#so i honestly never thought much of the faith line when i first watched this

[illyrianhaze]

shadowed hearts azriel x reader

✧ how azriel’s shadows led him right to you.

✧ wc: 1.1k

When you and Azriel met, you were standing outside the flower shop you owned in the heart of Velaris, painting a patch of sunflowers below the windows

You saw his shadows before you saw him, the wispy black tendrils pooling around your feet before climbing up your legs and swirling around your body

You watched them with fascination for a moment before you heard Azriel’s voice for the first time from behind you

“I apologize for their behavior. They don’t normally act this way around strangers.”

Or at all, he thought to himself, but all thoughts left his head as he was met with the face of the most beautiful female he had ever seen

You laughed, turning and replying easily to him, “It’s no worry. They’re sweet.”

As you spoke, the shadows lifted to your face and caressed your cheek while tangling themselves in your hair, pleased with the sound of your voice

This was much to the embarrassment and horror of poor Azriel, who was desperately trying to call his rogue shadows back to him

“I’m very sorry,” he apologized again. “They usually listen to me,” He said with a slight annoyance creeping into his voice as he kept trying and failing to pull his shadows away from you

You laughed again, hoping to ease his worries. “Really, it’s no trouble, Azriel.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise that you knew his name, which made you laugh again at the beautiful male in front of you

His shadows, on the other hand, started dancing around you happily, pleased at the sound of azriel's name on your lips

“You know who I am?” Azriel felt a wave of nerves hit him at this discovery, worried that his intimidating and sometimes violent reputation that often preceded him would be enough to scare you away

“Of course I know who you are. You’re pretty famous around here, you know. The feared spymaster of the Night Court, famed protector of the High Lord and Velaris.”

You were teasing him and he knew it, but still Azriel felt himself blush at your praise

Feeling warm at the reaction you were getting from him, and deciding you definitely couldn’t let this rare opportunity to get to know the shadowsinger pass you by, you decided to take a leap of faith with your next words

“Honestly, I feel honored that your illustrious shadows find me so interesting. I must be someone worth getting to know.”

You said the last bit with a sweet smile, hoping they’d make their desired effect

Judging by the blush on his cheeks you guessed that they did

Expecting more silence, you opened your mouth to speak again but stopped as Azriel exhibited a sudden burst of confidence

“They’re a good judge of character. If they think you’re worth getting to know, then I may just have to listen to them.”

You felt his smirk deep in your chest, his incredibly attractive face threatening to knock you off your feet, an attraction that you had never felt before seeping into your bones the longer you looked at him

“How would they feel about you taking me out to dinner this weekend?”

You had never been so bold in your life, but there was something about the male in front of you that made you want to open yourself up for him entirely

A few shadows finally darted back towards Azriel, whispering in his ear telling him to respond positively to your question

Ignoring the shock at his shadows telling him what to do, he thought of the best way to respond for a moment before he spoke

His face remained stoic for a moment long enough that you worried you had crossed a line, but before you could start to backtrack and apologize for overstepping, an amused smile snuck onto his face 

“I believe they would feel honored.”

Both of your smiles were contagious at this point, and the shadows in question were dancing excitedly between the two of you as they were being talked about, knowing they really were being the best damn wingmen in Prythian at the moment

“I’ll be away for a few days, official and scary Night Court protector business.”

You laughed at his teasing, and Azriel was quickly realizing he was going to really miss your smile when he wasn't around you

“I’ll be back Saturday. I can come by and pick you up at six. Does that work?”

You nodded and tried to focus on your breathing as his deep voice was starting to make you feel dizzy

“Then I guess my shadows and I will see you soon, sunflower.”

You smiled but furrowed your brows at the name before remembering what you were doing before he arrived, turning around to see the small yellow sunflowers you had painted below the front window of your shop

You turned back around to reply only to find that the shadowsinger was gone, leaving you feeling lightheaded and wondering if you had dreamed the whole encounter

You went back inside your shop, continuing with your day trying not to think about Azriel and the fact that you actually had a date with the shadowsinger

As you opened the door of your shop at the end of the day to change the sign on it from open to closed, a lone black shadow flew in with a small piece of paper and a single sunflower

You took both, thanking the shadow before it twirled once around your neck and perched upon your shoulder, waiting for you to read the note (that was written in impeccable handwriting, you noticed)

Counting down the days until I can see that smile again. See you soon, beautiful.

You smiled, feeling a rush of warmth spread through you as you read Azriel's words. Turning your head to the shadow at your shoulder, which was patiently waiting for your response before it would return to Azriel with its report, you couldn't shake off the excitement building inside you

“Tell him I’m looking forward to it.”

You watched as the shadow seemed to nod before sliding quickly past your cheek and racing off into the chilly Velaris night

Clutching the note and the single sunflower to your chest, you made your way towards the stairs leading to your apartment above the shop as a gentle smile graced your face

As you headed towards your bedroom and settled into bed, you realized with a chuckle that amidst the excitement of flirting with Azriel you had forgotten to give him your name

Deciding to fully embrace the anticipation of all you had to learn about each other, you closed your eyes and slipped into dreams painted with visions of Azriel and whispers of his shadows.

a/n: I have so many ideas for these two!! let me know if you’d like to see more of them :)

#azriel #azriel x reader #azriel spymaster #azriel shadowsinger #azriel x you #azriel x y/n #azriel fanfiction #azriel acotar #acotar #acotar fanfiction #azriel fluff #azriel x reader fluff

[merbear25]

Snake bites (Monster!Law)

Despite being married to each other, there were still ways Law surprised you, not all of which were pleasant. The village had fallen on hard times, forcing him to take up being a huntsman in hopes of keeping the two of you well fed. Even with word of snake parasites lurking in the Forbidden Forest, Law took a risk only to get burned. How you wished you were welcoming your husband home that day.

a/n: This is a trade for @karusenka! It’s so exciting to do a trade like this, honestly. Thank you so much for suggesting it! I hope it lived up to your expectations!

CW: NSFW! MDNI! Monster AU, Marriage AU, fem!reader, angst, noncon, vaginal penetration, creampie, horror themes. This is based on the snake parasite from bloodborne but of course, I took some creative liberties to change some things.

The slight bite of cold nipped at your nose, reminding you that winter was creeping in. Fluttering your eyes open, they fell on Law’s sleeping form; his features were peaceful, as if the stresses of everyday life never phased him. A weak smile spread on your face as you went to brush his disheveled hair off his forehead, accidentally stirring him awake.

With a deep sigh, he lazily asked for the time. Slowly turning over to your bedside, you wanted to savor this time with him, for such sweet and gentle moments were becoming less and less common.

You watched him while he left your side. Keeping yourself from calling out to him to return to bed just so you could spend a bit more time holding him never got easier; you understood that he’d give you the same begrudging excuse of ‘There’s only so much light in the day.’ Although true, the bleak reality never stopped you from wanting to be selfish every now and then.

Despite sacrificing parts of his freedom to cherish you like you deserved, knowing that you’d have enough food during winter was his sense of purpose: the purpose that kept him from staying at your side and that led him into forests in search of prey.

Looking over his shoulder, he gave you a faint smile before coming back to place a soft kiss on the top of your head. “I’ll be back by supper.” As his lips left the warmth of your body, he dreaded having to trek through the early onset of winter. The subtle sadness held in your eyes was making this morning particularly taxing for him. However, the thought of you going hungry snapped him back to his senses. While venturing out of the house with a brief goodbye, you were alone with your thoughts.

Even though there were supposed to be a couple of months before the first snowfall, frost had built up on the blades of grass surrounding the forest, and the leaves drooped from its added weight. Seeing a few of the other men helped relieve some of the weight they were all carrying on their shoulders: hunting in small groups would no doubt fare well for them if they crossed paths with predatory animals, or, as others whispered about behind closed doors, snake parasites.

Such rumors only poisoned the mind, though. There was no proof even alluding to some of those in neighboring villages having been picked off by these parasites. That being said, gossip or not, fear had already plagued the village which caused many men’s nerves to buckle under this added pressure. Adding this word of mouth to the threat of an early winter only made matters worse.

With a few rabbits collected and the sun already well past the midway point in the cloudy sky, many were beginning to lose faith that there’d be something of greater value hiding amongst those trees. But then, a rustling could be heard just some meters away. When a deer jolted out from behind a bush the men weren’t even facing its direction, all except Law. However, he still wasn’t quick enough; his bullets grazed the bark whenever the deer ducked and swayed out of the line of fire.

Whether it was the want of having a successful hunt or the panic of not being able to provide for the two of you, it was hard to say what drove Law to chase after the animal, but whichever it was carried his feet faster than he ever thought possible.

Single mindedness acted as a silencer, causing the group’s calls to fall on deaf ears. Deeper and deeper he journeyed into the depths of the hushed horrors that’d been passed around the surrounding villages. He knew the deer was outrunning him, so he acted fast when it ran through an opening between the trees. Taking the only chance he’d be given, he fired a bullet straight through its jugular.

Shrieks of agony sounded, calling out into the void of nature with gurgled chokes whose cries were only silenced by Law’s knife. Huffing while staring down at his much deserved prize, he looked around to think he’d catch a glimpse of the others behind him—only being faced with the tall trees. Mustering up enough strength, he slung his catch over his shoulders, clinging to the hooves on both sides of him.

Carefully backtracking, he nearly lost his footing when his attention jerked towards a snapping twig. With so much talk of monsters feasting on the disappearing villagers, one could only keep their imagination from wandering for so long. His eyes darted every which way it sounded from, trying to keep his breath calm and heart steady.

Easing up on his grip, that day’s prize slumped down to the forest floor. Pained soaked groans coupled with a large figure staggered towards Law. Gasping for air while the body swayed back and forth put Law further on edge. Not wanting to risk turning the situation into a chase, he cautiously backed away from the stranger. Slowly bringing his hand to his gun, the clarity of the risks were crystal: if he missed, there would be a slim chance of him escaping; but if he managed to hit it, it’d be severely wounded, giving him a decent enough shot at fleeing. With a sudden lurch, Law reacted by pulling the trigger—only blowing off a chunk of its shoulder.

Hysteric yelps entwined with sharp hissing seeped out of the foe while it writhed in agony. Being given such a small window of opportunity was all that he’d be offered. Turning to run from the scene, he witnessed the creature sprouting a new head—or multiple. A sudden crack and spray of blood coated his back, alarming him with the close proximity of the creature.

Piercing fangs dug into his flesh while scaly bodies swarmed him, tugging him closer to their host. His blood curdling screams were heard by no one, allowing this demonic presence to feast upon his purity in peace.

No matter how many times you looked out the window, there was no sign of him. The others returned hours ago, mentioning that he’d run off and they couldn’t keep up with him. Dread sunk in when thoughts of ‘what if’ reared their ugly heads. With dusk approaching, leaving him out there cold and alone was not an option.

Calling out his name wasn’t the safest route, but it was the only one worth trying if you had any hope in finding him. Having brought your lantern, you put off lighting it until it was completely necessary, although the falling sunlight on the trees blanketed you with unease.

Seeing something moving between the trees off in the distance, your woes momentarily subsided as you called out for your husband. Hurrying towards him, the thick leaves made it difficult to see, leading you to ignite your beacon of hope.

