#only when the episode ended did i recall that they were trying to make them seem like mortal enemies lol

[flicklikesstuff]

Hazbin Hotel Ep 8 Ramble and Theory

⚠️ SPOILERS!! ⚠️

Surprisingly, the show’s first season really got me hooked with its storyline and I can’t wait what’s in store for the upcoming season 2.

I’ve had my suspicions with Alastor since the pilot, and it just keeps growing with every episode. Even then, his real motivations are just hard to really see and it’s what makes his character intriguing. One moment, he’s lurking in the shadows like some sort of villain, and then the next, we see him maaaybe caring for his friends?? If he even considers them that. Idk 🤷

I’ve always thought that maybe he’s sticking around and playing nice to get Charlie’s guard down in the long run. Waiting for her to get desperate so he can strike a deal with her. So he could ask her for any favour in the future. And guess what? That’s what he exactly does in Ep 7.

And if I’m recalling correctly, Alastor helped Charlie with the war, but Charlie is yet to grant her own end of the deal. Alastor STILL is owed a favour from her.

(Where am I going with this theory and analysis? I’m getting there-)

At one point, maybe he did genuinely care for the hotel and the people in it. Regardless what his motives were. He even admits it’s a “surprising thrill” to watch them form connections. But the word choices he uses in this scene are just sooo…weird?

“Almost??” “Could get accustomed??”

It sounds like he admits feeling attached to the other characters but at the same time, doesn’t want to commit to it. Does he have far more nefarious intentions in mind for them and that’s why he’s so distant?

Alastor probably noticed this in the ending of Ep 8 too. His altruistic self almost got control of him. He almost risked his life to help his “friends.” And he didn’t like that one bit. Perhaps, he sees this trait as a weakness.

It really sounds like the verse“Great Alastor Altruist died” is equal to him stating that “there’s no more Mr. Nice Guy” from now on. He’s disconnecting and staying firm to whatever his highly vague motives are. And it’s highly likely that whatever’s holding him back from his full power is the deal he made itself. And he’s going to try anything to get out of it. Maybe that’s the reason why he approached Charlie in the first place.

And I’m going back to Charlie’s deal with him here. The only condition she has is that she won’t harm anyone for him. But knowing Alastor, he’s going to twist the words a bit there. Maybe he won’t harm them physically. But maybe in some other way. Indirectly. One that Charlie won’t see in the long run. Maybe he uses this one favour to help him break free of this deal or loosen it in some way.

And Charlie already has so much trust in him after the battle, she most likely won’t see it coming. It’s perfect.

(Not exactly sure how these soul contracts work buuut, she’s the princess right? Maybe she’s powerful enough to do smth about it? Maybe that’s why Alastor was so interested to gain her trust and potentially free himself?)

…….

But anyway! Onto the second part of my theory!

Alastor’s probably going to optimise his one chance of freedom through Charlie’s owed favour. But I have a feeling he’s not only going to use just Charlie.

Who else is at the hotel that the other main cast members trust? Who he could freely command under his control? To show up at his will? Answer his beck and call? Whose souls that Alastor owns?

I swear. It is NO ACCIDENT that these two were standing side by side. NEXT TO ALASTOR. In the ending. (Or maybe I’m overanalysing, but whatever. This is MY ramble)

When Alastor comes back from the “dead”, everyone was happy to see him. Especially Charlie. And surprisingly Vaggie? I guess she’s warming up to him. Idk if that’s good or not.

Everyone except Lucifer and Husk. Lucifer’s still bitter on the whole ‘dad’ thing. But I just really felt sooo bad for Husk here. 😂 My guy had maybe a few happy hours of what he thought was freedom. Then he sees this guy come back and he’s just: “Ahhhh… SHT-!”

Now I’m just saying, I don’t think Alastor can just casually go up to Charlie and just easily demand that favour. Especially now that Lucifer might be staying around(?) Also, Alastor sounds like someone who would strategically play the long run if it means benefits. Albeit, less truly altruistic than before since that approach almost costed him highly.

He’s maybe going to have to pull some strings to really make Charlie feel like she HAS to do him a favour. To better solidify his chances and so she’s less likely to be hesitant/reluctant/suspicious. After all, Alastor is only owed ONE FAVOUR. Maybe he’ll pull some strings to win over Lucifer’s own trust too so he won’t be stopping Charlie? (I’m not sure, these two are not in good terms.)

(Look me in the eyes and tell me this is the face of someone who’s definitely not going to use this hotel for his own personal gain. Things are going to start getting ugly with Alastor’s new approach. I’m also still like 80% sure these 3 characters are placed together for a reason. It CANNOT be a complete coincidence, right?)

Now I’m really curious how Husk and Niffty would react under this sudden new approach. The angst potential here is smelling strong. It’s obvious that they’re starting to get highly attached to the hotel and really consider the others as friends. Something Alastor didn’t allow himself to.

And it’s not like they have a voice in the matter either. No matter what Alastor tells them to do to secretly manipulate things around the place so he’ll appear like he’s “helping out more.”

Who knows really? What kind of errands he’ll force them to do? “Mr. Nice Guy” is really no longer an option here. That guy is dead. Adam killed him.

And all at the same time, Alastor wouldn’t be breaking Charlie’s condition. He’s not making her hurt anyone at all. Just helping a good old pal, who’s done so much for her, to maybe loosen the constraints his deal has. Or whatever else he wants, I don’t fcking know-

(But Srsly though. The angst??? Niffty and Alastor are fond with each other, but Niffty is also starting to like her new friends too. Will that create some sort of rift? Niffty actually being hesitant??

And don’t even get me STARTED on Huskerdust. Like wtf-? Husk has already stepped out of line before and it left him completely shaken. What else could he do? And a heartbroken Angel finding out he’s behind all this when Husk is the first person to truly reach out to him? Husk not being able to meet his gaze out of guilt?? THE FCK-???)

Yeaaaahhh, can’t wait what Season 2 has for us all….

Remember fellas, this is just a theory. A Hazbin theory! :))

#idk #just spitballing here #hazbin theory #hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #hazbin charlie #hazbin husk #hazbin niffty #hazbin angel dust #hazbin lucifer #hazbin spoilers #hazbin vaggie #hazbin episode 8 #huskerdust

[macdennisofficial]

A trend I noticed last season (which I absolutely loved last season by the way) is that RCG seem to be focusing the finale on an emotional arc for one character. Last season's was Charlie, and before that was Mac. We know this season's finale is about Dennis. If I recall correctly (and I may actually be wrong because for the past few years I have intentionally been avoiding any kind of behind the scenes and fore-knowledge of any of my fandoms, simply because I prefer going in blind) Always Sunny has been renewed until season eighteen. So, if I am correct, that gives us enough for each main character to have an arc. I had been hoping that season eighteen would be Dennis personally, but that was purely preference and not based on anything else. Seventeen and eighteen would leave room for Frank and Dee to have their emotional finale.

Given that Dennis will be sixteen's finale, let's focus on him. With Mac, it was his sexuality (and also about trying to find his father's acceptance, which he didn't get - but he did, however, get Frank's, for the time being anyway.) Charlie was about his absent biological father . . . but also his found family returning to help him, and admitting that he wished Frank really had been his dad (which Frank also wished.)

Mac's sexuality and Charlie's desire to know who his father is were both brought up and discussed multiple times throughout the show, building so that the "ends" of their respective arcs were meaningful. They weren't just pulled out of thin air and contained to their character-specific finale episodes. So it's safe to say that Dennis' (and Frank's, and Dee's) will also relate to something that's been following them throughout the series.

What could Dennis' be? The only common denominator between Mac's and Charlie's episodes were wanting something from a familial person, and receiving it from Frank. Is that coincidence, or intentional? Will Dennis need something and eventually return to Frank as his father? Will everyone accept Frank as their parental figure by the end, leaving Frank for last, to accept them all as his children? Regardless, coincidental or intentional, Frank taking that role is a secondary, and more general, arc. I am interested in the more targeted one.

What about Dennis' specific story? Mac had his sexuality and Charlie had his abandonment - so what will Dennis have?

Mac's sexuality makes sense, as for years coming to terms with it had been his character's primary focus. Charlie's desire to know, once and for all, who his father was does too, as that had been toyed with since the season two finale. What has been following Dennis repeatedly that could be possibly concluded when he takes his mental health day?

Emotions and identity.

We will see Dennis come to terms with what he feels, and who he is, away from the Gang, which he has tried to do before (The Gang Misses the Boat, Dennis' Double Life) for years . . . but this time, he will succeed.

That or he's gonna rage-kill Jack. I'm excited either way.

#dennis reynolds #iasip #meta #more like rambling tbh #den den revolution

[gffa]

Hey Lumi! I’m watching The Bad Batch for the first time. Just finished the episode where Rampart is trying to get his bill passed and then Palpatine at the end manages to manipulate the situation so that even though the truth was told, the clones still lost. Rex at the end of the episode says something like “Palpatine was always one step ahead of us during the war and he’s several steps ahead of us now” I’m curious as to how much Rex knows about Palpatine and what actually happened. Because I don’t think he would know Palpatine is a Sith Lord but I think it’s obvious to many (or most) people in the galaxy that Palpatine was using the war as a way to gain total control over the galaxy. What are your thoughts on this?

This is an interesting question that I've been trying to figure out, because I don't recall anything that says for sure Rex knew that Palpatine was Sidious, but what they do know is: - Obi-Wan told Bo-Katan, Ahsoka, and Rex that the Council suspected, "Darth Sidious is the Sith Lord who orchestrated the Clone Wars and played both sides of it from the beginning." while they were on Mandalore. - Rex looked into what Fives was trying to uncover, he knew it went "all the way to the top" and at least suspected that Palpatine had to be involved given Fives trying to target him. - When Order 66 happened, they saw a holo-figure of Darth Sidious giving them the command, which triggered them calling him "My Lord". For the most part, Palpatine used a hologram version of himself for announcements and such, but he did make at least that one speech to the Senate in his true form during ROTS. - They knew that the Jedi had battled Palpatine, because he made the speech after the lightning scarred him, so why would the Jedi have gone after a politician? How could an ordinary politician stand up against a Jedi Master of Mace Windu's calibre? - Obi-Wan and Yoda know that Palpatine is Sidious because they saw the footage of Anakin swearing loyalty to him. While they wouldn't have been able to tell her directly, they almost assuredly told Bail, who may have passed on that information to Ahsoka. (Whether at Padme's funeral or another time?) Ahsoka could have told Rex after that, they were still in contact for many years afterwards.

Most likely, I think they both put the puzzle pieces together from the above--neither of them knew about Anakin being Darth Vader--and Rex's words in TBB episode could be (if I'm remembering right, I only saw it the once and haven't seen it since, so my memories may be fuzzy) theoretically be just as a politician, I think they all knew he was playing dirty even just as Palpatine to get himself into position as Emperor, but I think it's more that they just looked at all the puzzle pieces, saw him suddenly look like that hologram the clones got, and quietly put two and two together. If I've missed anything (entirely possible! it's a hazy question of who knows what at what point), feel free to jump in, but afair I'm not sure it's directly stated anywhere and I think either Rex just figured it out once all the pieces fell into place or the biochip in their heads had that information and, once triggered, all the clones knew it.

#star wars #lumi.txt #captain rex #sheev palpatine #meta

[alittletaste]

REMEMBER WHEN

↳ The one where Harry and a very pregnant y/n have a “remember when” conversation before bed

Warnings: This contains smut so please be 18+ if you are going to read! This honestly has a bit of everything, from smut to fluff to Instagram/twitter concepts so I hope you enjoy. Please be kind and reblog 🫶

-

Y/n and Harry were resting up against the headboard, his hands on her growing bump, stroking it gently as Y/n rested her head on his shoulder. “I can’t believe we’re having a baby” she spoke, breaking the comfortable silence they found themselves in.

“I know, it’s mad ain’t it? Like we made a baby” Harry agrees, his fingers rubbing soothing circles onto her stomach as he leans down to kiss into his wife’s hair. He was so grateful for her sacrifice, for the fact that she was pregnant with their first bubba, doing everything she could possibly do to ensure they have a healthy baby by the end of it.

“Can’t believe we’ve been together for six years, we met when we were kids back on icarly” Y/n chuckles, reminiscing on the day one direction came to the set of icarly and filmed one of her most favourite episodes.

“Sounds like a lifetime ago, I was only eighteen” he says, “can’t believe we didn’t actually get together back then, could’ve wifed you up ages ago” Harry jokes making Y/n roll her eyes at her husband.

“Hey, you had six years still” she groans earning a soft chuckle from him in reply.

“I remember the first thing you ever said to me” Harry speaks after a moment of silence, looking down into his wife’s eyes as he says so.

“Oh yeah? What was it?”

“You came up to me and laughed in my face before saying ‘your zips undone’ d’you remember?” Harry laughs, recalling the moment he saw Y/n for the first time in person, it was one he could never forget.

“Shit, I did say that didnt I? You’ve literally not changed since then, I still constantly remind you to do up your zip” Y/n declares, shaking her head at her forgetful husband. There has been countless times where Harry’s forgotten to do up his zip after a quickie or after using the loo, meaning there’s countless amount of pictures of him out there online, with his zip undone.

“Remember that time in Oslo when all the fans were making fun of you for not having your zip done?” She questioned looking over at Harry who rolled his eyes at her question.

“How could I forget? I’m convinced you jinxed me that day, you practically wished for me to get embarrassed” he playfully argues making y/n giggle.

***

“Harry hurry the fuck up” someone spoke from outside the door of his dressing room. Harry ignored them as he thrusted into y/n faster, her hands grasping his back, trying to keep herself situated in the correct angle.

“Fuck” she whispered, throwing her head back against the wall as Harry buried his head into her neck, licking and sucking at her soft skin there. His hips continued the hard and fast movements, trying to get her off as his arms lifted her up higher so he can fuck up into her quicker trying to get them both to the finish line.

The friction of his pelvis against Y/ns body was enough to shoot pleasure up her body, causing her to moan a little too loudly. “Shh baby, they’re already onto us” Harry groans, his hands gripping Y/ns ass, squeezing every so often.

“then cum already” she lets out, panting at the feeling of being so close. Her eyes were squeezed shut as Harry continued to impale her with his hard cock.

“need you to cum first angel” he whispered, one of his fingers going to his mouth, he licks it and then guides it down to rub circles on y/ns pulsing clit making her tremble against him.

