Tumgik
#i get it they share things about themselves that you can't help but develop a parasocial relationship
idrellegames · 2 days
Note
hi there! sorry if you've gotten a similar ask before. do you write wayfarer directly into twine or do you keep it in a separate doc? do you just have really clearly labeled sections in a word doc or something or is there a specific program you use to keep track of every story path? basically, with something as expansive and w/ as many routes as wayfarer, how do you keep all your writing organized?
I have answered this before, but I can't seem to find my posts on the subject (you may want to peruse my coding in twine tag, the masterpost has a bunch of different resources for this kind of thing!).
But in short, no, I do not write Wayfarer directly into Twine. This could functionally work for a very small game, but I would still advise against it as Twine doesn't really work as a word processor. You can't proof-read in it.
My process has three main steps:
Outlining
Writing
Coding
Compiling
Outside of my big beat chart (which spans the whole game), I break each episode down into their own outlines, and then break the routes of each episode down into their own outlines. Sometimes specific sections end up with their own outlines too. My system probably doesn't make much sense to anyone other than me, but as long as I know what the divisions are, then it's all good.
I write in MS Word. Each episode has its own folder (sometimes with subfolders) and every section of the game gets its own document.
Tumblr media
Here's the main folders, each episode goes into its own thing.
Tumblr media
This is an subfolder for Episode 1, specifically Route B.
Within my word documents themselves, I use a colour-coding system for separating out branches and sections. This is extremely useful for writing dialogue loops, like this:
Tumblr media
I also add in any coding notes (variables, true/false states, stat checks) while I am writing so I know what I need to do when I sit down to code 4+ months later. I usually throw a X or XX on choices after I have written them as a note to myself that I have finished it (this is just personal shorthand - X means I've done the pass version of a check, XX means I've done the pass and fail states).
I use about 8-10 colours in my documents; I have a set of MS Word macros set up so I can easily switch between them.
I share my word documents with my editor via OneDrive, which makes it easy for her to got through and proofread.
I use MS Word because I've been using it to write since the 2000s and it's what I prefer to use. I have also been writing professionally for over a decade now, so I have systems and strategies in place that work for me that I've developed for myself over time. But if you're new to writing and you're looking for a word processor that can also help you with outlining and keeping your story straight, something like Scrivener may be helpful.
One the text is ready to be coded, it's a lot of copy/pasting from Word into Twine. When I'm coding I will typically be running multiple programs at once:
MS Word
MS Excel (for my variable sheets)
Twine
Notepad++ (which has some regularly used code stored in it; I also use it to edit CSS and Javascript, as well as any really code-heavy sections since it's easier to do that in Notepad++ than it is in the Twine editor)
Notepad (just the regular version - I use it for writing notes to myself while I'm coding)
a web browser to launch tests in as I code
Once I am done coding and I have tested things, it's time to compile. The Twine editor can only handle so many passages and text in one file (around 500-700 passages before you hit massive lag), so I break Wayfarer into multiple story files. Having multiple story files also makes it really easy for me to cross-reference events (if I need to grab a passage title to reference it later) because I don't have to look through one big file. If I know the event happens in Episode 2's first scene, then I know I need to open Chapter_2.1.
My Twine library looks like this at the moment:
Tumblr media
I am using an old version of the editor (with an up-to-date version of SugarCube) since I didn't like the new one. I don't necessarily recommend using the Twine editor when you can easily make your game with Twee extensions in Visual Studio Code and have better support and functionality, but this is what I like and it really comes down to personal preference.
But because everything is in separate files, I have to merge them altogether. I have Tweego installed on my PC; it's run through the command prompt and outputs multiple story files into one HTML file. I've talked about this process here and here.
And that's basically it! I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all solution to keeping track of your IF. You need to figure out what works for you, based on your writing and outlining habits, how big your story is, and how much you intend to keep track of.
Hope this helps!
30 notes · View notes
nartml · 29 days
Note
Celebrity blockout 2024
After the tone deaf met gala, a lot of people are starting a movement where we block and unfollow all celebrities and influencers on social media.
These celebrities become irrelevant without our following and blocking prevents them from gaining any ad revenue from us.
This is the start of the awakening process where celebrities are exposed and class consciousness arises. Celebrity worship and the gap between the rich and the poor is being brought to light.
Kim Kardashian has already lost 3 million followers on insta. It's working.
TLDR:
1. Block all celebrities and influencers on social media, including their products and companies. (Taylor Swift, the Kardashians, Haley Baylee, Bill Gates, JLo)
To go even further: 2. Block all news & media sites that promote celebrities like SNL, Vogue, TMZ, Enews, etc.
3. Block major corporations like Amazon and especially the fast food corporations that profit off of making us sick. No more Taco Bell or Chick-fil-A ads. We can't let them advertise to us anymore. Enough is enough.
4. Find ways to support your local businesses (like farmer's markets) and promote platforms that are doing good for people. Start a garden this summer, boycott processed food and corrupt food brands like Kelloggs. Find ways to be more self-sufficient.
If you have any more ideas to add about how we can continue making change please comment them! This just the start
YES! All of this is crucial, but I want to put emphasis on blocking.
It's so important. I've been saying this since Andrew Tate.
It didn't matter if he meant what he was saying, it didn't matter if it was all real or a persona, your attention served his pockets.
Stop giving these ridiculous people your attention when it's so clearly what they want.
Your attention is how they profit. It's the new currency.
Your attention means views means likes means reposts means engagement means money.
Even when you comment to criticize, even when you share a video to discuss their problematic behaviour with friends, you're boosting them.
Influencers and celebrities need people's eyes on their platforms, this is how they make their cash and how they ensure that their presence reaches new audiences with every minute.
Your very gaze drawn to them through the screen is what allows them to remain so comfortable in their position that they're tone deaf.
Block them.
29 notes · View notes
brighteuphony · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Got a bunch of Sasuke-centric asks, so here we are!
Sakura has some complicated feelings about Sasuke.
In my AU, Sakura was born to civilian parents who didn't really want her to become shinobi, even though that had been her dream for as long as she could remember- and it was no secret in the Haruno household that they were hoping she'd drop out, or at the very most, be career genin.
So Sakura never really had anyone to believe in her and had to go into the academy (late!) as a civilian-born, meaning she was automatically behind in development (and status) compared to the clan kids. (I headcanon that until the Academy, Sakura didn't ever spar with anyone, versus clan kids who had probably learned how to wield kunai before they knew how to walk).
So Sakura worked hard and did her absolute best to get the barest minimum that clan kids were afforded by default. Unfortunately, her best, without the resources/opportunities, just wasn't good enough. And Sakura knew it. Academically, she was brilliant, but that's not enough to be a good shinobi. And somewhere deep down, Sakura (at the very least Inner Sakura) knew it.
It's why I headcanon that she developed such a violent temper. People who are secure in themselves don't have such explosive, uncontrolled outbursts- it's why she picked on people like Naruto, who was probably the only person below her in the pecking order (maybe Tenten? But they're equals I guess). It's why she's so quick to anger and usually has those responses OUT of combat- it's because that's the only place her violence is actually effective.
It's also why she's such a teacher's pet- she needs validation from others to try and fill the gaping void.
So when Sasuke appeared on the radar, and everyone wanted him, so did Sakura. Because if she got him, she would do something that no one else- clan-privileged and better- could do. In fact, she staked most of her identity (her hair, her diet, her clothing) on it.
None of this was conscious. She really did have a crush on Sasuke, but the seed of it was born from a very misguided desire to prove herself on an even playing field.
After all, she didn't have a clan upbringing/resources to teach her how to find self-worth and actualization through her skills (she went home, and her civilian parents praised her for things that absolutely didn't matter in shinobi reality, amazement that she could throw a kunai! how good her grades were! and how cool it was that she could jump high!)
(and Kakashi absolutely didn't help, lol), so she defaulted to what she knew- which was being a regular girl with a regular crush.
Now, as an ~adult, she's come to the painful realization that her love for Sasuke was just a goalpost. Ironically, she set her sights on someone who would inadvertently feed into all of those insecurities, and because Sakura didn't love/believe in herself, she accepted Sasuke's abuse.
She also understands that she ran into the Chidori/Rasengan deathmatch of her own stupidity, but she just can't forgive Sasuke for leaving. For never owning up. 'Cause that's just coward behavior..
Basically, Sasuke's cruelty was just a reflection of her own self-loathing, and unfortunately, Sakura just wallowed in denial and ended up paying a hefty-ass price.
So if she ever sees Sasuke again? Honestly, she doesn't know whether she wants justice or revenge. It's complicated.
Whew- that was a text dump....
Once again, thank you so much to everyone for all the interest and asks! I'm so happy we can all share Naruto rotbrain together.
493 notes · View notes
broomsick · 6 months
Note
any tips for starting out when working with deities?
Hi, friend! Thank you for the ask, and sorry for the late reply. I've posted tips for beginners many times in the past, most of which you can find via links in this post. But now, since we're talking about working with deities more specifically, I'll list a few quick tips in a point form!
The golden rule to deity work, in my opinion, is respect. Everyone interacts with their deities with varying amounts of familiarity, but one quality always remains no matter the worshipper, and that is respect. But that goes without saying, right? 'Treat others how you want to be treated' makes no exceptions, even with non-human entities.
To me, the first step to respecting a deity is acknowledging their depth and multi-faceted nature. Mythological sources may describe this or that deity as the 'God of this or that', but in the context of religion, they are much more. The believer views the God as more than a mythological figure, but as a complex existing being.
For this reason, another tip I'll give is to get to know them. Learn as much as you can about them, and never stop learning. Not only about the deity/deities themselves, but also (and I think it's crucial not to neglect this!) about the cultural context in which they were first worshipped. I can't stress enough how big of a difference this makes when it comes to understanding a God. If you're interested, I've linked here a few of my favorite sources pertaining to nordic cultures, religions and history!