Holding the lantern up, it promptly fell to the forest floor as soon as you saw his clothes clinging to him, caked with crimson. Rushing to his side, your heart sank to the earth beneath your feet. You hadn’t seen his head prior. In simply panicking and dropping your source of light, you’d taken away your right to see what had been done to him, to your beloved husband.

Backing up too hastily, a tree root caught your ankle, leaving you sprawled out on the cold moist ground. Witnessing your dearly departed leer over you shattered your pained heart into pieces that could never be mended.

“Law, what happened to you?” Sobbing uncontrollably, your tears were the only things keeping your face warm.

It planted his feet on either side of you, jerking into a craned pose. Your breaths were rapid signaling to it that you were prey—too terrified to move.

When a hand hurtled to your side digging its fingers into the soil, your wince of fright irked it. Faint hissing reached your ear, leaking into your worst nightmares.

Unable to face it, you cowarded away, sealing your eyes in an attempt at imagining your loving husband being over you instead. Beaten down into submission, you were left helpless to the beast's other wandering hand: ripping at your blouse, clawing off your pants. Telling yourself that it was still Law gave you no peace of mind—the hissing and slithering bodies brushing against your exposed skin served as heinous reminders.

Pain spread across your vulnerable form only intensifying with each thrust. The audible sobs only stirred anger within the vessel, so you clamped your hands over your mouth to muffle them. With the bucking becoming rougher and more frantic, your sorrow seeped past your fingers, leaving your cries sharp and wet against your skin.

Guttural grunts that somewhat resembled Law’s could have made it easier to delude yourself into thinking that this was still him. However, when accompanied with the snakes coiling their bodies around your arms and legs and flicking their tongues against your nipples and clit, such fantasies were demolished.

Your body was being dug further into the soil, dirt sticking to your sweat kissed flesh, all the while your ability to shed any more tears was being stripped away. Risking a glance at your ill-fated lover, the glow of the lantern illuminated his human body. In spite of the fact that it was paler, sicklier and coated in blood, it still resembled him. 

With your tear stained eyes on it, the pace grew more rigid, possessive even, making you squirm underneath it. Blood beaded around the opening of your abused slit as you braced yourself for what you’d been fretting.

Each unforgiving jerk pumped you with its abominable seed, mixing with your blood to create an unholy elixir. Having finished with you, the shell of your husband reeled back, leaving you to sort through the trauma it’d just placed on you.

Swelling with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, you eased yourself back up once you were sure it was far enough away. Practically crawling back to your home, you locked all the doors and windows before limping into the bathtub. The soap burned each of your cuts, having you recall the ways they’d been inflicted on you.

You knew you’d never be able to scrub that night’s events off of you. They’d be etched into your memory for as long as you lived, but you held onto that last ounce of faith that you wouldn’t be burdened with mothering a crime against nature.

#writing and art trade #one piece #x reader #one piece x reader #one piece au #monster #monster au #law x reader #trafalgar law #trafalgar d law x reader #law x you #trafalgar law x reader #one piece imagine #one piece x you #op #op x reader #op x you #one piece smut

[thinkin-bout-milgram]

Cat: Initial Thoughts

Venus here, sorry if this is shakier than usual! I have a lot less thoughts on this MV for one reason or another, so it’ll probably be faster and possibly less detailed, but I want to get my opinions into the world anyways.

Let’s just get to it!

T/W: suicide, substance abuse, homophobia

Kazui didn’t cheat on his wife.

As always, I’m using @onigiriico​’s super fast translation of the audio drama, so thanks so much!

In said audio drama, Es says Kazui was unfaithful. However, he says that “it didn’t even turn into infidelity.” Obviously, that implies that it could have been or that it got close, but he doesn’t say it’s actually infidelity, and in most senses, I’m willing to believe him.

At 2:20, Kazui has just recently had the apple sneak up on him again. He seems distressed, saying he “can’t be normal,” and then takes off his ring and says, cigarette in hand, “let’s take a breather.” His wife looks quite distressed. 

My best guess is that this is Kazui asking for a break. Now, obviously, it’s not the most faithful thing to be super tempted in cheating to the point of asking for a break. Still, it does mean that he did stop himself before he violated an active relationship where it seemed like nothing was wrong, so that’s a plus.

I’m not sure if it was just straight-up temptation or if he might have had an emotional affair with someone. Emotional affair would make some sense to me (more on that in a sec), but I have no idea who it would be with. I’m honestly hoping the interview questions might help us out there to an extent.

The person Kazui didn’t-quite-cheat with is someone who stands out from the other people Kazui meets.

This is largely based upon my interpretation of 1:08, shortly after the wedding sequence.

There are a ton of apples, but most of them are red. In fact, we only see one green apple. That green apple is the one that follows Kazui throughout the rest of this MV, and it’s the one that keeps sneaking up on him in the half MV. Because it’s the one he eventually bites, I think there’s plenty of reason to believe that this is the person he has relations with outside of his marriage.

I want to focus on the fact that it is green, because that obviously makes it stand out. I don’t think that this is just to make it more identifiable; I think there’s a point being made here.

Kazui IS gay?

Yeah, uh... I wasn’t sold on this one at first, when I first watched half, but as I think I’ve said before, the longer we go on, the more I think it’s true. Like, yeah, it does seem like there’s more to it than just Kazui having relations outside of his marriage.

The entire MV, he’s talking about the charade. He’s clearly living the life that a guy is “supposed” to lead; eventually, you get married to a woman and go down the journey of life together. Still, the fact that, even at the altar, he calls it “loving affection minus love” seems to imply that he feels, at least in retrospect, like the love was never present. He didn’t fall out of love with his wife, it simply wasn’t ever there. He married her out of obligation.

Through in the suspect interview questions about his childhood friend who he went fishing with or whatever and lines from Kazui’s POV saying stuff like “I can’t be normal,” and... I think Kazui is kinda just a closeted gay man?

I say “just” here, and I mean that literally. If you trust his audio drama, he says that he wants his “sin” to be found out, but even so, Es hasn’t found it yet. To me, my best theory is that he just has internalized homophobia and his big “sin” is the fact that he’s gay. I honestly kinda hate this explanation though, just because that is nowhere NEAR a crime on the level of the other prisoners, so please let me know if you disagree/if I’m missing something here.

Kazui has developed some unhealthy coping mechanisms.

I don’t remember if we’ve heard why Kazui smokes before. I know that Shidou says that he does it because he wants to be unhealthy, and Mikoto presumably does because he thinks it makes him seem cool or something. I don’t remember learning anything similar about Kazui.

Still, with the moments at which he pulls out a cigarette or a drink in this MV, I definitely feel like he’s using substances to dull the pain of... I don’t know, life? His constant lying and the self hatred that goes along with it, probably. 

Obviously, he went to the bar in the half MV, but this time, the devs are definitely trying to draw attention to it. There’s a line in the song that’s literally just “oh wow I’m drunk,” and that line is important enough that it shows up as background text at other points in the MV. 

I don’t really know what this means for Kazui character interpretation, but it’s something to consider. For whatever it’s worth, it does make me believe the self-pitying “act” a little bit more; if he didn’t actually pity himself/feel upset that he has to lie all the time, I don’t know what he’s drinking so much for.

Kazui’s wife committed suicide because... ???

This is one of the big places where I’m kinda stumped. Kazui says that she died because he told her the truth. If I’m right and his crime is being gay... I don’t get it? 

I know that divorce is pretty taboo in Japan, so my best shot at it would be that, in being honest with everything, Kazui asks for a divorce because he knows that he can’t ever love her. If that would mean that she’s dead socially or something, that COULD be a potential reason she would commit suicide? I don’t love that explanation, but it’s all that I have right now.

Other Things I Want To Mention But Don’t Have Full Thoughts On:

- In the first MV, Kazui bites the apple. In the second one, he bites the dove. There’s probably some connection here, but I honestly have no idea what it could be.

- “Love, it’s tacky, this two way deceit.” What two-way deceit is Kazui talking about? Like, I get him calling himself the perpetrator and her the victim if he’s saying she’s a victim of his lies. Still, if that’s the case, why would the deceit be two-way? 

- Copzui canon? I saw that undercover cop theory and mostly disregarded it as “probably too out there to be true,” but honestly, it seems basically confirmed at this point. The only struggle I have is what to do with the information. I don’t think that knowing he’s a cop really changes anything about how I read his character or the situation? Other than possibly suggesting that yes, he cares very much about social laws/rules and making sure society stays “correct.”

- What do I make of Kazui asking for an innocent verdict along with the premise of “I can protect the other prisoners”? I don’t really like him bargaining with his strength for a verdict--especially after Kotoko trial 1, I don’t trust bartered verdicts--but on the other hand, it’s true that it’d be nice to have him on defense for whatever the devs might spring on us between trials 2 and 3. 

Anyways...

CURRENT VOTE: INNOCENT

I was actually pretty shocked when I opened the votes and saw a slight guilty majority. To me, the big thing is that... well, I don’t really know why I’d vote him guilty. He’s useful to us, he doesn’t seem like he’s done all that much wrong. I can’t really come up with a genuine reason that I’d want to give him a guilty verdict at this point, so it’s innocent for me.

(Plus, if I’m not sure, I always lean towards a 50/50 so it’s more possible to change the verdict later. So, while he’s guilty-leaning, I’m DEFINITELY voting innocent.)

#admin venus #milgram #ミルグラム #kazui mukuhara #milgram theory #yeah so at first i wasn't even sure if i had enough thoughts to make a post #i decided i did but boy is it more sparse than usual #sorry kazui fans he's still not giving me a lot to work with here that i didn't already know/guess #i am super curious what his trial 3 will look like though #we're running out of time for definitive answers given that he's kinda danced around a lot of the subject for 2 whole trials now

[dragontamer05]

Thoughts / sort of rating of the Yugioh dubs;

DM- Look for all it's flaws, weird edits and censorship over all it's fairly decent. Most of the voices are good, generally speaking the tone and story are still relatively in tact. No episodes were skipped or out right cut, although changes were made.

Are somethings handles better/ make more sense in the orignal form for sure but during a time among a sea of very mixed dubs (and even compared to some of the other series 4kids/4K tried) It's honestly pretty good.

GX- Look while I admit to having some nostalgia for it's just.. not great. The joke meter got turned farther up and while some areas they did manage to keep the tone/ emotion- particularly there's a few good lines of Jaden/Judai from the dub when desperately going after Jesse/Johan

BUt oh boy is it sure just a product of its time with just some of the dialogue feeling very peak 2000s energy. And also a lot more questionable voice choices for characters (some is decent tho)

I'll sooner recommend someone watch the sub first if genuinely interested in the series. But if you've got a bit of nostalgia or just want to have some fun riffing on something it can be a fun watch.

Other majour problem is due to the desire of wanting to get on the next series fast as possible it never got completed and never got s4

5Ds- A mess.

Once again for a lot of the main cast voices are okay but definitely getting worse/more extreme in their attempts to try and hide death / censor or alter things. Whole chunks of it simply was not dubbed at all which I'm sure made pacing weird.

Never actually watched it all but oof. Even if everything else was great just the fact that there is a good chunk that got cut / not translated makes it hard to recommend watching it.

Might be a fun curious watch I guess but probably the dub series with some of the most issues (maybe)

Zexal- Well at least it got completed, like DM did so that's something. Personally kind eh about some of the voices. Astral's is great love it, Yuma is okay but I can understand how it may get annoying for some.