“y-you and your ego, fuck, m-gonna cum” she near screams, as she finally lets go, her warm walls tensing around Harry’s cock. Her release triggers his and not soon after, he’s cumming deep inside of her, his cock twitching with every thrust.

“Fuck” he growls, pulling out and taking deep breaths to come down. “That was good” he spoke and Y/n agreed, nodding her head slowly against him. She was still in another world, coming down from her incredible high. Harry kisses into her hair before lifting her up into his arms, bridal style, and taking her over to the couch. He gently rested her on there before going in for another kiss.

“I need to go before they send someone in here to kill me or yank me off you” he joked making her laugh.

“Yes shoo, get out of here. You’ve got a job to do mister” Y/n agrees, watching as Harry turns around, his back muscles flexing as he reaches down to grab his shirt, he pulls it over his head and onto his body before reaching for his pants. He puts them on as y/n continues to admire him.

“It’s rude to stare you know” he says, confidently, he knew y/n was staring even with his back turned to her and she rolls her eyes.

“You need to get your ego deflated” she says, wrapping the blanket, the gag gift Mitch gave her, it had Harry’s face plastered all over it, around herself as Harry walked to the door, blowing her a kiss.

“Whatever you say. I love you. I’ll see you after the show yeah?” He speaks, unlocking the door and walking out just as y/n replies back to him.

Sure enough, Harry’s ego deflated massively as he was called out by some fans onstage for having his zip undone for most of the show.

liked by yourinstagram, harryfan69 and 45,739 others

harryflorals “come on, couldn’t you guys tell me earlier! I know y/n is laughing at me, she always makes fun of me for forgetting to do my zip. She was actually hoping I got embarrassed today, so there you go, hope she’s happy now” - Harry tonight in Oslo, Norway

view all 342 comments

harrysfan69 THIS IS SO FUNNY TO ME

↳ harrystylesfan3 IK, HOW DID HE JUST FORGET TO DO HIS ZIPPER 💀

y/nfan3 they were probably getting down and dirty back stage SKSKHAHAHAN

↳ fanofeveryone5 I don’t blame them, they’re so hot

yourinstagram I’m sure you all will be glad to hear that I did in fact make fun of him once he got back

↳ y/nfan6 LOL YOURE SO FUNNY

y/nfan98 bestie, y/n commented and liked!!!

***

“Remember when I proposed and the internet went crazy?” Harry asks his wife who was now cuddled up into his side, her bump resting on Harry’s side. He was slowly rubbing up and down her back, soothing her aching muscles, now he doesn’t know what it’s like being pregnant but from the looks of it, it was draining and so he tried making y/ns pregnancy go as smoothly as possible.

“God Twitter had a field day when it was announced” she replies back, sighing dramatically. “Still can’t believe we couldn’t announce it properly though, it was such a special moment”

“I’m upset over that too peach, it was our moment to share” Harry says, kissing into his wife’s hair as he inhaled the scent of her shampoo. “It’s ok though right? Look at us now, 8 months pregnant and not a single person that’s not family or friends know” Harry says, sounding super pleased in himself. Normally he could never keep secrets but he knew how important this was and wanted nothing but to protect his wife.

“Yeah, I can’t believe we managed to keep this a secret, I’m sure we’ll break the internet once the bubs gets out” she smiles, patting her belly and looking back up at Harry.

He’s smiling back down at her, nodding his head. “Hey Jude, you hear that? You’re going to break the internet” Harry speaks to her belly, earning a kick from the bundle of joy nestled inside of y/ns womb.

Harry chuckles, “he’s excited to break the internet ain’t he?”

“Just like his daddy” y/n hums, threading her fingers through Harry’s hair.

***

“Remember our honeymoon, the night we made this little one?” Y/n asked as she rubbed over her belly, Harry’s hand coming to join hers. He smiled, loving the fact that his little bubba was nestled all comfy in there.

“Could never forget that day peach, the one time you forget your birth control and we’re blessed with the most precious gift ever” Harry says as he pulls Y/n closer towards him, his hand goes to play with her hair as he leans down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

“It truly just takes the one time huh?” She giggles making Harry chuckle against her, she could feel the deep rumble of his laugh in his chest and it made her smile. She hoped the baby had Harry’s dimples, they looked particularly good everytime he laughed.

“Guess so peach” he confirms. “I remember the day we found out, you had been throwing up for a while and I had to basically force you to take the test” he says, the fond memory replying in his head.

“You know I hate being wrong, especially when it comes to you” Y/n sasses making Harry sigh.

“God, what did I get myself into? If this kid comes out bullying me, we all know who’s fault that would be” He argues playfully making y/n hit at his sturdy chest playfully.

“Hey, you know I don’t bully you babe, it’s all playful banter” she says, and Harry smirks.

“I know peach, only joking with you”

***

It was Harry’s first day back at the studio after coming back from his splendid 2 week honeymoon at the Amalfi Coast. He enjoyed the hot summer weather and the incredible views alongside the hot and passionate sex him and y/n had, time no longer being a restriction as this holiday was to celebrate their love and their love only.

He was a bit relentless about returning back to work, worried to leave his poorly missus at home alone. They had been back for a week and within that week, y/n had quite literally been bed ridden. Feeling fatigued, which they at first thought was from jet lag but quickly dismissed that when she started throwing up, causing them to believe it was because of some food poisoning. However, if Harry was being honest, he thought it was because of something else, because of a little someone cooking in his wife’s belly.

(Harry and Y/n 2019 text messages)

Harry: you feeling any better, peach? x

Y/n: Still the same, threw up again which was nice 🥲

Harry: I think we should go to the doctor, it could be anything. It’s been a week my love

Y/n: I know, but it’s probably just food poising, we did eat a lot of rubbish

Harry: I know that baby, but it might not be that. It could be something else

Y/n: Like what Harry?

Harry: I think you might be pregnant

Y/n: lol, don’t be ridiculous 😂

Harry: no, I’m being dead serious. Remember that day you forgot your birth control?

Y/n: yeah but I took it after.

Harry: after we had sex about a billion times, I don’t think that’s how birth control works love

Y/n: ok ok, I get it.

Harry: so, I’m coming back rn. I’ll stop by at the drugstore and grab a test, do you have any at home?

Y/n: no we don’t, make sure not to get caught. I can’t deal with the world knowing just yet, plus I might not even be pregnant

Harry: ok baby, I’m coming soon. Love you x

Y/n: Love you too, drive safe xx

Luckily for Harry, the drugstore local to them was run by an old couple, most likely unaware of him and his wife so he quickly grabbed a few pregnancy tests, making sure to get digital ones so it’s easier to find out if his wife was pregnant or not.

It only took another 5 minutes before he was unlocking his front door, hanging his coat up on the hook in the hallway and throwing his keys into the bowl before making his way up and into his bedroom.

He slowly opened the door to see y/n laying in bed, practically drowning in the duvet and blankets Harry had pulled out for her a few days earlier. “Hey peach” he spoke, walking into the room and throwing the bag full of pregnancy tests on the bedside table as he took a seat next to Y/ns head, his hands came to gently run through her hair before he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“I got the tests” he spoke into the quiet room, waiting for y/n to talk or atleast move.

“Urgh, this is the only position where my boobs don’t hurt so please don’t move” she mumbled from beneath the duvet making Harry chuckle quietly.

“Another reason to believe that you’re pregnant” he says making y/n groan.

“If this means I’m pregnant, then you’re in for a long 9 months” she says and Harry’s laughs.

“There’s no one else I rather be in this situation with” he says truthfully, leaning down to kiss into his loves hair, smiling at the thought of being a new life into the world with the woman he loves most.

And that’s exactly what was happening, once y/n was ready to take the test, it was no surprise to smug and overjoyed Harry when it came back positive.

***

“I can’t wait to make more memories with you peach” Harry cuddles into his wife, pulling the duvet over them before reaching over to turn the lamp off.

“This is all so exciting, in a few months we’ll be in this very bed cuddling with a mini you” Y/n smiles fondly, a sense of contentment filling the room.

“I’m honestly so excited, I’m having a baby with the love of my life. I don’t think life can get any better than this” he says, kissing his wife with pure love. “Thank you”

“For what angel?”

“For making my dreams come true, always wanted to be a dad. And now I’m doing that with my person, I love you”

“I love you too”

#harry styles blurbs #harry styles smut #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you #harry styles fanfiction #harry writing #harry styles imagine #harry styles fluff #harry styles oneshot #dad!harry styles

[sabrina-bee-art]

The Wizards are Sad Pieces of Toast, change my mind.

The Wizards are this seasons big bad villains. Or, the attempt at villains, ig. The way they are introduced, set against all the other villains the Winx have already beaten, it sets the expectation for the audience that the Wizards are even more evil, cruel and dangerous than all the villains that came before. And I guess on paper they are. Theoretically they are responsible for the genocide on the Terrestrial Fairies, which is pretty horrifying. Even Faragonda doesn’t dare speak of them out loud. And initially that’s intriguing. But when we meet them properly, they are just so boring and ineffective in comparison to Valtor or the Trix. Or even Darkar and he mostly hung out in his creepy cave castle.

I like the Wizards entrance, sort of. I like that they initially are after Bloom and want to steal her power (we’ll disregard for a moment the fact we learned in season 1 that a fairy’s power can’t be stolen) and when they realise, she isn’t the one they were looking for, they just yeet her to the side. That’s funny and unexpected. Every other villain before was after Bloom, and now for the first time, she isn’t the main centre of attention. She’ll make herself into that, later. But back to the Wizards.

We quickly realise that the Wizards are just…ridiculous, not menacing. Their actions don’t live up to the expectation set by their introduction and I think that is the main problem I have with them. How am I supposed to take them as a serious threat when the first two thirds of the season, the Wizards spend their time essentially playing pranks on the Winx? All they do in their brief moments of screen time, is to stand around and complain about the Winx. Then they try to ruin the Winx reputation and get so angry over the people of Gardenia liking these girlies. How very high school mean girl of them. It gets to a point where even the Winx are just annoyed when the Wizards show up and treat them more like an inconvenience than the evil final bosses that they end up being. Well, unless the plot demands otherwise.

It doesn’t help that, until the Winx get Believix at the end of the sixth episode, the Wizards could beat them at any point, since they canonically created a spell that renders Fairy Magic basically mute. But they don’t do anything with their advantage. Instead, they are absent for a good chunk of episodes and then only start messing with the Love & Pet shop, for no other reason than that they don’t like the Winx and find them annoying. After Episode 7, when the Winx insta-defeated them, they just sometimes attack randomly, but not with any sort of plan they want to achieve. Even though Roxy is not very protected, like the Winx don’t organise a watch for her or coordinate schedules so that someone is always with her, the Wizards only try to kidnap Roxy once. Unsuccessfully, because they conveniently forget to take her powers that particular time.

At the end, when they reveal themselves to be the Big Evils after all, I couldn’t take them seriously, with all the silly bullshit they pulled. They don’t even have any memorable personalities either. I can’t even recall all their names: there’s Ogron and Duman. Gantlos? And??? I'm sure there's a fourth one, but I couldn't remember his name if you'd held a gun to my head.

Ogron, or more like budget Valtor, in a sad attempt to be the next “charming” villain, monologues all over the place, throwing around threats and sassy lines. When Valtor did it, at least he made his threats reality thus giving his words weight. Ogron just talks shit and then gets jobbed by the Winx.

Another aspect to the detriment of the Wizards is that we don’t really get to spend much time with them. In season one and season three we spend a good chunk of most episodes with the Trix and Valtor and get to know them, their plans, and personalities. That’s why they are so memorable. The Wizards don’t get the same treatment. We barely cut away to see what they are up to, and when we do, they mostly complain about the popularity of the Winx. I’m serious. These are our villains!

We never learn their plans either. Why do they want the Terrestrial Fairies powers so badly? Just to have it? Because that’s an evil villain thing to do? Why did they start the genocide in the first place? What is their end goal now? Why do they want the White Circle? What are they planning? The audience not knowing the villains plan is a problem. That’s our frame of reference for the stakes of the season. Whenever the Winx and Wizards fight, we should clearly know what happens should the Winx lose. When we don’t understand the Wizards ulterior motives, their actions become meaningless and confusing. I would go so far to speculate that there never was a concrete plan for them, writing-wise. They are just a trope, a vessel, a hinderance for the Winx to fill this season with something. They aren’t real characters.

Let’s look at their plan, or lack there-of: At first, they want to steal Roxy’s power, then they leave her alone for a bit, messing with the Winx instead. Then they suddenly forget about Roxy and want the White Circle. Then they play more pranks and inconvenience the Winx some more. And in the end, they want to destroy Tir Na Nog…for some reason??? Because the show needs an evil final boss? With the other villains in previous season, the audience always clearly understood what their next steps would be. That adds suspense and urgency, like “Oh no! The Trix are about to steal a codex, can the Winx stop them in time???” Because we understood, that if Darkar gets all Codex pieces, he would be super powerful and destroy the Magical Dimension, the audience understood the gravity whenever the Trix managed to steal another piece. Now granted, that’s not a particularly original plan, but that’s not the point. The Wizards just randomly show up to fight, not really following any plan, or rather, whatever this episode’s plot requires. They don’t have an overarching plan. I’d argue because they don’t need one, because they will lose at the end regardless, but there not being any really just makes the Wizards seem like nothing more than a mild inconveniences to the Winx. Depending on the episode, of course, and whether we need to bring in artificial tension.

The fact that they don’t even have a proper villain’s lair speaks volumes. The Trix had Cloud Tower in season one. Darkar had his fancy underground castle. Valtor first had his cave on Andros, then Cloud Tower. What do the Wizards get? An unspecified industrial looking area and then…the sewer. They hide out in the sewer. Ewwwww. They don’t have a creepy castle, nothing. They could have had a sort of Tir Na Nog foil, a creepy old castle maybe, or even lived in the Ruins of Tir Na Nog. No. They hide in the sewers of this random Californian town.

I cannot stress enough how the majority of the season the Wizards are just sad pieces of toast and then at the last minute, they are revealed to be the big bad final boss. Their tactic of feigning their surrender could have been interesting, but by that point they already had lost all their intrigue. The Winx had already won against them every time they fought, so why should I feel any sort of threat or danger?

