#i'd like to think it's an intentional character choice given what happened with him and dee AND his failed relationship with the waitress | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

itsclydebitches · 5 months

Note

I think I sent an ask like this along time ago? IDK though.

The weird thing about Oz is that it feels like there was stuff they could have brought up if they wanted us to view him in a darker light that they just...dont

Like, that whole thing with Oz conquering the world with Salem and tricking people into worshipping them as gods. Yeah he eventually saw what he was doing was wrong, but that was after he and Salem had 4 kids. So for a long-ass time he was an imperialist god-king

Or the part where he nearly attacked Ruby once she asked Jinn the question.

It just...feels like those are totally things that should be discussed more. But instead they focus on a bunch of other things that are really weird to hold against Oz.

Like why focus on this you have way better things to hold against Oz right there.

That's very possible, anon! I don't know how many unanswered asks are sitting in this inbox now, but it's not a small number...

Totally agree. I think Oz gets criticized to an unfair degree by the canon and fandom alike (no one is shocked to hear this lol) but part of my issue is what he's criticized for, not just the extent. The show tends to take incredibly weird perspectives like, "How dare you give our uncle cool bird powers with no downside" and "How dare you save group members from a deadly airship crash." The fandom takes stances with larger political implications like, "How dare an abused man 'steal' his daughters away from the mother who wants to use them for a magical form of genocide" or issues that fundamentally break the core concept of the show: "How dare you let teenagers fight dangerous battles / How dare you reincarnate - something you have no control over - into a 14yo boy." The show does engage with some of Ozpin's morally complex choices with no easy answers like, "Is it okay to keep secrets if history has shown severe downsides to revealing that information?"... but then the answer the story decides on - "No it's not" - immediately doesn't apply to half the cast, with no examination of how that changes our perception of Ozpin's choice. And, as you say, the show simultaneously introduces HUGE mistakes - "You positioned yourself as a god! Then a king!!"- that the characters could absolutely mistrust him for... but they don't. Because they're too busy focusing on all of the above.

The only thing I'd push back against here is anyone being mad at Ozpin for "nearly attacking" Ruby. I'd consider that a highly unfair criticism as well given that:

We don't know if he would have attacked. He just charges with his and out-stretched, so Ozpin could just as likely have been intending to snatch the Relic

All these characters have aura and train/hit for funsies on a regular basis. It feels like a stretch - one working to paint Ozpin in an unfair light - to act like Ruby taking a hit is suddenly some horrific event that's worthy getting up-in-arms about

In this same scene the girls pull their weapons on Qrow and Oscar - someone WITHOUT that training/fully unlocked aura - gets punched into a tree. Again, consistent morality. Why is Ozpin in the wrong for charging with an open hand (ambiguous) but the girls are justified in pulling their weapons (clear intent)? Why should Super Fighter Ruby be defended for taking a hit after forcibly stealing secrets from Ozpin, but we should shrug off the newbie farm kid taking a hit for the "sin" of being an unwitting, passive vessel?

Plus... as said above, "forcibly stealing secrets." I'm not saying Ozpin is 100% justified in attacking Ruby over this, but I think he's a HELL of a lot more justified compared to actions like threatening Qrow or attacking Oscar. Ruby ignored his requests to give the Relic back; she ignored how terrified he clearly was. She wasted a wish (which Ozpin knew would happen). She revealed his entire, traumatic history to the group PLUS a total stranger (Maria) which, again, Ozpin knew would happen. Of course he tried to stop her. We will never know what lengths he would have gone to, whether he would have truly fought Ruby or just made a last minute grab, but even if he had fought her... It think that's understandable. We can argue about whether it's right, but it's not the sort of thing the heroes should be holding against him once tempers have cooled, especially when he has stuff like playing God that they have hold as a long term grudge.

Out of everything Ozpin has done, maybe being willing to fight the prodigy fighter to keep her from making one of the stupidest decisions we've seen in the show to date is pretty low on the sin list.

#rwde #rwby #mymetas

73 notes · View notes

leconcombrerit · 3 months

Text

Phee is lying

I mentioned a theory of mine a few times (or is it hopeful thinking ?) and I decided I could share the big outline. I don't feel very legitimate making this post given that I'm one episode and a half behind, but then again I'm pretty sure I'd earn my clown costume either way.

Phee and Non's relationship : a carefully rushed framing

The cute montage at the beginning of episode 6 never sat well with me. DFF knows how to take its time ; how to develop characters, hint at dynamics without having to spell it out. And suddenly one of the most important relationships in the series is summed up in a five minutes montage ? Are you kidding me ? After that we get one scene (the bracelet one by the river) before their relationship starts to crumble upon the weight pressuring Non.

In other words, we get nothing. Most of my attachment for this couple stemmed from a) boundless joy at finally seeing someone, anyone on Non's side and b) Ta and Barcode eating ever single one of their scenes. Aside from this cute beginning, it's just Phee trying to help Non and Non not being mentally nor emotionally available for anything.

They could have done better. They could have shown us more. But they didn't. I know a common conception is that a montage with the occasional slo-mo fits the "first and naïve love" theme buuuuut I don't like it because I don't like it, sue me.

Let's see what they did show us first ; when you give so little, there's no room for triviality. And then I have just a few details I picked up on (or excavated and extrapolized like a mad scientist) that come feed my "Phee is a lying liar that lies" theory. But first, here goes a montage breakdown.

One : first in person meeting

There are several interesting points here. Phee is standing and bending to Non's level, Non is acting cute and waving his hand like a child would ; the groundwork of their relationship is laid down. Phee is the one taking care of Non. But what I found truly noteworthy is this :

"Do you wanna meet up ?"

Phee is taken aback by Non's suggestion. He clearly didn't expect him to do that. Except you don't have expectations for strangers or vague acquaintances. By that point, Phee and Non have been messaging for long enough for Phee to know Non quite well and for the both of them to smile like idiots upon meeting. How long exactly ? Nobody knows.

Two : perfect date and the start of a series of promises

Three or four shots of a traditional, happy date, what more could we ask for. Genuinely. Sad Non, abused Non, crying Non is brought back to a softer world. He earned this level of cliché and happiness. There's also the pinky finger promise ; that's what interests me the most, not as a singular instance but as the start of a pattern. Promises are a running theme in Phee and Non's relationship. As willing as Phee is to take oaths, he's quick to fail them -hell, just one episode prior he wasn't here for Non and it resulted in a suicide attempt. The situation with Keng isn't Phee's first failure.

Three : Non's home

Here Non is letting Phee in his home, his room -his life. And he does so with glee. We've seen beforehow Non tends to keepto himself. Jin has to try a lot and try hard to get him to open up a bit, so whatever happens here is meaningful.

Phee taking his manga from Non could be read as them not sharing common interests (unlike Jin, my imaginary public argues with a nod). I personally saw it as them being comfortable enough to do their own thing while sharing space, until Phee got bored. Or horny. Or both. No sex scenes are shown, which has to be intentional. Phee gets a graphic sex scene with Jin, Non gets a graphic sex scene with Keng -but none for Pheenon. There's enough suggestion that the audience will get the idea, and I haven't pinpointed what lies behind that choice, but it's definitely there. They go back and forth between tooth-rottingly cute and buying a house in the bone-zone.

Four : being each other's whole world

They're both giddy and running to find each other. Their families don't understand because they haven't told ; it's their own little world (and in Non's case probably his only happy place with no worries).

Five : the kiss scenes

The sensual aura that built up in all previous scenes reaches its peak here. Once again nothing is shown in terms of sex, yet you can feel the physical attraction just as well. I might be getting off the rails by saying that while they're honest, they also virtually keep things private. They show us the truth, but an amputated, rushed one.

Just like I suppose Phee gives Jin an amputated and rushed version of what happened.

Six : The river

Ah, yes, the river scene. I won't be talking about the longer one with the bracelet yet cause it's separate from the little glimpses we got so far (it has dialogue, for one). But this ? This is gold to my brain.

An apple. Not only are they both biting it, but Non's eyes are open and staring right at Phee, while Phee's are closed. Non is holding it too. Now I know the apple symbolism is a Chrisitian one and we're in Thailand, but that little detail struck me as odd when Phee and "Tan" were introduced :

We're entering full clown territory cause the cross was probably hung there like the curtains are probably just goddamn blue, but I added a badly drawn plan of how our brains read images, starting from top left corner (where the cross is) to skim over the middle in a downward axis to the bottom left (Fluke, Jin, the more innocent ones actually I just realized) and then to the bottom right. The cross is what we see first.

And then, wouldn't you know, our lovely apple comes back as New and Phee are discussing the boys -and where New is out to get them, Phee is already giving even Por the benefit of doubt. He's also keeping his left hand behind his back. I'll get back to Phee's left hand, but the apple comes first.

If the cross is any indication, and that we get two apples, then the first one that's set in the past, a flashback in a flashback, could be the Old Testament version, a fall from heaven ; and the second one that Phee is eating by himself, not blindly this time, could be the New Testament version as redemption from the original sin. Not to mention the greenery around them, almost like a garden.

"But then doesn't it mean that Phee, after falling for Non, starts to get redemption for failing him by saving the boys from New ?"

You know what, MAYHAPS. It could work, I guess. But same as the manga reading scene, it could go many ways. I personally think the redemption he longs for is redemption for having let Non down so badly. Besides, I don't think New is ready to kill people yet in that scene. He's just trying to gather evidence for now, and Phee knows it. So why defend those boys ? Jin I could understand, but Por ? And protect them from what, exactly ? Getting justice served and truth exposed for something they actually did ? If they're innocent, what's the rush in getting New to let go ?

Why wouldn't Phee be trying to keep New safe ?

Look it's not that far-fetched I swear. First I'm going with the fact that Phee knows Non is alive and got in contact with him somehow. One because I stand by my words, this is a face that calls for murder.

And two, the ring tattoo. I don't think it's a continuity error. And he just so happens to keep his arm hidden behind his back when trying to stir New into giving up on his search. As a sign he's actually carrying on Non's wish ? I'd love that.

Then someone in the group has to be in contact with the masked man, the ninth person, or else they wouldn't have known when to expect the group. Unless they literally live in those woods, which is also possible.

There's also a long post I'd started about how the show always plays by the rules, not even trying to be surprising in the decision it takes (A guy dying early on in a slasher, Phee being Non's boyfriend, Tan being New, both of them being part of the scheme) but pulling the rug off under our feet in the execution (no one else of importane having died after Por, quiet Tan being the one to murder people while decisive Phee is crying about, etc). Which gives me the feeling that it will be the same here and that Phee is much more of a mastermind than he's been whining on to Jin.

