Why Not Both? Why Couldn't He Be An Intelligent, Ambitious, Rave-attending Twink With Dreams Of Freedom?

This art made me finally understand and put into words my obsession with Silco's design.

His face makes him successfully pull off so many different aesthetics. He's supposed to be kind of ugly, with his chipped teeth and weird (but very kissable) lip shape and hooked nose. But he's also beautiful, with his almond-shaped eyes and slim jaw. Older Silco is simultaneously an elegant, refined gentleman, a DILF if you will, but also a shiver-inducing monstrous villain. And that's already an amazing combo.

But then, Season 2 came out and they gave us younger Silco who's a lanky, introverted but slightly slutty revolutionary twink. How many people/characters can you name that fit so many different boxes so seamlessly? I don't know if the character designers had his younger version already in mind when designing him but I believe if his face was even just slightly different, there would be something off with either version of him.

SCREAMING CRYING I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

Amy Pond looking gorgeous with her glasses in The Angels Take Manhattan

I'm sick so you know what that means?

Another episode of...

✨️ Yohna moments I often think about ✨️

Moving another thread across to here and it is a Yohna one you lucky sausages. It is a long post, I'll apologise now.

Let's talk about this scene from the 2001 anime

Spoiler for main series and some elements of Flowers

This was a non manga scene added to the 2001 series. I honestly believe that this scene was added in replacement of the moment Anna asked to stay with Yoh the night before he lives for America.

I believe that the 2001 production team wanted to give Yoh and Anna a scene alone before he left for America. Something to show them acting like a couple. To show that actually they do care for each other. But it had to be done in the most Yoh and Anna way.

Now, Yoh and Anna are a very private couple. Everything happens behind closed doors. Yoh and Anna are not about big declarations of love or PDA. Be it Takei's choice to portray them like this, or his refusal to write full on romance we will not speak on it . So this scene had to be very 'them'.

I mean, I pray for the day we finally get some flashbacks of baby Hana in Middle East. I will not shut up about it. I just want to see them FIGHT TOGETHER. Or just working together as a team because I NEED IT. Just let them be a cute married couple please.

GIVE ME THE YOHNA SPIN OFF TAKEI! I KNOW ANNA IS ONE OF YOUR FAVS. STOP DENYING YOURSELF. BRING HER BACK.

*ahem*

Anyway, back to the scene.

The lead up to this scene is pretty interesting. During school, Manta picks up that Anna has been acting weird.

It amazed me that Yoh did not notice her acting a little off. But, to be fair to Yoh, he has been training very hard and is super tired. The gang had recently been to China to rescue Ren, so our boy must be pretty exhausted, and more than likely falling a sleep in classes.

But omg, he is so clueless. Please help this man.

I mean, either Yoh is so distracted with other stuff, or he doesn't think Anna would be affected by his departure. They lived so long apart back in Izumo so why would this be any different?

I believe that having now lived with each other, their relationship had changed and they are now closer. They act more like a couple. I'm pretty sure by now they have had their first kiss and spoke about their feelings for each other.

Please also offer some thoughts on clueless Yoh 🙏

That is until....

Manta outright tells the gang that he is sad that they will all be leaving.

Yoh, Horohoro and Ryu have been acting like it is nothing, and just a part of their lives. Ryu does tell Manta that they do feel sad but they are dealing with it in their own way.

I think this is where the realisation clicks in Yoh's head that actually, Anna could be feeling the same. That she is sad too, but showing it in her own way. Maybe she did want to spend time together that evening? But I don't think Anna would ever meaningfully get in the way of Yoh seeing his friends. She knows how important they are to Yoh.

Wanna take a walk with me?

Yoh might have been sitting on this idea since the meal out with the guys, and he waited till the last moment to ask Anna to go for a walk.

I think this shows how nervous Yoh is about exploring his feelings with Anna, because who goes out for a walk just before they go to bed? When they are already in their nightwear?

I think that, in the 2001 anime, the emotions are there, but they are teenagers figuring out their feelings for each other and how to express themselves. I'm a romantic, sorry

BUT LOOK AT THE BABIES!!!

