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floralovebot · 3 years

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what are ur thoughts... on helia's relationship with masculinity? his earlier wardrobe was softer colors and peasant blouses and his (beautiful, beautiful T^T) hair was kept long. obviously we know that shit slapped even if the show wont acknowledge it now. his look always made him super distinct from the rest of the guys, but i feel like that may have also been an alienizing factor? red fountain is a military school and i promise im not asking for your take on gender roles or toxic masculinity of the entire magic dimension or to write helia a planet and culture and backstory from scratch (unless? 👀, bc your takes are always fascinating), but do you think he was ever taken with that, or felt subject to other's opinions on that sort of thing? has he always been comfortable with his presentation, or did he have any clumsy teenage overcompensating? if the latter, would you say leaving red fountain helped him come to terms with that or reinvent himself to his tastes? or maybe had him overcorrecting in the opposite direction, to distance himself from the red fountain lifestyle as well as account for his two haircuts and more traditionally masculine style later on?

anon i'm in love with you.

I have so many thoughts about Helia's overall aesthetic (and some about his concept designs heheh) but I won't get into all of them since that would make this way too long. To be honest, within canon we don't know a lot about Helia's personal thoughts about Red Fountain or the culture surrounding it and other military/paramilitary establishments. While this does make it harder for people to give him a solid characterization, it actually makes a lot of sense considering how quiet he is in terms of his own thoughts on things. We have random tidbits and rumors from other characters but almost nothing from him.

When it comes to his looks in canon, honestly I don't think it would ever be an issue. While long hair on men is stigmatized in real life, in Winx Club it's not that big of a deal, in fact, it's pretty normal. We see multiple male characters with long hair and not typically considered masculine wardrobes. Saladin, Palladium, Avalon, Valtor, and even background Specialists are just a few examples. Longer hair on men is a normal thing throughout all of the planets and only seems to be weird on Earth (ie Sky and Helia cutting their hair to blend in). While I do have a lot of thoughts on Helia's hair, I really doubt it was ever an issue in canon. It's only an area of topic in the fandom due to a couple of things that don't factor into canon (such as men having long hair being stigmatized in real life or the rumors that Helia was originally a female character [with absolutely no proof of that besides his long hair and slightly more feminine looking face]).

I think when it comes to Helia feeling out of place, it would likely have more to do with his personal interests, aka art, and not necessarily wanting to be a Specialist. Contrary to fanon, Helia likes being a Specialist and we know he respects Saladin and Red Fountain as a whole. Him leaving was largely due to being more interested in art than the "family business" so to speak. It's shown multiple times in canon that Helia feels a lot of pressure from being related to Saladin and that his own actions and opinions affect both Saladin and the school (which says a lot about how the Magix Dimension feels about families and relations). His back and forth between being a Specialist and being an artist have to do with him not wanting to disappoint Saladin or affect his image in a negative way.

We do know that other Specialists and people outside of the school have opinions about him and what he does but we don't actually know how he feels about that or how he deals with it. It gets brought up quite a few times; random people who aren't close to him talking shit for no reason (Brandon in ep.8, Riven multiple times in the comics, other random specialists, etc), and yet, Helia's own feelings about the matter never get revealed. Again, I think this plays into how quiet he is about his own emotions, not wanting to start shit or get into a fight that could later damage Red Fountain's image.

In that way, you could say Helia deals with some amount of rejecting masculinity, but personally, I think his actions have more to do with feeling like he needs to have a "good" image because of his familial relations. Helia doesn't start conflict, he doesn't push things or engage in arguments, he's extremely conscious about how his actions affect Saladin and the school (he even uses this to his advantage in the Shaab Stone arc). We don't know the extent of how much people talk about him, behind his back or to his face, and we don't the extent of how much it affects him.

Personally, I think Helia is conscious enough to have dealt with toxic masculinity, specifically trying to get away with it, earlier in his life. While Red Fountain is a paramilitary school, it's shown explicitly that they don't tolerate that attitude and try to knock it out of any boy that enters (aka don't start dumb fights, don't insult your teammates, don't do dumb shit to prove your worth, etc). The only reason the main boys managed to stay in the school is that they're canonically the best students and Codatorta believed in them (also cause yknow,, they're the love interests).

