#<- one became the other after death but they aren't the same person

[iiheartarc]

MY TAKE ON THE CAITVI DISCOURSE

total wordcount: 1591

I will say that I've briefly commented on their dynamic in the past, but it was worded really badly so I feel like I need to defend my writing skills a little bit as well with this, but that's just a sidenote. 💀

I think what a lot of people are missing when people do criticise CaitVi is that they aren't necessarily hating on the ship, it's what writing choices have done to it.

I'm not even going to even say I'm a CaitVi hater, I'm not (S1 CaitVi my beloved, you deserved better), but I do think the choices that writers made this season heavily effected how audiences portrayed the ship, even including myself.

Idk I hope this insight might give some people more perspective on why CaitVi became so hated in this season, people rlly need to start looking at both sides and not taking criticism as a personal attack. It really could've been avoided too if the writers had added more time or extended the series onto a third season, but that's another issue on its own.

1. Caitlyn hits Vi

I really don't get why people are so quick to defend Caitlyn on this one, especially considering the amount of hate Vi got when she hit Powder. Are both inexcusable? Yes. But I do think that the situation is a little different when it's a fifteen year old child who had just witnessed the death of her entire family and a twenty something year old woman who took out her anger and grief on the woman she loved because she blocked her shot.

I do think that people also do ignore the immense amount of trauma that Caitlyn suffered at the hand of Jinx, but unlike when Vi 'abandoned' Powder, (again, that's a whole other conversation, we know she was not abandoned), Vi was not that direct source of anguish to Caitlyn the way Powder was to Vi. (Pls lmk if you want me to expand further on this)

Again, not excusing Vi hitting Powder, I'm pointing out the differences.

It's then also incredibly tone deaf when Caitlyn hits her on two more occasions with the same gun, the third time being played off as a joke. It really doesn't come off well, especially when Vi had been a victim of police-brutality even before the abuse she faced at the hands of the enforcers in Stillwater.

And then, even after all this, it's never addressed. It's brushed over, like Vi's entire trauma in the show, the most we get is Caitlyn brushing her hand over Vi's abdomen in the cell scene. Again, can be taken as an apology, but I think that for some very specific things (like hitting your romantic partner), verbal apologies do need to be made in order to communicate healthily and somewhat build a healthier relationship.

I don't really want to talk about the abusive implications of this, because I don't think I'm someone who can talk about it with a full understanding because that's something I've fortunately never been through, but the blatant disregard and shunning of abuse survivors when they pull up the red flags raised because of this is disgusting. In real life, or if it had even been someone else in the show, if the ship had been a heterosexual relationship, people would call Caitlyn an abuser and would be outraged that Vi had been paired with her in the end. But I digress.

1. The cell sex scene

Initially I hadn't been too bothered about this when I had first watched the episode, but when you really think about it, it shouldn't have happened. Hell, they could've had sex in Caitlyn's office and half of the criticism wouldn't have happened, the ship wouldn't be so hated and the fandom wouldn't be half as divided as it is now (from what I've seen).

First and foremost, the cell.

All I can say is wtf. It was such a poor choice it's actually unfathomable to me now. I don't know why the writers thought that it'd be a good idea for Caitlyn and Vi to have their first time in a jail cell, not only the one Jinx had been locked in, but the one Vi had herself been locked in for what we can assume to be hours. The place of her abuse should not be somewhere where the writers could possibly think would be a suitable for a victim to have such an intimate moment with her partner.

Then there's the fact that Vi had looked to have had some sort of breakdown, we see she's sh and there are literal crates in the wall from where she punched it as well as her knuckles bleeding. As soon as she sees Caitlyn, there's a parallel to when they first met, to when Vi is quite literally caged. She's clearly not in the right state of mind, and so when the scene eventually happens it inevitably comes off as wrong because Vi is incredibly emotionally vulnerable in that moment.

"But Vi initiated it!" That still doesn't make it okay. I do think that this also came with an issue of timing, but then again, as I mentioned earlier, it literally could've been in the office as they argued and it would've been recieved so much better then the cell scene was. Vi wasn't breaking down, she wasn't locked in a reminder of the abuse she faced and her sister hadn't just ran off to do goodness knows what (in Vi's POV, us as the audience know exactly what she's about to do). They could've even have it fade to black and cut to the next scene tangled in bed doing whatever they would've been doing in the cell, Vi would assumably have had time to calm down, would be having sex in a warm and safe environment, and guess what? The audience would've been even happier.

