes

Chloe’s horrible advice to ignore Ella’s internal alarm bells. I don’t - how - what - yeah, feeds into what I said earlier about Chloe being too wrapped up in her own turmoil to be able to see from even a impartial (let alone another’s perspective)

Azrael! Why do you not use this sweetheart of an angel who has an established relationship with Ella? If you had to do this terrible Ella + bad guy plot, then for heaven’s sake, at least give us Azrael to warn Ella? Or something? 

Lilith was good...but where is Eve? There’s not even a throwaway line of “Eve’s in Madagascar” or show some postcards she sent to Maze or have Lucifer check-in on her and say “Eve says hi” - does Eve still exist? It’s not like Eve understand about “being made for someone” and maybe help Chloe, right? 

The Mock-Lucifer show episode -

 if you have an episode in your show that’s parodying your show...it had better be because you work for a secret government agency and it’s being allowed b/c the government can claim anyone trying to blow the whistle got it from the TV show (Stargate fans out there?) - otherwise, no. 

I know Lucifer likes to use the case-of-the-week to mirror what’s going on with Lucifer and the rest outside of the case - but this is too blatant, to the point it feels condescending

I didn’t actually want to know the story of Lucifer’s ring. Officially at least. Leave me some mysteries please, something to speculate about with other fans, something to develop headcanons for, something to write fanfic about - the story itself was fine, but doesn’t seem necessary

Hell Repercussions

Despite Michael using it as an excuse why “Lucifer” was behaving weirdly, once Lucifer is back, there’s little to no indication of the impact Hell had on Lucifer - thousands of years, and he’s pretty much the same as the moment he left Earth

Could have had Lucifer regress somewhat because he no longer had any support structure, was among literal demons who aren’t good for socialization, and perhaps had to revert to a more violent and vicious version of himself

Could have had Lucifer return to being more hedonistic - which would have been a good point of tension with Chloe - because he was starved of anything good in hell and is now trying to soak in as much life as possible (music, drink, drugs, parties, maybe flirting/dancing)?

One thing I did like was Lucifer talking to a human in hell - could have done something with Lucifer trying to help humans who felt guilty for things which shouldn’t qualify for eternal torment - connecting with semi-decent humans in hell b/c he couldn’t go back to Earth and b/c he has more empathy for them now (although I would argue Lucifer has always been kinder towards humans than other angels - look at the very first episode and how he treated Deliah)

Did no one try to contact Lucifer in hell? Amenadiel could have visited, he could have brought letters or messages from the humans in the know...did no one think of that? To help ease Lucifer’s isolation even in the smallest way? It felt like - as soon as Lucifer left - everyone was just like ‘well, he’s in Hell now, that’s too bad.’

What I did like:

Dan

He’s struggling and he knows it, and he’s trying to be a better version of himself while knowing he’s deeply flawed

The scenes with Dan & Lucifer working a case together are some of my favorites 

While I do wish he had recognized Michael’s ploy - in light of his history of doing something morally questionable “for the greater good” and his current self-examination - his reaction makes sense to me. He’s terrified and he reacts very honestly and directly; I think Lucifer would far prefer Dan’s reaction of just shooting him to Chloe’s reaction that involved her lying to him and allowing him hope only to learn she planned on using his feelings for her to allow her to get close enough to use the poison (and send him back to hell). 

Lucifer & Trixie - loved it (up until the elevator scene at the end)

Lucifer’s very practical solution of marking Michael so they couldn’t be confused - brutal yes, but practical 

This turned out way longer than I thought it would. I could be wrong - I did only see it once so it’s entirely possible I’ve missed something or don’t remember something - and I know we’ve got more episodes to come that may improve the season.

But compared to season 4 which had a tight plot that worked in concert with the character arcs, my initial impression of season 5 is overwhelming disappointment. I expected better than I got. 

#lucifer #season 5 spoilers #this is rant-y y'all #I didn't like season 5 #it had some good moments #but IDK WTH happened between season 4 & 5 #netflix you have betrayed me #I thought you were my savior

[ruby-x3]

Is Suyin the child of Toph and Sokka?

Disclaimer

I tried to get as much "true" information as I could, but because I have not much time I couldn't write down all the sources. If you need the proof you can easily find it on the internet. Sorry for that!

This entry has more or less comments of my personal opinion. Therefore I want to highlight those parts in purple.

