having an unbelievably delicious and rich experience poking at writing about a severely romance repulsed aromantic character who enjoys sex deciding to be sexually intimate with a friend for reasons related to feelings of (platonic) affection for that friend. and how utterly terrifying and vulnerable and risky that feels, especially bc of the way that interest in and enjoyment of sex has been used as a way to try to force 'but don't you get what's so important about love.' where this is about love. but not that kind of love. and it feels like... how do you do this without admitting everyone was right. (which isn't what this is at all. it's different. but who could possibly believe or accept that?) so it's scary, and threatening to want. but still worth it.
i think a lot of people in the fandom tend to portray mack as a loser boy who is so down bad with no spine following will around like a lost puppy and will as the one who holds the leash, the one who sacrificed to be in mack’s shadow (without acknowledging the benefits he gets of being in this duo)… a lot of infantilization when it comes to mack and a lot of victimization when it comes to will and idk what makes people come up with those characterizations
sorry they think mack. is a pushover. macklin “i dictate my own ice time. im going to center the first second and fourth lines when we’re losing and you can’t stop me” celebrini. mack “why yes i am bringing my bff to this super exclusive team canada training camp with all my idols that is basically my olympics tryout and no im not asking permission. my agent will handle it” celly. macklin “no i dont like that completely meaningless team award that my social media team worked hard on give me another. and another” celebrini.
mack “i get to play with literal hockey god sidney crosby at worlds and my first reaction is to be irritated bc it’ll cut down on MY ice time” “yeah i DID break your soft ass windshield for taking too long at the store tbh i did you a favor and no i’m not sorry” “i played on a line with mcdavid and mckinnon and ripped 8 SOG in 1 game alone. had just as many olympics goals as assists bc im not deferring to nobody. yep IM taking that penalty shot” celebrini????
are we fr. put some mf’ing respect on his name. that is a god damn superstar who has been a god damn superstar his entire fucking life and he KNOWS it ok. yes, he’s humble and hardworking and team-oriented bc he’s canadian hockey down bad and that’s what they ingrain in you. and yes he takes losses personally (which is in of itself driven by ego) and yes he has his moments of insecurity as do we all. every prodigy knows: no matter how much you buy into your own legend, there will always be the little voice at the back of your head whispering what if this time it doesn’t work. what if this is when your talent finally runs dry. then they’ll see. then they’ll all know. but like. 95% of the time macklin celebrini is boy king extraordinaire.
plssss i need you to all be SO for fucking real this boy is exactlyyyyy where he wants to be
Mirrors and Fractures of Selves: Episode 1 and Episode 8
One of the interesting things that Agatha All Along does is in the first episode--it tells us by in large how the show is going to go! As viewers, we just do not necessarily on first watch take it seriously. Agatha and Rio discuss exactly how Agatha will die (by taking Rio's powers). As well, the discussions of the ways witches have died in the past echo back in the trials and fights along the way. So, please just excuse this really quick ramble of mine because it has sort of taken over my brain...
I think one of the more curious and tragic juxtapositions of two scenes that can be made are of the two discussions that are had in episodes 1 and episode 8:
One where Agent Vidal has brought pizza, and one where Lady Death is trying to make a deal with Agatha over the fate of a boy.
Here in episode 1 we get to witness a fragment of something that these two no longer share between them: a stolen domesticity. Agatha goes on about her theories, and Rio listens bemused to her lover lost in the hex. While this is Detective Agnes, it is not hard to extrapolate what they might have looked like in a good time from this scene though: Rio enjoying whatever grimoire or magic Agatha is studying, listening and watching her unfold and delve into the mysteries of her craft.
And it is that grief that Agatha knows she has (the child's room, the dead son), but cannot understand the connection to Rio that allows for this moment, this thing they cannot really go back to where they are at in their tragic and toxic and tangled love affair.
And episode 8 highlights exactly where they are, how divided they are. In terms of framing, we do not get a shot like the one above--instead they are generally framed each sitting on their own side. The body language too is not comfortable or languid in the way it is in episode 1.
Rio is attempting to assert some sort of power over the scene, but also an openness of her body (where she sits far more closed and relaxed in episode 1). Agatha is closed off, tense and tight, not even touching the ground.
Here's a boy between them once again. Agatha's grief over the son they lost stuck in a state of anger, unable to truly allow herself sadness. Instead she has sunk into hedonism of chasing power, her cons, and fancy outfits to play roles. Rio chases, trying to get forgiveness, to lead Agatha to her final resting place and return her to Nicky's side. But now that forgiveness is a distant thing when she knows she has to cajole Agatha into giving up this new boy, this child she has barely known for more than a week or two (only re-known for 24 hours).
Even while Agatha is making her gamble, throwing out an agreement neither of them wants--only the shadow of the back of the others head is shown, both not fully sharing the frame. They're divided here, they can't exist on that same visual plane. Too much pain between them.
There's a lot more I could say about episode 1 and what it sets up, but man it is really fun to contrast those two scenes.
i see your "'does he want to lick my boots or chop off my hands' is a Nicki reference" and raise you "what if Armand's relationship with sex is so fucked that his two modi are total submission and 'don't touch me or I'll chop off your hands' and Louis is still clowning on his trauma" in this essay I will
"They're obviously sibling/family-coded! Why would someone ship them? It's so gross!"
Like, okay, first of all, they're friends. Friendship is a thing that exists. Romance or family are not the only two options. But also, idk how to tell you this, but people ship it because it's hot. Or because the dynamic is cool. Or because the concept of shipping them is funny. Or because it's fucked up and maybe that's hot.
People will still ship it if you think it's gross. People will ship it even if you see the relationship as being familial. People would still ship it if those fictional characters were actually biologically related in canon. Because it doesn't matter what their relationship is in canon. Or how you perceive it to be in canon. It doesn't matter if they even met in canon. It doesn't matter if they're from the same universe or even the same franchise. People are going to ship it. Why? Because they can. Go find something else to do.
