The fact that Loki spends centuries alone trying to fix the mess Sylvie made only to actually end up alone in the end. The fact that he basically becomes a stranger to Mobius because of it. The fact that even when he wins, he's doomed to lose.
The fact that Mobius can't bear to stay at the TVA once Loki is gone. The fact that he goes to his original timeline to see what Loki is trying to protect. The fact that he has no place there, has no purpose at all anymore. Waits for the spark.
The fact that Sylvie is the only one who gets what she wants. The fact that she doesn't even have to face the consequences of her actions because Loki does it for her. The fact that she gets to be selfish and happy in the end while Loki and Mobius don't.
I should've given an award to Oh No! Here Comes Trouble last year for the red thread of a fate, but Unknown's final episodes just solidified that this WILL be a Colors Award this year.
Because I just really love when the colors color so fucking well.
The red stairs were a character all on their own.
Those red stairs continuously showed they were connected.
And it worked so well since Qian and Yuan were black and white.
So every time the red showed up between them, it was just a reminder of their connection.
And that they were meant to be together.
Because with Yuan, Qian is lighter.
Without him, he is completely dark.
That red street brought them together.
It's where their story began, both as brothers, and as partners.
And it was extended even to San Pang and Lili.
Yuan and Qian's light and dark dynamic was constantly reinforced.
Again and again
And when Yuan told Qian not to be afraid of the cracks because that's where the light comes in, it reinforced the whole purpose of this light and dark dynamic.
In Qian's dark world, Yuan brought light. When Qian thought he was flawed, Yuan showed him he was loved. Where Qian thought he was broken, Yuan healed him.
So for Yuan to say that he thinks Qian's mother brought them together, and for us to always see in her red . . .
In a painful way, Yuan is right. Qian is who he is because of the hurt from his mother. Qian would have never met Yuan, would have never protected Yuan, and would have never loved Yuan the way he had if he hadn't been so adamant to never be his mother.
And because of that, Yuan can return that love to Qian (while they are balanced in similar colors)
AND THE BLACK BRACELET! (Since Qian is color coded black, him giving Yuan his color is so significant, and now Yuan is giving him back all that love!)
The red brought them together.
And now they get to sit there in this soft blinding light of love in their soft pinks being happy and in love with each other!
Take your award, Unknown!
Fucking Taiwan, hurting me twice with this damn red thread.
"i'm burdened with glorious purpose" and "i never wanted the throne, i only ever wanted to be your equal" and "i remember a shadow. living in the shade of your greatness" and "your birthright was to die as a child" and "you were born to cause pain and suffering and death" and "do you think what makes a loki a loki is the fact that we're destined to lose?" and "you are alone and you always will be" and "my life was a waste of time" and "most purpose is more burden than glory" and "how do you live with [the burden]?" "scar tissue" and "no, there's no comfort, you just choose your burden" and "i know what i want, i know what kind of god i need to be, for you" and
its so so insane how dean has like. the huge fanbase he does. he is AWFUL!!!! i love him truly but im known for loving awful characters in fandoms im used to characters who act like him being viciously hated!!! and the only explanation i can think of is that hes played by jensen ackles (aka pretty white man). theres the fact that the narrative favours dean a lot when hes not actually right (a la s4) but thats not just it because dean is pretty clear-cut presesnted as getting morally greyer to the point of antihero territory in like s9 (where im at) at least. and Yet. he is unproblematic ally king to all??? supportive brother of the century??? Girl what???? do you know who dean winchester is? he is a controlling possessive clingy manipulative aggressive unstable thirty five year old who cant grow past his own damage and never really will because the narrative is perpetuated by the cycles he keeps perpetuating
I know I was the one who first put the idea forward, but as soon as you said that @galapathy a certain vision popped into my head...
I hold that Apologies would 100% be your standard "embittered guy beaten down by life sacrifices everything to protect the innocence of tiny girl-child whose heart is as pure as the driven snow..." except that Adeleine is a bit too SILLY to qualify for that last part XD
I really wish there were more fics that delved into how Akutagawa's love for Atsushi is different from his love for Dazai.
Tbh I just wish Akutagawa's romantic feelings for Dazai were acknowledged more and I'm only now realizing it's so weird how nobody really ever brings them up? while it's all so evidently there. I mean, considering Akutagawa to be / having been in love with Dazai is seriously a perfectly feasible, consistent, realistic way to interpret the text without any need to bend or stretch it. It just makes a lot of sense for how his character is portrayed - his obsession with Dazai, his devotion, his desperation to be acknowledged and approved by him - and I think it's quite the important piece to understand his character. His love for Dazai is a significant aspect of Akutagawa's character, and it also explains why he's always been so vulnerable to manipulation by Dazai specifically. In a way, I think Akutagawa being so unmistakingly gay is also coherent with the way he's completely indifferent and even oblivious to Higuchi's feelings for him that lie at the light of the day– although, please note, that's a slippery slope that can degenerate in apologism for the way he abuses her, so I beg to be mindful when considering that.