EDIT: It's confirmed, that Sokka and Suki lived in the suburbs together after ATLA. It was confirmed at ComicCon in an Q&A. Thanks to the cautious readers out there :) I hope you still enjoy the text!

OK so I have stumble upon this theory on what happened to Sokka between the end of the comic arcs (yet) and the beginning of LoK. Therefore I found a pretty interesting picture on Instagram from somebody, who tries to find evidences that Toph and Sokka have a child and it's Suyin Beifong.

As you can see the person compares to facial and body proportions as well as skin tone and similarities. Especially between Sokka and Suyins children you can see a good amount of similarities. I can also agree with the point that Suyin have facial similarities to Sokka. For example if Tophs and Sokkas gene mixed, the skin tone would fit and Suyins heart-shape face would make sense (Toph has a square/round face and Sokka a pointy/oval face shape). The only thing I can't agree is the shoulders? I mean they are just shoulders? You can't tell that they are pointy because Suyins shoulder pads are obviously pointy, but Sokkas are just normal shoulders?

Anyway the text also says that Suki died in a war (it's right according to Google but please feel free to correct me) so there could be room between Sokka and Tophs relationship.

So first of all I want to show parts of their relationship in ATLA and then slosh to the comics.

As we look in the past, there are some points where Toph and Sokka seems to have a bit of chemistry - at least they really care for each other.

At the beginning I want to take emphasis on their trust to each other. In the episode "The Runaway" in Book 3, Sokka and Toph both shared some deeper feelings and fears of themselves to each other. As friends, this is nothing new, but still a great moment of their bond.

Secondly on the war ship Sokka protects Toph and holds her. Again, this might be just a thing between friends. I see nothing romantical here, because she can't see the falling rocks and she also did the same thing for Sokka at "The Serpent's Pass" in Book 2.

Now going a bit deeper Toph is holding Sokkas arm as they went back to Ba Sing Se with Appa and Aang after he went to the Guru in the episode "The Guru". The same thing happened in the boat in episode "The Painted Lady", book 3. Usually Toph doesn't need a helping hand on Appas back as you can see in various episodes. This hug also doesn't seem very much on a friendship base but more "romantically". It's a pose you would usually do to a crush in my opinion.

Especially in the last picture after Sokka went to master Piandao she showed affection towards him because she missed him after only one day. She mentioned her missing of Sokka before in the Gaang part, which nobody else did. They also tent to trust each other, because they didn't fear to tell their fears and problems. She even complimented his drawings (more as a joke), but they sort of picking on each other a lot. Toph also seems to have some sort of interest in Sokka, because she thought he saved her in the water and wanted to thank him with a kiss.

To be honest this isn't very typical for Toph. Yeah, she has also shown some affection towards Zuko, when they tried to find Aang. But this was more like a kind act, because she wanted to know Zuko better and also have some adventure with him as everybody else. She also tried to kiss "Sokka" on "his" lips, because in the she goes towards them with her face. This is no "this just naturally happens", because animators take a long time to animate a few seconds. Therefore there was an intention in this gesture by the creators, leading Toph to show her soft spot, which she usually doesn't show. She rather appear very hard (like a rock) and is indeed very badass, but you should also consider her as a girl with an interest in boys. She also should have hit puberty around this time and the only guy in her reach would be Sokka. We should not forget that Sokka is kind of a "playboy" - at least he has the most relationships in the Avatar universe. Therefore I guess that she could have developed some feelings for him. Maybe not that far, but I think the interest was definitely there.

There are also some other scenes where their bond shows even further, but first I want to talk about the characters. I am mainly talking about characters who have something to do with the Tokka theory.

First I want to talk about Sokka

Well you all know Sokka as an womanizer. He had an relationship with Yue, a princess, he is/was together with Suki and even in the comics girls had interests in him. In LoK we literally know nothing about him. We only know that he was a member of the console in Republic City and that he died before we started with LoK. This is very strange, because people thought he would have been with Suki, but she wasn't mention in Lok at all. I want to talk about her later.

Did Sokka has an interest in Toph?