Another one with pretty bad censorship problems that I think even some who's only watched dub could probably figure seem off.

Probably could have ended up a lot worse truth be told but even looking at how DM was handled probably could have been better in places.

Still suggest subs over dub generally but if knowing of the changes doesn't bother you / okay with the voices I mean there's worse out there.

Arc V-

Decent. A clear sign of things to change and improvements. Complete series, still some expected censorship and changes here and there but otherwise fairly faithful to the source. No egregious changes even any allusions to death if altered it's in away that still makes sense / doesn't totally negate it just perhaps stated less overtly or something.

Serious moments often able to be kept serious (compared to some from what I recall just the usage of jokes didn't feel as egregious / bad)

Voicing pretty good over all with only a few characters that make me question the voice direction.

Overall, for sure worth watching it's fun (also there are just some great very quotable lines that got me laughing)

Likely helped in part by being owned by Konami thus I'd assume giving them some control/input on how things go

Vrains-

So good. Voice acting great and just everything was handled well I think.

Once again Complete series, some of the typical changes that are just usual stuff at this point but for a series that can get as dark and serious as it does they handled it pretty well. I think honestly they even have a few lines that just wow.

Like as much as it would be great to have them do a dub where nothing gets changed (say for anything that is typically might happen for any localization- i.e like changing a joke that doesn't work in translation or whatever) I'd say it's pretty darn close and over solid job.

I know some people we kinda eh on that ending/scene in the last episode and I get it, wasn't what was expected or hoped for maybe but I thought it was fine. Far from the worst thing they could have done and it still felt at least fitting/ pretty in character. And if your someone watching only dub I think they still manage to hit and keep the emotion of that scene just doing it in a different way.

Sevens-

As it is, Sevens is a pretty goofy show with big Saturday morning cartoons energy. From the get go it had the makings of what would be a fun dub and they nailed.

Voice choices are so good, continuing on the track of completing series and whatever changes might have been made be it dialogue or what have was nothing that I ever noticed or affected the plot/story in anyway.

Like obviously the script can't/won't be word for word exact but I'm pretty sure more often then not whatever was used or said was pretty close to/equivalent there of whatever was in the original anyway.

It's good, it's fun and silly and I can promise that despite what you may think I'd argue the vast majority of jokes come straight from the Sub itself or at the very least it keeps within the general tone /feeling of something the character would say. Never came across any moment where a joke was used that did feel quite right.

As said as it is Sevens is a pretty silly and fun show even in its original form and the Dub does a great job of keeping the spirit alive and story intact

Sub or dub I strongly recommend watching it anyway. Yes it's animated by a different group- no longer done by Studio Gallop. But honestly it fits and works. I have no idea how much was already planned out before the switch was made or any of the behind the scenes but regardless the art/animation style really fits well the tone of the series - and you can still look at it and go 'that's a yugioh'

Plus after the plot of Vrains ngl kinda nice n fun to have what Sevens brought.

Also look it's time to accept that for as much as it is a series that anyone can enjoy the target demographic IS technically kids / a younger audience (and trying to use this as a means to attract more of that younger audience get them interested)

Go Rush doesn't have a dub yet but I'm hyped and am sure it'll be a blast to.

#Mostly I guess ygo dubs are actually a lot better now and like pretty good #I'm sure strongly in part to 4K not being the huge company it was and now underneath Konami #but still #also yah go watch sevens if nothing else it is wild and fun #you just gotta accept that while it may have broad appeal it is in fact a kids show (and there's nothing wrong with enjoying that)

[sasuhinasno1fan]

His eyes always on her -SasuHina Month Day 17

A bit late but I wanted to post this still. A very short ATLA au but I kinda like it. I tried mixing them both. Enjoy

Noroke     (Japanese)

“Speaking with fondness about your loved one.”

Nunchi     (Korean)

“The subtle and often unnoticed art of listening and gauging another person’s mood.”

Sasuke watched Hinata speak to the high-class officials around her. Compared to the opulent dress of others around her, she was dressed modestly in a sleeveless wrap dress with an attached cape that moved like water on her. Her simple jewellery stood out amongst the overly detailed of others.

“But bloodbending, you can’t honestly think it’s at all a good thing. that woman used it to keep control of everyone around her.”

“Out of revenge yes. You seem to forget that Koharu was taken from her home just for the simple fact she was a waterbender. While her intentions for making the style were inherently bad, that doesn’t mean we should throw it away and forget it exists. We’d be doing exactly what she wants, creating a villain out of her and justifying her actions. Instead, we should be trying to find a positive in it, such as healing. Internal bleeding has been the cause of death as it’s hard to detect. Just the ability to sense the blood in the wrong place and even move it could be lifesaving. That’s not to say every waterbender should learn how to use it. I only learned in the moment and it’s not a moment I ever hope to relive. We mentally look at each bender to see if they can handle it and if they decide halfway they can’t, that’s fine. It’ll have to be taught that this can’t be used against a person and monitored but with time, I have faith that it could become an integral part of healing. I also believe that other facets of bending can be used in different way in our ever-changing world.”

“I can practically see the hearts above your head.” Sasuke turned to his brother, who sat on the throne, the lights glinting off the flame crown in his hair. The glassy eyes and the fact that he stared straight ahead gave away his blindness. That didn’t mean his brother was an easy target, there was a reason he was the Fire Lord.

“She hated it before. I thought after Koharu forced the knowledge on her to save us, she’d never be the same. I mean, it wasn’t pleasant, feeling your own body betray you and if you focused hard enough, feeling the blood pull you in different directions. But she was determined to not give Koharu the satisfaction, so she worked on what to do. And now she can actually do it. She’ll be remembered as one of the greatest healers ever.”

“And not just the Avatar. Or married to the Prince of the Fire Nation when you get around to proposing. Or the student of Firebending Master Sasuke Uchiha.”

Those were all hats Hinata wore. The next avatar in the line of water benders, lover to Sasuke and his first and so far, only student. Teaching her should have given him his mastery if he didn’t already have it before. she was so scared of a single flame, understandable given her life in the Northern Water Tribe, but he’d been ready to tear his hair out. Finding her to specifically teach her had been near impossible as she’d been so convinced, he was dragging her back to the Fire Nation to give to the usurper who was on the throne at the time. In all honesty, Sasuke was there on behalf of the White Lily, the rebel group his brother had been head of. It took a lot of talking and a rescue mission or two for her to finally believe him and it had been paid back in the toughest part of learning.

The falling in love wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. She was just, the brightest person, who didn’t give up no matter what. She held so much on her shoulders but she didn’t break, at least not in front of others. He’d found her once and didn’t want to see it again. So, he’d sit with her, even if she didn’t talk. Sometimes she did and their bond grew. When Naruto teased him about being a jealous boyfriend when Kiba had his hands on her during their earthbending lessons, it became very clear. Before the final battle, he wanted to say something, but she beat him to it by kissing him.

“I plan on coming back when I take down Daizo. I just…I couldn’t leave without letting you know.”

He kissed her back, hard and told her if she didn’t come back, he was going to the spirit world and killing her. He’d never seen anyone smile so hard at a death threat.

Months had passed and the Fire Nation was repairing itself from the time under Diazo’s rule. Hinata had been traveling with her group helping other villages and towns, while Sasuke had to stay with his brother. To be honest, this was the first time he was getting the chance to see her in months, but he didn’t mind not whisking her away. Watching her be the confident person when he remembered how shy she was before was amazing to watch.

“I still remember when you sent me letters, questioning if she really was the Avatar. Now look at you.”

Sasuke sent a small glare to his brother’s teasing. “Leave me alone. I don’t tease you nearly as much when it comes to you and Kisame.”

“because it’s not as fun. Besides, you didn’t have to hear remark after remark about how amazing the young Avatar is and how beautiful. Never once have you been attrached to a woman’s looks. Now I wish I could see to know what drew you to her.”

“What didn’t? Her eyes are like the moon and her hair like the river when the moon is gone. But it was more than looks. Her kindness and determination, it’s what made me never give up on her.”

And so, he bragged about her. How could he not? He was just upset he didn’t have her there when he did, she always got so red. Speaking of turning red, he noticed she was playing with her fingers. The bottom of her dress moved as she shifted and he knew he had to go in.

“Stay with him.” He ordered the nearest guard and quickly made his way to Hinata who’s cheeks were starting to flush. “Excuse me gentlemen, my apologies for the interruption but I’m afraid the Fire Lord wanted to speak to the Avatar. If you’ll excuse us.” With a gentle hand on her back, he took the long way back to the throne. “You’re ok?”

“F-fine.” She’d reverted back to stuttering in her nervousness. “their questions s-started coming f-fast and I coul-couldn’t think.”

He let his fingers run up and down her spine, like he used to do when it happened before. he was sure he was getting looks, but he didn’t care.

“I’m sure we can leave if you want.”

Hinata shook her head, leaning against him. “No. I haven’t s-seen you in so long. I-I don’t care if we have to spend time around everyone else.”

“Really? Even if I get to finally show you the turtleduck pond?”

Hinata’s eyes lit up. Ever since he told her about the pond in the palace, she’d been dreaming of seeing it. ���I guess we can disappear for 5 minutes.”

They stayed outside for the rest of the party. With how giddy she was and how her smile never left her face, how could he?

#sasuhina #sasuhinamonth2022 #ATLA AU #avatar hinata #firebender sasuke #hinata is from the northern water tribe #itachi is blind #fire lord itachi

[cinemacentral666]

Dancer in the Dark (2000)

Movie #1,123 • Ranking Lars Von Trier #6

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This was one of the first films I watched for my series on Lars von Trier so I reviewed it without the context of his earlier work.]

I didn't know what I was getting into, still don't know, and — as it grows ever more abundantly clear — will continue to never know. When you hear the word trilogy, you think three, three of a kind, a kind of grouping of three things that should be or feel connected on some level. The first film trilogy that comes to mind? Probably Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. It's almost always nerd shit. As I close this first chapter in the book of Lars von Trier (the Golden Heart trilogy), I find myself perplexed and in awe, not so much at the technical or traditional aspects of the filmmaking, but at the sheer audaciousness of the process. This movie, arguably the most famous work of the three if not of LVT's entire career, is ostensibly a musical but for me to think of it, let alone grade it, by those terms, fills me with dread. It's an anti-musical as much as anything else. Björk, star of the film and author of said musical numbers, is a much-needed anchor but the non-singer/non-dancer Actors tasked with performing alongside the genius musician are so terrible that it feels as if she's singing alongside faulty animatronics at a cheap pizza restaurant. It breaches any semblance of good faith one would put in a "musical" right from the get-go, and it's perfect in every way because of it.

The through-line of this trilogy is that each entry "is about naive heroines who maintain their 'golden hearts' despite the tragedies they experience." And that's really not debatable. That LVT would deploy such variance in bringing that to life is what truly sold me on the genius of these films taken as a whole. Stylistically and visually, Dancer feels like a merging of the first two movies: rough and off-the-cuff like Idiots but exploding in color like Waves during the musical excursions. If one were to watch these independent of the others, without knowing that the same man made them, they'd likely never see the connections. That's a masterful use of subtlety. Though there isn't one damn subtle thing about any of these works on an immediate level. In fact, they work constantly to hit you over the head, potentially offend and leave you swirling with a head full of questions.