Akutagawa's feelings for Dazai are in ultimate analysis extremely relevant for how Akutagawa falls and acts in the sskk picture: Atsushi being not the first person Akutagawa ever fell for, so in a way him being more aware of his own feelings than Atsushi is; Akutagawa falling for Atsushi first (and harder), because at this point he already knows he likes men, he already knows what being in love with someone feels like. But at the same time I believe that it's so interesting to explore how his feelings for Dazai are different from what he holds for Atsushi. On one side you have Akutagawa's feelings for Dazai being passive: not in the way he doesn't act after them, of course he does, but in the way he's always passively subject to Dazai's abuse, unable to stand for himself, blinded by his devotion to Dazai and unable to really see the damage he's causing him. Passive in the way that he's created this image of Dazai in his mind, perfect, god-like, static and unnatural, that struggles to evolve and adapt to reality. Akutagawa's love for Atsushi, on the other hand, is aggressive: always actively trying to hurt the other, always attempting to make the other suffer; it really speaks of someone whom, all his life, has always associated love with pain. Akutagawa hurts Atsushi because he knows love means pain, and he hurts Atsushi because he can't allow his love for him to hurt Akutagawa again as deeply and painfully as it's done in the past. It's a little sad. Ultimately, Akutagawa's love for Atsushi being the push Akutagawa needs to get over Dazai at last, something I fear he never really managed to do up to - I believe - at least chapter 53: getting over Dazai as something he gradually achieved after the soul-searching he did during his absence between chapters 53 and 84. Chapter 84 being the one where Akutagawa willingly, readily said “no” to Dazai in a way that was so sudden and surprising for anyone who knows him and that is easy to interpret as Akutagawa finally starting to free himself from the influence Dazai has had on him up to that point. That's why Akutagawa's sacrifice for Atsushi is all the more important and poignant, because him protecting (and dying for) Atsushi was never for Dazai to begin with.
I always always considered Akutagawa being gay and in love with Dazai to be like. the most evidently queer thing the bsd canon has to offer (and maybe the “you know the reason yourself don't you”, but I guess that falls under the bigger category of “Ryuunosuke Akutagawa is a character that is gay”); but now that I think about it, nobody ever brings it up really. I can guess it's probably because most people - including people who like Akutagawa and ship sskk - ultimately sympathize with Dazai, and even where acknowledging the hurt he's done to Akutagawa, don't really like to dwell on it or explore the relationship between the two of them which is... legit, indeed. Still, I think their relationship and Akutagawa's romantic feelings for Dazai are a very important part of his character that shouldn't be overlooked when trying to accurately portray him.
And the rational part of my brain knows this can't be intentional, knows Akutagawa wasn't written to be read as gay. But there's another I'd dare say equally rational part of my brain that keeps speaking up to say the majority of his characterization - his devotion to Dazai, his (can I say? tender) sacrifice for Atsushi, his mistreatment of Higuchi - really starts to make sense only when you interpret him as gay. So, sorry???
if you are trying to whiteknight mystra, maybe, just maybe, don't blame the child she groomed or try to argue that grooming actually exists on a spectrum
or say that gale already had a bit of an ego before he was found by elminster and chosen by mystra, i just
like idk what to tell you, but... he was around eight years old when that happened...... that'd translate to second/third grade,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
and that might have to do something with the consequent actions he took over the years and growing up into an actual adult.............
just a thought..........................................................
@chicademartinica already pointed out the significance of red in Unknown, but I'm here to offer some more visuals to support that the red symbolizes the connection between Qian and Yuan.
The entire first episode is about fate.
Qian leaves his house simply stating he'll be back and takes a path down a red lit street.
Throughout the episode, he talks about how rich kids have the luxury of innocence but poor kids are left to fate.
And at the end of his journey, we meet Yuan for the first time sitting in front of a red wall.
Which is exactly the same path Qian took when he found Yuan the first time he met him.
They head back to the house together up the same red path Qian just walked alone.
Once they get back to the house, Qian gives his siblings red envelopes. It isn't for a ghost marriage like in the Taiwanese film Marry My Dead Body nor does it mean trouble is brewing like in the Taiwanese series Oh No! Here Comes Trouble. It's simply a New Year's tradition to wish prosperity and happiness on the receiver.