Well, I can clearly say no, at least in ATLA. We can see by the pictures and gifs above that Sokka had just friendship in mind. For the fact that around this time he was in a relationship with Suki, he never thought of Toph as a potential girlfriend. He was just protective around the last arc, Zosins comet, because they were friends. Nothing more, nothing less. But, as I said, I can still sensor some deeper trust between them, because Sokka told her she saw her mother in Katara, which is an information that he is not keen to speak about. This changed a bit in the comics. Their interaction were much more present than in the series. A part of it is because in the series the focus was much more in Aang. In the comics they clearly have more interactions because the focus on Aang serving the world went away. In the comics we saw a lot of Zukos life in the palace and how he rules. We also saw an arc, where Aang wants to spread the air nomads culture to volunteers and the issue of avatar Yangchen. Katara and Aang being busy being a couple and Sokka and Katara only come together at the Northern Water Tribe.

Sokka has, more or less, plenty of time to spend. Because Suki worked as a guardian for Zuko, Sokka didn't see Suki on a regular basis. Sokka helped Toph with her metal bending academy in "The Rift". Also in "North and South" Sokka spend time with Toph.

He even gave her all the soft toys he won. In my opinion this is a typical boyfriend-girlfriend moment. He could either safe the toys for Suki, but he doesn't. Also in other situations he wants to be with Toph instead of Aang and Katara. He also praises Toph a lot during the series, in the comics and even LoK you can see it (when Yakone was in court).

Now to Toph Beifong

As a blind, but a noble girl she was restricted by her parents to do any physical work or task due to her disability. She also hates authority and rules a lot due to her parental treatment. In the series, she was 12 year old, as old a Aang. In this time many hit puberty, so I guess she may be in puberty at this time and also starts being interested in the opposite gender. So therefore I asume she had a crush on Sokka for various points (examples) mentioned above.

In the comics she found a metal bending school. For the first time in "The Rift" we get to know a man called "Kanto". Toph seems interested in him as well.

If you read the comic you'll notice that she clearly wants to be in a relationship with him. I think he is the father of Lin, because he has the same hair colour and wavy structure, but also her father's name is "Kanto".

As we know in the end Toph was chief police officer of Republica. She has a second child, who is Suyin.

So indicating Sokka might be the father, what speaks for this theory?

After the end of the war we were sure Sokka and Suki will be together and in the comics and they still are. But according to Google Suki died in a war, so this leaves space between Sokka and Toph to develop a relationship. Furthermore Suki seems to have an interest in Zuko.

This actions are, sure, typical for friends, but the way of acting is hinting of an interest. I wouldn't deny it, it seems very suspicious. Also Zuko might be interested in Suki as well, since they see each other everyday and Mai broke up with him. He still have eyes for Mai, but it's not completely impossible that Suki and Zuko are attracted to each other since they both are very badass and attractive characters.

Due to this fact the relationship between Sokka and Suki might have crumbled, leading to a break up between them. We don't see something about Suki in LoK at all. She just vanished completely, which could indicate her early death. Since we know that Toph has interest in Sokka and he maybe has an slight interest as well, so they might end up. The next hints are in the appearances of Suyin and her children, who have heavy resemblances to Sokka.

I first thought that the resemblance is heavily of Bataars side, the father of them. But the similarities to Sokka are stronger!

Therefore, many of those "evidences" turn into the favor of their relationship.

But what speaks against ist?

So basically I would say that it's still a theory. Sure, there are times where many theories were right, but not all. We are speaking in a room of speculations and as you might know, not all things are clear. For example the mother of Izumi is not mentioned at all. There are things, which should(?) be a mystery or unimportant. Maybe for spicing up the series or just because the authors forgot and made it up later on (e.g. J. K. Rowling does every time).

Secondly I want to point out the strong friendship game everyone has in ATLA. We see a lot of strong friendships, which could hint an interest towards the person, but mostly they stay friends. One reason could be that the authors want to trick us, but I believe that the friendships are strong on purpose, because they want to show how much they connected through the war and their experiences. Having a bit of a chemistry does not mean anything relationship wise, that's nothing new for sure.

Third and lastly I want to stick out that shipping everyone with everyone not only does ruin the atmosphere and characters of the series, but also makes it kinda awkward? I mean I have nothing against ships, but not every gesture means love from both sights. That's nothing new in the avatar world and also in ours. We sure can make ships like we want, but if they happen to be real, wouldn't that make their whole situation somehow awkward? Like Suki and Zuko having "an affair" while Sokka doesn't know anything. Or Sokka making up with Toph because they don't have anyone left. This does not only bring some people in a bad light, but also let the characters seem desperate. I wouldn't like the idea that Sokka lost a love again or that Zuko and Suki cheating, which speaks against their natural characteristics and morality.

