#i also had a fascination with missing persons cases at one point

[lovebirdgames]

Rebecca’s story doesn’t take center stage in Band Camp Boyfriend. Her presence is small, but her influence is large. Did you know you can hear Rebecca’s voice on the phone? Were you able to spot the family’s gravesite? And can you name the two moments her thoughts came through in the voice of another? 

Or did her presence go completely over your head? Heheh.

#bcb spoilers #doodle #rebecca #fun fact I heard that campfire story in fifth grade #because what better story to share with ten year olds than a woman killing her entire family? #i also had a fascination with missing persons cases at one point #so the two kind of got combined #it's actually true that there are a string of unsolved children disappearances in PA #rebecca put those kids back where they came from or so help me #anyways my aunt visited yesterday and was telling me this wild story about her house being haunted #and she could feel this hateful malevolent force in my cousin's bedroom #I was like omg just like BCB #and then she ran into someone who was like oh yea im kind of a ghostbuster want me to check it out? #then the ghostbuster was like you have a portal in your closet #wild stuff #I would have been like BYE THIS HOUSE IS FOR SALE NOW

[corioheinous]

Can I just say how much I love love love it when a character or a group of characters are haunted by the absence of a person who was once integral to their lives. Especially when the entire narrative is structured around that particular loss like hands down my favorite television shows right now are Fleabag and The Bear which are both Masterful fucking examples of this (Fleabag’s dead best friend, though you could probably make a case for her mother too, and Carmy’s dead brother respectively).

And it’s like. The loss of these loved ones is so inextricable from the characters that survived them to the point where everything they do and say every choice they make whether good or bad is ultimately influenced by their grief. I’m catching up with the current Blue Period arc right now and really enjoying it, mostly bc of the complicated friendship dynamic between Momoyo, Murai, and Hachiro—and the lone piece missing from their friend group—Sanada. Murai’s experience with grief in particular is so fascinating to me because unlike Momoyo and Hachiro, he hasn’t been able to “move on” or cope with his grief in a healthy way. It’s sort of become this unsurmountable weight on his shoulder, this ghost-like presence that looms over his character constantly. When Yatora reflects on his loss in ch. 62, there’s an interesting emphasis placed on Murai’s expression—

—which made me realize just how emotional of a character Murai is through his facial expressions alone. Not necessarily in this chapter, because he’s very much putting on a brave face, but in chapter 64, you practically witness him going through every stage of grief at once. It’s honestly a massive transformation given that he’d been stuck in the “denial” stage for so long.

I think it’s interesting to think of Murai as both a character who is avoidant, repressive, in denial about his own feelings and the reality of the world around him (it’s mentioned also in ch. 64 that Murai didn’t even attend Sanada’s funeral, which is exactly the kind of immature behavior/inability to cope that you would expect from a character like him) WHILE simultaneously being someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. I reckon he forces himself to feel nothing at all out of fear that he’ll feel too much at once, and thus end up causing a scene like he did at Sanada’s posthumous exhibition.

Besides the cool back tat and funky earring, I wasn’t all that compelled by Murai’s character until I read through this chapter and experienced this entire emotional upheaval alongside him. I kind of just had to sit down for a bit after reading the last scene, after Yotasuke’s Murai-san, it’s okay to live your life holding onto that grief forever, isn’t it? comment which is such a bonkers thing to say (/pos) and God. Not to quote The Bear FX here but it really is satisfying to watch a character that you know needs to let it rip just let it rip. That laidback attitude and nonchalant expression of his were never truly the whole of it. I’m really satisfied with the way grief & loss has been framed through Murai, and I’m excited to see what his character becomes as he continues to both carry these feelings inside him and live to grow around them.

#blue period #blue period 64 #yakumo murai #murai yakumo #character analysis #media analysis #grief/mourning #Ok time to catch up on the rest of the chapters lol let me make sure I’m actually cooking here

[crepes-suzette-373]

I once wondered if there's an "evil version of tsundere", and I just finally remembered that there are. It's called tsungire or yangire. Basically it's like tsundere and yandere, but without any visible "affectionate" (dere-dere) moments.

Like, I usually say "tsundere" here because it's what people know more, and I haven't found the correct term yet before, but I think yangire/tsungire are more appropriate terms.

Well, you can argue that the "dere" is sort of there in the anime, but it's not really there in the manga.

The tsungire and yangire are typically just cranky/crazy by default, but they might sometimes have a target of obsession. Sometimes, there's even a very very very lowkey "dere" feelings for that target. Doesn't have to be romantic, but it's things like caring, affection, concern, companionship, etc.

If/when they do, they don't make an obvious show or talk about it. Outwardly it's just a constant stream of barbed wire, and if the dere is actually there, it's kind of hard to filter out from all the violence/insults (according to Pixiv anyway).

That's it. That's what Niji is doing. He's really like a feral alien who doesn't know how human behaviour works and even if he's being nasty it's fascinating to look at.

This here is probably the yangire:

And then it feels more like tsungire here:

(basically that whole part of Germa returning to cover for the Straw Hats' escape, starting from him taking the initiative to ask about the Straw Hats on the phone)

More serious analysis (sort of) below.

Niji acting like this to Sanji is about the same like Law insisting he doesn't like Germa in the comics, but rambles on and on and on about them to the point that the fandom for the most part just agree that "He totally is a Germa fanboy".

I wrote this post about why I think the brothers actually all wants to get along with Sanji, they just have a very terrible perception of what is "normal" and what to do when something is "not normal".

And see, my read of why Niji in particular is so fixated on Sanji is this:

Until proven otherwise, I think this means they had to re-train Niji to also take over Stealth duties because there will be nobody to wear the Stealth suit. And I think Stealth Black missing is what's making Niji so crazy about this.

Not necessarily because he hates doing stealth, but for some people, the awareness that "something is supposed to be here, but isn't" is very aggravating. Even if they don't actively interact with or particularly need "the thing", just knowing that it's not there makes them abnormally hyperfixate on the "thing" instead.

In this case the "thing" is a "someone", but the point is the same.

For whatever reason, there is this "shadow" of the Number 3 space that is constantly present in Germa. The number 3 raid suit exist. There is the number 3 chair ready for Sanji somehow. It's like they can't ever forget that "number 3 should be here, but is gone" no matter what they do.

And because Niji is probably the one affected the most, both because of his personality and the practicality of how things work, he is the one that lashes out the worst.

He doesn't like that Sanji isn't there. When Sanji's there, he's behaving "wrong" and that makes Niji mad.

(Plus, the alternate take on the Stealth technique is that it actually has nothing to do with Stealth, but he himself called it that because he's just so fixated on "Stealth Black" missing, which is kind of even worse)

Also:

Once again, now that we know Sanji can do this, I desperately want to see him and Niji both do that vanishing act to an enemy and just kick that enemy to oblivion.

#one piece #germa 66 #vinsmoke brothers #vinsmoke niji #vinsmoke family #vinsmoke #vinsmoke siblings #analysis #theory #niji #I want to see niji and sanji team up #vinsmoke sanji #black leg sanji #stealth black

[sailforvalinor]

As I've finally finished Ten's run...my thoughts on all of Ten's companions (in an order that makes sense to no one but me)

Martha:

I have...complicated feelings about Martha. I'm going to be honest, for her first few episodes, I did not like her all that much. Of course, the thing is, you're almost not supposed to like her at first. One of my favorite things about series 3 and 4 is that Rose very much haunts the narrative--you can feel her presence in Ten's thoughts, how her absence informs his decisions, almost as if she never left. Martha's role, at least in those first few episodes, is to make us miss Rose. She's a plot device. I don't think this is the case for the rest of the season, she has a lot of compelling things going for her character--her complicated relationship with her family and her desire to travel with Ten partially being due to her wanting to escape their chaos were really interesting. Also, her studying to be a doctor while traveling with the Doctor could have been a fascinating plot point if it had been utilized more often--but unfortunately, I think everything her character had going for it was too often muddied up by the "one-sided pining for Ten" plotline. I'm by no means opposed to the plotline in and of itself, I actually quite like it, but halfway through the season it started to get annoying to me. Like, I get it, him kissing her in episode 1 and then asking her to travel with him is really confusing, that's totally understandable, but after that long of traveling with the guy and him making it extremely clear that he doesn't like her like that...like, girl. Give it a rest.

(Not that Ten is entirely blameless in this situation--this man has never heard of a healthy coping mechanism. He just wanted Martha to travel with him because he was lonely, nothing else, but didn't make that clear at all. His refusal to even acknowledge her feelings, which he was perfectly aware of, and have a healthy conversation about it wasn't helping matters.)

I loved how they handled her exit in Series 3, however--I loved how Martha acknowledged that their relationship wasn't healthy for either of them, and that she needed to get out. (Ten staring as his shoes in that scene...gosh...)

And, with the one-sided pining plotline out of the way, I loved her appearances in Series 4! I loved how she actually got to be a doctor and do cool stuff! Also, I know her ending up with Mickey in the end is a very blatant Pair the Spares move, but have you considered: I do not care. I love them. They are so cute. (Didn't Martha have a fiancé in Series 4 though? What happened to him? Did he die or something and I missed it?)

Also, Martha is the most obvious example of what the Dalek's argue in the Series 4 finale--that the Doctor cannot help but make his companions into soldiers.

Donna:

Donna!!! I'll admit, I was pretty neutral about her in her first appearance--but I was so excited to have her back in Series 4. It was a breath of fresh air to have a companion who was very clearly a friend rather than another love interest, and her dynamic with Ten was so different than with any other companion. Their banter was so entertaining, and her lack of tact, though it got her into trouble sometimes, enabled her to say important things to Ten that Rose avoided saying for fear of jeopardizing their relationship, and Martha would have regulated to passive-aggressive muttering under her breath. (Thinking of "you talk all the time, but you never say anything" -esque conversations.) She cuts through Ten's bluster with relative ease, and it's fascinating to watch.