Speaking of Jin, it would also explain why Phee has been investigating him specifically. They might have been trying to determine if he'd done anything, had leaked the video or not. When push came to shove, Phee played the honesty card to get him to confess. And. He. Did.

Not to say Phee doesn't have genuine feelings for Jin, and that it doesn't make him feel torn and confused. But the fact that they banged right after Jin reminded him of Non more strongly also isn't something I'd ignore.

Anyway, I'm getting tired, short version :

Tl;dr :

I think Phee and Non's relationship was actually much stronger than we've been shown, that Phee knows Non is alive because he's the only person Non would have contacted and works with him. He was tasked with keeping New away from all this because Non doesn't want him to get hurt, but also doesn't trust him enough to tell him anything (remember that New was defined by his absence prior to Non's disappearance, only there to serve as a hurtful point of comparison, and that he wasn't close at all to Non to begin with, regardless of how much he regrets now ; I don't think Non factored New would go that far for him in his plan). The revenge plot is already underway for Non, and Phee is trying to keep things going the way they should.

Here it is. It was itching my brain and I slept very badly because of it, but I AM NOW FREE.

#dead friend forever #I don't know it was running in circles in my head #especially after seeing so many people boo Phee after ep 10 #It got my brain going 'hmmmm ain't that just too easy'#cause everyone seemed to think it was too easy indeed #it could just be Phee being a little stoopid yes but come. on.#what am I supposed to do with my braincells if I stop at that #dff the series

67 notes · View notes

datlokibumtho · 3 months

Text

EDIT: I said I'd add more, and so I shall. I swear, the more I rewatch it, the more abserdity crosses my mind. I forgot some, so I'll add those when I remember them.

Rewatching the Mugen Train Arc, and there are a few things I noticed that I shall now share with you. I will add more as I think of them.

▪︎Rengoku's mom is hot

▪︎You will never be able to convince me we didn't see Akaza's O Face during that final attack.

▪︎Why didn't Akaza just drag Rengoku along with him to escape? All that oomf he has, and you're telling me one dude is too heavy? Nezuko can carry someone easily while in baby mode and was strong enough to curbstomp Daki, and you're telling me Akaza, Upper Three, the fourth most powerful demon in existence can't drag one guy along for the ride while bailing? I'm calling that shit hard.

▪︎Tanjirou's VA knocked this shit out of the park.

▪︎I call bullshit that Rengoku didn't activate his Demon Slayer Mark during all that.

¤ Edit: I now know why that didn't happen, so nevermind this one.

▪︎While we're on the topic of Rengoku, can I just briefly express my confusion as to his dream of choice when Enmu put him to sleep? Out of everything he could have dreamed, all the scenarios his mind could have conjured up, he chose "that one time I did something extraordinary and my dad didn't give a shit" followed by any given day of the week. Tanjirou got his family back, Zenitsu got to spend time with the girl he loved, Inosuke got to do whatever the fuck that was...and Rengoku's got an alcoholic father who doesn't give a hair on a witch's tit if his kids live or die, a mom that's still dead from illness, and last Tuesday, the Tuesday before that, and the Tuesday before that, also known as his everyday life. Why? He could have had a father that was a presentable human being again, a mother that wasn't dead or ill, a happy life...and he bypassed all of that. Just. Fucking. Why.

¤Edit: upon further thought and some amateur analysis of his psyche, the dream probably revolved more around time with his brother, or his boundless optimism making him think every day is a gift or worth celebrating or special somehow. Or maybe he just has a really bad imagination.

▪︎Rengoku just gave Enmu his first brush with heartburn.

▪︎Look up the lyrics to Homura by LiSA, and I believe you will join me in saying fuck whoever chose the music. Why they gotta do that? Why?

▪︎Get you a man that's an absolute goober, a total badass, a complete and utter derp, a major sweetheart, and a super serious hot mess all at once. Get you a Flame Hashira. Get you Rengoku Kyoujurou.

▪︎"I'm a box lunch vendor" wasn't suspicious until he said it wasn't suspicious. Then it became suspicious.

▪︎Rengoku moving his ass like "Total Consentrstion Fuck You I'm A Hashira" speed mode activated. "Ecceleration Mode", for anyone that's up on older anine.

▪︎Pigtails runnin' her way through Rengokus dream world like the edge isn't invisible and she was at zero risk of slamming face first into it.

▪︎God damn, Tanjirou, right between the man-titties. Rude as fuck.

▪︎Tanjirou: smells blood in a snow storm, Muzan in the middle of Tokyo, identifies people by their scents after only meeting them once, can smell character traits

Rengoku: two cars down from them, chowing away at bento, unnoticed

Zenitsu: hears thing down to a celluar level and can figure out what something's species and intent are based solely of of their sounds of existsnce

Rengoku: two cars down from them, practically yelling "tasty" repeatedly, unnoticed

Inosuke: has super insane instincts and the ability to lock onto things miles away

Renkgoku: STILL just two cars down from them, living his best life with a crapton of bento, unnoticed

Tanjirou/Zenitsu/Inosuke: "Wonder where the Flame Hashira is."

▪︎Slasher demon: "No one's faster than me!"

The Other Speedy Stripy Boi Of The Mugrn Train Arc: "Destructive Death: Kick-Your-Ass-Faster-Than-The-Speed-Of-Sound-You-Scrub Type."

▪︎Rengoku's Dream World: sunshine, daisies, and fatherly rejection

Rengoku's Subconscious: flaming hellscape

Enmu's Lackey: "What the flip flap fuck is going on with this man?"

▪︎Enmu: shocked Zenitsu did anything while under his spell

The rest of us: "Yeah, it was always gonna go that way, chief."

BONUS: ORIGINAL WATCHTHROUGH THOUGHTS

▪︎My thought process through my original watchthrough eons ago: "Rengoku is a silly mans. Rengoku is kinda cool. Rengoku is utterly endearing. Rengoku is awesome. Rengoku is one BAMF. RENGOKU IS DEAD."

▪︎My almost simultaneous thought process through my original watchthrough eons ago: "I can't believe he dies, he's so amazing and wonderful and i love him. Ok, he dies in this fight, and now that i know the man, i instantly hate whoever did it. Oh no, he's HOT! My emotions are very mixed right now. My emotions are completely decided in their stance, and I am getting teary-eyed over yet another ficticious character."

▪︎My afterthoughts of my original watchthrough eons ago: "Akaza is the absolute worst, that pretty face, hot body and smooth af voice cannot change that. Wow, Muzan was mean to him after he did his damndest. My opinion can not change now that I have seen Senjurou, he is a wonderful little cinnamonroll, and Akaza must remain the worst. He can be terrible and still look good. I mean, are he and his utterly whorish waist and very lovely, somewhat delicately featured face really to blame or is Muzan or psychosis of some kind? Wow, that's a nice hourglass physique and horribly tragic backstory."

▪︎End conclusion from my original watchthrough eons ago: "My opinion of Rengoku has done a 180. I would die for Senjurou. I will probably never truly like Rengoku Shinjurou despite understanding that grief and disillusionment do strange things to people. Akaza is too hot, broken, and in a weird way endearing and lovable to hate. I loves me a tragic backstory and damaged man. I DO NOT HAVE A NEW SHIP I DO NOT HAVE A NEW SHIP I DO NOT HAVE A NEW SHIP"

▪︎I had a new ship

44 notes · View notes

permanentlyexhaustedpigeon88 · 1 month

Text

Freefall * Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw/OC (part 3)

Summary: Casey had always been a free spirit, living in the moment, never staying still for long. More than once, her loved ones told her she could stand to think more with her head, and less with her heart. But old habits die hard, and the choices Casey makes in the heat of the moment are about to change her life forever, whether she's ready for it or not.

Warnings: unplanned pregnancy, allusion to smut, original character, angst, sex outside of wedlock, friends to lovers, did I mention angst?

Taglist: @kmc1989, @phoward89, @bellaireland1981

Part One Part Two

"Saw you catching up with Rooster, earlier," Penny begins, aware of how her daughter's expression seems to falter for a moment, before she settles upon offering a slightly raised brow, "Everything okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Maybe because Hangman was a big part of it for a while?"

"You know him?" Casey questions, taking note of her mother's answering nod, and frowning almost immediately after, "Is he always—"

"Like that? I'd say that's a pretty safe bet."

"And yet it almost sounds like you like him."

"Maybe he reminds me of somebody else I know," Penny shrugs, moving to sit on the opposite end of the sofa, a steaming mug of tea held between both hands. Her gaze remains fixed upon her daughter as Casey manages a sip of her own beverage, and sinks further into the sofa cushions as though seeking refuge.

She'd been unusually quiet ever since their return home after closing up the bar, only answering cursory questions with a few words apiece. And inasmuch as Penny had wanted to press her for details on what, exactly, had caused such an uncharacteristic reticence, she resisted, knowing full well that pressing for answers now will likely only serve to push Casey away.

"I really hope you aren't talking about me—"

"What if I am?"

"I may have to call you out for exaggerating."

"Is it exaggerating if it's true?"

"I really don't see how it can be true," Casey counters, amusement resting behind the words even in spite of the small twist of apprehension that seizes her in response to her mother's claim, "I'm nowhere near as cocky, for one—"

"Maybe I'm not talking exclusively about cockiness."

"Okay—what are you talking about, then?"

"I think I'm talking about what that cockiness might be attempting to cover up."

Unable to entirely mask the flinch that comes in response to her mother's words, Casey tries to ignore the implications. She tries to pretend she is unaware of Penny's intent gaze, practically drilling holes into her skull. In truth, this is exactly the sort of thing she had wished to avoid, especially so soon after she returned home, but then given her mother's uncanny ability to read her moods, she is probably a fool to have expected anything less.

The sensation of her mother's hand moving to rest atop her own very nearly causes her to jump, but somehow, Casey manages to resist. And when she finally persuades herself to meet her mother's gaze head-on, she faces nothing but genuine concern.

The precise opposite of what she had hoped to find.

"Did something happen between you two?" Penny asks, searching Casey's features for any indication of an answer that she clearly is not entirely willing to give. Although busy behind the bar for most of the evening, she hadn't missed the slight hint of awkward tension between her daughter and the man who had always been something more than just a best friend to her since she was born. She had seen how Casey's smile had never quite seemed to reach her eyes.

It was unusual behavior, to say the least, compared to the countless other times she's observed the two of them together. But if Penny knows anything about her daughter, it is that she will not be likely to come clean about anything troubling her until she has absolutely no other choice.

Something that only becomes all too apparent in her ensuing reply.

"No. No, it—we're fine."

"Uh-huh."

"Really, Mom. We're—we're good," Casey insists, removing her hand from her mother's as carefully as she can, so that she can use it to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, instead, "I'd tell you if we weren't."

