am I the only one that SEES THIS !?!? ^
ojovivo
will byers stan first human second

Discoholic šŖ©

ā
No title available
Claire Keane

titsay
Aqua Utopiaļ½ęµ·ć®åŗć§čØę¶ćē“”ć
Cosmic Funnies

Origami Around
Game of Thrones Daily

oozey mess

izzy's playlists!
I'd rather be in outer space šø

shark vs the universe

Andulka

JBB: An Artblog!
trying on a metaphor

Janaina Medeiros
d e v o n

seen from Türkiye
seen from Malaysia

seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from Switzerland
seen from United States
seen from Argentina
seen from Japan

seen from France

seen from United Kingdom
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye

seen from United States

seen from T1
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States

seen from Malaysia

seen from United Kingdom
@queenbluewolf19
am I the only one that SEES THIS !?!? ^
ooowaaaa
Darling~
what is he looking crazy for ????
also i might be hella sick bruh oouugghhhhhhhhhhhhh
eddie posting in 2025 š
Sliced and sewn on Gluskin's Table
ew slut
I kinda hate this rip
odd honeymoon
the very happy groom
now that the weather's warming up i can finally have him on show āØļø
got this done back in November last year and had it hidden all winter... it looks much better in person my camera doesn't do it justice heh
š©·š N E O N N I G H T S šš©·
ā[my social media links]
call me crazy but when niallās watching ruben assault benji his face speaks of more than just terror. there is a sense of awe, of reverence, which adds a whole other layer to his kneeling. no matter what happens or how much time passes, niall will always find himself worshipping at rubenās altar, his most devoted disciple. divine union is the only possible outcome for them.
There are so manyĀ parallels/connections betweenĀ Mona and NiallĀ coloringĀ episode five.Ā
Among the most obvious is, of course, Mona referringĀ to Ruben as āour boyā while reminiscingĀ aboutĀ Scottish CountryĀ Dancing inĀ schoolĀ with Niall.Ā More than that, though, this scene shows how NiallĀ shows himself empathizingĀ withĀ the oppressionĀ MonaĀ faces underĀ Rubenās controlĀ (as seen in hisĀ refusal to let herĀ have a life outside of himĀ byĀ teachingĀ a dance class). As Joanna toldĀ us multiple times in episode three (āyou told me you wish heād move abroad so you could be free,ā āyouāve got your freedom, Niallā)Ā Niall has long feltĀ suffocated by Rubenās presence (something that is fair when you consider thatĀ Niall has, in fact, been physically suffocated by Ruben at least once in every episode).Ā It seems pertinent thatĀ NiallāsĀ way ofĀ subtletyĀ encouraging/manipulatingĀ MonaĀ to defy Ruben, in this instance, is by recalling herĀ as ābeing so freeāĀ while dancing immediately after RubenĀ asserts his control over both of their lives: Mona, by refusing to let her dance, and Niall, by telling him to send a picture of his work.
AtĀ the end of the dance class,Ā Mona,Ā a housewife,Ā expresses the fearĀ thatĀ sheāllĀ āget to 60 and realize Iāve spent my life inĀ [Ruben's]Ā pockets.ā As weĀ learned in episode 4, Niall spent the fourteen yearsĀ thatĀ he and Ruben were apartĀ in shambles, a fact heĀ credits toĀ no one butĀ Ruben.Ā Of course, Ruben is equally tormented by the thought of Niall, as we know from the hospital scene (ā14 years, 7 months,Ā 23 daysā)Ā and the entire show, in general.Ā Add to thisĀ theĀ fact that Niall has metaphorically been living in Rubenās pockets with all the money he has borrowed from himĀ for the last fewĀ yearsĀ and you can,Ā again, seeĀ thatĀ Niall and Mona are both ākeptā by Ruben.Ā
Plenty of discussions are examining the sinister elements of Niall inviting Mona (who āalways spills her guts when she drinksā) for a drink, but Joanna established the fact that Niall has always claimed that āthe truth comes out when you're drunkāĀ as well in episode 3.Ā While theyāre drinking, Niall is obviously being his manipulative self in the way he coaxesĀ Mona to share more and more details about she and Rubenās private life, but their similarĀ alcoholicĀ toleranceĀ solidifies the idea that these characters, while it may not have been obvious when we were first introduced to Mona in episode one, are thematically similar/alignedĀ as adults ā as teenagers, as well, if we wantĀ toĀ consider the fact that they had sex with each other under Rubenās orders.Ā
