#see my reblog with the detailed parallels
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castles crumbling 🤝 nothing new 🤝 the archer 🤝 dear reader 🤝 mirrorball 🤝 anti-hero 🤝 coney island 🤝 you're on your own kid 🤝 this is me trying
#the piercing depth of an anxiety-ridden taylor song#see my reblog with the detailed parallels#taylor swift#castles crumbling#nothing new#the archer#dear reader#mirrorball#anti-hero#coney island#you're on your own kid#this is me trying#parallels#mine#1k#2k#3k
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uhh hello!! sorry if this is a tall order LOL but I wanna ask, do you have any narilamb fanfic recs? :D I already read yours and I really like bamsara’s and I’m waiting for epicaandk’s to update (that one is my fav ever <3) but idk what to read now lol
Tall order?? Naaaaah, I'm always happy to give recs. Oh boy, I'm gonna go in reverse chronological order.
If you've read all of my narilamb fics (have you seriously? I'm impressed, that's probably well over half the 150k+ I've written for this damn fandom. Also, to anyone seeing this from a reblog, my stuff is over at onethirdofimpossible!) then here we go!
You already mentioned it, but The Rehabilitation of Death is excellent so far! This one is by @bamsara who is new to the CotL fandom but apparently not new to fanfic writing; they have a really popular FNAF fic and I assume the well-deserved attention this fic's been getting is a byproduct of the popularity they've already gotten in other fandoms. :D Welcome, bamsara! Many of the fic writers in this fandom are friends with each other already, but we don't bite if you wanna say hi.
Feel No Evil and Language Barrier, both by @payasita. I always love how payasita portrays this duo (in both digital art and writing), with so much sass and repressed loneliness, knowing they're stuck together for eternity and making the best of it. (And maybe falling in love, depending on how dense Narinder keeps being.) What makes these come alive for me is how well thought out the setting is outside the Lamb and Narinder. The descriptions and weight of emotions really pop here.
LITERALLY ANYTHING written by pavi / @i-eat-deodorant. Depending on how spicy you want your fics to be he has even more here. Character analysis, diction, pacing, etc. are consistently 10/10. Top-quality banter between a sassy Lamb and tired old man Narinder. We constantly bounce ideas off each other and inspire each other a lot but I promise I'm not hyping him up just because he's my friend oh my god please just go bless your eyes.
It Was For You, O Death by blueberry-muffin-massacre (if they have a tumblr, let me know so I can tag!). An intriguing alternative ending to the final battle wherein the Lamb chooses a secret third option by refusing to give up the Red Crown and still observing Narinder as the God of Death. So many details are so well thought out and duality their relationship is nicely characterized-- both genuine care for each other and also quite unhealthy. A fine line treaded well!
Confessional by jusmove (again, lmk if they have a tumblr). Been a while since I've read it, but I love how the Lamb chips at Narinder's very carefully built emotional walls. Their personalities are very well fleshed out here, especially Narinder's cognitive dissonance at being able to process love.
Confession by @thewitchoftheweed. I didn't expect a part two to this one, but my god I was so thrilled when it did update. Narinder and Lamb with their unique and parallel loneliness and their fucked-up sense of everything. Their relationship is very rocky here, and I love how they navigate it: with tension and eventual, pained acceptance. Mind the rating.
Of Character Development and Being Dense by @calliecature. A short and sweet narilamb classic. They're both mutually pining and one of them is too emotionally repressed to realize it. Guess who.
Not An Offering, But a Gift by @checkplzjuliet. Small confession fic. I especially love how Narinder's descriptions twist the knife of his situation here, and how Lambert is a total foil for him! There are a lot of good things happening in such a short span, which is impressive.
Also, if you think you've read all my narilamb fics... I do have a secret one out there too. Just so you know.
Happy reading!
I'm already friends with many of the people here, but if any of the writers I've tagged have been kinda wanting to reach out for a while but feel a little anxious... Don't be. I've made my best friends in this fandom by literally just waiting for some of my readers to get over whatever assumption they have that I'm cool and say hi. Or being the more confident one first.
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This is my reluctant fandom rivalry story. It’s long. Please bear with me.
A couple years ago I got into a major (read: very active) fandom. I wrote a few fics, then began what would become my longest WIP to date. That WIP generated a lot of interest, and as the smut escalated, I started getting more engagement with a fic than ever before – especially after posting a scene in which the characters finally hook up, in a very kinky and unexpected way. While working on this story I was following the work of other writers, and at one point a certain author who is pretty prolific and well-established in the fandom posted a finale to a work that they hadn’t updated in a long time.
Seeing as how this work featured an uncommon ship dynamic for the pairing I write for – which my WIP also featured – I was interested to read this particular work. Then, when I got to their newly-added finale, I was astonished: it featured a scene that very closely paralleled the hook-up smut scene that I had just posted about a week or so prior, to a startling degree of similarity. So here were two characters in a very specific relationship dynamic—ages differing from canon—who were hooking up in the exact same way as my characters (also of this age/dynamic), down to the very same environment and scene context – the same uncommon blocking; same uncommon smut scenario – in a way that I’d thought was highly original when I wrote it (I haven’t seen anything like it before or since), and posted very close behind when mine was posted! The author even went out of their way to say that they’d actually written that scene “months ago,” and were only just getting around to finally posting it… /: *suspicious eyes*
You can see where I’m going with this.
While not exactly plagiarism per se, that author received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from their many followers, while my chapter received a comparably modest response (though still very positive by my own standards, being so new to the fandom). I also worry that a good number of shared readers had encountered the other [popular] story, first, then caught up with mine after, only to wonder if I had copied the other author (unless they bothered to go into “chapter index” -> “full page index” to confirm publication dates, it would’ve looked like mine came after once I posted the next chapter).
I decided not to confront them about it, though. There was no way I could prove that it wasn’t “parallel thinking,” even if it would make for a very odd coincidence. The wording was not the same, but it was structured very closely to what I’d written, including certain spicy details. I didn’t want to stir up drama in a new fandom, especially with such a popular author, lest I inadvertently alienate myself.
But here’s the thing: I decided to just be flattered that my work had "inspired" theirs, and I tried to get past any lingering resentment by befriending them. Left kudos and the occasional nice comment on their work. Followed them on tumblr. Liked/RB’d their posts. But they steadfastly ignored me completely, for reasons I can only guess at. We have many common mutuals and they never like/reblog even my most popular posts (though these must cross their dash), though they will promote similar posts by anyone else.
Over a year later, I’ve continued to follow this author’s work, keeping an eye out for other “coincidences” (though it’d be very ballsy of them to "borrow" from me again, since my work is more widely read now). Meanwhile, I have risen in popularity, myself, and while still not as popular as that author, I’m very proud of my own contributions to the fandom, and feel that my writing is a lot stronger than theirs. So I really shouldn’t let it get to me, but seeing them around all the time, being praised for their mid-level works and interacting with so many of my mutuals (while giving me the cold shoulder) still rankles me. Recently they even posted something about showing common courtesy by not stealing others' work in fandom, etc. that really rubbed me the wrong way. I stewed over it for way longer than is healthy.
Any advice on how to navigate this one?
I want to enjoy my time in this fandom, but their ubiquitous, icy presence and my own lingering paranoia casts a pall over my experience.
This is one of those situations where you either need to confront them directly and let the chips fall where they may or you need to block them on every platform you share and pretend they don't exist.
You can't seem to get past what happened in the past, but you're also not talking it out with them. That means that you're stuck where you are until something changes. That thing is either messaging them directly or removing them from view.
Do not write a callout post. From what you've outlined here, you have a suspicion with no solid facts one way or the other. Writing a public post will just create fandom drama and having been tangentially involved in that before, do. not. recommend.
Personally, I think you need to evict them from your mind because they've been living there rent free for too long. But that's just my opinion. What do the rest of you think?
You can also find this ask mirrored over on Dreamwidth.
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Happy Monday wonderful fandom :) I can’t believe we’ve reached the finale I’m in shock we're here. This has been my side hobby for 9 plus months. I started these to get through the extended hiatus. I wasn’t even sure anyone would even read them. The response I got was so lovely. I adore this fandom. So welcoming to any new Chenford content.
So thank you to everyone who’s read these especially those who've been with me since the very beginning. I can’t explain how much it has meant to me. Whether it was likes, reblogs or comments. Special shout out to my tumblr bestie @makeitastrength and @northern-neighbor You both commented on every single one of these. Thank you so much for your insight and sticking with me this entire time. Means more than you'll ever know.
I’m planning to do mini reviews during this new season. Then this same kind of thing during our hiatus hopefully we’ll have S7 locked in by then. *fingers crossed* I finished this before S6 which was my goal. We are only 8 days away which is unreal. Eeeee. Let us get started.
5x22 Under Siege
This episode starts off with all kinds of anxiety. Aaron and Celina kill me with not calling the noise in WHY.... Why didn’t you call it in? Ugh. Celina lying on top of Aaron protecting him till they arrive. Rip my damn heart out right off the bat why don't ya? I’m going to cry. I love Tim and Lucy showing up to the scene together. They’re clearly off shift and showing up to the scene with each other. I love these little details they make my heart so happy.
They’re a packaged deal now and I couldn’t be happier about it. Also like to note looks like Lucy is wearing one of his jackets. Maybe they were at his place when they got the call? The sleeves look long on her and I adore it. Basically living together at this point. I can’t get over it. Just casually showing up to scenes now. Ain’t no thang. This thought is where I live till S6 LOL
Anyways Tim says he heard it was Aaron. Grey confirms this is true. GSW to the back. Looks like the same spot Jackson was shot. Eerily so. Three masked men and they were ambushed. The painful parallels to Jackson’s death in this one getting me in the feels. Grey has them start to work the scene. Lucy looks incredibly upset but is trying to keep it in check. Probably feeling the Jackson vibes too.
Our couple arrives at the hospital with an update. Once again arriving together. I love the quick looks we get as they approach. That silent communication of their's ever present. Also she is wearing the necklace I must comment. It’s popping against that shirt she is wearing. Like to also point out how look at each other while the other speaks. It’s the little things I love so very much. Getting massive 4x01 vibes from this scene too. Reminding me of the scene is Wes's living room night after the hug. The height difference, the way Lucy is looking at Tim as he speaks. United front power couple vibes.
So much can change and things like this stay the same I love it. They’re reporting back their CI’s have nothing. No one has heard back about a gang targeting cops. Lucy has also hit a dead end with the masks. Their next idea was Elijah but Tim says nothing out of prison confirming that. Angela and Wes are working on the riddle. Grey tells them to head home they’re not getting anywhere tonight. Once they've all left Grey turning to Luna saying he can lose another. Ugh getting me in the feels so early in this episode. More Jackson feels.
Lucy and Tim get home late. The minute they’re back Lucy’s walls are down. Tim can see how upset she is. Another great callback to 4x01. To that hug. Only this time Lucy doesn’t have to ask for it. Tim seeks her out. See’s how now that they're home her work walls are down. She is visibly wrecked and can't hold back the tears any longer. I love how he pulls her right into his arms. Being the exact comfort she needs in this moment. He can't stand to see her upset. Wanting to make it better.
Tim grabbing her instantly is so lovely. Lucy crashes into him and falls apart. He gets to comfort as much as she needs now. How very far we’ve come. It’s been a beautiful journey to this point. Lucy is ready to fall apart in her safe place. Knowing Tim will be there pick up the pieces. Shield her from the PTSD this must be bringing up for her. I love how he encases her fully. One hand around her back the other gently cradling her head to his chest.