While the Magix Dimension definitely has some degree of toxic masculinity, Helia in particular mostly battles with toxic perfectionism and family legacy. He's not consciously or subconsciously trying to be the ideal version of a man nor does he base his life or opinions of himself on that. Helia tries to be the perfect Specialist and the perfect grandson. He tries to be the perfect student in a school that's largely associated with the best soldiers in the universe and that's also run by his grandpa, while also dealing with his own actions and opinions affecting the image of said grandpa and school. So honestly, no, I don't think Helia particularly gets affected by masculinity, toxic or otherwise, and I don't think any of his actions in canon could be led by it. However, I do think he's in an awkward situation and tries too hard to live up to other people's (and his own) expectations of him and that some of those expectations can run into the "ideal" version of masculinity (such as Brandon saying "he doesn't like to get his hands dirty" as an insult).

While I do love the idea of Helia going through a little teenage rebellion and him going to art school being a result of that, in canon, it's partially implied that he really didn't change. Saladin sees him as the same person and the specialists recognize who he is. There is no "whomst the fuck are you" kind of moment with any of the characters. This is more implied by canon than directly shown but, I do think that Helia was one of those people who had to mature quickly as a kid. And that him leaving Red Fountain multiple times is mostly him trying to get away from those expectations. We see this theme with multiple characters so I don't think it's a wild conclusion.

When it comes to his haircuts and different aesthetics, I think that's mainly Rainbow mucking things up. His aesthetic change in S4 is so they can blend in, it's not him being himself. Even when their identities get revealed and everyone knows they aren't from Earth, they're still trying to fit in and live within that Earth culture. His changes in the later seasons are largely due to Nickelodeon not understanding the characters and just wanting a group of masculine soldier dudes.

Unpopular opinion but: I think a better way of showing how out of their element the specialists were in S4, would actually be to cut Helia's hair super short, not just the uneven shreds he got, and then have him grow it out through the season (maybe even magically like they did with Musa) to show that they're chill on Earth and people aren't scared of them. Is this an excuse for me to imagine him with a wolf cut? Yes.

#anon.. i have Absolutely written an entire planet backstory and culture for him from scratch #all helia stans do that its the one thing we're good at #alhdglajdhgljad #but anyway.. this got really long sorry aljhgdaljdg #while it is implied that helia isnt fond of people talking about him (who is?)#its also shown that he doesnt let it affect his life or his decisions #him running away from rf is him trying to run away from those familial expectations (and to chase his love of art of course)#wait actually scratch the very last bit imagine riven with a wolf cut #see i like thinking about tecna with a wolf cut too...#at this rate im gonna imagine all of them with a wolf cut...#wolf cuts are too sexy for sky im gatekeeping them from him #aldhgadhglja #answered #anonymous #winx helia #mine.metas #yes this is going in the meta tag 😌

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arsnovacadenza · 4 years

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Lan Wangji, Sir, I’m Sorry

So, today my friend ranted about the changes in NCT Dream and how she feared that SM Entertainment might end up letting go of her favorite Chinese member to the Chinese management forever. It leads to us talking about weird marketing directions and the resulting alienation of the non-Chinese fans.

In the middle of that conversation, I found myself coming back to that time when I criticized the danmei’s characterization of Lan Wangji and his romantic plot with WWX up to chp. 59. Needless to say, the reactions I got were rather…..curious to say the least (more on that later).

After that painful trip down the memory lane, I decided to sit down and put into words what was it that made me stray away from Lan Wangji as a character and eventually the MDZS fandom as a whole. Now after some thought and seeing the matter through new perspectives, I’m ready to put this case to rest.

After some time away from the fandom, I began to watch the first season of the donghua, which, surprisingly endeared me to Lan Wangji’s character. It shows that, on his own, Lan Wangji actually has the potential to be a solid, complex, and relatable character (which, in my opinon, was in no small part thanks to the animation team, the show’s writers, and his outstanding voice actor). Therefore, I conclude that my troubled impression of Lan Wangji of the novels may have stemmed from factors related to the writing style (since the POV is exclusively Wang Wuxian’s) and other stuff lost in translation (although Exiled Rebels Scans’ translation was nothing but excellent), and me just being more interested in Wei Wuxian’s platonic relationships with other characters.