"Would you?"

"I would."

Casey would be a fool to pretend she cannot sense her mother's doubt. A fool to act as though her attempt at a lie was anywhere even remotely close to convincing, but that is precisely what she does, regardless of the inherent knowledge that she is failing before she ever truly begins.

For a moment, she almost expects her mother to call her on that very fact, but somehow, Penny seems to resist. A knowing look crosses over her features, but nothing else gives her away, and Casey allows herself to relax, albeit tentatively, in response.

With some difficulty, she brushes off the nagging sensation of guilt that threatens to pull her under as a result of her secrecy, and forces a smile to her lips not long after. Something her mother seems to anticipate, if the slightly raised brow is any sort of indication at all.

"You two have any plans to hang out while he's in town?"

"We're—yeah. I mean, nothing specific, until he figures out his own schedule, but—"

"But you're working on it."

"We are," Casey confirms, sinking back against the sofa cushions as soon as she senses her mother's desire to press for more information appears to have abated, even if only for a moment, "Something tells me he'll need to let off some steam."

"Because of your dad?"

"That's one of the reasons—"

"And Hangman is probably the other?"

"Hangman is definitely the other."

"Well, that should be interesting," Penny muses, sparing just long enough to manage a sip of her tea before going on, "Especially since he seemed rather interested in you."

"But I'm not interested in him."

"Does Rooster know that?"

"I don't—I don't really see why it would matter to him, either way," Casey admits, frowning as soon as she realizes her mother's expression indicates all too clearly that she is, once again, reading far too much into her relationship with Bradley, her current secret notwithstanding, "We're friends, Mom. Always have been, always will be."

"Some of the best relationships I know started out that way, you know."

"Not this one. You're doing that whole wishful thinking thing, again."

"Or maybe I'm just calling things as I see them."

Sighing, Casey chooses not to offer her mother a reply, at least not outright, her knowledge of Penny's long-standing desire to see her and Bradley as more than simply childhood friends bringing a flush to her cheeks whether she wants it to be there, or not. But for that particular reminder, she'd almost found herself tempted to blurt out the truth. To tell her mother exactly why she was so off-kilter with Bradley at the bar, and what had brought her back home.

As soon as she becomes aware of it, though, Casey finds herself clamming up once again, her fingers tightening around the mug of tea she holds in her own hands while she replies.

"Like I said. Wishful thinking."

Aware of her mother's clear disappointment, Casey does what she can to ignore it, her focus for the time-being rather fixed on the tea she holds between both hands. It is all that seems to be keeping her together, at the moment, though even that is a tall order as she once again finds herself held captive beneath her mother's attentive gaze.

She spends another moment or two wondering if Penny will continue pressing her presumed advantage. If she will continue to insist there is something more between her daughter, and the son of one of their family's oldest friends, but she does not. At least not for now.

Instead, Penny seems to take stock of her own beverage, another sip passing her lips and allowing her to drop her head back against the sofa with a satisfied sigh, before shifting the nature of their conversation in another direction entirely.

"I take it you and your dad will have something planned, too?"

"Dinner on Friday. He said if you wanted to come, too—"

"I think I'll let the two of you catch up first, before we try for any 'group dates'," Penny cuts in, this time offering her daughter a smile, and finding herself more than a little pleased to notice Casey returns the gesture with little to no hesitation at all, "I know what the two of you are like when you've been away from each other for long."

"You say that almost like it's a bad thing."

"It's a unique thing."

"Oh come on, we're not that bad," Casey protests, laughing a little as soon as she takes note of her mother's incredulous expression, and hurries to go on in defense of both her own, and her father's character as well, "Well, we aren't!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Casey. Maybe one of these days, it'll stick."

"Well, you're the one that puts up with us—"

"And you will leave out what that says about my sanity if you know what's good for you."

Another laugh escapes in response to her mother's quip, and Casey catches herself dodging the retaliatory swipe of Penny's foot at her shin with relative ease not long after, the relief she feels at the familiarity of the banter that rises up between them momentarily overriding any and all apprehension she might feel for what is to come. For a moment, she dares to believe that maybe, she can do this. That she can exist in Miramar with her family—with Bradley—and figure everything out in due time.

However foolish it may be, she clings to that belief as firmly as she can, needing it to be true far more than she honestly cares to admit. And even if her mother still suspects something is amiss, she manages to say absolutely nothing more on the subject at all…

And even if Casey knows she has hardly heard the last of it, she would be a liar to pretend she is not thrilled for the momentary reprieve, whether she truly feels she is deserving of such a thing or not.

…

The following morning, when Casey wakes, she very nearly takes a startled tumble out of her bed, the unexpected presence of another form perched upon its edge wringing a strangled yelp from her throat. Having always had something of a penchant for sleeping like the dead, she hadn't heard the bedroom door open, and hadn't felt the dip in the mattress when her step sister decided to sit down and wait for her to wake.

Amelia, of course, likely anticipated this, given the satisfied grin that pulls at both corners of her mouth. A reality she only proves in spades as soon as she opens her mouth to speak.

"Glad to know some things haven't changed—"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Casey questions, her amusement quickly overriding her shock as she takes in Amelia's eager smile. Instinct propels her forward, and into her sister's waiting embrace, and she takes comfort in the gesture, regardless of how foolish it may make her feel to be the one seeking such a thing, rather than providing it. And even if Amelia wants to question the sudden surge of affection, all that she does is answer her sister's inquiry, instead.

"It just means you're as predictable as you've always been."

"Why do I get the feeling that's something of an insult?"

"Maybe because you're a little bit paranoid?" Amelia suggests, dodging away from Casey's half-heartedly aimed swat at her shoulder, though the escape does not prevent her from responding in kind, "I mean that affectionately—"

"Of course you do."

"I do!"

"Will you still call me paranoid—affectionately—if I ask why the hell you're not at school right now?"

"First period's free. Turns out I already have most of the credits I need to graduate."

"Right. I'd forgotten you're kind of a nerd," Casey teases, Amelia's answering roll of the eyes far more reassuring in its familiarity than she cares to admit, "You ready for that?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Amelia states, her expression turning somewhat introspective while her teeth begin to chew at her lower lip. In seconds, she seems to shrink in on herself, and Casey hates that she almost automatically knows the reason why, a sigh escaping before she scoots forward to sit close enough to her step sister for her arm to brush against her side. Before she asks the one question she really wishes she did not have to ask.

"Have you talked to your dad at all?"

"Do you want the real answer to that, or the lie I tell myself when I need to feel better?"

"Mills—"

"I'm used to it. Really, Case. And besides, I've got—I've got Pete."

"Yeah, you do."

"Mom said he's back?"

"He is," Casey affirms, aware of how Amelia seems to instinctively lean against her side, and shifting so that she can wind her arm around the younger girl's shoulders in response, "They've got him teaching."

"Pete? Teaching?"

"I know. But apparently it was this or being grounded for good, so—"

"So he took it," Amelia surmises, her sister's answering expression far more of a confirmation than any verbal reply would ever be, "That'll be—interesting."

"Tell me about it," Casey agrees, the knowledge of her father's reluctance to go anywhere near a position that will keep boots on the ground provoking a faint grin, "He loves telling the story of the first time he was in a teaching position."

"The one that only lasted a few months?"

"That would be the one."

"Well, hopefully this one lasts a little longer."

Frowning at the thought of exactly what might stand to happen if her father doesn't manage to succeed in this new assignment, Casey spends a moment considering exactly what he would do. What it would mean for a man who'd devoted the majority of his life to a career that apparently had come very close to throwing him out.

She knows better than most that her father had built almost his entire identity around the Navy. That he'd never really considered anything else when it came to a career. It had been the one thing that kept him going through so much, both good and bad. And if he ended up losing it in the end, Casey honestly cannot say what he will do as a result.

"Mom said—she said that Rooster's back, too," Amelia says, then, clearly sensing the direction of Casey's thoughts, and seeking to pull her out of them as best she can, "You two have your big reunion, yet?"

"Um—sort of?"

"Just sort of?"

"I ran into him at the bar last night. Didn't really have time for anything else."

"No time at all?"

"He was a little busy, Mills," Casey informs, hoping that her response will not spark any suspicion on Amelia's part to exactly how odd things had been between her and Bradley the night before, "I'm sure we'll think of something, though."

"Think he's gonna be okay working with your dad?"

"Honestly? I don't—I don't really know."

The answer escapes before Casey can stop it, a wince passing over her features as soon as she recognizes Amelia's answering expression of concern, but there is little she can do to pull it back, now. Not when her sister is eyeing her as though she is starting to pick up on every last thing that she is attempting to keep hidden.

In next to no time at all, everything she has been trying so diligently to keep together appears to be unraveling, bit by bit. And half in an effort to delay the inevitable, Casey scrambles to find a way of shifting the conversation away from its current course before Amelia can ask anything more of her at all.

"Want me to take you to school?"

For a moment, Amelia almost appears inclined to protest. Casey can see it so very clearly in the determined set of her jaw, and the familiar glint of curiosity in her eyes. But instead of doing that, something seems to settle her resolve to simply letting the matter go, at least for now, and Casey takes some manner of relief from the fact that at least for the moment, she appears to have earned a reprieve.

Whether she deserves such a thing or not, is another matter entirely.

…

35 notes · View notes

nalyra-dreaming · 5 months

Note

Hello N,

I hope you are well. Love your blog. I’ll start off by saying I love all the characters but I really love Loustat together even though I know all the relationships are relevant to the story so I’m excited to see them all play out.

I’m kind of a lurker on Twitter and it’s interesting to me to see what different groups have to say. My question is how do you think the fandom is going to respond to Nicki and Lestat’s relationship? I know a lot of people have turned on Lestat after season 1 and will turn on Armand after season 2. There some people already saying Nicki was treated better by Lestat than Louis was if the show goes by Nicki and Lestat’s relationship in the books. They are saying Nicki wasn't beaten, his song wasn’t a ploy to get Louis back, and Nicki wasn’t cheated on. I don't think I agree with this and I don't they understand that Lestat was human when he was with Nicki and the dynamics were very different. Also, we still don’t have the full picture of what really happened between Loustat in season 1. They did say something I might kind of agree with though and that is that a lot of people who are intolerant of Loumand because it interferes with Loustat will probably be more accepting or excited about Nickistat. I worry for Lestat because I can see pitchforks for him all over again.

Hey!

Glad you like :)

Sooooo, first off I'd like to note that one might need to be careful when comparing future canon while mixing show and book.

What I mean here is that we can extrapolate, for the show, but what they choose to focus on (and the abuse angle is certainly a focus) might not be wholly predictable. And comparing what was shown, and the books, and expectations...