To me, offerings are not transactional. That is just my own belief, of course, but I don't adhere to the idea that 'one must give to the Gods in order to earn blessings and vice versa'. Paganism is not a trade market, but rather a way to experience spirituality. I believe in making offerings when you can, if you can, as a gesture of gratitude and not as a way to somehow 'earn blessings'. As a pagan, you do not "owe" anything to the Gods they do not "owe" you anything either.
Do not be afraid to simply spend time with them. While we may not always feel their presence, you can have faith in the fact that they watch over you. And for this reason, it's perfectly okay for you to sit down at your altar, or in the outdoors, to simply talk to them, symbolically sharing a drink/meal, telling them of your troubles or of how they inspire you. Developing this habit can help make you feel connected to a deity, even on a tight schedule, or during times when you feel disconnected from your spirituality.
In the same vein, it can be fulfilling and fun for you to dedicate certain activities to a deity of your choice! For example, practicing your instrument in honor of Bragi, or hiking in honor of Jörð, etc... What's more, whenever you dedicate an activity to a deity, you can invite them to partake in it, as I've described in this previous post!
Start to notice what things in your life reminds you of them. Maybe a certain smell? Or a song? What animals, meals, stories of else bring this deity to mind? Either because of the similar feeling they instill in you, or because you think this or that deity might enjoy them.
As a beginner, you needn't feel bad about how many deities you work with, or which deities you reach out to (so long as they are not part of a closed practice). I've always thought it weird how in some books centered around witchcraft, they'll rank deities in order of 'how experienced you need to be to reach out to them'. If you want my own honest opinion, anyone is free to reach out to any deity. No God is more difficult to work with than others. It all comes down to the individual, their values and the way they choose to work with the deity in question. I'm also not a big fan of such sources encouraging calling out to a deity during a ritual/spell like they're a tool for a magical working, if the practionner doesn't plan to really get to know them. But that's a topic for another day.
It can be greatly fulfilling as well to simply ponder a deity from time to time. What do they teach you? What can you learn from their example? What do they represent in your life? I listed in this post a few ideas of questions to ask yourself in order to better understand a deity and their presence in your life.
Take it step by step, day by day, and don't feel bad if you think you've made a mistake. We are all constantly learning. The Gods know we are human, and they reflect us in that way: they themselves have their strengths and weaknesses.
I hope this helps, but please do keep in mind that these are all my personal views on paganism, and that not every practionner will resonate with them. In any case, don't hesitate to ask if you have any other question(s) regarding practice or belief in the nordic path. Have a good day, my friend.
186 notes · View notes
neptunes-sol-angel · 7 months
Text
Tumblr media
I knew it was destiny for me to do a coraline themed pac. Enjoy! 💗
Paid Readings | Patreon | Tip Jar
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Pile One
From your inner teen's perspective, your costume is an eclipse that covers your range and your capacity to move on to the next phase of developing your sense of self and what you'd like to accomplish. Your costume could be like a zombie or in general, someone who isn't in control of their body or thoughts. If you have any anger that you feel at times that you may consider random, this could be your inner teen's frustration over how you have tendencies of not having a grip on your self awareness and identity. You could depend too much on how you're being perceived by others or their approval or maybe there's this substance or tool that you use to help morph yourself into someone different to appease on what people in your environment may think is appropriate. I keep thinking about acid and other hallucinogens, if I'm correct, no trip is supposed to be the same as the previous or next trip. So when I think about this energy that I'm picking up in this pile, you constantly manipulate yourself in order to stay the same in hopes of receiving the same reaction from others. It's like reinforcement, where you get some sort of gratification, but is bringing to yourself in some way. Examples that I'm channeling includes but not limited to overacheiving to the point where nothing satisfies you, being in a back and forth connection by doing things that gets the other person to chase after you, and  (TW ⚠️: eating disorders). This irritates your inner teen, because one of your biggest goals when you were in the age of adolescence, was to grow beyond the reach of people that made you feel low about yourself and to escape the grasp of abusive environments that constrain you and made you dream of a life where things could be better and different. Who you are when no one is watching and behind those tears of discontent and malaise, is someone who's constantly reinventing themselves, and embraces these transitions of change. You hold yourself back in worry of how other people will think, when really you're meant to cause a shock factor. You are not normal spongebob where your emotions, thoughts, and looks are fixed to the same degree every day. You're spontaneous in a way where if you were to step outside in the world as you are, validation is no longer your drug, YOU are the drug that changes the trajectory in so many people's minds in how they view their daily routines, the careers they should go after, that new hobby that they feel drawn to, that clothing piece or new hairstyle that they feel will look good on them, new philosophies and epiphanies to the small and big things to make themselves safe in their own skin.
Pile Two
Your inner teen feels like you're still holding onto the inferiority that was felt during the time where you needed community and support the most. You could hold on too much to this title of being your own person to the point where you feel separated from society. You could see yourself as someone with an "alien" like personality where you feel that you can't really connect with others or it's hard for people to feel connected with you. You could believe in starseeds and think that you are one, and while that can be true and if you resonate with that part, there's a message here to recognize that whatever past life that you may have had, doesn't change the fact that this life that you have right now, is for you to live a human and earthly experience because you are when no one is watching behind that facade of thinking that you're someone who doesn't belong here, you indeed have attributes that you share with others, you just haven't found your people yet, but you will. However, there's a main message about knowing that everyone you meet is someone you can learn from. If you're a spiritualist and/or occultist, there's a part of your first awakening in which you joined because it either came from a place of being where it feels like you're misunderstood or you were going through strange things that only other certain people could relate. But like the character Coraline in her self-titiled movie, there's a need to appreciate the home you have more, the friends and family that you do have in your circle and to tap into that part of yourself that desires to be seen and heard by just going for it and asking for what you need, which is someone who can listen to you and understand that you do have feelings under that distant and neutral persona that you showcase. Unwind, and become more vulnerable with others with not just the things that make you human which is your feelings, but also the things that make you feel like you're otherworldly. You don't have to be a stray in this world, you can be apart of it by finding your place the more that you open your heart.  Your quirky and whimsical self is not meant to be hidden and gatekeeping yourself from the world out of spite of the past, is the biggest rejection that you can face in this world. And don't withhold the knowledge that you're sitting on or neglect the student within you, that's one of the major ways you'll be able to find wholesome interactions with others.
Pile Three
"The healer heals everyone, but who heals the healer?" The inner teen inside you could feel that you've done an amazing job with nurturing yourself and nurturing others. You exude the energy of someone with immense strength, protection, crystallized intelligence, and reliance, which could make people feel drawn for something within them that needs to be nourished, and your actions heavily reflect your presence by how you're always there in service for others and how you take care of people in your personal life and the people that you may not know as well your loved ones. Your inner teen feels that although you've generated an abundance of good karma for how you genuinely kind you are, how you're constantly available for others is tipping the scale when you could be at a point in your life where you are in need of a person that's like you. I'm sensing there's something that needs to change in order to tend to yourself more, a desire for more reciprocation, but also an urge to step away from always being the one who heals others. You want to be known and valued for other things besides what you can do for people and even if you've developed this helpful nature from having responsibilities over other people like your family members at a young age, or if it's just innate, you're exhausted from this life and could use at least a break. Who you are when no one is watching, is someone who needs to be freed from what is expected of them and to find their own peace outside of dealing with everyone's chaos. Home is being brought up so much in my mind, so you're meant to explore different avenues that could be outside of family traditions, social norms, and to leave where you grew up around, you're meant to go on adventures around the world and revel in your independence. If you want a life without becoming a parent, it's not selfish to be that way, and it's perfectly find to spread your wings away from the pressure to make certain commitments that isn't yours to have. Perhaps you're interested in a lifestyle and/or career that doesn't involve being in service for others, maybe you're realizing what your true love language is and realizing what your real expectations in a partner are. Who you are when no one is watching is someone exotically beautiful in many ways than one. You know that your heart is a plus, but soon everyone will know this too.
287 notes · View notes
Text
Literally no one asked for this, but I started thinking about the hilarious dichotomy of Sanji being with an entomologist and I decided to share my thoughts.
Sanji x Entomologist/Insect Lover Reader Headcanons
The first time you run up to him excitedly asking him to look at what you found, he eagerly turns around only to come face to face with a beetle and screams at the top of his lungs. That is the day you realize that Sanji is afraid of insects, and Sanji realizes you love them.
He cannot comprehend how you can hold so much affection for what he considers to be such vile creatures and can't help but cringe every time you pick one up, regardless of whether you're holding it up to him or not. He tries to be nice about it, he tries so hard, but you can see the pain in his eyes when you bring one too close to him.
If literally anyone else thrust a spider in his face, he would roundhouse kick them, but when you do it he will just jerk back dramatically while redirecting you by saying that Luffy or Usopp would probably like to see your find.
Your offer to deal with any insects that make their way into his kitchen leaves him conflicted. On one hand, it's great! He doesn't have to confront it now! On the other, he does feel a touch embarrassed over the idea of you having to "save him" from something like this. His trepidation goes out the window when he goes to make breakfast one morning onto to be greeted by a massive spider setting up a web in the corner of the kitchen. His relief from you catching it is cut short by you exclaiming that it's a very elusive species and proceeding to go on a long tangent while holding the spider up and pointing out interesting parts of it's anatomy and how you identified it... He wishes he would have just thrown a frying pan at it.
You two eventually find a happy medium. When you want to talk insects with him, you use books and diagrams instead of live specimens. As much as he loathes insects, he loves you, and he knows it makes you happy to share this particular interest with him. Even he has to admit that your in-depth knowledge on the subject is admirable, and he does find some of the fun facts you share to actually be fun and not nightmare inducing.
Over time, he does develop something akin to respect for certain insects. He doesn't like them by any means, but he learns to appreciate what they do for ecosystems and agriculture.