Sure there would've been criticism, but Vi could literally save a thousand babies and adopt them all and still face hate, because a lot of the hate is being directed to Vi too because of the situation with Jinx. That, again, is a whole other situation.

3. "Dirt Under Your Nails"

Again, for the love of god, there can be so many takeaways from this sentence but do not be surprised that people didn't like it. I didn't, it made me cringe horribly.

And before people throw 'media literacy is dead', this whole post (practically essay), is analysing a piece of media that I love. To be literate, you can draw different interpretations and conclusions and that's exactly what I'm doing. It's like saying literacy is dead if two people were to disagree on what the meaning of Macbeth's quote 'I am in blood' meant.

I digress.

I think the main issue here is the class difference between Vi and Cait. Caitlyn is from the aristocracy, a direct heir to a position of power in Piltover, while Vi is lower class, effected indefinitely by growing up in poverty. Even though she grew up as Vander's kid, they were still 'scraping for scraps'. The wealth margin between the two is almost immeasurable, and with the difference in money comes a difference in experiences, as we - the audiences - know.

It especially comes off wrong considering the class tensions and political themes heavily focussed on within the first season. The conflict between Piltover and Zaun, the abuse of power and exploitation of Zaunites by both topside and the chembarons, the prevalence of police brutality on the streets of the Undercity. Again, Vi is someone who is directly effected by this, while Caitlyn came into this blissfully naïve. She did learn yes, and in s1 she was so determined to help, but when then this progress reverts into her calling zaunites 'animals' and using the grey as a weapon, it again makes Vi's words feel uncomfortable.

Again, I think this was a massive timing issue, I would've love to see Caitlyn succumb fully to a villain arc. It would've been so interesting to delve into.

I think Vi has always had the image of herself that she'll always be viewed as less by Piltover, that she herself views herself as less. She says it herself to Vander in s1 ep2 while they're on the bridge, "I grew up knowing I'm less than them." So when she then says as her final words in the show, "I'm the dirt under your nails" obviously, that's going to come across as tacky.

People are free to think of romantic connotations for this, I won't stop you, but when you think about how the show was so focussed on class tensions, police brutality, oppression and exploitation, it doesn't come off right. Idk, that's what got me so interested with the show in the first place, the way these themes were explored so deeply but subtly in a way that didn't feel forced, so Vi's words really rubbed me the wrong way.

Conclusion

So I hope everyone that read somewhat gets where I'm coming from, this was my attempt to try and explain what I think needed to be, badly. Again, you can like the ship, I'm not saying I don't, but it also needs to be acknowledged that there is so many things that could've been worked on properly, done properly or addressed properly, and ignoring criticism won't help these issues to be fixed in the future.

Feel free to ask any questions and thanks for reading this long ass rant :)

[transingthoseformers]

...how might characters such as Tarn react to a Megatron becomes Galvatron plot??

[etirabys]

just saw a post about how normal people aren't equipped for internet fame, no one teaches you how to deal with going viral, ordinary bloggers don't have PR teams, etc

it was a nice post, but it drove me nuts in the same way that otherwise empathetic disability posts that posit [some mythical neurotypical that doesn't have those issues at all] drive me nuts – actually famous people are not equipped for internet fame. You could be the richest person in the world and the harassment of millions will drive you almost literally insane. Check out this not-even-that-famous guy's account on what his life became:

internet hate is utterly unsolveable and horrifically bad, and the implication that it's okay to do it to people "if they have a PR team" disgusts me. Unless you have an atypically strong personality, material resources won't make more than a big dent. There's no fucking follower count after which psychotic treatment of them becomes fine

The notion that any material or human resource can protect you from the downsides of visibility-to-millions is fantasy. The notion that we can do it to other human beings without guilt is an even uglier fantasy.

If you have a public figure you loathe, and it seems fine and good that they get death threats for their repulsive behavior, I believe you've made them worse.

[fandomluver-101]

What I wanted from the Vander and Silco flashbacks was subversion and heartbreak.