But let's look at some of the points

"Nicki wasn't beaten". Right. He wasn't in the books. True! (I'm not counting the shoves with which Lestat tried to get Nicki away from himself after turning here, because that is quite a different setup). But... Louis wasn't either?! He and Lestat fought. Quite on equal level. That's an important difference.

There was no "song" for Nicolas either in the books. Nicolas was the musician, he wrote the music.

Also, as you said yourself - they were mortals, and maybe more importantly their love affair really only lasted a few (intense) months. In the books there certainly is no cheating (apart from some kisses/flirting with others at the theater), but I don't see how that should come into play into that short a timeframe either?

Lestat did not really cheat on Louis in the book either. True, there was Antoine, but... Lestat wanted Antoine to be a part of their setup, not run away with him. With Antoine, too, it was the music that drew him. And the timeframes and actual relationships to mortals are so very different for vampires, I really, really do not see that as the same level. Of course Antoinette was presented very much on that cheating level. But, as said before (and as you say, too), we know there's twists incoming, and there were inconsistencies with her finger in the show, et cetera.

We will not be able to judge Nickistat or Loustat before season 3, earliest, imho. The others probably, too.

So that's my few cents re the points you mentioned^^

... In regards to Nickistat and Loumand.

Nickistat happens between Nicolas and Lestat, while mortal, and one of them is then raped into vampirism. Which, in turn, leads to a downwards spiral for Nicolas, and ultimately to his death. This is a couple that has no say in what is happening to them wrt the vampiric side. They are both - no matter Nicolas original intent to die in Paris, and his viciousness later wrt to Lestat's 'light' - victims there. It's simply tragic. (Edit: Nicolas pressures Lestat into giving him the Dark Gift, while that is with intent I don't see it as a free choice in the context either, given the circumstances.)

And Armand plays his part in all that, too.

Now, Loumand is tragic, too. But for very different reasons. Their relationship happens between vampires. And both chose this life (as debatable as this may be wrt to actually knowing what one is getting into and other... influence). Loumand is tragic because despite the initial interest in Louis by Armand through his fixation on Lestat he falls for Louis, but destroys long stretches of that relationship through his actions. And Louis falls for Armand, and betrays Claudia again, and despite her death and Armand right there... he cannot help but love Armand. Even though it almost destroys him, too.

Now, having said that, and totally apart from the overview - Nickistat can never be a threat to "Loustat" because Nicolas is dead.

He is already dead in the show. We will get to see that death still. We will get to see the tragic events leading to it, no matter how they'll spin it.

But Nicolas is no threat to Louis.

He is the past. He will stay the past. Louis is the future.

And I think that may be why some will be more... "accepting" of Nickistat.

Now, as per the "intolerance" for Loumand...

I'm sure for some there is also the racial issue at play here. Unfortunately.

BUT - Loumand has quite the toxic potential as well, and I really don't think they'll shy away from that. They have more than hinted at that.

Now, these books are 50 years old. There's shit incoming, and a LOT of it has to do with Armand. Armand was the villain of the first books, and then later that changed with his own recollection of events. But it won't change what's about to happen for Louis. Armand is the one who influences him, spell-binds him, kills Claudia (in a very gruesome way), and then lies to Louis, for decades. That is all text. I doubt the show will downplay it, given what we know already.

Those who know the books, and who are Loustat shippers only (to put it that way) might brace themselves in a different way for Loumand than they do for Nickistat.

That's not to say I necessarily agree with this. But I understand it.

The way they set up Armand in the show he is supposed to seem like more of a "threat", the "love of Louis' life"..., while Nicolas... simply cannot and won't be one. *shrugs*

So, last but not least wrt to the pitchforks...

Ahhh, no worries. It's Lestat. (And I mean, since he is fictional...?^^)

The story will unfold, and that will be that.

I for one do not worry about all that at all tbh - I just want this show to get the seasons that have obviously been planned already in someone's head.

Gimme :))

24 notes · View notes

laufire · 3 months

Text

although I've enjoyed stories that went down that route before, I can't see jason & talia's relationship in the comic as surrogate mother and son. I don't think the reading came completely out of the blue (I still have this edit of the pietà cover in lost days #2 as my background pic lol. that's some culturally ingrained imagery! although given the issue it precedes, I wonder if it was more of a hint to antichrist!jason lmfao), and can see how lost days #1 would inspire it (although the same events in batman annual #25 end with talia kissing jason after the pit... and I read that first because lost days wasn't out yet when I was catching up in my jason reading, way back when. lost days erases this moment and I do prefer it that version though. that moment, at that time, made no sense).

but after that first issue that's not what I see in the run. jason's certainly not in the market for a parental figure, and he wouldn't have responded well to talia, had she approached him as one (and at this point, talia was very much about finding the right approach to manage jason... because jason had attempted to kill bruce -the comic attributes this to temporary psychopathy but winnick and I differ on this one-. and this didn't happen only because jason decided not to go through his plan at the last moment. ymmv at to why). this reading comes from a mix of things in fanon, but one of them is literally "well she's bruce's love interest and he's bruce's kid sooooo", and I just don't vibe with that, basically.

reading talia's first appearances and realising she's meant to be close to dick's age also compounded my own interpretation of talia's dynamics, sometimes for the worse sometimes for the better, but it's a canon detail that just feels so fitting for the talia comics I've read that now I'd struggle to see her differently, when beforehand I really hadn't thought about her age. this way, they're not exactly peers (dick seems around 4-6 years older than jason in new earth, ymmv), and I usually land on talia being a couple years older than dick. but this colours how I interpret their dynamic, too. how I think they'd see it, in particular.

since I'm talking about the nature of their relationship I do have to mention That Scene. very contentious and I do get why (I do not care for any m/f/m triangle dc has ever tried to pull with the bats, especially bruce vs. dick-slash-jason). but fandom either sees this as "talia, a much older woman, statutory raped jason, a teenager" (jason in the last issue of lost days and in utrh looks very much in his twenties), OR "I've decided talia is jason's mother figure, and I'm -with good reason!- tired of how often she's villianised, so I just Don't See It" [insert mariah carey's i can't read suddenly.gif], as thought there's no other possible interpretation.

and the way I see it is. it's not a Good Thing to happen, nor is it written with that intention! the characters are NOT in a good place and they're NOT making wise, healthy choices lol. and it's something that sidetracks what could've become a really interesting, closer friendship & alliance (I want them to be friends and allies sooooo badly lol. I think they'd work so well!! there's reblogs in my queue about it!!). but I don't see it as something to completely handwave if I'm writing new earth canon; just something to tackle head on, if I ever write about them after this period beyond having it as a secondary dynamic (which I plan to do, but that's another story).

ironically, these ramblings came to me because I'm developing their dynamic in a WIP for a different canon (the young justice cartoon. for reference, the ages there are: Talia, 1984; Jason, 1999; Damian, 2018), and rn if you asked me if they have a surrogate mother-son relationship in it my answer would be a solid... maaaaaaaybe? LOL. if they end up like that, it'll be with MASSIVE ammounts of spousification, though. which is how I see any parental relationship involving jason going, outside of 80s!bruce & jason, to be honest.

#bruce already parentified one robin*. now it's talia's turn #*i've seen posts saying this about tim too but i haven't read enough about their dynamic to be completely sure #(most of what I've read with tim is with bruce very much elsewhere lol. absent deadbeat if you will)#talking to the void #my thoughts #man this post has so many parenthesis... i'm not looking through it again though. i'm tiredd #dc #dc thoughts #dc comics #red hood: the lost days #jason todd #talia al ghul #jaytalia for ts #since i mention That Scene #anyway. cancellable offense number 3192 etc.

18 notes · View notes

egg-emperor · 8 months

Note

One thing I found particularly interesting in Final Horizon is that in one conversation with Amy, the doctor seems to express sympathy for the remnants of the Ancient's consciousness that only come out at night due to their fear of The End even many years after their extinction. I dunno, it adds dimension to his character IMO that even though he's an awful person through and through, he's still capable of at least expressing some sympathy towards others.

I don't mind if this was the intention with it or if what I'm personally hearing it as was for reasons I'll explain in a moment buuut- I honestly kinda can't really hear it as being genuine sympathy. His tone and the little "hmph!" before saying it sounds slightly amused almost. I keep trying to unhear it and read it as sympathy but I can't.

Putting with sound here to see if anyone else can see what I mean with that in mind:

youtube

That's not just me saying this out of wishful thinking or anything as like I said, I don't mind if that wasn't that the intention. He absolutely has low empathy from all I've observed but that doesn't mean he couldn't ever have any at all in any situation ever hypothetically, so I wouldn't be mad if it was the intention for him to feel slight sympathy.

Though I think it'd be a liiittle ooc in this specific way as he's never given a shit about anything bad happening to anyone before, so why would this be the time and way? It'd be a strange way to suddenly throw in now this way after many opportunities before. Cute little creatures don't make him care and feel bad, otherwise he would've felt that way about those he captures and uses in robots.

But it doesn't sound like he genuinely feels really bad for them exactly to me. His tone and his "hmph!" makes it sound like he's more a little amused and says it with a lilt, that was my first impression and I can't unhear it. With subtitles alone, you can imagine a sadder tone more along the lines of what Sonic and co express when saying such things but that isn't what it sounds like from him in comparison. That's why it didn't raise any brows at all when I first heard it.

Going by tone, I'd say the delivery on the memo where he acknowledged The Ancients dying out sounded more like they could've set it up for him feeling sympathy as his tone would've been more appropriate. But instead three memos after, he's just like "Sure it wiped them out but I could handle The End because I'm just built different I'm a genius!" -

youtube

He basically brushes off the severity of the tragedy and insults their skill and intelligence with that, like they just needed to get good like him, so he clearly wasn't actually sympathetic then either.

BUT if he somehow was even just a little bit sympathetic for even a second, it would be an even more of a deliberate fully aware choice of his to still be an asshole about it like that, so that would just make him worse and would mean he has a very low amount if any at all to still be able to do that. And that would potentially make him even more dangerous and threatening if he had the emotional intelligence to feel that sympathy, yet he still chooses to be a jerk about them dying out and still choosing to be horrible person. So that's why it's good and funny either way to me lol

But it's not like he changes in tone when talking to Amy like he's just pretending not to care about them or something, if he was feeling sympathy then I don't think he'd even say that in front of her at all. And especially because in the memos he made it even obvious that he doesn't feel sympathy for The Ancients getting wiped out and still chooses to be a dick about it a few memos later- and that's when he's alone speaking to himself and could've been honest and open.