I also love that her traveling with the Doctor helps her grow as a person, flying in the face of Ten's belief that he destroys everything he touches--until the memory wipe, of course. Still, the Doctor Donna is still in there. (Also, was I supposed to think that the woman in white in The End of Time was Donna? That's what I assumed, but I'm not sure if I'm right.)

Rose:

Believe it or not, when I was thirteen years old and tried to watch Doctor Who for the first time, I did not like Rose Tyler. I thought that Rose was annoying, and that Nine was too angry and scary. (Thirteen year old me only got as far as The Doctor Dances, forgive her.)

I liked her much better the second go-round--I think the moment I was really sold on her character was her whole Bad Wolf moment, which makes sense. Her character growth throughout the series is by far my favorite, though I'm not sure I could tell you why. I'm going to try, though!

I think one thing that's pretty easy to forget about Rose is that she begins as quite a similar character to Donna, in that she doesn't have all that much going for her in her day-to-day life--she didn't do all that well in school, didn't go to university, is working at a department store (a job which she loses in the first episode), is living with her caring but rather foolish mother, and is dating a well-intentioned but pretty immature guy. It's a little startling at first glance how quickly she's totally on-board with traveling with the Doctor and being in so much danger all the time (even before she's in love with him), but it makes sense when you consider how little there is left for her at home. There's her mother, there's Mickey. That's it. And once she's seen the beauty of the universe, despite how dangerous it is, she just can't go back.

Just how sold-out she is for Ten (and vice-versa) is one of my favorite things, but also, one of her greatest strengths is her empathy. She's not brilliant like Martha, or a soldier like Jack, or a Time Lord-to be like Donna. What she has is a compassion that allows her to connect with all kinds of people--with a dying Dalek, with a terror-inducing little boy who is really just looking for his mother, with a housewife who is terrified of her abusive husband, even with a time-traveling man responsible for a war-ending genocide of millions.

I'm not going to go too much into Tenrose here (because I talk about it enough on this blog), but I find it so interesting that Rose represents healing to both Nine and Ten. Ten makes it very clear in the Series 4 finale that Rose saved him from himself--and not even intentionally, just by being who she is. Her influence on him is just that strong. (Please excuse me while I weep.)

As I mentioned earlier, I love how in Series 3 and 4, Rose is not physically present, but you can feel her haunting the narrative. You can almost tell when Ten is thinking of her, when her absence or influence on him causes him to make certain decisions, even though he talks about her pretty rarely. And how rarely he talks about her makes her into a sort of mythic figure for both Martha and Donna, making her return all the more incredible.

I also love that it is Donna who keeps seeing Rose everywhere and is so involved with her return. I sort of see Donna as someone Rose could have very easily become if she had never met the Doctor. They both also understand him in a similar way, though their relationships with him are fundamentally different. If the universe had allowed it, they would have been best friends.

Also, while it's sad for Ten, I loved the Tentoorose ending. I honestly couldn't see ending it any other way and keeping the integrity of Doctor Who's themes.

Finally, it has to be said—Ten and Rose are just so much fun to watch. They’re so happy together. They grin at each other like idiots. Ten does not smile like that with that amount of frequency for anyone else in the series, and I’m so unhinged about it.

A few random thoughts on some other assorted companions:

Mickey: Mickey my beloved!!! One of the things I love about the writing of these four seasons is that they are very aware of their own writing--they know that they're making Mickey into the third wheel, but they're also very aware of that fact. Seeing an arc like this handled with such self-awareness was so cool to see. I liked how Rose didn't immediately leave Mickey for the Doctor, she tried to make their relationship work, but they both eventually came to see that their relationship was immature. I also loved how he had his own arcs independent of Rose, and his character growth in those arcs were just incredible. I also think he has some of the most underrated performances in the show--the scene in Pete's World where he finds his grandmother makes me want to weep. And, of course, I love him and Martha together.

Astrid: Liked her quite a lot, I just don't get why we need to be throwing love interests at Ten all the time. Give him a break.

Jackson and Rosita: I mean, I get it, but also...huh??

Christina: Why. Why. Why.

Wilfred: 10/10. No notes.

#this is unhinged and disorganized i apologize #also these are opinions not an academic thesis please treat them as such #doctor who #tenth doctor #rose tyler #martha jones #donna noble #val cries over a madman with a blue box #tenrose #tentoorose

[dmercer91]

ebug’s sister, dm91

part one / part two 

pictures saved from pinterest !

blakefriarr_

liked by dawson1417, jesperbratt and 3,493 others

blakefriarr_: my brother’s an ebug (and i’m his personal taxi, so i get to make these); episode 2!

feast your eyes upon pretty country boy, approximately seven seconds after full body LAUNCHING himself into the glass where i was standing and then grinning at me like a GOON

followed by (oh) captain (my captain) nico hischier looking like he’s just witnessed something absolutely diabolical occur on the ice

and following THAT we have daws (again!) getting an empty netter and thinking, hey! what would it be like if i were a puck? he promptly had that question answered for him. amen.

view 401 comments..

jackhughes: when did this become the dawson mercer show

→ blakefriarr_: when i met dawson mercer??

jackhughes: i got no mentions in this one

→ blakefriarr_: fine. this just in!! captain nico hischier was not WITNESSING something diabolical. that was just alt cap jachary hughes skating by and creating a death cloud of axe phoenix

→ jackhughes: jachary?????????

→ blakefriarr_: that’s what you get for yelling at me in my own comment section 

username293832: honestly i think that’s just nico’s resting face at this point

username83232: is she a wag?

→ username1241212: no! she came with the emergency goaltender they keep in the crowd in case someone gets hurt. my guess is she’s just really talented at making a lasting impression 

nicohischier: there is something so wrong with you, like, fundamentally

→ blakefriarr_: yeah but in like a weirdly great, entertaining, fabulous and fascinating way, right?

→ nicohischier: i don’t want to agree with that but i also can’t lie

→ jj.friar31: @/nicohischier what have you DONE

→ blakefriarr_: @/jj.friar31 i’ve been insufferable since the admin first commented on my post don’t act like he’s confirmed anything new

→ jj.friar31: at least you can admit that you’re insufferable 

→ blakefriarr_: god it’s like i vacuumed up all of your personality and kept it for myself when we were fetuses you’re like a cold unsalted mcdonalds french fry

username49876: she’s so real for having mercer be the focus in every photo

dawson1417: i can confirm i was really wondering what it would be like to get hurdled around at lethal speeds for sixty whole minutes 

→ blakefriarr_: how was the free trial?

→ dawson1417: can’t say it was particularly enjoyable 

→ blakefriarr_: i enjoyed it 

→ dawson1417: you wound me

dawson1417: and don’t act like i didn’t make you laugh during warmups

→ blakefriarr_: goon is a good thing <3

→ dawson1417: yay :)

→ jj.friar31: 🤨🤨📸 

jj.friar31: do i need to print off the ten commandments and stick them on the fridge again?

→ blakefriarr_: that’s the funniest thing you’ve ever said get back to me when you sign an elc

→ jj.friar31: would being called to get on the bench count?

→ blakefriarr_: no.

jj.friar31: on a completely unrelated note, @/dawson1417 do you see me as a teammate?

→ dawson1417: @/blakefriarr_ what do i say to this 

→ blakefriarr_: say no you gorgeous, gorgeous individual 

jesperbratt: do you have a second account for more serious posts? asking for a friend (the friend is dawson)

→ dawson1417: why’d you have to do me like that i told you nvm 😭

→ jesperbratt: and miss this golden opportunity to embarrass you?

→ blakefriarr_: dawson you can’t blame him entirely you just liked my post from may of 2021

→ dawson1417: oh shit must've been some other dawson

→ blakefriarr_: you’re verified, honey

view more comments..

#ebug’s sister series ! #dawson mercer #dawson mercer x reader #new jersey devils #hockey imagine #nhl imagine

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

final thoughts on the fox fella + new smol cat boi

What I find the most fascinating about Fellow isn't the character himself but rather the fandom reaction to just seeing his design. It was a tsunami of thirst unlike anything I had ever witnessed before. People were switching up oshis entirely, those who had never made a self-insert or yume before were suddenly making ones specifically to be shipped with Fellow, it was WILD. He's a homewrecker/j I support any and all Fellowives out there👍

That being said, I'm surprised that I feel so... lukewarm about him overall????? I'm usually all gung-ho for the smiling scammer types but for some reason Fellow just doesn't resonate with me. I'll admit that he's very good-looking (I love the colors of his suit, the cravat, the colorful patched up pants, and especially the silly little half capelet thing hanging off of him). His expressions are also very fun, with some favorites being his super smug smirk and the knowing, slightly-off kilter smile. However, there's just something about Fellow's personality that doesn't sit with me quite right. I know it's not the "he's a Red Flag!! RUN AWAY NOW!!!" thing either, because I love Love LOVE red flags in fictional characters 😭

Fellow is good at charming people off the cuff and using deceit to compensate for his low magical reserves, which in of itself is intriguing. It’s also admirable that he wants to start his own school for non-mages and low-magic mages to mingle, He’s an adult that still keeps the spirit of childlike wonder alive, and that makes him fun to follow. Those are the traits of his I like.

But I get the vibes that Fellow isn't as clever or as impressive as he likes to think he is...? He's full of himself but can't exactly back up his words with action. That's not meant to be a diss at his magical prowess, he's lacking in other areas as well. Like, he's a fully grown man picking fights with kids because of a personal vendetta... and he’s steering the kids home while the island is sinking and relying on them to rescue them in case anything goes wrong?? That’s just irresponsible. Not to mention he doesn’t seem to plan ahead?? How does he not know he’s kidnapping many famous and/or powerful people with families might come after his ass if they go missing?

