#otp-armada

STOP HAHAHA this is the best ask you’ve ever sent

was day of death not the epitome of television?? i was in shock when i first watched it and that wait til february for a new episode took foreverrrrr

skyeward UGH my loves yes they give similar vibes. i have a good feeling about a better ending for chenford

Thank you so much for this amazing comment and to elaborate a little, I do too like this as a trope as a way to write for them, his self-worth, his self-loathing and one thing that I did particularly enjoy while and as I keep writing this fic further on is that there comes a point where they are both more or less on the same level, emotionally and in terms of circumstances and he still wonders, he still asks himself-

am I good enough for her? Does she deserve this? Even though he shouldn’t and it is his self-doubt that he has, this belief, maybe it is an innnate one, maybe it is something he was born with but later enlarged by the circumstances in his life that he is somehow too insignificant for the world around him and therefore not worthy of real love so what makes his character so interesting in that fic and in canon over all is that-

despite this he does not turn cruel, mean, hateful. (Yes, he deviates in his path, out of love but he’s not choosing to be bad, he is not choosing to be mean) and instead he says this-

if i am not worthy of the world and of people’s love than the only thing  I can do is actually just be there for them, help them, shoulder their burdens, be kind to them, and offer my love to them as much as I can and that is what makes Bellamy Bellamy and why he is not like other characters

he has the bad sad tragic backstory but you don’t actually have to excuse the actions that he makes because while lawfully bad and morally grey they are not done out of a superior goal or aim he’s getting at like money, power, etc etc like it happens with most villians

he does it out of love. 

and that is why he is so unique as a character and why he is so important in terms of modern media, in terms of network tv, in terms of bob being the only half-filipino lead etc etc. it all combines into this one thing and that is his love-that is who is at his core

love surrounded by doubt, by sometimes fear (for his loved ones, never for himself, dont forget all the times he risked his life without a second to think), by self-deprication, by the feeling of worthlessness, by the feeling of being somehow second to everyone and everything and that is the real kind of family dynamic played here that he is the first born child but he is actually the second to everything and specifically to o/ctavia.

but anyway that is a whole other meta

The night before your birthday... So your birthday is on theee

9th of July!! Happy early early bday 😁❤

Fingers crossed Jason is nice to us!!

It sounds like a flashback with Nuzo. Imagine if it is a flashback of Nuzo encouraging Magnum to ask Hannah out, which gets paralleled with Magnum inching closer to Higgy in the present. And in the season finale, he lives up to Nuzo’s words by actually making a move on Higgins.

Me being me, of course, I had to commit my stream of consciousness to paper:

It is the symbolism for me.

If my theory holds true, we will have drawn another comparison between Hannah and Higgins. In season one, when Magnum encounters Hannah for the first time after she betrayed him and left him in the hands of the Taliban, there lies the symbolic visual of her walking away from him as Higgins moves toward him. It is the pictorial equivalent of: When one door closes, another opens. Or the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. That exchange equivocating Higgins to Hannah is perhaps the first inkling the writers gave us to highlight Higgins as his romantic endgame.

I do not mind another comparison to Hannah because Hannah was not just anyone to Magnum. A final parallel closes the loop that season one began. The message it evokes is: Once there was a woman Magnum considered the love of his life, a woman he wished to marry. In the end, she was not the person for him. And as she walked away from him, it allowed him to meet the woman who would turn out to be his soulmate.

It signals the end of the love story that season one started when Higgins walked toward him. Finishes that part of their story by having them join at last.

The symbolism does not end there.

Fans have noted how the attire worn by Magnum and Higgins, with him in his dress uniform and her in a black dress, draw a graphic parallel to the pilot episode, where we began this journey.

These two potential callbacks to season one remind the audience how far we have come along this story. They get us to take stock of how much has changed and what has not changed. And a call to reflection such as this by the narrative foretells an imminent, significant shift in the paradigm. In this case, we can predict what that shift is. It is found in the massive trove of momentum painstakingly crafted throughout this season, signifying an oncoming romantic Miggy.

At this point, I really do believe we are getting an indisputably romantic moment between them as the season comes to a close. The alternative would be a waste of storytelling.

I will hold this headcanon of mine to heart even if the show chooses not to take this route. I’m too stubborn.

ohhh ok see i was thinking there’s no way they were gonna give us something so outright and obvious so that makes sense

the shot of hannah and higgins passing each other is truly one of my favorites of the whole series. it’s just SO symbolic so you’re right, a full circle hannah comparison would be good. and yes i did notice the outfits too, it threw me at first because i thought i was watching an old promo by accident

i don’t know what i want to happen at this point honestly. ive never seen a show do canon well, so i’m very skeptical but they do seem to be on a fast(er) track…

"Ani's case really brought home how important it is to talk about things." - Higgins and Dr. Ogawa, 4x04, again, the whole enchilada of their chat.