I wanted younger Silco to be fairly peaceful, someone focused on building up resources and separating Zaun from Piltover with minimal casualties on their end. I wanted him to be someone who says "wait, bid your time, don't push until your ready" type.

I wanted younger Vander to be hotheaded, impatient, someone focused on immediate action and immediate results. Someone who says "don't wait, act, do now rather than later" type.

I wanted Vi and Jinx meeting someone who was part of the failed rebellion while trying to help Warwick-Vander. I wanted Vi to be forced to recognize that Vander wasn't always a good person and Silco wasn't always a bad person. I wanted Jinx to accept that Silco became a bad person and so did she, but people change and so could she.

I wanted a flashback where Vander tries to get rid of Silco because despite being the "Hound,' Silco is the one with the leash and is the one people follow. I wanted Vander, the bigger "brother" to take leadership by force after years of looking up to Silco and growing disillusioned by the constant "wait, we're not ready." And the fail spectacularly and see all the misery he wrought and would continue to contribute to - because the aftermath of failed uprisings involve way more death than the ones directly involved.

Imagine Vander trying to become more like Silco. Patient, contemplative, community focused. And not truly hitting the mark because he still doesn't understand that patience and pacifism aren't the same thing - the goal was war, but with preparation. Acknowledge Vander's failures and shortcomings as a leader, have him compare himself and be compared by others to what Silco once was.

Silco built the Lanes so people had a safe place. Silco owned the Last Drop and funded the rebel group through it. Silco led a rebellion in the mines. Silco got them breathers or plants to clean the air. Silco never worked with Enforcers. Silco never let a death be in vain.

I especially wanted Warwick/Vander to struggle with his past while coming back to himself. An episode just of this and nothing else, tied together by the chain of violence building up to a proper war between Zaun and Piltover with Silco's voice in Jinx's head encouraging her to become Zaun's champion. It would've been a lot better than what we got.

Making it boil down to Felicia's death just sours it all. Vander adopting random children he orphaned and changing because of HIS failure was interesting characterization. It being for his close friend's children is major downgrade. Him trying to kill his other friend because of it and NOT for a greater reason is straight trash.

Seriously, no hate to Felicia, but her being part of the friendship was pointless. How do the kids not know who Silco is if she was so close with them? Her being someone they knew through their rebel group would've been fine, but so close as depicted and yet no ties to the story otherwise? Her death being Vander's reason for trying to kill Silco? Dude claims the events on the bridge changed him - but he still ends up being a violent monster betraying Silco.

[fazedlight]

Supergirl the show poses a question: Who is the real Kara?

Kara Zor-El, Kara Danvers, Supergirl. Who's the mask?

In the beginning, Kara doesn't even know. In the aftermath of Krypton's and Kenny's deaths, she did everything she could to appear as normal as possible - there was little room for her own innate traits to shine through when she was being as nondescript and people-pleasing as possible.

But that's not who Kara is.

We get the first glimpse of who Kara really is during Flight 237.

This is not about her being Supergirl or her powers (though both are relevant). Kara has suppressed herself for over a decade. She's not going to make waves - until she has to. Our first real insight into who Kara is now is as a devoted sister. It wasn't until Alex's life was at risk that Kara started breaking out of her shell (and then there was no holding back).

Our protagonist is a mid-20s adult - this isn't a coming-of-age story in the traditional sense. But it is a story of finding oneself and what it takes to get there.

And it starts with defending found family after a lifetime of loss.

So Kara creates the Supergirl persona. I think the cape is a crutch.

People say "a crutch" like it's a bad thing. But crutches are actually pretty fucking useful. They support you when you need it, whether it be short-term or long-term. They help you get around when you otherwise may not be able to.

Kara was deeply traumatized by losing everyone and everything she ever knew, being thrown into a world that overwhelmed her senses and made even her most casual movements into dangerous ones, and was told she needed to suppress everything - who she used to be, what she was going through now - to survive.

To find herself again, maybe she'd need a tool to get past what she had been through! The cape became that tool. She was able to unbury the heritage she had been hiding, she was able to embrace the powers that had burdened her, she was able to find her own bravery (and reactivity, she's got flaws in there too).

Keep in mind, in the scene above, Kara isn't "human for a day". Kara is powerless... just like she spent the first 13 years of her life. Her bravery isn't about her powers or Supergirl; they just help her get started.

That's not where her growth ends.