I think that it doesn't help that the "pathetic" vibes were being conveyed in a lot of fan art well before the twist; it only adds to his "patheticness" and it gets to a point where it's too much for me and then is no longer appealing. I can get on board with him and gloating and wanting to crush kids’ dreams because same/j but not when he’s panting and wheezing and desperately tackling them for their tickets to tear up. He doesn’t feel like a genuine threat without the support of his backers. I would still say I like the character and will happily rag on him, but I wouldn't bark for him or anything (though I will grant him points for coming close to winning the cage makes it better/j).

What I appreciate about Fellow's character is that it shows us a darker side to Twisted Wonderland. I don't necessarily think his initial motives are that deep (he's after fat stacks), but I think the sentiment behind the motives are. It pulls back the curtain and reveals an ugly truth about his magical world and the roles that money and privilege play in it. We aren't exposed to many instances of this, but they are, in fact, there (like when Yuu was insulted by Riddle in book 1). It's finally getting attention front and center now—I just wish they had gone deeper with it.

What's currently got me invested in following Fellow is his relationship with Gidel. I love that they're a "found family" (they're "sworn brothers") and that Fellow seems to look after Gidel... Telling the NRC boys not to put stupid ideas in Gidel's head, walking off with Gidel at the end, recounting the times they scammed together, putting his arm out in battle to keep Gidel behind him... (or maybe I'm just delusional and want to believe the fan art LOL). I'm such a sucker for the trope of the protective big brother 💀 Unfortunately, we don't get a ton of canon moments in the event... Like damn, not even details on how they first met or how they found this job or why specifically Fellow cares for Gidel??? I don’t like that for all that we’re told about how hard the duo’s past was, we didn’t get to hear a lot of explicit detail about it (especially when it is so inherently important to their conflict with the NRC crew and their turn at the very end). I just gotta pray their eventual card next Halloween will give more insight into this.

He’s a character I like to think about mainly because his background as a failed mage student gives me a lot to chew on in terms of questioning the world’s lore and how their society is structured. Fellow himself is good for a few laughs, but it isn’t long before my mind strays, if that makes sense. I’m not chomping at the bit, but I don’t exactly detest the guy??? I guess you would call it ambivalence; I’m only fixated on certain aspects of him (the looks, the lore he provides, and the onii-sama potential).

I don't really have much to comment on for Gidel, but I have to say that I like having mute representation and more magicless characters in the cast at large. His outfit is also very fun; I like how it incorporates colors you don't normally see slapped together (that shade of yellow and purple) while still looking cohesive. I keep looking at Gidel's design and seeing a mix of Cheka and Ruggie though (because of the fluffy hair, eye shape, and stature). He very much reminds me of a smol doggo I'd bump into on a walk home and spend ten minutes standing there and considering adopting it.

As I said in my thoughts on Fellow, I think Gidel is at his best when he's in his little brother-big brother dynamic with Fellow. He's just a little guy trying his best while Fellow's trying to lead them. I think that's something the whole fandom can agree on, since I see sooo many people shading Fellow for his actions but the same people squealing and patting Gidel on the head and claiming he has done nothing wrong (despite being complicit in, and actively helping with, the trafficking operation). I guess it's because Gidel is still a child and may not fully understand the implications of it???

It's very sweet and genuine that Gidel demonstrates an interest in going to school and learning—but Fellow, who has been disappointed by the world of magic academia, warns Gidel against it. In his own way, he's keeping Gidel from what he sees as an uppity, shallow realm that will crush his hopes and dreams. That's Fellow's version of "protecting" him. It's a way of telling us about their relationship without outright stating how Fellow feels about Gidel. In return, Gidel also supports him and whacks him a good one when Fellow’s down in the dumps.

I'm sad that we didn't get to see more of their dynamic in the event (like we only see them having a meaningful interaction at the very end), but maybe that's just because the fandom works have set my expectations high. Unfortunately, all those sweet moments of Fellow and Gidel bonding are seemingly confined to just fanart and fanfiction, since very little is mentioned or even implied in the event itself. I'm hoping that (assuming they get a card together next year) we get to see more glimpses of their daily life in the associated vignettes.

#twisted wonderland #twst #disney twisted wonderland #Fellow Honest #Ferro Honest #Gidel #Gidell #spoilers #notes from the writing raven #ask game #character opinion bingo

[grandmother-goblin]

Okay, I swear I'll be done talking about how I miss EA Wyll for a while after this (not to say I don't love Full Release Wyll! I love him too! I just grew attached to certain aspects of EA Wyll)

One thing that I found really interesting about EA Wyll was his relationship with Mizora. In Early Access, we do not meet Mizora, but it's heavily implied that Wyll and Mizora had an entirely different relationship than the do in the Full Release version of the game. A relationship that I personally thought was really interesting!

Now, I'm drawing from knowledge from MONTHS ago since I don't have EA in front of me, but I did have 500 hours in EA so I like to think I'm not completely misremembering stuff lol (if I am, please kindly let me know!)

Here is what we knew (or was implied) about Wyll's relationship with Mizora in Early Access.

Mizora originally came to Wyll as a human, seemingly seduced him as a human, and it was only after he took her deal did she reveal that she was a devil (which pissed him off).

Mizora was kidnapped and imprisoned on the Mind Flayer ship too! In EA, Wyll wasn't looking for Karlach, he was desperately trying to find Mizora! (In EA, you could find Mizora's pod beneath the bridge leading to the Blighted Village and Wyll would comment on it. The pod is still there in Full Release, but there isn't any interaction with it.)

Wyll was actively in negotiations with Mizora to end his pact! Wyll seemed decently convinced that she was going to wilingly end the pact too!

Mizora actually uses Wyll's Sending Stone eye! This one was easy to miss; you had to have Wyll in the party as you were approaching the Goblin Camp for the first time. As you were walking, you suddenly heard Wyll say something like "Wait... hello??" and then he'd a ! over his head. When you spoke to him (I can't remember the first line exactly, but I believe he just tells you that it was Mizora reaching out) and then the interaction ends with a desperate cry from Wyll saying "Mizora! Where are you?!"

When Wyll calls out to Mizora, it's not angry; it's fearful and desperate. Like he's actually worried about her. I think this points to Wyll and Mizora having a more amicable relationship (but, of course, there are different and equally valid interpretations of this such as Wyll fearing for what might happen to him if something happens to Mizora, etc)

Wyll could potentially torture an innocent man to get information on Mizora's whereabouts. If I remember right, he will do this if you don't step in yourself and let him make the choice.

Lastly, Wyll also says the goblins would be doing him a "great favor" if they killed Mizora, "or so [he] thought on his darkest days" (quotes are approximations, again, I don't have EA in front of me).

I guess I miss the potential complexity of Wyll's relationship with Mizora from EA! In Full Release, it is very clear that Mizora is wicked and Wyll pretty much hates her, but that didn't seem to be the case in EA. There seemed to be a fascinating push and pull to their relationship that I was dying to learn more about!

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #grandmother goblin grumbles #wyll ravengard

[silvermaplealder]

The lost boys are all at least some level of queer and not just because David's actively thirsting after Michael for the entire movie, but those boys are really physical with each other. I mean- they constantly be touching or standing really close to one another. And as a gay man who's lived in several conservative areas, let me tell ya, straight men don't like to stand that close to each other or be touched. It wasn't until I was around other queers that it was normal for a man to casually touch a man's shoulder, or put their hand on their back, etc. And hell yeah you share drinks from the same bottle, or share cigs and joints. I'd say this pack of vampires are at least all queer to some varying degrees. I'm not saying Marko's a sub for David but damn that boy definitely takes orders from David without hesitation.

So I've compiled some evidence for you to enjoy of the vampires being touch-y with one another in chronological order lol. Enjoy!

This one is very well known so of course I have to put it here. Right in the opening scene too:

And then there's this one. I actually almost missed this one, but if you look, either Dwayne or Paul has their hand on David's shoulder. Like there's no reason to? But he does it anyway:

And about two seconds later, Marko touches Dwayne's bicep. Terrible quality, sorry:

And another iconic photo, Paulie's hand on Dwayne's shoulder. Damn Dwayne's left shoulder gets more action than I do:

This one is really just a bonus of Paul standing really freaking close to David. I mean personal space, right? David's shoulder is practically in Paul's chest.

Now this one I find really fascinating. This is right after David gives Michael the joint, and the reason I find it interesting is because probably... ten-ish seconds before this David puts his hand on Michael's shoulder and Michael shoves it off. But this time he let's David do it. David stares at Michael a lot:

I'm going to say Paul doesn't give a crap about personal space because here he is in Michael's face after he pats him on the back:

Michael and Marko vibing:

I think this is such a cute one. Marko put his arm around Dwayne and Dwayne then returned it. So adorable! I had to edit it a little bit because it was very dark:

This next one is a small bonus, but just know that currently David has his arm around Michael (and I'll show that in the image after):

And then when the camera moves, you can see that David's arm is around Michael's back (you can see his wrist sticking out from his jacket just a bit. As he moves to face Michael you can see his hand move to Michael's shoulder):

And y'all know that after Michael falls from the bridge he's caught by David.

I left out some smaller things such as Paul playfully shoving Marko when getting on his bike and the kicking during the bridge scene. But I rest my case. These boys don't mind physical touch between each other, and even actively seek it out. Which, with 4 men living and sleeping together and being very co dependent, it just screams queer all over the place. Even in the book it mentions that the cave is larger and has other tunnels, but yet they'd all rather sleep together 🥺 ALSO just gonna point out that when David turns people, he makes them drink his blood, but at the end of the movie Max just goes to bite Lucy? Unless that's a perk that only the head vampire has, seems a little sus that David wants everyone to swallow his fluids

#tlb 1987 #lost boys #the lost boys #the lost boys 1987 #tlb david #vampires #dwayne tlb #tlb #marko tlb #tlb paul

[accio-victuuri]

this is now a bottled joy related cpns blog. 😂😂😂

no… but it won’t stop and i have become fascinated with whatever it is they post and how it’s being interpreted.