Throughout episode 5, we see that Mona supports Niall's dream of being a writer (inquiring after his book in the garden as Ava and Ruben joke, āyouāve got more important work to doā while heās vacuuming before offering him use of Rubenās office) that Ruben dismisses (ātheyāve given up on youā). Similarly, Niall supports Mona's dream (likely, forĀ his own benefit) of teaching dance while Ruben dismisses itĀ (āSelf-empowerment . . .Ā itāsĀ pathetic. She should take all her power from me.ā).Ā Iād like to view this as something like the two of them recognizing themself in the other and thinking that if one of themĀ achievesĀ freedom by seeing their dream become a reality, itās likeĀ they'reĀ free as well (an idea supported by Mona suggesting that Niall write a chapter about her dancing to make her feel like sheās there), but I really donāt feel comfortable doing more than pointing it out, at the moment, since I donāt know how it will develop going forward.Ā
Most pressingly,Ā Niall and MonaĀ seemĀ toĀ parallelĀ each other in the way that they are both functionally ākeptā by Ruben, though the way this is done varies. While describing whyĀ heĀ is against Mona teaching dance classes, Ruben says:Ā āThe problem is she used to stay at home all day and wait for me. Now, I get back andĀ sheāsĀ out there fucking throwing her body about.ā When NiallĀ saysĀ āif youāve got it, flaunt it,ā Ruben retorts that āsheĀ hasnātĀ fucking got it.Ā WeāreĀ married.Ā IāveĀ got it.Ā ItāsĀ not hers to flaunt,Ā itāsĀ mine to keep.āĀ
I do not think it is necessary to delve intoĀ how/why,Ā exactly,Ā that quote speaks to RubenāsĀ subscription to the traditional idea that aĀ family, specifically aĀ wife,Ā is a manāsĀ property. It is obvious that, to Ruben,Ā Mona, as his wife,Ā isĀ a possessionĀ and, according to these traditional ideas, possessions are to be protected by theirĀ ownerĀ and provided for by them. But it is also worth noting thatĀ RubenĀ explicitlyĀ lays claim to Niallās life in this episode with āIāve got you by the balls, Bambi,ā not to mention his repeated commands for Niall to reciteĀ the ābrother from another loverā schtick orĀ whenĀ he called himself NiallāsĀ āmuseāĀ in episode 4.Ā Ā
Sitting at the candlelit dinner that Ruben abandoned after Mona suggested dance classes, Niall asks āAre youĀ gonnaĀ defy him?āĀ IĀ believeĀ thisĀ questionĀ is as illustrative of Rubenās view of himself, as Niall and Monaās view of Ruben.Ā
In his own eyes, RubenĀ is notĀ primarilyĀ a husbandĀ to Mona or a brother to Niall.Ā He is a patriarch, a title which encompassesĀ both of theseĀ relationshipsĀ and more.Ā As patriarch, Ruben can comfortably rest knowing that his āplace in the worldā comes down to being āthe provider.ā So long as he provides, allĀ lifeĀ decisionsĀ made by Niall and Mona, who rely on hisĀ protection, are subject to his approval. In episode five, we watch Niall and Mona rock this boat by demanding autonomy/respect.Ā In exchange for this,Ā hisĀ āspoiledāĀ wife isĀ treated like a daughter rejecting the ābestā life around while Niall, also under his ring of protection, is subjectĀ to the belittlement that befits a mooching sonĀ (see āwhen you get a life . . .ā).Ā In asking this question, and Mona entertaining it, Niall and Mona indirectly acknowledge how they are both under Ruben's thumb.
In summary,Ā Ruben relies on the continual submission of Mona and Niall to feel secure in his role as patriarch.Ā Episode 5 shows howĀ the two people he consistently provides for (his two greatest possessions who are worth bankruptcy āand moreā),Ā Mona and Niall, go about resisting theĀ oppressive natureĀ of this role.Ā Mona asserts her independence byĀ having affair(s)Ā and,Ā now, teaching dance classes. Niall does it by consistently trying toĀ one-upĀ Ruben.Ā We can joke that Mona and Niall are sister wives (it certainly makes sense; they're alike), but they also exist to feed Rubenās need to be needed (which keeps his role, that establishes his power in his own and other's lives, secure).
half man
it's the way that ruben's abuse towards everyone else is pure rage and violence, but with niall it is always the abuse of a father. punishing niall like he's a disobedient child: clean the house, mow the lawn, show me a picture when you're done so i know you've done it well. i pay for everything you have.
on top of the emasculation and on top of the way he resorts to sexual violence every single time. it's the way he calls him son as much as he calls him brother.
AND the worst part of it is that it's the making of that bond that creates the vehicle for the violence! ruben insists that niall is family (they both do) and so he's allowed to hurt niall in the way that he learned family is allowed to hurt each other. he does love niall, and so he has to love him in the same way that he learned to be loved.
the yaoi proportions are insane.