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starlithumanity · 7 months

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I'm having a fascinating time rewatching Our Flag Means Death with the knowledge that Ed sees Izzy as a "safe" mentor/family figure ("safe" because Izzy is Ed's subordinate aboard the ship, which creates a more balanced power dynamic) upon whom Ed projects his many unresolved daddy issues. That stated interpretation from David Jenkins does work, even in season one!

Most of the fandom conceptualized season one Izzy as a power-hungry subordinate to Ed and a "co-parent" to the crew (paralleled with the Stede/Mary marriage) who has an understated masochist lust for the Blackbeard legend. All of that is true too, because Ed and Izzy's relationship is incredibly complex and fucked-up. I know from personal experience that this kind of layered toxic relationship is completely possible, though it might seem contradictory on the surface.

In season one, Ed considering Izzy as a mentor/family explains more why Ed let his first mate be so insulting to and controlling of him and still kept wanting Izzy to stay beside him. It adds more meaning to how Ed veers super hard into the violent Blackbeard role after feeling cornered and threatened by Izzy at the end of the season. (This also has further weight for those of us with family members who have disapproved quite loudly of our queer relationships.)

There is a strong parallel that I noticed previously between young Ed's reaction to his father abusing his mother and season one Ed's reaction to Izzy dueling Stede. Stede is linked to Ed's mother through the red silk and through the fact that Stede and Ed's mother--and Lucius--are the only people we see treating Ed with compassion/softness in season one. It thus makes sense for Izzy to be mirroring Ed's father.

Then there's another parallel in how Ed responded to Izzy mentioning Stede in a mocking way ("pining for his boyfriend") by choking Izzy, like how Ed had once responded to his father threatening his mother by strangling his father. In this moment, Izzy touched Ed's face with an intimate kind of familiarity and said, "There he is." Ed clearly found this unnerving, which some people read as sexually harassment, but it makes just as much sense for it to be his daddy issues getting triggered.

(GIF Sources: captain-flint and divineandmajesticinone)

I think part of why this dynamic was unclear in season one is because the writers wanted us to see that, even though Izzy is a mentor figure who taught Ed certain skills, Ed is a grown man who is fully competent on his own. He had likely started building the Blackbeard legend by the time Izzy met him, he has a clever mind that's constantly coming up with new plans, and when Izzy himself was left as captain, Izzy proved to not have the necessary charisma and compassion to lead the crew. Ed is the star power; Izzy is the manager, so to speak.

However, Izzy overestimates his importance and often talks about himself like he's a martyr to the Blackbeard legend, working so hard to keep both Ed and the crew in line. He claims that he's been "clean[ing] up [Ed's] messes... my whole life," which feels like a very parental complaint to me.

Ed fuels this martyr complex some in season two by physically harming Izzy, but notably, Ed doesn't threaten this kind of harm to the rest of the crew (though he isn't very careful with them either) until he's in the suicidal spiral of driving the ship into a storm. Before that, Ed threatens Izzy specifically, both because Izzy threatened him and Stede in season one and because Ed's trying, in his own fucked-up way, to prove to Izzy that he's following Izzy's guidance and "being Blackbeard." The toe-cutting also has some metaphorical weight: Izzy demanded that Ed "cut off" the gentler pieces of himself to be Blackbeard, so Ed starts cutting off literal pieces of Izzy in return. When it becomes clear that this isn't satisfying Izzy either, that's when Ed really goes off the deep end. ("I loved you the best I could," but I never could be enough to fit your expectations.)

(GIF Source: livelovecaliforniadreams)

Meanwhile, we see Izzy starting to question things specifically in response to Ed saying that Izzy could be replaced as first mate. Izzy thought his place, as a mentor/family and self-professed "martyr", was more secure than that, and it challenges his whole identity.

Throughout season two, the mentor/family dynamic is further emphasized via the parallel between Izzy/Ed/Stede and Auntie/Zheng Yi Sao/Oluwande. Others have discussed this more, but there's so much meaning in the similar ways these characters carry themselves, in the tension of Auntie disapproving of Zheng Yi Sao's feelings for "soft" Oluwande, and in the way Oluwande finally teaches Auntie to soften herself some for Zheng Yi Sao.

(GIF Source: bizarrelittlemew)

Additionally, in episode five of season two, we see Stede turning to Izzy for mentorship, proclaiming that Ed himself had recommended Izzy as someone who "made him into the captain he is today." People have questioned that as being a false manipulation from Stede, but I think there's a good chance that it was true! (Ed probably said this to Stede sometime during season one, when the two of them got to know each other so well.) "Taught him everything he knows" is definitely a flattering exaggeration, but hey.

(GIF Source: ofmdaily)

Throughout this and other episodes, we see Izzy continuing to take on a mentor-like role with Stede and the crew (and eventually Ed) as he tries to recenter himself after the darkness of the first three episodes. It's clear that Izzy is most comfortable playing the gruff and politically incorrect old fighter who offers guidance, but now he's letting himself branch out more and connect to the crew in new gentler ways. He even metaphorically "gives his blessing" to Ed and Stede's first time having sex by providing the musical accompaniment, which is the perfect amount of weird for this show, haha.

(GIF Source: izzyfag)

Izzy's transformative arc in season two also involves a steady pattern of reversals, corrected new versions of his treatment of Ed in season one, as Izzy start coming to terms with the harm he did to Ed. Other people have discussed this in more detail, but I think the pace of this change is realistic to what you would see in such a situation. Ed's responses to this, too, are consistent with him seeing Izzy as a mentor/family.

(GIF Source: edwards-teach)

I should further note that Izzy and Benjamin Hornigold (another abusive father figure from Ed's past) are two characters mirrored by the fact that they call Ed "Eddie" in season two. I can imagine that being the nickname Ed used when he was younger, before growing out of it. Izzy seems to start feeling the echo of that memory of younger Ed when Ed comes to him scared, asking for Izzy to "fix [his] mess" by shooting Ed like Ed "dreamed" about.

(GIF Source: blairpfaff)

Right before Izzy's death, there's a scene where Ed is triggered super hard in his daddy issues by the fisherman "Pop-Pop." I think the writers wanted to remind us of the parental trauma Ed has been through before giving us some catharsis through Izzy's deathbed confession and apology. In that moment, Izzy takes full accountability for what he did, while Ed cries and says, "You're my only family." Izzy redirects him in a final bit of mentorly guidance, telling Ed that the crew is there to be his family if Ed will let himself be loved, truly, in the way Ed has often rejected and distanced himself from being loved.

(GIF Source: izzyfag)

Now, I do think Izzy's death was the right choice for this show. I like that DJenkins went with the classic mentor death trope, and he did a similar thing with Buttons, the other old-timer first mate! I agree likewise with those who have discussed Izzy's loss as being a necessary step for the narrative to move forward both from Ed's darker self/parental trauma and from the older age of piracy that Izzy represents. Izzy was always meant to be a dark reflection of and a narrative support/conflict for Ed, and this is the natural culmination of that. His complicated legacy will continue to be something Ed has to reckon with, however, although Ed is trying to compartmentalize that right now.

I very much hope to see, in season three (🤞🏻), how Ed continues to process his past, especially now that he's trying for a domestic life that will likely lead into marriage. Marriage, from what I've seen, often acts as a staging ground for whatever parental trauma you had growing up, because you look to your parental figures as an example of how to do "adult" things. This is going to be a huge conflict for both Ed and Stede, who has his own personal negative marriage experience. I suspect Izzy will continue to represent this problem in some form or another.

(GIF Sources: kiwistede and yenvengerberg)

#our flag means death #ofmd spoilers #izzy hands #edward teach #stede bonnet #gentlebeard #benjamin hornigold #nathaniel buttons #zheng yi sao #auntie #oluwande boodhari #my stuff

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ziipzeepzop-eez · 10 days

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hi! me again, i know it hasn’t been that long but i just rewatched one of my favorite anime’s, Komi can’t communicate, it’s about a girl named Shoko Komi who has extreme social anxiety or also known as social-phobia and has trouble speaking to others and making friends as well, i’m serious, anytime the girl tries to speak, she gets nervous and overwhelmed and just starts stuttering a LOT!

So! i was wondering if you could do lil something with the rottmnt boys and a reader who acts like that? you don’t have to! and don’t worry, i’m almost finished with the lil gecko’s design!

i also recommend watching the anime, it’s really good and funny!

have a nice day/night! ❤️

❝ dulcet vibes. ❞

— ‧₊˚ 🎐✩ 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐱 𝐤𝐨𝐦𝐢 𝐞𝐬𝐤!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

❝l a/n !! : bro how many coincidences will we encounter ? I LITERALLY ADORE THAT ANIME SO SO MUCHHH AAAAA !!!! i binged the entire series over the course of time and finished it during the summertime last year ! such a wonderful anime. the slice of life feel to it, the equal parts humor and heartfelt, and not to mention the characters are all absolutely adorable and lovable !! especially komi. bro she's such a sweet cinnamon roll i just :(( my baby gorla :((( entire show is just *chef's kiss*

also darling this is like. YEARS late i hope u don't think i forgot abt you ?!!!! thank you soso much for your patience + i really hope you like this waaa !! also, psst. this is probably one of my favorite layouts~ the colors came together soso pretty !! ^^

ᝰ genre !! : fluff, a bit of crack, slice of life, platonic :)

ᝰ precautions !! : none, I don't think 🫡 if I am wrong however, pls pls let me know!! *smek* love y'all. hope you enjoy~

i imagine the gentleness is which they all unanimously develop when interacting with you, developed on day one of meeting you.

they're all quite protective over you !! that much goes without saying, of course.

it started out with you becoming a close friend of april's :'))

seeing as she was the first to understand that you weren't some unreachable individual w/ some uppity "holier-than-thou" complex,

but rather, a kid. just like the rest of them. :')

she recognizes her peoplez. 😤✊🏾 probably finds a kindred spirit in you for feeling a bit like an outcast.

whereas you garner attention for your stoic, quiet demeanor and mysterious beauty, that's usually all people see you as.

some don't even see you as much of a fellow person at all. based on your aura alone — you've been described as an equal mix of cold, stuck up, unreachable, boring or flat out rude . . . as well as absolutely stunning, dark, debonair, sleek, attractive, godlike even.

whatever the case, you garnered the attention of all kinds wherever you went, whether you liked it or not.

they just ain't know you, babes. 😞

and april is all too familiar with being simultaneously judged (solely based on appearances) and ignored or pushed aside because you're different.

and homegirl don't run that way 🫡. she a real one.

i imagine she took/takes on the role of being your tadano at first !!

she was chosen as your guide to show ya around the school and upon seeing y'all's chemistry build instantly throughout said tour, you both were paired up for a project in your shared classes! ^^

at first she was a little off-put by your silence and sharp gaze, and even more so at the loud attention you were given the instant you were introduced into the classroom, but a little time is all it took :)

it quickly became apparent that that simply wasn't the case.

you had pulled out your phone, showed her a message typed out in a cinnamoroll-themed digital notepad,

" thank you for your help :')) i'm sorry i don't talk a lot! i'm just shy. thank you for being so kind to me. 💛🙏 "

yeeeaaah she knew you were a good egg.

and the rest is history!

LEO gives me madddd najimi vibes, i'm gonna be so fr. so let's imagine that dynamic here !! as soon as y'all met, there was probably a little miscommunications at first :'] ofc april had told the guys beforehand that she was bringing you over, and he was positively stoked at finally being able to meet this "new friend" his best gal had been talking so fondly about !! and yes, she had given them all the rundown (but him especially. he was sweat-dropping at all the enunciations in her spiel being directed so openly at him. he ain't even met you yet 😔 why is everyone bullying him he is not that bad please he just wants a new friend this isn't fair ple- #justiceforleofr ✊🏾) but with leo, there's always something happening. (/aff /lh)

y'all know ts that najimi stayed pulling in the show? giving komi these complicated orders to go collect on her own in efforts to help her overcome her social anxiety? THIS HAS LEO WRITTEN ALL OVER ITTTTTTT. he'd definitely verbally note down the most diabolical pizza order and only gives enough time to make sure you even heard it before he's shoving the phone in your hands.

now if you start shaking and hesitate, he'll wait until like the very last second before he's chuckling and looking at you with gentle eyes. he takes the phone back into his hands, confirms the order, then pats your head. he's proud of you for trying!!