So I'm currently interpreting it as an example of his low empathy shown through a way where he's saying something that could be sympathetic coming from anyone else with the feeling and tone, but he just doesn't have it to match the words he's saying and it just seems detached. Since usually it's through him blatantly stating he doesn't care about something or brushing something off as insignificant. The latter is there a bit by how it sounds like he's bemused and detached but the words don't match like with the common former with him.

But the way it sounds a little amused and attached just almost loops back around to his cruelty because while he doesn't particularly revel in it, him sounding even slightly amused at the idea of them still being in hiding in fear... and how he talked about how he could've handled it better than the ancients... well. XD That kind of makes it seem almost the opposite of sympathetic to me. Not amusement to the point of it being another case of his sadism, but rather just an example of him being a lot more detached and a little apathetic really.

To put it simply, the vibe I'm personally getting is that it's like he's just going "ha! funny how it's like it's just happened and they still hide in fear of what wiped them out." And that alone is far from "he's actually showing sympathy towards something" to me. But as I said, even if that was the intention, it's not a bother to me and I'm willing to entertain it for how it could make him even more dangerous for that (though he absolutely is enough already if not of course). But I can't say I can hear it as being a moment of genuine heartfelt sympathy from him.

#dr eggman #dr robotnik #eggman #dr. eggman #sonic frontiers #sonic frontiers the final horizon #sonic frontiers spoilers #sonic frontiers the final horizon spoilers

24 notes · View notes

cfr749 · 2 months

Note

Next week's episode, I imagine, Tim will end up learning to let people in and accepting help. Another character growth for him, while Lucy isn't even allowed to really feel the emotional consequences of her near fatal shooting. It's already as if nothing happened and she's over it, nothing comes back to haunt her.

To me, the biggest turn off of this show/ship is this unbalance of storylines and depth between the character, the female one always getting the short end of the stick.

Hi anon!

Thank you for the meaty, thoughtful ask! Definitely some thoughts here that are right up my alley.

I'm going to start by saying I have genuinely been surprised by and happy with this season so far. Season 6, at least for Chenford, has felt like a return to the to the show's earlier roots of being truly character-driven. And I mention that simply because I still see a LOT of potential for Lucy's storyline this season.

This is the first time in YEARS we've had a multi-episode storyline seeded for Lucy, and I'm over the moon about it. With that said, the show still has its issues, and I completely get what you're saying.

While the moment with the radio was sweet and I can appreciate the sentiment, I agree that it was actually quite strange that we went from Lucy being devastated by the idea of almost killing someone to Tim framing something that will forever remind her of that moment and them smiling and laughing about it. I think in the show's attempts to deliver fan service, there isn't always someone asking: is this actually something a normal person with human emotions would do? 😂

So yeah, in making that choice, it did seem like they'd swept the shooting storyline under the rug and were moving on.

That said, I will be completely flabbergasted (and legitimately outraged) if there's not more to come in terms of Lucy's broader storyline, including her having to come to terms with her feelings about all of the challenges she's faced this season. We're coming off of multiple episodes that were very focused on Lucy's emotional state around the detectives exam and the aftermath, so I understand why they've shifted to seeding a storyline for Tim for a little bit, but I'd argue that as much as this episode gave us some (tbh kind of convoluted 😬) backstory for Tim, it was just as much about how Tim's actions impacted Lucy.

I'd argue that it was WAY easier to empathize with Lucy this episode than it was to with Tim (minus Eric's teary-eyed "Understood" that was an act of violence against us all). And tbh I'm not sure if that was intentional, but I'm more than okay with it.

For me, this was one of Lucy's best episodes in a long time -- this is the badass, take no shit woman from Seasons 1 and 2. She loves Tim dearly, and we know it must have killed her to ask him to leave, but she still found the strength to stand up for herself. She knows she deserves to be treated as an equal partner, and she demanded that Tim either provide that or go. And for her to be able to do that amidst everything else her character has been through in just the first 4 episodes of this season was IMO phenomenal (and so, so painful but absolutely needed) to see.

I couldn't agree harder though with your broader point -- the show has seemed very lopsided in terms of giving Tim lots and lots of backstory and multiple opportunities to grow and evolve, and then can't even be bothered to keep track of Lucy's parents names😭. It genuinely sucks. And they have so much to make up for.

They've given Lucy plenty of screen time and they've put her through tons of shit. I just think they haven't seemed to have had much interest in really exploring the actual impact on her character in any meaningful way, until now (I hope!).

And to be clear, I have zero interest in seeing Lucy simply tag-along on Tim's story for the rest of the season. I love that they are going to be together; I love that they are getting to support each other, but Lucy needs (and deserves) a fitting conclusion to her own story.. And if they don't give her one...

Thanks for the ask anon!

#chenford #see lana ramble #the rookie #lucy chen

16 notes · View notes

soleminisanction · 1 year

Note

What did Tim think of Jason when he became Robin? I ask because I keep seeing posts about Tim supposedly making fun of and disrespecting Jason’s memory when that’s not at all the impression I got while reading

Well, to be honest, Tim didn't have much of an opinion on Jason at first. The idea that he and Jason had any particular relationship prior to the Red Hood-era death threats is very recent, mostly introduced in the New 52. Originally, Tim's focus was firmly on Bruce and Dick. In A Lonely Place of Dying all he really has to say about Jason is this:

"Bruce hasn't been the same since Jason died... He seemed happier with Dick."

Which, given the very metatextual nature of aLPoD, is much more about commenting on how dark the stories were becoming during Jason's tenure in the 80's, compared to the happier times with Dick in the preceding Gold and Silver Age.

That said, during Tim's training -- his probationary period when he's not allowed to go out -- Jason's case is a constant presence, reminding Tim of both what he's working towards and what danger that path represents.

Keeping in mind that the 80s could be a little melodramatic, there were actually a couple of times when Tim would dream (or possibly hallucinate from overwork) visions of both Jason and Dick-as-Robin acting offering him advice like spirit guides.

This included the pair of them appearing to help Tim break himself out of his first encounter with Scarecrow's trauma-resurrecting fear gas -- something Bruce himself was unable to do during the same scene.

I honestly can't think of a time when I'd say Tim ever disrespected or mocked Jason, though I'm sure somebody could dig up some isolated examples -- canon is huge and frankly, while it's impossible to gauge how the fandom at large actually received him at the time, the prevailing wisdom of the 90s was that Jason was an unpopular character that had been voted off for a reason and that didn't really change until Under the Red Hood gave him a re-evaluation.

Most of the time when I see people complaining about "Tim" """disrespecting""" Jason's memory, they're talking about things like that last panel there, where dream/ghost Jason takes the blame for his own death, or when other people likewise describe Jason's death in similar terms. Because, frankly, some people have a real problem with acknowledging when their favorite character's choices contributed to a negative outcome.

Jason was lured into a trap that preyed on his emotions. If he'd thought it through, he might've realized that; if he'd just listened to Bruce and waited for back-up, it wouldn't have mattered that he didn't. If he'd been a little less passionate, a little less eager, a little less trusting of Sheila, he would not have died. That's what makes it a tragedy. It's like that one post about Hamlet and Othello trading places, tragedy happens when you put a hero in the wrong goddamn story.

But there are some people on the internet who would call acknowledging that "victim blaming" because it implies that Jason wasn't just swept along by events beyond his control. These are the same kind of folks who'll have an aneurysm if you suggest that, actually, Steph kinda deserved to get fired from being Robin and also she's partly to blame for that gang war and she should've learned a lesson from it. Or who try to ignore that the entire first arc of Red Robin starts at the lowest point of Tim's life and then gets worse, not because people are turning against him, but because he keeps digging himself deeper.

What can I say, people say they want complicated drama and then immediately try to reduce that drama back to black and white good guys vs. bad guys morality plays where choices only result in bad outcomes when they're Morally Wrong. I guess because it's scarier to acknowledge that, in the real world, sometimes you can make a completely neutral choice, or even a choice with the best of intentions, and it can still go horribly wrong.

#dc comics asks #tim drake #jason todd #stephanie brown #robin #robins #dc comics robins #dc comics meta #my meta #my writing #I get really fucking frustrated with the 'my fav must be unproblematic people'#you might be able to tell #it robs the characters of their agency and I hate it #agency means you get the credit when things go good #and then when things go bad you're still responsible for the decisions that led you there #not everything is a morality play

36 notes · View notes

landofsamurai · 8 days

Text

Being a Vice Commander is Hell

@jiraipink

During this trip, all Kamui has done is talk to that damn earth girl. At the very least, Abuto was harassed by him a lot less. But usually he'd make everyone do a lot of sparring, given his obsession with strength, and wanting everyone to follow that ideal.

But no. Since the minute the girl came onboard, ALL the commander's attention was on her. It was as if no one else existed They were also really touchy feely with each other. Hugging, hand holding, cheek kissing. . . .

Not to mention he was pretty sure he heard Kamui call her cute and beautiful about a million times.

Yet were only best friends. They were both idiots actually. Especially after making everyone else witness this disaster.

When they finally did part from each other, it was only when Namida had went to the bathroom. Although, when that happened Kamui looked over at him. Abuto immediately looked away, noticeably sweating since he knew what was about to happen.

''A-b-u-t-o ~!'' His commander said his name with such a cheery sing-song tone it genuinely gave Abuto chills down to his core. The vice commander looked over at Kamui with a look of dread.

''What is it? Finally stopped flirting with that earth girl?'' Abuto questioned, though he noticed the smile immediately dropping from Kamui's expression which was never good.

''What did you two talk about when you bumped into her on earth?'' He got right to the point, not even acknowledging what Abuto said.

''Are you afraid of me stealing your girl or something?'' Abuto questioned with a quirk brow.

''Answer the question.''

An annoyed sigh breathed past the vice commander's lips, ''I happened to encounter her during an errand I was running, saw you two talking, and when she was alone I warned her you was too dangerous to be around.''

Kamui looked at him skeptically, ''Errand? The hell kind of business would you have to take care of on Earth anyway?''

A silence persisted between the two, just staring at each other.

A forced, and very pissed off smile was back on Kamui's face. ''Abuto, you know I hate liars. Are you trying to make me more mad?''

Kamui was unfortunately really good at seeing through lies, which Abuto absoutely hated. So there was no choice but to be honest. ''Me and the other guys were curious on what you were always doing when we came to earth, since we figured out it wasn't solely just to see your sister. So one day I followed you, and that's when I saw you and that girl.''

Kamui was quiet after hearing that, his sapphire gaze looking up at Abuto.

Abuto was currently counting the seconds. . . . .

1.... 2....3....4.....5.....

P U N C H

There it was, he felt Kamui's fist collide into his face. A feeling he's grown pretty accustomed to. At the very least, he only staggered back instead of completely falling to the ground this time around.

