“Angry People Want You To See How Powerful They Are. Loving People Want You To See How Powerful You

BOOST THIS RIGHT NOW

“Mag-aral muna mag Square root bago humarot!”

— Lola Nidora

Reindeer under the aurora | Aurora Borealis Observatory

can we just talk about the Kambals' masks for a moment?

it was never explained in the series*, but in the komiks, the lore states that the masks are akin to a dog's leash and muzzle-- some asshole famously used them to control two aswang and make them fight for him in some entertainment death ring before the Trese family saved them.

Anton (and Alex's lolo) chose to put the masks on the Kambal as a precaution to keep the Trese family safe while they taught these boys to be part of an actual family. in case the boys decided to turn on them, Anton could control them.

now. in the netflix series, Talabugsao removes the masks to control his sons**. then, after Alex breaks his hold over them, what do the kambal do?

they put the masks back on.

no prompting. no hesitation. they stand up, face their father, and put the masks back on.

because it's no longer a muzzle or a leash to them. it's a sign of loyalty and a sign of family and a rejection of their past as child soldiers and murderers.

they reject their father and go stand behind their ate. it wasn't just Alex claiming them as family in this scene, it was the kambal claiming Alexandra as their family, too.

*they also don't show it in the series (maybe because they lacked time) but there's a flashback scene in the Book of Murders where the kambal and Alexandra go snooping in the family library and are attacked by an unknown entity-- the kambal, even as kids, immediately defend Alex without her prompting, suggesting that, as they grew closer and became family, the kambal grew more protective of Alex. this happened after the masks were put on them and before Alex entered the great balete tree. it's actually a really sweet scene-- the second Alexandra was in danger Basilio screamed "stay away from Alex!" before kicking the halimaw in the face. both boys were in pambahay clothes. cuties.

**in the komiks Talabugsao verbally states his distaste for the masks, saying that he feels like they hinder his sons from reaching their true potential.

I wish people would understand that not everything is for everyone to get. you will be left out of some conversations, a lot of art will not apply to you, you will not like things that people you like enjoy, and just because you cannot add to the topic of discussion or relate does not mean that it is not valued or worthwhile. the internet has coddled people to such a concerning extent that everyone feels like they need to vocally disagree with something just because they don’t get it. Knowing something, and genuinely getting it are not the same. NOT EVERYTHING IS FOR YOUUUUU

“People think dreams aren’t real just because they aren’t made of matter, of particles. Dreams are real. But they are made of viewpoints, of images, of memories and puns and lost hopes.”

— Neil Gaiman (via perrfectly)