In any case, I understand that other fans find Lan Wangji (in any incarnation) an appealing character and a good romantic lead for Wei Wuxian. I respect their opinions because everybody deserves to be part of the fandom despite having different opinions.

But marketing-approved fandoms are where opinions and healthy discussions go to die. Especially if the producers or creators make demographic-pandering decisions that alienate portions of their fanbase. Especially if said creators micromanage what their own fans can and cannot produce (even ships, apparently).

And everything is made worse when the majority endorses their behavior and overtakes nearly the entire fandom by driving away other camps that voice objections to those decisions. Meanwhile, the creators continue to shower fans with loads of fanservice dedicated to the remaining demographic. What results is a symbiosis that not only alienates part of their audience but also ensures that newcomers from different demographics will never feel comfortable within the fandom.

That, my friends, is my impression of the MDZS fandom —now entirely converted to WangXian hell. And my plunge into the SVSS fandom further confirms that.

You see, I’ve been following SVSS fan artists on Instagram and while they do make MDZS art once in a while, I never follow artists or artwork-stealing fan accounts that exclusively post MDZS content. Still, this doesn’t keep Instagram algorithms from flooding my explore tab with WangXian pictures and nothing else, aside from the occasional Jiang Cheng or Jing Lin fanart. Thankfully, the whole thing died down a bit once the donghua’s second season and The Untamed drama came out (not gonna lie, I’m thankful for C-Drama and x nine fans suddenly getting involved in the fandom and making Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo content).

Last year, out of curiosity, I looked around Youtube for MDZS video essays and came back empty-handed. While there are plenty of review videos, the most views they can get is at 95K. Needless to say, I don’t recall ever seeing big-name reviewers specializing in animated series (Gigguk, Mother’s Basement, Saberspark, etc.) pick up the donghua. Which in my opinion is baffling since it made quite a scene among the Japanese BL fandom. And then I realized something.

To sum up what I feel about the MDZS donghua’s marketing as a foreigner: it’s a BL work made for MXTX’s loyal fujo fanbase. Not the Chinese-speaking or BL fans, mind you, just MXTX’s fujo fanbase.

The post I made (which mostly addressed my problems with LWJ’s characterization up to chapter 59) led to an interesting exchange with a Vietnamese fan who attempted to refute my opinions but couldn’t because of potential spoilers. I should probably chalk it up to the misfortune of reading slow-burn romance novels (which MDZS supposedly is) with untranslated chapters, but all direct responses to my post were all from people who share the same ideas, among them a fan who has read the novel from start to finish.

To date, no one has ever approached me directly via DMs or reblogs in the defense of Lan Wang Ji’s characterization. It could be that my post is just too irrelevant to warrant replies or reblogs by other fans, but it sure didn’t stop people from making passive-aggressive posts that in no way address the points made by me or other LWJ critics directly.

See, this is where the author-endorsed hive mind mentality rears its ugly head. As someone who didn’t immediately buy Lan Wangji’s setup as the romantic lead found it baffling at how quickly the English-speaking fans embraced him as the perfect Seme without question. It doesn’t help that we get bombarded by promotional pictures that fans quickly translate as Wangxian fanservice.

To be fair, the English fandom is directly influenced by English and Vietnamese speaking fandoms and the official materials they translate. However, I can’t accuse them of deliberately concealing information and refusing to translate promotional materials unrelated to Wangxian, because there are little to none, apparently. Which brings us to the bigger problem at hand.

Now, I don’t know if the donghua on its own has exploded outside of Weibo or Twitter (do tell me if you know), but it certainly doesn’t circulate well enough to be picked up by foreign audiences with no prior interest in BL, which is strange because the Donghua itself doesn’t contain the same amount of homoerotic elements, unlike the novels. It could be that Tencent is trying to protect its reputation to avoid association with a novel that is sure to put them in trouble with the Chinese government.

But why wouldn’t it garner a cult following outside of China, especially with more and more people embracing same-sex relationships in media regardless of whether or not they’re hardcore BL fans? While I understand that Western fans may have trouble accepting some aspects of MXTX’s depiction of same-sex relationships, I think that everyone can still have a good time and make great content together while respecting each person’s preferences and values—

Oh.