Tim closing his eyes wanting to absorb her sadness. The swaying and his chin on top of her head. *squee* I love her being fully enclosed in his arms. Also never be over the fact Eric improvised the kiss to her head. Forever squeeing about that fact. Our ship King is the best. Oh captain my captain. How damn intimate and sweet it is as he does as such. Then resting his head back on hers. Telling her ‘It’s ok.’ His hand in her hair rubbing her back soothingly. I cannot. Lucy was alone last time. Grieved alone and dealt with everything solo.
Now she never has to be alone again and I wanna cry at that thought. Getting emotional at how beautiful this hug is. Lovely ray of sunshine in a rather dark finale. I love this scene so much it made my chest hurt. You want to see outstanding chemistry in a short amount of time? Watch this scene. Melissa and Eric are glorious together. We truly are so lucky to have them as our ship. This is such a soft and gentle moment.
Tim pulling her in and wanting to comfort her has me all in my feels. Lucy has this wonderful man to catch her when she falls now. To be able to absolutely come apart in his arms. Knowing he’ll be there to comfort and keep her together when she does. Gah I love them so much. Also A + to whoever does the music. The song in this moment is adding to the emotional depth of the scene. Amazingly good. It’s been so on point in this season. They need a raise whoever does this.
They finally have some suspects to track down. Violent felons that have connection to the station and to them as a group. Lucy offers to check on one by herself. Grey says no and Tim offers to go with her. Because he loves her and wants to keep her in his sights. They’ve all been attacked at this point. Except for him and Lucy. No way he’s letting her go solo. It’s not cause he didn’t trust her to handle herself. He can’t handle her going alone. His instincts on high alert.
Lucy telling Tim he should be out knocking down doors with Metro. Tim tells her 'He’s good'. As good as he can be without letting her out of his sights during this. Only they could so effortlessly flirt while on duty. In the middle of an intense OP. Lucy letting him know she doesn’t need him to protect her. Tim is very aware of this. Says he knows. Lucy turning this moment into some very cute light banter. Saying he is telling her he needs the protecting. Tim being sassy right back with his reply above. God I love them.
Their teasing and banter is iconic. Lucy’s next line is fantastic. I know we haven’t had an official ILY you yet. But they’ve said it so many different ways this season. In moments such as this. When we do officially get it not gonna be a shock to either of them. Tim telling her 'Back at you.' Making me all emotional. They are such a power couple and the next portion of this episode proves that. I’ve always said watching them in the field is poetry in motion. This next battle scene is literal proof of such.
It’s a good thing Tim came with her. I don’t want to think what would’ve happened if she’d been alone. The creepy crowd coming at them. My stomach dropped. First Tim willing to sacrifice himself for her so she could get away. *heart clutch* Man would die for her and not even blink in the decision making process. Lucy of course will not allow this whatsoever. Valiant or not he’s not falling on his sword for her.
We get a nice call back to 1x18. Not only with Lucy saying they need to go to higher ground. Like he taught her in that ep but to show no mercy. Tim instructing they hurt as many as they can and then retreat upstairs. Lucy getting exactly what he’s saying because they’re simpatico. This entire scene shows that. Also LOVE Lucy saying they only stand a chance TOGETHER. Theme of this season right here. They're better together. Damn right.
What a bad ass battle couple we have. Look at this scene. Lucy calling the audibles in this moment and Tim following her play. Repeating it back and saying 'Copy that.' Gah I love this so very much. Tim trusts her gut without question. Not a doubt in his mind to go with it. The amount of respect he has for her in the field is immense. He was going to stay behind she said no. Then Tim instantly followed her lead after that.
Damnit I love them so much. Tim’s instinct is to always protect Lucy. Where her's is to protect them both in this moment. It’s never because he thinks she can’t handle it. Tim just can’t handle the idea of losing her if he doesn’t. Started from the bottom now we're here and I’m emotional. Also the song once again killer during this epic scene.
Love her touching his arm before they engage in battle in that first one. Look at them in the final two above. I know Eric said they had a blast filming this. They are so damn in-sync. It's such an amazing thing to watch them take these people on. Like I've sad many times before poetry in motion when they're in the field. I love getting to watch the well oiled machine that is them. This was that on steroids ha
Eric was so excited for us to watch this scene and I can see why. It so fun to watch. Taking these guys apart together one at a time. I LOVE Lucy taking that guy out and then grabbing his riot shield. Tim is starting to get overwhelmed and she makes work of what's around her. Running towards Tim getting that guy off her man. With a very impressive shove might I add. Sends him flying down the stairs with the others. They have to start retreating up the stairs after this. They are slowly running out of ammo as well. Backup has yet to arrive and they're battling the best they can to stay alive till it does.
Harper and Nolan finally arrive on scene. Nyla tells John to get to them. She is going to get her sniper rifle even the odds a bit. Unfortunately even with higher ground they’re getting ambushed from all sides now. It's now all melee combat at this point without ammo. Tim takes a guy out with pepper spray and gets a guy off his girl.
Who is literally choking the life out of her. Tim dispatches this guy with any remaining rage he has left. Smashing this guy's face into the wall. Making sure he can't get up to get back to her. All the while Harper being a bad ass snipping people left and right for Tim. This scene is epic af. I love it so much. One of my all time field scenes for sure. They did a damn good job with this holy cow.
Then we get an other beautiful parallel from 1x01 to now. When Lucy pulled Tim to safety mid battle. We get to see Tim do the same for her. The way Tim scoops Lucy up and carries her to safety. I’m not crying you are.... Power couple since day one they just didn’t know it yet. The way he picks her up and then shields her with his body. Gah it’s so good.
When the door opens Tim is worried it’s another bad guy. He shields Lucy with his body. Ready to take a hit to keep her protected. Not willing to let them get at her again. I’m sobbing everyone. The instinct to always protect one another. I’m drowning in feels over here in the best way. Nolan ushers them to safety. Never been happier to see John Nolan in my life LOL
They make it to the stairway battered and bruised. Gasping for air as they try to recover from what just happened. Let’s look at the no space between them when they land on the stairs. Tim reaching out for her instantly. Placing his hand on her thigh checking on her. TWICE might I add. He touches her twice there. While checking around to make sure they’re truly safe. Lucy reaches out for his hand on the first touch. Also their heads touching as well in that first gif. Gah this mini moment has so much to it.
Tim is grounding himself in this moment through those touches. Making sure Lucy is breathing and he can stand down to catch his own breath. Such an intimate moment after an incredibly intense battle. He almost lost her so he is reaching out and making sure she’s ok. He also needs to touch her to settle himself. It was to tell her we’re ok now’s and to confirm to himself she was as well. Damnit it's so good. Don't tell me one of Tim’s biggest love languages isn’t physical touch. It for sure is.
Our last shot of the season for them. Just a BAMF couple post battle. Height difference that I love so much. The check in’s they do walking away knowing this could've been so much worse. Battle worn and bruised. These shots always hit harder knowing they’re together. I would like to think they would fuss over each other's wounds at the hospital. Or at home. We shall see what S6 brings for that if anything regarding it. If not sure someone will write a fic. LOL
The lack of personal space as they walk from the scene always floors me. As close they can possibly be at the moment. Sure Tim is thanking his lucky stars he came with her. I don’t wanna imagine what would’ve happened had he not. Or what Tim would’ve done had something happened. They looks so exhausted they’ve earned a good snuggle and some alone time. Sadly they're still in the middle of case so that's a no go.
Look at our power couple everyone. They're ours. We get to have them. And have a season to look forward to. I was so nervous about the season ending. Knowing this strike could last a long time and it did. Luckily we are coming out of it. Light is at the end of the tunnel. Looking forward to S6 and all the squeeing to come with it.
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Side notes non-Chenford
This episode one giant stress. One of them being when they try and take Harper’s daughter. The panic in my soul for her. My goodness this finale was great.
All of Celina's scene with Aaron pulling at my feels as well.
Thank you everyone once again who supported these reviews. They started out as a way to fill time between S5 and S6. Became a truly fun hobby for me. Kinda sad the ride is over but like I said at the beginning I’ll do mini reviews each week for s6 won’t be rid of that easily ❤️❤️ Can’t wait to delve in S6 with you all :)
#Caitlin Rewatches The Rookie#chenford#chenford hiatus#waiting on s6#winter rewatch#s5#5x22 Under Siege#the rookie 5x22#otp: doing my job#otp: you know me so well. too well.#otp: some things matter more#otp: you did good#otp: you're nothing like him#otp: just doesn't feel like pretend#otp: unless it is#tim x lucy#tim bradford#lucy chen#lucy x tim#eric winter#melissa o'neil#the rookie#tim bradford x lucy chen
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imagine | bau x fem!reader x legends
a/n: this takes place during ‘rusty’ where the bau deals with an unsub who believes he’s from a parallel universe. and honestly, this idea has been in my drafts since the episode aired almost 3 years ago
warnings: usual canon violence.
word count: 2.9k
masterlist | navigation | request rules
when R encounters a case where an unsub believes he’s from a parallel universe, she finds that there’s more truth to that claim than she’d like to admit
i do not give you permission to repost or translate my fics on any platform - likes/reblogs are okay and are much appreciated
A famous writer once said ‘we must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.’
And if that wasn’t the most apt description for your life, you didn’t know what was. Albeit the life originally planned for you didn’t exactly line up with the life you were living now, it still kept you alive. But no one in your present life knew about your former one. Hell, you’d surely be locked up on insanity claims if you ever broached the subject. Especially being surrounded by a team of psychological profilers.
But this current case was threatening to reveal your past. And you didn’t know how much longer you could keep up the lie…
You and your team were investigating the vast number of decapitations of father figures and were struggling to find a connection; only believing that the unsub was simply killing surrogates of his own father for reasons yet to be revealed. But it ended up being so much more than that.
As you continued to work the case, though you couldn’t pinpoint it, you had this lingering feeling of being watched. You’d even caught glances of familiar eyes staring at you. The more you tried to shake it off, the more foreboding the feeling became. And it had all come to a head when the BAU were looking at the victims’ bodies in the Denver police station.
Your eyes narrowed as Luke placed post-it notes of symbols next to each contusion found on the different bodies. The symbols were eerily familiar but your mind struggled to make the connection.
“They may be mathematical symbols, perhaps part of a larger expression.”
Catching the last part of Tara’s explanation, it was like a switch had gone off in your brain. You hadn’t seen this equation, or at least these characters that formed part of the equation, in several years.
Oh shit.
“Schrodinger’s equation.”
The words slipped past your lips before you could stop it.
“You’re right. They form the basis of Schrodinger’s equation.” Spencer agreed as he walked up to the board and wrote the full equation down.
Seeing the expression face-to-face, so to speak, had you fighting to keep your panic under control. Between the feeling of being watched to this case to the equation which you’d vehemently used with an old team member to perfect a certain time travelling device, you worried at how much water this case held.
“It describes the probability that a particle will behave in a certain way in a certain place in a certain time.” Spencer continued to explain.
“The wider implications of this gave rise to Everett’s ‘Many Worlds’ theory. Which is that reality is, as we know it, is only one of many possible universes.”
Almost as if on autopilot, you gave a brief insight into something which had taken up a significant amount of your time in your previous life.