(he promptly dissolves into good-natured laughter when you start cuffing at his arm, face as red as a tomato.)

tbh thinks you're a cutie pie and tho he teases you, it's all in good nature !! let someone else try to come at you for your shyness. big "only I'm allowed to tease them" energy from this blueberry.

you know leo as your charming and obnoxious but fun-loving best friend who always smiles and jokes around you. but he can be brutal when he's upset. it's like a complete 360 when he's coming to your defense; his gaze turns hard and all traces of his bubbly self. GONE.

fiercely protective over you. whenever you're with him (or any of them really) he's your protector. and you can count on him to celebrate like it's the 4th of July whenever you manage to overcome your verbal barriers.

RAPH. our red angel of preventing harm. the backbone of our society. he is such a mother hen when it comes to you awww :(( when y'all first met & you responded to his amicable greeting by beginning to tremble and stare up at him with wide, shiny eyes, not a word of reply, he thought it was most obvious that you were scared of him. of them. ☹️

it made his heart ache but it was a familiar hurt. this may be New York, but this whole situation isn't the exact norm. (well, not yet anyway!)

then april went and pushed you forward-- closer to him, enthusiastically encouraging you to "go on, say hi!!" like some excited mom with her shy kid 😭😭. it was a few moments of tense silence, you could literally see the ". . ." in the background. then finally, in a hushed but determined whisper, you respond in kind.

yeah. he's hooked.

you bring a sense of stability and tranquility; a welcome pace to the constant chaos of his everyday normal. he's so used to all things loud and rambunctious and completely fizzy pop frenzied on a great day, that when your sweet little molasses self shows up and becomes a regular part of their everyday lives, he finds a haven that he didn't even know he wanted. much more needed.

raphie carries you in his arms to make a quick getaway? you force urge him silently to rest his head on your lap/tummy when y'all chill in peace.

he's effectively babying you? you take it with a stoic grace and appease his ruffled mother hen feathers with gentle sympathy pats to his arms when he finally relaxes.

he especially loves when you both go on little best friend dates !!

you have a tranquil, 'insider' type outlook on life so when you share your vision with them, he can't help but feel honored. being who you are in the modern world has left you with devices that conspire of the affinity to finding very cool hideaway spots!! & the more time you guys spend with each other, the closer you get. it develops into a very wholesome and loving friendship :(( ICONS, THE BOTH OF YOUSE. 🫶🏾

he loves you sm bcuz he feels like he can truly be himself - you're not the type to judge. he feels completely at ease with you and goes the extra mile to put you at ease too!!

—and you can bet he's allllways keeping leo in line as well 😭☠ like, bro can barely breathe. he can, has, and will tackle leo in mid-air because he went to tackle you in a running hug. 😪

blue bro means well when he plays around with you, but raph can only take so much before he gets tense 🥹 he just wants you to be comfortable!! :(( like, always.

he's like your teddy bear. a safety blanket. teddy blanket?? mm ^^ he's got it all for you. would bend over backwards at so much as a slight breath from you. completely whipped and unashamed of it.

DONNIE understands you on a spiritual level. he's your twin flame. your soul brother. bro's your down b, bro's your solider, he's got that thang-thang— *loud 16-wheeler horn passes by*

no but let's lock in. donbon becomes your saving grace, whether you like it or not (but i mean c'mon, who wouldn't like it? :] bro is him.) out of all the siblings, donnie understands your apprehension to socializing the best. it's not that you don't want to interact with others, it's just . . . hard. and scary. he gets that too.

donnie himself is sociable in the way that he's not afraid to interact with others nor is he scared to; he's just an introvert and if the feeling doesn't strike him, he won't. simple as that. 😆

but you're a bit of a different story. it's not that you don't want to, it's just significantly difficult for you </3. and donnie is nothing if not persistent and a fix-it felix in his own right, so! 👏 what does he do?? what he does best, of course!! he builds. he invents. he creates.

he would absolutely create different gadgets and such to try and make things easier for you. they can range from tiny things — automatic digital/magnetized notepads, tiny flying robots that have neurotransmitters embedded within so it speaks for you in the moments your voice croaks, to literal AI robots that do close to everything for you.

once he had gotten caught up in the excitement and pure influx of creative juices + had drawn up a prototype for a replicate robot of you — purely intended on doing the things that you couldn't in a way of helping out!! — and barely survived the crossfire that he was immediately subjected to by his siblings. he snapped out of it and locked tf in after that and, after a lengthy lecture from raph, he allowed leo to rip the blueprints to shreds & mikey to burn it. yes, he might've gotten carried away in his inventions, but it's all from a place of care!!!

he buys you snacks and gifts you a cute handmade keychain the next time you come over after that. you're confused but delighted. he sticks just a little closer that day, and you allow it.

i feel he'd see himself in you. as a result, he'd want to provide you with more things and protect you a lot!!! he ain't afraid to speak up on your behalf either. trust me, he's given such poetic lip to some stuck up assholes in the social world that it rendered you genuinely speechless. but they stay as inside jokes between y'all and best believe it makes the others so jealous 🤣😭.

also not afraid to tell his own brothers off if they're crowding you a little too much (*coughleocoughcough*) — he's a lot less lenient than raphie tho 😅

he cares. a lot. maybe. he's got a soft spot for you, what can I say?

when everything and anything starts to become too much for you, he's usually pretty good at recognizing it and offers you a place of solitude in his lab! it's cool and quiet (well. quiet-er than the wipeout episode that is his daily life outside those very walls.) and generally gives a very chill vibe.

he also loves the fact that you listen to his ranting and rambling without interrupting, not even once. sometimes he thinks it's because you can't, but when he pauses and goes to inquire as much, he's met with your warmed and focused gaze, a slight quirk to your lips as you nod along and. the message is there. i'm listening.

you're lowk his bestie and he can't really live without you from now on, he thinks. it's like the grumpy cat x golden retriever trope, but you're more of a cat too. two moons coexisting! two cats drenched in purple moonlight.

y'all just get each other i made myself sad. /lh + /hj

MIKEY aims to make you feel as comfortable and welcomed as possible !! at all times, all day, everyday. he even set up a cute little personal nook for you in the lair!! (he's such a sweetie pie y'all i'm 💔)

he was the most excited to meet you!!!! (you're his friend now. y'all are having soft tacos later!)

well, all of them were, but he was (and is) the most amicable and the most emotionally adept at understanding you and your shyness. apart of the "Save Y/N from Leo & His Shenanigans" pt 2. (i love the blueberry y'all i prommy bullying him is my love language). ofc he's just a bubbly glass of fizzy orange juice when y'all come face to face; he's all smiles and going "hi!! I'm Mikey!! what's your name??" even if april alr told them 🤦🏾‍♀️ HE'S JUST EXCITED OKAY???

hesitates for just shy of a second when you begin shaking, but then, you pull out your phone and shove the cute sanrio-themed greeting note in his snout and, the second it registers, he's beaming brighter than the sun and immediately welcomes you in, both physically and emotionally.

he makes you feel seen and heard, even when you try to chameleon your way through situations, as you've done countless times before. even when you assume your "better to be seen, not heard" posture, as you've done countless times before.

mikey being the most emotionally available of his family certainly comes with its perks!! he helps them navigate their individual friendships with you as well, and even tho there are a few hiccups along the way, you all develop a strong and lovely bond— & a large part in that is owed to mikey and his empathetic prowess.

particularly loves baking for/with you!!! it's always worth it to see your eyes light up, and he really does think you have a cute face. it's been described in a more debonair light by others, but to him, you're the sweetest little baozi and he just wants!!! to wrap you up in a blanket burrito and!!! keep you in his metaphorical pockets forever!!!!!!

he has definitely dedicated murals and different art pieces to you. sometimes you'll be minding your own business, just chilling together, and feel him staring at you. but before you can get self-conscious he always speaks up and sheepishly rubs the back of his head while pointing to the sketchbook in his lap. now, you're used to feeling his warm yet concentrated gaze on you, but your face still hasn't changed in the lobster red it becomes when he shows you the finished product :')) what can he say?? you're a one of a kind muse.

gives you cute nicknames. pinches your cheeks (if you're aiight with that.) soso affectionate with you, the fact that he loves you is unshakable and unquestionable.

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inmyhorrorsera · 9 months

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S5E8 "The Roast" thoughts:

Ok, I watched this episode three times and I'm still smiling. I love when you think and episode is gonna be about something because of its title and then surprise you when its all a misdirection (see also: Succession's "Connor's Wedding").

At first Laszlo's err… state intrigued me, love everyone projecting and imposing their own insecurities (Guillermo's secret, Nadja's hex) as a reason on why he is behaving like that. And of course it's a stupid reason 😭.

"And a flat pepsi for Guillermo". Oh Nandor, that's the worst thing you ever done to Guillermo, that's the worst thing you could do to anyone. And yes, I remember a certain S4 episode.

I screeched like a bird when Colin mentioned dreaming about being a baby under Laszlo's care, not only because I wanted this shit to happen since the past finale, but also I really thought the episode was going on that direction (and also bc its another W for my predictions).

Having said that, LOVED the nonchalance of Nadja and the others when they were like 'no, it wasn't a dream, that totally happened'.

I mentioned it in a separate post: they really had a Sweet Dee in IASIP moment when The Guide gave the roast idea, only to be ignored and then the same idea being stolen by a dude who is celebrated.

Seanie's poor brain it should be soup at this point, we don't know if he can hazily remember the event like it happened before.

What can I remember is his line after Nadja's roast because it was one of the biggest laughs for me: "Women CAN be funny!" I fucking loved it so much, it's the perfect condescending shit straight men say all the time, even when they're trying to be complementary to you they can't stop being garbage. It was a simple line but Anthony nailed the delivery and timing. Seriously, rewatch that part.

At first I was confused why all the jokes were so mid, but shortly I realized this episode wasn't about the roast at all, lol.

Just by watching screenshots of other users I noticed that in the scene of Nandor resting his head on Guillermo's shoulder there's a BIG flame between them. LMAO. There's no way that is unintentional.

Good for The Guide being the catalyst of Baron Afanas learning the truth. I was demanding more screen time for her lately, so having some incidence in the main plot goes on the plus column.

The other guests present at the roast being shocked at the knowledge of Guillermo killing vampires surprised me; I always assumed Guillermo being a familiar/slayer was a known fact in the vampire community after his very public massacre at the Théâtre des Vampires.

Fuck yeah when I realized this is a Doug Jones spotlight episode, I just fuckin ahgdjkaksdf, love him, perfect, no notes.

The Baron being terrifying!! Guillermo was seriously scared for the others and he barely tried to show off his Van Helsing abilities.

Nandor and Nadja begging the Baron to not hurt Guillermo!! 😭 Them being dragged while grabbing the cape!! 😭 They're spiritual siblings to me!! 😭😭

They really reminded me a little bro and sis begging their mom to not hit their beloved older brother with the chancla for talking back or something.

I fell for the two fake-outs with the sack lol I'm so gullible when it comes to vampires I guess.

NANDOR PAINFUL SOUNDS (MOANS???) WHEN HE BELIEVED HE WAS IN FRONT OF GUILLERMO'S INERT BODY. IT WAS SAD BUT ALSO A LITTLE HORNY!!!

"At least he died doing what he loved: beating off in the toolshed."

A wonderful small detail: After Laszlo opened fake Guillermo with the knife he cleaned his hands on The Guide's dress.