So what's the conclusion?

As mostly seen many aspects are based on personal preferences. There are hints of a relationship, but there must not be one. This vision is clearly on the readers mind whether they believe the signs or not. I wouldn't doubt the possibility of their relationship though. There are evidences and there is no clear story in between the comics and the start of LoK. I wouldn't mind if Tokka really happened, but I would not state it as the only truth. As a Tokka shipper, I would say yes to the theory, as a Sukka/other Sokka-ship shipper probably no. Feel free to have your own opinion based on this entry, because that's only what's left.

#aang #gaang #atla sokka #atla #avatar aang #avatar #sokka #avatar sokka #toph beifong #toph #suyin beifong #lin beifong #the legend of aang #legend of korra #suki #zuko #prince zuko #fire lord zuko #tokka #sukka #zuki #kanto #lok

[fedoranonymous]

Infinite List of Beginner-Friendly Anime Recs: Trigun

"I am known as Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton-Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser III. Don't hesitate to call."

tl;dr I questioned someone’s recommendation for someone else’s first anime on the basis that people who are unused to anime might like something that’s less than 20 hours long and tells one complete story within the first hour or so, and 20,000 words later I decided to make my own post(s) because I clearly had Feelings

26 x 30 minute episodes + 1 x 90 minute movie | watch it: netflix (?) | hulu | amazon prime | funimation 

insurance agents go looking for a legendary outlaw in the Wild West But IN SPACE (tm) so that they can accurately estimate how much damage is caused by this humanoid natural disaster. damage still accrues.

Follow the Read More for more convincing and trigger warnings (to my best recollection)

Features:

less “space western” and more “western in the space”. Other than some pieces of Lost Technology (TM) this is a pretty standard rooty tooty mcshooty until you get into the Worldbuilding

the fact that the primary cast consists of one lovable doofus who just Doesn’t Know Why Everyone Keeps Shooting At Me and two insurance adjusters who are following him around to try and keep track of how much damage he causes still cracks me the fuck up

the best excused recap episode of all time re: they’re insurance adjusters. they have to SEND the rePORT ahahahahaha brb dying

one of the official summaries called Vash “more doofus than desperado” and like. yeah. yeah. you get it.

you thought Aang’s Technical Pacifism was good but Vash manages to not kill people while creating a torrential rain of bullets. For real. If you like the idea of action movies but hate seeing blood, most of this show is gonna be excellent for you and the rest is gonna be okay to good.

Wolfwood. Just. Give me this midwestern hick priest with his drive by confessional and his money grubbing ways and his heart of gold (ThInK oF tHe ChIlDrEn) and his literal cross to bear (do not google because spoilers but yeah) and his somehow keeping up with Vash when Vash has been an impossibly skilled fighter for like 8 episodes so far. Yeah he’s only in like two episodes. He’s still a great character!

pretty much every recurring character is Wholesome As Fuck and I’m here for it. Tons of quotable moments about how you can never give up and you have to keep moving forward and the inherent coolness of people and yeah. Just a good uplifting show with a whole lot of wasted bullets.

that time Vash has to pretend to actually be every rumor that has ever been spread about him and immediately starts singing “ladee dadee died~ genocide~ ladee dadee dud~ an ocean of blood~ let’s begin the killing times” because he is actually a five year old sometimes and i love him so much

impeccable animation, character design, sound work, etc would I recommend you something that would be painful to enjoy? I mean I guess you wouldn’t know, I could have outstandingly bad tastes, but no you cannot go wrong.

“Repeat after me: This world is made of! Love! And! Peace!”

I might say “x anime did better in the US in Japan” with more or less accuracy, but Trigun abso fucking lutely did so well in the US it got a movie over a decade later because that’s how long it took for dubs to come out back in the late nineties and early aughts. Surprise surprise, Westerns do better in the West. It’s also got the violence porn balanced with a specific precious moralizing that vibes well with a predominantly Christian audience balanced with genuinely awesome humor. Trigun truly is the anime for people who don’t like anime.