You’d realised your slip when you saw your whole team looking at you, even Spencer, with confusion written on their face. Whilst they knew you were smart, when you’d taken upon this life, you deliberately omitted several details, such as your affinity for science and all things physics, specifically inter-dimensional travel.
“Oh I-uh-saw it in a tv show once.” You lied, clearing your throat in an attempt to provide yourself with some sort of a reprieve. Luckily, that came in the form of Tara, who’d jokingly referenced ‘Doctor Who’.
“Okay, so does our unsub think he’s in a parallel universe?” JJ, your partner, asked which only facilitated the pounding of your heart. More so because you’d been on edge ever since you’d taken this case than in fear of your team finding out who you really were.
The rest of the debate became muffled as you drowned out your team’s voices - too busy on finding the missing link that was the linchpin of what you were feeling than adding to the conversation.
“Hey. Hey.”
The gentle rouse of your shoulder coupled with the whispered shout of your name had you jolting as you tried to clear your mind. Blinking, you looked up from your chair to see a blonde staring down at you.
For a moment, you could have sworn it was your old captain.
But that didn’t make sense.
She couldn’t be here.
None of them could.
Shaking your head to clear the cloudiness, your eyes refocused as you looked up at JJ.
“You okay? You seem a little distracted.”
The seasoned profiler’s eyes were narrowed in concern as she tried to discern your behaviour.
“Y-yeah, I’m good. Sorry, just got a lot on my mind.”
“I’ll say. You even sounded like Spence for a moment there with all that science-y talk.” JJ joked, playfully nudging you with her shoulder.
“You know you can talk to me right? About anything?”
The previous levity in her voice was replaced with a tone of seriousness and motherly-esque concern.
Thankfully, before you could give another half-assed excuse, Emily burst through the door.
“We got another victim. Let’s go.” Your Unit Chief called after you so you followed her and Mendoza to the crime scene.
✧── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧
After you’d all collectively delivered the profile, your team, specifically you, JJ, Tara, Reid and Luke converged back in the office as you tried to predict the unsub’s next moves. Albeit, you were distracted because the nagging feeling of being watched had come back.
Canvassing the office, you looked to see if anyone was paying any particular attention to you or your team - which was when you finally locked eyes with a patrol officer. Analysing their behaviour, they didn’t carry themselves in the normal way cops did, which inherently raised further flags in your mind.
“Maybe we just need to step back and look at things differently.”
As JJ spoke, you excused yourself. Ignoring the confused protests of your team, you walked up to the officer and stopped in front of them.
“Who are you?”
The officer’s lips curved into a smile but what stuck with you was how familiar the smile was. Almost as if you’d seen it before.
“Wow, I’m offended.”
As you opened your mouth to speak, you were suddenly flanked by JJ and Tara.
“Who are you?” This time, the question was sternly repeated by JJ.
Instead of outwardly replying, the officer leaned in closer to you - unknowingly to you, they slipped something into your pocket - and whispered something that had your back straightening and the hairs on your neck standing up in revered shock.
“Hey, lil T.��
Your jaw practically dropped in shock. It was a nickname you’d not heard in almost 3 years and only one person called you that.
Charlie.
Your team members were too focused on your reaction to notice that the shapeshifter had disappeared.
Suddenly the pieces began to fall into place.
The familiar eyes you kept catching lingering on you belonged to Charlie, a notorious shapeshifter who was a member of the Legends. That likely meant that the rest of your old team was here, including your sister.
And if they were here, it meant that someone was displaced out of time or universe and, considering the nature of your current case, you’d correctly figured out that it was the unsub you were searching for. He really must be from a parallel universe. Another Earth.
But you couldn’t figure out how he got here.
Especially after the Crisis on Infinite Earths which led to the formation of Earth Prime and your eventual move to this Earth.
“Who the hell was that? Did you know them?” JJ asked, her hand on the small of your back.
Instead of replying, you were interrupted by a vibration coming out of your blazer pocket. Fishing in the pocket, you pulled out the phone and stared at the device. Answering the phone, you spoke cautiously, “Hello?”
“God, I have missed your voice!”
“Cisco?!” You whisper shouted into your phone.
Why was he randomly calling you out of the blue? Unless…oh fuck.
“I’ll be right back. I’m fine, I promise.”
Not waiting around for JJ or Tara’s reply, you walked into an empty office and began to speak freely.
“What the hell is going on, Cisco? Why is Charlie here?”
“Yeah, um, about that…”
“Let me guess, someone stole one of the extrapolators, didn’t they?”
There was a slight pause before your friend answered, “Maybe.”
“Fuck. This is not what I needed right now. How did this happen?”
Cisco then went on to explain that meta human who had once had razor sharp knives for hands had somehow broken into Star Labs and stolen the inter-dimensional travelling device.
You scoffed at his explanation, “Explains why this guy’s able to decapitate heads so easily. God, how many times have I said that you guys need better security?”
“Back up, decapitation as in heads removed from their bodies? Oh, that’s nasty.”
“It’s also my job to catch this person, Cisco. What the hell am I supposed to do?”
“Well, from what I can tell from the location tracking and mechanical data, the device is broken which is why this guy hasn’t travelled back to Earth Prime. But you’re gonna need to get that device back before you arrest him.”
“Now, how in the world do you expect me to do that?”
✧── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧
After ending the call with Cisco, you knew you had to clear things up with JJ before you could follow his instructions. Dragging the latter into the empty office you’d just been in, you watched as she stared at you with her arms folded across her chest.
“Are you in some kind of trouble? Tell me I shouldn’t be worried.”
“I’m okay, JJ. Honest. I just-” you sighed, “I didn’t realise it but I know that officer. They were from my past. A long time ago.”
“And that phone call?”
“Was from an old friend I’ve not spoken to in years. It just surprised me, is all. But I promise I’m okay. Go on, use those profiling, lie detector powers on me. You’ll see.”
JJ laughed dryly before smacking you on the arm, “Shut up.”
Then she sobered and abruptly brought you in for a tight hug which you returned.
“I’m here for you, alright? You’re my family and I love you.”
“I love you too.” You replied back before smiling when she pulled away and held your face in her hands.
In the corner of your eye, you spotted Charlie in the far end of the station signalling for you to follow them.
“How about I get us some actual drinkable coffee from one of the coffee shops near by whilst we’re waiting for Garcia to come back to us?”
“Sounds like a great idea. I’ll call you if anything happens.”
Your timely suggestion was merely a ploy to get out of the station so you could meet up with the Legends like Cisco had instructed you too.
Reaching the empty alley way that Cisco had led you too, you rocked back and forth on your heels before turning when you heard the voice behind you.
“Lil T. It’s so great to see your face.”
You couldn’t help the smile that painted your face when you saw Charlie in their true form and moved to hug them.
“I still can’t believe you’re here.” You said, hugging your friend closely.
Opening your eyes, you froze when you saw two other people approaching. One of whom had tears springing to your eyes.
Pulling away from Charlie, you flung yourself into your sister’s arms as the tears fell shamelessly down your face.
“Oh my god. Zari, I never thought I’d see you again.”
“Me either. I’ve missed you so goddamn much. Are you okay?”
Your sister asked, cupping your face similarly to how JJ had done so minutes earlier.
“Better now that you’re here.” You hugged Zari again, your head resting against her neck as you tried to engrave this moment in your mind forever. Especially since you didn’t know when you’d next be able to see her again.
“What am I? Chopped liver?”
You laughed at your old Captain’s interruption and hugged her too, “Hi, Sara.”
After you’d all quickly caught up, you’d relayed what Cisco had told you causing the three of them to nod.
Grabbing your hand, Zari slipped the bracelet on your wrist, knowing you knew exactly what you needed to do.
✧── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧
“We should split up.”
After your conversation with the Legends, you’d gotten a call from JJ who’d told you that they’d figured out the unsub’s identity and where he’d likely be. Which is how you ended up at the entrance of an abandoned gold mine.
Running into the mine, you weaved in and out of the tunnels trying to locate Kyle Peters. Then you heard cries and yelling which led you to the unsub and the two children he’d kidnapped. You knew your team was following closely behind you so you only had a small window of opportunity to get what you needed.
As Kyle continued to wrestle with his demons, you peered your head around the rocky man-made tunnel and used the air totem that Zari had given you to discreetly lift the broken extrapolator from his jacket pocket that was close to him and use the wind powers to let it travel to you. Grabbing it with your free hand, you pocketed it with a relieved sigh and then stepped out into the open to confront the unsub.
The rest of your team flanked you as you tried to talk the unsub down.
“Kyle, I get it. Believe me, I do. I know what it’s like to be displaced from your home, your family, from everything you know and to find yourself alone in this new world.”
“No! I have to fix it!”
You knew you had to steer the conversation to prevent any mention of the extrapolator device.
“But you have to face the truth, Kyle. These sacrifices you’ve been making won’t fix things. It won’t bring back your son. Kyle, face the truth. He’s gone. Ethan’s gone.”
You countered, keeping your voice level as your gun remained trained on the murderer.
“God, I’m so sorry.” Kyle started to cry as he dropped the axe to the ground.
Holstering your weapon, you approached the unsub and cuffed him before handing him off to another officer.
“Here you go.”
You said, handing the broken extrapolator to Sara who thanked you.
“Oh and you can take the totem back. Thanks for letting me borrow it.”
Zari stopped you by placing her hand on yours, “Keep it. We found a way a while ago to split the power in two so now we can both have one. It also means we’ll have a way to see each other. In the totem, I mean. We can be connected.”
“We’re always connected, Z.”
“You know there’s always a spot open for you if you want to come back.”
“I appreciate it but I think I’m okay here. This is my life now. And honestly, it’s a good one. We get to fight bad guys and not those with powers and stuff and we’re making a huge difference here.”
Sara nodded in bittersweet resignation.
“I’m going to miss you.”
You hugged Zari again, “I’ll miss you too. I really should be getting back but say hi to everyone back home for me, will you? And tell Cisco that I’ll kick his ass myself if he lets another one of our tech pieces get stolen again.”
“I’ll pass on the message.” Sara said as you all laughed.
✧── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧
Having finished with your debriefs - and finding relief in the fact that Charlie had memory wiped Kyle’s mind so he wouldn’t reveal the extrapolator’s existence - you were on the jet back to the BAU with your team.
“All this talk about alternate realities. Who do you think you’d be in a parallel universe?” JJ asked you and Reid.
You laughed as Spencer explained why he’d be a cowboy and how the rest of the team fit into his world.
“What about you?” JJ turned to face you.
Laughing to yourself, you realised that this was the one time you could actually tell your team the truth and not worry that they would commit you.
“I would probably be a part of time travelling legends who rectify anachronisms or wrinkles in time with the help of our other Earth-bound superhero friends who fight crime. If all of that existed, of course.” You added when JJ smirked at you with a raised brow.
Her focus then shifted to the bracelet on your wrist.
“Oh hey, I didn’t see that bracelet before. It’s beautiful.”
Looking down at the totem, a soft smile appeared on your face, “It’s a family heirloom. I have one piece and my sister has the other.”
JJ reciprocated your smile as she wrapped her arm around your shoulder, allowing you to burrow into the blanket that she had draped over her.
With JJ’s cheek resting on your head as she hugged you close, you felt your heart settle.
Deep down, you knew you’d made the right choice. The Legends was your past but the BAU and this team were your future.
And there was nowhere else you’d rather be.