Will not budge on eating them, however. It's one thing in a desperate survival situation, but eating them just because you can is a hard no for him. It's not even that much about eating insects themselves, so much as concern for potential parasites due to insects being breeding grounds for them.
One thing he'll never relax on is you handling insects with medically significant venom. He doesn't care that you know how to grab them to stay safe, he feels like he's about to have a heart attack pleaSE PUT IT DOWN!
God help him if you keep any as pets. Being able to sleep in a bed with you is heaven, but having to hear your nocturnal insects skittering around their enclosures at night is hell. The man lives in fear of them escaping in the night and coming after him.
If your room is decorated with pinned/wet specimens, he hates it at first, but learns to live with it. Especially if you keep any as pets, because he can at least appreciate that these ones won't chase him. Over time, he'll be able to recognize that some insects can be quite interesting to look at when they're pinned. He'll even start keeping an eye out for ones that you don't have yet if he sees anyone selling them. You know he's down bad if he's doing this for you.
There is absolutely no toleration for anyone shaming you for your interest/hobby. If anyone tries to make you feel bad/weird/gross about it, they won't be for long. Even if he doesn't get it, he'll be damned before he lets anyone speak poorly of you for your passions.
You're a unique person, he won't deny that, but you're his unique person.
116 notes · View notes
zivazivc · 28 days
Note
Did Les ever dated in the past? Also is he with anyone recently?
Les quit school really early, like 10-years-old early, and he started working soon after, so he didn't really have friends his age. That kinda puts a buffer on a teenager's social and love life. Though there was something that happened at a house party once, that was, uh... a bad experience, and it left him with a lot of issues. Also, partially because of this, he's not really someone who acts on his crushes. So he never dated before.
But at one point the band spent a few months in the same location (dunno the reason yet, but maybe they weren't getting enough gigs and they had to take up some part time jobs for a while), and Les developed a crush on a bartender at a nearby club.
Tumblr media
She's the only OC of mine who's visually a bigger weirdo than Les, and he definitely saw a little bit of himself in her, and hoping for someone with some shared life experience, it's what initially attracted him toward her and vice versa.
Tumblr media
So they had a thing going on for a short time. It never developed into anything serious because sadly they are very alike, which means they are BOTH morons who are shy about making the first move. And after a while they came to the agreement that they were better as just friends.
Floyd with his persistent crush was not happy about the possible romance at first, but he ended up being happy for Les, and he finally decided to give his hopeless longing a rest, since the only good it was doing was growing a rift between his and Les's friendship.
Funny enough it was Floyd backing down which allowed the two to grow closer. Les lowered his guard since he no longer had to overthink if Floyd would interpret anything he did or said as some kind of flirting or act of love, and he no longer had to brace himself for any uncomfortable romancing coming from Floyd either.
Tumblr media
They were already good friends since the start but they became much more casual with each other and began to understand each other on a deeper level as years passed. As Floyd got older and more mature, and became an equal with the rest of the bandmates, it was actually Les who fell for him, hard. He didn't really do anything about it though, but Floyd eventually realized this and you know he did something about it. Though Floyd's crush had gone from looking at Les as this cool experienced older guy when he was younger to now seeing him as a shy innocent teddy bear compared to his lewd self ksjhdkjs.
So technically they became each other's first proper all-encompassing relationship. And by that I mean that besides the lovey-dovey obvious stuff, they were also best friends and helped each other grow a lot. Also Floyd by the time they got together, already started a habit of hooking up with strangers at parties, so being with Les forced him to slow down and progress through a relationship slowly and at a healthy pace for someone his age (since you can't really get anywhere with Les without a lot of patience). And Floyd got Les to become comfortable with opening up and talking about his deep-rooted feelings. They talked about issues they faced, many of which were related to Les's childhood trauma, instead of him just ignoring or suppressing it all. (Floyd also opened up about his own family trauma with Les obviously, but he talked about it even before they got together.)
The relationship, especially at the start, could still be considered questionable from an outsider's perspective, but so was the band's lifestyle in general. They were good for each other during that period while they were growing up and figuring themselves and each other out, which is what matters I think.
Tumblr media
It was honestly mainly Floyd's undiagnosed bipolar disorder that made the relationship suffer toward the end of Floyd's days in the band. It created a lot of trust issues between Floyd and Les, and also Floyd and everyone else, heck it even made Floyd distrust himself, since he and none else knew or understood what was happening with him. This led to a lot of misery and anger that he mostly ended up directing at Les, and it was what eventually made them break up and Floyd leave.
120 notes · View notes
imthepunchlord · 4 months
Note
What's your thoughts about the unifications?
Conceptually, unification works. Honestly, I think it makes sense being able to dual wield Miraculous. Especially working off positive and negative energy/yin-yang.
Tumblr media
It works off that theme of balance, having two different energies being able to work together.
But, much like anything in canon, I feel the concept could've gone farther.
Like, I think it'd be neat that unification could lead to animals that don't exist as Miraculous:
Ladybug + any feline creates a Leopard themed hero.
Any bug + any reptile creates a Dragonfly themed hero.
Any reptile + any bird creates a Dragon themed hero.
Any cat + any bird creates a Griffin themed hero.
Horse + Fish could've made a Seahorse themed hero.
Cat + Goat could've made a Chimera themed hero.
Not that they really went that way and just went weird with the naming, combing the names of preexisting heroes instead of letting characters name themselves and working off their own unique personalities. Like, instead of Pegabug, I could've seen Marinette calling herself Appaloosa or if you want to go punny, Appleloosa.
I also think that dual wielding Miraculous shouldn't be that difficult, as pairs are something that always exist, and I can see the body handling matching with two different types of magical energy. Now, wielding more than 2 I can see being set up to take a toll on the body as there's more magical energy to work off of, and the higher you go the more tired you're going to be.
Though I could just be biased as I feel the temporary heroes weren't necessary and Marinette and Adrien could've juts unified with the rest and continue to handle things; I also feel that, post meeting Fu and him able to see that they were trustworthy and dedicated and were able to succeed despite HM having the being an adult edge, they should've gotten a 2nd Miraculous to have full time, not only to help give them a boost, but also allow continued growth.
Ladybug/Tikki did help with Marinette's growth in confidence and being a leader, but there's nothing else TIkki is adding to her growth (which I find it's kinda debatable how much Tikki really added to Marinette's over all growth), but at this time, Ladybug and Tikki just work off this is a responsibility than something for Marinette to grow as a character. And now she's developing an Atlas complex and that anxiety is getting worse with the pressure and expectation of the role and no one there telling Marinette she needs to prioritize and value her own needs and wants. I don't even know if this girl knows how to relax at this point. And that there is the next phase for Marinette's growth. She needs to learn to put down boundaries, to say no, to not involve herself as much, and think about her own needs and wants, cause you can't really help others until you help yourself.
Cat/Plagg was good for Adrien to gain that independence he wants, be more rebellious against his father, and to self-prioritize. But now he prioritizes his wants way too much, doesn't really treat heroing with the seriousness required nor has he stepped up as a leader and equal to Ladybug, and still readily endangers himself, to the point of self-sacrificing. And that's the next phase for his growth, get a Miraculous and kwami that will address those, learn to be more serious in fights, not to say he can no longer be a wisecrack but save the flirting and pranks for night patrols not akuma fights, step up as a leader and truly share that burden, which would've helped his partner rely on him more and trust his capability more, and address that self-sacrificing. Either learn to be more cautious or think a little bit more before acting. Like, great, you saved your partner by sacrificing yourself, but you also left her alone to deal with things, and what if the fight went poorly because she was alone, and she fails, and that sacrifice was pointless. I don't know how many more times he did so, but man it needed to be addressed.
Another factor is that unification could've been extra interesting in that combing Miraculous could've created new powers through the combination of preexisting powers.
Like Shelter + Venom could've created Shell Shock, where hitting the shield would shock and stun a target.
Shelter + Cataclysm or Clout could've made Bombshell, put up a protective dome and it sends out a destructive blast or shock wave around you.
Mirage + Cataclysm could've made Nightmare, where the illusion creates someone's worst fears.
Second Chance + Cataclysm could've made Hissterics, getting a target to live in the worst timeline.
Time travel could've existed as a unification power through combining Horse and Snake/Rabbit, if the latter still has a time power.
Though neat an idea it is, it is something that would work better with fewer Miraculous, as 19 that canon has is a lot of powers to think of possibly combining. That is 361 matches to think about and how they make a new power. And now that I got 35 I won't be doing the concept either, even more so as I'm going with Miraculous having 2 powers to offer.
So unification is a neat concept, but I think it could've gone further if they were more creative. Definitely prefer it to the potions.
87 notes · View notes
aziraphales-library · 4 months
Note
Hi! I was wondering if you had recs for something longer that has a lot of exploration of queer themes? Love your blog!
Hello. We have #long fic and #queer themes tags you can check out. Here are some that have both...
The End is Where We Start From by tiresius (E)
“Aziraphale, hello. It’s er, been a long time.” “Yes, dreadfully long. You look different.” He immediately coloured in evident embarrassment. “I mean, of course you look different, as do I of course, I didn’t mean bad different, that is to say…” Something inside of Crowley, something that had been in a deep freeze for several eons, was starting to thaw. It was letting little bits and pieces of familiarity break loose to float back into their rightful places in his soul. One of those pieces, those round, blue eyes, suddenly snapped into place, and he felt a corresponding wave of long-forgotten feeling wash through him. Aziraphale is anxious. Make Aziraphale happy. “Yeah,” he interrupted. “D’you wanna… get a coffee or something?” *** Crowley and Aziraphale meet by chance on the street. They've met before, in their youth, in a different life. Some difficult things have happened since then. Will they be able to find their way back to each other and to themselves? A Good Omens human AU.