#winx club season 4 #winx meta #winx club critical #wizards of the black circle #winx duman #winx gantlos #winx ogron #fourth wizard i can't remember the name of #winx club meta #winx club

[rainsoughtflowers]

*evil laughter in the distance* so you want requests, huh? I got you one.

part two of wavering hatred, short story and I don't remember if reader is fem or gn but I don't mind lol. karma and y/n resume their talk in the cave korosensei pushed his fave couples into. and what yn does is half of a confession, basically just asking him desperately as to why he makes them feel like that. karma is taken aback, doesn't even answer the fucker. so the episode keeps going normally as much as tension can be considered normal and the helping Irina-sensei happens blah blah blah. night falls on the island and yn is very much restless. not able to sleep they go on a walk and as they are walking in the dark hallway they pick up their eyes only to meet karma's surprised ones how romantic. they end up at the beach side by side resolving the tension sweetly with karma not being a teasing asshole for once, or so you'd bc he ends up trying to make up the lost time with a sweet long kiss make out sesh time

don't know if the last one counts as NSFW for you so if it does feel free to skip it obviously. this is the vague image of what I'd like to see but if you deem any changes necessary to suit your style then so be it, you are the writer after all. take your time and if you don't like it I have many more scenarios in store so dw :)

have fun writing!!

baited breaths

tw/cw - kissing lmao, a little bit of cursing.

a/n - hihihihi REALLY sorry this took forever but i was suddenly in a karma akabane mood :D

this work is multiple parts. part one.

it didn’t take long for you to recover from whatever sickness was forced upon you. your slumber had been interrupted by the loud sounds of blades slicing the air, and after groggily opening your eyes and sitting upright you recognized it to belong to a helicopter. your head throbbed due to the sounds and motions, and yet you still found yourself searching among the crowd. scanning for a shade of red still bright inside your mind.

you felt an emotion close to relief when karma akabane emerged, appearing unscathed and wearing his infamous smirk. gold scanned the crowd, and you mentally cursed the skipping of your heart when they rested on you. you pulled at the sheets covering the lower portion of your body, wringing your hands through the fabric to busy yourself as the contact never broke. something unexplainable passed over his features, your mind still foggy with sleep and the fever still burning your skin. but just as quick as the male was there he was disappearing, and your own thoughts drifted when you were handed a supplement supposed to cure you of your illness. you laid down, forced to close your eyes for more hours of slumber.

the next time you saw karma was early afternoon the following day, when you finally awoke feeling much better than before. it appeared most of the students slept past the early hours of the morning, though it was definitely much needed after the event filled night previously experienced.

you found karma on the floor, body leaned back and his arms supporting his weight. his head was lifted towards the sky, eyes closed as his red strands of hair billowed in the wind. he looked so…peaceful. not a trace of mockery or amusement on his features. one would barely be able to tell that the boy was actually the epitome of trickery.

it was almost like he knew you had arrived, eyes fluttering open to rest on your face. a smile curled his lips, and all peace was gone from his expression the moment he tilted his head and spoke.

“were you staring at me?” he teased, your cheeks flaring red in response to his question. because you were, but you'd never admit to such a thing in front of him, especially after the events from the night before. your mind still refused to recall the warmth that lingered on your fingertips and the embarrassing revelation you'd made about your feelings towards your classmate. unfortunately, it hadn't been the poison. you did find yourself attracted to him, as infuriating as his personality was.

you released a huff, sitting down beside him while folding your arms across your chest, “as if! i was just surprised.”

“by how attractive i am?” karma's smile was devilish, and you refused to meet the gold in his eyes as you released another frustrated breath.

“about how deceiving you are. if only all the girls swooning for you knew how horrible your personality actually is.”

everything about karma's hurt expression was fake, “such harsh words coming from someone who is only alive because i saved them.”

“that was a group effort. don’t go taking all the credit.”

“sorry, what was that?" karma cupped a hand over his ear, leaning in closer, "i was recalling how you called me smart and cool while on your deathbed.”

embarrassment flooded its way through your body, “that’s not-!”

your next words were interrupted by koro sensei’s entrance, and you’re forced to simply glare at the teen before giving your attention to your teacher. he was no longer trapped in the little small ball he had secured himself within during your last assassination attempt, back to wearing his tacky floral patterned shirt. the yellow octopus grinned, nerves stirring in your stomach when he spread his tentacles and proudly announced your next class activity.

a test of courage.

nagisa repeated the creature's words, confusion laced within his tone. if even possible, koro sensei’s smile widened, his tentacles reaching up to stretch the limbs, “yes! what better activity for a midsummer night?”

“you just want to have fun.” karma sang, his own smirk widening.

the red head’s accusation resulted in a lecture by your teacher, his voice dripping with irritation as he spoke about the loss of his vacation after being stuck in a ball. you couldn’t help but giggle at the reminder, hiding your laugh behind your hand.

still, his rant seemed to lift the spirits of your peers, talking excitedly among themselves about the upcoming activity and what might occur during it. you weren't sure what to think, hesitant about the idea of possibly encountering ghosts or something so frightening you'd embarrass yourself in front of your classmates. well, embarrass yourself in front of karma. you'd never hear the end of it.

speaking of the male, you found your eyes drifting to his face, trying to gauge his reaction to the proposed activity. of course, just as you expected, karma's eyes were bright with delight, perhaps amused by the prospect of getting to see whatever tricks your teacher decided to pull during the so called test. he was probably also excited to hear the screams that would eventually erupt from everyone's throats.

you glanced away, praying that this test of courage wouldn’t take place where karma would be able to make fun of you.

-

your stomach twisted itself into knots, and you couldn't differentiate between the nerves you felt entering the dark cave or the butterflies that arrived the moment karma began walking by your side.

of course. you should've known that the moment koro sensei proposed the test of courage, he hadn't intended to see which students were the bravest in the class. he was playing cupid. and for some stupid, horrible, confusing reason, he thought you and karma were a match.

the air in the cave was humid, making your skin feel sticky with sweat the deeper you went. it was also dark, and it didn't help that karma was the only one with a flashlight, forcing you to stick closely by his side. his skin was warm each time it brushed against your own, and you forced yourself to keep your eyes straight ahead to hide the red steadily scorching your cheeks.

it was quiet for the first couple of minutes, the only sounds being the water dripping from spikes in the ceiling and your own steady footsteps. you're surprised, since you had been anticipating karma's teasing remarks about how scared you looked. your eyes kept darting nervously around the enclosed area and your fingers never seemed to stop shaking. but he remained quiet, and one look at his expression showed...nothing. karma akabane appeared impassive.

"you look like you're having fun." you joked, trying to lighten the mood. even if karma was not reminding you of your current state, that was more scary than your endless bickering. you were relieved when karma glanced at you and twitched the corner of his mouth up into a smile.

he shrugged, facing forward once more, "it’s actually boring in here."

"why?"

"no one to watch scream."

you rolled your eyes at his response, "of course you'd say that."

karma glanced at you once more, opening his mouth to say something, but he's interrupted by the flicker of blue fire and the sound of an Okinawa shamisen.

you both turned at the sound, karma passing the flashlight over the walls until finding the source. you jumped, scooting yourself closer to the boy beside you when koro sensei appeared like a ghost from the shadows.

"this is a blood-drenched cave of tragedy...where Ryukyu royalty, defeated in battle, met a violent end." his voice echoed in the cave, his words ringing in your ears even after the light went out and he disappeared.

your fingers curled themselves in the fabric of karma's shirt, nervously glancing around the cave. you knew something scary was supposed to pop up sometime during the ‘test’, but you hadn’t anticipated it being your teacher. and what was with the creepy music and costume? chills traveled down your spine, but you could find no further sign of the yellow octopus. you released a breath, glancing up to meet unsuspecting eyes.

there were no words in the dictionary you could use to describe what you felt in that moment. karma's eyes were clear, almost like water, and they tipped over and spilled gold down your form with each second that passed. as you stared, bathing yourself within the pools, your heartbeat quickened within your chest, the sound so loud within your ears you feared he could hear it. his own expression was hard to place, but you caught the surprise that flickered across it when your noses found themselves only mere inches apart. the butterflies returned, fluttering in your stomach and you swallowed thickly to compose yourself.

"kar-"

"you must stay together."

a scream is released from your throat, your body clinging onto karma's when koro sensei appeared right behind you. but just as quick as your teacher was there he was gone, leaving only the echoes of his voice bouncing off of the walls.

leave it to koro sensei to ruin a perfectly good moment.

you released the breath you’d been holding, registering your current position when you felt karma's muscles tense beneath your hands. hastily you pulled yourself away, refusing to meet his eyes as you grabbed the flashlight he had dropped and began to walk further into the cave.

"we should get out of here." you mumbled quickly, not daring to look back to check if he was following after you. your cheeks burned along with your shame, hating how foolishly you'd clung to his form. how pathetic was that? if karma didn't have an excuse to make fun of you before, he definitely did now. you could already picture the horrible smile on his face and the teasing tone of his voice.

"back then, what were you trying to say?"

your steps faltered, and you quickly turned around in confusion, "what?"

"when you were sick,” karma began, taking one step closer. your eyes followed the movement, before taking in the serious expression on his face, “you said you had something important to tell me."

you recalled the delirious words uttered the previous night, feeling your cheeks warm at the thought. you had been so close to confessing to him. confessing. in all honesty, you had hoped karma would forget about it, but perhaps his thoughtful expressions rooted from that unfinished conversation, "ah, that,” you shook your head, waving off his curiosity, "forget it. it was nothing."

"so you're a coward." karma declared.

you glared at him, hating how you knew he was provoking you for a reaction, and you still fell into his trap, "i'm not a coward."

"really?” the male stepped closer, and his eyes were the definition of mockery when they met your own, “your actions say otherwise."

"god, you are really infuriating,” you laughed, muttering bitterly beneath your breath, “i must be stupid to fall in love with you."

karma suddenly grows quiet, and when the irritation disappeared you finally registered what had been said. your eyes widened, expression mirroring the boy before you.

“oh my god.” you mumbled, putting your hands over your lips, “oh my god. i can’t believe i just said that.” how could you be so stupid? confessing your feelings? and on accident, too? you began pacing, your heart racing within your chest as you tried to think of what to do to salvage the situation. but there was no fixing it. karma knew, and the sight of his frozen state made you even more anxious, “well don’t just stand there, say something!”

but he doesn’t. the red head stays rooted to his spot, the only indication of emotion being his widened eyes and parted lips. you feel the dread stir in your stomach the longer you are forced to listen to the echoes of falling water and koro sensei’s words further down the cave. after several moments of karma’s continued silence you let out a frustrated breath. well, you got your answer then.

this time you really do turn around and walk off, refusing to look back. you would not cry. you would not. and you would not care about the fact that his footsteps never quite reached your ears.

-

karma probably thought of your infatuation as a joke.

that could be the only explanation for his current actions. as soon as you both emerged from the dark cave and met the eyes of all your classmates he began the teasing, talking about how carelessly you had thrown yourself upon him and the shrill scream you had let out. his words made you fume with anger, glaring at the redhead as he continued without an ounce of shame. why did he have to be such an asshole? where was the boy that was worried about you the night before? you began to laugh at yourself. you really were a fool for liking him.

everyone's attention is quickly diverted, however, when miss irina emerged from the cave with her hands tightened around karasuma's arm. sly, mischievious smiles formed on your classmates faces, and it's almost laughable how quickly they scrambled together to form a plan. you had no choice but to forget about your previous anger and join the scheming when rio pulled you into the small circle formed.

they began by provoking the poor woman into giving them answers, poking fun at her lack of experience and the obvious crush she had on the man. although she denied it at first, she eventually gave in, and you found the averted eyes and dusted cheeks to be cute on her usually pissed off expression. the other students seemed to think so, too, and they eagerly assured the blonde woman that the perfect love stage would be set for the two of them.

koro sensei led the quick debrief of what the plan would be, holding up a small whiteboard and wearing square rimmed glasses. the first part of the plan was to change her outfit, their reasoning being that karasuma wasn't into the revealing clothing she normally wore. yet, even after switching out her clothes for a white frilly dress, somehow she made it appear far more provocative than it actually was.

they tried coming up with the man's ideal type, only to realize that the 'woman' he was interested in was actually a military potential. okuda suggested cooking for him, but it was quickly scratched when karasuma only seemed to eat fast food. dejection quickly crossed over everyone's faces when they realized their stoic teacher was probably the problem and not miss irina’s attitude.

koro sensei was quick to lighten the mood, however, instructing the girls to help miss irina with her appearance and the boys with setting up a romantic dinner. you almost scoffed at the thought, for you couldn't imagine karma being romantic, let alone creating the atmosphere for your dear plan. you quickly turned away and joined the rest of the group when you felt his eyes lingering on your form.

the plan was simple. take up nearly every seat inside the building to force the two teachers outside for dinner. the rest was up to them.

rio and yada do an amazing job forcing karasuma outside when the time came around, bodies splayed across the seats as mischief gleamed in their eyes. they teased the older man, suggesting that he find a place to sit elsewhere despite there being none. when karasuma looked around and spotted every table occupied he sighed, heading towards the door without another word. the moment he left the building you all scrambled up from your seats, finding several hiding spots outside to eavesdrop.

you found yourself behind a bush, staring intently at the scene before you. it really was romantic. the sky was a beautiful painting of purples, reds, oranges and yellows, the waves crashing against the shore creating a beautiful sound. miss irina looked lovely in her new outfit, her face glowing with the golden shades of the sun cast across her skin, and her blue eyes sparkled when karasuma sat down beside her.

for a majority of the dinner it was quiet, the two adults eating at their own respective paces. you began to worry that your plan was a fail, and that your oblivious teacher would fail to realize he had been set up for a date. but just as the setting sun was getting ready to disappear beneath the horizon he spoke, and you all leaned in closer in hopes to hear what was being said.

your ears couldn’t pick up on anything, but you saw miss irina frown, karasuma looking at her with a confused glance. she remained silent for a moment, before she reached up, cut the tie holding her hair together and asked him a question. she received no response, a small smile turning her lips as she got up from her seat and walked over to his own. you released a soft gasp when she picked up the napkin, kissed it, and then pressed it to his lips.

she walked away, glancing back briefly to utter the words in her heart. and then she turned around, and you stared dejectedly at her form getting closer and closer to your hiding spots. that was the end.

you lowered your gaze, tightening your fingers around the fabric of your pants. despite the woman’s bitchy attitude, you admired miss irina. she had been brave, despite her date going no where. you knew what it was like to like someone who would never see you the same way.

you don't join the other students who get up and scold the woman, silently listening from afar to their raised voices and teasing remarks. instead your eyes drifted towards the piercing gold behind a palm tree, catching karma akabane's intense stare. well, at least he had the decency to cease his own teasing. he didn't smile at you, nor could you find a trace of mischief or amusement hidden in the pools of gold. instead the boy appeared to be thinking. over what? how rude his actions had been? the confession you had carelessly uttered?

you got up and walked away. you found that you didn't want to find out.