#criminal minds#criminal minds imagine#criminal minds x reader#jennifer jareau#jennifer x reader#jennifer jareau x reader#jennifer jareau imagine#jj x reader#tara lewis x reader#emily prentiss x reader#spencer reid x reader#luke alvez x reader#matt simmons x reader#david rossi x reader#cm x reader#legends of tomorrow x reader#legends of tomorrow#zari tomaz x reader#charlie x reader#sara lance x reader#zari tomaz#c: jennifer jareau#c: imagine#s: mine#c: legends of tomorrow#c: zari tomaz
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NOELLE CHRIST MASTERPOST
taken straight from a reblog i made, here are various things and imagery in and out of game that displays Noelle Holiday's correlation to Jesus Christ.
CW: Weird Route and Christianity.
to start, just off of her personality, Noelle very much has a martyr complex. constantly giving her own comfort up for other's.
she abides her mother's wishes and cannot say no, she gives herself over to Queen willingly to save Berdly, she pushes her own feelings down and hides them to keep other's from worrying.
much of the characters in Deltarune do this kind of stuff too, however, Noelle's also got a lot of other things that lends directly to her Christ theme.
like her name.
Noelle is the feminine form of Noel, which translates to Christmas. the birthday of Jesus Christ, n all that. Holiday also fits.
also, her appearance.
she's got golden hair, which is a relatively common, yet incorrect portrayal of Jesus.
her antlers have an intentional shape, too; they resemble crosses.
her robes in the Dark World are plain and white. people often attribute this to it being a "snow angel" joke, which it is, but miss out on how it also resembles the stereotypical white robes Jesus is oft depicted in.
near the end of the Normal Route too, we also see Noelle posed exactly in a crucifix position. (the blue hand may as well be alluding to the Weird Route.)
so. as for the Weird Route.
the route itself, the way it plays is suspiciously similar to Jesus' final moments before his own crucifixion, but i'm going to gloss over that mostly in favor of directly visible canonical info. of which is this.
the Thorn Ring, or as Spamton phrases it, "[Ring] of [Thorns]" is a word for word parallel to the Crown of Thorns. the crown was an object of mockery created by the Romans and placed upon Christ's head right before his crucifixion.
... i know i said i wasn't gonna talk about it, but i think it's fair to mention how Kris, a trusted friend of Noelle's, is the one to "betray" her and "sell her out" (Dark Dollars for the ring) in the same way Judas Iscariot, trusted disciple of Christ, sells him out in trade for silver. they are also possessed by the Player, which in one of the Gospels it is said Judas was possessed by the Devil.
now for canonical information outside of the game.
in the Spamton Sweepstakes, particularly Icepalace-Glaceir, the room of which she explores in Dragon Blazers is icy, and more importantly, cross-shaped.
it being an ice area and shaped like that is, i would say, an intentional detail.
ehhhh alright. this is all i can think of off the top of my head, but this girl is a certified Christ Figure.
#mx rambles#deltanalysis#deltarune#weird route#snowgrave#undescribed#[ decided to make this it's own post so i can reference back to it later if i need or whatever. ]#[ also i didn't proof read this too well. ignore any kinda weird wordin n stuff. ]#christianity cw
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Liam and Olivia: When You Prefer The Side Character To The Main
Series - TRR's Alternative LIs: The Romances that Didn't Happen
Previous: A Brief History of Alternative Romances in Choices
A/N1: My apologies for the length of this one! There was a LOT to explore, and even more that I had cut out from my initial draft.
A/N2: This essay operates on the premise that Liam is not the "favoured LI"/"golden boy" of the team - an argument I have made in detail in other Liam-centric essays. I am not interested in arguing those same points in my comment box/reblogs. Visit the Liam section of my meta masterlist if you want to learn more about that.
CW: Mentions of non-consensual kissing. Mentions of the plot against the MC in TRR1. Very fleeting mention of the "infertility subplot" TRH pushed onto Hana.
(Screenshot from HIMEME's YouTube channel)
As I mentioned in the previous essay, TRR (along with ES, to a far smaller extent) was the only series that seemed to make an attempt to pair even their popular LIs with another character. It also was (along with TCaTF) one of the very few books that hinted at an alternative romance in the first book itself.
This section of the essay series will perhaps be the longest, since Liam x Olivia got the earliest hints, and was built up first. While the other three pairings were introduced or hinted at in Books 2 and 3, the reader got to see glimpses of a possible Liam x Olivia pairing from the finale of Book 1 onwards.
Why An Alternative LI?
TRR is, essentially, a story that hinges on the likelihood of an arranged marriage. The character that makes this entire story possible, Liam, is expected to pick a bride by the end of his social season, whether he is ready for marriage or not. The ending of Book 1 itself ties his ascension as a king to marriage.
(Screenshot from Skylia's YouTube channel)
To prove Madeleine's point, the finale actually shows us that until he picks a fiancèe, he literally won't be addressed as king, but still as Prince Liam. So while this point does get heavily retconned later on in the series, the original story itself required Liam to be married sooner than any of the other LIs.
But Liam's story doesn't just hinge on needing a good Queen for his kingdom. His arc - at least in Book 1 - involved learning that being a good king doesn't mean he needs to sacrifice his own desires or romantic sensibilities. If that were the case, he could have just been stuck with Madeleine. No - the story was supposed to be about Liam learning to validate his personal aspirations without hurting his political position. It was essential then that the woman he picked was someone he either was already in love with (the MC), or someone he grew to love over the course of the series.
When you take this context into account, having an alternative romance becomes not only convenient, but essential.
And if the MC doesn't choose Liam as her endgame...who better for this "romance" than an old friend who has always held a torch for him?
A Romantic Rival
(Screenshots from Skylia's YouTube channel)
As most of the fandom remembers the first book and the trajectory of the Liam and Olivia relationship in it pretty well, I'll try not to go into too much detail. The Olivia of Book 1 has two parallel storylines: the one with the MC, where they first start out hating and then learn to like each other...and the one with Liam, which begins with Olivia assuming she will win the social season, but becoming more and more resigned to the MC's chances of winning as her position in the competition declines.
There is obviously a lot more focus on her dynamic with the MC, for two reasons:
1. Until the MC chooses an endgame, an LI will never show more interest in another person. It will always be the alternative LI whose interest initially drives that side-story. Making an LI reciprocate that interest can result in a negative impression of them, as fans could potentially believe that their love for the MC is not genuine or special. This is the case for all LIs in the series, not just Liam.
2. Narratively, the first book wants to make Olivia's love for Liam their big character reveal. It is the first time Olivia actively opens up to the MC, and is canonically the beginning of their "friendship". So very little emphasis is placed on her emotional attachment to Liam until the Coronation (with her cactus gift and her confession to the MC before leaving), and even less on how Liam feels about her.
Whatever little we do get of Liam and Olivia's dynamic before the finale is focused on their childhood friendship. We learn from Liam that she was a sad, lonely child when they met, heartbroken by her parents' death and the negligence of the aunt who was supposed to raise her. Her attachment to Liam emerges from his support of her when they were children, and we later learn in TRH that he not only supported her, but often empathized with young Olivia and comforted her in ways that didn't give away her vulnerabilities.
Olivia claims at the beginning of TRR1 that "everyone just assumed Liam and [Olivia] would get married one day". Given what we learn later about Constantine and the Nevrakis family (and the fact that no one backs Olivia's claim at any point in the book), it is possible she was exaggerating. But it is also true that until the MC gains more popularity and Madeleine makes her entrance, Olivia is assumed to win the social season quite easily. In the same way that Madeleine is positioned as the "political" rival in Book 1's story, Olivia is viewed as the "romantic" counterpoint to the MC.
From Liam's end, there is actually very little shown about his thoughts on Olivia. It is clear that he cares for her, wants the MC to think well of her and understand her circumstances. While as a child, he comforted her when she was called a cactus by reminding her that they were tough plants that no one messed with; as an adult he is pained by her vindictiveness towards people who haven't even harmed her. There is plenty of grounds here for some sort of relationship, but enough there that shows why the MC who will marry him would be a slightly better fit.
The second half of TRR1 focuses on softening Olivia to an extent - having her and the MC optionally bond over their dislike for Madeleine (who is viewed as the "bigger bad" at this point) and having her only occasionally approach Liam for his company. Her feelings for him come to the forefront only during his Coronation, around the time she withdraws due to the blackmail exposing her parents' attempts to assassinate King Constantine.
This moment in the series completes Olivia's transition from antagonist to a possible friend. The reveal that Olivia loved Liam all along ensures that the MC can sympathize with her for not getting the man she loves, and allows the reader to envision her as a future ally.
To some who already vouched for a Liam-Olivia endgame before the finale, this moment was a confirmation. To others who didn't exactly see Olivia's actions towards Liam as rooted in affection, this moment was a revelation. Whatever it was, this moment made her extremely popular in the fandom.
But this scene also had a more important purpose - it provided players not interested in Liam, a possible out from the situation. The ending of TRR1 hinged on Liam choosing the MC as his future bride, then being forced to accept someone else when the scandal broke out. Book 2 allows the MC to explore what she wants without the expectations of a social season. The prospect of a titled lady who genuinely loved Liam being his potential endgame would make it easier for fans of other LIs. It sounded like a perfect ending for everyone.
The (Unwanted) Kiss, and What It Says About the Fandom
(Screenshots from Danni Stone's YouTube channel)
A scene that often gets ignored (or conveniently forgotten) when discussing Liam x Olivia in TRR1, is the kiss in Lythikos.
The Lythikos Ball in Ch 8 is already a social battleground of sorts for Olivia. She wields her power as hostess here - monopolising Prince Liam's company, and humiliating the MC and her friends with the worst seating and ice-cold food. Things come to a head when - while dancing the Cordonian Waltz with Liam - she forces a kiss on him, completely disregarding his ability to consent.
I use these precise words to describe this incident for two reasons. First, because canon refused to do so. Second, because most of the fandom refused to do so.
Different characters in the story respond to this incident in different ways. A shocked "what a bold play!", a sarcastic "Olivia's growing up, how sweet", and an enraged "she's gone mad with power here!" emerge from the ladies of the court - all focused on Olivia's intentions and actions. None of these responses ever address Liam's end of this situation.
Even more interesting are the options the MC is given to address the situation when Liam speaks to her later.
(Screenshots from Danni Stone's YouTube channel. This is the second dialogue option)
She either speaks to Liam like nothing happened, or engages in victim blaming. Personally I think both options are as bad as each other. Neither of these options include "are you okay?" or "were you comfortable with that?".
Liam's answer to the MC's (optional) accusations is perhaps the only time the issue of consent is even barely addressed (and even here Liam is duty-bound to think of Olivia's welfare over his own comfort). It is appalling that it takes the MC practically victim blaming this man for that to happen. And it is equally disturbing that Liam's response is so apologetic, so contrite, as if this entire situation was his fault.
The kiss is viewed as a number of things in the book: an affront to the suitors who have no power in Olivia's estate, or a political blunder. But what does it mean to the man who had this kiss forced upon him? Would he really feel comfortable or safe around her again after that? The writers clearly didn't know, nor did they care. And most of the fandom was only too happy to follow suit.
The few times this kiss was spoken about amongst the fandom, the question of consent was barely ever addressed. The kiss was either brushed aside as unimportant, seen as an indication of the "love and passion" Olivia had for Liam, or viewed as a manifestation of her jealousy towards the MC. Liam is sometimes seen as "clueless" for not "noticing Olivia's feelings...I mean, she literally kissed him!!" All of which could be true, but it doesn't erase the fact that his consent was never given, nor his comfort with the situation ever considered.