Orbit by altsernative (M)
"It was like they were in orbit with each other. Locked into their paths. Circling each other. Coming so close for golden snatches of time, then dragged away again. Again, and again, and again." Literature instructor Aziraphale and Astronomy instructor Crowley have been best friends for eight years whilst teaching at Agnes Nutter College, a subsidiary of Cambridge. If they ever wanted something more than that, well, they certainly hadn’t said anything. Just as they start to come to terms with their feelings for one another, Aziraphale is promoted to department head and out of Crowley’s life as part of the college's strict non-fraternisation policy. Neither is willing to give the other up, and with the help of a few familiar faces, a pub called Taddy’s that only plays four specific types of songs, Tracy, an enthusiastic B&B owner/community queer icon, and a hidden garden everyone seems to have forgotten about, they risk everything to try and find their way back into each other's lives once more.
An Absence of Stars by mllekurtz (E)
A.Z. Fell is a famous (well, in his circle) Soho bookseller whose selection of volumes is the epitome of respectable (and boring) literature. One of his favourite authors is the renowned science writer A.J. Crowley, whose books on astronomy have popularized the subject — and also sell very well. Mr Fell is overjoyed when Dr Crowley accepts his invitation to do a signing of his new book in the bookshop, but their first conversation is a disaster: for some reason, Crowley does not share Fell’s distaste for romantic literature and acts very cold when the bookseller berates the author of one of the most popular romance series of the moment, Madame Ashtoreth. Little does Fell know that his favourite writer and the one he hates with a passion are the same person…
I Knew I Loved You by AppleSeeds (E)
In September 1999, when his family gets connected to the internet, prospective Marine Biology student Crowley discovers an online forum where he can actually talk to people who share his passion for saving the whales. He begins corresponding with a kind stranger he knows only as Ocean_Angel, and is incredibly excited when the opportunity arises to meet this mysterious person in real life. As their friendship develops, Crowley shares things with Angel that he can't talk about with anyone else, and Angel's insights help him to explore and embrace his own identity. As Crowley works towards finding a place in this world where he feels like he really belongs, he realises that a big part of the answer to that question might actually be right in front of him. What if where he belongs is with Angel?
secondhand smoke by PaintedVanilla (T)
you're second hand smoke, second hand smoke i breathe you in, but, honey, i don't know what you're doing to me mon chéri the year is 1990, and anthony crowley is looking for a church in london that might be tolerable. the one he winds up attending isn't exactly such, but he decides to stick around for one reason. said reason happens to own a bookshop that crowley begins to frequent, much to the surprise and delight of anathema device and newton pulsifer, who seem quite convinced that crowley could use something else to focus on besides gardening, their campaigns, and visits to tadfield.
Sit Tight, Take Hold by nieded (E)
The summer of 2022, Ezira Phale is a rookie Formula 1 driver out to prove he's one of the best racecar drivers in the world, but everything gets turned upside down when he falls in love with his real-life idol, AJ Crowley. Or: The one where Crowley does not go too fast for Aziraphale. _____ This story uses a multi-media format with CSS and HTML. It's best read using the workskin so please make sure that you are enabling user workskins. If you do not want to use the workskin, I will also be posting a .pdf of each chapter and a final .pdf once everything is posted! I’m not so cool as to know how to do podcasts, manips, and videos, but this will feature scripts, news articles, text messages, tumblr, and race programming! So strap in and put your seatbelt on! This is going to be one fast ride of romance, competition, and over-indulgence.
- Mod D
104 notes · View notes
hiramaris · 9 months
Text
Kiss It Off Me
CHAPTER 1
Summary:
A story revolving around the newly arrived resident farmer in the eyes of the personified perfection, the sunflower of Pelican Town herself, Haley. Or. When Haley finally met the person that caused ripples in what was once a stagnant town, and she didn’t know how to handle such massive change.
Pairings: Haley x Fem!farmer
Notes:
Haley's heart events are just soooo wifey, especially after marriage. Her character development is well written off but I just can't help but notice that something is missing, like the heart events are just not that connected in some way. Stardew is an absolute gem don't get me wrong. I'd like to try and connect what I think is missing which is the reason this fic is created. P.S. Second try in making fanfiction. I apologize for any future grammatical errors or whatever. English is not my primary language.
Disclaimer:  I do not own Stardew Valley or any of the related characters. Stardew Valley is created by and owned by ConcernedApe. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only. I am not making any profit from this story. All rights of the original Stardew Valley story belong to ConcernedApe.
Warning: None so far? Just Haley being her usual self
Tumblr media
Gif from reddit.com
Winter 25
Immobile.
Stagnant.
Bland.
What words could possibly do justice to describe this sleepy town? Pelican Town had its charms sure. It’s peaceful, the air is fresh, and would never choke you on your sleep plus it gives a really nice tan so Haley wouldn’t really complain. 
But it was just so... boring. Was that the right term?
The people are meh, nosy, and just as bland but they are good neighbors though don't get her wrong. They look after them— her and Emily when their parents can’t. 
Ugh.
Them again. Thinking about them just makes her angry— blood boiling and all that, and well… sad which is infuriating.
How can you just leave your kids just to go follow your own dreams and travel? And then act like you care just by sending some half-hearted letter? Sending a letter now and then was hardly enough to make up for their absence. How low could that be?
Emily doesn’t think so. But what does she know? Her cooking was as bland as the town, and her obsession with crystals and hippie clothes was just plain ridiculous. She knows nothing. 
Her sister is anything but pessimistic. She saw the light in everything whereas Haley ever saw them through the lens of her camera.
Capturing a single moment in a photograph was a thousand times more vivid and alive than the bleak and colorless reality she was currently living in.
She should be in college right now, pursuing her dreams, being the center of attention, and having boys falling over themselves to impress her. Or she would have been running her own photography studio by now in a city that never sleeps, schmoozing with some famous photographers and carving a niche for herself in the cut-throat world of photography.
But no, because here she was, stuck in a six-mile drive from the nearest city, life as directionless as the people in here.
Why am I even staying here? She wonders.
Oh, yeah— grandma.
This house is hers. Her house is the only thing that made her feel that Grandma is still here, with them. Even though Haley is talking big about leaving this town, she knew to herself that she doesn’t have the strength to just leave it just like that. Which is why they both tried to keep it tidy and well... avoiding it from falling apart.
Aside from that, there was nothing to do here. The only things keeping her sane were her camera, her phone, and the clothes she ordered online.
Oh, and of course, her best friend, Alex.
He's the only one— aside from Emily and of course, the Mullner residence, Granny and George are good people even though George is grumpy all the time,  that she's able to have a decent conversation. She and Alex are, after all, not the sharpest tool in the shed, and shares almost the same brain cell.
He’s that typical jock boy, ripped as hell but in terms of brain, well… meh. Not like Haley's any better so who is she to judge?
They went to the same school, belonged to the same clique, and were both popular, of course. He’s here to practice his grid ball or whatever but Haley knew better.
Alex, despite being the dungus that he is, has a lot on his plate already. He needs the peace this town could offer.
And maybe, maybe I need it, too.
Maybe being away from the city has a good cause, despite her constant complaints, this town has been her home for the past six years after all.
But she just really couldn’t help but dwell on this stupid thought of hers of being stagnant and directionless at this time of the year.
Winter.
Ugh. It’s stupidly cold outside and there’s no way she’s walking in six-inch snow just to get a quality photo, which isn’t much considering the lighting outside does not satisfy her at all. The only, and probably one good thing about winter is peppermint coffee. It's hot, minty, and makes her feel warm while making her mouth worthy of being sucked on— err... that's a want that cannot be sated as of the moment.
The bachelors in this town suck for real. They are not even worthy of a single glance. Apart from Alex, of course, but he's a friend so... no.
And what's made it double suck is that she ran out of peppermint coffee. Pierre is out of stock and there's no way she'll let herself be caught alive inside that creep manager's store that runs Joja or whatever. 
Now she's stuck sitting at the table, devouring a massive pink cake that could feed an entire family, enduring a coffee so bland it makes her want to try and drink tea.
She hates tea.
Oh yeah, she's also holding a note and a sunflower in her other hand. 
She doesn't want to read the letter but considering the gifts she just received, it’s probably just the same lame-ass apology about being unable to be here on her birthday this coming Spring 14th. Not that it mattered anymore; it had been two years of absence, and she had grown used to it by now.
With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the note onto the table, debating whether to toss it into the fireplace or tear it to shreds or whatever.
If it's just another excuse, she doesn’t want to hear it.
"Haaaay!" And there's a familiar voice. 
"If you don't have peppermint coffee with you I swear to Yoba—"
"What's the case, long face?" He quipped. "And no, I don't have anything with me."
She looked up from her cake, finding Alex strolling in their kitchen with one of his shit-eating grins, hair covered with a concerning amount of snow. She grimaced, "sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with you."
He feigned a hurt expression, "I thought you love me though."
"According to gossip, maybe but really, I don't." She deadpanned. 
He cackled at the mention of that. At the center of the gossip mill passing down from Marnie, Jodi, and Caroline, maybe Robin, too, and probably all the yoga club, is he and Haley dating. Which was absurd, to be honest.
"No, really, Hay." He finally turns serious. "What's up? What's got your face looking like that?" 
"It's just the stupid climate." Haley tried to lie. She didn't want to stir up drama at the moment. Alex frowned, catching up with her lie almost immediately. He caught sight of the letter Haley threw earlier. "Alex don't—"
Too late. He already got it. He sat down next to her as he read the contents of the note, his brows furrowing in what she assumes is annoyance. "Parents, huh? Same old, same old?" He raised an eyebrow.
Haley huffed and snatched the letter away. "Yes, the usual."
"Well," Alex propped his elbow on the backrest, a sly grin returning to his face. "I just got the perfect news that might take your mind off things."