Idc if you think its dark, the whole 'Nandor will kill you and then kill himself' bit becoming a recurring joke it's peak writing.

I wish I can say something more serious about Baron Afanas' sadness over how boring his life is now. But I just keep thinking that the way he talks about his homelife with The Sire and the Hellhound sounds exactly when a dude has a middle life crisis and suddenly he doesn't enjoy his marriage anymore. They're husbands!! And I loved how cunty he looked at the end all half-charred (see posted gif) Queen!

Now, the Nandermo of it all: What more can I say than incoherent screaming and foaming from the mouth? Episodes 8 are all about them again!! Nandor on the window looking all cliched melancholic heroine of a romance novel?? How relieved he was when he found him in the coffin??? Him still remembering Guillermo's card word for word???!! Knowing that this toxic dark sided devotion goes both ways???!!! Borrowing the words of Fleabag: THIS IS A LOVE STORY.

Seriously, I know all these soft Nandor moments are here so the heartbreak when he learns about Guillermo being turned it's even bigger. But still denying that there is a romantic undertone between these two it's just being purposely adamant at this point (i'm looking at you wwdits reddit). Even if nothing explicitly romantic happens on screen, just by watching these moments, I know, we know.

Now, go listen to the ending song again. You will not regret it.

#i wish nandermo enjoyers only good dreams tonight!#to the others sorry err for me keep winning and being right #nandermo #wwdits #what we do in the shadows #wwdits thoughts

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fandomtrashhh · 1 year

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Updated for Episode 12

So I did a thing. I went back to every episode of The Winchesters and I wrote down everything that Dean has said so far, and I realized moreso than before how EVERYTHING he says not only is the lesson/theme of the episode, but it all also applies to himself. Also, I'm not sure if other people realize this because not everyone is into classic rock as I am, (many of the songs are rock songs) but all the songs also match what the episodes are about. Let's start with episode 1.

Sorry if I overlooked something or for any mistakes, I did not rewatch every episode to make this.

I also apologize for how long this is. If I knew how to add the "read more" on this post I totally would.

Major spoilers for all episodes of the Winchesters ahead!!!

Episode 1, "Pilot": March 3rd, 1972. The day Dad came home from the war, and the day he met Mom. Now I know this story might sound familiar, but I'm gonna put the pieces together in a way that just might surprise you. And in order to do that, I have to start all the way at the beginning.

Obviously, Dean is just starting the story. He tells us this is when John and Mary are going to meet, and he's also foreshadowing what's to come. This is why I have high hopes for this show, because Dean says so in the beginning that even though you think you might know everything, there's really more to the story.

Dean also narrated at the very end of the episode:

What they didn't know is that the Akrida weren't just a threat to Earth, but to all of existence. Now, like I told you, there's gonna be some surprises. Hell, I'm still trying to find all the puzzle pieces myself. But I'll explain everything. And until then, I'll keep picking the music.

Also something to note is that this is the only episode that has a non music related title. I'm 100% sure that if it did have a song related title, it would be "I'd Love to Change the World" by Ten Years After. The beginning, when Dean is first narrating and while John is holding the letter that Dean gave him and pretty much up to the point where John and Mary run into each other, that song is playing. Then at the very end of the episode, when we see Dean in the flesh, it's playing again. I find this VERY interesting, especially since the music applies to everything in this show. This leads me to believe that Dean really is trying to change something because the song literally says "I'd love to change the world, but I don't know what to do, so I'll leave it up to you." (The song also mentions bees, which I thought was interesting. That could be nothing, though.)

Episode 2 "Teach Your Children Well": The ties that bind a family together can be complicated. Parents raise you, teach you what's right and wrong, and in some instances, how to kill monsters. But no matter who you are, there comes a time when you have to break from them and make your own way. And if you're not careful, things can get pretty ugly.

“Teach Your Children Well” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Let me show you some of the lyrics:

“You, who are on the road

Must have a code that you can live by

And so, become yourself

Because the past is just a goodbye

Teach your children well

Their father's hell did slowly go by

And feed them on your dreams

The one they pick's the one you'll know by

Don't you ever ask them, "Why?"

If they told you, you would cry

So just look at them and sigh

And know they love you”

A big theme in this episode is parents, the guy who goes missing at the beginning for one, but mostly about John’s parents. John and Millie argue over John hunting and all around the episode is about kids forging their own paths and how it can cause issues which I feel like can definitely apply to Dean and how he discovers his identity away from his father and how the things his father put them through were wrong and how that caused issues.

Episode 3 "You’re Lost Little Girl": There's no map to being a hunter. No playbook. You gotta follow your gut. But that can only take you so far. Truth is, you can't do it all on your own. You need other people to help guide the way-- your friends, your family. Otherwise you just end up lost.

“You’re Lost Little Girl” is by The Doors. Some lyrics:

“You're lost little girl

You're lost little girl

You're lost, tell me who

Are you?

Think that you know what to do

Impossible? Yes, but it's true

I think that you know what to do

Yeah

Sure that you know what to do”

In this episode, Mary gets taken by a monster and everyone is trying to find her. Mary thinks that she doesn’t need anyone to help her because she’s a good hunter, but she ends up needing them to save her. It’s the same with Dean, Dean is an amazing hunter, but he still needs his friends and his family.

Episode 4, "Masters of War": Fighting the battle between good and evil isn't easy, especially when the first monster you have to face is the one inside yourself.

“Masters of War” is by Bob Dylan.

The lyrics for this song are very meaningful and well done. To put it simply, it’s about war and criticism of war.

“You fasten all the triggers

For the others to fire

Then you sit back and watch

When the death count gets higher

You hide in your mansion

While the young people's blood

Flows out of their bodies

And is buried in the mud”

In this episode, John and Carlos talk about their trauma from the Vietnam War and we really get an insight to how much anger John has in him. John is Dean’s parallel in this episode because Dean has a lot of unresolved trauma and deep rooted anger that is mentioned in Supernatural and it also fits because Dean was used as a weapon in a war against the supernatural from a young age.

Episode 5, "Legacy of a Mind": Spending a lifetime of hunting monsters takes its toll. There comes a time when you gotta let out that pain inside you. If you don't, it'll eat you alive.

The song “Legacy of a Mind” is by The Moody Blues

“He'll fly his astral plane

Takes you trips around the bay

Brings you back the same day”

This can be applied to what happens in this episode where Mary is stuck in her own head and has to face her trauma, and this song pretty much talks about trippy things like the lyrics above.

This applies so well to the episode because this episode deals with the complicated relationship that Mary has with her parents and her dealing with the trauma she has with being trained to be a hunter from a very young age and how it was wrong of them to do that to her, but she still loves her parents. This also applies to Dean, since John taught him about hunting from a young age, the same way Samuel and Deanna did to Mary. Mary is once again the Dean parallel, like she often is in this show.

Episode 6 "Art of Dying": Hunting has a way of changing a person. After a while, right, wrong, good, evil, they all start to look the same. And then it makes you start to wonder, "Who's really the monster here -- them or me?"

This is the only other episode where Dean narrated at the end:

Hunting's not for everyone. You have to be strong, stay sharp, make tough decisions, and it's not easy, but then again, the righteous things never are.

The Art of Dying is by George Harrison:

"There'll come a time when all of us must leave here

Then nothing sister Mary can do

Will keep me here with you

As nothing in this life that I've been trying

Could equal or surpass the art of dying

Do you believe me?"

and then the end of the song goes:

"There'll come a time when most of us return here

Brought back by our desire to be

A perfect entity

Living through a million years of crying

Until you've realized the art of dying

Do you believe me?"

This episode the core four finds a case involving an older hunter buddy of Mary's and it turns out that the monster is the ghost of the hunter's friend who the hunter friend and her group killed because he went too dark in magic. That's how the episode applies to Dean's monologue, along with Lata's fear of turning into someone horrible and letting her anger control her. John also (kinda) confronts his anger in this episode. The monologue also talks about how being a hunter is hard, but doing the right thing never is, which also applies to the characters of this episode, especially Lata. This applies to Dean because he really dealt with feelings like that during SPN, and being angry all the time and feeling like he was a monster, and how he always chooses to do the right thing when it comes down to saving the world, even when it's near impossible to.

Episode 7 "Reflections": There comes a time in every hunt when the fightin' starts. And the difference between winning and losing isn't whether you have the holy water, the wooden stake, or the silver bullet. It's whether you've got the grit to get the job done.

Reflections is by the Supremes:

"Through the mirror of my mind

Through all these tears that I'm crying

Reflects a hurt I can't control

Although you're gone

I keep holding on

To those happy times

Oh, girl when you were mine

As I peer through the windows

Of lost time

Keeping looking over my yesterdays

And all the love I gave all in vain

(All the love) All the love

That I've wasted

(All the tears) All the tears

That I've tasted

All in vain

Through the hollow of my tears

I see a dream that's lost

From the hurt baby

That you have caused"

I think this one represents loss, especially the loss of Henry. Dean's monologue ties into this because in this episode there are multiple instances where the characters show real strength and bravery in order to come out the other side with a win. And this can obviously be applied to Dean and everything he has done and hunted and how brave he had to be to be able to actually get the job done.

Episode 8, "Hang on to Your Life”: Being a hunter, it means living a life of sacrifice-- not a lot of room for dreams. But if you open your heart and get a little lucky, you'll find you gain more than you lose.

Hang On To Your Life is by Guess Who:

“Thinking 'bout it's here and it's real

Wondering how I really should feel

Well you can sell your soul

But don't you sell it too cheap

Hang on to your life, oh life, oh life, oh life, oh life

Hang on to your life

Thinking 'bout betraying a friend

Thinking 'bout delaying the end

Well you can ride the wind

But don't you ride it too high”

This episode is about Carlos’ dream of being a musician and how he had to give that up when he became a hunter. The parts about selling his soul and betraying a friend applies to the band member that Carlos used to play with and how he accidentally made a deal and because he “betrayed” Carlos by selling him out to Loki.

Dean’s monologue applies to the theme of found family in this episode. Even though they’re all a part of this life and had to give up their dreams, there is good that came from it in the form of family and friends, the same way that Dean found himself a family in the midst of it all. This is also the episode where John and Mary decided to get together, again proving that they can find something worthwhile, right before they found the picture of Dean. (Insert Miranda Cosgrove meme)

Episode 9 "Cast Your Fate to the Wind": This isn't how I saw things going when I pushed over that first domino. Thing is, I've had more than a few dances with free will and fate, but as my dad used to say, "Fate is what you make it."

The song here is actually a song that I didn’t know. It’s a jazz song by Vince Guaraldi. Honestly, reading the lyrics to this song make me think SO MUCH of John and who he becomes, and I’m actually going to put in the entire lyrics because I can’t chose one section that I feel is most important:

“A month of nights, a year of days

Octobers drifting into Mays

I set my sail when the tide comes in

And I just cast my fate to the wind

I shift my course along the breeze

Won't sail up wind on memories

The empty sky is my best friend

And I just cast my fate to the wind

That time has a way of changing a man throughout the years

And now I’m rearranging my life through all my tears

Alone, alone, alone

There never was, there couldn't be

A place in time for men like me

Who'd drink the dark and laugh at day

And let their wildest dreams blow away

That time has a way of changing a man throughout the years

And now I’m rearranging my life through all my tears

Alone, alone, alone

So now I’m old, I’m wise, I’m smart

I’m just a man with half a heart

I wonder how it might have been

Had I not cast my fate to the wind

To the wind, to the wind”

Like, come on. This is so John coded in who he becomes and what happens to him. In terms of how this song applies to the episode though, it applies to the theme of fate throughout the episode, which ties in with what Dean says at the beginning. “Fate is what you make it.” This speaks true to John in this episode because he uses the knowledge of his death to his advantage and makes his own fate, which Millie uses the “fate is what you make it” line. I find this episode very interesting because they use the theme of fate in an episode that deals with vampires, and has a whole scene that parallels 15x18 AND Carlos gets to kiss his male love interest. Dean’s monologue at the beginning applies to himself because he’s dealt with fate and free will plenty of times in Supernatural.