''I don't want you alone with her again, ever. If you go against what I say, I'll seriously kill you.'' The murderous intent behind those blue eyes managed to instill unease into Abuto.

''During this trip, I want her all to myself. You and no one else is going to ruin that for me. She's my best friend. And only mine. I don't care how dangerous you think I am.''

What was this character type? Oh yeah, a yandere. Except, the yandere in question didn't realize he was crazily in love with his so called best friend.

Abuto clutched his now swollen cheek, ''As if I'd be stupid enough to try anything with a girl you're fawning over.''

Anyone would have to be insane to do something like that. But this girl was insane as well for involving herself with someone like this.

The biggest idiot wasn't Kamui.

It was Namida.

#DRABBLES. Abuto #( this is based off what you said earlier hahaha )#( it was funny so i wanted to write a little thing for it )#( hope you don't mind )

2 notes · View notes

ac-liveblogs · 1 year

Note

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because Genshin is such a mess thematically and our lack of opinion tracks with that, but I'm so bitter...especially bc I can actually think of at least one instance where we actually had a great setup for the Traveler taking a strong stance, only for it to go to complete waste! like...I may be the "you didn't connect shit" meme, but...

In Liyue, a main throughline is that the Traveler is incredibly distrustful of Childe, right? We're so blunt about it that Childe entirely gives up trying to be nice in hopes we'd talk, bc he saw we wouldn't, and resorts to eavesdropping.

But, the thing is, we aren't just distrustful bc of the fatui in general; it's SPECIFICALLY pointed out that we hold a grudge about what SIGNORA did, which irrevocably makes this whole thing about Venti. That's literally the only thing we've seen her do at that point, and whenever we are shown how the Traveler doesn't trust Childe, it's EXPLICITLY attributed to Signora. MULTIPLE TIMES. Childe immediately brings up Signora when we first meet him and the Traveler rears back, Paimon brings up Signora as the reason when we remind her not to trust Childe. When we meet Signora again, and she taunts us about taking the gnosis from Venti, we either have to coach ourselves to calm down or start forward with the intention to take back Venti's gnosis by force (this after 2 back-to-back boss fights, one of which had 3 phases, mind you. The Traveler must have been delirious from exhaustion or absolutely furious to dredge up the energy)

Okay, so... it's not just me seeing things, is it? Signora's only notable contribution was ripping Venti's gnosis from him, so her being brought up so often means we've established that what happened to Venti is very important to us. We hold a grudge. So, theoretically, if, say, someone were to mock Venti's efforts to protect his region by causing a crisis on the same scale for a mere test; if someone were to mock how hurt Venti was when he got his gnosis ripped out of him by willingly handing it over to the same people who hurt him.. the Traveler should be pissed, right? They should have a couple choice words about it, shouldn't they? What happened to Venti is something we feel strongly about!

But noooo, we get the BLANDEST "he's definitely given this some thought" voiceline, we calmly chat with Zhongli, he sends us in our merry way, and we express absolutely NO opinion about literally ANYTHING he did. So...we aren't pissed?

Only for the Traveler to do a 180 and suddenly become super pissy in Inazuma with people who have absolutely nothing to do with why we might be suddenly angry. Like...what?

Though honestly, at this point I'd take ANYONE criticising or hating a character and being RIGHT about it, even if it's an npc. This "everyone is beyond reproach, actually, and if anyone has anything bad to say they are Wrong and Irrational and Dumb" take is beyond boring. Give me some spice!

Or: Zhongli repeatedly dissing Mondstadt, a place we like? A lot? We're the Honorary Knight of Favonius?

Or us agreeing with Keqing... and then being a-OK with Ei returning to power? After everything she did or allowed to happen?

It feels like the only consistent trait we have is "find the Unknown Goddess", but it's the most illogical thread we have. I'll bet you so much money HYV only thought up the Traveller's lore and how that fits into whatever endgame they have planned and ZERO thought for their personality at all.

And like, don't get me wrong, I've certainly played games with self inserts that don't talk before, but... I've never gotten such a sense of confusion about their characterization as I do here. Usually you get the outline, but it's just a blank hole of personality. Here....

#replies #ac plays genshin impact

21 notes · View notes

hollowslantern · 1 year

Text

HELP okay well I dont know if you wanted a serious answer but i love to hear myself talk so !

(readmore bc this is several paragraphs. sorby)

first and foremost I just like Shawn&Gus and Shawn&Lassie like as interpersonal relationships. I love to see Shawn interact with either of them because he is a strange bisexual man off of adderall. out of control. and I most of all just like them as friends (or... whatever shawn and lassiter have going on? worsties) and don't like genuinely dedicatedly ship him with anyone. though i will never hesitate to point out when something lgbt is happening.

now of cour-

well im watching an episode right now and lassiter just did something and shawn said "you are so sexy right now". this is an example of something lgbt happening. anyways.

now of course given a choice between shawn/gus and shawn/lassie Im going to choose shawn/gus easily because I do not like lassiter like as a person because he is a cop. and i hope he steps on a landmine. though I do get what people see in shawn/lassie like if not for the part where lassiter is a cop who abuses his power (like obviously there is no such thing as a good cop but it's part of lassiters character that he is generally uncompassionate and just kind unpleasant to be around) and also a Ronald Reagan supporter¹ i like totally get the appeal of their you're in his dms im on his nerves im pissing him off im ruining his day thing shawn has going on with him. if lassiter was made of pudding I'd be a way bigger fan of this pairing.

¹as a comedy show from 2006 that went for like 7 seasons there is of course a level of flanderization/writers throwing jokes in (especially jokes at the characters expense) for the bit without enough consideration for how it effects the overall character and I feel that this is the case with some of the things lassie says and does but still I don't think the things I don't like can all be simply disregarded when they are more or less consistent with his character. etc etc.

gus and shawn have the childhood best friends thing going on theyre like two immortal people who have known each other for a thousand million years like naruto and sasuke's I know your heart and you know mine but instead of ripping each other's arms off shawn and gus just eat each other's food and can hold full conversations and arguments with just body language and strange mouth noises. i do truly think they're soulmates (word I do not use exclusively with romantic intent) and I think that theyre #1 in each other's hearts forever which is so beautiful. and they're adhd4autism of all fucking time too

do you think I'm taking this question too seriously

11 notes · View notes

variousqueerthings · 5 months

Text

We were going to see them all. But he was too busy burning them. I don’t think she ever saw anything // No stars. I hoped there’d be stars

OKAY IT'S HAPPENING IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING! WE HAVE WATCHED world enough and time/the doctor falls

alright, let's keep the yelling to down below (EDIT: yeah these rambles got looooooooooooong)

sexism rank objectification (female character is ogled/harassed/turned into a sex joke by the doctor and/or a lead we’re supposed to root for and/or the camera): 9/10

sexism rank plot-point (lead female character is only there to serve plot, not to have her emotional interiority explored, or given agency to her emotional interiority): 6/10

interesting complex or pointlessly complex (does the complexity serve the narrative or does it just serve to be confusing as a stand-in for smart, this includes visually): 7/10

furthers character and/or lore and/or plot development (broader question that ties into the previous ones, at least two of these, ideally three should be fulfilled): 9/10

companion matters (the companion doesn’t always have to be there, but if the companion is there, can they function without the doctor– and overall per season how often is the companion the focus or POV of the story): 4/10

the doctor is more than just “godlike” (examines the doctor’s flaws and limitations, doesn’t solve a plot by having it revolve entirely around the doctor’s existence): 6/10

doesn’t look down on previous doctor who (by erasing or mocking its importance, by redoing and “bettering” previous beloved plotpoints or characters, etc.): 8/10

isn’t trying to insert hamfisted sexiness (m*ffat famously talked a lot about how dw should be sexier multiple times, he sucks at writing it): 9/10

internal world has consistency (characters have backgrounds, feel rooted in a place with other people, generally feel like they have Lives): 7/10

Politics (how conservative is the story): 6/10

FULL RATING: 76/100 (if I can count….)

I'd have to check, but this might be M*ffat's highest-rated finale (of course there is the finale that comes after this one, but um... that one will definitely be rated lower). I genuinely like quite a lot of what's going on here. and then there's some things I'm going to poke with a stick...

also at this point we confirm: Gomez!Master is simply perfection, she is this era to me!

OBJECTIFICATION: I note that Simm!Master is pretty darn sexist throughout this episode and yes, Simm!Master was definitely a misogynist in his original tenure too, it's just taken to an extreme degree in this one I think, specifically in a strange sort of "see how far we've come now" way, that feels echoed in the next episode with the first Doctor

I'm not sure if this is just me, but it felt jarring and a little out of character, but perhaps he's just reverted to the most extreme type after being a dictator on this spaceship for x amount of years idk. he was generally a little flat for me, but that's something we'll talk about further down

I wish Bill had been allowed to smack him or something at least, because oh boy was there a lack of satisfaction in that part of the narrative in my opinion

PLOT-POINT: okay I was writing this down in "politics" and maybe it is, but the blur is very big in this episode in many ways, so I've decided to put this up here instead -- ALSO THIS IS A RAMBLE TO TRY AND ORGANISE THOUGHTS BE PREPAAARED

if I had a nickle for every time steven m*ffat turned a Black character into a cyberman after being basically killed by a random happenstance that's never addressed again and then they decide to essentially commit suicide rather than keep living as a way to end their stories I'd have two nickles, which... I mean I don't know. it's weird that that's been his go-to twice, possibly not as a conscious choice, and maybe this doesn't even belong under politics, so much as a bit lazy in the absence of signs of it being an intentional callback or recurring thematic event (I mean this may be more about the fact that Danny Pink is a hard done by character as well)

I do think this is one of the worst things to happen to a companion in nu!who (the worst? hard to say, that's subjective, but in the sheer detail of its depiction it's certainly brutal), and I can't say Bill is offered much in the way of agency in the narrative, and listen, I like a tragedy, I like "you missed her by two hours," I like characters feeling so so sad, but I do feel like these episodes dropped the ball on being about Bill, rather than Bill being a cog in Simm!Master's ongoing game with the Doctor (and I'm not even entirely onboard with Simm!Master's characterisation in this episode as being much more than a prop to make Gomez!Master seem better or something by comparison? or maybe John Simm was just up for coming back and they were trying to make him fit in there), and I think that's a shame. I can't place it very easily, but it's kind of a letdown for a character that did feel very go-gettem throughout the season

in these episodes things happen to Bill and around Bill, but not really because of Bill or with Bill driving anything, with the exception of one moment (which we'll get to over in companions matter), and while we do have Bill reacting to those things toooo some extent, I personally don't feel like her emotional interiority is given much focus

in the first one she's more central and there's promise in the second episode when she wakes up and discovers she's a cyberman, but after that she fades into the background for me, which is wild, because she's gone through something so violent and has been betrayed so badly by the Doctor in favour of the Doctor's fucked up little dance with the Master, but she spends her time waiting around and being spoken to with incredible cruelty by Simm!Master and treated with suspicion by everyone else and it's just not even about any of that, except for how it convinces her to die

it's an interesting comparison to, say, Clara whom the Doctor fucked up the universe to save (and Bill's not even dead), but perhaps it's because the Doctor also wants to die/give up and Bill at this point was the big factor stopping that from happening. a lot of her saving him was specifically related to his being self-sacrificial and now she just accepts that death -- but then at the end she begs him to not be dead, but also we don't really see her during the proper battle scenes, which was an odd choice

if she's the Doctor's protector, as she has been often, including at the beginning of this episode, I think she should have been very visibly so

this is very rambly, but I think what I'm getting at is simply that Bill fades into the background of part two of this, in a way that feels particularly sad for the fact that it's such a violent fate