It is doubly ironic given the fandom reaction to the MC's plight in Applewood, after Tariq attempts to kiss her without her consent (though this situation involves significant privacy violations and dark conspiracies, and Liam's does not). The MC's situation was (rightfully) viewed as horrible and potentially traumatising, and many were upset that the emotional impact of it wasn't adequately addressed in the story. It wouldn't be surprising if Liam's situation wasn't viewed on the same level - given the difference in contexts - but the fandom and canon rarely saw this as something that happened to him, without his consent.
Ironically, the fandom never really considered Olivia planting a whole smacker on Liam's mouth as possible "proof" that she could engage in creepy, entitled behaviour...but they did often view Liam as "creepy" for...complimenting diamond-option outfits, or saying romantic-coded dialogues that the MC would reciprocate by default (again - I don't deny this is a problem and those lines should have been coded properly. However one cannot deny the doubt standards here). Olivia was the one who forced a kiss on the object of her affection in canon, but Liam was the one who got so many "abuser" and "harrasser" (and worse!) depictions in fanfic when TRR2 and 3 were out.
I will be addressing this particular scene again in another context, in a later essay in the series. I would like my readers here to not forget this scene, or the (lack of) outrage around it. It would be helpful to ponder over why Olivia's behaviour here is largely viewed as no big deal, especially when other side characters (and at least one main character) could be villainized for far, far less.
Olivia and Liam in TRR2 and 3
(Screenshots from Skylia's YouTube channel)
TRR1's finale and TRR2 show a small shift in Liam and Olivia's dynamic. Now that he is engaged, and in love with a woman who isn't Olivia, their interactions become sporadic and awkward. To ensure that Liam won't be viewed as a cassanova, the narrative keeps their interactions to a minimum. Group scenes that involve Liam often leave Olivia out, and group scenes that involve Olivia exclude Liam.
However, to address the "romantic potential" from TRR1's finale, the book shows Liam and Olivia interact in at least one scene in Ch 10. Here, they have a short, stilted conversation that leaves Liam concerned about Olivia's well-being, and that makes Olivia grieve over her unrequited love for him to an equally concerned MC.
Olivia's story in TRR2 largely centers around establishing her character (snarky, prickly, warriorlike. Much of this is actually a deviation from her writing in TRR1), strengthening her relationship with the MC, and integrating her into the core group.
Olivia's feelings for Liam get addressed again after the MC makes her final choice of LI. The MC's acceptance or rejection of Liam's proposal results in a bit of tension between the two women. If Liam is the MC's choice, Olivia admits to her heartbreak despite being truly happy that Liam has found love. If not, she reveals a slight resentment that the MC could so easily throw away the love that Olivia so badly wanted. The narrative allows Olivia her complicated, ambivalent feelings towards the Liam x MC match, and expects the MC to understand and sympathize. By default.
If you don't choose Liam in TRR3, his romance with Olivia does start here. And by this I mean that Liam is now allowed to reciprocate her affections.
(Screenshots from the Skylia YouTube channel (Drake playthrough). The screenshots aren't in order. 1st Liam x Olivia scene is the handholding at Applewood (5), 2nd is dancing at Vegas (1st two), 3rd is Liam asking Olivia for a dance at the finale ball (middle two), and the last is Liam asking Olivia out (6))
Even in the playthrough where Liam is marrying the MC, his default is to trust Olivia, show her kindness and staunchly defend her to people who suspect her motives. Liam advocates for her innocence in TRR3 Ch 2, even as her family becomes one of the prime suspects. The MC may vouch for her by choice...but if she does choose to suspect Olivia, it is Liam who pushes back against the idea.
By this point, the MC and Olivia can cement their friendship if the former has worked on gaining her trust. If not - the book has already created an inbuilt mechanism to ensure Olivia's loyalty anyway. It is tied to her gratitude and affection for Liam, the one person who consistently believed in her from childhood. Whether the MC makes an effort to win her approval or not, Olivia respects her. Her emotional attachment to Liam as an old friend, and loyalty to her king, ensures that her support is gained by default throughout.
Outside of his own playthrough, though, the narrative does slip in a few extra scenes where Liam shows an obvious romantic interest in Olivia. It's small - he isn't exactly yelling from the rooftops that he loves her - but it is definite progress where he seeks her out for support, dances with her and eventually asks her out to dinner at the finale. The scenes are few but prominent, and leave no doubt to the reader that Liam fully intends to court her.
So...why is Liam still single in the Drake, Hana and Maxwell playthroughs of TRH?
Writer Bias
When you read enough interviews and watch enough livestreams from the TRR team, one thing becomes very, very clear. They love their TCaTF callbacks. And no callback is more beloved to the writers than the repurposing of Zenobia Nevrakis' sprite to create her descendant, Olivia.
In this section, I will focus in particular on Kara Loo, COO of Pixelberry and one of the head writers of the TRR/H/F series. Going by several interviews and social media posts, Kara wrote most of Olivia and Drake's scenes and dialogues (along with "some of the Prince's speeches"), and was in fact the driving force behind how Olivia's character came to be, in the original series.
"...when we were creating Book 1, we wanted an evil redhead to be your antagonist, and Kara said, "Oh, what if we used Zenobia, but the twist is she's a Nevrakis descendant?"" - Jennifer Young, Looking Back on The Royal Romance (Sept 2018)
Kara has openly admitted before to having a fondness for Olivia's particular character type. In an interview with Daily Dahlia, she spoke of Val, one of the TCaTF LIs, in glowing terms that perfectly fit the way Olivia has been written as well:
"I love writing Val Greaves in The Crown & The Flame. I love writing for characters that are a little meaner and will really just say what they’re thinking, even if it isn’t exactly tactful." - Daily Dahlia's Interview with the Pixelberry Crew (Sept 2016).
The love for mean (and white! Don't forget white) women among the team, is pretty clear when you look at the kind of reception TRR's mean white women get.
Notably, Kara does have the occasional nice thing to say about Liam too. In an interview before the release of TRR2, she spoke of how "considerate and loving he is", how "there is nothing mean or selfish about him". As a Liam fan who kept seeing him bashed left and right after the TRR1 finale, those words initially felt like a massive relief.
But now, seeing the way the team treats nicer and more diplomacy-oriented characters in the series, this fulsome praise for Liam's selflessness gives me pause. It reminds me too much of how most of the team swore up and down that Hana would be their choice of LI to marry in a livestream, at the same time that they were slamming an infertility subplot on her in the books. Looking back with the knowledge of how the writers would treat Liam later, praise like this seemed less focused on finding him lovable, and more on ensuring that he gave constantly to the MC without ever getting much in return.
While Liam's treatment is not as bad as Hana or Kiara's, one must take note that the team - esp the head writers - have never really hesitated to throw Liam under the bus or retcon entire chapters and backstories to make characters like Drake seem better than him (eg. The narrative choice to have Drake claim Liam was leading the MC on when they first met in TRR3, which has led to more than one attempt to rewrite the bachelor party).
Part of this could be attributed to just the fondness for a specific character type. But I do think that with Kara in particular, ideology also plays a role in her preferences. There are at least two interviews from the team where her liking for darker, more violent storylines has been mentioned. In TRR3 the team affectionately called some of their brainstorming sessions with Kara as "Kara's trail of bodies" (one idea was to kill off Madeleine in Lythikos), and in the TRF livestream they mention that she initially wanted a war storyline.
This leaning towards a more militaristic mindset shows...in the care that Kara takes for Olivia's dialogues and especially her spy scenes (tho such scenes actually don't contribute much to the plot). In contrast there is a subtle disdain for the more diplomacy-minded characters shown in scenes where Olivia's ideologies are measured up against theirs (eg. Any scene where Hana and Olivia are supposed to work together, or the vast difference between the "valiant" Lythikos tournament and the "ridiculous" Castelserraillan flower competition in TRH3).
Even though it is often the diplomacy that saves the day at the end, the framing always highlights the militaristic way of thinking more positively. Given that Kara writes a lot of Olivia, and a fair amount of Liam, it's pretty obvious now where her (and the team's) particular bias may lie.
Because of this bias, it became far easier for TRR's writers to lean into popular fandom myths when it suited them, or pander to a particular section of the fandom. Which is the subject of my next section.
Fandom Entitlement
Olivia often has two types of fans - the ones who wanted to ship her with their MCs in canon (and couldn't), and the ones who wanted to be "bestieeeees!" with her. The frustration of the former was rooted in the fact that wlw had only one romantic option, but I will not be talking about them.
The latter were found in plenty among the Liam, Drake and Maxwell stans - all of whom either viewed her as an ally to win over (Liam), or as someone to push onto Liam, so they could romance the men they preferred in peace (mostly Drake and Maxwell. Some Hana stans but not as many).
As I'd mentioned in an earlier section, Olivia's final scene in TRR1 allowed people who didn't want to romance Liam, to envision a narrative 'out' for themselves. By the time Olivia reappeared in TRR2 Ch 5, she'd gained a cult following among many, many fans. A lot of them were actively rooting for the start of a romance between Liam and Olivia, and very few resented her for her feelings or begrudged her past actions.
But there was one downside. The intent among the majority who rooted for this pairing, was more about "getting Liam out of the way", than any actual romantic potential. Because of this, certain Liam x Olivia stans (ironically, the Drake romancers were the loudest voices in this group) felt a ridiculous level of entitlement towards this pairing.
A number of readers insisted on having Liam fall for Olivia immediately, wanted him to show feelings for her instantly, and complained when he didn't do so while his (optional) romance with the MC was still on.
Olivia's sad, longing gazes in TRR2 propelled many a reader to complain about what an awful situation poor Olivia was in and how insensitive and uncaring Liam was (even in the face of screenshots that clearly showed him worrying about her desolate mood). One of many examples comes from a post in Feb 2018 - a Drake stan's written walkthrough of TRR2 Ch 10, and ironically the following lines were made above a screenshot set that clearly showed Liam noticing how sad she was and worriedly asking the MC about that:
Liam finds you and as always, can’t help fawning over you. This time Olivia is right there and he is like, Oh yeah, Olivia, you are too here, hi. She definitely notices, gets upset, and leaves because she really does love him and she is third choice at best.
This was not the only one. There were multiple posts like these, and they often positioned Olivia as a figure of sympathy, yearning for a love that would never be hers. Liam in these readings was always positioned as someone who "didn't care" and later, "didn't deserve Olivia".
When he did start showing an interest in Olivia in Book 3, it went largely unnoticed by most of the fandom, even though he was romancing her in at least 3 out of 4 playthroughs. There were very, very few posts made about any of these romantic moments. Instead, from Chapters 3 to 10 of TRR3 - where Liam didn't show any indications of heartbreak re: the MC - certain Drake/Maxwell fans made posts complaining over his not pining over the MC, or theorizing that some of his friendly attempts to educate the MC about the country had to have been done with more than friendship in mind.
This section of the fandom often got insane amounts of pandering from the writers themselves. When TRR3 returned from a hiatus post Ch 9, we were suddenly hit with more scenes involving Liam's "heartbreak" (it featured sporadically in all three of the other playthroughs, but you could tell it was tailor-made for the Drake one because it got referenced there waaaay more) before the big battle with Anton. Fandom spoke far more on these scenes than on the ones they got for Liam x Olivia.