Björk, who was sadly turned off by the experience making this film (another story altogether), is outstanding in this. One of the reason the uncanny valley of the musical numbers is such a discordant delight is that it truly feels as if she's on another planet if not light-years ahead of the culture when it comes to her songwriting. I honestly feel like she'll be one of the few artists from this time period that humans will talk about if the earth is still around in a couple centuries from now, and her work here is no exception. Early in the film, her character makes a statement that she hates the big last song of a musical because it means that the musical is about to end. It's a poignant thought on its own, but it comes full circle with the actual big last song of this "musical," which she sings with a noose around her neck just before being executed…

For thirty years, Men's Wearhouse founder and executive chairman George Zimmer wowed audiences with his commercial tagline, "You're going to like the way you look. I guarantee it." And, three films down, I feel that Lars von Trier could offer a similar marketing campaign for his motion pictures…

But sometimes we need to feel that way, to maintain our own 'golden hearts'.

SCORE: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

PS. They're all 10/10 from here on out, folks. So "ranking" them was especially hard.

I’ll be counting down all of Lars Von Trier’s movies right here at @cinemacentral666 every Thursday through September 2023

#drama #musical #10 #2000 #lars von trier director #bjork #🇩🇰 #catherine deneuve #david morse #peter stormare #joel grey #udo kier #jean marc barr #stellan skarsgård #Youtube

[ettawritesnstudies]

hi, etta! you mentioned the word catechist in one of your tags. i've never heard that word before! i did look up the definition but it was such a dry explanation! and honestly, i don't know what a catechism would consist of either. the explanation i found brought to mind a Q&A sheet like you would get for history class, haha. i was wondering if when you have time, you would be able to tell me a little bit about what it means to be a catechist?

Of course!

The Catechism itself is an official book that was compiled by the early church fathers and updated over the years by various councils and popes to include all of the Catholic Church's teachings on all the Big Important Topics. It's not the Bible, but it does include information on how we interpret the Bible, explaining the creed line-by-line, breaking down the sacraments, and tons of other aspects of how to live a good daily Christian life and tackle hard topics. You can read it online but it can be pretty dense to get through without someone helping to explain all the context, which is where catechists come in!

A catechist is anyone who teaches the Catholic faith, usually in a classroom setting. Kids who are born and baptized into Catholic families (sometimes also known as "cradle catholics". I'm one) usually go through some kind of faith formation as they grow up, either through religious education as a class in catholic schools alongside history and literature and math and science, or through something called CCD (which stands for catholic catechetical development) which are once-a-week classes usually in the evenings after school. Adult converts or reverts to the faith also go through a similar program called RCIA. These programs don't have homework or tests or anything, and they're voluntary, but they are structured in a way meant to go deeper into history and theology and give you more context and appreciation for what you're seeing at Sunday Mass and why we believe the things we do.

CCD and religious ed programs usually have a curriculum for each grade, focusing on different parts of the catechism each year. For example, most kids receive their first Holy Communion in 2nd grade, and so that year is learning all about the sacraments and the Eucharist. 8th grade is usually Confirmation, which is the sacrament where YOU decide that YOU want to be Catholic and become an "adult" in the Church, receiving the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and so the curriculum that year focuses on adult faith formation. Unfortunately some of those are dumbed-down waaaayyy too far and as a result, I watched a LOT of my classmates treat Confirmation as a "graduation" from the program and not as a solemn holy eternal vow.

My confirmation year is also when I got serious about understanding other faiths as well as Catholicism because I took that decision seriously, and it's something I love and learn how to share with people. St. Catherine of Alexandria, pray for us! My mom is a CCD teacher and I helped her out while I was in high school. She wrote her own curriculum, which included weekly powerpoints, fill-in-the-blank-sheets, coloring pages, etc. so I'd help her find good pictures, fix formatting issues, check grammar, and occasionally cover teaching the class if she was busy with my sibling's events.

If you're looking for quality accessible resources, Ascension Press is one of my favorites. They have a great youtube channel (highly recommend Fr. Mike Schmidt) and a Bible in a Year podcast. I've used their Chosen, Bible timeline, and Theology of the Body programs myself. Catholic Answers is perfect for quickly finding thoughtful and thoroughly researched responses to almost any question. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops also has some good resources on their webpage. There's also a kids version of the catechism called the St. Joseph's Baltimore Catechism which is just as thorough as the original but much more accessible and full of illustrations. That might be a good primer too! There's a copy here on internet archive.

I hope this wasn't too dry lol. Please let me know if you have any more questions! :)

#catholic #christian #catechism #catholic resources #religious education

[legion1227]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review

I miss Chadwick Boseman. 

Chadwick Boseman will always be The Black Panther, T'Challa. When news broke that the actor passed from colon cancer in 2020, it was heart-wrenching. Beyond portraying an iconic superhero, the world lost a genuine, kind soul. One that inspired children to want to be like him. One who donated thousands of dollars to programs like the Boys and Girls Club. His passing was tragic, and there will never be another like him. 

As news broke of a Black Panther sequel in the works, everybody wondered, "How do you do a Black Panther sequel without Black Panther?" 

Well, there was an attempt. And it was great. 

After the death of King T'Challa, Queen Ramonda, Shuri, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje work together to protect their nation from other world powers looking to intervene. The Wakandans are skeptical of the other countries that aren't Wakanda. Tensions and emotions are high after the passing of T'challa. And as the Wakandans are so focused on the humans, a new force presents itself as an enemy to Wakanda: the Talokans. 

There's so much in this film that works. Acting-wise, everybody performs amazingly. Letitia Wright, as Shuri, has grown up since the last Black Panther film and has no choice but to grow up and take a role she thought unfathomable. The loss of her brother affected her deeply, shaking her foundation to its core. She found faith in science over tradition for a considerable amount of time. Danai Gurira, as Okoye, grieves in her way and provides excellent chemistry with Shuri and other cast members. But Angela Basset as Queen Ramonda? Her presentation is immaculate. When Ramonda presents herself to her subjects or enemies, she's a majestic beacon of royalty. She's that bitch. But when she's alone with Shuri, she takes off the headwear and appears more vulnerable with her daughter. Basset tightropes between both displays effortlessly. In one of the trailers for Wakanda Forever, there's a snippet that shows Ramonda as she says, "I am the queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone. Have I not given everything?" The delivery of that line is perfect. That scene is enough proof that Angela Basset deserves an award for her role. 

And as far as antagonists go, Tenoch Huerta makes for a fantastic Namor. In the comics, Namor and his people appear Atlantean with Anglo-Euro origins. Injecting Latin flavor into the character and his civilization was an intriguing choice that I loved seeing as a person of Hispanic heritage. Namor is a top-tier foil to Shuri and the others. His motives are understandable, and the character is menacing. He's not even a villain. I emphasize that he's more of an antagonist. The fight scenes between the Wakandans and the Talokans are energetic and make for a fascinating watch. A particular favorite of mine involves a Talokan and Okoye on a bridge. 

Unfortunately, there are some gripes I harbor with the film. Dominque Thorne plays Riri Williams and makes a fine debut. Her scenes with the Wakandans are a bit lacking. Her character reminds me of Shuri in the first Black Panther. I would've liked something more substantial with her, but I feel that may come in her upcoming show "Ironheart." I look forward to getting more of a taste of her there. Also, lacking screen time were the other Talokans. Namor remains stellar, but his subordinates Namora and Attuma are less memorable as characters. Attuma has a solid fight scene in the movie, but I can't tell you much of anything about either of the character's motives or personality or otherwise. M'Baku is not in the film as much as he should be. And finally, Martin Freeman and Julia-Loius Dreyfus appear in scenes mostly distant from Wakandan's direct conflict, and they're the least interesting parts of the movie. I like Freeman and Dreyfus immensely and in the other Marvel projects they have appeared in, but whenever they were on screen, I found myself wanting to see what Shuri or Namor was doing. Honestly, the scenes with them should have been replaced with more scenes dedicated to building up Namor, Attuma, and Namora's characters. 

So there are a couple of choices they could have made to improve the film but don't get me wrong, it's still great. The acting, action, and heart drive the movie to immense highs. It's my favorite superhero movie I watched this year, and in the top ten films, I saw this year. 4/5.

The movie deserves so much praise, even to the end. Without spoiling, there's only one credit scene in the film, and it's the best post-credits scene any Marvel movie has had. It's not an exciting, thrilling romp that reveals a game changer of a character, like "The Avengers" teasing Thanos. Nor is it something comedic or goofy like the ant playing drums in the end credits scene of "Ant-Man and the Wasp." What makes it the best is that it's a beautiful reveal. It's one more tug at the heartstrings that's sure to leave audiences teary-eyed. 

 A beautiful ode to the wonderful man that was Chadwick Boseman.

#marvel #wakanda forever #movie review #film review #review

[mister-brightside]

I finally, FINALLY finished season one of the sandman tv series and speaking as a fan of the comics I loved it so much. my long and winding thoughts (with minor spoilers) under the cut.

it was really refreshing to have so much trust in the creators. by the last few episodes I’d be like, I can’t wait for them to get to this scene, and then the scene happened, and it would be so good and so spicy.

for ages literally every comics fan (myself included) was saying that a good and faithful adaptation would be impossible. I was actually fully prepared to pass over the tv series cause there was no way they could pull it off, right? thank god some reviewer on reddit changed my mind, because I’m so delighted to be proven wrong for once. it’s honestly crazy impressive how well they took all these disjointed narratives and somehow made them tonally consistent but still kept the edges. I thought maybe they’d skip the more out of line stories, like the one with the cats or the massacre in the diner, but they really went there. in fact I reread some of the comics after the episodes and I was really surprised to find that they lifted quite a bit of dialogue word for word.

(I love how hob gadling’s story was basically retold verbatim EXCEPT they went out of their way to make the breakup a million times more angsty)

there were so many throwbacks and visual references to the comics which were really lovely and never felt forced. and speaking of visuals, the show is as good as you’re gonna get for a production this size. I was worried it was gonna be a CGI mess and, well, it does veer on that edge at times, but most of the cinematography and effects are truly gorgeous and in the end it’s the actors who keep me connected to the heart of the story.

when I first saw photos of morpheus I was like what the hell? they’re just making him look like Some Guy? but my god tom sturridge knocks it out of the park. he’s absolutely perfect. he sold me immediately. someone else said that when he’s imprisoned in the glass cage he moves almost like a creature and they’re dead on. he does a spectacular job of convincing me he’s not human.

so in the end I think the decision to humanise morpheus’s appearance was absolutely the right one. I always found his character in the comics to be a bit distant because yeah, at times he can be arrogant and self-righteous and somewhat terrifying since he’s so unreadable. and that doesn’t change in the transition to the screen but having tom as he is (with those sad, sad, pathetic, emo eyes) softens his edges a little, you know? he makes you feel for him a bit more.

and I’ve said this before but it’s like. I never really pictured a specific voice when reading the comics, but all of morpheus’s dialogue comes in these special black speech bubbles so you know he’s Different. and as soon as tom’s voiceover began in episode one it felt Right. almost like it had been buried in my subconscious for all these years. insane.