I also find it interesting that Dean said that this isn't how he saw things going when he pushed over that first domino, which begs the question of what did he expect? What was his goal in doing all of this? It's also worth noting that immediately after he says that he says "fate is what you make it," saying the two apply to each other, go hand in hand. I don't think it's a stretch to say that whatever his intentions were, whatever he did, had to do with controlling his own fate.

So, just to recap: in an episode where the two main characters are dealing with being in a new relationship and whether or not they want to tell people, one of those main characters dies from a vampire in a direct parallel to the 15x18 confession, and two men have an on screen kiss for the first time, and the entire theme of the episode is fate. That's VERY interesting to me.

Episode 10 "Suspicious Minds": Hunting and happy endings don't usually mix, so when you get your chance, you got to ask yourself, "How far will I go to get it?"

This can be read as a direct tie in to his monologue in the last episode! It's along the same lines!!

Something I've noticed is that each episode I feel like the monologues get deeper and more meaningful, the farther we go the more is revealed.

This Dean monologue ends right as John and Mary get interrupted while they're kissing and Mary says "normal will have to wait another day" while there's a close up of Mary's college application as a mirror to SPN 15x20 with Dean's job application. Something I thought was interesting.

Suspicious Minds is an Elvis Presley song, which I know that the trend here is to include 60's and 70's songs, but knowing the intense meaning of Elvis in the Destiel fandom makes me feel a little unwell knowing Elvis actually gets incorporated into the text.

"Oh, let our love survive

I'll dry the tears from your eyes

Let's don't let a good thing die

When honey, you know I've never lied to you

Mmm, yeah, yeah

We're caught in a trap

I can't walk out

Because I love you too much, baby

Why can't you see

What you're doing to me

When you don't believe a word I say?"

So this is very much talking about one of the big plot points of this episode, a man who tries to bring his dead wife back to life in such desperation that he's willing to kill innocents to do it. Now the parallels drawn in this episode are very intentional to both John and Mary, even including the dialogue they speak after they kill said man and how John thinks that's love and Mary thinks it's horrible and she essentially makes him promise that that will never be them (clear foreshadowing) when in reality, even though it's showing that John already had the mindset of "doing it out of love" as he does in the future, they're both guilty of that. Mary brings John back to life when Azazel kills him, and as we all know, after Mary's death John goes on a revenge mission, wasting his life and putting his children through hell in the process. It's also just a running theme throughout SPN of toxic codependency and how almost every major character is also guilty of going to great lengths to bring the ones they love back. The song lyrics also apply to John and Mary as a romantic relationship as well and can show how their relationship is now and foreshadow what will happen in the future.

The thing that is different about this episode though, is that even though the parallels in this episode can apply to Dean, the actual Dean monologue doesn't, and this is what I find really weird and what I think is honestly one of the biggest indications that Jensen really is writing a fix it fanfiction:

This is the only episode where his monologue doesn't directly apply to himself. Every other episode ties in to his own experiences, except for this one. Dean doesn't go to great lengths to get himself a happy ending. Happy endings for other characters? Absolutely. But not for himself. Why would this be the only episode that doesn't directly relate to him? Well me and a lot of other people think because it really does apply to himself. But not as something he experienced in the past or has knowledge on, but as something he is doing right now. He is actively changing his future, possibly even a future with Cas (I do really think that there's a solid possibility that Destiel will become 100% canon in this show because of how everything is being set up, all of the parallels, and the fact that some of the cast, the social media team, and an executive producer has acknowledged some of these said parallels.) So in the end, how far will Dean go to get his happy ending?

Episode 11 "You've Got a Friend": Being a hunter means always being on the move. But no matter how hard you plan, no matter how hard you work, at a certain point, we all run out of road. It's what we do with those crossroads that define us.

"You've Got a Friend" is a song by Carole King from 1971:

"When you're down and troubled

And you need some lovin' care

And nothin', nothin' is goin' right

Close your eyes and think of me

And soon I will be there

To brighten up even your darkest night

You just call out my name

And you know, wherever I am

I'll come runnin'

To see you again

Winter, spring, summer or fall

All you have to do is call

And I'll be there

You've got a friend"

This represents Betty, and how in this episode she goes from being a potential source of trouble for the gang to becoming an ally, or a "friend" and an inside woman for them. This also can be applied to Carlos and Lata because Carlos was there for Lata and helped support her while Lata told Carlos about her childhood trauma.

In this episode, Dean's monologue is about the choices you make before you die. This can be seen in the choices made throughout this episode by multiple characters (Betty, Mary, John, etc) and this ties in with the song because no matter what choices you make, you'll have your friends by your side, which is true to Dean and just Supernatural as whole with their message of family and found family. Admittedly, I feel like the connection to Dean's voiceover and to the title of this episode aren't as strong as a lot of the previous episodes, but they're still there. (Betty, the "friend," makes a choice to work with the rest of the gang.) At the same time, I believe this can also be another instance of foreshadowing because Dean is dead, he's at that metaphorical cross road, and he's making a choice to go into the past.

As I said above, Lata faced her trauma. This is the 4th or 5th instance of someone on this show confronting their past. At this point, it's become a theme. Why would the show reiterate this point over and over? I think this will tie into Dean's reasons for why he's in the 70's. Not to mention this was yet ANOTHER episode where 2 characters are trapped in a room, and this time because of a shadow monster, and the only way to get out is if one confesses a deep secret. What the fuck.

Something to keep in mind is how much this episode emphasized secrets. This seems to foreshadow the fact that Dean is harboring some huge secrets that will soon be discovered. I think the real question now is how will these secrets be revealed to the audience and to our characters?

Episode 12 "The Tears of a Clown": Hunting is a dishonest business. You lie about who you are, and what you do. But the hardest lies aren't what you tell other people, but what you tell yourself."

The song "The Tears of a Clown" was released in 1967 by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles:

"Now if there's a smile on my face

It's only there trying to fool the public

But when it comes down to fooling you

Now honey that's quite a different subject

But don't let my glad expression

Give you the wrong impression

Really I'm sad, oh I'm sadder than sad

You're gone and I'm hurting so bad

Like a clown I appear to be glad (sad, sad, sad, sad)"

Okay, so this episode gave me a lot of brainrot. What the song is expressing is that even if you seem happy, that doesn't mean you are, and that was the big theme of this episode. Just because you seem okay or even think you're okay, that doesn't mean you are. With John, that applies to his anger issues and his unresolved issues with being charged for a murder he didn't commit. For Mary, it's the issues she already has, plus being unhappy in her relationship with John because she thinks he's using their relationship as an escape, and this also applies to her because even though she got accepted into college, she hadn't really taken any steps towards a normal life since then. In general, this episode was about a clown who lures emotionally vulnerable people into his circus tent so he can force them to be "happy" even though they aren't, like we saw with Roger.

This can very much apply to Dean's voice over, because the characters in this episode, including the clown, are actively lying to themselves.

The thing is, like a lot of Dean's voice overs, it's intentionally vague. He could be referring to literally anything. In the context of this episode, it makes the most sense that this is referring to Dean's anger issues and the fact that throughout the entirety of Supernatural, Dean oftentimes told himself and the people around him that he was okay, even though he wasn't. But at the same time, these voice overs and one like this in particular can be interpreted in different ways. What Dean says about facing the lies you tell yourself can apply to sexuality. Dean could be talking about not only his mental and emotional issues, but he could also be referencing being in love with Cas. At this point, Destiel happening feels like genuine build up. Now all we have to do is wait a couple more days to see if it all pays off.

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spnbaby-67 · 7 months

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Someone Watching Over Me

Pairing Dean Winchester and Y/N

So recently, I rewatched a bit of this movie and I cry every time I hear this song. It's one of my favorites and it reminded me of my mom who's up in heaven, who I miss so freaking much. So, I wanted to write a tidbit with Dean and Y/N to the lyrics of this song. I even cried writing it. Get tissues.

Title: "Someone's Watching Over Me"

Summary: After a particularly harrowing hunt that left Dean and Y/N battered and emotionally drained, they find themselves on the road, driving through the night in the Impala. The weight of their past and the uncertainty of their future weigh heavy on their minds. But as the radio plays a familiar tune, they begin to find comfort in each other's presence and the hope that someone, somewhere, is watching over them.

The night was inky black, punctuated by the occasional flicker of distant stars. Dean Winchester gripped the steering wheel of the Impala, his knuckles white, as they sped down the desolate highway. Beside him, Y/N sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window with a faraway look in her eyes.

The memory of their latest hunt lingered, a dark cloud over their heads. It had been one of those hunts that left them both battered and bruised, physically and emotionally. The pain was a constant reminder of the harsh reality they lived in. They had lost friends, faced unimaginable evil, and sometimes, it felt like there was no escape.

Dean glanced over at Y/N. She looked lost in thought, her face pale, and her eyes distant. He wanted to say something, to reassure her, but words failed him. It felt like they were teetering on the edge of despair, and he couldn't find a way to pull them back.

As the miles passed, Dean's fingers twitched on the radio dial. He absentmindedly turned it on, and a familiar song filled the car.

"I found myself today," the singer crooned, and Y/N's gaze turned to Dean. She recognized the song and its significance.

"Oh, I found myself and ran away," Y/N sang along softly, her voice tinged with sadness. The lyrics seemed to echo their current state of mind.

Dean didn't sing along, but he kept his eyes on the road and his grip steady on the wheel. The song continued, filling the Impala with its melancholy yet uplifting melody.

"But something pulled me back," Y/N sang, her voice growing stronger. "The voice of reason I forgot I had."

The car seemed to become a haven, a place where they could momentarily escape the horrors of their world. They weren't alone in their suffering. The song seemed to understand, to convey that they weren't the only ones who had faced hardship and darkness.

"All I know is you're not here to say," Y/N continued, her voice soft but steady. "What you always used to say."

The words hung in the air, unspoken but understood. Y/N glanced at Dean, and he met her gaze, the weight of their shared experiences bearing down on them.

"But it's written in the sky tonight," Y/N sang, her voice growing more determined. "So I won't give up, no, I won't break down."

Dean couldn't help but crack a small smile. Y/N's strength was a beacon of hope, a reminder that they had each other, and they were in this together.

"Sooner than it seems, life turns around," Y/N continued, her voice now filled with hope. "And I will be strong even if it all goes wrong."

Dean nodded, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. The road ahead may be uncertain, but they would face it together, just as they always had.

"When I'm standing in the dark, I'll still believe," Y/N sang passionately, her voice filled with determination. "Someone's watching over me."

The words resonated in the car, wrapping around them like a warm embrace. Dean reached over and squeezed Y/N's hand, their fingers entwined as the song played on.

It didn't matter what people said. It didn't matter how long it took. They believed in themselves and in each other. They would continue to fight, no matter how hard the battles were.

As the song reached its crescendo, Y/N and Dean sang together, their voices intertwining in a promise of resilience and love.

"So I won't give up, no, I won't break down," they sang in unison, their eyes locked on each other.

"Sooner than it seems, life turns around," they continued, their voices strong and unwavering. "And I will be strong even if it all goes wrong."

"When I'm standing in the dark, I'll still believe," they sang, their voices harmonizing perfectly. "Someone's watching over me."

The song faded, and the world outside the Impala continued to pass by. Dean and Y/N didn't have all the answers, and their journey was far from over. But in that moment, they found solace in each other's presence and the belief that someone, somewhere, was watching over them, guiding them through the darkness.

Together, they would face whatever challenges lay ahead, for their bond was unbreakable, and their love was a source of strength that could conquer any evil that dared to cross their path.