But the first time Qian received a red envelope while staring hungrily at a group of men eating, he took it for his family knowing the conditions that came with it.
And Yuan, although not as dire, did the same. Unlike Lili, he put the money aside, for the family.
(But fate has other things in store for Lili)
Because although they are all family, Qian and Yuan are connected, so while Qian runs to his family without hesitation,
Yuan runs for his family without any thought of himself.
And that's exactly what San Pang points out. Not only is Yuan named after Qian making their names the same, but they are the same. They are both stubborn. They are both smart. They both do everything for their families. They never think of themselves. They only listen to each other.
But somewhere along the way, something changed. They are no longer exactly the same.
Much like Yuan, Qian has always been intelligent, but when he was younger, he was abused.
And that abuse haunts him.
So red bothers him.
Because it reminds him of the abuse.
And the people who caused it.
To him, and his family.
Yet when it comes to Yuan, the red never bothers Qian.
It's the thing that ties them together.
Even when Qian pushes Yuan away after Yuan confesses what has changed between them,
The red thread of fate will still connect them.
So when Yuan is gone, the bond between them will remain.
I literally woke up in the middle of the night like God will dark rise is so fucking screwed. The line that’s like. “Everyone wanted to kill the Dark King.” What’s the part where he looks at Violet helplessly, haunted, almost pleading for mercy? But of course he reveals nothing of substance to anyone. Elizabeth is too young to understand but the reader knows what “Her relationship with that boy was…unnatural” can mean. Tying him to bedposts? Failing to strangle him? What else? Never not even once seeing beyond a mythological identity Will himself didn’t know he had? What did he think was the reason? That he was just intrinsically hateful? Of course he says nothing. Of course Violet can’t trust him- he’s given her nothing as painfully real as what she’s given him. So he gives her the sword hoping at least he can die at the hands of someone he loved, but even that doesn’t work out - she gives the sword to a Visander still furious at SARCEAN. The pattern continues; no one looks at Will, who vomits when he realizes what’s happened to James, Will who is much of a liar and killer and sneak as Elizabeth accuses but nonetheless wants to be different. Even when he doesn’t remember his own past. There’s no way out for him that doesn’t hurt. Hope this obsession passes soon given the one and a half years of waiting required for book 3
a fair breeze blows to the south, a cutting wind in hand.
past the thicket, into the heart of the storm, he found a coppiced sakura surrounded by thorns. seeing the coppice’s branches struggle, he took his breath and slashed! through the bramble to find…
[longer image id, concept art and notes under cut]
[image id: a drawing of sakurazaki joji/briar bloomhurst and sasanami unmei/destin billows from inazuma eleven victory road surrounded by thorns and a strong backlight. sakurazaki is wearing a button up, vest, multilayered skirt, pants, and boots all in varying shades of dark purple. the skirt becomes pink-red at the bottom to mimic a rose.
sakurazaki is running with his skirts in one hand, looking surprised at unmei popping up under his arm. unmei is trying to hold sakurazaki from behind as his sword leaves a trail of slashed thorns behind, a determined furrow in his eyebrows. sakurazaki’s skirt and unmei’s cloak flow behind them in a dance-like fashion.
unmei is wearing a white prince’s outfit with thigh-high, wedge-heeled boots and a dark blue cloak. he has a gold sword to match the gold accents on his outfit.]
uhhhh here’s the first draft, outfit doodles and thumbnailing and colors :) i actually did the first draft before everything else and then thought. y’know i should probably plan this out a lil more so i diddddd.
one of my favorite touches is how both the skirt and cloak are ripped up. this. didn’t Quite make it into the final (bc i got lost in the ruffle sauce) but it is supposed to make it seem like unmei’s princely goals are in tatters but he’s trying to ignore that best he can, and for sakurazaki it’s to show how the princess ideal his dad wants for him is being torn away at to reveal a much more vibrant and fiery core.
i didn’t mention the original inspiration. okay so i have a Less explicitly romantic view on these two than a lot of people (they just kinda read to me as two kind of insane people who got attached Very quickly) so the “prince saving the princess” thing is secondary to the fairytale premise. which all started bc i thought to myself “y’know briar is also the name of sleeping beauty in the disney movie.” and i went from there.
so! the smidgen of writing is mostly to rephrase chapter 1 from the game with unmei as the wind and sakurazaki as a cut-down stump that’s trying to regrow but has a hard time bc of his dad acting as thorns + whatever personal walls he’s got up. i think unmei cutting through those should be obvious the reason. there’s more au-y stuff in my head too but this piece is ultimately meant to be more symbolic than literal.