( let this cute human being invite you in to read 🥹 )

just when i thought they had already done the most to cue cpfs, they prove me wrong and do more “outrageous” things…… you’ve probably seen some things floating around today but this is my attempt to put things in one place + add some that i missed from my previous posts ( one / two / three / four / five )

let’s start with the main topic right now, about bobo’s alleged renewal and what an employee said during a livestream + some customer service chats.

There has been some talk with the renewal since his contract expires in September, and with all the alleged cpf-bias, you might expect that Bottled Joy don’t get the usual love from so/os. There was a chat asking when will wyb’s contract expire and the answer is “renewed”:

Then in their livestream they put the message: “don’t ask, already extended the contract”. LOL. and also said there will be good news in September, which is when it’s supposed to be renewed. So watch out for that. I personally like their cooperation, even if this whole candy digging didn’t happen.

This guy also said something very nice during the stream : "You can't control Yibo, you can't even control yourself, you can't even control your emotions, if you are an adult, try to calm down your emotions" 💯

I agree with this message so much. This is not just a message to so/o fans — it also applies to us. We don’t control WYB or XZ. We don’t own them. No matter how much money or time we spend on them, they are not required to make us happy to somehow “pay that back”.

for the chats, it’s bxgs sending messages. p1 is the person sending well wishes to yibo since it’s his bday and by extension, to xz, they also said that when the official announcement is out ( their relationship i think ), bottled joy should be in the main table. the chat support replied with received. p2 is also sending a message to yibo and replied with they will try to convey this to wyb too.

I don’t really buy that much into these chats cause the people behind these customer service “bots” are required to make the customer “happy” and in that case being very agreeable. it doesn’t really put much weight into the whole “cpf-bias”. I think they will be sweet and kind to any customer who contacts them.

================

here are other examples of why we think they are aware of what CPNs are going on in the circle.

P1 ( posted 7/25 ) has a caption saying: It is said that if you collect all these five tons ( bottled joy tumblers ) you can travel to 2026 and the kadian for the time it was posted is 18:23. These numbers are so well known if you are a cpf. P2 on the other hand, captioned as: Ton ton don’t know anything, it’s all from the boss @UNIQ-王一博. The whole “don’t know” joke is from a recent cpn too. again, interpret this as you will, it’s too much to be a coincidence at this point.

Today, the shared the One and Only special edition bottle. The kadian is 23:28 ( Love Zhan, Love Bo )

their continuous spotlight of the green ( yibo themed ) and pink?? ( guangdian colored ) bottles that cpfs love. they shared a spongebob x patrick post and then after that is a shot of those bottles. probably to represent zz and wyb who we know love the two.

Lastly, another speculation is that WYB and XZ somehow “own” bottled joy. It doesn’t help that during the livestream, it was mentioned that there is a boss behind the scenes. and that the anchor asked his “boss” if he can talk about the renewal and he was given the go ahead. I personally don’t believe this but I understand why some people are onboard. At the end of the day, support their works and endorsements responsibly. 👍🏻

-END.

#yizhan #bjyx #there is no science here i’m just clowning like i always do

[therealeagal]

Hades

You know, I've mentioned before that I don't care for certain genres of video games. It's because I'm a scrub who hates losing and a fake gamer who likes games that are easy, and in neither case have I the patience to Git Gud.

On the other hand, I've also mentioned that I am endlessly fascinated by Greek mythology because I'm a nerd. It's always interesting, if a bit over-exposed. How about a game about mythology other than the bloody Greeks and the Norse? I'm lookin' at you, Kratos.

I guess there was that one Hinduism game some years ago. What was it again? The dude with the multiple arms and the giant planet sized dude who tries to crush the hero with his finger. I think it started with an N...ok I found it. Asura's Wrath. I was way off.

Didn't get enough credit if you ask me.

If one were to make a game based on mythology, perhaps there's something from Africa that would make for an interesting concept. I don't know, I'm just spitballing. Preferably one that doesn't involve freaking Anansi, because he's overexposed too.

ANYWAY.

So I picked up Hades on the strength of being a nerd, not because I had a sudden change of heart viz a viz rogue-likes.

Cast in the role of protagonist, one Zagreus, son of Hades and (so he formerly believed) Nyx, respectively the god of the Underworld and the goddess of the night.

But some how that I forget, young Zaggy discovered that Nyx is not truly his mother. His true mother is actually named Persephone and that's a whole thing, but suffice it to say, she left the underworld at some point because reasons and hasn't been seen since.

Anyway, so then young Zaggy must fight his way out of the underworld in search of his mother. Along the way, he receives help from several of the gods who reside upon Mount Olympus, who are his uncles and assorted cousins as well as his grandmother (who doesn't know she's his grandmother. It's a very top secret hush hush sort of thing), Demeter.

Then middle middle middle, everyone lives happily ever after. Except not really because they're doing a sequel, but I'm sure that game will have everyone living happily ever after. Except for the Titans, I guess, but fuck them anyway.

====

So anyway, as to the gameplay, I was prepared for a slog, and mightily did I toil until - while searching the settings for the volume controls (it's a very loud game) I discovered a nifty little option in the settings menu called God Mode. Fake gamer that I am, I naturally took the opportunity to activate it, providing 20% damage reduction, which reduction would grow incrementally 'pon my inevitable death, capped at 80% and rarely did I turn it back off.

It really does make a world of difference. What once promised to be an unbearable slog was now instead an enjoyable game.

The deaths I still suffer on occasion (on account of being a fake gamer) still manage to advance the story 9 times out of 10, and always manage to entertain and at no point do I feel overwhelmed or frustrated by needless difficulty that the devs refuse to accomodate. Well, except when using the bow. I know it's supposed to be the strongest weapon, but I'm more of a button mash kinda gamer. Perils of being a filthy casual, I guess. Gimme Excalibur any day of the week.

The only thing missing is a sword beam and a Japanese highschooler who wants to be a hero.

That's a reference by the way. It shows that I am very clever. But it's an anime reference, which cancels out the cleverness and instead shows that I'm a jackass.

P.S. If you are offended by my use of God Mode, which invalidates everything that you - as a REAL gamer - went through to Git Gud, then please remember that I warned you several times throughout this post that I am both a filthy casual and a fake gamer, so... well, I won't tell you to eat all of the shit and then die, because I am a nice person, but I will think it. Really hard.

P.P.S. This is totally unrelated, but WHY DID THEY CHANGE THE WAY THAT POSTS ARE MADE? I HATE THIS FORMAT (is that the right word?). WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE OLD WAY!? NEW IS BAD! CHANGE IS SCARY! ARGNOEHAOAFEHJKHSGDGSHGJKDHGJKDGHDK!

#hades supergiant #hades game #greek mythology #kratos #hades #zagreus #demeter #persephone #hades 2

[toddandersonspen]

Another one of my DPS Headcanons

Posting one of these again because I think this is one of the longest I have written so far and I thought of sharing it to you guys <3

If poets (+Mr. Keating) are at the theme park:

Neil: He is the type of person who would be the first to ride all the available rides and eat all types of snacks he sees until his pocket money eventually runs out. He also encourages Todd to interact with people because he wants Todd to experience the feeling of meeting new and unfamiliar people and knowing their story.

Todd: Being the boy he is, he would just follow along with the group and will probably throw up the moment they go back from the theme park. If he wants to go to a ride, he would awkwardly face the ride like signalling everyone “hey can we ride this one?” And Neil will always notice it. He pets the stray cats but Charlie says that the cats might be too dirty too touch ( :((( )

Charlie: He might be the one who would spend the most money in the trip. The group will challenge him to approach a girl and he would occasionally come to one of the girls in the theme park to probably flirt with. He makes sure everyone is on sight and no one of them goes missing

Knox: Would occasionally find himself stumbled upon the booths where it sells some romantic stuffs (Teddy Bears, chocolates, flowers and etc.) And he would hide it at the trunk of the car. He is probably the one who would ride lesser rides.

Gerard: He might be the one who would bump into kids often. He, Meeks and Cameron could be also debating about how the ride was being operated. “Come on, is there no ride that would make me vomit?” He also asks to take a picture of him while posing to a structure

Meeks: He is so fascinated about the technology of the rides to the point that he would just stare and observe at it instead of joining the group on riding it. Before going to one of the rides, he puts away his glasses, put it in one of his pockets to prevent it from getting lost while at the ride (he learned from his experience as a kid). Would probably make some wild theories on how the rides could’ve be originated

Cameron: He is the one that “insisted” on joining the ride but joins in anyways. He had an argument with one of the operators because the ride is not available and is currently going under maintenance.

Mr. Keating: He would encourage everyone to go by themselves and as for him, he would just buy a snack and sit in one of the benches to read a book and admire the beauty of the place. He would also greet the passer-by’s and is the one who would do headcounts to make sure everyone gets home safely. (He is such a father figure)

Idk if there is already an idea about this but please lmk just in case!

#dead poets society #dead poets fandom #headcannons #dead poets headcanons #dead poets fanfic #todd anderson #I LOVE the gay poets society #I wish gay people were real #carpe diem

[givemeanaccountalready]

A Who-Swung-It Mystery: The Case of the Switch-Hitter (2/3)

1 / 2 / 3

Another fun fact before the cut, did you know that the term sinister, meaning evil or lurking danger, comes from the Latin term sinister, meaning of the left side? Its antonym, dexter, means on the right side.

Just the warning one more time: despite the humorous title, I want to be serious for a second. I am not a licensed psychologist/psychiatrist/licensed social worker/etc., and I am certainly not an expert on dissociative identity disorder (DID). My knowledge of this disorder comes from the research I have done to try and understand it. I am trying to be as respectful as possible towards the subject matter, and I sincerely apologize if I show a lack of understanding and will do my best to correct it. Any mention of DID is more focused on switching since we haven't got a clue as to how Mikoto developed DID, and the how isn't really important to the murder itself.