-

you couldn't sleep.

no matter how much you tossed and turned to change into a more comfortable position your mind refused to quiet down, annoying you greatly. it had been hours since you and the rest of the students turned in for the night, and hours since you struggled to slip into a dream. you didn’t know what was wrong. maybe it was the nerves prickling your skin, itching and clawing with great intensity. or maybe it was the reoccurring thoughts spinning endlessly in your mind, remaining even after you put on music to drown it out.

when your body refused to sleep yet again you groaned, tearing the blanket away from your body and slipping on your shoes. if you couldn't sleep, then you'd walk. maybe the exhaustion would finally let you rest.

you wandered quietly through the dark hallways, watching the shadows dance across the walls and the pale moonlight slipping through the windowpanes. it remained utterly quiet during the time of night, though you could hear the faint sound of crashing waves and billowing trees. it was calming, and you found yourself turning a corner to slip outside to the beach.

your movements faltered when you almost ran into another body, stepping back with surprise. who was also awake during the middle of the night? you squinted through the dark, trying to decipher the facial features and the frame of their body. your heart dropped to your stomach when you recognized the apple red hair and intense golden eyes.

you avoided the boy’s gaze, brushing past him without another word. you weren’t in the mood to talk, especially to him. you just wanted peace and quiet. a moment to think. you were so adamant about your decision that the only reason you paused was when he spoke up, voice carrying quietly through the night.

"gonna ignore me? i thought you were in love with me or something."

karma’s words strike an anger in your body so intense you couldn’t help but turn around and yell at him, not caring that frustrated tears gathered in the corner’s of your eyes, "you're a jerk, you know that?”

you released an aggravated breath, quickly turning back around to rush outside. why did he have to be so confusing? one moment he’s kind, taking care of you while on the brink of death. and then the next? it’s like karma completely disregarded his previous actions, returning to his annoying, old self. had you imagined that night? the careful way he had led you to your bed and the ghost of his fingers holding onto your own? and you, why did you still like him, teasing and all?

you plopped down onto the sand, bringing your knees to your chest as you set your gaze onto the waves pushing and pulling against the shore. you ignored the footsteps that trickled behind you, pausing just behind your figure. you refused to look. you refused to play his game. you thought you were making that clear, but karma just can’t seem to leave you alone, huh?

“why did you follow me?” you muttered. why do any of this?

“what you said in the cave, it must be true then?” karma asked from behind you. you couldn’t see his face, but you thought you heard the slightest hint of genuinity laced in his tone.

you looked back, annoyed, “of course it’s true! you think i would lie about that?”

“i know it’s hard to resist me,” karma smirked, head tilted. you hated how cute he looked by the catlike actions, and how the faltering of his smile and furrowed brows made your breath catch in your throat, “but why?”

why did you like karma? he was arrogant, annoying, and most of all horrible. he may be attractive, but that didn’t make up for the hundreds of times he aggravated you beyond belief. in reality, you shouldn’t.

and yet, there was that other part of him, the one that he rarely ever showed. the vulnerable side of karma akabane that he only seemed to reveal with you.

you glanced down, threading your fingers through the sand and watching the grains slip through your fingers. you took a moment to breathe deeply and formulate the correct words, “you…you’re kind, even if you don’t want to admit to it. you helped me when i was sick and you let me stick close to you in the test of courage. and yeah you’re also a jackass but…i guess i like that, too.”

karma doesn’t speak behind you, and something prompts you to turn around and look at him. the sight surprised you, for karma’s ears are red. really red.

“are you blushing?” you asked, a hint of a smile tracing your lips. it widened when karma’s face grows the same color as the tip of his ears.

“i’m not!” he defended, glaring at you. the sight made you laugh. you never knew karma could get so embarrassed.

“yes you are!” you insisted, unable to help yourself with the thought that ghosted near the surface of your mind, “oh my god. don’t tell me you have a crush on me, too.”

“and if i did?”

karma refused to look at you, gold pinned to the ground as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. he was fidgeting, face growing redder by the minute, and suddenly it began to make sense.

“oh.” you mumbled quietly, heart racing within your chest at the realization.

he took a seat beside you, continuing to glare at the sand by his feet. you waited, patiently, for the male to form whatever words he needed onto the tip of his tongue, “i tease you because i like you.”

you blinked, letting the words sink in. it made sense in a way. karma was definitely the type to torment the person he had feelings for. you found yourself scooting closer to his body, “why didn’t you just say so in the beginning?”

he released a huff, “it’s embarrassing.”

“embarrassing to like me?”

“to admit to it,” you saw his fingers dig into the sand, his glare growing more intense, “i’m not good at feelings.”

you continued to stare at him, fondness flickering like a flame within your chest. karma liked you. he liked you. and even though he was embarrassed beyond belief, he was telling you anyways.

you grinned, getting up and throwing your arms around the male. he released a grunt at the sudden weight of your body on his own, his face turning red once more as you nuzzled your face into the crook of his shoulder, “who knew you could be so cute, karma!”

“shut up.” he mumbled quietly, averting his gaze. but you felt a hand come up and return your embrace, light and hesitant resting on your back.

you squeezed tighter, taking in the warmth of his body and the sweet scent of strawberries lingering on his skin. the whole moment felt surreal, and you weren’t sure what to do with yourself now that you knew the red head’s true feelings.

you pulled away slowly, drinking in the rich gold of his eyes and the pale moonlight glowing upon his face. he was beautiful. and karma, he stared at you with such raw emotion you felt your breath get taken away with the breeze that passed through the night. his eyes flickered down, resting on your lips, and you smiled when his embarrassment told you everything he had thought upon making contact.

well, if karma was too shy to kiss you, you supposed you’d have to do it yourself.

the boy didn’t have time to react when your fingers rested on his cheek and you leaned forward, pressing your lips gently against his own. you felt the way karma’s whole body tensed, surprised, before he eased into the motion of your mouth on his. a small laugh broke through at his initial shock, pulling back slightly to let the sound break through. only, it was your turn to be surprised when he leaned forward and returned the affection with newfound eagerness.

you found that you could’ve kissed karma all night, relishing in the way his fingers wove themselves through your hair and the clumsy motion of his lips as they searched for your own. you weren’t surprised by his inexperience, it was your first kiss as well, but despite the uncertainty it was easy to find a steady rhythm you both liked. your own hands rested on the back of his neck, soothing the skin there and teasing the ends of his hair. karma seemed to like the ministrations when he released a pleased hum, the sound tickling your skin. yes, you could’ve kissed him forever under the delicate light of the moon and the dance of waves across the shore. you could’ve stayed in that moment for eternity, holding your breath for just one more second of his touch.

menu. strawberry rhubarb meringue tartlets..

#gender neutral reader #gn!reader #fluff #assassination classroom #karma akabane #karma akabane fluff #karma akabane assassination classroom #assassination classroom karma akabane #karma x reader #karma x you #karma x y/n #karma/reader #karma/you #karma akabane x you #karma akabane x reader #karma akabane x y/n #karma akabane/reader #karma akabane/you

[ecargmura]

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 3 Review - Ghost Stories

What the heck? Who told me that an episode that revolves around ghost stories would be this good? No one told me this episode would be so emotional and beautiful? I’m shedding tears of joy at the ending of this episode. It was so beautiful. I’m glad Lady Fuyou got a happy ending.

I assumed the episode would be about Maomao making medicine for the episodic issues, but no medicine was created this time around—only speculation and assumptions were at play. I did like how they don’t try to make Maomao create medicines for every issue or so. Some issues like sleepwalking don’t need a remedy and is more of a psychological issue than a physical one. I liked how Maomao suggested that her room be heavily guarded once she recalled several cases of somnambulism back when she was at her hometown. This was when Maomao realized that Fuyou had been faking her symptom the entire time—for the past two years.

There’s also a bit of world-building with how the palace and concubines work. Apparently, there are a lot of concubines and some of them are princesses or daughters of high status families from other countries. It now makes sense why Gyokuyou has a Japanese name while everyone else in the castle has a Chinese name—Gyokyou is from a foreign land. Why didn’t I catch this sooner? The star character of this episode Fuyou is also from a vassal state, hence a woman from a foreign land. For the concubine system, there are different ranks. If one is the emperor’s favorite, then she is a High Consort. Some concubines that the emperor do not touch are either mid or low ranking concubines. High status concubines stay in the palace but anyone under can be given away to another of high status. That’s how Fuyou’s situation was. She flubbed at a dance performance, but it was all a ploy for the emperor to lose interest in her as she waited for her childhood sweetheart to come find her. It’s a rather complicated system as the power of women in the palace reminds me of a corporate office.

Though, my only gripe was that Fuyou was more of the driving force for the episode and not an actual character that Maomao interacted with. I’d like to learn a little more about her before she got her happy ending, but as long as she’s happy, that’s alright.

While most of the other characters took a back seat, I still liked how they were handled in this episode. Jinshi is still the guy HR would hate for his lack of personal space, but he most likely means well as he also probably knew about Fuyou’s situation. I also like how Maomao keeps thinking Jinshi is a male concubine or something. Gaoshun is a cool guy. He asks Maomao to not glare at Jinshi for his master as a degradation kink. Gyokuyou was envious of Fuyou’s happy ending and that makes me wonder if she has someone she loved back home but cannot be with?

I think out of the three episodes, I liked this one the best. However, once I dive into the other episodes, that opinion might change. I still like the episodic format of these stories/cases. What are your thoughts on this episode?

#the apothecary diaries #kusuriya no hitorigoto #maomao #jinshi #gaoshun #gyokuyou #fuyou #review #anime #anime review #arum journal #ecargmura

[psychicpinenut]

netflix atla review

i decided that i wanted to see it through anyway so i finished the netflix atla. here are the things that made me want to hurl rocks at my tv (i might not remember a lot of things because i stopped watching after ep 4 and only continued this week so this might get rambly as i try to recall things)

let me start on the cast. no offense to these kids but my god. one of the things i hate the most is when you can tell an actor is acting. the whole time you could see that they walk up to their mark, stop there and recite the lines like they're in a high school play. and i get that they're young and probably don't have too much experience but i just keep thinking about the original voice cast who were children as well at the time of recording and they're some of the most talented actors i've ever heard. but then again i know they had to not only find people who resemble the characters but can do martial arts and act. so whatever, i hope they'll grow more during this. the only actor i liked was dallas liu who is the oldest of the main cast (i believe he was around 20 when they filmed this) which is probably why he doesn't have a chronic case of child acting.

constantly making up and/or changing lore:

why can aang only speak to past avatars in their shrines?

roku is sidelined in favor of kyoshi (who for some reason is extremely aggressive towards him) who can see into the future apparently because she gave aang a vision of the northern water tribe being destroyed instead of sozin's comet coming.

aang somehow being "lost" to the ocean spirit at the end which is ???

sokka and katara can enter the spirit world with aang

koh keeping his victims like some fucking spider and only gives them back after aang gave some stupid totem back. they also brought him so forward that he doesn't tell aang about tui and la which was the entire fucking point of looking him up in the first place

yue is a fox? in the spirit world?

wan shi tong is there also in the spirit world

i'm guessing they're already abandoning the ancient library storyline because they already intoduced wan shi tong and zhao was shown that he found out about tui and la from the fire sages in roku's temple. which is going to be interesting because that's where sokka finds out about the solar eclipse but i guess they'll come up with some other solution like toph can sense the moon moving through her feet or some shit

tui and la becoming mortals for only one night?

zuko having extensive research on the avatars should mean he knows that roku is his great grandfather but we're either leaving that one out or he's just not good at research

they took out sokka's sexism, thus eliminating any chance of character development, in favor of putting in actual sexism perpetrated by the show itself. suki is made into this small town girl, rapunzel type of character who needs sokka, the man, to bring the world to her and expand her mind. and then instead of sokka being grateful to suki for teaching him, she's the one that's thankful for ... going there? and bringing the world to her? because strong women mean they can punch right?

constant references to book 2 in the first season

they made so that aang didn't actually run away from his responsibility as the avatar - which is a pretty important part of his arc as that guilt follows him through the entire series - but that he only took a little trip to clear his head. which makes everyone accusing him of disappearing seem dumb and unfair

which leads me to bumi. why the fuck would bumi be so pissed at him? the whole episode he's antagonizing him and yelling at him to go do his job as the avatar meanwhile he's holding him hostage and making him do his challenges. like let him go so he can do his job maybe?? stupid

the entire ep 3-4. they really just shoved like 5 episodes together into one which i get because they don't have time to do everything but they did it so badly and the messages from each episode disappeared in favor of the CGI fight scenes.

like what do you mean sokka barely even got to interact with jet? that's the episode where sokka is proven to have good instincts and leadership because he saw jet for what he was.

why are teo and his dad here? what about aang's massive grief over the industrialization of his wiped out culture?

why would jet try to kill bumi? they completely obliterated the moral dilemma of jet wiping out a fire nation village because he sees that as justified even though he's killing civilians who happen to be fire nation.

for some reason they had sokka and katara go through the secret tunnel which is kind of fucking weird. i don't mind if they cut the kaang romance line but it is going to be interesting once it comes to the earthly attachments and some plotlines that revolve around aang having a major crush on katara. also what do you mean the badger moles sense "emotions"? toph is about to sense people's emotions in her feet and learn bending that way

they mary sue'd katara. she's bad at waterbending until she isn't and suddenly she's a master just from self taught basic waterbending she learned from the scroll gran gran gave her?? which is another thing they robbed us of because katara going to great lengths to steal the scroll shows how determined she is and desperate to learn waterbending but here she just gets handed the scroll. she's timid and lukewarm the entire season, the only time i can recall her even raising her voice is when she's arguing with sokka over jet. she gets mad at pakku for not letting her fight which is stupid because girl who is gonna stop you? go and fight?? you should be getting mad at pakku for not even trying to teach you waterbending. then she brings the entire untrained female population to the fight because girl power™. despite all of this, she's proclaimed a master without any actual training and beats zuko's ass purely because she's So Good. like at this point she shouldn't be able to hold her own against zuko without the full moon's help because as soon as the sun comes up zuko easily overpowers her ("you rise with the moon i rise with the sun"). which didn't happen here because she's a self proclaimed master now apparently

aang didn't bend a single waterdrop the entire season. it's book 1: water. it's called water. where's the bending aang? too busy doing another stupid walk and talk

stripped of iroh telling zuko he thinks of him as his son

stripped of one of the rawest lines i've ever heard on television: "my father says she was born lucky, he says i was lucky to be born"

which leads me into azula's character. they brought her in earlier just so her role in the whole season can be her groveling at ozai's feet, seeking his approval, trying to outdo zuko. which is insane cause she already outdoes zuko by a mile. she's a prodigy. they make it look like ozai favors zuko over azula which is so fucking insaaaane it made me so mad. she already knows she's better than zuko, she doesn't need her father's approval. also why isn't her fire blue.