(I kind of want to watch more of tom’s roles but I literally can’t imagine him as anyone other than dream of the endless, like I’m afraid to even google him because it would probably break my brain to see him behaving like a normal human person)

the rest of the cast is fantastic as well. the highlights for me: gwendoline christie as lucifer – chef’s kiss. kirby baptiste-howell as death – for real though, if I met her when I died, I wouldn’t feel too bad about it. david thewlis adds a layer of nuance to john dee that somehow makes him quite sympathetic despite the complete lunacy. vanesu samunyai is very cute and likeable as rose and I hope the show sticks around long enough for her to make her return. likewise, lily travers is really sweet as barbie and I think she’d be a really good lead if her storyline ever comes around.

okay, time for the nitpicking. I do wish they’d cast someone older as lucien, he always had this exhausted ‘no one helps me in this house’ vibe that I just don’t get from vivienne acheampong. and I think boyd holbrook needed to be a little more maniacal as the corinthian. oh well, it’s not like we can have everything. and both actors do a great job as they are so I’m not gonna whine too much.

(if this was 2014 tumblr I probably would be seeing extremely, uh, controversial takes on the corinthian but I haven’t come across any yet thank god)

I’m really hoping the show gets more seasons because it’s doing a wonderful job of bringing all the stories to life. I hope enough casual viewers stick around because I know the lack of narrative structure will throw a lot of people off. in the comics, some characters turn up once and never again, some wander in and out, others leave the story only to show up again several volumes later. some stories last for only a chapter and others go on for ages. and the genre swings from urban fantasy to historical fiction to horror to straight up batshit insanity and everything in between.

but in the end that’s what makes the sandman one of my favourite comics ever. every time I read it I feel like I’ve experienced a big fever dream. and like a dream it promptly fades until I literally forget why I love it so much. then I reread it again and I’m like, oh yeah, that’s why.

so I don’t know how to say it better than this: the show FEELS like the sandman. and that’s all I can ask for.

#if you read the whole thing I salute you <3 #the sandman #personal

[domsaysstuff]

Tagged by @elmindredaniq to say my 9 favorite films which thank you hon!

Okay so the problem with me and movies is that whenever someone asks me about my favorites I suddenly forget every movie to ever exist and also I can't really categorize any movie in like really "favorite" category but I'll show and tell y'all some movies that are very dear to me.

1. the half of it

Okay so this movie is such a comfort to me? Like it's about this blossoming friendship between a local himbo and a lesbian and there is a sapphic love story in the background and it's so soft and tender and gentle. The thing is I love friendships and I think we focus so little on them and this one just scratched the itch, like noone gets the final girl at the end but he does chase after that fucking friend after his lesbian best friend because he loves her. Platonically, and idk just the way he tried to get along with her father and the way she tried to support his dreams and just platonic soulmates do things to me. And the cinematography is stunning. And like I said we do get a wlw storyline, like what can I girl want more?

2. Spiderman into the spiderverse.

It's fun, it's comfort, the art is fucking amazing, the story too, the leap of faith moment? Fucking legendary, i will never not be in awe of it. The son-father relationship? The found family?THE SOUNDTRACKS AND MOTIFS WITHIN IT I'm just grrrr brain go brrrr.

3. Pride & Prejudice.

I will never not love this movie, it's just so *screams*, the touches, mr darcy, how fucking joyful it is, how gentle, also I just love pride and prejudice and I'm sorry to every other adaptation but in my mind this is the one and it has nothing to do with my crush on Keira Knightley, not even a little (it does but shhh)

4. Jennifer's Body.

First of all my queer awaking, like this movie said, yes YOU DO LIKE GIRLS, like the kiss scene has done things to me and I have never been the same. I love this movie, it's for the girlies about that girlies and man get eaten, what more one could want?

5. 10 things I hate about you

C'mon it's a classic. We all love it, honestly Pat IS our pretty boi™ and the only men ever and Kat is so snarky and bitchy as she deserves, also it's just such a fun watch.

6. The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

It's campy, it's horny, it's loud, it's out there, it's fun and it's queer. Like definitely a comfort watch. Do I think there are some questionable things™ in it? Yes but i don't care, I love it, it's my queer comfort film and you could pry it off of ny dead cold hands.

7. I Killed My Mother

Listen, this movie shaped me. Like nothing understood my relationship with my mother when I was younger as this movie and sure some other movies that did have came out since then but by God was it the culprit of my younger self angst. I will never forget some lines from this movie, it's deeply ingraved in my brain. It also has a queer side story.

8. Whisper of the heart.

It's definitely a comfort watch, definitely even more so since I'm a writer myself. Like this movie is just so fucking kind if it comes to art and the love story God, my standards for love have risen since I watched it. I mean all Ghibli movies are good but by god this one is just making me feel things.

9. Love and Leashes.

Listen, this movie is just, I want to eat it. Sometimes still all I can think about is the pulling wax scene and the scene where she fucking steps over him in her heels, like I'm just so *AAAaaaaaaaaa* about it.

Honorary mentions; Tangled, How to Train Your Dragon, Kill Your Darlings, Kiki's Delivery Service

And my polish little precious queer movie that I treasure very much since I am polish and queer: Hiacynt

So yeah, probably if I thought a little longer the list would be different and longer and stuff but that's it.

I'm tagging @daltoneering @rainbowcolored7 @bestiesincrime @mortimerlatrice and @kin-kinn but like no pressure if you don't want to do it 🥰

[bookwyrminspiration]

okay but i AM truly staring at the floor like ALL OF THIS HAPPENED IN ONE BOOK? cant believe kihrin confessed to teraeth at last in the same damn book. how did that happen it feels so long ago. also i DEFINITELY am repeating things from earlier asks i sent but i have another thought- more thoughts--senera and thurvishar? nature is healing watching two wizards who are incredibly intelligent and gifted and scientific and also seeing their lines of story bend towards each other like look how beautiful. and xivan and talea as short-lived as it ended up being (although.... ah.....talea has so much faith in her). the confession scene made me laugh so hard i couldn't highlight it for a minute because my hands were shaking too much. glad i DID NOT have to see therin and khaeriel for the entire book i was like if they are a constant perspective in these books and they're like this THE WHOLE TIME i gotta go. i cannot take any of them seriously. TERAETH FINALLY GETTING AN EDUCATION ON JORATESE POWER DYNAMICS. TERAETH AND JANEL INTERACTING SO MUCH IN THIS WAY! somehow they are nothing i expected but also exactly what i expected. they are both so sharp not to say kihrin isn't but i think at this point the handle of kihrin's blade is turned towards them both. if this makes sense.

You're so incredibly valid for that; the amount of things packed into this one book is mind-boggling. It feels like the books should be three times longer given how much happens and yet.

As for Senera and Thurvishar, it took me a while to actually come around to them. Not because they aren't incredibly sweet and meaningful to me as a an aroace person, but just because I'd gotten attached to the idea of aroace Thurvishar as someone who was going to be completely devoted to books and studies only forever. So when it started going the Senera/Thurvishar route I was like no!! I want my relationship free academic guy!!

But even though we didn't get that, we did get something else equally as valuable. Which is a relationship between ace characters. Without anything weird about it, just yeah neither of us want that and you don't even really like touch at all. That doesn't mean who we are to each other is any less fulfilling and important. I love Senera so so much.

And Therin and Khaeriel!! They're the super fucked up relationship I was talking about a while back where it's like. WOW. You bought and owned her body and soul as a slave for several years, she killed your entire family and enchanted you to fall in love with her. And now you are both free and...together of your own will in spite of all that? I'm just gonna move on and keep my distance.

AND YES! Someone finally let Teraeth in on what was going on. Honestly though now that I think about it, Teraeth and Janel had been hooking up in the afterlife for a few years prior, did she think he knew already? is that why she explained it to Kihrin within the first like half hour of meeting him but never talked about it with Teraeth? Though I do wish instead of Kihrin explaining Janel had been there to set it even more straight, but that's just personal preference

Also I don't know what you're saying with that blade turned towards them thing but I know whatever it is is super smart and just going over my head atm </3

#a chorus of dragons #quil's queries #soryasongsaa #at the end of like every single book I go 'that's the ending for book NUMBER]??' #like at the end of book two I was like that's the end for book TWO??? HOW DOES IT GET WORSE THAN THIS??? #and then it does #and at the end of memory of souls I was head in hands like SIR??? #thaena just tried to sacrifice her son and an entire race and half the gods are DEAD and kihrin is DEAD how are there two more books #long post

[sevdoesnotexist]

Hey do you know what happened to @cock-dealer/morg? Sorry for the random ask i saw you reply often but like. i was offline for like a week straigh5 and now hes gone + im genuinely sad and also worried bc he was one of my fave bloggers lmao is he okay?

Hey so a lot has happened since March if you haven't been around. Essentially (from my understanding), Morg experienced abuse at the hands of medical staff during a hospital stay that left him in a really bad place dealing with the trauma that was brought on by that. He is and was often posting about his poor mental health and suicidal ideation.

A few weeks ago he had attempted to kill himself, I don't know him well enough to say what attempt # it was for him overall but I'll say "the first time" even though I don't think it was. In around this time too, there was "slur discourse" happening around who should and shouldn't call themselves a cripple and a lot of discussion around honouring Tai's memory by respecting the origins and meaning behind the cripplepunk movement.

A lot of emotions were running high and honestly I had seen the discourse in the community as petty insquabbling until shit hit the fan. I was kinda not touching it past my opinion on cripple being a slur that only some people can reclaim. Anyways through this discourse Morg had been receiving a lot of anon asks egging him on, telling him he's a shit person, really just generally horrible stuff and some anons who weren't necessarily approaching in bad faith got caught in the crossfire, which those interactions were used by the handful of people vocally disagreeing with Morg to further the narrative that he was a Big Bad Exclusionist™

Eventually Morg got pushed past the point of frustration and presumably while under the influence of whatever he had taken in an attempt to take his life or I also know he has mentioned the stress of it let to a psychotic episode which seems to make a lot of sense to me. Basically, he sent an anon to one of the people who was one of the instigators and main users furthering the discourse vaspider an ask that read along the lines "you got what you wanted" and posted that he had tried to kill himself for the "second" time. Around this time I know I was personally very worried and constantly refreshed his blog and sent him anons with kind messages like everyday just trying to combat the SHEER amount of hatred he was receiving not FROM users like vaspider and happysadyoyo but BECAUSE of how they were framing his mental health crisis was definately resulting in MASSIVE amounts of anon hate and suicide baiting.

The final straw for me is when I made a vent post about my feelings on the matter and vaspider literally shouted me down and called me an asshole for venting about my medical trauma and my feelings on the cripplepunk discourse. It was a really mask off moment for me I think they felt like betrayed that I didn't side with them since we were mutuals or something but regardless it made me really uncomfortable and honestly was incredibly triggering also so I blocked them as well as y'know, whoever I felt like, as I'm allowed to :))

Then like a week after that all happened, happysadyoyo, a user who WAS mutuals with me and vaspider but had actually NEVER interacted with Morg in his life, made a fucking YOUTUBE VIDEO about morgs suicide attempt, relating it to the show Thirteen Reasons Why and his own time spent being a manipulative asshole, essentially trying to insinuate that Morg had tried to take his life as a way to guilt and manipulate someone over Internet slur discourse. Yup. I was disgusted by the behaviour and openly said as much. The link is actually still up as far as I'm aware, yoyocunt refused to take the video or even the post with the link down, citing "his own psychosis"

From there I guess people who were watching this happen to Morg from the sidelines thought it would be funny to give those users a taste of their own medicine and started sending them a lot if gross anon hate including stuff like scat porn. I also think this was probably an attempt by some to paint Morg and his followers in a bad light. I mean while we had a giggle over the misfortune of people who had been royal douche canoes, we also all have made it pretty clear that we don't condone sexual harassment or suicide baiting. Those users often take screenshots of posts Morg makes without the context of a reblog or the notes cropped out in order to give the impression Morg is like, actively telling his followers to send them death threats and poop vids but like, that's just not the case.