Again, I apologize for the length. Building a case against Mikoto has been a proper pain in my ass because of the constant misdirection from John. If you missed it, I argued that based on the behavior shown by Mikoto and John, I believe that Mikoto is the killer and John is attempting to shield him by taking full responsibility. John's acts of erasing what Mikoto has done led him to believe that his murder of the blond, young man seen in MeMe was just a bad dream. I also drew a connection between Mikoto and John and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I just find it fascinating that John is depicted as the Hyde to Mikoto's Jekyll, but instead of wreaking destruction, John provides Mikoto with protection by playing into the evil alter trope and claiming he had been the one to kill. I also talked about switch-hitting and why batting left, despite being naturally right-handed, is something Mikoto would do, not John.

If you'd like to start violently shaking me again, feel free!

One or Two: How Many Alters are There?

Ultimately, my theory hinges on the belief that it is just Mikoto and John. Initially, I believed that there was only Mikoto and another personality (the dual personalities, collectively called Bokuto and Orekoto until Neoplasm). Then, after seeing some really good Trikoto arguments (Aokoto, Akakoto, Midorikoto) that justified it with the existence of a third personality, I started believing it too. Now, I'm hearing that Yamanaka debunked the Trikoto theories when Double was first released, I'm back to thinking that there are just two personalities: Mikoto and John. Although, I would not be upset if Trikoto was right. Those were some really thorough arguments using lighting, and I ended up looking back at the use of lighting when I was analyzing MeMe.

A huge part of the Trikoto arguments were the use of blue, red, and green lighting throughout MeMe. That is when I noticed something about the red light. While red light overwhelms the mental mindscape whenever John appears, the use of red light in the physical world is rather minimal and only used twice. Both times that it is used the physical world, it involves the victim's point of view (the left-handed swing and the implied burial), and the red light is a small amount reflected off of Mikoto's eyes.

MeMe's Use of the Mental and Physical World

In MeMe, we can very clearly see the difference between the physical world and Mikoto's mindscape. There are no moving parts to it, and it is isolated to one location. His mindscape is combines the layout of his studio apartment (we can see his couch, coffee table, and TV stand) with the crumbling tile walls that seem to come from his bathroom. The physical world in MeMe depicts various locations, starting with the scene of the crime and ending inside of Mikoto's apartment. We are also shown two scenes where John gets rid of evidence by burying the body (implied by the dirt being tossed over the camera) and throwing out the bloodied clothing in the dumpster (explicitly shown).

The physical world scenes use green-blue tints, and I found that the use of more green lighting than blue or vice versa is subjective to a viewer's definition of which color is more dominant and it is inconsistent, making it difficult to tell who is fronting. Personally, I think it is used to help misdirect the audience because the color of the lighting and the behavior of Mikoto and John are inconsistent.

The mindscape does not have this problem. Not only does it have a stark division between Mikoto and John by using the peaceful blue water to represent Mikoto and the stained water/red blood to represent John, but it also has blue mindscape Mikoto and red mindscape John behave how we expect them to (Mikoto is confused and pleading while John is mocking and menacing). It's pretty clear that the image Yamanaka wanted when we think of John is red = aggression. Perhaps the overkill of red light in the mindscape is to make it clear that John is now fronting and in control, while the minimal use of in the physical world is to highlight how hidden DID can be or how switching can be ignored or written off. In addition to the lighting, I would like you to also take a look at the use of eyes, tarot cards, and right-left dichotomy in MeMe.

At the very beginning of MeMe, there is a red haze over the mindscape and we see who we can presume to be John pick up the camera and smile at the audience. Then it cuts to the two large tarot cards of the Hanged Man (reversed) overlapping the Fool (upright) in the blue mindscape. The reversed Hanged Man is on the right while the upright Fool is on the left. From what I can tell, a reversed Hanged Man seems to mean that a person feels as though they are sacrificing a lot without getting much in return or it is not turning out the way one would expect it should. Knowing what we know about Mikoto's workplace, this might be referring his boss overworking him with unrealistic expectations. It overlaps the upright Fool card, which usually represents new beginnings. This could refer to John's 'birth' but I think it probably represents Mikoto being hired at his company. The stress from the overwhelming work load now overshadows this amazing new opportunity.

We cut to the train tracks to witness the part of the meeting and murder of the blond man. If you look at the area, it’s secluded and dark. It’s not a place where you just take a stroll. Mikoto is waiting for someone. There is no bat, and it looks like Mikoto is loosely holding his phone in his hand. We cannot make out his expression, much less see his eyes. Then we jump forward to the victim’s point of view to see Mikoto ready himself for a left-handed swing. His arms make it hard to see his expression, but we can make out his left eye, which is reflecting red light. During the right-handed overhead swing, implied to be the kill swing, we cannot see Mikoto’s eyes. And, I didn't realize this when I first watched MeMe and Double, but MeMe actually does pose the idea that Mikoto seems to believe that he dreamed of killing a person, something Double insists on. The lyrics during the murder shown in MeMe ask, “How long would this dream go on?”

When Mikoto returns to his apartment, Yamanaka avoids showing us his eyes at first. After taking off his shirt, it looks as though Mikoto is looking back at the audience, but his hair is blocking most of his right eye. We then cut to him on the couch for the "Switch / Shake up that brain" line where we can see his left eye but his bangs hide his right eye completely. Then, we are first transported to the blue, clean water mindscape where his right eye is the one that opens. I think this is the early evidence that we are meant to associate Mikoto with his right side and John with his left, because there is so much left and right action going on in both songs that I'm getting a headache. Back to the couch, Mikoto reaches for a tarot card, and the mindscape world turns dark and has a laid out array of tarot cards overlaid his stacked deck where Mikoto first picks the Devil (upright) tarot card. The upright Devil tarot card usually signifies depression, addiction, or despondency. This could be the stress from being overwhelmed with work. It is supported by the glitchy cut following this, where we see Mikoto come into his apartment late at night and break down into tears.

Again, we cannot see Mikoto's eyes when he disposes of the trash bag and his bloody beanie or when he brushes his teeth (right side of his mouth, actually) while his left cheek is splattered with blood. We have more focus on the left-right split where Mikoto has his left hand beside the bathroom mirror as John looks on in concern. And then we see Mikoto's right (and visibly covered by his sweater sleeve) hand rest beside the mirror as John gives the creepy, menacing smile. Mikoto reels backwards and the Devil tarot card falls into his lap. Coincidentally, John doesn’t appear in the mindscape again until the Devil tarot card falls a second time and hits the water of the mindscape, turning it blood red. It almost seems accidental, with Mikoto watching the tarot card fall to the ground in horror. John stands behind him menacingly, but his eyes are hidden. We don’t yet know his intentions, but with the menacing red light, we are led to believe that they are bad. The Devil tarot card being repeated three times could signal Trikoto, but I think this may just be to establish John's existence before Mikoto got his current job. He has been there, watching Mikoto with concern (first mirror appearance), and then John was proud of being able to intervene with something that had happened, possibly creating the blackmail material (hence the proud smile in his second mirror appearance). Neither mirror appearance is directly preceded by a Devil tarot card. The second mirror appearance actually comes before the tarot card. I could see the mirror appearances predating the Devil tarot card as a sign that John attempts at helping Mikoto relieve his stress only made things worse, leading directly to the murder.

After we see John in the mirror a second time, Mikoto seems to stumble backwards before he falls while the lines, "Why am I here? / It must be a mistake? / Take a good look at me / Until you find me" plays. I would argue that this is when Mikoto meets with his victim. They're two adults meant to talk things out. This is just a mistake that can be cleared up. This is when we see the Devil tarot card-for the second time overall-fall into his lap. The victim lays out his blackmail threat. Mikoto is despondent, and when he picks up the card, the image burns away. The lyrics played are, "The truth will come to reveal itself / I will NEVER forgive you if this is happening to me even though I'm right" and I think this is when the seriousness of the situation hits. The mindscape is still blue as Mikoto sings, "All those ridiculous accusations" and then when the Devil tarot card falls to the ground, the mindscape glitches from blue to red to blue to red for "Hurting it / Holding it down". Now, this could be a sign of Mikoto starting the murder (at minimum, he delivers the first, left-handed swing of the bat) and John ends it by disposing of the evidence. Who delivered the second, deadly swing can be debated. I lean towards Mikoto delivering the deadly blow, and I will get to it in a minute.

This third appearance of the Devil tarot card directly precedes John's appearance in the mindscape, implying that John took over during some immensely triggering event. Based on how Mikoto seems to be frozen with horror during this time, I think this was when Mikoto realized that he had killed someone (hence the "My life... it wasn't supposed to be this way," glitched line from the first voice trailer. He cannot comprehend what he had just done, and John took over to dispose of the evidence, so Mikoto can just disregard this as a dream. Because Mikoto and John are both present for, "It doesn't change anything, does it / It's the same anywhere I go / It's like what's wrong isn't wrong / I'm already the fake one" it is hard to tell who is singing, but the self-pitying language makes me think of Mikoto, not John. Mikoto just wants to go along and get along but everyone around him insists on making trouble. First the victim threatening to get him fired, then Es insisting that his little dream was reality, and then Kotoko attacking him.