Haley arched a perfect eyebrow, curious. Gossip wasn't his usual forte.
"Spill." 
"A new farmer is coming to town."
Haley's fork paused in mid-air. "Uh... I'm not sure how to react to that, and what's so great about it?"
His smile widened. "I heard she's from Zuzu City."
"I'm sorry, what?" 
"Why? Surprised another Zuzu native is coming here?"
"No, you dungus." She slapped his hand attempting to take a slice of her cake. "I heard you correctly, right? You said the farmer's a she? A girl is taking over that farm?"
"Yes," Alex confirmed, finally snagging a bite of cake. Haley makes a scrunched face in mock disgust. "The farmer's a she. Old man Railey's granddaughter actually. What's the problem though?" He asked in mouthfuls.
Haley stood up to grab another spoon. No way she's getting his imaginary cooties. Alex doesn't seem to mind; it only further encourages him to eat some more. "Because it’s weird." She said as she sat down. "Farming isn't exactly a girl's job, especially for a city girl like her. I bet you she wouldn't last a month."
"Not all girls are like you, Hay— ow! What's that for?!" He rubbed his ribs where Haley just nudged with her boniest elbow of all time.
"As I was saying before being rudely interrupted," she rolled her eyes, "farming is all dirt and nasty, smelly clothes. That farm was barely run by old man Raileigh before he died. What could possibly a city girl like his granddaughter could do with that rundown farm? I bet you it’s already smoldering by now."
"Good point," Alex said as he continued eating. Haley swear to Yoba all this idiot does is eat and relax in here.
He has a diet, right? So does she, and they're like eating a fat block of sugar right now.
Whatever. Pink cake has always been an exemption from all her seasonal dietary plans.
"But I guess we'll have to wait and see; don't you think so?" Alex turns to her after a few moments of silence. "I heard she's around our age. If it's true that farming is as difficult as they say, the least we can do is make her feel welcomed."
Haley barely nods in acknowledgment. 
This town is like a pond, where everything that enters stays and everyone already there remains. The city is a raging storm with ocean waves ready to swallow you if you go against the flow. A lot of people there has a sense of direction, one Haley aspires to have, and what Pelican lacks. You can't, at all costs, be still and unmoved and some people just couldn't do that.
And those people who couldn't stand the pressure, come here, like a moth drawn to a flame, seeking the mundanity Pelican Town could offer them. Perhaps they have grown weary of the constant hustle and bustle. Maybe city life has been too much. Maybe modern life has been too much for this farmer.
Who knows?
But one thing Haley doesn't like, and what keeps her unmoved and still, is change. Adapting, and adjusting isn't meant for her. It took years before she could finally settle a lifestyle in this town, and another two years of adjustment when her parents decided it would be a good idea to abandon them and go travel. She knew where to go, where townspeople go just so she could avoid interacting with them, she accustomed herself to their culture, and the perfect spots for taking pictures. She has it all memorized and planned out perfectly.
And this farmer will be an anomaly to her perfectly (not as perfect as she thought) crafted routine. New face, a new attitude, and just an overall new person she might be obligated to talk to for the sake of introduction.
Pelican is a stagnant pond, yet this farmer, this alien to her world, she's not yet even here but she is already starting to cause ripples.
And Haley doesn't know what to think of it.
~~~~~
Next
Notes:
The title was inspired by Cigarettes After Sex' Kiss it off me. Their songs are such *chef's kiss* and whilst I was listening to this song, it kind of, sorta, reminded me of how my farmer sees her wife. Thus kabooOm this fic is born
Edit: Because I'm procrastinating and I made sure to finish off my other story first, I decided now to transfer this story from Ao3 to Tumblr
398 notes · View notes
meanbossart · 3 months
Text
A long over-due ask compilation (Art & Music)
Tumblr media
It's vaguely based on a short story from the book "The Consumer" by Michael Gira, specifically "The Boss". I think it came up in conversation with a friend or something when I was picking a new username, so that's how we arrived at it - this was almost a decade ago so, my memory on it is a little hazy!
{MORE UNDER THE CUT]
Tumblr media
HAHA thank you so much!!! Glad you enjoy what I do 😎🍻
I BELIEVE this little guide I put together over here might be helpful to you, also! I touched on pretty much everything you brought up.
As for reference material when it comes to facial expressions, I have a mirror next to my desk which I glance at often and make weird faces at LOL and for consistency, it's really a matter of learning to dissect and remember facial structure. It's just something you end up developing an eye for when you've done it for long enough! Naturally, if we're talking about drawing existing characters, it's always helpful to just look at some pictures of their mugs and take a minute to define what features about them make their faces recognizable - I touch on this at the link above as well!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I do plan on making a "drowstarion" (love that, by the way LOL) playlist eventually, life's just been kicking my ass and I hardly have the time 😭and when I do, I just wanna draw.
Otherwise I don't have any other playlists floating around at the moment, BUT the one my boyfriend made for his Vellioth comic can be found here, and it might scratch a similar itch!
Tumblr media
Thank you! I believe this was in reference to this post. Something like that takes me about... An hour??? If we're talking just the colors, at least. Though that's a really rough estimate because I take a lot of breaks, so my sense of time when I work ends up pretty skewed. Even if the application of the colors themselves took less than 20 minutes I probably spent 2 hours just staring at it LOL.
Tumblr media
My friend, I have no idea. I'm in a constant battle between "I want to draw more realistically" and "I want to simplify my art so I can draw more/faster". What you see is the result of that ongoing brain-tug-of-war.
Also, just the way I assume everyone else develops theirs - they see stuff they like and emulate it until their art is Frankensteinish enough to be it's own unique thing!
Tumblr media
I'm far from a Type O Negative buff, BUT I'm happy to share some of my favorites with you! They're quite scattered across a couple of their albums so I'm not sure I have a favorite, but I would say October Rust is a good starting point.
In no particular order, these are my most listened tracks of theirs: -Love You to Death -Black N.01 -Haunted -She Burned Me Down -Can't Lose You -I Don't Wanna Be Me -Be My Druidess -September Sun -Tripping A Blind Man
Tumblr media
Alas, I was one of those people who was already drawing in kindergarten 😅 though I would say I only started taking it seriously when I was around 15-16 years old. As someone who has tried their hand at several other hobbies since reaching adulthood, I get what you're saying that it can kinda feel like... You missed the wagon? I've felt that way about all kind of things lol
That said, I've seen adults managing to develop their art skills extremely fast and effectively before. Understanding where and how you need to improve, and how to follow lessons/guides best is something that is vastly improved by maturity and knowing how to best hone your time, attention, and resources - and those are skills we completely lack as children. So, I sincerely believe that as long as you commit yourself, you can definitely get to a point that you're happy with in a couple of years if not less.
Tumblr media
JUST DO IT BUDDY we are all just people looking through a screen and you won't ever see, talk, or meet 99% of the folks who ever clap eyes on what you post. Whenever you start getting nervous about sharing something, take a minute to ask yourself why you're nervous, and if none of the reasons have any genuine substance besides being afraid of what people "might think", just go ahead and post it. You're no mind-reader after all, and if you are, I doubt you can hear what a guy from Argentina or wherever is thinking about the art you made.
Point is, nobody online can touch you 🤷and if someone doesn't like what you do, they can simply choose to not interact with it, and if they do you can block and move on. There are zero reasons for you to feel "bad" about putting up a doodle when our experiences on the web are so easily curated nowadays.
44 notes · View notes
destinysbounty · 2 years
Text
We as a fandom do not talk about this scene nearly as much as we should
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Like, I had already headcanoned that Nya's independent personality was a result of her upbringing, but the fact that this scene officially confirms it is just *chefs kiss*.
What I find so interesting about Kai and Nya is that their childhood trauma has very clearly effected personalities and overall characterizations. Both of them have lone wolf tendencies (albeit more so in earlier seasons), often tending to go their own way and handle their problems on their own instead of relying on the team. They both have anger issues and short tempers, struggling to process their emotions in a healthy way. And neither of them are comfortable with weakness and vulnerability, and tend to lash out when they feel cornered.
There's also the fact that, due to growing up as two kids forced to raise themselves and learn survive with limited assistance from their community, both of them are understandably afraid of feeling weak and vulnerable. What I find to be perhaps the most interesting part of all this is that despite sharing a similar fear, both of them have vastly different coping mechanisms for dealing with it.
For Kai, his fear of powerlessness manifests in a desire for more power - a desire to be the green ninja, a desire to protect his friends, a desire to be strong and heroic, and of course a difficulty with accepting the situation when he loses his powers. He has pretty seamlessly integrated his power into his persona as well, frequently referencing his abilities and praising his status as the master of fire arguably more so than any other character. He's quickly turned his power into a huge part of his identity. Every time he loses his powers, he tends to go into a bit of a depressive episode - in season 5 he developed a fear of water, and in season 11 he became so upset that he nearly quit being a ninja altogether. When he failed to save the Never Realm villagers from Boreal, he blamed himself for it by lamenting that he wasn't powerful enough to save them.
You get the idea. Point is, Kai doesn't like feeling weak, he doesn't like vulnerability, he doesn't like being the weak link or a liability holding everyone back. Personally, I would point to that insecurity as being the primary driving force for his determination to become the green ninja, but that's definitely up for debate.
And as for Nya, this fear has manifested as her being a fiercely independent perfectionist, equating mistakes and failure with weakness, and fearing failure to such an extreme extent that she either gives up anything she's not immediately good at, or completely ignores her problems and pretends everything is fine. Like in season 5 when Wu was training her to become the master of water. "I'm not weak, this bucket is weak! I'm good at everything else, why do I have to be good at filling buckets?!" Or her struggles to get along with her mother all throughout Seabound, knowing full well that she can't blame her mom for leaving but still not quite ready to have her mom in her life again. She also isn't good at asking for help either, often preferring to handle things on her own even at her own detriment, and often she has a hard time admitting when she's wrong as well.