Well, my friend, to quote Anita Sarkeesian:

In case you mistake me didn’t get my point, the problem is not about the acceptability of MXTX’s depiction of her couples by Western fans, it’s her fans (Western, Eastern, what have you) that’s censoring discussions brought up by other fans and then deeming said fans unfit to stay in the fandom.

Funnily enough, people in the SVSS fandom do frequently point out things they don’t like with the main pairing or the characters themselves without facing repercussions from fellow SVSS fans. I also never hear anything about TGCF fans being banned from shipping non-canon pairings. CMIIW though.

So, to sum things up, I find the MDZS fandom uncomfortable due to MXTX and her fans acting like inquisitors whenever somebody critiques her work or simply pointing out things they simply don’t sit well with.

Cry all you want about me not being able to comprehend MXTX Chinese values and writing style, but I’ll have you know that I’m part of the SVSS fandom where everybody acknowledges that some parts aren’t for everyone due to language barriers and cultural dissonance and that’s FINE.

Ex-MDZS enthusiast signing out.

#mo dao zu shi #mdzs fandom #lan wang ji #lan zhan #danmei #also whatever your response to this post I won't ever try to be part of the MDZS fandom again #I'll probably consider rewatching the donghua and that's it #or move on to TGCF #or hell just return to reading sha po lang #check it out guys it's awesome

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analyzingrhink-blog · 7 years

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Analyzing Rhink - The kiss that started it all

Introduction to the madness/discussions

In discussing our head canons for these two amazing men, and their epic love for each other, we talked about when we thought their relationship changed from epic soulmates to soul mates who fuck.

After a very loooong ass discussion, where we flailed incoherently for 28 pages, we came to the same conclusion: The romantic/sexual side of their relationship is only a very recent thing. We don't think they’ve been sleeping together for years. We pinpointed the beginning of “something more” to the News Musical: Wedding Fail episode, better known as the Newsical-kiss, Plexi-kiss or the kiss that nearly killed the Rhink fandom.

We believe that the aftermath of the plexi-kiss showed them a side to their relationship that was previously, completely unexplored. This got them thinking, questioning what was between them. It made them realize feelings that they a) didn’t know they had and b) didn’t know how to deal with. Unfortunately, Rhett and Link didn’t kiss through the plexi-glass and ride off into the sunset. We think the aftermath of the plexi-kiss led to more denial and a great deal of angst. The plexi-kiss was a catalyst and where the change in their relationship began.

We invite you relax, take a seat and listen to our theory of how the plexi-kiss punched Rhett and Link in the face with feels.

So let's talk about that.

Our theory: Or better known as Plexi-gate

We share the headcanon that Rhett and Link didn’t progress their relationship until much, much later in life. Because it took that long to acknowledge and understand themselves.

These two men clearly share a relationship that transcends anything you could call ‘best friends’. They’ve been friends for 30+ years. And after all this time, they still adore each other, want to spend all their time together and genuinely care and love each other.

originally posted by mclaughneal

They couldn’t imagine their lives apart, so they went to the same university and took the same courses. And when Rhett wanted to move and pursue his dream, Link didn’t hesitate to follow him. Because Link couldn’t live in a world where he didn’t have Rhett in his life everyday. And if for some reason Link couldn’t go with Rhett, Rhett wouldn’t have left. Because he couldn’t live without Link.

How do two people who love each other so much -who are beyond just best friends, bordering on soul mates - take so long to realize they are in love with each other and finally do something about it?

To understand that. You need to first look at where they came from.

Rhett and Link’s Background: Buies Creek, North Carolina

Not only was the world a much less accepting place forty years ago, they came from a small town in southern USA. Rhett and Link were raised in an environment where having feelings for a man wasn’t just wrong, it wasn’t even on their radar. Some people may or may not understand this, but when you're raised in a very strict Christian homophobic household, bisexual people can deny an entire side of themselves. So much so, that it makes it hard to notice when they having feelings for the same sex, especially if they fall in love with someone of the opposite gender, because it can feel natural.. But there is in fact a side of yourself that is being denied because you were taught it was wrong.