@deans-baby-momma, @jackles010378, @nancymcl, @deanwinchesterswitch

#jensen ackles x reader #jensen ackles #reader insert #jensen ackles fanfiction #dean winchester #dean x reader #reader fanfiction #supernatural rpf #Don't hate me for the tears

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theygotbitchesinmedia · 10 days

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media update..... went back and rewatched the beginning of/finally finished the amazon league of their own series on the day i spent vegging on the couch because they drugged me up in the ER the night before. good show! janet thegoodplace was so very hot in it. max was also so very hot in it. sad the writers strike nixed the 4 more episodes it was gonna get but this is a tradeoff we make

i also watched the first episode of a show called on becoming a god in central florida which i'd never heard of until the other day and felt intrigued enough to check it out. i watched the first episode and there was a lot of setup happening there but im willing to see where it goes for now. kirsten dunst plays a water park employee who is the wife of a man that gets sucked deep into an mlm personality cult. i enjoy the character they have set up for her but since i only watched one episode i dont have much to say on it yet but i get the feeling that this could be a real underrated gem if it manages to deliver on its premise

i started reading dead dead demon's dededede destruction. not liveblogging it just because I Did Not Feel Like Doing That. not sure how i feel about it so far, in the sense that i'm just not really sure what to make of it. i'm about 25% of the way through. im certainly intrigued by its tone, atmosphere, and art style. i thought the character proportions looked familiar so i googled the mangaka and it turns out its the oyasumi punpun guy? now i haven't read punpun and all i know about it is that this is a manga for profoundly mentally ill people so i was like. ah okay. and i feel like that's contextualized it for me a bit. i really like ouran.

i keep trying to get through murderbot book 2 but guys these books are just super fucking boring. why is so much popular stuff so boring.

#media log

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notfebruary · 8 months

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oh my goodness!! so much excitement about the new madoka movie trailer that just dropped...

some thoughts and wild speculation under the cut because the gears in my brain are whirring at full speed now

okay, so at least ONE of those many Homuras shown has GOT to be Walpurgisnacht in disguise somehow, maybe deliberately taking on Homura's form to mislead Madoka.

...or maybe Homura herself has been split into multiple entities(I mean, if she's taken on part of Kyubey's role, maybe there are multiple Homuras like how there were multiple hivemind Kyubeys managing things before? and each of them has a different role to play), and one of them goes rogue and eventually becomes Walpurgisnacht, which would be some serious tragic irony considering the entire context of the series

maybe Homura's seemingly increasing number of Clara Dolls has something to do with the multiple girls/familiars Walpurgisnacht has been shown to be comprised of in the past? This one admittedly might be kind of a stretch since witches having familiars isn't exactly unique in the first place, but I'm still thinking about it.

Is that tower near the end made of RECORD CASES, or is it just me? Is that literally a fucking symbolic tower made up of all of the timelines Homura has rejected because she was unable save Madoka in them?? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.

anyways, I can't wait to watch this movie and then have no idea what the fuck is going on until I rewatch it five more times - as is tradition with this series

#feb speaks #pmmm #walpurgisnacht rising

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miercolaes · 7 months

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i'm on my once upon a time rewatch and spoiler alert, this one character became the author. as an author, you're given two options : record history as it happens or write it yourself. which means either let fate run its course or change it to your liking. so of course i'm here to write shit that goes against netflix's wednesday. someone, i won't name who but they know who they are, has inspired me to think beyond what the show offered us. so here we go.

what if all that we see on the show happens because wednesday has written about this before? we see 3 psychics in the show that uses their powers (xavier, rowan and wednesday) and we are mentioned two more (rowan's mother and morticia). so far xavier's the only one that can manipulate what he draws, rowan had telekinetic powers, rowan's mother did draw and predict the future. but what did wednesday and morticia do? for morticia, we're yet to see. but for wednesday, besides some random flashes, her powers are nonexistent. and i can't go with the fact her only superpower is being plagued by visions and not even on her own accord. even goody addams did more, even as a ghost.

so my thought is, the addamses women can see in the past, predict the future and most importantly, weave a future. we know wednesday wants to become an author. but let's be honest, not many novels do get sold if they're not interesting, with more intrigue than it should and so on so forth. which brings me back to viper (wednesday) and dominica (morticia). maybe one of the responses she got was that the main character had a perfect family and she must change that bc it's not realistic (ginny and georgia anyone?). so when she did, that's when her own feelings and thoughts towards her mother had become different. literally the only thing that's making sense beside wednesday pulling a ginny on tish.

as her drafts progressed, she had to create a monster, after all, so did mary shelley. so she did write about one, the only problem was that she didn't know what it was or who it was. but as every protagonist ever, viper had to find out in the end, by the time the last battle commences. it's basic storytelling, right? which concomitantly is exactly when the hyde is revealed to be tyler, the person she trusted the most.

and if we dig deeper (i am hanging by the thinnest thread to my sanity), doesn't the name jericho sounds familiar? if you didn't grow in a religious setting, you may have heard of iniko's jericho song which goes like jericho, jericho walls come down. according to this one biblical site, the israelites marched around jericho for 7 days and conquer the city when its walls miraculously fell down. israel destroys the city and everything in it, except for rahab and her family. which could mean that wednesday might unknowingly (or otherwise) bring jericho to destruction. to nothingness. whoever she spared is up to debate. if she wrote the imminent destruction of jericho, then there must be a reason. who broke my goth child so badly??? and why?????

but yeah, i think i'm going to make this a headcanon. it's the only thing that makes sense to me. the town being named jericho, wednesday being a writer that can write the present and the future, her relationship with her mother during season 1. let me be delulu, okay?

#♱ headcanons.#♱ vero stfu.#it's the 2nd coffee kicking in i think #if show's writers don't do it like this i will be mad #i either wrote the perfect story for the show #or i predicted what will happen in the following season(s)

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cutemeat · 1 year

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3, 7, and 10!

3. what are your top 3 favorite episodes?

I have many many manyyyy faves (and also got this question a bunch, which excites me so dont worry ab that) so im gonna do different themes for my top 3's...

my top 3 fave eps of eps that I've rewatched the most are: The Gang Gets Romantic, The Gang Group Dates, and The Gang Dances Their Asses Off (with Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life as an honorable mention lol)

7. what’s something that we haven’t seen in the show yet that you’d like to see?

i clearly wanna see some resolution or 'get together' scene ONSCREEN (cuz i have argued previously that they HAVE already banged offscreen in Dennis Gets Divorced) but I'd like to see, at the very least, going from writing Macdennis as subtext to making that the overt text. Which, in their defense, they've started doing since s12 ... but I just hope they execute the culmination of the storyline they started in s12/s13 in a way that.. does not suck ass. and i'm usually willing to give rcg a lot of leeway about this particular thing cuz like. theyre str8 they dont know any better LOL. but yeah i wanna see mac and dennis kiss, fuck, date, idc! something!

other things i'd like to see: i'd like to see charlie getting some cathartic 'snapping' arc where he goes back into the badroom and in the vents and the gang cant get him out cuz hes rlly emotional (like as a result of his dad dying or smth) and he basically just snaps, Phantom of the Opera style but he'd be like the Phantom of Paddy's... and maybe this is all while Dee's trying to host an event of whatever kind and so hes just lurking around the whole time trying to sabotage the event... maybe he kidnaps someone LOL thatd be ccool

i also would LOVE to see waitress becoming a more recurring character, esp to team up with Dee. I'd ideally like to see them move IN together n be a duo, but I'll take what I can get. I also just wanna see Dee going crazy. I kinda want Dennis and Dee to have a swap where DEE is the angry, spiteful one and Dennis is just sad and pathetic at his lowest yknow? LOL. Like I think they could easily do this as well, and it seemed to me like they experimented with that kind of dynamic in Gets New Wheels. and lastly, PUT DEE IN THE DUSTER!!!!

i'd like to see more of Mac's ACTUAL life... cuz he has been TALKING about doing all this shit the past couple seasons but we dont get to see what he's ACTUALLY getting up to. So sorta a Mac's Double Life ep but done much better LOL. I just want some character exploration with Mac cuz they seem to be struggling with what to do with Mac since he came out. And I know part of that also has to do with Rob wanting to have a gay man in the writers room but (so far, as far as I know) not being able to get any lol.

I'd also like to see some shit about whatever is going on with Frank that we found out he has a serious, terminal disease in s11... but ik a lot of ppl have said that before me, and for good reason its like.. wtf is going on there LOL

10. who’s your least favorite character?

shit... good question.... yknow i'll just use this as an opportunity to say i hate the way they wrote fat mac. it just felt like they squandered his potential. the way they executed the joke itself was just reeking of rcg's own body image issues which makes it just uncomfortable/not funny if you dont ALSO have rcg's body issues LOL. like i think if they'd done a slower progression over time where the characters just Look Their Age as they age would be a good subversion and probably not too difficult to maintain LMAO. and if Rob wanted Mac's part in that to be gaining some weight for a season/a couple seasons that could've been subversive in itself and done well. But I think bc they made it a seasonal gimmick it suffered for that. So I'm not really answering the question i Know but KJDFGNKDJ tbh i loooove the cast of characters we've become familiar with I think they're all great

#thank u sm!!! <3

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imaredshirt · 28 days

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A random question: top 5 star trek eps from any franchise

Gonna be super honest with you, I WAS gonna say that my top 5 eps are solely based on how much I love McCoy in them, but I figured it'd make more sense to base my list on each episode's watchability - meaning can I watch this episode over and over and not get tired of it too soon? If the answer is an immediate yes, then onto the list it goes!

(Actually most of them have McCoy play pretty important roles, so)

(Also, I've only really watched a portion of TOS and a few episodes here and there of the others - but! I'm finally, slowly making my way through every episode. Gotta refresh my Trekness)

So! Top 5 Star Trek Episodes According to Me:

1: The Man Trap. First episode I watched cause I was trying to become familiar with the characters before the 2009 movie came out and was immediately hooked (was also trying to figure out what was so great about this one guy called Spock who my mom was in love with) So much McCoy goodness here - Plum, agonizing over killing the salt creature that's wearing the face of his old flame, the blACK SHIRT--

2: The Trouble with Tribbles. LOVE this ep. Honestly it's like a feel-good ep, will watch it when in need of some comfort. It's like a tribble itself.

3: By Any Other Name. God the amount of times I've rewatched this one - just love how hopeless it almost feels, with McSpirkotty (Kirk and Spock and McCoy and Scotty - listen idk what the four of them together are called so I smushed the names together, tho I guess I coulda just listed their names like I just did there but ANYWAY-) the only ones not turned into those little chalk blocks and the Andromedeans are like, super powerful assholes, until the foursome end up being the badasses they are and tricking the Andromedeans - faves have got to be McCoy and Scotty with their assigned Andromedeans. Also it's got that scene where Spock goes into a trance and falls and McCoy reacts with That Face to hurriedly catch him and just hold him - it feeds my hunger for Spones

4: Friday's Child. Cannot get enough of the costumes in this ep. And Bones and the baby. Spock annoyed with his humans at the end. Love, love, love.

5: FOR THE WORLD IS HOLLOW AND I HAVE TOUCHED THE SKY. Hurt McCoy, Worried Spirk, Wooed McCoy, McSpirk Feels- honestly the ep speaks for itself.

Of course there are a ton of other episode I love (special mentions Mirror, Mirror, Bread and Circuses, the Galileo Seven, All Our Yesterdays) but yeah, at least at the moment, these are my top five.

#sorry it took me so long to answer this!#also sorry for all the rambling but i've been feeling chatty lately #st #st tos #thank you for the question!

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abyranss · 2 years

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Here's an interesting bit of Nagisa psychology: The Charlotte part of her has some wires crossed in her brain so she's conflating cheese with unconditional love, and I don't know if she realises she's doing it.

So there are three Magia Record stories involving Nagisa that I use in conjunction with Rebellion to characterise her in my head and when I rewatched a couple of those recently I noticed something peculiar about the way Nagisa was talking.