Whenever traumatic things happen, she just steamrolls right past it, refusing to acknowledge her own grief for very long. At Zane's funeral the first thing she said was, "So...what happens after this?" In the face of Maya's repeated attempts to reconnect and talk about Nya's childhood trauma, Nya would often shrug her off or storm away or change the subject.
Maya tried to explain her reasons once - tried to explain that sacrificing yourself comes with immense collateral damage, often hurting the same people you're trying to protect, and says "That's just the way the cookie crumbles." But Nya can't bring herself to address what Maya is really getting at, instead swimming away and saying "I don't like crumbly cookies."
That's why her final words are so important to me. "Tell my mother I understand now. That's the way the cookie crumbles." Nya has finally come to terms with and accepted her mother's decision, accepted that not all solutions have perfect answers, and has finally confronted her own baggage once and for all. She understands why her mother left, she forgives her, and above all she, the team perfectionist, is making a decision that isn't perfect. A decision that will leave a lot of collateral damage, and will cause serious trauma to her loved ones. She knows that by leaving her friends behind and becoming one with the sea, she's hurting them the same way her mother's absence hurt her - but she does it anyway because it's the only way to save their lives.
And as she looks back to say goodbye to Jay one last time, she cries. She mouths the words "I love you" - something she'd never said out loud before. She lets herself be truly raw and vulnerable. Even during her death in Skybound, she was still trying to keep her up her strong and defensive facade, saying things like "I never wanted to be part of your boys' club anyway". Even on her deathbed, in that moment she can't bring herself to let down her walls all the way. But here, several seasons later, she has finally let herself be vulnerable enough to cry, to say goodbye, to say "I love you."
Nya may not be my favorite ninja, but she does have my favorite character arc. Her going from samurai to ninja was a controversial decision, but I really do think it was a good choice in the long run because it almost feels like it's symbolizing her growth - going from a lone wolf who insists on doing things by herself, to being part of a team and relying on her friends just as much as they rely on her.
Just...I love Nya so much. She needs a hug.
2K notes · View notes
totem-but-shark · 8 days
Text
Tumblr media
On the fourth day of Rust kingdoms I tuned into hJune's stream for the last hour or so and as he was ending he climbed up to the highest point in Rusty Bones and simply sat, looking over the kingdom listening to music. And whilst there's something to be said about it being the perfect representation of his character with r!june almost being some kind of guardian angel for Rusty Bones watching over and guiding them, in that moment I was hit with the strongest sense of nostalgia. Which is crazy considering at that point the server wasn't even ending, still had multiple days left and the server had only existed for a few days prior and yet I found myself moved.
Maybe it was a shared understanding with june, he wasn't saying much but I got the sense he might've been feeling something similar. Just sitting back and appreciating the moment, reflecting on the days past, and this special little server. I think there's something beautiful to the love we hold for media, or more precisely the stories told within it and the feeling of experiencing and loving something. Following a narrative with all of its twists and turns finding yourself wholly invested and endeared by its world and characters, to me this is made especially potent in real time improvised RP as you watch this whole world develop one step at a time before your very eyes. Getting to know characters as they get to know themselves, going on their journey right beside them. Following along within community, on twitter, in chats, just listening to the players discuss how much of a good time they're having, shared love and passion for something. It might just be me but that kinda thing always makes me emotional.
The medium of improvised live RP really is unique in this sense, it's hardly been a week but my heart has been stolen by the Rusty Bones cast regardless. Becoming so invested so quickly. Every character interaction building upon the last, every random throwaway line of backstory and lore slowly painting a clearer and clearer picture. Theorising and chatting with peers online and hopping between streams to see every pov. It's been beyond fun and I have to give my thanks to every single Rusty bones player for the atmosphere and community they created, they're the heart of these streams and each one played their part to perfection whether that be through in character roleplay, putting hours of time and care into contributing to the kingdom allowing everyone to play the game and enjoy it as they have or just being a good sport and bringing good vibes for a good time! Extra special thanks to Tina, Foolish, Trausi, hJune, Enevun and Dakkin who really made my pov of this event what it was.
June looking over the castle i've come to be so familiar with and hold so dear in such a short period of time it almost feels like home, for this week Rusty Bones has been my home. Somewhere comforting I could come back to reliably at the end of every day and be greeted by the kingdoms familiar faces. And though we're saying goodbye soon, even if it's a little silly I can't help but feel thankful this little week was part of my life and the joy it brought whilst it lasted.
The song June was listening to:
youtube
32 notes · View notes
kyouka-supremacy · 5 months
Text
Tangentially related to the last Beast sskk post, just something that has been going through my mind A LOT in the last period:
There's this tendency I see of characterizing post-Beast sskk as being on very bad terms with each other, keeping on hating each other even after Dazai's death, and I personally can't relate with that interpretation. To me the canon Beast sskk development is, more or less, a warming up to each other speedrun. All the issues they used to have, about being on opposites sides, about having contrasting ethics, were already sorted up in canon, violently and unmercifully, but most importantly thoroughly and definitely. I find it very easy to believe they'd get along post canon, because everything they had to sort out between them, they already did fully.
When I say that Beast sskk is more or less a warming up to each other speedrun, it's also in the perspective of Beast sskk being a general speedrun to what sskk are in the canon timeline: because I do believe sskk's is a progression towards warming up to each other¹, and in a lot of ways it's already visible in canon, through Atsushi helping Akutagawa in the cannibalism arc despite allegedly hating to work with him, through Akutagawa dying so that Atsushi could escape, through Atsushi wearing Rashomon and Akutagawa letting him wear it and everything that entails. The thing is, when it comes to them, Beast sskk have already seen each other bare; they HAVE seen each other at their lowest point already. If there ever was a peak of hate between them, they've already reached it, and that means the tension is only going to plummet from there. There's nothing left for hate anymore, only for understanding and compassion and love.
“More or less” of a speedrun, that is, because honestly? Beast sskk never needed to warm up to each other, because they didn't start from hating, wholly and sincerely, each other like their canon counterparts did. Beast sskk started from a place of common ground, of genuine sympathy and liking for each other. When they started fighting, I think they were both pained from having to fight each other, who shortly beforehand they had found so easy to relate to and most importantly who they felt understood from. If they hated each other at some point - which, everything accounted, is still realistic, especially given the threat they both posed to their little sisters and more generally to their weaknesses and insecurities -, all accounted it was still brief (literally. didn't last more than half a day), and likely easy to leave behind. In the end I just think for Beast sskk it's going to be easy - spontaneous, even -, to go back to the warm acceptance and understanding they shared on their first meeting; because, differently from their canon counterparts, they know that in normal circumstances they get along, and that's something they can't lie about to themselves and pretend it's not true. They can't lie to themselves about hating each other like canon sskk do; so really, Beast sskk is left no other choice than to get along.
As a final note, I think it would also be easier for Beast sskk to get along because Beast Atsushi doesn't feel to be on an higher moral pedestal like his canon counterpart does, so a lot of moral conflict between Atsushi and Akutagawa simply doesn't happen in Beast.
¹ In a way that, for comparison, skk aren't, who remained more or less frozen on the stance of “hating you (that is also loving you)”. Regarding that, I agree with the interpretation of canon some people offered that the manga is the story of sskk's progression, while skk's relationship is already fully developed.
59 notes · View notes
aphroditelovesu · 6 months
Note
can I request Yandere platonic sisters Nesta Feyre and Elian from ACOTAR x gender, neutral headcons. Can I also request that later read it becomes High fae like his/her sisters, I don’t know how your decision by the cauldron, or you could write that Feyre and reader had to do the trials and died, and the high Lords resurrected reader from the dead. I feel like that would be interesting or another thing that could be interesting is what is reader was thrown in the cauldron and got a super power like rewriting reality like chaos magic like Wanda Nesta with her death magic and reader with his/her chaos magic.❤️❤️❤️❤️ good luck with you exams 😊🫂
❝ 🔥 — lady l: I kind of ended up not doing the powers part otherwise it would have been too long, at least in that part. But if you want to ask for a second part, feel free to ask! Hope you like it, anon! ❤️🥰
❝🌹tw: obsessive and possessive behavior, unhealthy platonic relationships, jealousy, forced transformation.
❝ ⭐pairing: yandere platonic!archeron's sister's x gn!reader, yandere!nesta archeron x gn!reader, yandere!elain archeron x gn!reader and yandere!feyre archeron x gn!reader.
Tumblr media
From the beginning it was always you and them. Your family was close to the Archeron's when they were still rich, your parents had common interests and you grew up together with Nesta, Elain and Feyre. Always close and always attached, even after the death of the matriarch and the loss of the family's money and status.
Your parents distanced themselves, as did most of those people who called themselves friends, from the Archeron's after the loss of their fortune, but not you. You always stuck with them and even after several warnings from your family, you never abandoned them. Not even when your family kicked you out of the house, tired of your deplorable attitude by their standards.
That's how you ended up living with the Archeron's in the small cottage, that was the trigger for the beginning of their obsession.
Nesta was the closest sister to you while you were growing up, you were similar in age so you were always close. She adored you, even if she didn't always show it, but you knew she liked you. Her insults were never directed at you and she always protected you if someone said something about you.
She is very protective of you, bordering on possessive. Nesta only wants the best for you, she can't fail you, she needs it. She need's you. You are the only person she truly allows herself to be vulnerable to and the only person who truly understands her, who doesn't see her as a monster. Nesta knows she cannot lose you, not like she lost her fortune and her mother.
Elain had always been so sweet and graceful, her smiles could charm anyone and she knew how to charm you. Fragile and sometimes naive, Elain counts on you for everything. To be protected and loved. She has developed a strong emotional dependence on you and can no longer be without you.