"What if staying with him is giving up a chance at something better?" - Magnum to Higgins, 4x05

"You still love her, don't you?"

"I don't have a choice." - Higgins to Aiden, 4x05

"His decision is... It's crazy."

"Well, maybe it was not a decision at all."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, love isn't something you talk yourself into or...out of. It just...I don't know, it is, or it isn't."

"...you deserve the kind of love where you don't have to decide." - Magnum to Higgins, 4x05

"I know how crazy this sounds, but I felt like...I had a real connection [to Mikal], and that kind of thing is rare. And I know it will just eat at me if I don't at least try [to find him]." - Emily to Higgins and Magnum, 4x10

"I actually think it's romantic Emily is willing to take a big swing like this. I mean, we all know what it's like not pursuing somebody you were interested in."

"What about you? You have a...missed connection story? You know, somebody you couldn't quite make it work out with?"

"Uhhhh...no. I don't think I do."

"Come on....there's gotta be somebody you secretly pined for. Even if it was just in a dream." - Magnum using Emily's story to grill Higgins for info on her dream about him, 4x10

It’s really amazing how the cases this season, more so than any other, are tailor-made by the writers to challenge a historically levelheaded Higgins in redefining what it means and how it looks to truly love someone against the reason and logic she both prides herself and relies on. Falling for a fellow MI6 agent she was partnered with may have been easy for her. Falling in love with a second partner she sees as complementary to her as oil and water, ice and fire, that requires the effort of an arduous journey with sparkling results if all goes according to plan. This entire construct between her and Magnum all series long shows us how a battered, wearied character opens her heart to let love in, found in extraordinary, unlikely places beyond her imagination or expectations. And that’s a beautiful thing. And it is the latest data point in my research proving the type of ship most likely to drown me. The Head and Heart ships. Probably because I’m an overly cautious overthinker with a tender heart. These ships have a way of merging a duality that seems oppositional into a closed-circuit partnership forming a sum greater than its parts. The kind of balance I’d like to be brave enough to achieve someday as a person.

Because Miggy development is a two-way street, on Magnum's side, there's also:

"After today, I think we can agree how important it is to grab on to whoever makes us happy." - Katsumoto to Magnum, 4x04

"I don't even know what to think. How could I be so wrong about [Serena]? Where do I go from here?"

"You grieve. For the version of the woman you loved and...lost." - Aiden and Magnum, 4x05

...which obviously applies to Magnum/Hannah, but also Magnum/Lia in due course and to a small extent,

And:

"Look, regardless of what you think she might want, what do you want?"

"I want her to be happy."

"Hmm. I'm sure you do. And that's great. But it's okay to let her know where you stand, instead of just waiting to see what she does." - Rick's sage advice to Rick, immediately followed by Magnum turning the corner to walk to Higgins, 4x11

It's a mark of great writers when they can craft lines applicable to more than one situation, thus creating a central theme across multiple storylines. I just think it's so clever when writers can pull it off.

hey girl hey

these quotes are killing me, i’m obsessed with the dedication. and you write so beautifully ???

THE HEAD AND THE HEART THE HEAD AND THE HEART ! ITS JUST SO

i did get the submitted post! i couldn’t figure out how to reply so i was gonna send you an ask but you have them turned off turn them on for me ok?

ok ok from your submitted post:

“He has been wearing his heart on his sleeve when it comes to her for a very long time. That's why, when they cross the line, it will be up to Higgins.” - yes yes yes!! this has been my thing all along and why i was glad he pulled away at the end of last season & then lia was introduced. bc as the person who always has her heart on the sleeve and gets screwed over 99% of the time, sometimes you gotta hide that shit until someone proves they’re really going to love you. until someone puts THEIR heart on their sleeve for YOU. and i think that’s beautiful

and what you said about him not knowing anything has really changed cause he thinks it’s a one off & she immediately called it a nightmare. so true !! how is he to know that it’s different. if he had known it was a THING ?? he would’ve probably collapsed on the spot. she’s definitely getting closer though. he didn’t say anything about the dream at the end and she brought it back up. homegirl. you don’t finally stop getting nagged to bring it right back up!!!

& same about the dream sequence. it started and i was like ‘oh it’s the dream. it’s not the dream? why are they so in character? wait this is real. wait this is the dream’

(also rick and tc catching that guy was SO funny. one of my favorite b storylines ever)

and perfectly corroborates Dr. Ogawa's theories in her eyes, one heart-stopping line at a time. He's not only her supportive best friend doling out sound advice. The irony is, he's her living proof as to the veracity of his words. I cannot wait for the day when she realizes what he's come to mean to her. If these are the riches we get when Lia is gone, you will hear no complaints from me if she's absent more often!