iroh being the one who kills zhao. this one pissed me off so badly because in the original, as the ocean spirit takes hold of him zuko reaches out to zhao to try to save him.... that man tried to have him KILLED. and zuko still tried to save him. but zhao's arrogance didn't let him take his hand and that was his demise. that single act tells us so much about zuko and they just??? took that out??? so iroh can just murder him?? instead of it being the ocean spirit's revenge for killing its partner? instead of giving us that glimpse into who zuko is as a person? i'm going insane

don't even mention the fact that zuko fought back against ozai during the agni kai. he was literally banished because he refused to fight him. he got the scar because he refused to fight him. that's who zuko is!!!! and then they show us that he, a 13 year old boy who is still fairly inexperienced at bending, could have defeated ozai but he chose not to?? i'm sorry???

during the meeting where he spoke out against their plan, they made it look like he only spoke up because the general taunted him and not because he thought what they wanted to do was morally wrong.

now tell me which line hits harder: "compassion is a sign of weakness" or "you will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher". yeah...

yue bringing sokka to the spirit oasis to heal momo?? it was so fucking stupid and unserious that they were cradling a cgi lemur that i was in tears of pain. i almost gave up there

sokka constantly talking about wanting to be a better warrior and bossing katara around but doing absolutely fuck all to prove himself was insane. sokka was just standing around the whole season making bad jokes (cause wow they made sokka unfunny somehow) and flirting with women.

there was no goofiness or lightheartedness to aang. he took everything so fucking seriously it actually hurt to watch because they blew things out of proportion that didn't need to be. why was he so afraid of his normal bending power? not even his avatar state power but just his airbending. constantly angsting over his responsibility and how he's failing as the avatar. jesus fucking christ.

since zuko never stole katara's necklace, june had to use some fuckin random fabric she found on one of the trees that could've belonged to anybody??

zuko was able to capture aang after june found him instead of getting his ass whooped and paralysed so when zhao basically forces him to hand aang over to him, it's easier to guess who the blue spirit is as zuko makes a whole scene about it earlier

truly the one thing i really liked was the addition that the 41st division was the crew he protected at the war meeting

circling back to the first episode where we start out in the past and we get to see the whole genocide of the air nomads instead of finding out along with aang. we also get to see how he ends up in the iceberg so we don't get his story paralleled with zuko's backstory like in the storm. i mean whatever but the aang and zuko parallels were always dear to me.

hated zhao's actor. instead of him being intimidating and scary, he was acting like a frat boy and talked like tom cruise's character in magnolia. just simply annoying

jet telling katara to just stop being sad about her mom and she stops being sad and suddenly she can bend again. and later when he tells her she can bend because he helped her, she straight up denies it because it was "all her" like i gotta disagree there cause no, it was definitely him who helped you.

icing on the cake was when zuko walks into a bar and the patrons there reference like 4 storylines that they skipped over

so anyway... that's all i could think of at the top of my head and i hope they fuck up less in the upcoming seasons god willing

#long post #pine rambles #natla critical

[maliceincandyland]

James (Pokémon) & His Inner Demons

James is a gangster who struggles with depression and has a paralyzing fear of commitment, but he’s a fighter.

James’s Past

TW: Abuse

James grew up wealthy, but left home when he was around 10. His private tutors were physically abusive whenever he got something wrong or showed emotion (AG147). His ex-fiancée, Jessibelle, was emotionally, physically, and sexually abusive. We see her try to r*** him onscreen and she’s done it in the past (Japanese version: “This is... the same stuff... you used last time.” English dub: “This is just like... This is just like... last time.”). His parents help her assault him because he’s only useful to them as someone who can produce heirs. They also didn’t let him have toys. He collected bottle caps in secret, but his mother threw them away whenever she found them (XY85).

In my opinion, James seemed to imply that he doesn’t want kids, with anyone, because of his parents’ abuse. That is, in SM46, Ash’s friend Lillie says that it’s unfair that her toxic mother expects her to bend over backwards for her. In the Japanese version, James says to Jessie, “Such is the fate between parents’ relationships with their children.” I take that to mean that he doesn’t like the idea of having kids, because only two episodes later, Professor Burnett drops the hint to Professor Kukui that she wants kids and he blushes. (As for Jessie, she’s never fantasized about having kids.)

James met Jessibelle at a ball abroad in his social circles. He got excited that someone noticed him for once and he thought she was pretty. In the DP series, so like half-way through the Pokémon series, he says that he was in “love” with her (Japanese and dub versions say “love”) but she broke his heart. He says this was the primary reason that he left home (DP153). Physical harm was one thing but manipulating his feelings hurt much more. When talking about this, his voice sounds like he’s going to cry, and he smiles when he recalls writing her a love letter. This makes me think that in DP, he thought that some part of him was still in love with her. Curiously, when James sees Jessibelle for the first time in years (Kanto 48), a jazzy noir-sounding song plays that’s called “Hiya, Hot Stuff!”

Of course, it isn’t love. Attraction, sure. But, during DP, he still had PTSD from her abuse, so any ‘feelings’ for her after they first met would be Stockholm Syndrome. I think the other reason that he thought he loved Jessibelle is because he doesn't (or didn't in DP) know what love is. Fortunately, he's quite sure that he is no longer in love with Jessibelle (Kanto 48, DP2, DP117, DP153). Even though he hates balls, because of Jessibelle, he manages to be Jessie’s date at a ball (a ball for regular people; not aristocrats) (XY105). He doesn’t enjoy it, but he doesn’t complain out loud, for Jessie’s sake. She has a great time at the ball.

After leaving home, James applied to Pokémon school and met Jessie, who was also applying (Kanto 9, Kanto 48). It would’ve been immediately obvious to him that she looks exactly like Jessibelle. We know that he knows that she looks like Jessibelle (DP153). He could have had genuine feelings for Jessie when he met her. But I think part of him would’ve wanted to have her replace his first love. The catch is that her looking like Jessibelle probably made/makes physical contact, uh, challenging.

James didn’t pass the school’s entrance exam. Jessie did, but she chose not to go (Japanese version of Kanto 9). So they joined a biker gang (Kanto 36, Kanto 48). At some point, they parted ways until they were adults. Jessie ended up joining Team Rocket. Then James joined and seemingly volunteered to be her partner. She was a femme fatale known as The God of Death, so she was always in need of a new partner, as no one wanted to work with her.

Although there are different ways that this flashback can be interpreted, it seems like Jessie and James recognized each other and that Jessie was upset with James (like if he left her or if they had a fight). I interpret it as him having left her because later on (in the Japanese version) he confesses that he tried to outrun his past and has been running away his whole life.

If James joined Team Rocket for Jessie, then that’s a rather grand gesture, because, in Pokémon, gangsters are highly stigmatized. They can leave Team Rocket any time they want to, but they would have trouble finding a job and a significant other. They could change their identity, but that would also be hard on a person. Never, ever telling their significant other and friends who they are and knowing that they wouldn't be accepted. The red "R" on their uniform is almost literally a Scarlet Letter. Three of Jessie and James's friends left Team Rocket, but they started their own businesses and made no attempt to fit in with ordinary society.

In any case, being in Team Rocket empowers James with a sense of confidence (DP139), and he seems to enjoy the military exercises (DP137).

Barbed Wire Fences

James’s traumas affect him throughout the series, but he becomes less and less affected over time.

On the positive side, James has strong boundaries and won't hesitate to cut people who cross them out of his life (Kanto 48, DP153, SM58). He does not allow others to manipulate him, play mind-games with him, or rope him into their drama.

On the other hand, when Jessie tries to get him to talk about how he's feeling, he typically ices her out (DP54, DP55, DP70, DP165, XY85, SM58, ATBAM 9, etc.). In DP117, Jessie saves him and his first instinct is to pretend that he doesn't care. She then tells him to stop lying, and he cuts it out.

When Jessie and James became partners in Team Rocket, he was standoffish. While his heart was in the right place, he was averse to accepting help. Jessie offered him her food ration because he didn't eat anything all day (she didn't either, as she gave the rest of the ration to Meowth), but he turned it down. Then she insisted, so he took it. She tried to keep him from falling in a river, but he intentionally let go of her hand. She tried to keep him from falling down a chute, but he let go of her hand. Anticipating that, she grabbed his wrist, and he got mad and insisted she let go. She refused, and he was moved.

However, he seems to have mostly moved past shutting out loved ones, as he is brutally honest about what he thinks, in SM58.

Heart of Darkness

James’s inner darkness also seems to affect his ability to be a Trainer.

A Pokémon is mostly an extension of its Trainer (ex. JN72). They pick up their Trainer’s mannerisms and interests because Trainer and Pokémon are bonded through their hearts. Sometimes the bond between Trainer and Pokémon is so strong that they can psychically sense where the other one is (XY28, XY30, XY68, ATBAM6). The Gym Leader Korrina calls this being “soulmates” (Japanese version of XY30).

When Pokémon battle, they connect their heart with that of their Trainer. They siphon some energy from the Trainer (a lot of energy if they do a Z-Move, G-Max, or Mega Evolution) and feel each other’s emotions. That’s what they mean when they say that a Trainer has a heart that’s true or a heart that’s pure. Trainers can also send energy to their Pokémon in other situations, like while riding the Pokémon (ex. XY53) or when the Pokémon needs energy to heal (ex. XY105).

Pokémon attacks are relatively weak if Trainer and Pokémon don't connect to each other's hearts, or if the Trainer's heart doesn't feel love. For instance, in AG177, Jessie and James Tag Battle Ash and Brock, using Pokémon on loan from Team Rocket Headquarters. It starts off well for Jessie and James. But battling seems to bring out the true feelings in their hearts because they start arguing about personal issues between them. The Pokémon, even though they don't belong to Jessie and James, start arguing with each other too, because their hearts are connected with Jessie and James for the time being.

In the SM series, characters learn Z-Moves, which are special moves that use the Trainer's auric energy to fuel the attack. The Kahuna (Gym Leader, basically) of Melemele Island, says that Z-Moves allow people to feel a Trainer's emotions, because it brings out a Trainer’s aura. Ash's friend, Kiawe, says that to use a Z-Move, a Pokémon and Trainer's heart have to become one, and then their combined feelings turn into energy that can be used in battle. But they can't be just any feelings; they have to be feelings of love for all living things. When using Z-Moves, they are to focus on their love of community, love for their fellow man, or love of Pokémon.

James's aura would not feel pleasant. It would be full of pain, fear, resentment, betrayal, and loneliness. It reminds of Howl’s Moving Castle when Howl’s depression is triggered. His hair turns black, green slime comes out of him and covers his skin, and dark spirits emerge from the shadows. Actually, the first analogy that came to mind was that feeling James's aura would be like blasting "Down With The Sickness" by Disturbed, but that's neither here nor there.

James makes a point of telling us that he’s black-hearted. In the BW series motto, he says he's "The pure heart of darkness" (Dub: "With thunderous emotion") who is "The hammer of justice in a black universe" (Dub: "Thrusting the hammer of justice down onto the black darkness of the universe."). In the SM series motto, he says he's "An exquisite talent and the perfect gentleman. A disciple of evil fighting back against this tragic world." (Dub: "The nobly heroic man of our times. The master of darkness fighting back against a tragic world.")

In mottos, the darker imagery is afforded to him. The clearest examples are in the BW series. We see James with black darkness behind him; and white light behind Jessie. We see James with a dark purple aura and a black background; and white light behind Jessie. We see James colored all-black and against a white background; and Jessie all-white against a black background.

In the DP series mottos, we see James stomping or hitting the ground and causing earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. We see Jessie soaring through the sky with whirlwinds, gentle wind, or gentle winds carrying rose petals (autumn leaves in AG188). We even see James with hellfire behind him and Jessie floating above him towards celestial white light coming from the heavens.

James's darkness isn't just metaphorical either. He's a mad scientist and a computer hacker who can get pretty lost in the madness. In XY124, he hadn't slept for three nights because he was too obsessed with building his mecha. If Jessie weren't around  to balance out his darkness, I’m sure he would end up consumed in darkness and madness.

Though Z-Moves require special crystals (Firium-Z for Fire attacks, Normalium-Z for Normal Type attacks, etc.), the attacks are still depicted as directly correlating with the Trainer's personality. James has Darkinium-Z and can use a Dark Type Z-Move called Black Hole Eclipse. Unlike other Trainers, Jessie and Meowth can also add energy to the attack since the bonds between Jessie, James, and Meowth are inseparable. However, this is really James's Z-Move and he is also able to do it by himself.

In contrast, Jessie has Mimikium-Z and uses it for a Z-Move called Let's Snuggle Forever. It's more like 'Let's snuggle forever because I'll suffocate you to death,' but it's pretty cute compared to Black Hole Eclipse. It's a Fairy Type move with a cutesy pose. James and Meowth are able to power it up with her.

Acquiring a Z-Crystal seems to require a test of character. Before getting Darkinium-Z, Jessie and James tell some petty thieves that they deserve better than their toxic friend who threw them under the bus. Jessie and James have a shot at getting the crystal, but their Pokémon all get knocked out, so they rush to their Pokémon instead. Ultimately, they do get the crystal anyway.

When James Tag Battles with the Gym Leader Gardenia, they lose; and she says that the main problem was that Trainer and Pokémon weren't in sync so they weren't battling as one. James loved Cacnea dearly, so how could that be? Maybe it's that James's heart is covered in darkness and this type of connection isn't possible for him. Maybe only Dark Type moves work for his dark aura. Maybe he didn't open himself up to others enough at that point in the series (DP54). Indeed, in the next scene, Jessie tries to get him to talk about his feelings and tells him to stop lying to her about being "fine." He just doubles down on saying that he's fine.