Which is why we think they hadn’t really even thought about each other that way, fleetingly if at all.

The move to CA

So you may ask why did it take Rhett and Link so long to ‘get it together?’ It takes quite a bit of time to unlearn deeply ingrained ideas taught to us when we are young.

We believe that a huge changing agent for Rhett and Link was the move to CA. Before that, we don't think they would have had the exposure to the world outside of small town NC and outside of conservative Christian ideals that allow them to think of each other in non platonic ways.

The move to CA also came at a time when their Internetainment careers were beginning to skyrocket, and their new working relationship was becoming legitimate. New dynamics such as that can really change something in a relationship.

There’s a higher level of trust involved in committing to a move and partnership that big too. By moving to CA and forming a company they effectively put the fate of their careers, finances and ultimately their families in each other's hands.

Even with all this happening, it still took some time. Its believable that it took many years on top of the change of location, exposure to new people and ideas and definitely their age and developing relational dynamics to open their minds to new and startling possibilities.

Without all these factors lining up in the proper way, Rhett and Link may not have ever realized that this is the kind of thing that they could have. Their background and the ideals they grew up with would not allow it.

It's rather heartbreaking to think that they could have been loving each other for many years, and not ever realizing what it was because of their upbringing.

What caused the kiss?

Honesty, this kiss does not seem preplanned. It was not a ploy to see how far they could push each other or to reveal secret feelings at this time. Rhett and Link were just following the natural progression of the story and following each others’ lead. They were just going with it, like they always do.

The story didn’t call for a kiss through a prison glass. We’re sure the plexi-glass was just a prop, same as the wig. But these two clever cupcakes, who regularly pull hilarious and entertaining things at whim, were just following their creativity.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

As you can see in the above gif, it’s Rhett who asked Link to kiss him through the glass and Link didn’t even hesitate. These two have been bouncing ideas off each other their entire lives. One throws something at the other, who bats it back and fills in any gaps along the way.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

This easy and almost second nature reactivity to each other is what makes them so successful.

But it also means that they often don't think too hard about something before doing it. Because they trust each other so completely and aren’t afraid to take the jump. You can see that they in the moment and totally engrossed in their characters.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

In the above gif, you can see that Link was working off of Rhetts cues. He is so lost in in the progression of the scene and the character that he even kissed the glass a second time, after Rhett had pulled away. Link’s brain certainly was not in the driver’s seat, as all his actions indicate that he was responding to Rhett’s direction. This has always been their dynamic, Rhett asks and Link follows.

Link was not the only perpetrator of thoughtlessness. It is clear that they both weren’t thinking about what they were doing, which is why this was such an important event. They didn’t think about how they would feel after, they didn’t think at all. Neither realized that “Oh, this may be weird. Rhett just asked me to kiss him.”

This scene certainly affected them both in a significant way that they didn’t even consider. And it is evident how much it did affect them by their body language towards each other afterwards.

Link’s Reactions and Body Language

Originally posted by graveyard-whistler

originally posted by silentbelvedere

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

To fully understand the impact this kiss had on Link, we need to understand the man. Link tends to live in a world where his emotions are out in the open and he finds it difficult, nay impossible to shut these feelings down. Everything about Link is a bundle of expression, with his hands moving, eyebrows waggling all over the place and his blue eyes sparkling with his thoughts. The man wears his heart on his sleeve and has no brain to mouth filter. It's not hard at all to work out what's going on in his brain.

Therefore, his face and body language are a clear indicator of the wide array of emotions he was experiencing the moment his lips left Rhett’s.

Link’s resulting reaction to the kiss was very telling. His feelings were all over his face and it seems like he had been hit by a truck. By observing Link’s body language and facial features, it can be concluded that it wasn’t embarrassment he was feeling, if you look closely Link’s face is one of complete shock.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

His eyes are wide, his face is flushed and he is breathing heavily, his chest visibly heaving. Link doesn’t seem like he can move, his body is frozen and he can’t even look away from the camera.

Also Link, not being one that can keep his mouth shut, says EXACTLY how he feels.