oh my sweet summer child, we can ALWAYS discuss the casual wedding talk, although i'm not sure i can say anything else to the poetry you gifted my inbox with

im glad magnum is at a point where he can joke about their fake wedding because i, for one, am NOT. but you do you baby boy. i definitely agree the therapy thing was a little out of nowhere. while im a firm believer that everyone needs therapy, she really had her fiancé murdered, almost died, found out her mentor was the one who killed her fiancé, almost died, almost got deported, almost died and then was like yanno what? long distance sucks, lets go to therapy. and like...same my queen but an odd event to start therapy over. it's a plot device i will gladly take though. you're right - she needed someone on the outside to tell her that. she's too level headed to see it for herself right now. & i am pleasantly surprised that they kept the momentum going with the 'youre in love with magnum' line since a problem ive had with these writers is setting up storylines and not seeing them through. so kudos to them.

they're free falling into love!!! so cute how you put that omg. & yes that gif was 100% me the whole episode.

ok but this??? "He's not only her supportive best friend doling out sound advice. The irony is, he's her living proof as to the veracity of his words." ?????? ok coming at me with the pOETRY what is this im obsessed

Higgy and Ethan spent much of the season in the honeymoon phase, with Miggy suffering the tension this dynamic wrought, until the season's last legs when Higgy reveals her past to her bf. Ethan's been good for stirring the pot between Miggy, all those itchy, uncomfortable feelings they don't know how to put a definitive label to. I think Higgy needed a transition from Richard before she could be ready to embrace her endgame with Magnum, and Ethan's a good one. It's also been great to see her be happy, for her to know she's capable of giving her heart away again. I'm grateful he wasn't the stalker, nor did he die. Our girl's been through enough trauma when it comes to love, thank you very much. With Magnum as the heart and Higgy as the practical, logical head, I think it's always been within the realm of possibility she'll take longer to catch up to what's brewing between her and Magnum. (Not that Magnum is quite there yet, himself. He just has friends and his uncle that are confronting him first about him and Higgy. And understandably, since he's the single one in this scenario. Higgy has a commitment elsewhere.) But I do believe that as obtuse and abrasive as she can be, she's improved. The difference in her dialogue from 3x01 to 3x16 is proof of that. Between gifting him Roberto the Mouse, returning his father's watch, the heart-to-heart she instigated, admitting he's both an important part of her life and her best friend, she's softening. She even admits she's been scared to get close to people, using defensive mechanisms to prevent herself from getting hurt. Progress, the likes of which we haven't seen before. I'm cheering. It's slow-going, but it's going. That's the silver lining to the obstacles in their path.

ok i didnt include your original ask that said you just watched the finale and you had THOUGHTS - girl did you ever hahaha

yes ok so to be totally honest i have not thought about these two in a hot minute. i really wasn't thrilled with the season as a whole, so it's really just slipped my mind and i had to get back in a miggy mindset to really think about this and answer. i totally agree that he's going to get a girlfriend. magnum and higgins journey reminds me a lot of castle and beckett, so they are in fact due for magnum to get a girlfriend. and im totally ok with that? i think i said this in a post after the finale that i was really here for the role reversal and i still feel that way. it's been magnum pouring his heart out and being open (and then being hurt). the finale showed him starting to kind of retreat and be more guarded - just as higgy came out swinging with the best friend comment and initiating a hug. so yeah, higgins will probably come back to hawaii with the knowledge that she's happier with magnum and with lots of thoughts and feelings to sort through...and magnums gonna have a new girl. thats fine though! i wanna see her fight for him the way he's fought for her up until this point.

yes, she is definitely softening and i LOVE it. it just means now its time for the role reversal cause we cant have things looking this good for them lolol

i have always said as long as they didnt move backwards i was happy and while i did feel like at the beginning of the season they took a few steps back, i was ultimately happy with the ending.

i am LIVING for your gif inserts each week, this one killed me

SO MANY GOOD MOMENTS. SO MUCH FORESHADOWING. hes so soft with her sometimes i literally do not know what do with my hands. 'what if staying with him is giving up a chance at something better' US "love isn't something you talk yourself into or out of, it just, i dont know, it is or it isn't LIKE HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU

literally even just when he asks what her therapist said and shes like .... the fact that theyre having these conversations and SHE KNOWS SHE MIGHT BE IN LOVE WITH HIM. SHE NEVER TALKED HERSELF INTO IT. AND SHES ACTIVELY TRYING TO TALK HERSELF OUT OF IT. but here she is absolutely floored by the amount of love that ezra has for the murdery chick. she doesn't love ethan like that !!! ethan doesn't love her like that !!!!! BUT YOU KNOW WHO DOES?????? im dead. like. fully dead.

also wait yOU DESERVE THE KIND OF LOVE WHERE YOU DONT HAVE TO DECIDE???? ????!!!!!????? A;KFDGHJ WHAT

she knows. he doesn't know yet and he def doesnt know that she knows. but these idiots are describing tHEMSELVES. they have actively tried not to fall in love with each other and here they are. idiots in love.