To answer that, consider * how * James learns Black Hole Eclipse. In order to learn it, James has to do some Jungian shadow work (SM58). That is, he has to have an honest conversation with his Pokémon, Mareanie, about what he will and will not tolerate in a friend (he detests emotional manipulation, drama, jealousy, people who are controlling, etc.). His terms are unconditional. Him telling Mareanie what to expect puts them on the same page and allows them to connect their hearts, now that James's shadow self isn't blocking the way.

♪ I Wanna Do Bad Things With You ♫

Jessie and James used to camp out and rent cabins, so they traveled light and could pack up and go at any time. They were lost souls wandering the earth. But then they get an apartment together in Vermillion City and make it homey. We see them travel to lots of countries, yet always returning to their apartment when they’re back in Kanto.

They even start a podcast (JN106) and YouTube channel (JN115), WhamBam-Z (dub: DumDumDum-Z) as Charm Deluxe (dub: Cosmic Charm Deluxe), Princess (dub: Princess), and Blue Bruise (dub: Bluesilocks). According to the Narrator, they continued thereafter to be content creators in addition to being in Team Rocket (JN106).

James even sacrifices his bottle cap collection to make pins as podcast freebies and sacrifices his PokéBall collection to give as podcast grand prizes. Jessie and Meowth had never understood his love of collecting things. To them, things only have value if you can use them or hock them for cash (XY85, SM4). But they understand what a huge sacrifice giving up his collections is, and are moved. James is moved that they appreciate the sacrifice, and that they see his collections as having value, just as he has always seen them as having value (JN106).

Nevertheless, for someone who's so afraid of getting close to people, living together must be a difficult adjustment for James. It used to be one of his worst fears (AG147). At the end of the series, they have a fight and James is very standoffish. I think that it’s mainly brought on by the stress and fears from them settling down together, because that’s the big change in their life in the SWSH series. It’s taking things to the next level. I could see that triggering his depression and making him build up walls.

Jessie is concerned that his heart isn't in being a gangster anymore. James is deeply offended. The viewer, at first, might think that he’s being defensive because he knows she’s right. However, we find out that she’s completely wrong and just projecting her fear that he will lose interest in being a gangster. He’s actually upset because he’s completely devoted to their job and to her. He’s insulted that she could lose faith in him.

Until they find new Team Rocket partners, they still have to work together. Since they're Field Agents who aren't out in the field, they work at Headquarters for a while. Interestingly, on one of their breaks, James drinks a Granbull canned coffee (so, Red Bull Cold Brew Coffee), which is a drink that Jessie once bought him, to show him that she wasn’t upset that he backstabbed her (SM132).

Jessie, James, and Meowth individually go off to do the same villainous scheme. Perhaps this is the same type of heart bond that allows Ash and Pikachu to sense where each other has gone when they are apart (ATBAM6). The fact that they had the same plan moves Meowth to tears and makes Jessie and James smile. They realize that the three of them are inextricably linked, and what initially linked them was their love of villainy. While Meowth is included in this bond, Trainers can have heart bonds with their Pokémon; but, as far as energy bonds between humans go, Jessie and James are the only characters shown to have one. Moreover, Jessie and James have promised to be at each other's side even in the afterlife (DP117).

Jessie and James used to cycle through lots of successful normal careers. In the finale, besides podcasting and YouTubing, they cast away their previous careers and embrace what truly brings them passion. Not always success, but passion. The thing that brought them close together in the first place - doing deliciously bad things together.

You can check out my Jessie character study here

You can check out my Team Rocket music playlist here

#team rocket #pokemon #pokeani #anipoke #90s anime #00s anime #villains #anime #rocketshipping #kojimusa #00s nostalgia #90s nostalgia #1990s nostalgia #90s #00s #2000s #1990s #film theory #fan theory #pokemon anime

[raptorsgust]

hello! so i was lucky enough to snag a ticket to the tgcf donghua s2 fan screening right here in singapore, so here's a short report on the happenings! under the read more as there will be spoilers including those from the novel

arrived at around 1:20pm and it already looked like a full house! lots of people queueing at the photobooths and stuff, LOTS of cosplayers, mainly hualian and beefleaf. after a while i asked an usher about the merch booth but it was already closed due to the long queue, so i just went to find my seat which was near the back (in front of a bunch of cosplayers haha)

the hall had at least eight screens but none were positioned in a way where i didn't have to turn/crane my neck lol i can still feel the strain

the screening itself started at about 10 minutes past 2pm! we first had some voice actor greetings first, both of shi qingxuan's voice actors seemed to have received the loudest cheers from my pov! all of them ended their greeting with 天官赐福，百无禁忌

there was also a quick announcement of another tgcf collab cafe in 2024! sg just keeps winning and winning

after that we finally started the screening with a recap of s1 starting from the cart scene all through the banyue arc. xie lian's lines were all newly voiced by his new voice actor deng youxi, and he sounded alright to me! (note: not 100% sure that he did replace jgt's voicing but that's what i remember, correct me if im wrong!)

more than an hour of s1 later, we smoothly transitioned into the first episode of s2, and the following are some highlights and points:

s2 is still based on the unrevised novel as far as i can tell

everyone loves shi qingxuan!!

ghost city is very extravagant and fun! lots of quirky ghosts, there's joss paper flying around everywhere

xl's 不举 was omitted even though it's already rated m18 lol

the part where hc teaches xl to shake the dice has a lot of hand touching and cute reactions from the ghosts and sqx and lqq

a LOT of teasing leading up to the reveal of hc's true form, they'd show part of his face, his hand, his boots, and when he stepped out from behind the curtain and xl laid eyes on him for the first time there were shoujo bubbles

also A LOT OF SCREAMING FROM THE AUDIENCE tbh it was already loud enough throughout the gambling scene it was just hilarious

frankly i couldn't see hc clearly cuz, bad seat, but we all know how he looks like anyway

idk if it's just mE but the audio of the entire screening had its pitch raised, all the songs were a key higher, everyone sounded higher-pitched...... to ward people from secretly recording it?

feels bad for fulgur cuz it feels like most of the audience didn't care about him? half of them left their seats for the photobooths during his q&a segment

quiz time was interesting......

for "what is hc's weapon?" the host accepted the answer E-Ming, as in the person who answered said cAPITAL LETTER OF THE ALPHABET E which i would personally not accept as correct but o wells

the last question was "what did hc give to xl at the end of s1?" and the lucky person who answered very precisely said "his ashes in the form of a ring" and the host went aRe YoU sUrE and tried to make us recall an oBjEcT and i think we were all second-guessing ourselves there lmao please get a host who did their homework next time

pretty sure that was a huge spoiler for donghua-only fans tho HAHA

after the event was over i hung around texting friends and then tried to see if the merch booth was available but all the nice merch was sold out, and frankly just thinking of trying the queues at the photobooths was mentally draining so i just left haha

overall it was a great experience! watching and reacting together with so many other fans is truly a rare experience and despite going solo i had fun!

excellent door gifts too, the acrylic stand is of great quality and is now set up and sitting on my mxtx shelf~

#tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #天官赐福 #tgcf donghua #tgcf donghua s2 #hua cheng #xie lian #shi qingxuan #lang qianqiu #idk how tumblr works anymore hopefully the formatting is alright

[dazaiandhislovelybandages]

𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 {𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘰 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘰}

A/n: OKAY THIS IS IMPORTANT BEFORE YOU GO ON READING THIS. I am not romanticising depression, these are just the words that I want to hear whenever I am in a state like this so yes. There is nothing romantic about this situation. I know it will suck and to be clear I don't even know why I am writing it to begin with. Also requests are open

Trigger Warnings: depression, crying, mentions of food

Genre: angst, hurt/comfort

Pairings: Shinichiro x reader

Even though you couldn’t quite recall when your last depressive episode had ended, a new one came and it wasn’t long before everyone in the house understood what was happening. Hopefully, Emma at least, thought that you were just tired because of your job. Mikey, on the other hand, thought that Shinichiro was the one at fault. Obviously you told him that that wasn’t the case but the boy didn’t seem to change his mind. The grandpa was the only one who actually asked you directly about what was wrong and you did your best to explain the situation.  

  Shinichiro though… Shinichiro seemed to be a completely different case. 

  When the depressive episode began, you did your best to just hide it from everyone even though your plan eventually failed miserably. Slowly but steadily everyone began picking up the hints: you barely left your and Shinichiro’s room, you barely talked, barely smiled and slept like a dog. 

  Shinichiro never asked what was wrong though. You still don’t know whether his grandpa had actually told him anything or not but up until the day you actually talked to him about your depression, he didn’t say a thing.

  You had taken the day off that Thursday after your boss had decided to close the shop for a few days due to a trip he was going to make. Usually, when depressive episodes would occur, you would lock yourself in your room and just stare at the ceiling, sleep or cry. That time however, you didn't want to be left alone and you didn't know why.  

  So slowly you got dressed and headed over to Shinichiro’s shop.

  “Did I forget something?!’ His eyes widened when he saw you and he almost fell off his stool after trying to stand up to greet you. You only shook your head in response. 

  “Can I sit here?”

  “Of course!” 

  See, Shinichiro was perfect but he was terribly oblivious and stupid. So when you actually sat down next to him, he thought you wanted his help with carrying groceries.

  “Do you see any groceries?”

  “No, but I assume you want to… buy them first?”

  “Just keep working.” You rolled your eyes and leaned back against the wall. For a split second you doubted your decision of going there but even after thinking of leaving it seemed as if you had spent your leftover energy in going out. 

  “You know… I can wait, for as long as you need.”

  “Where did that come from?”

  “I can tell you’re not well. You ate exactly seven bites of the breakfast Emma made which to be precise is your favourite, you slept fourteen hours yesterday and on Monday you locked yourself in the bathroom at exactly four in the morning and when you came out your eyes were bloodshot red as if you had been crying.” You just stayed there, staring at him, not knowing what to respond. “You can talk to me about it, you know?”

  “I know. But I am not sure I am ready.”

  “I told you I can wait, angel.” Shinichiro smiled at you and opened his arms. Hesitantly you moved a little closer and placed your head in the crook of his neck the moment he wrapped his arms around you. 

  And you hated yourself even more at that very moment. To be honest you couldn’t even remember what had triggered you into going into that depressive episode to begin with. All you knew was that you hadn’t gone out of it yet and that you were tired. 

  “Tell me, does duty call?” 

  “Mmm?”

  “Sanzu wanted to play with Mikey so I’ll be taking him to Takeomi’s house later this evening. I was planning on staying there until it’s time to leave but do you need me?”

  “You don’t have to cancel your plans Shin.”

  “But I am willing to, if you… if you want me there.”

  “No, go. I asked your grandpa to tell me more scary stories.” You finally wrapped your hands around his waist and smiled when he pulled you even closer.

  “Inspiration?”

  “Boredom.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I am okay.”

  “Is that what you tell yourself?”

  “I suppose.” 

  You don’t know what brought tears to your eyes that moment but after much thinking you figured out it was the realisation that you were in fact not okay and the fact that you hadn’t been hugged by another person at a time like this like ever. Nonetheless you couldn’t avoid the fact that your sobbing slightly quickly turned into you shaking while crying in his arms that somehow remained wrapped around you during the entire thing in an oddly comforting way.

#shinichiro sano #shinichiro x reader #sano shinichiro #shinichiro sano x reader #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers shinichiro #tokyo revengers #anime #manga

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

Speaking of parallels, and yes I should really make an alt blog where I pretend to be a different person so the tag looks like more than one person has Akudama Drive brainrot, despite AD having a bunch of great parallels, the Courier/Cutthroat alleged mirror has always fallen flat for me.

It's the first one you'd notice, being that their promotional profiles show the exact same body measurements. Whenever someone points that out, someone else will answer "because they're meant to be foils of each other, duh," but... how so?

To me, other characters like Pupil and Hoodlum have stronger parallels going on.

Even if we admit it's all about Cutthroat seeming like Swindler's main ally at first, only for this role to actually belong to Courier - first off, I never actually believed that, because it all starts with Courier not being careful with his fucking money.

I guess they both have purple eyes and sort of a bowl cut...? It all seems like something's missing to make it work. It seems to me that they don't have important interactions or actions that parallel each other.

Before the anime concluded, I remember myself and other viewers trying to come up with theories that would link the two. I somewhat recall someone thinking they were made in a laboratory. But in the end, nothing happened. Their role didn't particularly mirror each other.

All of this to say, I did find something yesterday when I was proofreading my Wiki edits. Wait for it... ....

They both have a ~dead mom~

...It's just that Cutthroat's dead mom is a manga-exclusive flashback, so clearly, something's off. We don't even know if this was intended by the directors or invented by Rokurou Ogaki, that I'm aware. Do you think we can ask him which stories weren't his?

The thing is, the only way I can really look at it is that Courier is really... a victim all throughout, whereas Cutthroat was in control and responsible for what happened. As a matter of fact, is it a publicly known fact that Cutthroat killed his mom? If it were the case, it could explain Courier's clearly pre-existing disdain for him displayed in Episode 9. That's just never said.

It really feels like it's missing. The story I'm suggesting here is rather compelling, in my opinion, and does create a parallel between them. It makes sense that Courier wouldn't acknowledge his feelings, but isn't it compelling to think about the possibility that the entire way, up until Episode 9, Courier was secretly yet actively disgusted by Cutthroat? It would do wonders for his characterisation.

(My babyboy..............)

Especially when Doctor repeats time and time again that he's a "feminist". Clearly, even though he doesn't want to admit it, this dialogue is a hint for the viewer that Courier doesn't like killing women.

... Something our misogynistic king Cutthroat loves to do.

Then again, what role does their fucking BMI play into this? We know Akudama Drive turned out a little rushed in the end (with the Director's Cut being the ultimate proof - literally all that constituted the ending was cut from the TV run for time). Is it possible that there was originally an intention from the creators to have a parallel between Courier and Cutthroat be more on the nose... that was eventually cut for time?

I can find ways in which they're completely opposed, but I could probably do that between Cutthroat and Hoodlum too if I wanted to. They're just different characters with different stories, personalities, and goals. To say Cutthroat and Courier's differences are more important is a bias based on the supposition that they have the same body measurements for a reason. If it's just their physique - and 99% of Akudama Drive fans don't know about Cutthroat's dead mom - then there's no parallel to speak of.

But is this all a misunderstanding, or could there have been a version of Akudama Drive that put an accent on these two characters' similarities and differences? (One that Komatsuzaki, who was seemingly more involved with the initial designing process while Cindy Yamauchi was more involved with the way the actual anime turned out, might have still thought major, for example. Not that this is proof of anything, because he is known to draw whoever the hell he wants and to sometimes make surprising choices.)