Watch Out For:

General warning for violence, guns being the answer to every problem, mostly implied body horror, at least one serial killer, this might be the show with the (implied?) cannibalism someone fact check me, child endangerment (to be fair it’s the child doing the endangering by sneaking in where he isn’t wanted), alcoholism, and general rough times. There’s something really poignant that’s escaping about how God abandoned the world but us humans don’t have that luxury, it’s that kind of setup.

Honestly special shout out for the specifically very accurately Christian proselytizing considering that it’s a Japanese production and as a rule Xtian imagery in anime tends to be used like, say, grecoroman imagery in Hollywood. Occasionally accurate but usually just kind of generalized meh. It was a plus for the overall production but if you’re on my blog it might be a minus for you.

Episode 4 to the point that it’s regarded as borderline ooc. A woman is tied up in such a way that she’s dangling from the ceiling and Vash makes a beeline to try and see up her skirt. It’s an obvious gag and nothing is shown iirc (to be fair I only watched the broadcast version), but I know some folks would like the warning especially after the previous point. It’s a shame because the rest of the episode is really good, it’s an adaptation of the pilot chapter that got Trigun greenlit, but the scene is fairly standalone so should be skippable. Just look for Vash’s eager puppy look and go forward about two minutes.

Millie Tommygun, being the cheerful, optimistic one of the two main girls, can be treated kind of shittily by the narrative, which is hilarious considering Vash’s Whole Everything. I think Millie has internalized the idea that she’s the stupid one to Meryl’s Sarcastic Genius, but also Millie’s the one who figured out who Vash is first and just generally the one who calls people out on their bullshit, with a smile, which is literally their jobs. She’s never unlikable, though, unlike Meryl who needs to defrost to Vash’s Whole Everything despite having Millie for a friend. Perhaps they only just met on this assignment? Otherwise idk why Meryl ain’t used to it yet, probably some heterosexual bullshit.

Any time Knives is in the summary. Remember that “at least one serial killer” yeah that’s Knives et al. Shit has to get darker before you can see the light shining through.

Overall Trigun is such a good anime. It’s just. Have you ever wondered what Avatar the Last Airbender would be like if it was an East Asian author writing about Western tropes? Now you know.

#eli's anime recs #main trigger warnings are body horror ultraviolence and the existence of at least one serial killer #and overt xtian themes? with all of the previous #possible cannibalism too i think this is the one #it's a good show but it is Dramatic As Fuck #also for fuck's sake if you know the show and I missed something please chime in

[littlemisssquiggles]

Hey what did you think of this week's episode it was really good and i fell like everything came full circle. What do you think of ironwood actions. I also see ozpin returning to help oscar soon since I imagine that neo is probably just bring oscar to cinder as soon as she realizes it is ozpin but I do not know if she knows about Ozpin and salem's war tho...

Hey there Dagger. I thought this week’s episode was pretty great, actually =D Easily one of thebest episodes of the season so far for this squigglemeister. In regards to Ironwood, would it be weird if I said that I’m halfand half on his actions from last episode?  

It’s one of those rare moments whereyou expected something to happen given how things were being staged but stillfind yourself being shocked when it does go down, y’know what I mean?

Like I was actually expectingIronwood to go off on Team RWBY from as early as CH9 but when it didn’t happenand our heroes once again got away with their deceitful actions towardsIronwood, I was left feeling like the Writers were once again playing off yetanother scenario where the heroes did something wrong while portraying theauthority figure challenging them on their actions as the bad guy when inactuality, they were more in the right than the heroes. I figured it was goingto be just like Argus again. But no, the Writers subverted my expectations withIronwood giving into his Baobab and turning on our heroes, calling them out fortheir deceit. And to that, I clappedbecause I’m sorry, they deserved it.

I know Team RWBY are supposed to beour heroes and therefore as ourheroes, I’m always supposed to view their actions as some brave act ofrighteousness done for the greater good---but I’m sorry fam. I couldn’t get behind anything our heroes have done since…welllast season.

For the folks who’ve been followingmy posts since the start of V7, you know that my stance has always been that the heroes were heavily in the wrong fortheir deceit towards the General. I did not agree with that one bit nor didI buy into their reasoning for it either.

So seeing them finally receive theircomeuppance as a result of this is the poeticjustice I’ve been waiting on since V6. In a way, you can almost say thatour heroes unintentionally were partially responsible for the creation themonster that is Heartless Ironwoodsince their deceit provide fuel to the Baobab that’s been manifesting withinhim since the Fall of Beacon.