So like you missed the most batshit insane turn of events, I don't think I covered everything concisely because I'm high but yeah basically people started disrespecting a dead kids movement and memory as well as trying to villainize a mentally ill trans dude for disagreeing with them and being rude about it

And, he's still here by the way, he's just @penis-peeper now.

#answered #ask #cpunk #ableism #Morg #penis-peeper #cock-dealer

[burtonsdoodles]

Just seen Eternals for a second time and I just…LOVE THIS FILM!!

From the first second to the last, I enjoy every minute of it. I love the characters, the relationships, the dynamics, the visuals, the performances. It all connected with me and kept me invested throughout the long runtime. Never, in either showing, did I get bored or become aware of how long I’d been watching - which I did with Dune. Every character was given enough content for me to invest in them and understand them well enough throughout the plot - which isn’t an easy thing to do with a handful of characters - let alone 10. It was the one concern I had before seeing it - Will it balance the ensemble well enough? - and I honestly think it did. While I would obviously love to see more from them - I never felt like I didn’t get enough — which is a sign of success in my book.

Notes with spoilers and no order to them:

First off - Druig is my fave. I knew it from the moment he entered the screen and was very happy to see he didn’t become the villain and/or get killed off. That was a nice surprise - since that’s what always happens to the characters I decide I like. I will accept all the content about him - he is such an interesting character - even more so now I’ve watched it again. There is so much to say about him - though I can’t quite think up what that is in words yet - might have to wait for it’s full release. Though I will say one thing - and I saw someone else say this first and they were absolutely right - Druig isn’t grouchy/grumpy. He’s snarky and blunt about what he thinks/feels - but he’s not grumpy - I’d say Sprite actually fits that category better.

I obviously adore the relationship between Druig and Makkari - it may just be the best live action relationship I’ve ever seen - and I don’t usually get that invested in romantic stuff. I think it’s so compelling because they are using other forms of affection to show their love - like the forehead touches and hugging - rather than just kissing. It feels more refreshing to see other ways of showing affection - and not just in a romantic sense either - because there is so much more to love than just romantic. (I have no idea if that makes any sense). The same can be said about Dane and Sersi - they don’t just kiss each other to show they care for one another - I actually thought their most tender moments were when they embraced. I was definitely rooting for him over Ikaris.

Especially after this second viewing, I am super interested in the relationships Druig has with both Ikaris and Sersi - I wanna find some fic’s exploring those dynamics but haven’t spotted any yet. Druig and ikaris really come across as having that brotherly rivalry because they just can’t see eye to eye. While ikaris is totally focused on Ajak and her leadership, druig is seeing the people of whom he wishes to protect - thanks to his power, he can’t separate himself from their pain which makes him question the logic of their orders. It’s a tumultuous relationship which I wanna see more of - the line which sticks in my head when ikaris tries to kill druig is - “I should have done this five centuries ago.” There’s a lot that can be unpacked in that statement - as well as the impact the attack could have on druig as a survivor of ikaris’s wrath.

Then there’s the contrast of Druig and Sersi’s relationship - where she sees the light in him - has faith in him - even when others treat him like the worst. That’s always a beautiful dynamic to explore - especially with her sharing the connection she has with Druig’s biggest rival, Ikaris. Also I noticed this time in the film that druig is the one who realises Sersi’s strength and potential - before they even leave the Domo, he points out her defeat of the deviant, he knows she has the ability to do what needs to be done - she just doesn’t see it herself yet. When he says he’s “got this”, I think he knows he won’t succeed - especially with Ikaris still out there - but he can buy a bit of time for Sersi to realise the truth. He does go to help her instead or return to the fight - he shows the same faith she always showed in him. (I don’t know if any of that is true - but that’s the reading I got this time.)

Speaking of that moment with Druig in the final fight - while he does knock Sprite out with little remorse - and it is a pretty great moment - he never actually leave her the whole time she down. You can see he’s still there when they all connect to the Unimind and they return together to the beach - which I think shows how he’ll do what’s right to protect - but he still cares enough not to cross that line Ikaris does.

I haven’t seen anyone comment on this as of yet - but it made me love ^ that ^ Drukkari moment even more. Obviously this is a beautiful moment for Druig and Makkari, but the shot I particularly like is where Sprite is perfectly framed by the pair just before they break apart and exit the shot. (Below) The vision of Sprite watching them from afar - seeing the love Druig and Makkari have for one another - the love she has never been able to experience for herself - is truly heartbreaking. She is unable to see past the thing she is denied as it’s constantly plastered in her face by the people around her showing and receiving love. She is longing for connection yet can only find isolation. So in this shot of such compelling love and unity - which is now everywhere - there is such pain and loneliness which remains present but overlooked… like Sprite. It’s a great shot. (GIF isn’t mine and the screenshot is from this video)

Makkari is a FORCE! Obviously she was incredible when she fought Ikaris - but you can also see her strength in all the flashbacks too. Every time you’d see Ikaris fighting a Deviant - Makkari wouldn’t be far behind him - and she goes so fast it’s likely she was actually there before him too. She is truly amazing and not someone to mess with.

I really love Kingo and Sprites relationship - it really worked well. Their heart to hearts allowed us to see the vulnerable sides which they hide behind their respective attitudes - Kingo with his outspokenness and Sprite with her snark. They clearly bond the strongest with one another. One of their standout moments for me was in the Amazon fight, Kingo gets thrown through one of the shacks and Sprite refuses to leave him, she tries hiding them with an illusion and when that fails Kingo just throws himself over Sprite to protect her. It’s not a big moment - but I noticed it this time round and it’s stuck with me. I wanna see their adventures with Karun the valet - it’d be fun.

Also Karun is precious

Thena and Gilgamesh were also a perfect pairing - I love the shot of him taking her hand in the introductory fight - he has such respect for her and it set up their bond perfectly. Though I did expect him to get killed off - that’s usually what happens to the caretaker character - so while it hurt like hell - I wasn’t shocked.

Gilgamesh was so pure - the tough guy softy is the best character type - and it’s portrayed brilliantly with his learning about Ajak’s death. The pie falling is quite comical and you don’t know whether to laugh, but then he takes the pan and crumples it like paper and collapses into the chair overwhelmed with grief - you know this is a completely serious and heartbreaking moment - not to be laughed at.

A fun thing I didn’t pick up on the first time was that Druig is nearly always eating something in the scenes he’s in and I love that - it’s a nice little character trait.

The big question I still have though, is can Druig only control the minds of humans, or can he also control the minds of sentient beings - like Eternals and/or Deviants? Thena does say Gilgamesh asked him to put her to sleep once - but I can’t work out if that was just a joke or something he genuinely could do.

Anyway, I’m definitely missing things, but this has gotten really long so I’m gonna call it quits there. I love this film and it’s characters so much - which is something I haven’t felt in a while with an MCU film (certainly not at this level anyway). I mean I actually saw it a second time - which I haven’t done since Endgame - and y’know what, I wouldn’t say no to seeing it again. It was brilliant!

LB

#i loved this film #eternals #my thoughts #eternals spoilers #druig #makkari #drukkari #ikarsi #Sersi #gilgamesh #thena #kingo #sprite #karun patel #text post #marvel #chloe zhao

[vannybarber]

The Prenup

Summary: After four years of being together and finally being engaged, Chris wants you to sign a prenup.

Chris Evans x Reader

Warnings: angst, swearing, chris getting his ass handed to him, a lot of pain.

Part Two Part Three Part Four Final Chapter

Scrounging through the little desk in the corner of Chris and you's bedroom, you hear him let out a boisterous laugh.

He was watching some movie and there was a certain part that he found so hilarious. After 4 years of watching it with him constantly, you still don't get what's so funny. But it makes him happy so that's what matters.

You were searching for the wine opener so Scott could get his middle-aged-4-kids-divorcee vibe on. You cleaned the other day and stuck it in there after a nightly dose of freakydeaky from Chris, which consisted of wine, whipped cream, and a many different forms of chocolate.

After what seemed like forever, you find the corkscrew and grin at your accomplishment. You take one more look in the drawer out of habit and you spot a big orange envelope with Chris' name on it. Being the nosy curious person you are, you take the envelope out and get a good look at it. You see the words Prenuptial Agreement in bold and your heart drops.

Chris had proposed to you 9 months ago and you were happy beyond words. After being together for 4 years, he finally put away his commitment troubles and made you his fianceé. And now you find out he's going to get you to sign a prenup. A fucking prenup.

You look around the room at loss for words. You were angry, hurt and confused. After 4 years of being together, he doesn't have faith in his own judgment that you guys would be together forever? You both have been through literally everything. There isn't one thing you don't know about each other. Your relationship was rare and it was special.

After moments of contemplation, you decide you would confront him on it. There's no way you could carry on the night and sleep after this. Not until you get your answers. Closing the drawer, you take a sharp breath and exhale before walking out the room. You get back to the dining table where Lisa and his siblings surrounded.

"Here you go Scott" you say slamming the corkscrew on the table in front of him. He looks up at you, puzzled. You glance at him then at Chris and he's looking at you just the same. Evidently your tone matched your movements because everyone went silent. You draw back and put both hands behind your back and huff.

"Babe, are you alright?" It was Christopher talking to you now. Your attention goes to him and your lips are in a thin line. Refraining from blowing up at him, you force smile on your face and change your tone of voice.

"What do you mean, honey? I'm fine." You should leave the acting to Chris honestly. That's definitely not your field of expertise. Shifting on your right foot, you stare at him. He shuffles and tilts his head with a knowing look.

"Spill it Y/N. What's up?"

"The flames when I burn this damn house down." So much for not blowing up. You snatch the envelope in front of you and chuck it on the table. Everyone watches the exchange and the envelope fly to the table. All their faces change from confusion to shock and even more confusion.

Chris didn't even need to look down to know it was the prenup. His eyes went from you to the wall. Guilt written all over it, you almost wish you gave a shit. You wonder how long he was going to keep this hidden from you. No need to wonder now.

"You want to explain to me why you have a prenup?" You place your hand on your hip and roll your neck at him.

"I got that for us."

You swear to everything you wanted to lunge at him right then and there. 'I got that for us'. Why do people always use that excuse for everything? They weren't thinking about you, just themselves and expected you to go along with it.

"You got it for us? I know you didn't do this on your own. Who put you up to it?" You look around the room. Scott has his hands up shaking his head. Carly and Shanna both let out a quiet "not me". You look at Lisa who had this look of hurt.

"Chris, you tell me everything. How did I not know about this? Why didn't you tell me?" Well now you know she didn't suggest it. You feel slightly guilty for letting it cross your mind, but you had your reasons.

"Ma, I had my reasons. I kept it hidden because I didn't know how I felt about it myself" he says rubbing his face and fixing his hair under his cap. Still didn't answer your question.

"Christopher, who put you up to this? Tell me now!" You're getting fired up by the minute. You have an idea who it could be too.

"Megan. She thought that it would be smart to consider. Just to protect me."