Yoh is always a reassurance for Anna. She pushes him to become the best person he can become, and Yoh is always there to reassure and support Anna. They just work together so well. They are a team.

On their late night walk, they talk about normal stuff such as the Patch Village, the SK fight, Anna of course tells Yoh that he better not lose.

But I think there is more to be said about what they don't say, or hidden meanings.

This moment here

I tell you, I can hear the brain clogs ticking in that little Asakura head.

After seeing Anna is cold, Yoh presents her with a warm drink.

We know Anna is always ordering Yoh around, but she never asked him go and get her a drink. Is it one of the first times in the show we see Yoh just do something for Anna without her asking or ordering him to do so.

YOHNA BIG BRAIN THEORY MOMENT 🧠

I struggle to word this but I will try. I feel like Anna is trying to keep her true feelings unwraps (as usual), but this time she is doing it to Yoh.

Anna is cold and is seen as trying to keep herself warm. She doesn't ask for help. She doesn't tell Yoh that she is cold. It is her issue and she will deal with it on her own.

Now let's apply that to her emotions.

Anna has grown close to Yoh and is now sad that he is going to America. There is a chance that she might not see him again, but she just carries on as usual. She doesn't tell Yoh she is sad or express it. She knows Yoh has to focus, and it is his duty to progress in the Shaman Fights.

Yoh and Anna are often said to have an 'unspoken communication', and this was one of those turning points as a couple.

I feel like they became stronger after this. And look, I know the scene could be classed as non-cannon as it didn't happen in the manga but its here and I'm going to talk about it!

ITS WARM!

Like his love for her! 😭😭😭

I read too much romance guys. I'm too loved up. I'm sorry I'm like this.

BUT LOOK AT HIS FACE!!!

Tell me this boy isn't in love!

Tell me he isn't thinking how actually, he is pretty lucky to have someone like Anna.

And really, no matter what they are about to face, everything will work out.

I don't know man. I love the addition of this scene in the 2001 version. Likely one of my favourites, along with a selection of others.

I'll go back into my hiding hole now. That was longer than I thought it would be, and it you made it to the end, well done 😌

Oh gawd every time you think it's over it gers BETTER

🙌🏻 🙌🏻 🙌🏻 🙌🏻

this is so accurate i-

david tennants so funny to me cuz  hes like. a very private and quiet person. and all characters they call him to do are like mr slutty mcthot

Oh he so does. Joking about it is just the most comfortable way for him to reveal that. And yeah, he probably over exaggerates it for comic effect, but still. My hc is, my MC likes to tease him while they're chilling on the bean bags by resting her feet on him and watching him blush. The moment Bobby realizes she's totally cool with his fetish, there's no turning back for him. From that point their fun time in the hideout always starts with a foot massage :)

Okay but real talk, the important random question is:

Does Bobby really have a foot fetish or is it just a goof he latched into or some alternate third option?

...and go!

@ravenadottir

@cranesandshipyards

@bravomckenzie

@bobbyboops

half•alive - still feel

Whoa. Aside from all the brilliant points this post makes, it also fully convinced me that Jayce is an enneagram Nine.

Deep Dive:

Jayce vs. Romance

(Or, Part 7½ of the "Underrated JayVik" meta series.)

I did say all the way back in part 7 that I might write a separate post about my perception of Jayce when it comes to romantic relationships, so that's what this is.

Obviously, this character-read is very informed by the notion of JayVik being a thing - because, y'know, so is my read of the show - so to start with, we'll have to take the following things for granted for the sake of argument:

Jayce is not straight (I'm not opposed to the idea of a cosmic love which transcends gender, I just don't think it has to be "only" that - we can have both you know)

Jayce's feelings for Viktor, at least by the end of the show, are romantic in nature and Jayce is aware of it (how him and those feelings get there is one topic of this meta)

I will extrapolate a lot from how Jayce behaves in his relationship with Mel, seeing as there are very limited points of reference otherwise

All of this is a personal hypothesis, not a claim to truth

And, if at any point you get the impression I'm talking about a character who might be on the spectrum here, I'm not saying that, but I'm not not saying that iykyk

Now, with all that out of the way:

1. Let me first tell you the story of a nerdy kid

Born into a lower House of toolmakers in the elite part of the city, this young man attends the prestigious academy as - essentially - "the poorest rich kid", where his only friend just might be the teenage daughter of his high-society patrons (who, by the way, are the only other people he will think to turn to outside of his family before deciding to end his life).