BUT WAHAIT! we do have Heather then coming in to save the day, and I personally like that. Bill was going to head out with her eventually, so I'm pleased. I think one thing about this season as a whole is that I think Bill deserved two and/or more episodes off the back like Martha for example had, but I know this was the final season. this is probably another post, but there's so many interesting underlying things to Bill's story that deserved more space (as it were), but also do I think m*ffat could have done all of that justice? (no)

so with all that in mind, I'm glad she went with Heather (let's hope next episode doesn't undermine tharthjgdksjdflkfjhöjsdlkfjgshjdf)

(my other note, which may also be politics, is that both of the Black female protagonists had the essential function of saving the Doctor from himself, and while Bill also got to be held somewhat by the Doctor in return, ultimately she wasn't the focus of this story as much as the Master was -- which I do think s3 balanced the Master/Doctor madness while also allowing Martha some development, but we may be coming down to subjectivity)

COMPLEXITY: the first part of these episodes is a rare example of a bit complex on M*ffat's side without being too stupid and indulgent -- there's a mystery (in the sense that you might recognise the Mondasians but Bill doesn't know them and the Doctor doesn't know), there's the slow creeping dread, there's the Master. I wish there had been more scenes of Bill trying to escape or figure out what's going on, because ten years and she just hung out there??? and accepted that this was what everything looked like??? no exploring??? really????? (this is companion matters actually, but it does stretch suspension of disbelief on my part)

second half is then a simple "getting attacked trying to stop it" story in which the cybermen are hyper-developing while this little farming community has to be prepared in a very short space of time, which is all fair enough. I think the second half overall is weaker than the first, and I couldn't tell you exactly why. I think a lot of it is quite good, but ultimately some of the character-work gets lost for me, even though it does nail it at the very very end

and I think a reason I'm overthinking a lot this season is because it's the final season -- it's m*ffat's last companion writing, Twelve's (second) last hurrah, Gomez!Master's last outing (and Simm's) and so it feels like I'm not just looking at this episode but how well everything built to this episode, which may not be quite fair, but also... such is the fate of a final-ish episode

it's a good episode. it's also a bit of a microcosm of some of the core Stuff in m*ffat era (although not as much as the next episode will be) -- it ends on a lot of very fun, interesting points, but it's a bit of a rocky road to get there that struggles to give the companion much to do. it feels like this season as a whole was getting to a pretty good place on a lot of these points (if one looks at this rating's system it jumps this season) and it feels like this development was cut short

I can't believe this me making the case for more of the M*ffat era, disgusting. hateful. this isn't who I am I promise!!!

CHARACTERS/LORE/PLOT: I mean yeah! boy ohhhhkay let's list!

Simm!Master returns, reveals he was killed by Gomez!Master and that she in turn was killed by him, but if she remembers that then I'd hazard that's how she survived that, but I don't think we've ever been told how. I love how many blank spots there are in the Master's history, this isn't a complaint. the master just comes back, that's what the Master does

Bill is turned into a cyberman, then Heather pulls her out of the cyberman and they go travelling together

the Mondasian cybermen origin story

the Doctor is going to regenerate but maybe refuses to!

Gomez!Master calls someone a bitch, which I had no idea where to place, but this was my note when it happened: CALLS HIM A BITCH!!!!???!!

(which on that note, that blue guy never returns, he just shoots Bill, gets flipped on his back and disappears from the narrative entirely, feels like a bit of a miss, considering how all of this happened because of something essentially pointless... shot by some random dude... the other main link between Bill and Danny, both seem to be random events, and I'm not sure M*ffat is a deep enough writer to be doing this intentionally for any thematic reason, because Danny isn't that important in the end RIP)

COMPANIONS MATTER: there's a lot I covered in the earlier point about Bill, but she does do soooome stuff, specifically she saves the Doctor's life in the beginning of episode 2, and also pulls him out of the debris at the end and into the Tardis somehow (sidenote, I really feel like the Tardis is so fond of Bill, in a very particular way. the Tardis has favourites and Bill is one of them I believe!)

I think. those are the two main things? otherwise she acts as bait, and then as... I suppose plaything to the Master in a way? summed up like that it's a bit bleak

“GODLIKE” DOCTOR: okay I wasn't sure where to write about this, but let's talk the Doctor and the Master! because this episode is attempting to do three stories, fundamentally

the origin of the Mondasian cybermen

Bill's final story (sort of)

wrapping up this era's exploration of the Doctor and the Master

and of these, I feel like the third is, funnily enough, the least compelling to me in the second half of the story (the first half, where the Doctor is convincing Bill to travel with Gomez!Master, I liked that!)

I actually wasn't a big fan of Simm!Master in this episode for the most part (not the whole part, I liked some of it too -- Gomez and Simm kind of wanting to get it on but also wanting to kill each other feels good, feels right), I felt like a fair amount of the writing wasn't quite... right for his character or went for his most exaggerated traits without any nuance. which, Simm!Master was absolutely a misogynist in his original s3 run (and then just mostly unhinged in the specials), so it's not out of the way that he'd be casually cruel to Bill especially, but Idk. I felt like the dynamic between Simm!Master and the Doctor was minimised to make Gomez!Master seem like her desire to try to get on the Doctor's side is somehow shocking (which I may be reaching but that tying into the continuous derogatory comments at WoMEn didn't sit right with me, like she was "more" emotional or less rational or more prone to Empathy/Feelings than before because of the regeneration, one episode after we've had the line about being past gender concerns), whilst in the same breath stripping Simm!Master of some of the stuff that made him fun to watch and the nuance specifically of his relationship with the Doctor back in the day, because now Simm!Master seems to just not care for the Doctor at all

it's not just cackling and evil-doing that made Simm!Master fun, in a similar way to how the first Doctor wasn't enjoyed despite apparently constantly talking about how women needed to be dusting in the Tardis (did he ever do that, I don't remember that ever... next episode questions, don't jump ahead)

now why do I talk about this in this section -- it's because of how it feels like there's a lot of heaaavy lifting- straaainingly heavy lifting to get the Doctor to make some philosophical points and have some growth and for Gomez!Master to figure out her moral stance that meant that potentially compelling ideas around the Master and Bill (Bill saying she's afraid of the Master in the first episode, Simm!Master pretending to be her friend before selling her out, the cruelty at her after she's turned) weren't realised

and it didn't have to be Simm!Master and Bill as such, but I noticed how excessively cruel the Master is to her without any sort of impact on the plot or the Doctor's relationship with the Master or Bill herself

this episode suffers from trying to get to this point with the Doctor, and with the (as anyone who's been reading these rambles of mine) compelling relationship between Gomez!Master and the Doctor, in a way that flattens Simm!Master into purely villainous and has Bill's emotional journey fade into the background

It's not entirely all the time, but when the Doctor makes a big speech about kindness at both Masters and Simm!Master reacts by saying he wasn't paying attention, it was kind of a letdown. it didn't feel like the big moment I think it wanted to be, and it also felt like everything was building towards giving us this era's Doctor and the Master relationship conclusion and it didn't quite land for me on the Doctor's side (Gomez!Master was great though), because of how lazily Simm!Master was written and a few quite big threads being dropped

I also feel like there was a bit of lack of continuation of the Doctor and Master relationship showing the Doctor's flaws, going waaay back to the 70s when the Master offered to rule the Universe together -- and in nu!who the Doctor's mourning the Master in s3 while the Jones family and Jack and Lucy grieved for themselves, the Doctor promising Bill it'd be fine, despite the Doctor knowing what the Master is capable of, and then Simm!Master doing all of that to her. there's just some... missing puzzle pieces where they're trying to make the Doctor look good, but it doesn't all work for me and as consequence the Doctor's emotional and philosophical journey doesn't land

PREVIOUS DOCTOR WHO: on the one hand super into the Mondasian cyberman origin story, on the other hand the disrespect towards unhinged Doctor/Simm!Master of yore!

on the third hand this line from Gomez!Master at Simm!Master that did feel like the vibe: "I loved being you. Every second of it. Oh the way you burned like a sun. like a whole screaming world on fire" self-destructively destructive is exactly it!

“SEXINESS”: okay so Simm!Master and Gomez!Master being horny is allowed. I actually wish they'd been more horny, specifically about the Doctor. can't believe you dropped the ball here m*ffat I was gonna be okay with it this time! I was giving you a pass! let them be even fuckin weirder!

I also want to note here because of bathos that Nardole is still there mostly doing comedy in a way that annoys me, and I now stand firm on the opinion that this whole season could've functioned without him. I put in my notes that I didn't mind him as much in the second half, but he's just not a character I enjoy

INTERNAL WORLD: I think the concept of the ship is very cool, with down below goes very fast versus up above going very slooow. it does fall a teensy bit apart with some of the journeying, I'm confused about the lifts, especially in the "we can't make it to the Tardis" part where I feel like some of the scifi ideas were streeetching to let the plot happen in the way the writers wanted it to happen, and this also a bit in the development of cybermen and what the timeline was there, but hey, maybe someone has done a rundown of parallel timelines and it all fits perfectly and I'm wrong

do like the idea that Simm!Master went into the downstairs world and completely fucked it up, sowed the seeds for the cybermen there and convinced them that up above was dangerous to the extent that no one did another mission to the up above since the first one. I almost wish that these two episodes had been supplemented by a third one (cut some of the dead wood from the middle-season 3-parter and make that a two-parter) to explore these societies more, give Bill more to do in this world than wait around for... ten years

ten years!????!!!!

but that says something to the fact that I thought these ideas were pretty cool and they made the famously silly-seeming Mondasian cybermen into something quite creepy

POLITICS: so is there anything I could add here that wasn't covered before? Unclear about the choice of sexism in this episode, think it was ill-conceived doing the "character becomes a cyberman" plot with Black characters twice, like that lesbians came into the fore at the end (there's a separate post where I'd like to ask how people feel about Heather in general, but in principle at least I do like it, and I think it's very much a "if only more time had been given to the plot and to Bill!" for me on the whole but I do like it)

*deep breath*

what about the rest of the episodes? technically not that political in feel? there's a dystopian choking society down below that's being tricked into being converted into cybermen, which is deeeply fucked up, there's a farming community up above that's not really explored much as a structure... I think that's it?

there's sort of an ethos about "helping people out of kindness" but I think that part is a bit rushed, but that's Doctor Who-ish. I would love some discussion on the ethics of the Doctor being like "Bill I respect your choice to self-sacrifice, because I will do the exact same"

a few little questionmarks is what I'm saying

FULL RATING: 76/100 (if I can count….)