What was completely missed was that such "heartbreak" scenes happened because there was a demand from readers who weren't even Liam stans in the first place, and the same stans didn't hesitate to flip and label him "desparate" or "pining" or write fanfic where he was an absolute creep in response to a thing they asked for!
As for talk of the Liam x Olivia ship post TRR3, the phrase "sloppy seconds" started to be used often to address the pair after the series ended, and there were quite a few posts claiming that Liam didn't deserve such an incredible woman like Olivia.
(Edit Source: the playchoicesconfessions Tumblr blog)
Using the pining subplot that nonLiam stans had asked for, some of the same people would insist that Olivia "deserved better than to be sloppy seconds" (at some point after TRR3, I noticed that even some Liam stans would say the same!). This argument often came hand-in-hand with the lie that Liam never cared for Olivia enough (as one can see in the edit above). It also often hinged on the premise that the MC was Liam's first love, that he wouldn't (and shouldn't!) ever get over her, and that anyone else would rank as second best to him. And while I agree that Olivia deserves a partner who would wholeheartedly love her, this argument seemed to come from people who were eerily reluctant to imagine Liam leading a happy life without the MC.
Tbh, the fandom at large has always had a very confusing relationship with Liam as a character. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that from TRR2 onwards, making Liam a scapegoat was a very popular reading from the fandom. He was often expected to live up to impossible standards - way more than the other male LIs - and criticized incessantly for dialogues and action that the other two could easily get away with.
Many fans were (rightfully) frustrated by how Liam could have romantic lines by default (which the MC would by default reciprocate, to their chagrin) all through TRR1 - while ignoring romantic default dialogues from Drake - but also complained when Liam responded more calmly than expected to her rejection of his proposal. They also didn't like that he could be largely neutral/merely friendly towards the MC for most of TRR3. Damned if he didn't, damned if he did.
I'm not saying that this was the viewpoint of the entire fandom. There were people - yours truly included - who pushed back against such a biased view of this pairing. Against a view that insisted on centering only Olivia's feelings, while either badmouthing Liam for not returning her love, or ignoring the times when he did. There were people who pointed to canon for proof that he cared.
But enough voices vouched for this other, more unsavoury reading that "Olivia deserves better than to be Liam's sloppy seconds", that it became quite popular. That it became the accepted view in canon too, when the writers began work on TRH.
Olivia x Liam (not), TRH and Beyond
As we all know by now, Liam x Olivia did not happen in TRH. After a dance and an invitation to a date in the finale, Liam was back to being single and uninterested in any romantic relationships (like all the other LIs). It went to the point where he was ready to appoint the MC's future child as his heir (heir apparent, not presumptive. The fandom mockingly dubbed him "Rumpelstiltskin" for this). At the time, I imagined that perhaps the narrative was trying to erase the pair altogether, since no other LI got paired up either. It would be fair.
This wasn't exactly the case. In fact, in my opinion, what they managed to do was much worse.
(Screenshots from the HR Gameplay YouTube channel. Liam is renamed "Rayden" here)
Savannah's bachelorette (TRH1 Ch 7) has the MC and the ladies "address" certain pairings that were hinted at in TRR3. One doesn't get addressed at all, one addresses the LI by name only if the playthrough isn't the one where the MC is married to him.
Olivia's is the only one that got addressed regardless of whether the MC was married to the man she had wanted or not. And looking at the scene now, I really, really wish they didn't write it at all.
If the MC encourages Olivia to talk about her feelings for Liam, the latter shows anger and resentment over Liam not choosing her twice over. This, despite the fact that he did attempt to date her the previous book. This, despite the fact that he never indicated interest until he actually felt it. This... despite the fact that not returning the feelings of someone who likes you romantically is a normal, natural thing that said someone should accept without judging other person!
In fact, the fandom was more than willing to view other LIs "not returning feelings" as normal, natural and blameless...so why did only Olivia get sympathy and praise for her unrequited love, and why did only Liam have to be criticised for the same?? Even in THIS scene??
Liam x Olivia would not be referenced for 3-and-a-half books after this, until the very end of TRF. Over the course of the series, the team tested her compatibility and possible chemistry with at least two side characters. One was Jin, the Auvernese spy that Olivia fights with in TRH1 Ch 19. While they did seem to have some banter in the first book and a smattering of scenes in the second, interest quickly died down and Jin was written out of the story once the Auvernese royals' scandals were exposed.
TRH3 then hinted at Amalas x Olivia as a pair, peppering hints as early as the introductory chapters. There had been a few murmurings among the fandom for the same, since a number of wlw were fond of Olivia, and people liked headcanoning her as bi or lesbian (in fact, when the team claimed in a TRH1 livestream that having Olivia as an LI would "soften her" too much, the fandom protested). Amalas x Olivia was met with more approval than Jin x Olivia, and in TRF you could encourage Olivia to ask either Liam or Amalas for a dance.
Liam himself never got any other options for romance (understandable, none of the LIs did), and in fact had several aspects of his story chipped away, chunk by chunk, to benefit other characters. In the end, Liam is treated like Olivia's "alternative LI" than the other way around.
It was a pretty ironic ending for a pairing that people felt so entitled over in the beginning. After years of protests against Olivia being Liam's "sloppy seconds" just because he chose her after being rejected by their MCs... the narrative didn't mind treating him like some sort of "consolation prize" (one of two) for Olivia. And as expected, nor did the fandom.
Conclusion: Could This Pairing Have Worked?
Much as I dislike it now, I did think Liam x Olivia had some potential back then. Politically and emotionally, Liam and Olivia were opposites in many ways. There was a lot you could explore. Their background history and the sweetness of their childhood story had the potential to add layers to their dynamic.
But for a pair like Liam x Olivia to work, romantically, some things would need to change:
1. Respect in the writing room for both their ideologies, not just Olivia's. If you view one with adulation and the other with disdain, that will eventually show in the writing. These two could have been a solid power couple if the team could just set aside their boners for violence and knives once in a fucking while.
2. THE KISS. If you're going to have that kind of a scene around, especially in the context of TRR1's larger story, it needs to be addressed. From Liam's point of view. With Olivia openly regretting it and atoning for it, and Liam getting to choose how to handle that. It isn't just enough to assume they spoke offscreen, and then pretend the forced kiss never happened or that that violation meant nothing.
Olivia was wrong. Olivia crossed boundaries. Olivia disregarded Liam's consent. Liam was the victim here, not the person the MC should be shouting at - even by option.
If a romance should proceed between the two, that kiss deserves to be addressed with a lot of sensitivity and respect to Liam's own experience.
3. BALANCE! Between their perspectives, their viewpoints, their beliefs. Which would only be possible if you equally valued both characters.
4. Respect for Liam's feelings and his romantic choices, whatever they may be. Liam knows what he likes best. Him not returning Olivia's feelings is not a crime, nor does it make him any less of a caring person. Him falling in love a second time, seeing an old friend in a new light, should have been embraced as a concept.
Loving someone else deeply in the past shouldn't make his feelings for his second love any less genuine. But most of the fandom adopted such a way of viewing the Liam x Olivia relationship because it allowed them to pity Olivia and blame Liam (again) - and the team validated those sentiments out of excessive care for one character, and a lack of it for another.
Changes like these four would have definitely made for a better-written alternative romance. But given the kind of team and the fanbase TRR had, none of the changes I mention here would ever have a hope of becoming a reality. Olivia is too popular, too beloved to her writers and fandom, (and too white!) to be viewed with even this much of a critical eye. And tbh, once the fandom has marked a character (esp a character of colour - customizable or not) as a scapegoat, they would enjoy bashing them too much to stop. From then on, it would only be a matter of which excuse, which nitpick, which set of double standards, would work best.
Liam and Olivia had potential. And the narrative was able to get that story to the point where the two could at least have a first date. But team TRR squandered all its future possibilities in the mad rush to pander to a portion of their fandom, with a clear bias for the side character...and so we will never know how a more balanced portrayal would've looked like.
A/N3: I have quoted posts that have actually appeared on Tumblr, but without any identification marks. All of them are one among many such posts - either lost to digital decay or hard to find. I do not want to call out any of the individual posters - I want to make it clear that many of these posts are indicative of a fandom-wide problem. Do not try to find out, or harrass, these posters.
Next - Maxwell and Penelope: When You Like the Side Character So Much, You Gift Her A Shiny New LI
#essay series: trr's alternative LIs#the royal romance#the royal heir#the royal finale#king liam#liam rys#olivia nevrakis#trr meta
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Social media comparison
Alright. I've tried different new/alternative platforms lately in hope to find something I really liked, and there are very promising ones. I didn't try everything, of course, but this is a kind of overview of my journey so far? Or just my thoughts on the matter.
I've tried Pillowfort, Bluesky, Mastodon (didn't last long enough to have much of an opinion, it simply didn't click), Dreamwidth and Cohost (as of today, can't post there yet).
My comparison under the cut:
► I appreciate that they're algorithm free, whether it's because they truly believe in an Internet rid of the most invasive of them or because it's too expensive to implement on a brand new platform or some other reason. Only the future can tell, but for now it's nice.
► Pillowfort: beside the post formatting that I find extremely comfortable, my favourite thing is probably communities. I feel like this is the strongest "pro" in favor of Pillowfort because this is where they truly distinguish themselves from other social media.
Communities, in a way, remind me of forums. They're however easier to take in hand since you don't have to deal with as many options and choices. In my opinion, communities on Pillowfort are a bit lacking in functionalities though. I think more tools to easily organize them would help, like a widget or something to link stuff so you can create and animate events within said communities.
(I also feel like Pillowfort would gain from not being dark blue. We have more than enough dark blue websites, and it doesn't go well with the warmth invoked by its name in my opinion, but that's a minor detail and just a matter of taste.)
► Bluesky: basically Twitter but better. No algorithm, for a start. The curated feeds are nice. They're a bit like communities on Pillowfort since they can be moderated but from a non-mod user, it's even easier to post in them: you just have to use the right keyword for your post to appear there. Well, if the mod left it open to all rather than chose to vet who can or cannot post in it. Lots of flexibility and control over your timeline overall.
I don't like the 300 characters limit, however. Never liked it with Twitter either. It's not really conductive to conversations, and the general design tends to make the website feel rather impersonal. It's really more like parallel talking than community building.
Overall I think it's a good tool to promote your (visual) art or website, etc. but not great for hosting conversations past commenting briefly what others are doing. I mean, you can make threads but it'll never be as good as Pillowfort or Tumblr for this.
► Dreamwidth: I'll start with saying that Dreamwidth isn't a social media, it's a journaling platform and I haven't used it much yet. Had in plan to post my headcanons about my muses there and stuff like that so I did spend some time trying to figure out how it works.
First, there is a lot of options to let you have complete control over who can see what. Like, a lot.
You can entirely personalize what your journal will look like. It's a bit easier than having your own website—since I reblogged a post about that yesterday—because you don't start from 0, so it might be a good option if you don't feel comfortable jumping into Notepad++ to start coding. You can just change a thing here and there, or nothing at all, or almost everything. It's pretty old school though, so for those completely unfamiliar with early/pre-web 2.0, it might not look very appealing at first. However, I'd say don't let that stop you! If anything, it's a good opportunity to learn a bit of code without pressure.
You can also create communities, which as you might have guessed is very important to me. When creating one, you can set up whether everyone can join, everyone can ask to join but has to be approved by a community admin or to limit the access to those you have personally invited. Like for your own journal, communities are completely customizable, and Dreamwidth allows adult content.
I'm not sure you can top DW communities in terms of functionalities—aside from making a forum—but it's not as intuitive as Pillowfort (though in exchange you get more customization). You're also more limited regarding image hosting (see here). That said, hosting services exist, many are free, and that's without mentioning that you can post on Twitter and the like and use the picture link in your DW posts. I don't think many will only use Dreamwidth anyway.
► Cohost: I was expecting nothing when I registered earlier today, but this is an overall good surprise: it's Tumblr, but better.
More control of what you see. More user-friendly UI. It's not fucking blue. Adult content allowed. You can change your main blog page and make it private.
The only two downsides I'd mention here would be that you can't customize your blog page appearance and you have to wait for one or two days before being able to post. Although if it means less bots, I'd rather wait.
And this ends my rather non-exhaustive tour of the social media/blogging/journaling platforms. If you catch any mistakes let me know. I didn't dive deep, this was just me sharing my thoughts.
(As far as I know, they all allow adult content and give you tools to not see it if you don't want to.)
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The amount of queer coded imagery Eddie has throughout the two IT movies is insane. This is gonna be an “analysis” of sorts to break down some of this imagery. If I missed anything, please comment/reblog and I’ll add it!
Eddie’s character revolves around being a hypochondriac who’s mother has caused him to be afraid of the world. Pennywise manifests as sickness and disease for him. As infection. This is most interesting when it comes to AIDS, which was sweeping the nation during the time of IT, in 1988. To set the scene of the AIDS epidemic, below are some snapshots of tabloids talking about the crisis.
Eddie name drops AIDS during the scene where they’re biking Ben to the pharmacy, and it shows how much fear his mother had placed in him about the epidemic.
“I mean, he’s bleeding all over and you guys know that there’s an AIDS epidemic out there right now, as we speak, right? I mean, my moms friend in New York City got it just by touching a dirty pole in the subway and enough of AIDS blood got into his system from a hangnail. A hangnail!”
The leper perfectly represents his fears of being infected by this disease (as, in his mind, being gay dooms you to AIDS without question). It’s most represented during the flashback scene in IT 2 when Eddie wanders into the basement of Derry’s pharmacy. When Eddie gets down, we get close ups of dirty needles and bags of blood. And as we know, this is one way AIDS spreads.
When Eddie does reach his Mom, she’s begging him to save her, saying “Don’t let it infect me, Eddie.”
The first time Eddie saw the Leper, he was at Neibolt. This is another very heavy queer coding moment. Eddie is chased through the lawn by the leper and reaches the fence. He turns around only to see the Leper isn’t there. In his place is Pennywise, holding a bunch of balloons in a form of a triangle.
The pink triangle was reclaimed by the LGBTQIA community after its use by Nazi’s during the Holocaust. In 1986, some activists in New York City created a poster calling attention to the AIDS crisis with the words Silence = Death and a pink upwards-facing triangle. It has since been used on signs to show that certain places are safe for the Queer community. This triangular shape of the balloons is only ever used towards Eddie in this scene. Everything is very deliberate in the IT franchise, and this is no different. It is clearly to wave at the Queer audience and tell us that Eddie is gay.
The Queer coding doesn’t end there. On Eddie’s red shorts, you can clearly see rainbow imagery.
In movies, clothing can be an integral way to show small details and Easter eggs to those who are paying attention. The costume designers had to go out and pick shorts with rainbows on it on purpose, so of course it must mean something. Another character who wears gay imagery is Richie, who wears a rainbow shirt. Richie is canonically gay and in love with Eddie.
There is also some closet imagery. In IT 2, Eddie and Richie come across the ‘Very scary’ to ‘Not Scary’ doors. The scene shows both of them (closeted men), facing the door, which then turns out to be a closet.
One of the most prominent parallels is during the opening of the second IT. Adrian Mellon and his boyfriend are at Derry’s carnival when they’re attacked and hate crimed. Adrian tries to grab his inhaler, but one of the attackers kicks it out of his hand. Adrian is Eddie’s out comparison. He represents what Eddie was scared of and why he’s still trapped in the closet. Adrian also acts as a cautionary tale and reminds us how truly dangerous being gay is in Derry.
#reddie#eddie kaspbrak#gay eddie kaspbrak#Richie tozier#it stephen king#it 2017#it 2019#it chapter 2#it chapter two#analysis#queer coding#lgbt#this is my first full analysis with color coding and pictures and shit#so be easy on me LMAO
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💛 I Remember You 💛
Time Elapsed: 1 hour, 11 minutes
Program used: Ibis Paint X
(This doodle is me coping with the Tears of the Kingdom trailer and pretending they aren't about to be traumatized more).
BotW/ToTK will forever be my favorite version of Zelink. They've been through a whole lot together, and seeing them reunited at the end of BoTW is so sweet (especially in the context of the diaries outside of the English translation)! Such a shame everyone's probably dead. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted...
I cannot express enough how agonizing it has been to wait for more news on TotK! So when I saw a Nintendo Direct was coming up, I was unable to focus on anything else. I knew we were bound to get info, but I was NOT READY FOR THIS
Everything about that trailer was so well done, it makes the wait for May seem even longer! A few thoughts I had personally:
1. Ganondorf is pretty decent casting. I'm admittedly surprised he doesn't sound hoarse or anything considering he's a reanimated corpse, but it's still menacing!
2. I'm convinced Ganondorf and Zelda are going to take the forms/powers of Demise and Hylia at this point with all these parallels...
3. POSSIBLE MORE RUNES MAKE ME SO EXCITED! We thought Link getting a motorcycle gave us too much power... Now we have cars and mechanical gliders.
4. It doesn't seem Zelda is getting damseled! That makes me so happy. I figured she wouldn't be playable (unfortunately), but it at least seems she'll have a presence throughout the story! Perhaps a Skyward Sword situation where she must go on a journey of her own? Maybe in the form of flashbacks to the previous Zelda from 10,000 years ago? If it goes with a SS route, maybe that leaves room for a playable Zelda in post-game.
5. All the monsters look stronger than before, and there are even new ones! I tried to see if those dino bird things matched up with any classic enemies, but they didn't seem to be so. Either way, they're awesome!
6. I can't wait to explore where all the characters are after a potential time skip. Zelda especially! She got so much character in BotW, and I am going to love seeing more of it!
7. If Zelda doesn't end up becoming Hylia, I'm also wondering if the previous Zelda ends up being revealed to be the same one (same with Link) due to time travel shenanigans like in Skyward Sword.
8. If Zelda and Link don't kiss or address Zelda's feelings for him at least once I will be very sad (but I'll love the game anyway).
9. I hope to see the cycle broken here. That seems to be where this is leading! It would be great to watch Zelda and Link finish off Demise's curse once and for all and finally have the peace Hyrule has been fighting to have for eons.
10. Hopefully Link's diary won't be lost in translation this time! Adding those little details like that made BotW even better than it already was.
11. LINK THREW THE MASTER SWORD ASIDE TO CATCH ZELDA I CAN'T- But poor Fi. Hope she's doing okay with the whole Malice infestation thing. This is a stretch, but perhaps there will be a return of Ghirahim or his sword form. That'd be cool.
12. It looks like there's potential for more old-school dungeons! With the Divine Beasts seemingly inactive, Link may have to travel through monster-ridden ruins to drive them out of Hyrule.
13. I'm excited to see details on the time between BotW and TotK, like how Zelda got her hair cut! It'll be nice to see which NPCs changed and which haven't (Beedle is probably the same and will be the same even as all of existence crumbles around him).
14. Maybe the memory mechanic will be implemented again by Link recalling his past life 10,000 years ago?
Alright, sorry for the ramblings here. I'm too excited. I have lots more thoughts, but I'll share them in the future. May 12 can't come fast enough!
Reblogging is fine, but please don't post this anywhere else without linking the original post. Thanks!
#artists on tumblr#fanart#doodles#legend of zelda#link zelda#loz zelda#princess zelda#zelink#zelda x link#zelda#zelda fanart#loz fanart#link x zelda#zelda botw#botw fanart#botw zelink#totk trailer#totk zelink#zelda tears of the kingdom#tears of the kingdom#zelda breath of the wild#breath of the wild#zelink fanart#my art#fanart zelda
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cowboy like me // Wonderland // Blank Space // Forever & Always // The Great War // Out of the Woods // False God // Dancing With Our Hands Tied // Labyrinth // Wildest Dreams (all lyric connections)
#lyric*connections#taylor swift#see my reblog with the detailed parallels#parallels#mine#cowboy like me#wonderland#out of the woods#the great war#false god#dancing with our hands tied#blank space#forever and always#labyrinth#wildest dreams#evermore
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what is it in will graham that makes you feel like hes trans?
hey I don't know if you wanted an analysis here anon but I'm sure as hell going to give you one!
to me, and my interpretation of the show may differ from yours, s1 will represents uncertainty. he's a clear parallel to hannibal in that way, with his character in the first season being carefully cultivated to seem uncertain and display attributes. we learn about "people suits" later in the show and these traits can obviously be attributed to that as well, but general feelings and of unease and displacement in your own body and mind are pretty common feelings of the trans experience. his empathy is a double-sided knife in the same way my approach to gender presentation and passing with an effort to recognize identities outside of the gender spectrum is. the last metaphor is a bit weak, but you get the idea.
will isn't very comfortable around people. yes, trans people can socialize, yes, trans people have great social lives, but a disconnect from cis peers is not uncommon. he's out of place because of his empathy as well, but i recognized myself in the way he acted around strangers, how closed off about personal details he could be. the way he finds it easier to have animals around, and the way he likes to be their leader is pretty telling to me at least.
there are a few scattered lines that could point to him being trans ("i don't have the right parts" towards margot when she wants to get pregnant) but i think the truer substance is just in the way he is. it's so hard to explain why someone is trans because it's sometimes not a tangible thing? i'm trying my best here without even referencing or rewatching the show, but all i can think about is the way i see myself in him, as fucked up as that may be, as a trans man from the south.
and honestly, if the majority of trans men watching the show think he's trans, he's fucking trans. if that many people pick up on it, there's probably something to get in to. i may not have the words for it, but i bet some other lovely hannibal blog could write you an even longer essay on it :)
feel free to add on in reblogs if you'd like mutuals!!
#westley speaks#westley thinks#westley answers#will graham#hannibal#hugh dancy#nbc hannibal#hannigram#the mortifying ordeal of being known and all that#trans will graham
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Hi, are you guys tired of my theories yet? I'm about to yap this is less of a theory and more of me just writing down my thoughts
Fast pass spoilers ahead! (So sorry)
Mr. Thomas, Kidnappings, Paper Cranes, A little bit of Ryan
I saw someone ask why the people who kidnapped the parent's outfits are different from the people who kidnapped the kids' outfits. I didn't want to reblog or comment since obvi there's some spoilers in here, so creds to @/hozaloza for pointing this out!!
I think it's because the group that kidnapped the kids were not the same people who kidnapped their parents.
A while ago, when we first saw the paper cranes group, one of them said they needed to lie low because "both sides were tracking them down" for their stunt in savanna.
I've said this before, but it's very likely that the paper cranes are a secret group within the Contamination Facility that have been taking care of everyone affected by the "fungus." "Both sides" being the kids and the bigger group they all work for.
It's because of this that I don't think Mr. Thomas is a part of the paper cranes despite having them on his desk (HEAR ME OUT). He is more clueless when it comes to the phantom world, whereas the paper cranes are more familiar with it. Ryan reacts nonchalantly compared to Mr. Thomas, who's understandably confused.
When Ryan talks to "The boss," He puts Mr. Thomas's name in quotes (most likely a fake name so he'd be able to work at the school). The boss later confesses that he plans on getting rid of him to Ryan.
So, while yes, I do think he's associated with the paper cranes, I wouldn't go as far as to say he's affiliated with them since they plan to betray him (but who knows, I could be dead wrong in assuming that the literal BAD GUYS wouldn't betray each other 😭😭 (they prob would)).
I dont have fast pass screenshots for this part :^(
Mr. Thomas also tells the children that they're sick, which lines up with what Alex explained to Ash about their condition. He could always just be lying, but he'd have no reason to. Ash was already passing out, and I doubt he'd go out of his way to do so. When we see Jasmine kidnap Tyler, she simply apologizes for waking him before putting him back to sleep (no explanation). The circumstances are obviously different, Ash got away the first time they sedated her and Tyler was already sleeping when it happened, but it's worth noting.
I'd also like to bring up how, in the fast pass, Alex tells Ash that their parents have been "informed about the situation," so he's either
Lying to calm her
Doesn't know that the parents have been kidnapped and is going off of information one of the paper cranes gave him
Telling the truth and the parents are there but perfectly fine!!!
Some other details that I found but didn't know what to do with/wanted to mention:
Mr. Thomas's eye bags and Ryan's reactions.
Idk his eye bags are incredibly noticeable. At first, I assumed it was because he was also in the Phantom realm, seeing as he noticed ashs shadow was different, but we know from Alex that the rift between the two worlds was permanently closed after the kids went into the sorrel weed house. I didn't have another explanation to tie this in with the theory, so I'll just drop it here.
Ryan seems a little uncomfortable while talking to the boss here. It's a small detail, but Red added it, so I'm assuming it's important!! It reminded me of the scene with Tyler and Taylor in chapter 34, where Tyler tells Tay to stay back while he goes and checks to see what the sound from downstairs was. It then cuts to a panel of Taylor being upset and looking away, much like what Ryan does here. (Parallels or whatever)
But then again, he looks fine when following Mike's car, so who the hell knows 🤷♂️🤷♂️
It's late, and I've been working on this for wayyyyyy too long. I forgot what else I was gonna add, but I ran out of pictures, so I'm ending it here !! My writing is awful lol I hope this made sense
TLDR: The people who kidnapped the kids are not the same people who kidnapped the parents.
The contamination facility isn't bad, just the paper cranes.
#school bus graveyard#sbg (webtoon)#sbg#school bus graveyard webtoon#aiden clark#ben clark#taylor hernandez#ashlyn banner#character analysis#school bus graveyard theory#sbg theories
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🌼To any humans new to Kaylor Tumblr: if you tripped and fell down the rabbithole and ended up here like I did 6 years ago, if you are a Twitter transplant, if you follow me on IG and have seen me post my tumblr name and decided I’m gonna see what that bitch is always going on about in stories, WELCOME! This is a very supportive community on the whole which is rare online. We love to share ideas, images, lyrical parallels, video clips supporting the belief (or hidden truth) that Taylor and Karlie have been and still are in a long term relationship, and that Karlie Elizabeth Kloss is Taylors forever Muse.
The people I reblog and whose posts I comment on are truly some of the most intelligent, detail oriented, and thoughtful people I’ve met online which is why I’ve stayed through a lot of crazy shit. Please be respectful of me and them or I will post your Anon and call you a name and then block you—disagreements welcome, being a jackhole is boring, we’ve all been called every name in the book, find another space to troll 🧌
Welcome to your new obsession, glad to have you aboard to witness one of the greatest love stories of all time🌼
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GUYS I'VE OFFICIALLY LOST IT-
So. Awhile ago, I saw this post, right? Basically it just said that Sera and Sir Pentious' cards have very similar compositions, and that Seraphim, which is what Sera is, are often associated with serpents. Interesting, but could still be a coincidence, right?
So anyways I checked the reblogs and saw somebody say they should kiss. And now I'm insane.
Because like... the only thing we know really about Sir Pentious' potential story arc in the show is that he's gonna have a crush on one of the other characters. And the only thing confirmed about his sexuality(to my knowledge) is that he is attracted to women. We don't really have any way to know who his crush is, because there are a lot of women in Hazbin Hotel, but could still be noteworthy, right? And like... okay this is gonna sound like the most "trust me, bro" evidence I could possibly pull out of my ass at first but I just need you to hear me out here, okay? Sera's crown and Sir Pentious' hat have a lot of visual similarities. Here's a helpful diagram :)
Which like. Okay. Could literally be nothing, right? Except for two small things that I can't let go of: One, Sir Pentious' goggles + the v-shaped brim on his hat were added to his design AFTER he was given a more prominent role in the show-
(Pilot design, back when he was meant to be a one-off villain of the week vs current design as a member of the main cast)
And two, the Hellaverse shows kind of have a tendancy to use visuals in order to signify characters' relationships to eachother. It's also just a pretty popular form of symbolism as a whole tbh, but the Hellaverse has a lot of really good examples. Like, for instance, how Vaggie's new outfit is a lot closer to Charlie's color pallette than any of her previous designs, or this really good breakdown by @/raeynbowboi about the symbolism of hearts in Hazbin Hotel and how they pertain to Angel Dust/his relationships! It's from awhile ago so some of the info is a tad outdated, but overall I do think the analysis holds up. Meanwhile, in Helluva Boss, Moxxie and Millie have basically the same color pallette and they were the most functional relationship in the entire show before before Fizzmodeus came along. Which, speaking of those two...
See, I made this diagram because, after I pointed out the similarities between Sera and Sir Pentious' headgear to my dad and asked him if those kinds of similarities were a valid form of analysis(because I am but a humble highschooler that doesn't know everything about media analysis, and also I felt like I was losing my mind-), my dad said that I should look at the creator's(Vivziepop's) other works to see if couples having similar motifs was a recurring theme. So obviously, I picked my favorite couple in either show and disected their designs for every little detail that could maybe possibly be an intentional parallel. And while some of it is kind of iffy, like Fizz's limbs being the same kind of blue as Ozzie's tufts could just be a way to show that Ozzie made them, or both of them having uh, two things sticking off of their head(that one's definitely a reach-), I think stuff like both of them having hearts as a recurring detail in their designs or having lITERALLY THE SAME EYE COLOR??? Are pretty good evidence that Viv/the Hellaverse design team tend to use visuals to signify characters relationships.
ALSO!!!! If the Fallen Angel Vaggie theory ends up being true, there could be some interesting parallels to draw between Chaggie and Sera/Sir Pentious! Something about like... demon royalty/random angel vs angel royalty/random demon. Could be used to draw parallels between how the two societies treat that kind of thing idk.
So, now that all the meta evidence is out of the way, we can get down to what really matters: would these two work as a couple? Do their personalities mesh well togther? And the answer to that is!
IM SORRY FOR USING THE GIF IT WAS A GOOD JOKE IN MY HEAD BUT TYPING THIS OUT IDK IF IT'S ACTUALLY FUNNY-
But in all seriousness, I don't actually know. We just... haven't seen enough of Sera to know for sure. In fact, this whole theory is based off of small details that definitely add up to SOMETHING, but could very well be pieces to some very different puzzles that I'm trying to shove together because somebody jokingly suggested that they would fit. Like, the parallels really COULD mean something, and it COULD have something to do with Sir Pentious having a crush on another character, but like. There could also be a million other answers to both of those questions, y'know? I also have a tendancy to make wild conspiracy theories about genuinely inconsequential details... I almost never talk about them publically, but still. Though I will say, based off of Sera's description in the leaks, I could definitely see a world where she bounces off of Sir Pentious pretty well. Her description in the leaks very much gave me uh... Isabela cover of Surface Pressure vibes, y'know? Shit that is- that is a weird way to describe that but most people on here have seen Encanto right? Y'all get it? And Sir Pentious is both a Victorian Gentleman Type and completely unhinged. Like... idk there's something there. I could maybe see it working. But at the end of the day, it's just too early to tell.
That being said I WILL be trying to pump out some fanart of these two before the actual show comes out and crushes my crackshipping dreams. Also their ship name is either SeraPentious or PentSera I can't decide.
Edit: Wait a second... SeraPent. Serpent. PUN!!!!!!!!!! Okay I think I'm going with SeraPent-
#this is really just my attempt to make PentSera a thing before the show airs and I look like a fool#CRACKSHIPPERS ARIIIIIIIISE!!!!!!!!!#hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel analysis#idk if that's actually a tag but who cares#sera#hazbin sera#hazbin hotel sera#sir pentious#sir pentious x sera#sera x sir pentious#serapentious#pentsera#I might just stick with pentsera tbh it rolls off the tongue way better#analysis#long post#I feel like. I should tag this with late night ramblings. this feels like a late night ramblings post.#probably because I'm sleep deprived and so depressed I'm constantly exhausted#I'll tag late night ramblings for now and remove it if I change my mind ig#late night ramblings#serapent#gal overanalyzes random shit
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Hi! I can’t believe I’m going to post this but here goes. This is a note to say please don’t take gifs from gif makers and then put them together into your own post. Even if you think up a clever parallel or want to compile characters or celebrities into a set you think looks cool. It’s really hurtful to gif makers who spend a lot of time learning how to make gifs and provide their own unique stamp on scenes with coloring, effects, etc.
I’m writing this because I want to believe the best in all of you. I genuinely think most people who do this don’t see what is wrong. They think that the media is out there, so it doesn’t matter who made the gif. But it’s a huge understatement to say that giffing takes a ton of time. Learning how to color correct scenes takes a lot of skill. 99% of gifs you see have a LOT of color correction done to them so you can actually SEE the details (unlike most shows & movies today which are dark as fuck). Add on to that things like gif effects and vivid coloring and you have behind that gif someone who spent hours upon hours learning how to make those things happen and bring their own creative skill to that set.
If someone posted a paragraph taken from a fanfic writer without credit everyone would rightfully be up in arms. Yet when this happens to giffers no one seems to care or notice. Writers put their own unique spin on media we all love just like gif makers do. Please be mindful of this, and if you have a cool idea for a set, reach out to a gif maker for a request! Most of the time gif makers are incredibly flattered to get requests (I know I am). Either that or put in the time to learn to make your own gifs if you have an idea for a post.
If you don’t make content, or haven’t made a set with stolen gifs, this post still applies to you! Please be mindful of reblogging sets with stolen gifs. It’s usually easy to tell if a set was made by the person posting. In posts made by a gif maker, the gifs are usually similar size, have similar coloring, and the overall set will look cohesive. Most importantly, every gif maker I know has a tag like #mine or their username +gifs so you know they made it. Please look for those things before you like or reblog.
Lastly, if you want to use a gif to go along with your story or in a post, please reach out to the gif maker to ask permission. At the very least, please credit the original maker in your post, so people know where it came from. Again, most giffers I know are flattered to be included this way, but it’s always a good idea to ask first to be safe.
If you made it this far, thank you for listening. This isn’t so much a callout post but a PSA. Lead with kindness my friends. Happy creating my loves! 💛
#rants#giffing#creator woes#i don’t even have stolen gifs that I’m aware of#but I just saw a post with a friend’s gif#it was even watermarked which is how I knew#I just thought I’d post this because I truly believe most people here are nice#but maybe they don’t know this bothers gif makers#anyway carry on
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