“Oh Goodness”

“I don't know what to say at this point”

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

We know you don’t Link. Because you look like you’ve been hit in the face with a realization hammer.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

As the video progresses, Rhett appears to be pushing forward, while Link is still stuck in the moment of the kiss. It is apparent that Link is still stunned judging by the look on his face and his posture. He still has his hand up to his ear like a telephone as if he can’t even move his body, and if his eyes got any wider, they’d burst out of his head. Link’s mind must have been the equivalent of a squirrel on speed in this moment. You can almost read the thoughts going through his mind just as clearly as if he were speaking them out loud:

“Omg what….what is this?... Why do I feel this way… Why is my heart beating so hard?”

Link is an exceptional actor. We have seen him use a variety of expressions and gestures for the benefit of entertainment. But in this moment, Link has stopped acting. And he certainly isn't reacting like he’s just had another awkward moment on the camera for the benefit of comedy. It was the look of a person who had just received their first kiss from their crush, one they didn’t even know existed. It was like Link had just woken up.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

Yeah Link. We know, wow.

In the above gif, you can see how Link just barely pulls himself back from the brink of hysterical laughter before he finally releases his “grip” on his phone hand. His mind and body are just starting to catch up to one another as he finally lets his arm fall to his side. The two parts of himself are starting to move at the same speed, but it hasn’t diminished the swirling emotions that are still written all over him. From his flushed face to his sighs and mumbling, you can tell he has not fully recovered his composure. It’s like the world is just beginning to come back into focus, but he has not even begun to work out what this all means to himself, to Rhett or their partnership.

Rhett’s Reactions and Body Language

originally posted by thenthekneehits

At first glance, one would say that Rhett was not nearly as impacted by this kiss as Link was. While Link looks like he’s had a visitation by god, Rhett looks like he’s gotten back down to business and moved on.

The significance of Rhett’s reaction is that Rhett tends to play things closer to his chest. Where Link is impetuous and you can see his emotions plainly, Rhett is trapped inside his own mind, which makes him much harder to read. He always seems to be less upset over things, but that is because his emotions stay inside of him, while Link’s flail all over the place.

Rhett is a thoughtful guy.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

And those thoughts tend to stay exactly where they are. A self proclaimed introvert, he is not prone to sharing much of what goes on inside. Revealing too much of his inner workings makes him vulnerable, which makes these obvious feelings that much more powerful. These emotions that he allowed on his face and in his gestures reveal something deep and important and speaks volumes of the propensity of the situation.

So it would be easy to say Rhett was unaffected by the kiss because he was very quick to push away the awkwardness and continue the show like always. The fact of the matter is, Rhett felt the emotion of the kiss acutely. We believe he was going through the same reactions as Link, but experiencing it internally rather than externally.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

As you can see here, Rhett is trying to work out what the hell to do and Link is SO offline that Rhett is basically left to sink or swim on his own.

You can see him trying to work out. What the hell this boy is doing? Is he still in character? Are we still acting?

Rhett keeps looking to the monitor, trying to gauge what Link’s face is doing. Rhett’s still got his phone hand up to his face, because Link has.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

You can see Rhett is thinking so damn hard. His face is twitching, his eyes are looking all over the place and his brain is in overdrive. He is looking to his friend for the next move and is struggling to figure out if this act has gone off the rails or not. There is a moment of recognition when Rhett realizes that Link is no longer acting and that his responses are true to life.

“Yep, okay. I don't think we’re acting anymore. I don't know what Link is saying. Come on Mclaughlin, do something.”

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

And do something he does. He spurs into action.

All the while Link is imploding, his emotions are leaking to the surface while Rhett is focused on halting his internal meltdown, frantic to pick up the pieces and get on with the show. Rhett is aware that he has lost Link, but is incapable of pulling the man back from the space he is in. So in order to deal with the situation, Rhett flies into fix it mode.

Keep it moving, maybe we will fall into step together.

Step by step, Rhett pulls away from the kiss, puts the plexi glass down and starts talking to the camera.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

Despite his efforts to remain calm and keep things chugging along, you can see he is on the precipice of losing all semblance of control, same as Link.

originally posted by rtr-gifs

Rhet has a tell when he’s nervous. We all do. It's generally a self soothing gesture. It doesn’t always mean you’re uncomfortable. But it's definitely something you do when you are.