"If you ever wish me to, Mami... I'll bring you cheese from wherever I am! But if you're in trouble... You'll get cheese from anyone, not just from me. Because you have the right to get cheese. You've given so much, it's okay to receive some now."

That paragraph comes from the Nagisa Momoe Magical Girl Story, and it's weird, right? "You've given so much," she's obviously not talking about cheese there, and I don't think she ever was, so why is she saying that?

The answer for that can be found in the Nagisa's Wish event story. There are two sequences I'd like to highlight here. The first comes early on with Nagisa, sometime before she makes her wish or becomes Charlotte or any of that happens to her. She is shopping for cheese, and she's just a normal human girl. Kyubey is with her and he says that that amount cannot be healthy for her. Nagisa responds:

"These aren't for me. I'm taking all of these cheeses to my mom. I won't be eating them. I actually don't like cheese very much."

Wait, Nagisa doesn't like cheese? Of course she does! That's her whole thing, right? It seems out of character for her but the thing is, the only version of Nagisa we know of outside of this one story is the version of her that existed in the Law of Cycles and afterwards, and while the human Nagisa is ambivalent to cheese, the witch Charlotte is not.

During the epilogue of the Nagisa's Wish event we get a look into her thoughts as she transforms into Charlotte, and this is how it goes:

"Oh, that's right. Where's the cheese? There are so many snacks here. I bet there's even cheese that I've never tasted before."

"Cheese, cheese, where's the cheese? I'm hungry. Where's the cheese? Mommy doesn't have enough love for me. Enough what? Not enough cheese. What Mommy likes is what Nagisa likes."

"Cheese, cheese, where's the cheese? What do I want? I want cheese. I want more love than I could ever carry."

So that gives us a look at how Charlotte the witch thinks. As she transforms and more complicated thoughts fall away she begins to conflate the love she deserved to have with the food she brought her hospitalised mother, attempting to earn it.

And the Nagisa we're familiar with, who appeared in the Rebellion Movie, and who appears in both the Kamihama Cheese Panic event and the Nagisa Momoe Magical Girl Story is not just the human Nagisa who didn't care for cheese, now fully in control of her witch form, but rather a combination of that girl and the witch Charlotte, mentally as well as physically. And because those two versions of her are so inseparable they end up just becoming a single, sort of brand new individual. Witch-face Nagisa is kind of a perfect demonstration of that.

When she channels her witch, she becomes her witch, as opposed to how Sayaka summons hers externally, but when she's like that she's much smarter than she was before they merged; and when Nagisa, in wholly human form wants to tell Mami she has a right to be loved, all Charlotte can do is talk about cheese.

Here's another bit of dialogue from earlier in the Nagisa Momoe Magical Girl Story:

Nagisa: "Mami! One day I'm gonna have my own farm, and make lots and lots of cheese!"

Mami: "I see... That's a great dream."

Nagisa: "And then, and then, I'll get lots of cheese from everyone. So much cheese I can't even hold it all."

Mami: "You're going to make your own cheese, and get it from other people?"

Nagisa: "I have a right to get cheese. So do you. If I can make my own cheese, will you eat it all, Mami?"

That interaction is less egregious than the first one, and on its own could be just a weird conversation with an entitled child about cheese, but with the wider context, I think it's pretty clear that's not what they're talking about, except maybe the bit about the farm? Charlotte does still genuinely love actual cheese as well, after all.

It sort of recontextualises what she said in Rebellion, though, about her reason for coming back.

"I just wanted to eat cheese one more time."

And to combine this with my other theory, that Nagisa still remembers everything at the end of Rebellion, then it makes a lot of sense why she'd want to stay in Homura's fake world. There she can try cheese again one more time with a new family that's willing to share it with her. If she fought against Homura to change things back then that would only mean returning to the Law of Cycles, where there isn't any cheese for her to eat.

Of course, I'm not talking about cheese.

#pmmm #puella magi madoka magica #mahou shoujo madoka magika #Magia Record #MagiReco #nagisa momoe #momoe nagisa #charlotte the witch #bebe #pmmm theory #pmmm meta #meme #art #fan art #my art #Nagisa is still Charlotte the witch #even when she's Nagisa #and it isn't something she can just pretend not to be either #Would the gestalt Nagisa be called a Majo Shoujo?

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maximotts · 2 years

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Hope I didn’t offend you, now I’m genuinely curious (if you don’t mind) what makes you like it so much? Cause I’ve watched it like 6 times and I just can’t deal with the secondhand embarrassment I get from it ahahahah I have to pause it, do something else and then get back to it multiple times lol

- still the same Ingrid Goes West anon 😇

oh my godohmygod it's happening!! someone is asking me about Ingrid Goes West!!! @wellsayhelloaagin finally I can bother someone else with my thoughts!!!

No no you didn't offend me at all and honestly, everyone that's said that they can't watch/won't rewatch that movie says the same thing about secondhand embarrassment so you're not alone! Idk why this movie doesn't affect me like that, but I'm okay with it because this movie just means so much to me ugh

Okay so, to break it down, I love IGW for two main reasons: the discussion of the dangers of parasocial relationships and the fakeness of social media/influencer culture.

I'm gonna put this under a cut bc I know everyone doesn't want all this analytical breakdown, I'm literally just so HYPED!! In this essay I will-

I swear I'm gonna try to keep this as short as possible because I'm sure you really don't care this much but uhhh here we go!

Parasocial Relationships: As a person who's been posting content on the internet since I was like, 13, I've been on both sides of this phenomenon; both the person idolizing someone who I don't know and thinking that I'm closer to them than I really am purely because they post themselves online and also the person receiving this type of attention, the one who people are overly familiar with, think they're close to me just because I'm publicly out here, etc. Neither side is good or healthy and they really, truly can be so dangerous.

Ingrid is the type of person who has an obsessive personality. Pair that with social media and the trend of influencers/public figures trying to be relatable and more of a friend, she's really susceptible to getting attached to people like Taylor who, at an outsider's perspective, is very open and friendly. Taylor's shallow and selfish, yeah, but she still has a right to privacy and doesn't deserve to be lied to and stalked like Ingrid does to her and I think it's extremely interesting that this movie doesn't shy away from the fact that people can indeed become extremely dangerous when their delusions are shattered. There's tons of movies that like to frame obsessive behavior as funny and laughable, but it really is scary and a violation of privacy and no one should have to go through that.

Influencer Culture: I swear I'm gonna keep this short. Basically, we're introduced to Taylor through her instagram and she's like this sweet and unique flower child almost with the perfect relaxing life and has a good group of friends with a nice husband and sweet dog. But then when we actually "meet" Taylor in the scene where they go to Joshua Tree, we see that the real Taylor does drugs and is not nearly as composed as she leads people to believe. She has business goals that she thinks are stupid, but she does have like.. thoughts that aren't "haha #couplegoals."

She shows this to Ingrid who then in turn thinks they're close which at that point we can't really fault Ingrid for, but we soon see that Taylor is the type of person who'll easily repress her real self to just hang around whoever is most beneficial to her. This reality doesn't match up with what Ingrid believes should be happening because again, parasocial relationship phenomena have led her to assume that her and Taylor are besties.

Influencers aren't "real," their public personas are not the real people they are and that's okay, it just shows in broad daylight that social media literally means NOTHING, you can be 100% yourself, but you can also be a complete persona and this movie shows that we shouldn't rely on what we see on the internet to be reality and I think that's so important!!

So!! Yeah I really love that this movie shows that and doesn't glorify or make light of Ingrid's behavior, nor does it paint Taylor as the antagonist because at the end of the day despite her faults, she isn't one. I know people say this movie is hard to watch, but I think that's the point? Reality is hard and cringey and people make mistakes that are so embarrassing you just want them to stop, but that's why it's important to look out for your friends, but also look out for yourself and keep your own online behavior in check for your own wellbeing and everyone elses!

#welcome to 'motts writes an essay on a movie shes obsessed with'#anon asks.#answered.

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mishkakagehishka · 2 years

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May i ask you about your Slavic Eyeless Jack headcanons

Of course! That's why I put it in my bio, after all. I talked about this in detail on my old blog, but didn't transfer those posts, so I'll talk in general terms, as an intro, here. Feel free to ask for more details on certain aspects, if it interests you.

And while we're on the topic of Slavic stuff, please spread these posts that give information on the current situation in Ukraine and ways to help, and consider donating to some of the organisations mentioned. If nothing else, at least talk about this, spread awareness, uplift Ukrainian voices.

And on EJ, under the cut: the reason why I slavified him (hint: it was spite), changes to the most widely-used backstory of his among the creepypasta/slendermansion fandom, changes to his name, major differences between the EJ we are familiar with and my version of him in terms of appearance, behaviour and "hunting methods". Also a little about Slavic mythology, but from a south Slavic perspective, so some names and terms may differ, and also most of it is from memory.

A while ago, I was reliving my creepypasta phase from. Way back in the day, which means I also ended up rereading a couple of the "big ones" or, at least, the ones that were big in the, what I lovingly call, slendermansion fandom. Jeff the Killer, Laughing Jack, BEN Drowned, Ticci Toby (+ rewatched Marble Hornets, a few times), and, ultimately, Eyeless Jack. The original story is still chilling to me, and I left it unchanged since it doesn't touch upon much about him specifically (and the kidney-eating is, after all, so iconic). But, then I read the most widely-used backstory of his, and, well. I'm Slavic myself. The fact that names like "Jack" and "Jenny", living in the USA, end up coming across a malicious, almost satanic-like, cult to... Chernobog? Again, I touched upon this on my old blog, whether Chernobog was an actual deity revered in Slavic cultures remains a mystery, but if he was, he wasn't an "evil" god, not by my judgement and from what I read anyway. Chernobog, if he was truly a deity in the mythos, was the opposite of Belobog, who was thought to be Perun (the head deity, I forget the exact term, but think like Zeus, Odin, Jupiter), and Slavic culture hadn't really "evil" gods (which is why Chernobog being the "devil" is thought to have been fabricated by the Church). So, to get back to EJ, the backstory that uses the name of a Slavic (maybe not even real) deity for cheap horror, for an American girl to be part of its cult, to see Slavic names and words (Chernobog meaning Black-God) pushed as villainous, as evil, as scary in their foreignness, it didn't sit right with me. Western media pushes the evil Slav stereotype too much as is, I didn't want to deal with "poor little American boy sacrificed to 'Slavic demon' and forced to become a cannibal :(" in one of my fave and oldest fandoms. So, I changed it. Not by erasing the Slavic, but by enhancing it.

In that backstory, I'm sure we're familiar with it, Jack is a med student, a bit of a loner, who meets this girl, Jenny. He takes a liking to Jenny and it seems like she likes him back, they start hanging out. She then brings him to a "get-together" in the forest, shit goes down, Jack gets sacrificed to Chernobog and comes out of it a demonic entity with tar dripping from his eyes and a hunger for humans. Pretty typical creepypasta stuff. My version? I'll write it in prose, maybe, one day, but the gist of it is here. Instead of Chernobog, it's Morana, the goddess of winter, death and rebirth of nature. It'd fit well, if I do say so myself, that she kill Jack and have him be reborn as her own minion. Jenny is still here, but she's not in a cult (furthermore, there is no cult), she is a catalyst, however. I haven't shaken out the details myself, but I'd assume she'd do something of disrespect in Morana's forest (a pretty common trope in the fairy tales I grew up with, being punished for disrespecting nature, especially huge forests), and convince Jack, who is blinded by love, to do the same. Morana's rage is enacted, and they're both cursed, with Jack becoming Morana's own bijes (an evil spirit known for possessing people - bijes in many modern Slavic languages now means "rage", "fury").