I think that when the mindscape turns red a second time, it is supposed to represent the switch during John Doe. Mikoto is pleading for Es to answer him and truly see his reality, “Why am I here? / It must be a mistake, right? / Take a good look at me / Until you find me,” and then he snaps, briefly turning the mindscape red on an overhead view. It’s almost as if the switching is done on purpose. From what I've read, forcing alters to switch can happen, but it is not advised because of the potential repercussions within the system. More than likely, Mikoto snapping before switching with John symbolizes Mikoto facing another trigger, this time the reality that his dream of killing someone wasn't a dream, and then John taking over to protect that belief. But it’s John’s behavior and the lyrics that we see while the mindscape turns red again that I want to focus on: “Hey why, / I’m nowhere to be found / So / I will NEVER forgive you if this is happening to me even though I’m right”

John is taking Mikoto's words and actions as his own. He takes the passive aggressive remark of Mikoto's refusal to forgive and makes it a clear threat and draws the tarot card. He doesn't do it the same way, though, because this time he clearly shows off the tarot card rather than letting us look over his shoulder. John has his eyes closed, upturned to match his smile, and then they open as his expression turns cold. While his eyes are closed, we see the back of the tarot card, and when they open, he turns the card so we can see it. It’s the Fool tarot card, which again, generally signifies new beginnings. We flash to more tarot cards lying on the table before John pulls out the Death (upright) tarot card and then John moves to punch the camera. As many people have already stated, the Death tarot card doesn't mean actual death, and usually signifies a major change has already come, is currently happening, or will come soon. With the Fool and Death tarot cards combined, John is making it clear that his role as Mikoto' protector is now going to become proactive as he plays up the idea that he is the uncontrollable, evil Hyde to Mikoto's even-keeled and good Jekyll.

I'll admit that this theory of mine has its weaknesses. Primarily, it's the stupid blood splatter on Mikoto's face while he is in the physical world. When he strips off his bloodied clothing, there is a blood splatter on his right cheek, but when he buries the victim, the blood splatter is now on his left cheek, not his right. In the shower while he brushes his teeth, the blood splatter is on his left cheek. That pokes a hole in my only one victim theory. There is a chance that since the blood stain on his right cheek is very close to where his jawline and ear meet that the clod of dirt and the angle we see Mikoto at hide it during the burial scene. Just like how there's a chance that John took more care to make sure Mikoto's right side was clean since Mikoto is associated with the right side and John with the left. It is a weak defense. I can admit to that. But I hope I've provided enough evidence to help support my argument. Maybe that right cheek bloodstain is related to the blackmail material.

Why I think that it's John disposing of the evidence... it's like how I said it in the last post; while John is trying to be more proactive by taking the blame for everything to protect Mikoto, John is more reactive and less careful than Mikoto. In John Doe, John literally beats the shit out of Es, someone who holds the fate of Mikoto in the palm of their hand. Most people would not antagonize and threaten someone with that kind of power. John is short-sighted, and until he's restrained and forced to think and plan during Neoplasm, John's pretty terrible at actually helping Mikoto. Yes, we see him bury what we can presume to be the victim, but we don't know what happened to the murder weapon (the baseball bat that should be covered in blood and dents) and the bloody beanie was not stuffed inside the garbage bag before being tossed into the dumpster. The dumpster isn't very tall. Anyone could look in and see the blood-stained beanie. Despite showering to get rid of the blood on him, Mikoto clearly strolls into his apartment covered in blood splatters. Anyone could have seen him. Yes, he technically took care of ridding the blood evidence off himself, but John doesn't seem to have taken any precautions, like maybe turning his clothes inside out to try to hide the bloodstains. Mikoto is someone with a five-year-plan and takes the safer options in life to avoid messing it up. John wings it. And sure, it is very hard to prosecute someone for murder if you don't have a body, but I won't lie, I can easily see John deciding to bury the victim and murder weapon together so he can decrease the amount of time he has to spend at the crime scene. I know that it's not in the garbage bag, because you'd see an oblong object distorting the bag's round shape.

Now, why a dream? Well, the idea of losing his dream job and tanking his career before it even started is probably the scariest nightmare Mikoto could ever have. Denial is his modus operandi. He probably went to the tracks to meet his victim to try and talk things out like two proper adults should. John would have come out swinging as soon as he saw the blond. Mikoto, on the other hand, thinks this is just a mistake that can be talked out. When he sees the blackmail material, he believes it's too ridiculous lie, because how could he, the calm, kind Mikoto take pleasure in hurting someone? This can't be real. It has to be a dream, and in dreams, there are no consequences. And so he loses his temper and strikes. When the red haze of his temper lifts, he realizes what he has done and breaks. John takes over to spare him from this immense pain. He gets rid of any evidence (not well, but still) so Mikoto can wake up in the morning and sincerely believe that all he did was have a bad dream. A nightmare he just can't quite fully shake, if you want to look at the lyrics during the murder: "If I could go back / I'd play dead even though I'm alive right? / If I could end / If I could stop / How long would this dream go on?"

1 / 2 / 3

#mikoto kayano #john kayano #milgram #who-swung-it #i am too proud of that pun #I wanted to add more screenshots #but I can only add 30 pictures or links

[cboffshore]

You should know that I really appreciate and enjoy reading your analysis on why Jay-torture/sa is such a focus on the Skybound fandom. I haven't read much Skybound fanfiction myself, but it always bugged me how much of the Skybound fanart I saw on tumblr was related to Jay angst and little else.

Reading your essays also helped me word some of the feelings on the Danny Phantom fandom, of all things. If you're unfamiliar, the short version is that there's an enormous chunk of the fandom dedicated to depicting the main character getting dissected in a much detail as possible.

It’s better and worse than the Skybound fanfiction scene for various reasons, but both fandoms have an extreme obsession with torturing the main character, and your canary metaphor really hit the nail on the head. Why do so many people feel the need to be so graphic? Why do I have to walk through a swarm of dead canaries every time I want a muffin? Why do so many people claim this is the “best and most logical” direction to take the story when actual canon states otherwise

AND offers so many other interesting directions you could take the story but don't?

I very much see what you're trying to say with your Skybound essays, and I very much feel it.

Thanks! Speaking as someone who's read a LOT of Skybound fic, it honestly feels like I haven't read a lot because of how similar a LOT of it is. Obviously there are exceptions to the trend (such as your fics and mine), they're just tricky to find sometimes because you have to dig through a pile of dead canaries to get to them. One thing I didn't address in my essays was how it shows up in fanart, but that's also a symptom of it - the gore elements especially show up CONSTANTLY. It's almost like it's not legally a Skybound drawing unless it's Jay with his clothes half torn off and an eye patch crusted in blood. (Again: loads of exceptions there, but it's a HUGE part of fanon imagery.)

The Danny Phantom thing is interesting to hear - I don't personally watch that show, but I know people who do, and I've heard whispers of that dissection trend before. It's fascinating and weird what people fixate on and make into a huge trend, isn't it? Really sucks if you're not into the popular interpretations, though. There are so many other cool questions and angles to work with and we just... consistently end up with the same few ones.

I wonder sometimes if I'm flat out crazy for missing whatever secret sauce makes these fics compelling, but I just can't bring myself to like them. I truly do NOT get it. Ever since publishing that essay, I've learned I'm FAR from the only one who feels this way, but it's not something that's talked about very much at all! What really irks me is when people try to pass these interpretations off as canon and refuse to stop and think about the things they're seeing (case in point, if you didn't watch it go down yourself: a while back we had a liveblogger get to Skybound and be IMMEDIATELY hit with a handful Jay-gets-assaulted-for-sure-so-be-careful warnings, iirc, which... no???).

I don't know. It's weird. I'll stop blathering on about it now, but again, it's good to know the essay helped someone else. Thanks!

#lila speaks #aro tag #is that an okay tag for you? I don't have one yet and I think I'll need one maybe #operation: sorrow is all the rage

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

May I request a BG3 matchup?

30; afab agender; rampantly bisexual. Medical lab tech (not the cool kind), about to start grad school for forensic biology. I collect postcards and preserved specimens, and raise tarantulas + other bugs. Enjoy making nature journals, birdwatching, puzzles, music, theatre, museums, analyzing horror media, building models, working with clay, writing, reading, and board games (though I get a bit too competitive). Great in the kitchen. Autistic/ADHD. Get sensory overloaded easily. Love meeting people but mostly wish I could exist invisibly and not speak. Chronic pain limits physical activities. Most content during stormy days with candles and coffee, baking or doing a jigsaw puzzle with the windows open and music playing. Think I'm unattractive and obnoxious. OCD + bipolar dictate a lot of my brain. Tendency to word vomit and have difficulty articulating off of paper. Complain a lot and can be passive aggressive. But also like to see people happy and taken care of, and want to leave things better than I find them when possible.

A/N: Alright Tarantula Anon, since you mentioned you’re bisexual, but didn’t state a gender preference, I’ve picked out the best matches- one male and one female for you.

Your best Baldur’s Gate 3 Matches would be Astarion (Male) and Minthara (Female)!

➶ Astarion is also a character I would characterize as “rampantly bisexual” (or pansexual to be more specific in his case lol). Gender presentation isn’t something he factors into attractiveness. If he likes you, he likes you. If he thinks you’re hot, he thinks you’re hot, etc. You get the idea.

Being an immortal vampire, Astarion knows a thing or two about biology. Mainly about how to remain undetected among the human population. In the game, he explains how he never smells like a typical vampire or vampire’s den because he makes a point to scent himself with a mix of fragrances. And while he may not be a medical professional, he’s certainly had his fair share of anatomy lessons, be it distant viewings at the food of Cazador, from the many creatures he’s been forced to seduce. It’s not an exact equivalent, but I do believe he would be fascinated by the kind of work you do regarding live and preserved specimens.

And while I don’t think he’s a bug person (mainly because they were his one source of nutrition for so many years), I think he could be taught to appreciate them over time. Perhaps you could show him how all creatures, even small ones, are incredibly unique and have their own role within our vast universe. It’s humbling to think we are all so incredibly tiny and yet vastly important to the people around us.

There’s so much he’s missed out on experiencing, I think he’d quite like doing any of those activities with you: birdwatching, solving puzzles, listening to music, going to the theater or the museum, tinkering, making ceramics, writing, or reading, or playing board games… Anything! Everything! He especially enjoys the competitive nature of your games. He finds he quite likes the feeling of winning, and he plans on doing it more often. Don’t worry though, he’ll play fair. Well, fair for him, anyway.