Don’t get me wrong---Obviously I amnot in favour of Ironwood’s new plan to shoot Atlas into orbit while abandoningthe People of Mantle especiallyafter he promised on camera while standing in the presence of Robyn Hill---theproverbial voice of Mantle---that he wouldn’t leave them behind ever again. Formost of V7, we’ve observed the results of Ironwood’s neglect of the Mantle andits citizen. This was what made the moment in CH11 so virtuous and benevolent.It was great to see Ironwood finally take a stand with the People of Mantle andspeak towards looking out for their well-being. All the more reason why seeinghim go back on his promise to Mantle feels so disheartening. This was themoment where Oscar’s words about keeping one’s humanity even in their pursuitof their accomplishments came back into play. I’m not trying to say thatIronwood losing his humanity wasn’t properly foreshadowed. I’m more saying thatit still doesn’t make it any more disappointing as a fan of his character tosee him fall so low and to witness yet again that Mantle is the unfortunatevictim caught in the wave of Ironwood’s descent. So yeah; I’m not happy with whatIronwood is doing to the people of Mantle.  

However, at the same time I’m not mad for the General reacting theway he did towards the heroes. In my opinion, the heroes deserved this punishmentsince their past actions put them in this position. The one thing Ironwoodasked of them from the get-go was to reciprocate the trust he was willing---emphasis on willing---to offer them. Instead theheroes actively chose to lie to theirAtlesian allies from the start and continued to do so up until the point theywere called out for it. The only reason the truth managed to come out in someshape or form was due in part to Oscar’s encouragement. Yes I understand thatRuby also agreed to tell Ironwood the truth too and it’s actually a decisionthat she and Oscar were on the same page about. However, the difference betweenRuby and Oscar is that Oscar was shown to disapprove of the team withholdinginformation from their Atlesian allies. He even challenged Ruby on the matter.

Not once has Ruby has been shown toregret her actions towards the General. On the contrary, she seemed rather indifferent about it even whenchallenged by Yang about the subject. The one time we’ve seen her express doubtin her decision to deceive Ironwood was in CH4 during her conversation withQrow, which I’d like to believe was influenced by her talk with Oscar at thestart of CH3. Though initially apathetic on the matter, I could at least tellthat Oscar’s words weighed deeply on Ruby’s subconscious after their talk. Allthe more reason why I was disappointed in Qrow for actually encouraging Ruby intheir deceit of their Atlesian allies. Especially coming off the outcome ofwhat happened back in Anima with Oz and the Lamp.

Apologies if I sound like I’ve beenharping on Ruby a lot for this volume but I’m afraid I have to because hercharacterization for V7 hasn’t been favorablefor me. However if there is one takeaway from the Writers’ approach to Ruby’sstory for V7 that I liked a little is showing more of those “faults” about her that Oz mentioned toOscar about back in V5.

“…In some ways, yes but in many others…no. She has quirks. Her faults, just like everyone else. But she also possessessomething unquantifiable. A spark that can inspire others even in the darkestof times…”

“This must be really hard on hertoo.”

“It most assuredly is.”

For many seasons, Ruby has beenplaced on this pedestal as this voice of guidance and inspiration within thehero team. In spite of her young age and her initial shortcomings in the past,we were able to watch Ruby grow into the role. While the leadership was thebadge she was graced with based on Oz’s decision, over the story, we watchedRuby slowly and surely grow to prove that it was a title she was meant to have.She earned it of her own diligence.

But like every leader, at somepoint, you waver and make poor decisions that end up bringing the worst outcomefor you and your team. What bothered me about the way Ruby was written so farfor this season is that it never felt as if she genuinely thought that heractions towards Ironwood and their Atlesian allies were wrong. The show always portrayed her with this sort of bright smilethat, to me as the viewer, gave the impression that she’s almost blissfully naïve to the cause and effectof her own choices.

Basically the point I’m trying tomake here is that in her own Ruby way, she became arrogant. Without even realizing it for herself, in an ironic way,Ruby didn’t just mimic Ozpin’s behavior. She also became just like Ironwood,mimicking the same behavior that became the basis for her choice to deceivehim.

Doingwhat you think is best for everyone while completely ignoring the ramificationsof what your choices might do to others and/or how it might cause others toview you in the end once the action is committed?  