I also changed his name, but it's not a big change, just a way for me to tag stuff about Slavic EJ specifically: Bezočny Džek, lit. just Eyeless Jack but in Interslavic's latin alphabet. For that reason, I also want Jack/Džek to have some Slavic ancestry. In my mind, he'd speak either old church slavonic or proto-slavic (as a bijes, as his "first" language), and he'd have a thick accent when speaking English (let's just not make jokes ab it !)

Džek and Jack are both still knowledgeable in terms of medicine and anatomy, both are cannibalistic and both act as the resident "doctor" of the slendermansion, I've kept all that because they're big parts of his character and they don't have to be changed. His appearance is still grey, ashen skin, black tar where the eyes should be, sharp inhuman teeth, and so on. The difference in appearance is more in style of dress. Instead of the blue mask, he wears a wooden-carved mask with goat horns, painted and fur details, similar to the masks you'd see in Slavic carnival festivities, but "lighter". His dress, as well, I changed from the iconic hoodie (sorry </3) into clothes you'd probably associate with being "Slavic peasant-like"; a white tunic with an embroidered placket (though there are no buttons, I don't know how else to call that part - it extends from the front of the neckline down to about the stomach or the bottom of the ribcage), the embroidery is "framed" in a rectangle. I haven't found any embroidery patterns that would be associated with Morana (which makes sense), but it's fiction, we can imagine she taught him her own patterns. I'd just assume he'd carry her symbols on him, as her spirit. The tunic is fastened with an embroidered sash, and the edges of the sleeves are decorated, too. Asides from that, brown trousers, and black knee-high boots.

Džek is a lot more involved with Morana than Jack was with Chernbog, as he still became a bijes because of her. He convenes with her often, and she will often be the one giving him "targets", most often those who disrespect her area and anything or any being that lives in it. Although, when he doesn't work on her orders, he still works in her name, for the pleasure of it. When he's not staking out in the trees of Morana's forest and looking for any visitor's most minor mistake that would give him an excuse to kill them, he does hang around the slendermansion and helps out with the medical business. He kept his textbooks from college and actually reads them for fun - it reminds him of his old life. In the margins, you'll find notes scribbled in glagolitic on which incision methods are better for struggling, awake "patients" and which for the sleeping, but not anaesthetised, ones. He still uses a scalpel in his hunting, but I've given him a weakness, just for the aesthetic of it all - bells. It's carnival season, so this is also well-timed, but so-called bellmen tend to go through villages ringing bells to chase away the evil spirits, as well as Morana and her winter, welcoming spring. So, bells are capable of chasing Džek away, too, he hates the sound of them and they give him splitting headaches. Due to Morana's association with the winter, Džek is also more "active" during those months, and in summers he becomes fairly lethargic. He doesn't even leave the mansion on the summer solstice, as that's when the evil spirits are at their weakest, but he becomes quite the energetic menace on the winter solstice.

#idk how much this makes sense but ! basically #creepypasta #slender mansion #eyeless jack #bezočny džek

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pale-persephone · 3 years

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Reign Revisited: "Kissed"

My introduction to Reign came in the form of an On Demand three episode mini-binge. I remember it well. First the pilot, then "Snakes in the Garden," then "Kissed." All one right after the other. And when the screen went black at the end of "Kissed" and I realized I was actually going to have to wait to see if Mary and Francis could put their engagement back together...Well...

But, we're safe now! We know Mary doesn't end up with Tomas, we know Mary and Francis wed, we know--

We know it all goes to shit.

I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Let's pick up where "Snakes in the Garden" left off, shall we?

The Revisit

- British Invasion. In the previous episode, the English threat finally materialized. Here, in the opening scene of "Kissed," we see how events are escalating. Some poor Scottish lad gets an unwelcome surprise when he finds his morning egg gathering routine interrupted by a surly English soldier. (Wait, does the soldier look familiar? He definitely looks familiar!)

(My apologies to those of you who have never watched Outlander)

The scene cuts away just after we pan to the horizon, where a shit-ton of English troops are now marching into Scotland. Ruh-roh.

- A Man of Vision. Early on, Nostradamus finds himself in the midst of another premonition, and I find myself wondering why I had forgotten how often these visions were used as framing devices in the first episodes. He's not onscreen much, yet he remains a driving force in the plot because Catherine believes in his gift so strongly. It's kinda jarring to realize that Nostradamus basically becomes a non-entity on the show after 2x02, at which point he disappears, only to return 20 episodes later to see his prophecy about Francis's death come to fruition. It's sort of weird to see him just, like, hanging out.

It merely hits home once again that the show I fell in love with in these early eps bears very little resemblance to the clusterfuck that saw me peace out in season 2.

- Gossip Girls. Next, we get a sweet little scene of Mary and her ladies playing a round-robin game of spilling secrets.

Kenna shocks them all (of course), though her friends are unaware that the grown man whose kisses she's sighing over is none other than King Henry. (Gross. How old is Kenna supposed to be?) Greer's response is surprising in a different way: she has never been kissed at all. As she points out, she has to be even more careful than the others, as she alone out of the group has no title to cover up the sins of minor indiscretions. Her words here really put her later feelings for Leith into context. They must be strong, indeed, to prompt the rigidly careful Greer to risk becoming involved with him.

It's wonderful to see Mary and her ladies enjoying their friendships and youth, and in this ep we're really starting to see their individual personalities emerging. Greer, as I just touched upon, is ambitious yet practical. Kenna is headstrong and reckless; Lola, passionate and outspoken. Aylee, who comes across as the youngest, also serves as the gang's voice of reason. She also seems to be the one on whose counsel Mary depends the most.

(Rewatching, I wonder why I always thought of Aylee as the sweet, quiet one. There is a sweetness to her, for sure, but she may be the most brutally honest of the bunch. There are no dreams of romantic grandeur clouding her eyes. Oh, so Greer is angling to land herself the son of a king? Dream on, girl. Mary doesn't want to accept Tomas's proposal, which could save Scotland, because she would rather wait around for Francis to get his shit together?

Aylee calls 'em like she sees 'em.)

As for Mary herself? She's learning to adapt to her new environment, but she hasn't lost her fun-loving spirit just yet. In this ep, we not only see her happily gossiping with her ladies, but also kicking a ball around with Charles and even--le gasp--climbing a tree (so undignified), followed immediately by falling out of it (even more undignified).

In doing so, she lands slap on top of Tomas, the bastard son of the king of Portugal, and the man whose interest Greer is hoping to spark. We'll come back to him later. He's kinda important.

But I love, love, love this Mary. This ball-kicking, tree-climbing, turn-around-and-don't-look-up-my-skirts-sir, slightly awkward Mary. She's a girl you can relate to, and one you want to root for.

I wish she had stuck around for the long haul.

- Say Uncle. What's this? Is Mary actually speaking to an advisor? And not just any advisor, but her uncle Claude de Guise, Duke of Aumale? (The show leaves that last part out, but, historically that was his title.)

Where has he been? And, more importantly, where the hell does he go after the next episode? I don't understand why Reign decides to eschew any resemblance to history in this regard by leaving Mary completely alone at court in future episodes. She had extremely powerful family members who, though French nationals, had both her and her mother's interests at heart--in addition to their own, of course. The show missed an opportunity by not using Mary's family to develop some really interesting, complex characters. People whose loyalties are even more divided than Mary's and Francis's. But, I suppose if there had been other characters around who bore power and responsibility, Mary and Francis wouldn't have been pitted solely against one another time and again later in the season.

I mean, I KNOW another one of her uncles eventually pops up. But he's not a character. He's a plot device. He causes trouble for few episodes and then is gone.

- Plotting Along. So we've reached this episode's complication: King Henry, though willing to ship supplies, is unwilling to send any men to fend off England's newly-launched hostile forays into Scotland. Francis, of course, sides with Mary.

He's pretty much going to be doing that from now on. Just FYI.

Francis feels powerless to change his father's mind, at which point Mary suggests it's high time they get some actual power for once. Francis may vow to help the moment he becomes king, but Mary simply can't wait that long. They must do something.

When it comes to maneuvering to get her way, Mary has the advantage over Francis in this particular instance. Unlike her fiancé, she is a monarch in her own right, so she doesn't need to ask permission to strike deals or barter Scotland's resources, which is exactly what she does. It turns out Tomas ('member him?), who just so happens to command his own soldiers, is at French court for the purpose of striking a lumber deal with King Henry. And what do you know? Mary may not have money or might, but she does have timber. And she's willing to better whatever bargain Tomas and Henry agree to, so long as Tomas is willing to pay for her lumber in men, not money.

Like that Jurassic Park velociraptor, Mary is a clever girl.

Francis, on the other hand, has no resources to barter with other than his wits. If appealing to his father's sense of duty doesn't work (and it doesn't), maybe appealing to Henry's competitive nature will. A sparring match, perhaps? Winner makes the final military call.

I feel so bad for Francis when he makes the comment to his father, "You never spar with me." Henry, what the fuck? Would it have killed you to spend some leisure time with Francis? (I'm aware of the irony, given what happens in the season finale.) This takes me right back to the initial days of the fandom, when Mash shippers were portraying Francis as the Spoiled Prince who didn't deserve what he had and Bash as the Pauper Bastard who deserved so much more. But I never bought that, and Francis's comment reminds me why. No, Bash isn't the dauphin. He's not formally recognized at court. But it's made very clear that he is Henry's favorite, and that favor has brought him many privileges. He has his father's love. He lives at the palace, for fuck's sake. He spends his days doing whatever he damn well pleases and returns home to luxury. His mother has been gifted at least one chateau. He's not some nobody, no matter what Catherine says.

Anyway, Francis wins the wager, for all the good it does him. Henry immediately reneges on the deal and basically laughs in Francis's face to boot. Poor Francis goes from beaming pride to heartbroken in two seconds flat.

I feel sorry for Bash, too, after Francis abruptly shuts him down for trying to offer advice on how to deal with Henry. Bash does care about his little brother, and you get a sense that this is the true heart of their relationship: one looking out for the other. I think Bash had the best of intentions in this scene, but to a humiliated Francis, the comment only serves as a reminder that it is Bash who knows their father best.

Mary, in contrast, believes she has successfully secured her deal, before realizing that Tomas wants her hand and her trees. It turns out he's being legitimized, meaning he will be king upon his father's death, which should happen, like, any day now. In other words, Tomas won't be a bastard any more, so it's okay for Mary, a queen, to marry him. (Foreshadowing, anyone?)

This isn't welcome news to Francis, who is falling hard and fast for Mary whether he wants to or not, or Greer, who had hoped to make a match with Tomas before realizing he was a contender for the Portuguese throne. Though Mary had wanted to keep the marriage proposal hush-hush, all her backdoor dealing comes to light in the aftermath of some sort of--I don't know--party, I guess? Or is it just a normal night at the palace? There's a gathering and dancing, and after Tomas twirls Mary sexily about the room in front of everyone, we get one of my favorite Frash exchanges of the series:

We also see Nostradamus passing around predictions like party favors: Greer will fall in love with a man with a white mark on his face, Aylee (RIP) will never go home again, and, cryptically, The lion will fight the dragon on the field of poppies.

Side question: Why doesn't Nostradamus ever have a vision about Mary? He's all, Mary will kill Francis, Mary will kill Francis, but he never adds, And then Mary will return to Scotland, choose chaos every single day, and eventually get her head chopped off. I mean, death and disaster predictions seem to be Nostradamus's, well, thing, right? And Mary Queen of Scots is one of the most notorious disasters in history. But...nothing.

Anyway.

So we fast-forward to the next evening, when there's another party, only this time it's a boat party. It all looks very pretty. With the marriage proposal no longer a secret, Mary arrives walking arm-and-arm with Tomas, which simultaneously devastates Greer and sends Francis into panic mode. He's going to lose her. For real lose her.

He's not going to let that happen.

Having picked up on the subtle signals passing between Kenna and his father, Francis is suddenly inspired. He's tried asking. He's tried being reasonable. He's tried issuing challenges. But, as our young prince is learning, a strong moral compass does not always serve one well, especially when that someone is a king.