AGAIN CLAP FOR MICHELLE GOMEZ! TRULY THE MOMENT!

AND ANOTHER CLAP FOR PEARL MACKIE WHO DID SO MUCH IN SUCH A SHORT SPACE OF TIME!

highlights: those two doing Acting, especially in their respective final sequences, spooky origin story and a few Neat scifi concepts, does feel like it emotionally wrapped up this era of DW, some beautiful speeches and lines, gomez!master and the doctor were beautiful

low points: didn't feel the Simm!Master inclusion on the whole, didn't feel like the Doctor entirely worked throughout in terms of feeling his development, Bill didn't get enough to do in the stories themselves

AND NOW! WE'RE DOWN TO ONE! WILL WE END ON A HIGH???

#the measurement #im watching nu!who #im watching capaldi who #episode world enough and time #episode the doctor falls

3 notes · View notes

cynicalsympathy · 10 months

Text

So I saw Last Voyage of the Demeter...

Spoilers.

Went in without any real expectations; it's been forever since I read the book or watched the old movie with Hopkins and I was honestly too young to really get them at that time. But it's been forever since I saw anything truly 'vampire horror' and the closest I've had was...Shadows Over Innistrad when it came out...

So with a clean palate and very little tolerance for the horror genre, I actually enjoyed it.

Visuals were great. The Demeter setting sail into the sunset felt like an adventure beginning and yet the shot of the Romani praying for them added dreadful anticipation. The cgi of the fog at the end was awesome and I had genuine dread of the bloodbath about to occur because as Anna pointed out, it was coming, he could feast. The old fashioned Nosferatu look with modern equipment was really good, and a good choice I felt instead of trying to make him look "exotic" somehow or just regular corpse with fangs. The changes as he fed were subtle but I'd likely see more with a second viewing or some side-by-side comparison stills.

And the audio! The sounds of the ship and calm ocean were so relaxing; it contrasts wonderfully with the horrible sucking as he feeds, the heavy raspy breathing, the wings beating, his voice coming from everywhere. I couldn't make out every word he said--at one part, climbing the rigging after a guy, I thought he said "Now, please," and when the storm kicked up a notch, I thought he did some vocal weather control. "You will be," was the first I didn't second guess my hearing. If that was the intent, well done! If not, oh well, I'll need hearing aids eventually.

The AC kicked on a few times, sending a breeze on my ankles in tense moments and I barely stopped myself from curling into the chair.

I was scared for Toby, trapped in the cabin with a monster inside and a friend turned monster outside and teared up at the funeral and what happened. The last image of him will likely be in my nightmares because it was the biggest gut wrench. The captain looked much older at the funeral and the way he yelled, reaching out even as he saw the horror Dracula had turned Toby into was just...10/10 *chef's kiss* traumatic. It looked like his mouth was moving as he sank. All I could think was that running water is a classic weakness so that second death was probably extra agony.

I did not expect anyone to survive that long. I really wanted Anna to survive because I like characters like her. I suspected she was infected and confirmation was still saddening. Her description of the toll that abuse had on her was a perfect blend of literal physical description and metaphorical for her spiritual pain. Really thought she died off-screen in that last fight and all we would see her bloody remains with a horrified expression; lived in fear and died in fear, her life tragic and her end unnoticed. Glad she didn't happen that way.

The mental connection between Dracula and his turned victims was cool. Very much an aspect of vampire lore I like to see. Makes me wonder if Dracula avoided the ambush because he was in Anna's head; she said "He knows me" as that fog rose up, as if realizing the two-way connection foiled the plan. But then, he used fog to escape the cargo hold so maybe he was just a clever hunter, knowing an ambush was their best chance. The Night Haunter just wishes. Dracula's first "ghoul"/"husk" I forget what Stoker used for a baby vampire, him trying to speak as if trying to warn them was bittersweet and just painful as I realized why he felt burning a second before the shot switched to the sun on the deck.

I'm glad Mr. Clarence survived though I suspect his death occurs off-screen, cat-&-mouse hunting Dracula in the moors, given that Dracula was full-fledged human looking by the time he sees Mina. I felt the last scene was implying that Clarence was the final 'meal' to restore the Count's body to youth.

Using the ship's knocking signal was a great touch; at first I thought it was Clarence having PTSD sound trigger to a random cause but no. And the way Clarence calls out the Count's terror tactics for what they are, calls out his cowardice as a challenge! I loved it!

I am a little confused on a few things, if anyone wants to explain. How come the Romani transporters never noticed the dragon sigils blatantly on every side of the crates and acted surprised by their cargo? How come Anna's connection to Dracula allowed them to know where each other was but she couldn't use that to guide the crew to the coffin, in the day, and prove his existence? Was it a general area of effect instead of homing beacon on her end? Why were so many crates filled with dirt but only 1 had a food source for him? The others seemed empty. I totally expected there to be dead victims. Why so much dirt for one coffin? I know it's the earth of home but why so much? Backup in case his special coffin was lost? Extras for multiple hideouts? Because he's nobility and they never travel light so it was the cheapest way to fake that he was moving a lot of stuff? Why the maggots linked to him, gross factor?

By the end I was hoping for a victorious ending even though I knew it wouldn't happen. I'm not good with horror so I often had to close my eyes so I missed a few things.

Alas, it was a late showing and my job starts before sunrise. Tomorrow will be fun.

I doubt I'll go see it a second time. Partly because my local theatre said Today Only on showtimes and it had one time slot so likely it's gone tomorrow, like the Demeter. Also because I live alone and wished many times in two hours that I had someone to grab onto. If I could handle horror better, I would watch it again.

#last voyage of the demeter #spoilers #had a good time #got what I paid for

4 notes · View notes

travelling-on-the-octopath · 2 years

Note

Okay so me and the sis are in Chapter 10 in AG (got Marianne!! babygirl <3) and watched the convo between Dimitri, Claude, and Rhea. Way more cordial than I thought it'd be, though Claude still throws a bit of shade at the Church. In an amount that's more readily understandable, at least, but knowing what it snowballs into in his route is. Ugh. Do like him combining his and her strategies together to take the best from both of them tho, that was neat.

What's interesting to me tho is Dimitri. Cuz Claude flat out asks him if he's going to keep giving the Church refuge, and Dimitri answers with basically that "well the Church is important to my people so I have to." Which... kinda doesn't answer the question. And Claude presses on and asks "so if it wasn't useful you wouldn't?" and Dimitri goes "well that likely won't happen anytime soon, or at all." Which. Very much doesn't answer the question. And given Dimitri's general attitude with the Church matching this, it gives the very heavy implication that Dimitri would, in fact, leave the Church in the dust should it not be useful to the Kingdom.

Which, like. Why? The Gard hating on the Church - something which, in 3H, was almost exclusively portrayed as a beacon of hope - makes sense for her to do, since she was the villain. But why is Claude suddenly so down on outright toppling it and murdering its leader (fuck all those who need it/her - that thing that Claude himself acknowledged was true in 3H), and why is Dimitri pussyfootin' so hard about whether he'd help it outside of necessity or not (fuck saving those who are being unjustly persecuted - you know, his entire character)? I'd understand it if the Church were portrayed as more nefarious and dubious in this game, but if anything they come across as better in Hopes than in 3H! Especially when the common-ground enemy for a three-lord-team-up is LITERALLY RIGHT THERE with TWS, not the Church? Maybe I'm still missing something since we haven't beaten AG yet, but it just seems so pointless to me

I'm going to get into spoilers for supports (that have no bearing on plot) so if you want to avoid those lemme know and I'll make another post addressing it another way, but Dimitri's personal apathy toward the church also has me scratching my head?? Which isn't to say that I dislike it, or think it was a bad choice--just that I don't understand why it's a thing. Like let's go on a small journey here.

We're going to ignore events from Houses, because all the game really does here is provide foundational characterization. But honestly the shit that happens in Hopes is a little more damning </3 Dimitri says, incomprehensibly in his support with Claude, that he agrees with him on a personal level regarding the Church, while as king, he can't. What I don't understand is why he'd feel those things personally at all.

Mercedes-Dimitri B Support:

Okay, so the townsfolk being helped by the church are thankful.

Mercedes-Dimitri A-support:

Call me delusional, but this doesn't really seem like a guy who personally would be all right if the Central Church went bye-bye, if for literally nothing else than he says he can't personally oversee every little town in Faerghus. And before I hear someone cry theocracy, because I already have, there are examples in real life of a religious institution, like a church, offering aid to local communities because they fall under the radar of the overseeing government.

And let's not forget that the Central Church does fuck-all when Dimitri throws open the doors to Duscur and begins reparations. Not a peep from them, and this is before the war phase starts/they're officially on the same side. Everyone on the continent is quite literally free to do whatever they want, so long as they're not marching on Garreg Mach with the intention to literally light it on fire. The Empire undergoes its reforms without a damn word; the Alliance becomes a Federation unencumbered; and Dimitri finally began repairing the relationship between Faerghus and Duscur, to the point where portions of their armies overlap.

Dimitri appreciates the stability Rhea offered after the Tragedy. Dimitri knows how important the church is to his people. Dimitri knows they haven't done anything to deserve the ire of literally everyone else on the continent. His main internal conflict is that taking them in basically painted a target on Faerghus' back, and in every route but his, he gets shown how desperate people are to get their hands on the Central Church, and what they're willing to do to Faerghus to get to them. So . . . why is he personally okay with them being put to bed. I don't get it at all.

#dimitri king it's a net negative for you if the church is gone i don't get yougdlfkgj #people will disagree #that's fine #as always i'm open to discussion if it's respectful #fe #fe3h (the remix)#fewth spoilers #fire emblem warriors: three hopes spoilers #s responds #fea-and-fehf-headcanons #thank you for yet another food-for-thought ask ^^"

29 notes · View notes