She knows how to manipulate you in a subtle way, with a sweet smile, a soft look and full of tears. Elain always gets your attention. She wants to be the most loved by you, your favorite and she doesn't like sharing your attention. You were hers, her friend, someone she held dear, and she couldn't lose you. You wouldn't leave her, Elain would make sure of that.
Feyre became very attached to you and dependent, almost seeing you as a father/mother figure, due to the way you took care of her and her family. You and her were always together, you helped her hunt when you could to keep you and them fed, but you also helped with whatever you could. Feyre was very grateful for that.
She grew up being dependent on you, sharing a close bond with you, and always needing your affirmation. Feyre values ​​your acceptance, your love and your compliments, secretly bragging about them. She is quite possessive of your attention and would often take you with her just so you can be with her.
They were always fighting with each other for your affection and approval and you often had to break up the fight before it got worse. This continued for a long time, until the day Feyre killed the wolf in the forest and all of your lives changed. Feyre was taken by a fae to Prythian and you were left helpless, unable to help her. Feyre's heart hurt so much when she was forced to leave you, that she cried in your arms. Nesta and Elain watched everything with skepticism and concern.
The next time you met Feyre was after she was sent back to her family by Tamlin. Your condition had improved and your status had returned thanks to the High Lord, but you missed her. You and Nesta tried to cross the Wall to look for her but were unsuccessful.
As soon as Feyre returned home, you held each other for what seemed like hours. She looked healthier and more alive, just like all of you. Elain hadn't realized that Feyre had been taken to Prythian, bewitched, but you and Nesta had. You noticed and for the time you were together, it was just like old times.
Until Feyre decided to return to Prythian, in love with the High Lord and she tried to convince you to go with her. Nesta protested vehemently, accusing her sister of wanting to put you in danger. Elain didn't understand everything, but she didn't want you to go and although you didn't want to leave Feyre helpless, you were convinced to stay on Nesta and Elain's account. Feyre was hurt but understood and decided to venture out for herself. She swore she'd come back for you, though.
You, Nesta, and Elain stayed together for the next few months, just the three of you and although there were still occasional fights between the two, everything was fine. You lived well and comfortably, with plenty of food and you didn't need to freeze from the cold. You hadn't heard from Feyre until the day she came back, completely different.
She was no longer human, but a High Fae, and you were shocked when you heard her story. Your heart sank when you found out what had happened to her, for everything she had been through and you blamed yourself for not having been there to help her. Feyre hugged you and told you it wasn't your fault.
She needed help and you met the Illyrians, not being as afraid as Nesta and Elain, but you protected them anyway. Nesta didn't want them near you and Elain, while Elain was scared and clung to you as if you could protect her if they wanted to attack her. Fortunately, you reached an agreement and everything was resolved.
Until the day Hybern broke into your house and took you all there. Elain was crying and Nesta was grunting with hate and you were so scared. Feyre's heart stopped when she saw the three of you trapped, so human and so defenseless against Hybern's soldiers, and even more so when you were thrown into the Cauldron.
You and Nesta screamed in hatred as Elain was thrown in and came out as one High Fae, Nesta the next and you cried as you saw your sisters so helpless. You were next and you tried to fight, but it was in vain and all you remembered was the cold, black water of the Cauldron stealing your humanity.
When Feyre and Nesta saw you coming out of the Cauldron, now a High Fae and broken, they knew they were going to destroy the whole place. Elain clung to you, crying in your arms and you held her, your heart aching and your mind numb. Nesta and Feyre were furious.
They wouldn't let you get hurt again. Feyre swore, Nesta made a death promise, and even sweet Elain would kill the King of Hybern for it. For ruining your lives, for hurting you. No one hurt you and got away with it, not even him.
83 notes · View notes
where-theres-smoak-2 · 7 months
Text
Sylki Pie Room Analysis (Loki 2x4 Spoilers)
I have to talk about the pie room scene between Sylvie and Loki in 2x4, because I can't tell you how much I loved that scene between them and I have thoughts, so many thoughts.
Obviously these are all just my own opinions and interpretation of the scene, I'm not here to tell anyone else how they should interpret it themselves, just sharing my own thoughts.
What I love about this scene is how it shows just how much Loki has grown over the course of the Loki series. But I also love what it says about Sylvie's character development, which is just as important. I'm going to break this up into sections to hopefully make it a little easier to follow.
Doing What's Hard.
I want to start with the part where Sylvie confesses that she couldn't kill Victor and why she couldn't kill him, because this was really interesting to me. If we remember back to 1x6 when Sylvie is about to kill He Who Remains, she asks him if he is going to beg for his life. In that moment it seemed to me almost like she wanted him to beg, she wanted to see his fear, for him to be afraid of her. I think this is because of the fear she felt constantly being hunted by the TVA, she felt afraid for so long and that was because of He Who Remains. So now she wants him to feel that same fear, to know what he put her through for all those years. It really reminds me of what Loki says to Mobius in ep 1 about not enjoying hurting people but doing it because he felt he had to in order to keep up the illusion, the trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear, or as Mobius puts it, a desperate play for control. In that moment Sylvie wanted control over He Who Remains.
It's interesting then that when she comes face to face with his variant, its Victor's fear that stops her from killing him. Because in that moment seeing his fear, seeing him talk about how he isn't He Who Remains, hasn't made the same choices as HWR and can make his own choices, reminds Sylvie so much of herself and how if she did kill Victor she wouldn't be any better than HWR. But I also think seeing Victor's fear reminded her that he was human. To her HWR was the monster who had destroyed her home, killing her family and people and who hunted her down her whole life. The fact that he didn't show any fear only cemented that image in her head. But Victor was afraid, he was human.
Yet in this moment we can see that Sylvie is doubting her decision to spare him, she thinks it makes her weak, which I think is why Loki tells her the story about Thor and how Loki mocked him for being 'soft' when he returned to Asgard. I think he tells her this story to show her that he understands how she feels because he too used to think that being 'soft', showing mercy, caring and trusting in others, is a weakness. We know Sylvie feels like being these things is a weakness because she says, 'soft gets you killed.' She has had to harden up over the eons she's been hunted in order to survive, so it makes sense that she thinks this way.
After she says this Loki reassures her by reminding her that by sparing Victor she also saved the remaining branches and all the lives exsisting on them. What I love about this moment is that Sylvie doesn't need to say that she feels weak for sparing Victor, Loki just knows that is how she is feeling and also knows just what to say to get through to her, he's basically telling her, you're not soft, or weak, you did a hard thing and spared more than just Victor's life in the process.
The next moment I want to talk about comes directing after this one. Realising how much faith Loki is putting in OB, Casey and Victor, Sylvie looks confused. She seems to be figuring out why Loki would trust them. I don't think she is judging him for his faith though, I think she is trying to understand it. The TVA has, needless to say, traumatised Sylvie and hurt her deeply. But the thing that helped Sylvie and Loki bond in season 1 was that the TVA had also hurt Loki, it was their mission to bring down this organisation that had ruined both their lives that brought them together. Sylvie is really struggling to trust the TVA and so she wants to understand why Loki does. She reminds him about Dox, and how those billion of lives lost were the fault of the TVA. Again this makes sense because in ep 2 Loki told her that the TVA was the only defence for the branches and yet it was a member of the TVA that pruned them, which only deepened Sylvie's mistrust of the TVA. She believes its too corrupt to fix.
But once again Loki knows exactly what to say, pointing out that there are branches that still survive and that is because of Mobius, B-15, OB and Casey who are all part of the same TVA but who are fighting to protect those lives.
I really enjoyed the push and pull between them both in this scene and how it leads into the conversation about burning things down being easy and that trying to fix what's broken is hard, hope is hard. I loved that part of their conversation. You can see that it really does get Sylvie thinking, that she's listening to Loki and actually taking in his words and considering them.
But she still has a lot of mistrust that has to be worked through. Hope is a very foreign concept to her and again that comes down to her past, if she had relied on hope in the past she never would have survived. She survived by relying on herself. So this idea of giving up control and instead relying on hope, relying on others, is very scary to her, its hard for her. But she is still willing to hear Loki out and so she asks about what they are going to do with Victor, are they really going to show him all of this then just send him home. But I do think Sylvie gets a little triggered by Loki's response of we can watch him and protect him as she sees this as 'interfering for good'. It's too close in her eyes to what the TVA was doing before. Always watching and always guarding, controlling how others live their lives.
It's interesting to me that at this moment Loki gets frustrated with her, up until now he's been calm and collected and responded to her viewpoint reasonably. But it's here that he gets frustrated, his tone gets a little more heated and he also looks and moves away from her. I do think there is a reason why he gets frustrated at this particular moment, but I am going to talk about that a little bit later on.
Loki is of the view that you can't just give people freewill and walk away, that it doesn't work that way. In an idealistic world maybe, but in the real world its not that simple or easy. I think some of Loki's frustration comes from the fact that Sylvie was the one that caused the branches to be freed, she is the one that wants the branches to be protected and says she cares about the lives on those branches, yet whenever he asks for help she seems reluctant to help, it seems to him like she just wants to walk away from the responsibility, from doing the hard part.
But I don't necessarily think that is true, I don't think she wants to walk away because its too hard, I just don't think she trusts the TVA, she is struggling to see the TVA as the solution and as this protector like Loki does.
We Are Gods
As I said above one of the great things about this whole scene is the way it shows just how far Loki has come and how much he has grown as a character. I think one of the things that shows just how much he has changed is the conversation they have about how they have to do better, to be better than HWR. Sylvie points out that no matter what they do they'll be playing god to which Loki replies, we are gods.