So maybe it's time to resort to some good old-fashioned blackmail.

Hey, you can't grow up in the shadow of Catherine de Medici and not pick up a trick or two, right?

The most intriguing part of this scene, for me, is Henry's reaction. He's not angry. No, not at all. He listens to Francis's veiled threat, takes in the shrewd gleam in his son's eye, and says one word.

Finally.

You get the impression that Henry's refusal to send troops was partly a test for Francis. Henry knows that when a king wants something, he can't always take the obvious route, nor the virtuous one. But if he wants it bad enough and can't find a way, a true king will create a way using whatever means necessary. Henry seems pleased to have been outfoxed by his heir and agrees to send the men, which means Bash must now be dispatched to ride out and alert all six companies that it's time to mobilize.

'Cause he's the fastest and bestest at everything, apparently.

Okay. I'm a little confused here. We're talking about a time period in which written correspondence set the course of nations. Messengers, heralds, couriers...however you want to describe them, there were men at hand whose sole occupation was to deliver information quickly. There were networks of stopovers where these men could switch out their tired horses for fresh ones, or even hand their messages off to a different rider if the journey had been a long one. I just find it strange that the best method for Henry to get word to his military commanders (with whom he must be in daily contact) is to yank a drunken Bash away from Kenna's side and send him tearing off into the night. Surely there were professionals for that.

I'm not mad at Bash for doing Francis this favor. I'm mad at the show for strong-arming him into Mary and Francis's storylines at the beginning, even when it didn't make sense for him to be there. Francis's efforts can only be successful if Bash is there to see them through. There's a love triangle to sell, after all. Can't let one brother do more for Mary than the other.

I did enjoy baby Kennash in this episode, though. Such potential they had. *Sigh*

Everything appears to be working out neatly, but just when we think we're going to get a happy ending, Bash shows back up at the castle the following morning, skewered like a sexy shish kabob. He is conscious enough to report that the French soldiers have been slaughtered. Francis looks ready to collapse. He's horrified by his role in what happened, horrified that his father seems to so calmly accept the calamity that may cost him a son ("I know you love him," Francis says in dismay, putting an emphasis on the word him that implies Henry doesn't extend the same affection toward Francis. My poor bb.)

In Francis's mind, he's just led a few hundred men to their deaths and nearly gotten his own brother killed. All for Mary. It's not a price he is willing to pay twice.

Thus, one of the most bittersweet first kisses in all of fandom:

youtube

AHHH! The passion! The longing! Francis's sweater paws! *chef's kiss*

But episode isn't titled "Kissed" for Mary's sake alone. Greer, too, has found budding romance with Leith, whose charm and smile practically fill up the kitchen where he works. Just how serious is this mismatched pair going to get? The last shot gives us a clue:

A white mark.

The prophecy!

And so the episode ends with Mary accepting Tomas's proposal. As she stands on the shore with her new fiancé, watching as his men set sail to protect Scotland, her face registers shock as she sees the flag bearing Tomas's symbol unfurl in the air.

A dragon.

The prophecy!

Dun dun DUN.

And we are left in

FINAL THOUGHTS

Gah, these early episodes were so good, weren't they? The locations were beautiful, the cast was beautiful, and the show feels so full of promise. It's romantic and sexy and there's an undercurrent of danger that keeps you wondering what's going to happen next.

Unfortunately, I know what happens next. When, exactly, does it all start going wrong?

On to episode 4...

#reign #reign 1x03 #kissed #adelaide kane #toby regbo #frary #oh shit here we go again #reign revisited

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hi, i love your meta! would you mind elaborating more on the "what bam thank you sir" line?

Hey, Nonnie! Yes, my first 911 ask! Thank you so much, you are very kind, and thank you for the ask!!! I love discussing this show and Buddie of course. ;-)

Absolutely! At first watch, I have to be honest, I didn't think too much of this line. I mean, it was funny, and I loved Hen's response but upon rewatch, now becoming more familiar with the writers of this show and how they're literally putting in all of these little moments and certain pieces of dialogue, I looked a little deeper.

Eddie mentions the line in regards to the call they were just on. "It went like clockwork. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am."

And hilariously Hen responds with "You notice how you never hear anyone saying 'Wham, bam, thank you sir'?" Which is so freaking true and I'm glad she says it but what killed me is that she's the one to say this to him. I mean, I get it, she's the only woman on the crew and she's speaking for women everywhere with that line and of course her response to Buck's hilarious sort of defense of "It doesn't rhyme" to which Eddie laughs and continues talking about how there's no curse.

Here's why this line of wham, bam, thank you sir goes a lot deeper for me:

moments before they get in the truck, Eddie is saying they're acting like a bunch of viejas, that there is no curse, to which Hen doesn't want to hear it, Bobby is skeptical, and Chimney is doing a figurative eyeroll. The only person staying out of it is Buck. Buck who had no problem getting involved in the discussion before, who very much believes in the curse. It's only when the power pole falls on them that he gets involved again, shooting Eddie a sort of mock glare if you will, though less severe than Chimney's lol. But before they get in the truck, Buck is quiet except for saying the line: "Whew, sure is windy. You guys feel that?" -> I think this is to set up what will happen with the power pole, as to why it fell on the truck, but the fact that he's not saying anything else made me raise an eyebrow

Hen is a firefighter and she's a lesbian, out and very proud, there is absolutely zero fluidity in her sexuality (meaning no one has to guess, there is no room for misinterpretation, she knows who she is and so does the audience), she's happily married to Karen and they have a son together -> to me, this line for her to say outside of being the only woman in the group is very purposeful, and the fact that she says it to Eddie seems significant to me since she and Eddie are also paralleled at times, right down to the scene where Buck is building a gingerbread house with Christopher and Denny while Hen and Eddie talk and watch; and then for Buck to step in so to speak, I just think it's all very purposeful

when the wham bam line happens from Hen, Buck says almost defensively "It doesn't rhyme" - once again, he's not getting involved in the curse convo but it's almost as if he's either defending Eddie, guys in general, or both by pointing out this obvious point -> but I think the fact that they had him respond to this makes me raise that eyebrow higher - I get it, it's meant to be comedic and makes a good point (on Hen's side of things) but the fact that they chose Buck to be the one to turn to Hen and say this in the way he does, that just makes me wonder... Granted we know Buck was in a casual sex phase in the beginning of the series as he calls it, before he got involved with Abby, so this could also explain a little defensiveness on his part but he says it before Hen says "Or maybe all that whamming and bamming is nothing to write a thank you note about" and once she does, even though he laughs, Eddie immediately shifts the subject back to the jinx with "The point is..." very much giving the feel of a purposeful subject change/shifting away from Hen and Buck's dialogue

later on in the scene, as they wait for help to arrive, Eddie still refuses to believe in the curse as Hen, Chimney, and Buck all search for ways to lift it, then this line is said by Buck: "It's like the universe is screaming at you and you refuse to listen" to which Eddie smirks and says "The universe does not scream" -> while this is about the event that's happening and the whole curse thing, and meant to be comedic since a power surge happens after this line, it's the conversation that happens after that makes this line Buck says to Eddie have a different meaning to me:

Chimney: "Oh, there are clearly forces at work here. Forces beyond my control and your control--"

Eddie: "That's it. That's the difference between you and I. I don't worry about the things I can't control."

Buck: "Sure, you can say you don't worry about the things you can't control. But can you at least acknowledge that something is controlling the things that you can't control." *we then see Bobby fold his hands in prayer; Bobby who is a definite parallel to Eddie*

Eddie sees Ana again this episode; he is the only one who doesn't believe in the jinx starting out (even though Bobby doesn't say yay or nay if he believes, like he says he doesn't want to tempt fate); Eddie is the one who encounters the fake firefighter guy and is the one who is able to talk him into going to an emergency scene to bring the truck back; Bobby talks to Eddie about moving on; we see Eddie meeting Ana for breakfast indicating he's taking Bobby's advice - this whole episode is about Eddie (and the jinx being the background or surface story event so to speak). And knowing that, we get Buck saying in the beginning of the episode how he is now Buck 3.0, a much kinder, gentler version. He elaborates and talks about his parents, moving on, ready to let go of the past and focus on the future. Which echoes the sentiments of the conversation Bobby has with Eddie later on in a way. This is all connected to the real theme of the episode: moving on. And I think it's cemented by Eddie's lines when Buck is talking about himself: "I'm still not sure what inspired the software upgrade." "You're allowed to give yourself some time. To process."

This happens in the same season that Eddie doesn't just start a new relationship (moving on) but also tells Buck that he made him Christopher's legal guardian after the well incident the year before - showing that he clearly knows there are forces at work that he can't control and as much as it pains him to think about it, he needed to think about what could happen to Christopher if he died, which I think is cemented by his getting shot and almost dying again, even though he told Buck this year, he obviously had this planned out since the previous season. He's true to what he says in the jinx episode, that he doesn't worry about things he can't control, but he also knows he can't control when and how he's going to die. He'll fight to go home to his son, but ultimately, it's something he can't control.

This happens seven episodes before Carla tells him to follow his heart, not Christopher's, in reference to his relationship with Ana; which to me, makes it interesting that Eddie met Ana again in the jinx episode, that this is the episode where their relationship starts, the same episode where Athena gives Bobby the lucky penny but the luck doesn't hold up to the jinx, the same episode where the fake firefighter with good intentions but bad consequences not only meets and speaks to Eddie, listens to him, but also treated Ana for her burns that Eddie then needed to bandage up. Which I think not only speaks to the possible future of their relationship ("jinx") but also indicates that while everyone was telling Eddie to move on with Ana, to move on period, (while other people were moving on like Buck), Eddie does start to, but his course seems to be corrected in 4x13 by Carla and in 4x14 we have a heartfelt discussion declaration where Eddie tells Buck about Christopher's legal guardianship in the event of his death.

And this is just an aside but I have to mention this because I think it's all connected in a way: this happens six episodes before the treasure hunt episode where Buck clearly is moving on, and is interested in reconnecting with Taylor after she's come back into his life (the kiss that doesn't happen until after Eddie is shot two episodes later and Buck puts himself in harm's way to protect the 118). Taylor who is paralleled to Eddie (one of the major ones being they were both in helicopter crashes), who helps Buck during his stupor after Eddie is shot and makes sure he cleans up before seeing Christopher, who is forced into a team to hunt the treasure by Buck when he invites Eddie into their plans. It's all connected. Right down to her saying the same thing (basically) to Buck about putting himself in harm's way and that he's not invincible expendable in the same episode which ends in a kiss and Taylor getting freaked out that she did that and running, with Ana calling at that exact moment to tell Buck that Eddie is awake -> Taylor basically stood in for Eddie in this episode

So for me, that line "wham, bam, thank you sir" being said to Eddie by Hen of all people and then Buck's defensive "It doesn't rhyme" I think is so much more than the surface conversation it's portrayed as. To be fair, Eddie following his heart as he's told could mean so many different things: not being in a relationship that he's clearly in to make Christopher happy, not being with Ana because he's not in love with her, his possible sexuality (if this comes into it at all), feelings he may have for someone else, or just that he needs to focus on Christopher and only start to date when he's truly ready. But based on this scene where Ana literally steps aside so the two can see each other, that happens an episode after he's told that, after a life-altering event like getting shot and almost dying:

and then this one:

Well, it brings me right back to "It's like the universe is screaming at you and you refuse to listen" "The universe doesn't scream" No, the universe doesn't scream. But it's not exactly staying silent is it, though, Eddie?

Sorry, I rambled on a bit there but thank you for the ask, Nonnie! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show and these two with all of my heart so any chance I can discuss, I absolutely get excited (as you see above LOL). I hope you have a wonderful rest of your Saturday, Nonnie. <3

#ask #911 fox #buddie #buddie parallels #buck x eddie #buddie meta #ask answered

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