"Megan." Your voice is laced with absolute venom. "You know Chris, she does a good job keeping you out of trouble and bullshit so you're not all over the tabloids, but sometimes, her ass is too much!"

Chris is never in the news for anything negative. He's always minding his business and moving quietly. Megan is a great publicist, but she can be pretty overbearing about his personal life. She gave you side eye for like the entire first year of you guys' relationship.

"Baby, she was just looking out for me. You know how it is, women getting with you for your money. Guys loose half of everything they have when getting divorces."

You can't even believe it.

"I am not 'women'. I'm your fianceé. We've been together 4 years, Chris! After all this time your material things come before me?" Tears are puddled at your eyes now and your voice is cracking. This catches his attention.

"I told you from the start Chris, that I never cared about your money! Never have and never will. I am used to not having much. I'm not money hungry or concerned for having top tier everything. I've learned to settle."

"Y/N, I didn't mea-" you slam your hand on the table, making everyone jump. Chris shuts his mouth.

"I'm. Not. Finished. I am not marrying your bank account. I'm not marrying your cars. I'm not marrying your house. I don't give a damn about any of that shit. And you literally are still concerned about all of that?" Your face is wet and your nose is runny. You wipe your nose and cross your arms.

"It's not even like that!" Now he's getting upset. For literally nothing. This is his fault. "It's just in case it doesn't work out, we don't need to deal with all the extra mess."

That completely shattered you. In case it doesn't work out. He actually has thoughts that your marriage couldn't work. What would even cause that? You guys don't even argue. You don't even remember the last time you did. You've learned to understand what each other needs and mastered that. What is he on about?

"You know what the sad part is? Us not working out crossed my mind in, like, the first year of our relationship. And I decided that if we did get married, and God forbid we divorced, I wouldn't take anything from you."

He looked at you like he just found out he wasn't the father of your baby.

"Yeah, Chris. That's your money. You made it, not me, so why would I ask for any of it from you? You gave me an amazing relationship and thats enough for me."

"Oh my goodness." Everyone directs their attention to Scott. "So you wouldn't want anything from the divorce?"

"Of course not! I came in this relationship for him. Plus a make my own money. I don't need anyone else's."

You had your own business. Many employees at different buildings in Boston. You didn't have much growing up and you were proud of yourself for not having to worry about financial issues. Chris liked that you had your own thing going and didn't have to adapt to his life and depend on him financially. And he still got a prenup.

Feeling like you were gonna cry again, you rub your temples and take deep breaths to prevent it. But you failed and started crying more. Chris got up and moved to stand in front of you.

"Baby, I'm sorry I upset you. I thought you would be okay with this. Like you said, you don't care about my money so what's wrong with the prenup?" His hands were on your sides, but not for long as you shook them off of you.

"What's wrong with it? What this is telling me is three things. You have doubt that our marriage won't work out, you think I might change my mind and ask for alimony, and that your money comes before me."

"I..." he struggles to form words. You take this chance to get out of there.

"I really don't want to be here right now." Chris looks up and grabs your arm.

"Babe, you don't need to go. Where the hell are you gonna go?" You turn and grab the envelope from the table. You open it and pull the papers out, shoving it in his face.

"I'll go to a hotel or something, but I'm not staying here if this is the shit you're trying to pull with me." You turn the paper to you and look in disgust. You scan over it and your eyes fall on the dotted line where you need to sign. Beside it is where he needed to sign his.

Well not anymore.

You read over his signature on the line. Chris Evans.

He signed the prenup already. Now he was just waiting for your signature. He really was leaving you zero choice.

"You signed it already??" Everyone at the table head snapped up. Shanna gasped and covered her mouth. Lisa mumbles an "oh no" under her breath.

"So you were just going to bring it to me and expect me to sign it with no fight, huh?"

Chris says nothing, but his face is red. You don't wait for a response and walk to your shoes and your bag. Already having everything in there, you slip your shoes on and walk back to Chris.

"Just a heads up, you brought this on yourself."

You whip around and walk to the fireplace. You chuck the papers and envelope in the blaze and turn back to him.

"You can forget about that damn prenup, cause I'm not signing it. As a matter a fact, you don't even have to worry about that because there won't be a chance of us divorcing." You force a smile and clasp your hands together. Lisa and Scott rise from the table panicking.

"Babe, no-"

"Forget the wedding, this engagement and all of it. You can take this fucking ring too." You pry the ring off your fingers and throw it at him. It hits his chest and falls at his feet.

"I'm not marrying you."

You turn on your heel, grab your purse and jacket, walking out the door, leaving the Evans' speechless.

Was this too dramatic? I have my own opinions on a prenup, but maybe it's not as big as it seems? Idk🥴.

masterlist

#cevans #chris evans #avengers #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans x reader #andy barber smut #steve rogers smut #captain america #chris evans fluff #chris evans smut

[norahastuff]

penny for your thoughts on salmondean codependency ?

Sure. Fair warning it’s long (was longer but I stopped myself.)

I think it’s complicated in a show that’s had so many different showrunners because they’ve all handled Sam and Dean’s relationship very differently. In Kripke’s era (s1-5) there was a romanticization of the bond. Sure there was a lot of in-depth exploration of how they wound up at the place they were at, spoiler alert: it was all because of John and his obsessive crusade to find the demon that killed his wife. That’s all he cared about and as a result, Sam and Dean had to be everything to each other. But Kripke had no intention of dismantling that at any point because he was (and always had been) writing a tragedy. Gamble continued that too. There was no room for anyone else in their lives and it would always just be the two of them against the world. So Cas had to go. Bobby had to go.

(Actually, it's funny because Gamble didn't intend this at the time, her plan was to kill Cas off, but by Edlund creating the masterpiece that is The Man Who Would Be King, he not only saved Cas from being seen as a villain, but he also deepened Dean and Cas' relationship in such a profound way and inextricably linked the two of them emotionally. And since Cas was eventually brought back, that laid the foundation for a lot of what their relationship would become.)

Up until this point, there hadn’t really been any significant dismantling of perhaps the more unhealthy parts of Sam and Dean’s relationship. Enter Carver. He stripped things down and started to explore what drove these characters. What they wanted and why they couldn’t have it. It starts with Dean being mad at Sam for not looking for him in purgatory, which sets up the whole speech in the s8 finale of Sam’s guilt about letting Dean down, but the thing is, Dean was never honest with Sam about his year away either. He never told Sam he could have gotten out much sooner if he hadn’t stayed to find Cas. I mean Dean had assumed Sam was up there alone doing God knows what to try to bring him back, and yet still he stayed in Purgatory because things were clear there. He needed Cas. Anyway, I just find that interesting, but Cas isn’t a victim of Sam and Dean’s relationship in s8.

Who gets the honour of being cast aside? That would be Benny and Amelia, two characters they introduced in s8 specifically to highlight that Sam and Dean’s relationship doesn’t allow for anyone else to be a significant part of their life. I mean that’s nothing new, we’ve watched that happen many times before. Lisa even said as much to Dean. The thing is this time? It’s framed as a truly sad thing. That moment at the end of 8x10 when Dean has just ended things with Benny and Sam leaves Amelia, and they’re sitting alone drinking beer and watching tv is such a hollow empty moment. This is not what they want. But it’s the way things have to be.

I’m actually fascinated by Sam and Dean’s conversation in the church in the s8 finale. Not so much Dean’s assertion that there is no one else he would put before Sam, but more so what provokes it, which is Sam saying “who are you going to turn to instead of me. Another angel? Another vampire?” See the thing is Dean saying he would always put Sam first is not news. We know this and it’s not really an unhealthy statement in itself either. A lot of people would put their sibling above anything else, not less a sibling who you raised and is the most important person to you. But in this context? After what Sam said? It just highlights how unhealthy they are if Sam believes that Dean having other people in his life means he doesn’t love him enough. That he’s a disappointment to him. That’s so profoundly fucked up.

(Note, Dean tells Sam that he killed Benny for him but he doesn’t say anything about Cas. I think like I said before, this is because Cas and Dean’s relationship has largely existed out of the Sam and Dean stuff up to this point - Sam and Cas don’t even really have much of a relationship yet besides both of their connections to Dean.)

And then from here, things start getting steadily worse. But we also keep being shown how bad they are. Dean lying to Sam, taking away his free will by letting Gadreel possess him. Dean sending Cas away, Kevin dying. It’s all awful. The whole “there ain’t no me if there ain’t no you line” from 9x01 isn’t really said by Dean, it’s Gadreel, but that is how Dean feels. He does think that’s all he’s good for. And over the season we’re shown how much of himself and what he truly wants he’s had to give up because of his ingrained “Save Sammy” and “Sammy comes first” mentality. It’s always been this way for him. In 9x07 we see that he had found a happy home, a good father figure, and his first love, a first love might I add that he had to leave behind with no real explanation because Sam needed him, and Sam comes first.

I mean just one episode earlier we had him rushing out the door elated about seeing Cas and spending time with him, only for their time together to come to sad and melancholic end when Dean once again leaves Cas behind without any real explanation, because despite what he wants Sammy comes first. What he wants doesn’t matter.

See I think after the Gadreel stuff comes out is where the narrative starts to get a little wonky for me. You can clearly see that this was intended to be a shorter story that they ended up stretching out to a much longer one because of renewals. There’s also the fact that this is a formula show so they can’t necessarily be separated for longer than an episode or two. S10 is a rough one to get through at times, I think the themes still mostly hold up but it’s a rough one to get through.

S10 highlights all the connections that Dean has, Cas, Charlie, Crowley even, but Sam doesn’t really have those bonds in the same way.  For Sam it’s just Dean, so he goes down a reckless destructive “do anything to save Dean!” path and so many innocents pay the price, and ultimately with the release of The Darkness, the whole world.

They skirted right up to the edge of exploring just how toxic and dangerous their relationship had become in the season 10 finale.

DEAN: I let Rudy die. How was that not evil? I know what I am, Sam. But who were you when you drove that man to sell his soul... Or when you bullied Charlie into getting herself killed? And to what end? A..a good end? A just end? To remove the Mark no matter what the consequences? Sam, how is that not evil? I have this thing on my arm, and you're willing to let the Darkness into the world.

I can’t say evil is the right word, they were never evil, but they were wilfully blind to everything and everyone else when it came to saving each other. S10 tested my love for the show because after watching it, because there was certainly a feeling that the two of them had become the villains of this story. And don’t get me wrong, I didn’t have a problem with that, it’s just after 2 seasons of this I can’t say I had a lot of faith that this was going to be properly addressed or if we were going to keep going in circles around it. Keep being shown, it’s bad and then nothing much being done to fix it. Your mileage may vary on how it was handled, but I think s11 did a relatively ok job considering it wasn’t the end of the story, and the show needed to keep going.

See from Dean’s side a lot of the codependency rests on 1. His father’s orders to always save Sammy 2. His low self-esteem where he sees himself as nothing but a blunt instrument. 3. His guilt at not being able to perfectly fulfil every familial role in Sam’s life 4. His belief that no one could choose to love him but family has to love you. 5. The unhealthy example of what it should look like to love someone that he got from John. You give up everything but them.

For Sam (and honestly it��s not as clear for me as Dean’s side is so feel free to correct me/disagree on this) 1. Everytime he’s tried to leave and create his own life it’s never ended well. 2. His guilt over wanting freedom and a normal life when he was younger (I’m referring specifically to Stanford era here) 3. His guilt over everything Dean has given up for him. 4. John. 5. Jess.