So far, I can find more hints that some girls I've met and I are meant to be foils of each other.

...Ultimately, I'm only upset about it because I crave it.

Imagine if there were actually something major about these two major characters. A discrete but meaningful link. Something that really did join and oppose them in particular. A Cool Theme.

What we do have, in the end, besides the same BWH, is this: Courier's mom was killed, which was heartbreaking for him, whereas Cutthroat killed his own mom, which was The Shit for him. Courier avoids killing if he can (allegedly - there's a clear hint that he's a hypocrite) while Cutthroat seeks that. Courier doesn't kill women, whereas Cutthroat loves that shit. Again, unfortunately, that's just if you believe there's something g-

...Why is this screencap so bisexual coloured...? I swear I didn't edit this.

Anyway... Again, unfortunately, that's just if you believe there's something going on between them in the first place.

Watch this: "Hoodlum didn't kill his mom (most likely), while Cutthroat killed his. Hoodlum avoids killing, while Cutthroat seeks that. Hoodlum doesn't kill women*, which Cutthroat clearly does. Hoodlum has purple CLOTHES while Cutthroat has purple EYES..."

...My assumption is that Courier and Cutthroat were meant to be foils, but it fell flat. End post

*...Up until he does. But it was just the one time, give him a break. Beside, my point here is this: if you're just comparing characters to Cutthroat, you can find any point of difference, that actually doesn't really mean anything. Cutthroat isn't known to only kill women, so it doesn't really matter.

#akudama drive #sighs #qt as in queue tag

[the-orion-scribe]

In Defence of Escape from Reality

Reddit version

Not long ago, there was a discussion thread on the r/GravityFalls subreddit on which is the “worst episode” of Gravity Falls. Now, to put my two cents on this question, personally, I have no strong hatred for any of the episodes, including Roadside Attraction – the fandom’s most riled episode like how Fly is very lowly-regarded in Breaking Bad. For me, Roadside Attraction lowers the stakes and brings us outside of Gravity Falls for a while before what is to come. My favourite part of that episode is Dipper trying to be more confident of himself, even if I agree perhaps the flirting subplot is rather unnecessary. Still, it's a nice break from all the rather momentous episodes, and improves the relationship between Stan and Dipper.

I would actually argue that the preceding episode The Last Mabelcorn is actually the episode that’s out of place, given it was intended to be a space for a low-stakes Wendy-centric story the writers never managed to crack. But that would be another discussion for another time.

I’m deeply amused, nevertheless, when Escape from Reality is mentioned as the worst. Now, before my rewatch, I only had a ‘meh’ impression of that episode. But after rewatching the episode to verify those claims, I now have a newfound appreciation for the episode. In fact, I will personally rate it above its preceding episode – Weirdmageddon 1: Xpcveaoqfoxso.

There are some ‘problems’ the critic of the episode has highlighted, notably how the episode “cuts entirely the rythm [sic] and the tension and rythm [sic] of the entire finale” and shows “the lack of character of development of Mabel Pines” who is “NEVER held accountable for anything she did during Weirdmaggedon”. To check through these claims, I decided to rewatch the Weirdmageddon arc – from Dipper and Mabel vs the Future to the finale, before forming my own conclusion. And I say, the rewatches gave me deeper insights which I think plenty of us overlooked.

Let’s start with Dipper and Mabel vs the Future. I must watch from here, otherwise, the rest of it wouldn’t make much sense given Gravity Falls is a continuity-based cartoon.

It's a fantastic penultimate episode from start to end (I call it penultimate before WMG). Goofy at the start like many of the Gravity Falls episodes, and we explore both the siblings’ arcs. One with Dipper and Ford to find the adhesive to seal the rift in the UFO, and Mabel trying to prepare for their 13th birthday party at the end of the summer.

Mabel's subplot really hits the feels. I still recall how it hits me when a holiday is ending. And while the episode starts off with optimism, Mabel soon realises the harsh realities of growing up. And she also realises her summer friends (Grenda and Candy) won't be with her to celebrate their birthday and see them off. This gradually crushes and peels off the positive ideal Mabel holds, and thus she realises that the future after the summer is not what she wishes to face.

Stan comes in, and offers encouragement that Dipper would be by her side. And that scene, likely overlooked by many, hits hard too, especially when he said “not everyone can say that”, referring to his falling out with his twin Ford (and even Stan realising he would be out of the Shack soon, even if he hasn’t said that aloud). And then when she heard Dipper's willingness to take Ford's apprenticeship, that one hope she held was gone and broke the straw on the camel’s back.

So why am I reviewing all of these? We need this context to understand what happens after. There are claims, especially from Mabel’s critics, that Mabel knew about the nature of the rift and just willingly handed it over. However, from the episode, Mabel only has a vague idea that whatever Dipper and Ford plan to do is to “save the world or whatever”. And Ford keeps the rift when Mabel comes in to check on her brother. So she's unlikely to link that to whatever Ford and Dipper were planning to do to save the world. In fact, neither told her about the rift, even in the previous episodes. Ford even stated in Journal 3 that it’s something he must keep a secret.

At the end of the episode, Mabel is in her most vulnerable emotional state – the world is falling apart around her, especially the prospect she has to face the hard future alone. And she fears that history will repeat itself, her deep-seated fear, established since A Tale of Two Stans, that she and Dipper would grow apart quickly and become hostile like the Stans. The twins have been each other’s source of strength, and they still have more time to mature and grow together. It is unimaginable for her, just at the age of 12, to be separated from her twin for a long time.

And the Bill-possessed Blendin arrives. I also note critics saying she should have known better and not trusted him given “he tried to kill her and her brother not long ago”. Let me reiterate that, since the end of Blendin’s Game, the twins and Blendin are on better terms, given the twins decide to exercise mercy on him and let him go. Anyway, even then, she does not know that it’s Bill Cipher she’s talking to, and in that extremely vulnerable emotional state, she’s in no position to think anywhere close to rationally. Blendin offers her a tantalising offer that seems to address her problems.

We need to relook this scene from Mabel’s perspective. Bill only shows her in a holograph the object Mabel has to pass over to him and dismisses its significance as “a little gizmo (that) he (Ford) won't even know it's missing." So in short, no, she doesn't know what she’s handing over and what she’s in for. Bill is exploiting her emotional weaknesses to get the rift. Swayed by Bill’s persuasion, Mabel thinks the rift is some ‘small gadget’ that will somehow grant her ‘a little more summer’, not a permanent loop without end. And she also thought he was Blendin, someone whom she thinks she could trust, and with the goggles, it’s hard to tell Blendin was being possessed.

The last we know about Mabel is that she got knocked out when it all started. So that brings me on to Escape from Reality.

But let me also do a quick review of WMG1. It’s not bad, though rather slow. It sets the stakes well, but takes some substantial time just for Dipper to figure out what he must do. But it’s indeed distressing for him, who just lost his mentor and the three journals and he is unable to figure out what he should do. A major plus for this episode, nevertheless, is Wendy being more involved and being his guide (wendip fans rejoice) and we also get to see Gideon’s transformation for the better to turn against Bill.

Escape from Reality is wonderful. In fact, this episode is an important turning point – a friend even commented this is “the emotional and thematic climax of the series”. I agree it might be a little jarring in tone, since we were “shoved” into a “sugarcoat land”. But I welcome variety, and actually if you realise, Mabeland is a juxtaposition of the dark and surrealistic nature of Bill's world with Mabel’s worldview. It’s not as clear compared to the previous episode, but you still get peeks of Bill’s touches of what seemed to be an ideal fantasy world. Mabeland’s lack of rules sounds exactly like Bill's "join me" sales pitch to Ford in the subsequent episode. As he claimed: "I'LL REMAKE A FUN WORLD, A BETTER WORLD! NO MORE RESTRICTIONS, NO MORE LAWS!"

I agree with Bill that he has created “the most diabolical trap” he's ever created. It’s a gilded cage, designed to fulfil Mabel’s wants and desires. As it is a prison, the ultimate purpose of everything in Mabeland is to prevent Mabel from leaving by keeping her trapped inside what is essentially a waking dream. Really, Mabeland was just a massive, literalized Sweater Town. Bill believes the bubble to be inescapable because he knows that he would not be able to escape it, and because these “mortal meatsacks” are so inferior, there's no way they could be capable of something he isn't.

Let me also address some pieces of criticism, that Mabel “admits she knows she is in a fake world, she sees what's going on in Gravity Falls multiple times but doesn't even react or show concern”, and instead, she throws all of Dipper's unconditional love and support for her back in his face by not just creating Dippy Fresh, but also sending him to a trial where he will get kicked out into the apocalypse if he doesn't convince her to come out by giving up the apprenticeship. She shows absolutely no remorse over anything she did and very less admits it, and acts as if she had nothing to do with it.”

First off, there's nothing in the episode that shows Mabel is fully aware of what's happening outside. Remember, I said Mabel was knocked out when it all started. She said to Dipper: “But then I woke up in a place that gives me exactly what I wanted: an endless summer where we'll never have to grow up!” And it seems, as Dipper suspected, that Mabel was entranced and hypnotised by all the magic, almost completely caught up in the delusion. She’s not at all aware of what’s happening outside, and Dipper hasn’t so far told Mabel what’s going on.

Bill exploited Mabel's deep-seated insecurities and crafted the fantasy in such a way so that Mabel would remain trapped in her fantasy forever. Indeed, the prison is pretty diabolical and insane like Bill himself, and Bill even said it would take “a will of titanium” to break out. The depiction of Mabeland really expresses the depth of Mabel's almost pathological fear and denial, showing a very underlooked side of Mabel that really paints a terrifying picture of how broken deep down she was. It's easy to brush off the surface of the world as Mabel's selfish denial for growing up and wanting to keep things as they are, but it also can be looked at someone who is wanting to be seen and fit in, in a world that is continuing to no longer care for her way of life.

I admit Mabel's biggest personality deficiencies are her lack of will and self-awareness. When Mabel woke up in the bubble, she would have still been in the same mindset she had at the end of Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future – that her brother was leaving her forever. Mabel's mental state in that episode and leading up to it really paints that picture; a child who's losing grip and control of the reality she was so accustomed to, and without anyone there willing to take the time to stop and listen and help guide her, finally snapped.

Mabeland was her last attempt to maintain the reality she was so used to, to try and let go of the impending reality of truth. An unhealthy way of dealing with it, but the product of the mental state Mabel had fallen into. What Mabel wanted more than anything in the world at that moment was for her brother to be there and comfort her, just as he always has been up to this point. So, that's what Mabeland tried to give her – Dippy Fresh, the fandom’s most hated character. But he turned out to be a twisted fun-house-mirror reflection that's more like a male version of Mabel herself than it is like the real Dipper. I’m sure that Mabel knew this was not her real brother, but it's the closest she was going to get to him during that time of deep emotional vulnerability.

There's also two top Mabel-moments here. Actually three. I think this is actually one of the greatest episodes centering on Mabel. First, Mabel, in her good nature, actually offered to share the fantasy with Dipper and the rest when they first arrived, when she’s not yet aware of the darker side of her world. Second, when Dipper is about to be banished for mentioning the real world, Mabel doesn't want to throw him out right away and is willing to listen to what her brother has to say through the trial.

Dipper: Are you really gonna let them banish me?!

Mabel: No! Of course not; that’s my brother, guys! There’s gotta be another way.

So no, sending him to a trial is not for him to be kicked out into the apocalypse, but offers Dipper a chance to plead his case.

Sure, the court is rigged. But remember this whole thing is crafted by Bill, and Mabel holds an illusion she has control over their world. Mabeland tries to throw out Dipper’s case, but Dipper then shows her there's a better way to get through it than denial, and that's with help from people who care about her. While Mabel raised two past examples of them being bullied, Dipper also shows how the two stayed together thick and thin throughout their childhood. These memories showed that they both work together to better themselves, which, again, furthers the fact that they are co-dependent. “It's how we've gotten through our whole lives.”

The courtroom scene played out extremely well, incorporating a ton of symbolism in regards to the duo's respective individual thoughts. It's touching to see Dipper reminisce about the past with Mabel only to convince her that the future may not be as grim as she perceives it – a precedent laid out by most of the Mabel-centric episodes that forward this very scene. Dipper, her own brother, has always been the only person who could ground Mabel in reality and pull her out of Mabeland, for better or worse. Mabel, on the other hand, knows how to get her brother to take himself less seriously and chill out a little bit by acting intentionally dumb and goofy. The “yin and yang” Wendy mused to Dipper back in WMG1.

Seeing Dipper's love for his sister brings her back from the abyss is really heartwarming. Their sibling bond wins over, and Mabel accepts to return to reality out of her own will. If Mabel is that selfish as what some haters claim, she would have rejected leaving no matter what Dipper tells her. Mabel isn’t a rational thinker, and Dipper must be the one to lay out his case that convinces her. Dipper is the only one who can get through her and understand and address her insecurities. I find it unrealistic and out of character to expect Mabel to just snap out of it herself. I know Mabel is flawed. But the most important thing is, she still chose to go back to the real world with Dipper.

I like to think that what in the end made Mabel wanna face reality was not Dipper saying he'd go back home with her, but hearing him say he understood her fear; admitting he too was scared of growing up. Perhaps hearing her own brother admit that was what she needed to hear; that she was not alone in her fear and that Dipper understood it too.

I'm not sure if it's an intended parallel, but the bond between twins (later Stan and Ford) is what eventually leads to Bill's demise. Like how the cementation of the twins’ bond (sincere sibling hug) eventually ended the fantasy. (In fact, tbh I’m going crazy over this part – it’s a neat development from ‘awkward sibling hug’ from the first episode).

“Aw, man, I never noticed how bright this place is, ugh! Have I actually been listening to the same song for an entire week?”

It was when the spell breaks that Mabel fully snaps out of her trance and has further clarity of what’s going on. As the whole thing unravels as a nightmare, Mabel actually helps them out by summoning giant Waddles and they break out.

And after they emerge into the real world, it is Mabel's first proper look into what's actually happening, and horror sets in.

It’s also of note that as they emerge from the bubble, Mabel says to Dipper that she wouldn’t “get into her brother’s way” if he chooses to take Ford’s apprenticeship. Nevertheless, Dipper decides to stick with his sister when he recognises the cost if he were to take it up.

Actually, Dipper was already hesitant about the offer at the start in the UFO. After that, given the adrenaline of rescuing his Grunkle and overcoming another obstacle (facing without fear), to him it seemed like a rational decision that he can step up to be Ford's assistant, albeit shortsighted. He was riding the high of rescuing Ford and didn't think about how this would hurt Mabel, Grunkle Stan and his parents. And when Mabel ran away and he joined Ford, Dipper also had second thoughts about the decision and started to think with his heart.

I don’t think it’s realistic at all that Dipper should really take up the apprenticeship since he realises the serious implications if he takes it up. The turning point for Dipper's character arc is the realisation that he needs his sister in his life, too. The fact that he attained Ford's approval and consequently the right to be his apprentice himself is undeniable, though in terms of being a human being, that's where he needs her. I personally believe that Dipper would have fully changed his mind right then and there even if things were to go as planned.

Even at this point, I don't know why anyone expects Mabel to take responsibility for causing WMG there and then. I think her being imprisoned in her own bubble is already a sufficient consequence of what she has done. Plus, neither Dipper nor Ford has not blamed Mabel at all since he thought the rift might just accidentally broke. Neither witness what Mabel has done, or even aware what Mabel actually did. As far as they knew the rift must have broken accidentally “The rift must have cracked inside her backpack.”

At this point, it's not a time to play the blame game, as their main focus is to take down Bill. I would think perhaps beyond WMG, and when the Pines discussed what happened, would only Mabel be able to piece together what has actually happened. Mabel’s recognition of what she has done would only be clear after the series.

I decided to wrap this review off with my view on WMG3 and I say… This hits really quite hard. Even for an hour-long, it goes through a roller-coaster of emotions. Excitement, anticipation, dread, sadness and also nostalgia at the end.

Despite their best efforts, the Pines' lives were again on a thread, and Stan's sacrifice really packed a punch. I was also relooking to note the swap between Stan and Ford. What's also rather emotional is Stan and Ford discussing how their siblinghood had deteriorated, and how and why their grandnephews are still able to work together. From all of these riveting experiences of the summer, they've both grown tremendously, so much so as we, the audience, to have absolute certainty that they'll not turn out like the older duo. I note Mabel still plays her role in her story, rallying and encouraging the people to stand up to Bill, and also her grappling hook skills to help the groups navigate the Fearamid.

I still support the decision for Stan to recover enough to be able to send off the kids at the end of the summer. The goodbyes at the end are really deeply emotional. The finale really wraps up the show in a tiny neat bow, ending many of the characters' arcs in the most satisfying way. Of course, it’s not exactly the end, since the twins still have a lot of growing up to do, but the story ended on a very high and promising note.

This is my entire review of the entire WMG arc from Dipper and Mabel vs the Future to the finale. It’s something that I’ve put off for a long time even though I know the episodes are fantastic. And I’m glad actually that post calls me to review this rather underrated episode.

I conclude that much criticism of Escape from Reality is rather baseless, overblown and overexaggerated and stems from the person’s own biasedness toward Mabel. Thanks to them, Escape from Reality has now become one of my favourite episodes of the show (I’m sorry, but Tourist Trapped and Weirdmageddon 3 still take the top spots). I can understand some of the animosity especially if you think the episode doesn’t fit the general tone of the arc. But when the episode is viewed as a whole now I think it plays great – and really is the culmination of Dipper and Mabel's siblinghood. The priority is settling the twins’ problems before the real shit goes down in WMG3. Also all the callbacks, big and little, are great.

If you haven’t rewatched the entire WMG arc, I suggest doing it and judging for yourselves. I understand everyone has their own preferences and opinion when it comes to characters in media, but hate or harm towards a fictional character, or anyone else, is never acceptable. It is important to remember that fictional characters are not real people and should not be the subject of hate or harassment.

Drops microphone and leaves

#gravity falls #essay #personal essay #mabel pines #dipper pines #escape from reality #weirdmageddon #pines twins #gravity falls essay

[slowlydifferentbluebird]

hi!! can i request winter headcannons when dating an idol!reader? gn reader please :)) i love ur work btw!!

Aespa headcanon: Winter dating Idol!Reader

Requests are open

Hello Anon! Thank you for your request and your words. I hope you enjoy it ❤️

And btw I'm alive y'all. I disappeared from the app for some days because it was a pretty busy period, but since today I should resume posting at least one work at day.

Aespa Winter X Idol!GN!Reader

How you two met

When you had the notice from your manager, that you have should have working with Winter you were very surprised

You knew who she was obviously

Her group was younger than your, but they had the same amount of popularity

But somehow you have never known her directly

So you met her for the first time during the preparation for the Inkigayo

In fact your work with her was hosting the music show as special hosts for a Holiday special episode

The first moments were surely awkard

Especially because her beauty really amazed you

You were usually eager to work with your colleagues from other group

But for some reason you were very shy this time

Over time luckily you got courage and started talking more with her

And surprisingly you two showed a really good chemistry

During the filming and in your own time

You two did such a great job that the director recalled you two again for another episode because one of the usual host was sick

And that's during the second episode that you asked her number and to go on a date

The dating

You two started as a soft couple, but in a couple of weeks became a chaotic one

Chaotic but with a lot of soft moments to be honest

Like, spending hours to tease each other

And then one of two blurt a compliment and both of you became a blushing mess

She's really timid in starting the skinship

But when you start it, she doesn't want to stop it

Sometimes she really resembles a cat

For example, if you are cuddling her and suddendly you stop, she will look to you bad and try to make you resume immediately

She will start the skinship only if she really need affection

So, you are washing the dishes, when you feel two arms around your body and someone kissing your neck

These moments become a making out sessions in no time

However when you are on a date outside it's really rare to see physical contact

After all you are two idols in their best moments and you need to do anything to keep the secret

So, it's not rare instead that you two choose to spend your date in your houses

In this way you met her members too

They are greatest shipper ever

And luckily you have a great relationship with them too

One time your two groups have been competing for the first place in the music shows for an entire week

At the end you were tied to three victory each

But the biggest victory was not blowing up the secret

In fact it was so hard to not kiss her every time you catch her in the hallway

But at least you made it

And then, the week after you passed all the time together

#kpop #kpop girls #kpop headcanons #kpop reactions #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #kpop fluff #kpop x gender neutral reader #kpop x reader #kpop x y/n #kpop x you #aespa scenarios #aespa reactions #aespa headcanons #aespa #aespa imagines #aespa fanfic #aespa winter #aespa fluff #aespa x reader #winter x reader #kim minjeong

[littlemisssquiggles]

Something rather curious I noticed about the Curious Cat...

One of my favourite moments from today’s new fifth episode was the scene where RWBY are attacked by one of Neo’s Jabberwalkers only to be rescued by the Rusted Knight on the back of his faithful stead. As I mentioned in a previous post, I felt that scene was rather cool and I absolutely love the new theme that was featured in it.

However; in rewatching this particular scene, I noticed something rather interesting in respect to the Curious Cat.

As some of ya’ll may recall---while RWBY were in the strange Lotus Market gathering ingredients for the parfait, there was an anthropomorphic bird vendor. When we’re first introduced to this feathered salesman, he was just innocently trying to sell his mud cookies to passersby, RWBY and Cat included.

But when we next see the salesman, he suddenly becomes this fearsome warrior, eyes ablaze, as he suddenly charged bravely into the fray to fend off the Jabberwalker; protecting RWBY. A farcry from his original gentle demeanour at the start.

It was during this scene where Ruby turns to the Curious Cat and questions it on why the Cookie Salesman was suddenly there fending off the Jabberwalker, only for Cat to reply that it “gave the salesmen something new to do in the moment”?

“Run!” “What’s he doing here?”

“I gave him something new to do for a moment, now go! Your friends need to get big again or we’re Jabberwalker dinner!”

What did the Cat mean by giving the Cookie Bird something new to do?

Early in the episode when the Curious Cat was explaining the workings of the Ever After, he mentioned that the denizens of the Ever After each have a purpose that they live out until they either ascend or are called back when they stray too far from their original purpose or something like that.

Throughout previous episodes whenever the Curious Cat was around, I noticed him doing something peculiar---giving a piece of his heart to other Ever After beings like the Red King and the Herbalist who weren’t acting like their usual selves.

In giving his heart to them, the Curious Cat was able to help the other characters, turning them back towards the right path.

So…the Curious Cat has the ability to alter one’s heart and change their purpose?

Is the Curious Cat some kind of guardian angel type of character---a being whose sole design is to ensure that all denizens of the Ever After discover and fulfill their given purpose, only intervening when they stray away and run the risk of falling or not ascending?

What would happen if the Curious Cat was the one to stray away from its original purpose?

In today’s episode, we saw the Curious Cat use its power to help RWBY by “altering” the Cookie Bird. Kind of like hacking into a computer program and making it work differently from its original programmed functions.

So basically the Cat hacked or possessed the Cookie Bird to use him as a weapon for his own benefit. And while his intentions were just as it was only doing it to aid the helpless Team RWBY, I’d like to believe that that is NOT how the Cat is supposed to use its abilities.

So I’m thinking, what would happen if the Cat ended up in a similar position as the Herbalist and the Red Prince?

What would happen if it somewhat starts to abuse its powers further for the sake of helping RWBY; unintentionally straying from its original purpose as a “helpful guide” despite its best efforts to aid RWBY throughout their journey in the Ever After?

What if…much like the Red Prince and the Herbalist, the Curious Cat will end up needing to be called back to be fixed and it will be all RWBY’s fault that it ended up in such a position?

Or what would happen if the Curious Cat fulfilled its purpose and undergoing its own ascension?

I have a theory that at some point, Ruby is going to end up falling deeper into damnation and it will be the Curious Cat sacrificing itself to save her in some way by giving the last piece of itself to mend her broken heart and forcefully remind her of WHAT she is supposed to be! A hero. A warrior. A protector of humanity. A huntress.

What will become of this Curious Cat should it do this?

What will be the next phase of life for it if it were to ascend after fulfilling its purpose of aiding others in realizing theirs?

And an even curiouser question:

What would become of the Curious Cat if it were to be eaten by the Jabberwalker?

The age ole saying is that it was curiousity that killed the cat, right?

So imagine if...this episode foreshadowed the eventual death of the Curious Cat and when that time comes, it will be all RWBY or rather Ruby's fault?

Let that thought sink in.

But yeah, these are just some further thoughts that came to mind for me after today’s episode that I wanted to share.

~LMS (2023)

#rwby #ruby rose #rwby volume 9 spoilers #rwby theories #rwby volume 9 theories #rwby curious cat

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I'm just waiting for the Episode of Savanaclaw to show little Leona and the little lion getting his hopes and dreams crushed by everyone around him.

Also, this might sound weird but I always thought Leona and Dominique from The Case Study of Vanitas were kinda similar. Their both the youngest child of high-standing families and were viewed as inferior towards their older sibling(s) (In Dominique's case, 2 older half siblings and deceased older twin brother). But in the end, Dominique realised that her cryokinesis is actually way more powerful than even her older half siblings' because hers aren't violent like those of her half-siblings.

Now, I'm not saying Leona's parents are abusive/cruel (though it could be a possibility) and told Leona "You're brother can already do this, why can't you?" or "Falena's already unlocked his Unique Magic, why're you so slow?" (that's the servants' job) but it wouldn't surprise me if they did accidentally said something insensitive (or Leona misinterpreted what they were really trying to say) to Leona that crushed his already crippling self-esteem issues.

Maybe Leona tried to tell his parents how badly he wanted to be king and they said something along the lines of "You're brother's already going to be the king, so stop whining. You've been given everything you wanted." or "Falena's going be the next king and you can't change that." And maybe that finally caused him to snap and start being apathetic towards everything.

Again, this is just a theory I have and it may not happen. Hell, I probably got a few things wrong about Leona's character and backstory.

I’ve only read like one volume of The Case Study of Vanitas I won it in a raffle haha and I don’t know if I’ll continue reading it so 😅 not sure if I 100% get all the details about Dominique and how she parallels Leona. I like Vanitas x Jeanne only because Jeanne hates his guts while Vanitas simps for her and it’s so funny—

Personally, I've never thought of Leona's parents as playing a particularly significant role in his trauma (mainly because the game never showed either of them in his flashback, nor did it indicate the parents as being the center or the “trigger” that made Leona lose hope in himself). The focus of the flashback was on servants and Farena/Falena. The other boys' OB flashbacks also obviously feature major sources for their trauma such as Mama Rosehearts, Azul's bullies, the Viper parents, etc. so if Leona’s parents did play a big role in him being the way he is, it’s strange that they didn’t show up in his flashback.

Leona's parents are barely even mentioned; I only ever recall one instance where it was said that his dad is ill enough to the point where he cannot lead their country, thus Farena/Falena has to act as king. There is no mention of Leona's mother as far as I can tell, and neither parent has been really characterized. Maybe they'll actually get mentioned in the manga adaptation's telling of Leona's flashback?

I don’t doubt that maybe the parents may have said a few insensitive things here and there offhandedly (because everyone naturally makes missteps), but I don’t know about outright telling Leona to “stop whining” or “why are you so slow”. That’s just… very blatantly rude to tell anyone, let alone your own child. I’m not saying it’s not possible for a parent to say such a thing, but I think it’s a bit of a leap in logic to suggest that parents we barely know about would.

I totally buy that Leona would get pissed off and lash out at his parents for misinterpretations on his part though. When his self esteem is already low and he believes the world is against him, it’ll skew his perception of others’ words and actions as negative too. We most clearly see this exemplified when Leona acts bitter towards Farena/Falena, in spite of his older brother showing actually showing Leona a lot of genuine support. I’m more inclined to believe that the parents were also pretty supportive and well-meaning (if Farena/Falena is of any indication), but that Leona interpreted their good will as pity and/or backhanded compliments, or that they could never understand his plight. I’d at least like to think they were a little more tactful/wise with their wording rather than sound annoyed every time Leona expressed a grievance 😔 Alternatively, the parents were probably just never around much due to royal duties, so maybe Leona felt like he never got that social support from their end.

The nature of Leona’s struggle is also something that’s generally seen as more cumulative, rather than there being a single turning point that made him give up on trying. I don’t think you can really point at any singular instance and say, “yes, this part of his past is what made him ‘snap’.” It’s the constant rejection and being beat down by the world and the people he’s trying to get validation from that wears away at his spirit.

#Leona Kingscholar #Farena Kingscholar #Falena Kingscholar #spoilers #notes from the writing raven #twst theory #twst theories #twisted wonderland theory #twisted wonderland theories #The Case Study of Vanitas #twst manga #twisted wonderland manga