He's both a handy and a cerebral guy who has spent most of his life in single-minded pursuit of an outlandish (and also... quite illegal) idea. Everything in his life revolves around it; he hangs tapestries of magicians on his walls and fills his windowsill with interesting crystals he found. He travels to deserts and conducts covert research with dubious equipment, all in hopes of making his singular dream a reality.

So, if his lower status or the weird vibes of his hyperfixation didn't make him a loner, then the necessary secrecy surrounding his special interest certainly would.

(...At the same time, however, he just so happens to also be tall, built, conventionally attractive and carry himself with confidence - so when we as the audience first meet him, we kinda assume that he would be a popular person who has it all, though only because we're conditioned to assume so of people who, well, are like that. Also, the show does a clever thing by first introducing him to us bantering with a pretty girl who appears impressed by him, before we learn of their sibling-like relationship.)

Now, why do I say all of this when it has nothing much to do with romance?

Because this is the boy Jayce never stopped seeing in himself.

A nerd always tinkering away on his model railways in the basement by himself, essentially. He doesn't lack self-esteem necessarily; he is comfortable with who he is and confident in his cause, but he does rather see himself as the odd one out.

Even as the show goes on, despite his charm, his looks, his eloquence and talent for public speaking, I don't feel like Jayce ever truly realises the power and the appeal of him. He knows it tends to "work" whenever he takes the floor (and he is absolutely thrilled with the positive response), but I feel like it's a skill he steps into like a pair of dress shoes, more so than something he views as an innate part of who he is.

2. Boy meets girl - and boy (in one night!)

✨Pop quiz!✨

What happens when the guy who considers himself the least eligible bachelor in the room meets the two - in his eyes - coolest, sharpest, most capable and most admirable people he's ever seen?

(Or more importantly, when those same people express an interest in him and the singular thing his whole life revolves around?)

Well, essentially this:

Sorry, wrong image.

This:

This leads me to headcanon #1 regarding Jayce's relationships with other people:

Anytime any person Jayce looks up to tells him he's a good boy so much as gives him the time of day, he is thrilled.

3. So about that windfall...

Irrespective of all of what I just said though, Jayce also strikes me as a guy who... while definitely not uninterested in having a romantic relationship, doesn't ever actively go for people in a romantic way (or physical, for that matter).

And y'know, case in point is really just how my girl did all of that

yet not only is Mel still required to close the entire gap all by herself in the end, but even in moments where Jayce might recognise her flirtation, you just never see any gears turning in his head like "maybe I should do something about this".

(I remember actually laughing out loud when in episode 4, Mel sways her hips at Jayce asking "To what do I owe the pleasure~?", and for a moment, as Jayce hesitates, I obviously assumed he would pick up on the suggestiveness in some way - if only as recognition on his face -, only for him to go "It's Heimerdinger..." Like, literally the least sexy thing to possibly say in that moment. 😂)

This is why I previously described Jayce as a guy to just kind of... roll with the punches in situations like that.

Though less flatteringly, in conversation I have also likened him to the specific breed of man in real life who "seem content to let themselves be picked up like windfall" - not particularly choosey about who gets to do so and instead opting mostly for the path of least resistance, romance-wise.

Which brings us to headcanon #2:

Jayce - while a highly emotional person who is not afraid to show it - doesn't tend to consciously concern himself with and think about his feelings, what they mean, or where his romantic interests lie, really. He's mostly just along for the ride.

4. By God it's Mel Medarda with a steel chair..!

Now, what do you get when you combine these factors into one character?