Wasn'tthat not the reason Ruby and by extension, the other heroes used to explainwithholding the truth from Ironwood? Don't tell the General the truth becausehe was doing what he thought was best for the People of Mantle while ignoringhis reputation in the eyes of the People of Mantle and how his actions wereaffecting them? Didn’t our heroes not commit the exact same feat but with theirAtlesian allies?

Basicallythe main point I’m making here is that, in trying to do what they believed wasthe right call, everyone made the wrongone. It’s not as one-sided assome folks might think. It’s not so much that Ironwood is wrong and the heroesare right or even Ironwood is right and the heroes are wrong. From myinterpretation, everyone is in the wronghere. Both sides have done bad inthe name of good. And both sides need to understand this very importantfactor.

However,at the moment, both sides are too ignorant to really listen to each other andthe rising tensions caused by the evacuation/abandonment of Mantle and theimpending arrival of Salem isn’t helping the situation. Despite being two sidesof the same coin---our brave faction of heroes and so-called protectors ofhumanity, they are divided.

Whatthe group needs more than anything now is a middleman.An impartial voice. Someone who hasspent time with both sides and has earned their respect or at least, the trust of their leading figures (i.e.Ruby and Ironwood). Someone who has listened to the rationales of both sidesand understands what either was tryingto accomplish with their actions. Someone who never took a side but rather identifyand spoke out on the flaws in either side’s actions.

Onnormal circumstances, Ruby would’ve been that impartial voice given herinfluence on her team. However right now, I highlight doubt that Ironwood (orany of their Atlesian allies for that matter) would be willing to listen toanything Ruby has to say after what has happened.

Itis for this reason why I’m looking to Oscar to set things straight. In previousmusings and theory posts, I’ve advocated for Oscar to be the smaller, more honest soul to mend thetethered bonds of trust within his team. I figured he would’ve played a role inOzpin’s reconciliation with his former team. But now we have the tension withIronwood.

Thisis what I believe the season has slowly been building up to with Oscar. I believe Oscar will be the one to finallytalk some sense back into Ironwood. You’ve heard me quote this once ortwice before but last season, Watts remarked that Ozpin was the only person whocould talk sense back into James.

Originallymy assumption was that Oz would’ve return to the PLOT to help with that.However, while I do want to see Oz return, I feel like Oz being the one to talkto James might somehow undermine Oscar’s development for this season. V7 has steadilybuilt Oscar up to be someone whose advice Ironwood might look towards when he’sat a loss. Not to mention that this season has also been slowly building upIronwood respecting Oscar as himself and NOT“another life for Oz or Ozma to live”.

Sowith that thought in mind, I want to see the payoff of this development for Oscar. I want it to be a case whereIronwood comes to accept Oscar as a worthy successor to Ozpin while still respectinghim as his own person.

Iwant Oscar to be the one to talk sense into Ironwood and talk him off the cloudof conceit he’s risen into. Even if it means having to actively fight him first to get him to listen tohim. It’s a shame Oscar can’t simply just project Ozpin’s soul as some kind ofastral projection before Ironwood to see. And no I’m saying that should be hissemblance. I’m just saying it as an idea.

Oh!As a matter of fact, what I would actually dig is a parallel to V5. Remember that scene with Lionheart where Oscarfirst drew the Long Memory, surprisingly Leonardo and prompting him to say“…Ozpin?” only for Oscar to smirk and cheekily respond “Not quite.”

Ithink I need a mirror of that moment with Ironwood now. I need Oscar toapproach Ironwood with this kind of commanding aura about him that demands hisattention and respect---a presence that James had only once seen reflected inthe eyes of one man named Professor Ozpin.

Imagine a moment where Jamessees Ozpin mirrored in Oscar and in a similar manner to Lionheart, it promptshim to ask “…Ozpin?”

Onlyfor Oscar to respond, in a gentler tone. “…Notquite”

Becauseit wasn’t Ozpin. It was Oscar. But now he was channelling some of Ozpin’sinfluence (as per his guidance) as ameans of getting James to finally listen to him, which he does.

Ithink that kind of moment would be great for little barn prince. Maybe it couldeven be complemented by Oscar glancing back at an apparition of Ozpin standing over him with a proud smile on hisface at his growth since his absence.

Imagine if…this moment evenencourages Oz to take more of a backseat within Oscar’s mind; relegatinghimself to more of a watchful guardian role, silently continuing to watch overOscar from the back of his mind while only offering advice when Oscar asks ofit.