What is so significant about this line is that if 2012 Loki had said it he would have meant it boastfully, as if being a god made him surperior and better than everyone else. As if being a god gave him the right to rule over and dictate the lives of those who he considered beneath him. But this Loki doesn't mean it like that. He lets out this resigned sigh right before he says the line, because now he really understands what it means to be a god, to be a king. It's not about power or recognition, its about responsibilty, its about protecting others, looking out for them and often doing it thanklessly. It about having the responsibility of making those really hard choices, of being the ones to solve the problem, of having the responsibilty of carrying the burden for those who can't. This was something that 2012 Loki didn't understand but that our Loki has come to learn and I just love that growth.
But this concept of gods and the role they play also tells us alot about Sylvie and her character. We can see that she looks genuinely distressed at the idea of them 'playing god.' I think this is because of the way she sees the role of a god and its similar to how Loki used to think. She thinks a god is someone who ruthlessly rules over others, who dictates and controls their lives, who makes up their own rules and enforces them when people don't live within the constraints they've created for them. She sees it this way because its what HWR did to her, dictated her life, claimed to have written it all out for her and then tried to erase her when she didn't follow the path he had set out for her. Although I don't think He Who Remains was a god it was very much a role he played into. Sylvie is just so desperate to not be like HWR that I don't think she really knows what to do with herself, it seems to me like she is just second guessing every decision and as a result she isn't really doing anything, she's struggling to make any decision at all. This could be because of her decision to kill HWR. In the moment she was so sure that she was making the correct choice, that freeing the timelines was the right thing to do, but since then the problem with the loom has come up, threatening those very timelines she wanted to free, a variant of HWR showed up just as HWR warned them and I think that has lead to Sylvie just having alot of self doubt that she doesn't want to face, so instead she's just kind of burying her head in the sand so that she doesn't get overwhelmed by the guilt of thinking this is all her fault because she 'played god' when she killed HWR and its created a whole load more problems.
There is another really interesting way that they showed the difference in Loki and Sylvie's journey in this scene though. Though I could just be looking into this way too much but it was something I noticed and that is the, I think they call it blocking, of the scene. The positioning of the characters and the way they move.
When Loki first comes into the room, where Sylvie already is, he actually moves away from her, over to one side of the room, but then turns to face her. What is interesting is that as he moves away from her, she actually follows him but stops in the centre of the room. It creates this idea that they are both mirroring each other, that she is following him, but they don't quite meet just yet.
Loki actually moves several times during this scene, whilst Sylvie stays fixed on that one spot. I think this is meant to show how Loki has gone on a journey and changed, he hasn't stayed in the same place he was at at the beginning of season 1, whereas Sylvie is currently stuck in one spot and still at the start of her journey.
The first time Loki moves is right after Sylvie talks about his faith in OB and Casey and as he brings up how Mobius, B-15 and the guys are protecting the timelines. I think its significant that he moves at this moment as it represents the first step or milestone in his journey, the moment he learnt to trust, to put his faith in others and to come to care for others.
He moves again when he tells Sylvie that you can't give people free will and then just walk away and when he talks about needing to do better and protect the timelines. Again I think this shows the progression of his journey, now instead of playing the part of the villain, of wanting to control and rule over people, he is playing the part of the protector, he has literally bettered himself.
As a sidenote, something significant for Sylvie's character in this scene is that although she is stuck on that one spot, she shifts as Loki moves to keep herself facing him, so its like she is following his journey which could be a hint that eventually Sylvie will reach the same place Loki has.
The final time he moves is when he approaches Sylvie and then says the line 'we are gods.' I think there are a couple of things that are significant here. The first is that again this represents the final step in Loki's journey, him realising the true meaning of being a god and the responsibility that goes with it. The second is that he moves closer to Sylvie so that he is standing with her now. He brings them together, literally closing the distance between them. I also think this ties in with what I said just above about Sylvie eventually reaching the same place Loki has, in this moment they are standing in the same place. As the camera pans out we are shown them standing together as one unit. Which brings me to my next and final section.
All The Things They Didn't Say.
So ever since the citadel where Loki betrayed his promise to Sylvie when he didn't stand with her against HWR and Sylvie betrayed Loki's trust when she kicked him through the time door, these two have had this huge distance and barrier between them. They both feel betrayed by the other, they both feel hurt by the other and since then they've just continued to have disagreements with each other and haven't really spoken about their issues.
What I thought was interesting about the scene in the pie room is that although it could seem like they are having a disagreement like all the other times they've talked this season, its actually the first time they communicate openly and clearly with each other. I also think its the first time they really stop and listen to what the other person is actually saying and then explaining themselves in turn. Loki is listening to Sylvie's concerns and then reassuring her and explaining to her his way of thinking. Sylvie in turn is actually taking in Loki's point of view and making an effort to understand them and I think Loki really does give her some food for thought here. They aren't hurriedly screaming at each other whilst one of them tries to kill somebody and the other stands in their way, they aren't being interrupted with the news that an attack is going to be carried out on the branches. Despite the seriousness and urgency of the Loom's possible destruction, they are having a calm conversation. I personally love that progress.
But as I mentioned above there was one moment where Loki does get frustrated with Sylvie and he gets just a tad heated. I did promise I would come back to it and here is why I think it is significant that he gets frustrated at that moment. It is as he says the words 'walk away' that the frustration comes in and he himself actually moves further away from Sylvie and he turns away from her too, breaking their eye contact for a moment. I think the reason why he is upset is actually because he believes she walked away from him finding a new life on her branch where she is happy without him. He feels like she abandoned him just like he feels like she is abandoning the job of keeping the branches safe.
At the start of the scene Loki says that he asked for Sylvie's help but she walked away, her response is to point out no she didn't she was there, to which he counters only because she couldn't kill Victor. To me Loki seemed a bit bitter when he said this and it reminded me so much of the moment on the Ferris wheel when Sylvie asks if Loki cares about anything other than the TVA. In both these instances I think they both wanted the other to say that they were there for them, that they had shown up for them. The sad part is that actually I do think they did show up for the other person, because they wanted to know the other person was ok but they've been unable to communicate that to each other. So Sylvie is upset and hurt because she thinks Loki only came looking for her because he cared about the TVA and Loki is upset because he believes Sylvie only showed up because she couldn't kill Victor and still doesn't trust him and not because she actually wants to help or be near Loki.
I do think some parts of this conversation are acting as a film for what they really want to say to each other but can't seem to find the confidence to. There's alot of subtext here in my opinion.
One of those moments is Loki telling that story about Thor going soft. The part Loki left out was that the thing that made Thor change was meeting and falling in love with Jane. I think what Loki wants to say but doesn't here is that it wasn't just Mobius, B-15, Casey and OB that changed him, it was meeting and falling in love with her. He has grown because of her, his change began when he heard her story, when they worked together on Lamentis, when he for the first time began to care about someone other than himself, he just wanted her to be ok. She was such an instrumental part of his character growth, just like Jane was such a big part of Thor's growth and I like to think that the writers were drawing parallel between the two couples here.
There's also the part where Loki is talking about how fixing what's broken is hard. Again I think this has some relevance to their relationship. Like Loki is almost challenging her, that fixing their broken relationship is hard but just like fixing the TVA could make it into something better, something stronger, fixing their relationship could make it better, make them stronger. At the moment they are both taking the easy path of keeping those barriers between them up, because they trusted each other before, opened themselves up to another person for the first time and fell in love and in the end they both got hurt. So its easier to keep their distance and stay closed off from the other instead of trying to fix what's broken between them and potentially opening themselves up for more hurt.
Loki also says that hope is hard, but I do think that there is a little bit of hope for Sylki's relationship in this scene, its subtle but its there. And that little glimmer of hope comes when they are talking about having to do better and about playing god. They use two terms that I think are really important, 'we' and 'us'. Loki doesn't say I have to do better, or you have to do better, he says we have to better. Sylvie doesn't say you're playing god or I'm playing god but we are playing god. And again Loki doesn't say I am a god or you are a god but we are gods. Despite the distance between them, despite them struggling to get back to a place they were in their relationship before, they are talking about themselves as one unit. It's a discussion about what they are going to do together. This is actually a subtle shift from earlier in their conversation where Sylvie says what if you're wrong and what if I'm wrong or when she says you're going to show timely all this. Here she is talking about them as two separate units, which I think shows that shift in her thinking where she starts out seeing Loki and the TVA on one side together and her on the other at the start of the conversation, but come the end of it she is seeing her and Loki on the same side. I also think it adds more significance to that shot towards the end of the scene where they are both standing in the same spot, close together.
Anyway, as I said before it is possible that I am looking way too much into this, I have watched that scene more times than is healthy so. But I did really enjoy seeing Loki and Sylvie working together again in this episode, there were other little moments between them that I really loved. Like when Sylvie first shows up when they are talking to Victor Loki actually looks at her twice. He looks back when she first approaches, then back to Victor, but then you see him turn to look at Sylvie again like he just had to double check she was still there, which I don't know, I found it cute. Also when OB brings up Sylvie killing HWR Loki quickly looks over to her like he wants to check she's not upset, of course she's just looking smug about it. There were lots of little looks like that throughout the episode. Him making sure she was ok when she got stuck in the elevator was another cute moment. I also loved them shouting down the phone together at OB when he said he'd have to turn off the dampeners that prevent magic and watching them team up against brad. So I am really excited to see where they are going to take their relationship in the next couple of episodes.
I know some people are worried that they haven't got enough time to reunite them romantically and that it would seem too rushed, I personally am not too worried about that. I think I'd be more worried if they had never developed them romantically before but we've got season 1 as a foundation to build upon, is not like they have to develop a romance from scratch. Also they did a really good job of building alot of their romantic relationship in ep 3 and 4 of season 1 without it feeling rushed so I am choosing to have faith in the writing team that they can reunite them in a satisfying way in the last couple of episodes, as I do think they did make alot of headway in this episode in bringing them back together.
Anyway I have rambled on enough now, so this is where I am going to leave it. If you have read all the way to end, thank you for your time, I know this got long.
104 notes · View notes