Well in this specific case, you get Jayce Talis who - when one of the most capable and admirable people he knows decides, for some reason, that she wants a piece of him - is more than happy to oblige and be with an amazing person. He's just thrilled to be there, basically.

Congrats, Mel - you've managed to push through Jayce's complete lack of response to your advances and unlocked his rare "love-starved boyfriend" skin as a reward!

...So what about Viktor, then?

Well.

He didn't.

As I mentioned in the original post as well, my personal JayVik pet theory is such that "if at any point during their partnership Viktor had made a move first, I do believe Jayce would have put up the equal amount of resistance he did with Mel, so... zero."

(And when I say "move" I mean MOVE - again, nothing short of a smacker or outright love confession would have been enough to spark Jayce into action yet at that point.)

If we're taking the idea that Jayce is "not straight" for granted (which we are), then looking at both Mel and Viktor through Jayce's eyes, I honestly don't believe Mel ever had that much over Viktor in terms of being a viable romantic option - other than the simple fact that she is the one who claimed that spot.

Or, as @glassvines wrote in response to the original post: "Viktor had all the cards...but none of the confidence".

5. Now go sit in the corner and think about what you've done

So yeah, that's tragic and all, but then how do we get to this point?

"Now, all I want... is you."

(Oh hush, don't pretend this is not what that line actually means.)

Point being, if Jayce - while he might not have refused Viktor and may have been equally happy to "oblige" - never consciously considered his own desires and wouldn't have actively pursued a relationship not explicitly handed to him... then what happened for him to end up here, dishing out banger after banger of quotable love confessions which contain the clear message of "I have made my choice, and it's you"?

...Well, in a way I sorta gave it away with the very first image of this post, didn't I.

Oh, what a timeout in the naughty corner can do to set a guy's priorities straight...

With Jayce spending weeks in stark isolation at the bottom of a ravine in the most extreme allegory of "getting locked in a room with someone until you talk it out" (except the guy you're locked in with is you), this proves to be an absolutely crucial time of introspection for him in a multitude of ways.

It's where he faces the wrong turns he took, realises that Heimerdinger was always right about the Arcane's corruption, and recognises the ways in which Mel had used and manipulated him.

It's also where he finally realises what - who - was most important to him all along, and in what way.

(The first three, you can glean from the voice lines played over the scene by the way, in case you're wondering.

So is that last bit just me making stuff up, then? No - it's an interpretation for sure, but not a fabrication. See, the shot of Mel's image burning away before Jayce and giving way to Viktor's instead is not only interesting for drawing yet another parallel between them, but also for being a shot that is otherwise out of place with the voice lines. For instance, there are several lines from Heimerdinger, yet Jayce doesn't envision him; there are none from Viktor - a striking absence in and of itself -, yet he does appear.

If nothing else, what this tells us is that this shot is - mostly - detached from Jayce's other epiphanies that I specified above. At which point, if you then take the shot by itself and purely at face value, it does become a... surprisingly candid symbolism really, if you ask me.)

To be clear though: The preference was always there.

After all, Jayce had previously already recognised that his place had always been with Viktor. Also he did dip out of Mel's bed to go see Viktor before he could have even known Viktor was sick that one time, so...

He just hadn't really thought about what that meant.

But lo and behold, it only took a stint in boyfailure jail for Jayce to consciously come to the realisation of not only that, but also that he is, in fact, not content to be windfall about whom he pledges his love and loyalty to anymore.

He wants to close the gap this time.

And to think: all of that even before he learned that Viktor was also the cause of his lifelong special interest in the first place like whaaaat. Imagine the day he must be having...

Jokes aside though; obviously, there is something to be said about Jayce meeting mage!Viktor and finally understanding - as I pointed out in part 13 - just how much Viktor truly needs him, and this perhaps being the final piece of the puzzle for Jayce to realise his priorities as well.

It would have made this post even longer though, and not even added very much, since I do believe multiple things can be true at once here.

Part 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/7½/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20

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