He cannot eat so he doesn’t get to fully appreciate your kitchen prowess. But he does enjoy helping you cook. It’s strangely comforting for him to do something so domestic. It’s in moments like those, that he can see the rest of your lives together playing out.

Similarly to you, Astarion loves meeting new people. Or at least he thinks he does. So much of his extroversion was a facade, he’s not certain what part of his people skills are him and which parts were survival. So he needs time in between, away from crowds and strangers to calm down and recharge. He’s grateful that you often tug him away, reminding him to excuse the two of you before either one of you gets too overwhelmed.

He may not be a magic user, but he does what he can to support you in managing your chronic pain. He’ll get Halsin or Shadowheart or even Gale to lessen some of your symptoms. He doesn’t try to cure your condition, nor does he expect you to cure his. However, if finding a more permanent solution to your pain is something you’d want, he’s more than ready to take that journey with you.

He doesn’t think for a second that you’re obnoxious. And trust him on that. He’s met some of the most obnoxious, overwhelmingly annoying magistrates and lords in his first life. He assures you constantly: that you are nothing like them. You’re smart and kind and beautiful. Even if you can’t see it, he sees it for you. Astarion knows what it’s like to live with a body (and by extension a brain) that tells you you’re never good enough. There are still moments when he can’t see himself in a mirror for example, when he thinks of himself as a monster. He’s so grateful you’re there to comfort him and tell him otherwise.

His favorite thing in the world is to cuddle with you next to a large bay window, watching nighttime thunderstorms roll in, a book in his lap and you beside him.

☾ Minthara is often characterized as closed-off and cold. Which you could argue is true. Or you could see it as her being logical, and protective of herself and her heart. She is a drow, and by nature, well accustomed to the more gruesome side of human nature. She feels at home surrounded by macabre, whereas others may be disturbed. I think she’d find your work fascinating. And spiders are something she knows a lot about. Drows and spiders go hand in hand. She sees tarantulas as the perfect pet, they’re small enough to be contained but large enough to have personalities and be something incredible to watch.

She especially enjoys reading horror stories with you or visiting theaters or museums with horror exhibits. Perhaps one about ancient methods of torture- now that would tickle her fancy. And she appreciates your wit and candor when it comes to playing games or solving puzzles with you. So few people treasure such traits in a companion, but not her. She knows how important it is to have a discerning significant other, especially if you are going to be spending any time in the Underdark with her, where being perceptive is a must for survival. She loves your cooking. As a drow noble, she was familiar with the concepts of fancy feasts and indulgent desserts. However, due to her position, she could never truly enjoy them, for fear of being poisoned by enemies. With you doing the meal-making, she doesn't have to worry about that anymore.

Unlike you, however, Minthara is not that fond of meeting other people. She much prefers the two of you keep to yourselves unless otherwise necessary. People are tiring, and so often unimportant. She sees no need to waste her time and social graces on them. You’re the one she loves. If she’s going to do something with anyone or make an effort, it’s going to be for you and you alone.

She used to think admitting pain was weak, now however, she knows it takes an inner as well as outer strength. She will go to whatever length to ensure your comfort. Simply say the word and she will get it for you. In seeing your survival, Minthara has developed a great admiration for you as a person, seeing how resilient you are. That being said, she will not tolerate you speaking poorly of yourself. You are wonderful. You are strong in mind and spirit. You are intelligent and wise. You are gorgeous. You mean everything to her. She will not hear you put yourself down. She would not choose an unworthy mate, so do not think for a second that you are not deserving of her love and affection.

But by all means, do complain. The world can be so frivolous and pedestrian. She enjoys having someone who not only accepts hearing her own complaints but joins in with their own as well. You can be passive-aggressive in your grievances because she is extremely direct. If something bothers you, she’ll simply ask you if you wish her to kill it. And no she doesn’t care if that’s morally wrong, because for you, she would move heaven and earth if it made you happy.

She is fiercely loyal and now that she is your loving partner, you cannot shake her. She is utterly and wholly devoted to you.

#baldurs gate 3 x reader #astarion x reader #minthara x reader #bg3 x reader #bg3 imagine #baldurs gate imagine #baldurs gate x reader #baldurs gate matchups #bg3 matchups #matchups

[souryogurt64]

If I may ask, what series of events led to the bad headspace about bands?

I mean to be super concise about it I just think I got a little too much of interviewing bands and it started to become really negative for me.

I started doing it because I was really inspired and fascinated by the one billion interviews FOB did with random people with shitty Angelfire pages that were just transcripts of tons of interviews bands, and I wanted to like be that for some kid in the future where I was providing the most candid snapshot possible. Pete always did them and he had always been really nice and patient and you could tell he really was putting effort in no matter how shitty the website or questions.

However, now that I have done insane amounts of research, I think this was not really a normal thing but a thing that Hey Chris was partially facilitating via running the website. And it's probably why Fall Out Boy are Fall Out Boy and not like one billion other shitty bands. I don't think people really understood the project or my vision, which is fine and probably on me. Anyway--

People in Bands Fucking Suck

First and foremost, the bands were awful to be around most of the time. I get that's showbiz and I realize a lot of them were mean to me specifically because they don't think talking to journalists should be part of their job and they just want to "create" all day or whatever. And my zine didn't even have clout.

But it's hard to see one of your favorite bands the same way after the singer makes a really mean joke about how fat a guy in another band on the tour is, and then gets onstage and starts preaching about inclusivity. And then you have to decide if you're gonna put it in the interview or not.

It was also kind of disturbing because I just wanted to talk to as many bands as possible. But--especially when I was a younger-- I definitely felt that a lot of the bands thought I must've been a huge fan to ask to do this and saw me as a target for bullying and would do stuff like throw paper balls at my head or lock me out of the green room and then stand in the window laughing. It was all really dumb and juvenile and is expected of bands to an extent. But the thing that bothered me about it-- with the older guy bands especially-- was the fact that because they assumed I was a fan, they saw me as expendable, which I felt was egotistical and annoying.

Getting backstage

I would also be supposedly listed or supposedly interviewing a band and get stood up all the time. It wasn't as big of an issue when I was in college and had paid for tickets to the show anyway, but once I started to have to miss work (unpaid, I was a utility position at a brewery) for this stuff or the shows would be sold out and I had gone all the way there it started to really upset me. Once I got more experience interviewing, I started to realize that people weren't "forgetting," but PR people have a certain number of spots to give to press and probably just put me as a lower priority in case so-and-so from Rolling Stone was too hungover to show up or whatever and didn't care how that affected my life because I wasn't important.

In the same vein, I would be listed or have a band person/manager with me but security would be really difficult anyway.

Nepo Babies

As things went on, I also realized how many people in music are nepo babies. Some of them don't even want to be there. Many of them lack self-awareness to an extreme degree. They often don't care about the "cause" they're preaching for. They just don't want to work. That's all I'll say.

PR People

Once it got to a point where I was working with established bands and talking to "industry" people, it was really hard because I felt a lot of pressure to do/say what they wanted, which I know was on me. But they would string me along or bait and switch with very specific promises of interviews with real celebrities or other nebulous "opportunities" that never materialized.

They would also push me to edit the transcripts. I had no issues with fixing mistakes but it started to become "I don't like what they said, can you change it," which I didn't want to do. Part of why I only did transcripts is because people are way too sensitive and get upset with even nice things you say about them because, you should know, they're a bubble dream mermaidcore band and not a bedroom pop band or whatever.

Also, I was pretty young and naive and at first I believed these people really thought I was cool and had actually read something on the zine. As time went on, I realized they were lying and sending the same vague compliments like "we love your vibe" to an entire list of people with autofilled names.

They would also lie about reading the essays. I do not expect anyone to read the essays because they're long and insane. But I put so much work into them, it's really hurtful to have someone lie to about thinking they were good to try and get me to do something I don't want to do. Like, for example, interview a super racist band that was dropped by their label.

No Clout

I felt like it was hard to say no to everything people wanted from me because the zine had essentially no clout. In addition to the stuff with PR people, it was very reliant on the bands being okay with what I said and reposting it. I also felt a lot of pressure within the zine to be nice and say yes to everything instead of being honest or saying no.

I know the responsibility of gaining clout is on me, but the zine was always a just a hobby and I was not interested in spending all of my time following and unfollowing accounts on Instagram to be taken seriously faster. Also, it's more of an extension of my Tumblr, which has like almost 8k followers, but I wasn't about to like. Say that

The End

Anyway, everything kind of culminated in one shitty week-ish where:

1) a PR person we had been working with (who I did not like bc she lied about reading my gay My Chemical Romance essay) had promised us an "interview" with a bigger band. I had been doing a lot of feature articles I hated writing for artists whose music I thought was bad and I wasn't okay with writing them but then I'd end up doing it anyway in hopes of earning "ops" like this and for well. Other...Reasons. When we finally got the "interview" it was over email, several weeks late, most of the answers were like 5 words long and they obviously weren't going to repost it.

2) A band I really loved and had built a rapport with after interviewing them had invited me on tour and then cancelled last minute for the second time. The first time I got fired from my job for taking that much unpaid time off and had to start dogwalking in January. The second time I was out the flight money and the unpaid time off for tour. They--without being asked at all-- promised to pay me back and then ghosted me. I get shit happens and I'm not that important to the band but it is hard to deal with that kind of thing.

3) I had posted a huge feature on another band I really liked and they didn't repost it. I had never even heard of this band until their people reached out twice to ask us for some other stuff. I know I can never count on bands to repost shit, but I had put an abnormal amount of effort into this because I felt like if the band had asked us for coverage twice they would like. Be more considerate of the time and effort it took to do this and their manager would not leave me on read.