Iknow some Ozpinheads want Ozpin toreturn to the story. However, let stress this by saying that Oscar is meant tobe Ozpin’s successor. The one to take his place in time. While I don’t mind Ozsticking around to look out for Oscar, I can’t picture things going back to theway they were before with Ozpin constantly taking control of Oscar’s body.

Itwas for this reason why I was glad that the show took him out of the story fora little bit since it allowed for Oscar to learn how to stand on his ownbearings while forging his own identity within the team. It was a way tofinally have Oscar step out of Ozpin’s shadow and earn his own respect amongstthe peers that he gained through Oz. While I didn’t always agree with the waythe show executed this development on Oscar’s part, my views on the outcomestill remain.

IfOz is to return, I expect him to be more of a bystander while Oscar continues to pull the reigns moving forward.Picture it as being equivalent to watching a father raising his son; helping inhis development from boy to man. At some point, the son grows up and the fatherhas to take a step back in order allow him to continue to grow on theirown---only returning when his guidance is asked of him unless it’s desperatematter of ensuring Oscar’s protection.  

Itis at this point I expect Oscar and Oz to be more in harmony with one anotherthan they’ve ever been with Oz watching Oscar continue to grow into hissuccessor until the time comes for him to become a part of him. At least,that’s how I see it.

Ifanything I’d much prefer it if Oz only returned to lend Oscar some of his poweron the battlefield. While I share in your theory of Oz returning, I’m not sure if Oz will be the one to help Oscar with Neo.

Based on the way CH11 ended off, itappears that JNR might be the ones to help look for Oscar. I’m not even sure ifOscar was even kidnapped. Some FNDM theorists seem to believe he was takenhostage by Neo while others believe he might be off on his own in pursuit ofNeo. I, for one, am indecisive on which theory I think it will be.

I’m starting to lean more towardsthe notion of Oscar pursuing Neo on his own since I like the idea of Oscarbumping into JNR along the way and the four of them devise a clever scheme tolure Neo into the Tetris Training Room so that they can corner her and take herout in a similar manner to Neon of FNKI.

But in the event that Oscar has beenkidnapped, I do like your idea of Oz returning to help him out of that trickyscenario. I’d like to think that Neo is aware that Oscar is Oz since Cinderknows and she probably would’ve told her back in Mistral. Speaking of Oz, perhaps, with his guidance again, Oscarmanages to free himself from Neo’s captivity, blindsiding her and retrievingthe Relic back from her before making his escape.

As a matter of fact, instead ofbeing kidnapped, how about the idea of Oscarbeing probably off somewhere in a game of cat and mouse, trying to protect theRelic from Neo who is hot on his tail.

Perhaps…after Neo took out the droids, Oscar blindsided her and made a quick dashbefore Neo could get the Relic off of him. So for all we know, Oscar could besprinting through the halls of Atlas trying to avoid Neo. Atlas is a bigpremise since its home to the huntsmen academy and the military in addition tothe Vault and the medical facility that’s secretly housing the Winter Maiden.

So Oscar could be anywhere on the premises trying to desperately get awayfrom Neo. What’s worse is there is potential for that to actually provemore difficult for Oscar than one might realize. Since Neo’s semblance isIllusions and since she’s able to mask objects with her semblance, imagine…poor Oscar being trapped in anillusion where he’s running around in circles unsure of which direction to gosince let’s say…Neo masked off all the real exits----making any exit Oscar stumbled up berevealed to a dead end while the deadends were the real exits. Or something like that. Picture Neo toying with Oscar is that kind of way. Even worse ifshe disguises her as one of his female allies who he might desperately wishwere there to help him (like Ruby or Nora).

And with Ironwood locking offcommunication between our heroes, Oscar is probably a poor sitting duck unlesshe takes Neo head on by himself. I mean, it’s ain’t bad as a Pineheadheadcanon.

That being said, I hope the showgives us a nice little flashback of what happened with Oscar in the lastepisode. I hope they actually deliver on that explanation this time but whoknows. Overall, I hope this answers you, Dagger.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2020)

#squiggles answers: rwby #oscar pine #general ironwood #rwby neopolitan #rwby theories #rwby volume 7 theories #rwby volume 7 spoilers. pinehead headcanons #squiggles pinehead headcanons #daggerpawstudios #squiggles answers