Rhett is a beard stroker.

originally posted by remembertherandler

Rhett tends to not be a fidgety person when he’s relaxed. He’s not a nervous energy bunny like Link. When he’s chill, he’s chill. When he’s not entirely chill, he might play with his beard, or play with the hair at the back of his neck.

Rhett is in danger mode here, we’ve never seen him move so much. He is the most fidgety fidget man in these gifs. Touching his face, his beard, playing with the wig,and touching his mouth.

While Link has barely moved, Rhett is nearly ready to climb out of his skin.

originally posted by graveyard-whistler

This scene was a rarity for this pair because the way Rhett and Link function is clear. When one fails the other swiftly takes over without a beat. In the case of this unexpected kiss, both brains were taken by surprise and went off kilter.

Link was completely lost and was of no help to Rhett. Rhett struggled to keep everything going, but you can see that he was not only affected by the kiss, he was REALLY affected by Link’s visceral reaction afterwards.

Link, the bouncy energy-bound puppy, had an almost freeze-frame brain malfunction and cool, calm and collected Rhett nearly spiralled himself into the sun.

When usually this duo can just feed off each other almost telepathically, this episode demonstrates that this kiss left them stranded and unable to work out where to go.

Aftermath of Kiss/Why Release the Episode

The aftermath of the kiss is very closely related to the release of the episode. Why would they release an episode, or even just that scene, if it was so damn clear, to god and everyone, that they had a bone-deep reaction to kissing each other? Even through a sheet of plastic.

And that can be answered by a river in Egypt. Denial.

When you don't understand something, something so very profound that it drops you on your head and wrecks everything you thought you knew….well, it's safer just to pretend that it doesn’t exist because the alternative is terrifying and life changing.

Which is why they released the episode. If they didn’t release it, they’d have to acknowledge that there was something wrong with it and that the reactions meant something.

So release it and it just becomes …”Oh hahahah aren’t we funny and stupid!”

If they don’t release it, uncomfortable questions start to arise, questions they weren’t prepared to give life to by answering.

Which leads nicely into the next thought. They definitely did not talk about how this episode made them feel. Which is strange, because being friends for so many years, you would think that they would talk about everything. For as many times as fans have commented on their closeness, you can bet that people that interact with Rhett and Link in their everyday lives have commented on it twice as much. Which begs the question, why lock these emotions in a box and send it down the river?

It was clear that instead of having a open realization, feelings were repressed even further because they both were not ready for it. They weren’t ready for how it made them feel and for how it made them question what they meant to each other. This is the first time they’d been put into a situation where their defenses were down, unwittingly throwing them head first into each other, smashing and shattering the puzzle pieces of their relationship and leaving them to reassemble it.

They were forced to acknowledge what the scene made them feel,but their feelings were only given a cursory glance before they were shoved deep down again, back to where they had emerged from.

They needed time to assemble the puzzle back together, but this was definitely not the time or place. They were different people and just not ready. Time‘s fingers had not reached them and taken hold yet, not allowing them to accept their feelings. They were still stuck in the limbo of self doubt and disbelief.

Because it's one thing to love your best friend. But it's another to want your best friend.

So what happened next?

Denial would only get them so far. It may have worked for them in the past, (which saw them through the “no homo” days of the Kasts) but ignoring a big physical realization like this would only work for a short time. We think the tension between them would have erupted eventually. They would have fought it until they finally acted on how they felt OR at least talked about it openly.

So what happened next? That is another analysis for another time.

Originally posted by mythical-shippings

First things first we have some people to thank. We’ve had some help with this very scientific post.

Thanks to @afangirlsplaylist for her amazing help with editing. After staring at this for as long as we have, it was good to have a second...third? Pair of eyes to see our mistakes. Also she made a few really good points that added to our theories.

Thanks to @remembertherandler for helping us with gif searching and providing us with gifs. I swear girl, I didn’t think I’d ever find that gif. You’re amazing.

Thanks to @graveyard-whistler , @silentbelvedere , @thenthekneehits @mythical-shippings, @mclaughneal for your amazing gifs and pics which helped us illustrate the science.

And lastly, thank you dear and lovely reader! We had a lot of fun writing this. Never have we had so much fun in a fandom, before. Be your mythical best.

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