Ultimately it all comes down to isolation. They both had to be everything to each other, and the deeper they got into this fight, the more people that they lost, the tighter they clung to this notion of family and brothers. I think s11 (and 11x23 in particular) was an important turning point, both for Sam and Dean’s relationship, as well as for them as individuals. Because they weren’t alone there anymore. Cas was there. Sam let Dean walk to his death. Of course, it would devastate him, but he knew it was what had to be done. And he didn’t walk out of that bar and go back to the bunker alone. He had Cas, he had someone who cared about him and wanted to help him and talk to him. Sure Dean asked Cas to take care of Sam for him (you know after Cas offered to walk to his death with him) but Sam let him. He let him be there for him. We didn’t get to see much before the BMOL showed up and blasted Cas away, but still, we saw enough.

I think that’s a significant difference to note why their relationship was different in the Dabb era. It wasn’t just them anymore. Cas was an important member of their family and given a level of importance he’d never been given before and couldn’t have been when the story they were telling was of the dangers of their codependency. Mary was back. Eventually, Jack would become a part of their unit too. Just the two of them wasn’t enough for them anymore. This is made abundantly clear with all of Dean’s desperate attempts to get Cas to stay in s12, followed by his inability to keep going when they lose Cas and Mary in s13. Similarly, Sam really struggles when they lose Jack and fail to get Mary back later in the season.

Another big moment is Dean letting Sam go alone to lead the hunters against the BMOL in 12x22 while he stays back to try and reach Mary. Like he tells Mary, he’s had to be a brother, a father and a mother to Sam and he never stopped seeing him as his kid, but in that moment he makes a choice. He lets Sam take charge and he shows that he trusts him and believes in him. He knows he can handle it.

Sometimes it’s not even a character growth thing. Sometimes having other people there stops you from making destructive choices even though that’s still your first instinct. I’m thinking specifically of 13x21 after Sam was killed. Dean would have run headlong into that nest of vampires and got himself torn apart, but Cas was there to stop him. He was able to make him see reason.

Basically, I think that for a long time, they thought the only relationship they could have was each other, which then became a self-fulfilling prophecy because their desperate attempts to keep each other around led to them losing the people around them. They eventually started to learn that that wasn’t true, they could have more, they were allowed to want more, and that it wasn’t an either-or situation. Dean didn’t have to choose between Sam and Cas. They didn’t have to choose between each other or Jack. The same goes for Mary. Different relationships can coexist without threatening each other, and not say that their relationship in s12-15 was all smooth sailing, but it was certainly so very different from everything that came before.

(There’s maybe a point to be made about how they didn’t have anyone or anything in the finale and how that relates to the story we got, but honestly I have no idea what the intention was with any of the choices made in that episode so I’ll leave it at that for now.)

#asks #winchester brothers #my spn thoughts #long post for ts #Anonymous #spn meta

[omiscurls]

hi!! could i request a diluc x fem!reader angst where they were childhood friends, and when reader gets a fiancé, diluc tries to confess his feelings but reader rejects him, gets married and moves from mondstat, and every now and then diluc sends reader letters (apologizing, asking how readers day was, hoping they come back). thanks!

unrequited

plot: reader rejects the character

contains: diluc

warnings: angsty and like one curse word, that’s all

diluc was a cute kid.

as the heir to one of the most wealthy and powerful families in mondstadt, he was polite not only to his senior, but also incredibly nice to his friends, as well. different that most boys his age, he didn’t go around yelling dumb, inappropriate jokes, and didn’t take pride in making girls feel bad.

he was always sweet to those doing worse than him in class, be it theory or sparring, and acted like an absolute saint to his adopted brother.

naturally, how could one not adore a kid like that? how could the mondstadt girls not line up to see him each time, how could the boys not want to play with him? how could anyone resist, when he had that charm to him that seemed to draw people near almost against their free will?

finally, how could you not take pride in the fact that out of all those over-the-top girls who fought over each other to talk to him, out of all those boys that never failed to bug him in each little scrap of his free time, he chose to try and get close to you?

you didn’t understand it at first, but it seemed like he genuinely wanted to know you, his eyes looking as though they were studying your expression at all times, a warm smile welcoming you each time you passed him by.

his words were careful and his sentences always strained, as if he struggled to talk, but a sense of honesty and genuine sympathy always seeped through his words, confusing your little childish brain, but also forming a warm and fuzzy feeling inside your chest. 

over the years, not only did you finally answer to his advances, but also befriend the kid. his rare smiles were reserved for your eyes only, and his mind opened up before you each and every time you talked, no restrain and limitations between you two. 

he’d sit behind you in class, sometimes passing you notes with an answer to questions you didn’t know, or a funny note about the teacher, or just simply asking if you want to hang out after school. 

you’d go to windrise and sit under the tree, talking for hours about the most useless of things, about what you thought the clouds looked like, but also your futures, your dreams and hopes. 

he’d explain math to you before every exam in the dark rooms of dawn winery, hair pulled up and tea made for the both of you, looking at your struggling with unmistakable patience and affection, but what could you know? you were kids, barely even teenagers. why would you think anything of the way he said he’ll “always be there for you” after some simple math tutoring? how could you analyze his kind stare that you never saw him wear for other people? 

and so you didn’t. 

he’d sit with you on the counter of his kitchen, carefully caressing your back as you wet his shirt with tears, quietly telling you that “they didn’t deserve you anyway” after your first ever heartbreak. to hell with the fact that his own heart was breaking a millimetre more with every word he spoke, if what he said calmed you in any way, he’d talk all night, going on and on about how you deserve the world, and nothing less. 

you held his hand at his fathers memorial service, letting him tighten his grip on your fingers harder every time, you wiped away the tears, you listen to his sobs and pleas when the two of you were alone. you offered solace to him over the next painful months, you justified every word he hurt kaeya with, only to make him feel better about himself. 

to him, you were like an angel sent from above. you restored the faith he had lost in the world, you stuck by his side and lighted up his days one after the other, how could he not adore you?

how could he not fall in love? 

and trust when i say, he did really try to avoid it. he tried pushing his thoughts away, he tried focusing on something else, tried avoiding you, tried everything. no matter what he did, his mind circled back to your smile, and unconsciously he smiled as well, even if the next second he’d look in the mirror and wipe it off his face as if it was a crime to smile. 

diluc was a cute kid, and he grew up to be a polite gentleman, whom you called a friend. and as any polite gentleman, he wouldn’t dare do anything to loose the honor you had given him, so he stayed silent. stayed silent since his in-class notes, through talks about the future, through your breakups, through all the times you had been there for him. in no universe would he ever mention how the weight was lifted off his shoulders every time you as much as looked his way, how all the clouds went away at the sound of your laugh, and how he was ready to do anything in the world to keep you happy. 

somewhere in his mind, perhaps he thought you had somehow known all along, and would reward his efforts to not complicate your life with his emotions with loving him back, but how could you know? how, if he kept it a secret that well? 

in the end, his own plan backfired on him, and he realized he had lost when you ran through his door, tears in your eyes, but a smile on your face, showing off a ring, shining in sunlight, resting on your finger.

if he ever thought “they didn’t deserve you” hurt him, “i’m so happy for you!” stabbed his soul a thousand times more painfully. 

to normal people of mondstadt, there was no change in behavior from the gloomy and serious owner of angel’s share, but a few noticed how heavy his presence was, how desperately he blinked back the sheen layer of tears, glistening in the candle light while he was serving drinks, and you were off somewhere in the back, laughing with your lover by your side. 

he had lost his chance, and now there was no way in which he could get you back. no way at all. all his life, he had built up a hope inside that one of these days, he’ll get a happy ever after, and lived with that thought through all the bad moments that came along the way, and now these years of carefully building this scenario came crushing down with the realization. 

in a desperate search of any relief, he came to the conclusion that the only thing to be even remotely at peace with himself was to... simply just tell you. 

so there he was, right outside your door, the watch on his wrist striking ten in the evening, stars shining brightly on your doorstep, as you appeared before him, merely a nightgown shielding you from the cold air of the night, a soft smile adoring your lips from the moment you realized it was him. 

“diluc? what’re you doing here this late?” you said, grabbing a coat from behind the door and closing it behind you. a foolish hope sprung inside him when you joined him outside, as he stared at you with a little grin, working up the courage to speak up. 

“there’s something i wish to tell you about” he merely whispered, gesturing you to come with him.

the walk to windrise was longer than the ones you remembered from your childhood days, and the sharp air nibbled on your skin mercilessly, to the point your legs hurt a bit when you reached the tree.

diluc turned your way and spoke for the first time in what felt like forever, but was thirty minutes.

“i hoped not to burden you with the secret i’ll share with you now, and i’m sorry for whatever bad outcome it might cause, but… truth is, i can’t keep it to myself anymore, and if i want to have some peace for myself, i have to trouble you with it.” he said quietly, settling worry in your gut.

“you can tell me anything” you assured calmly “your secrets are always safe with me”

he took one last look into your caring eyes, feeling a little better just having you smile at him, and took a breath before spilling.

“i might’ve been in love with you for the last ten years” he said calmly “and i know this is hardly the time, i really do, but i just-“

“what?”

you looked at him in surprise, blood audibly pumping through your veins as you tried to comprehend what he just said.

“i do understand that you’re engaged, but-“

“do you? do you, really?” you said bitterly, making his heart sink in regret. “because to me it seems like i waited for you all those years, i hoped, and i prayed, and i wished, and after i finally, finally gave up, you decide to mess with my emotions right when i thought i had them figured out?”

diluc was stunned. so you felt the same way about him, once? he could’ve had all he hoped for? he didn’t even comprehend the rest of your sentence fully, focusing on how you just admitted to having feelings for him somewhen in the past.

“no, i’m not trying to mess with you, I’m-“

“but you are! honestly, diluc, i knew you were somewhat insensitive, but this is blatantly cruel! what- i don’t- why didn’t you say this to me earlier?”

“i wish i did, but to me it seemed like you were always chasing someone else, and i didn’t want to-“

“bother me? is that it? you didn’t want to bother me so now you decided to try and mess with my relationship? god, i- i need to be alone right now. sorry.”

and with that you were out of your usual childhood spot, leaving him alone under the tree that shared both of your secrets and plans for so long.

a longing stare pierced through your back as you ran back to mondstadt, not going home right away, but trying to find a spot where nobody would find you.

“fuck” he muttered. he was familiar with the feeling of loss, but the fact that it was nobody’s fault but his own made it a hundred times worse.

diluc was a cute child, and grew up to be a polite gentleman. so he was there to apologize to you on countless occasions, ready to beg forgiveness for his recklessness and lack of thought, but you were never there to hear his pleas.

and so it went on, a huge wedding covered the streets of mondstadt in white while he stood in the sidelines, his friends said goodbye to you as he watched from a safe distance. you left, and so did every remaining proof of his embarrassment.

nevertheless, he sent countless letters, no address on the envelope, save for the name of the city, hoping that one of them would eventually reach you. sorrow and tears almost spilled from the words written in a tidy cursive, but he never had any certainty about wether they reached you or not.

and while he hoped you forgave him,

he knew you didn’t.

#genshin impact #genshin boys #diluc angst #diluc x you #genshin diluc #diluc x reader #diluc ragnvindr #diluc #diluc headcanons #genshin angst #genshin impact angst #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader