I Was Making A Lot Of Mistakes And Then My Archery Instructor Said:

5 underrated moments/characters in the Ramayana

1. Kaikeyi, who actually has a fascinating backstory as skilled charioteer (basically medic, mechanic, driver, horse whisperer, cheerleader, and advisor, all in one: there’s a reason why the question of Arjuna and Karna’s charioteers is treated so seriously in the Mahabharata) and who supplementary material gives a really interesting family history. I wish she got portrayed more as such rather than Evil Vamp.

2. Ahalya, who actually predates the Ramayana, and actually appears in the Rig Veda, strangely as Indra’s lover—which to me suggests that there was more to the ancient version of her story than her violation.

3. Tara, so wise Vali’s dying words are to heed her advice, no matter what—I love her so, all the more because her status of Queen goes unquestioned despite her husband’s death.

4.Sarama, wife of Vibhishana, and specifically identified as one of Sita’s benefactors: women supporting other women is rare to find in ancient works, and I think every example should be celebrated.

5. Sita herself—yes, I know she’s the heroine of the entire work, but I feel she gets too often simplified into a bland version of herself: alternatively smiling, simpering, or sobbing. Moreover she is contrasted with Draupadi, who is also awesome—but people forget that one of these women has a speech listing the ways in which she serves her husband and manages her household while not smiling/laughing too loud etc, while the other taunts her husband saying “if my father knew what a coward you were, he never would have given you my hand in marriage” and later, specifically calls him out on the morality of his war against demons (the former is Draupadi, the latter Sita.) Plus, people forget that Sita is spitting mad instead of sad during the agnipariksha, to the point of snapping how dare Rama forget that she was born by miraculous means?

broke: crowley is jealous about the lovers that aziraphale might have had throughout history  woke: crowley isn’t jealous at all - he’s insanely intrigued and every time they get drunk he begs aziraphale to tell the story of how he got each of them into bed and will sometimes interrupt him mid-sentence by saying “i knew that guy!!” followed by a huge grin  

“I decided early on,” Michael said, “that Aziraphale just loves Crowley. And that’s difficult for him because they’re on opposite sides and he doesn’t agree with him on stuff. But it does really help as an actor to go, my objective in this scene is to not show you how much I love you. And just gaze longingly at you.”

- Michael Sheen (New York Comic Con 2018)

Sunflowers painted with Dr Ph Martin’s Hydrus Liquid watercolours, on Bamboo mixed media paper. Special thanks to Cee-Roo for letting me use his track “I’m So Happy” :)

I’ve seen a lot of wonderful analyses on how Aziraphale played up the part of Crowley, but I haven’t seen much on Crowley’s portrayal of Aziraphale. This is the angel he’s been in love with for millennia, the angel he’s watched and guarded and adored since before written history began, and finally in the very last episode we get to see what Aziraphale looks like through his eyes. 

Standing before the one thing in the universe that could actually destroy him, Crowley’s Aziraphale is resolute, unflinching, gracious to the very end. He talks about the greater good and how angels are meant to be the champions of that greater good even when it goes against how the Great Plan was written. He stands up and speaks his truth even in the face of total opposition. And when the Archangel Gabriel, the person Aziraphale has always tried to emulate, tried to impress, tells him in no uncertain terms that this is what heaven does to the people who fight for the right thing, Aziraphale straightens his shoulders and lifts his chin and says, “It’s been lovely knowing you all. May we meet on a better occasion.” And then he steps into the flames. 

We’ve seen other sides of Aziraphale. We’ve seen him be selfish, gluttonous, desperate, closed minded, we’ve seen him be just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing, but when Crowley is asked to take the part of Aziraphale this is who he chooses. This is who he really believes Aziraphale is deep down: kind, chivalrous, compassionate, brave, the sort of angel that heaven ought to be peopled with. The sort of angel who smiles even though he’s broken. The sort of angel who doesn’t mind dying as long as he did the right thing. 

it’s a super short scene in the show but it says so much. crowley never does anything that really harms anyone (see: paintballs & pennies & phone lines), little of it is cruel in the ways that humans can be cruel — which makes it even more meaningful that he chooses humanity in the end. sure, he needs to drink for days to deal with it, but when he’s sober again, he stays

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second hand pride

my favourite trope is when both people understand that they like each other but it’s still unsaid between them and they’re not quite 100% sure the other likes them back so they keep having awkward-flirty moments/interactions and don’t know what to do after it happens so they just ,,, look at each other for a moment before changing the subject…and then it happens again