I had also begged to have a holiday off at work to do this, and I had someone visiting from out of town. The band kept us for almost 3 hours after the show ended. I hadn't been expecting this to happen because something like this had never happened before so I thought it would be to OK to tell my friend to show up hours after the show was over. My friend was like "Where are you" and was really upset with me. I had also said no to like 3 diff holiday parties to sit in a freezing cold bar soaking wet being berated by security to leave and being told "just one more minute" by the manager.

Because I was operating under the stupid assumption that the band was going to repost it, the feature was very glowing and did not mention some negative aspects that were more personal and important to me to bring up. So I also felt like I had like betrayed my own integrity for clout that never materialized, which also made me feel gross, but again is on me. This had been going on with a lot of features I felt pressured into writing, but this was something I actually cared about.

This also would've been fine and my issue to deal with, and IDK how to say this next part nicely or in a politically correct way, but the final straw was the same week they made some glowing post about how detailed and amazing an interview by a blonde girl who posted boobie shots on IG all the time was. There were some other critical details about the specific content of this that upset me way, way more than that, but I can't share them because I don't want people to immediately know what band this was.

Conclusion

This is also like fine I guess, but I realized I wasn't blonde, didn't have boobies, and I also realized I didn't even like doing this anymore and but I was wasting a ton of money, jeopardizing my job, ruining my relationships with people, seeing an unpleasant side of people I admired, and my social life was suffering. There were some creative differences with people too and other stuff I don't feel is necessary to share.

Some parts of this are probably like, all in my head, but this was how I perceived it. I'm sure parts of this had to do with like me not understanding stuff or being dumb or not doing a good job but I stopped having fun. This was all awhile ago but I think it started as a "break," then life happened, then I realized it stopped being a break. I'm still going to do the essays but it's just weird to not have your life revolve around something anymore after it revolved around that for 4 years.

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Tuesday Evening all :) We're off to next ep its more of a mixture of Tim/Lucy and Rachel. Not a ton of gifs or Chenford content. Be a shorter review than normal but it is a good ep none the less though. We'll have a ton of content/gifs in the next couple as you all know i'm sure. So off we go.

2x09 Breaking Point

The episode starts out with Lucy being stopped by a sweet old lady in the lobby. She lets Lucy know how she found this dog in the middle of the road. Lucy tells her that it's an animal control issue. Sweet lady say yes but he was covered in blood. Figured she should let them know about it. Lucy stops Tim lets him know they need to head to a vet. That this dog could’ve come from a crime scene.

They make it to the address on the chip and knock on the door. No answer. Lucy decides to look inside where she then sees a body. Now I shouldn’t get so much joy out of her slightly touching his arm…and yet I adore it. She does this to get his attention that they should enter the house.

Tim kicks the door in (fans self) They start to inspect the house and check the body. Unfortunately this person has already passed. They continue their search and sadly find a child hiding in the bathroom. Poor thing is rocking back and forth in the bathtub.

Lucy tries to get Malcom to talk to her. See if he’ll tell her who killed his mom. He is unresponsive and refusing to talk. Detective Armstrong shows up and lets them know it makes sense. He did a record search, That police and social services have been out to this house half a dozen times in the last year.

That the BF and the mom had domestic calls numerous times. That’s where they find out Rachel was the caseworker for this particular kid. Armstrong advises them to go to Rachel and get all the history they can on this kid and case.

Rachel meets them at the hospital gives them all she knows. That this kid had lots of visits, the BF wasn’t physically abusive, and that the mom was the eye of the storm. She tried to get this kid removed but couldn’t get a judge to sign off for her. Tim lets her know they’re going to need a statement from him. Rachel wants to be present for that. (Must note personal space doesn’t exist for them even in front of the woman he’s currently dating LOL that is all…)

Tim tries to comfort her. Rachel is clearly shaken by the whole thing. Especially since she was so close to this one. He is telling her she did everything she could. Rachel doesn’t feel the same. Here's what I liked about seeing how he is with Rachel. It gave us a little insight to how Tim is in a relationship. He wants to help her feel better because she is visibly shook from this. Which is really sweet. That instinct to protect and make things better for those he cares about. Unfortunately it misses the mark but he definitely recognized the distress and wanted to help her.

The statement begins for Malcom. It’s fascinating to watch everyone’s reaction during this scene. You can see everyone's body language from this shot above. It all unravels when Malcom finally starts speaking. Armstrong is clearly trying to get him to spill his guts, Rachel is protective but catching onto this going sideways quickly, Lucy is also on that train and looking worried about this, Tim looks in cop mode just like Armstrong trying to get the truth.

The more Malcom talks the more something seems off. He’s more angry about his mother and defensive of the BF Carson than anything else. They’re all putting it together quickly when Malcom says Carson left after their fight. That his mom was alive after Carson left….that no one else came over after that. You can see Rachel getting nervous and Lucy getting uncomfortable. Tim is also dreading where this is headed.

Rachel tells Armstrong to stop. Tim says 'Rachel...'. Tries to get her to not interfere in the process. Nick tells Rachel she doesn’t have the standing to make that request. You can see all over Lucy’s face how wrong she finds this. Rachel tells him to ask for a lawyer. Tim and Nick chide her for it. Lucy jumps in and says she’s right. Both men look at her in shock.

Lucy continues that he should have a lawyer for this. You can see Tim and Armstrong aren’t pleased with this suggestion. Nick looks outright livid about it. Then asks if Malcom wants one. He looks at Rachel and says yes. Lucy looks like she is in trouble but not regretting it one bit. She shouldn’t it was the right thing to do.

Tim tells Rachel he’s not mad at her personally. I really don’t think he is. There is a part of him that can relate. A verbally abusive parent pushing you to the edge. Luckily Tim had his sister someone to go through it with him. I’m sure having Genny is probably is part of what saved him from a similar fate with his dad. He had someone to protect. But that’s a future convo to be had in greater detail later on. Wesley shows up and gets involved at this point for Malcom. Making Rachel sit it out. He represents him now not her.

Tim and Lucy watch from observation moving forward. Lucy asks him if he’s mad at her for suggesting the lawyer. I think it's fairly obvious he is from his body language alone. Now I think she’s more upset with the idea he’s mad at her. Not that she feels she did the wrong thing. It distresses her but not enough to change her stance on what she did.

This is definitely growth for her. She’s becoming more confident in herself and the decisions she makes. (Even if she does hate him being upset with her) Just because it’s not way Tim would’ve liked it to go doesn’t necessarily mean it was wrong. I get why Tim didn’t want her to from a logical standpoint. It does give him time to change his story, strategize and possibly get away with murder. Tim is thinking from the victims POV where Lucy is thinking from Malcom’s.

They’re diametrically opposed on this one. He’s madder at Lucy than Rachel about the whole thing. Because at the end of the day right now she’s still his Rookie he her T.O. (Also why it NEVER would’ve worked for them during this period.) Lucy was always going to be her own person and cop. Even if it differs from Tim. It's one of the reasons he falls for her honestly.

Even though they’ve been working together awhile now, he still gets shell shocked when she disagrees with him. Especially when he feels it’s something he wouldn’t ever do. We know how true blue he is to the rules. Especially to what he feels is essential to being a cop. So when Lucy rocks that boat it’s going to upset him. Her testing those waters and disturbing his POV of what it is to be a cop. Her pushing those boundaries with him. Testing his teaching of her and what he think's is essential.

Her challenging him is what causes the back and forth. That tension and release we get. The thing with Chenford is we surge forward with some growth and we also get pushed back a little. That old saying two steps forward one step back. Every time we get a little breakthrough, like the last ep the next we get little push back. Honestly don’t think he expected Lucy to tell the kid to lawyer up. It shocked him. The last episode Tim was slowly allowing Lucy in. Then our step backwards is in this ep his intense reaction to Lucy not following his code on this.

This is the dance they do. Tim softens a bit then pushes away (his reaction to the lawyer situation) before she softens him again. Why the wall takes 4 years to truly crumble for her. It’s realistic and what makes their end game ultimately so satisfying IMO. So this is one of those steps back, in terms of how he’s reacting more severely to Lucy than Rachel.

It’s not a bad thing just a part of that push and pull that is our ship. Tim takes awhile to truly let Lucy in. With his background it's not surprising his reactions are so strong. Especially after letting her in a little more last ep he tends to scold himself for it and backtracks. Oh my poor broken Tim you'll get there.

Sadly Armstrong breaks the kid pretty easily. He breaks and says he killed her after she laughed at him for crying. The verbal abuse finally made him snap. So damn sad....Tim’s scenes end with Rachel. Trying to keep her from beating herself up. This moment further evidence of his growth. He does relate to this kid. He too grew up in a verbally abusive home. His feelings were disregarded and he was put down. Tim lets her know nothing more she could’ve been done.

That tragedies happen no matter how hard we try to stop them. Then comes a very Lucy inspired reply. You can’t tell me this woman hasn’t influenced him. Tim goes on to say ‘Doesn’t mean you give up. But you have to accept the fact, that some things really are out of our control. All we can do is cherish the small victories.’ Tim friggin Bradford said this. Lucy has no idea the impact she’s had on him. Truly. Such a good scene of emotional growth for him. Lovely to see. Tis all she wrote for this one.

~~~

Side notes-non Chenford

Another good ep for Harper. More development for her and her daughter. First sleep over and such. It’s so fun to watch her SL. Truly enjoy it.

Thank you as always to those who like/comment/reblog these reviews. I truly appreciate every single one of them. You have no idea. I shall see you all in the start of our 2 parter for the DOD eps. Those will be exciting to review and write about. They are an iconic set of eps for them and the series really IMO. I will do my best to do them justice <3

#Caitlin rewatches The Rookie #chenford #chenford hiatus #summer rewatch #waiting on s6 #s2 #2x09 Breaking Point #2x09 #the rookie #tim x lucy #tim bradford #lucy chen #lucy x tim #eric winter #melissa o'neil #otp: doing my job #otp: you know me so well. too well. #tim bradford x lucy chen