Kara's instincts for helping people start getting unburied in season 1, and she is excited to tag along someone else's quest to figure out where future threats may lie, or figure out how she can use her powers in service to the DEO.

But it's not until this moment that she realizes that Kara Danvers can be more, too. Lena unintentionally launches Kara's career - a second pathway for Kara's desire to help people, growing into a passion she is going to pursue (even if she gets fired). Her worth is no longer just about her sun-granted powers or being Superman's "younger" cousin.

In season 4, we even see her realization that Kara Danvers can be more powerful than Supergirl, because some fights can't be won by fists. That's a real discovery for herself.

Which I think, looking back, might becoming especially baffling for her... because Kara Danvers was originally an identity imposed on her when she needed to hide.

It's important to note that, while Kara Danvers was originally a facade that Kara gets at thirteen, she doesn't stay a facade - even in the suppression era.

We don't see enough of who Kara is when she's on Earth, left to her own devices. But we see glimpses - we know she likes baking (and we know we shouldn't try what she makes), we know she paints, we know she listens to NSync and Britney Spears. She's a goofball (even when she puts on the cape). Kara Danvers starts as a facade, but becomes a vehicle for Kara to continue developing her personality, now in her new context.

Would she have the same interests on Krypton? Maybe some and not others, maybe some new ones that don't exist on Earth. We're all products of our environments, after all. Her interests as Kara Danvers aren't necessarily fake just because they're different than what she expected.

Though she'll never know who she would've become on Krypton.

Which brings us to Kara Zor-El - the identity that is frozen.

Most people aren't the same person as an adult that they were as a child. Interests, tastes, personality, world outlook, philosophy - all of these shift over time, sometimes dramatically.

Parts of her are going to be deeply rooted in Krypton, and she's going to have ties to a culture that no one else on Earth has. It's not an aspect of herself that she can erase. But it's also not an aspect of herself that was able to develop for the remainder of her childhood and early adulthood.

She, like all of us, was destined to lose pieces of herself. But some of her loss was very sudden, and the pieces she lost probably weren't going to be the same on Krypton. Of course, she has no way to know.

And I think that frustrates her.

I guess my answer to "Who is Kara?" is that the three personalities clash with and harmonize with each other. None of them are truly her. All of them inform who she is.

There's a young Kara Zor-El as her root that was torn from the ground before she could ever grow.

There's a Kara Danvers who formed the bulk of her life - a mask that was given to her, the only vehicle for her personality, who ultimately became someone she could embrace as worthwhile in her own right.

There's a Supergirl who distinctly separates from those around her, but lets her move past her numbness and reclaim her heritage.

And it's that clash that makes her a particularly compelling character.

Maybe that's a cheating answer to the original question.

But there's still a missing piece to the puzzle - because it's not just about Who is Kara? but also about Who does Kara want to be?

I think Supergirl is something that could fade if needed. If Kara lost her powers, she would find a new normal, so long as she was able to pursue her desire to help the world in some capacity.

But the truth of her is somewhere between Kara Danvers and Kara Zor-El. The truth of her is in what Supergirl allowed her to unbury, even if not directly tied to Supergirl herself. But Danvers and Zor-El are burdens, in a way. Lena is one of the few people who sees the person in between, who understands Kara on her own terms. Which is why Kara is terrified of Lena's rejection.

I think it's one of the most telling lines in the show - to be just Kara is to be free of her own baggage, to be able to embrace herself despite the pain in her history. Something I think we all want, that is never entirely possible.

But the pursuit is still a worthwhile one.

[definitelynotshouting]

saw this post assigning devastating quotes to each life series members, got incredibly inspired, and decided to try my own hand at it but specifically with snippets of the poetry ive personally written throughout the years :] thoughts and musings on several of my choices will be under the cut if you're interested in that sorta thing!! Enjoy<3

Bdubs: "it's all so blue. so blue, so wet, so cold, but you've got a fire in your heart like a hundred rockets. you aren't hungry, but you could eat the dead, / cut your teeth on a rotting corpse."

BigB: "SOMETHING HAS FRACTURED HERE AND IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. EACH DAY YOU WILL CHASE THE FAULT LINES LOOKING FOR A BRIDGE ONLY TO FIND IT ALREADY BURNT."

Etho: "I am above myself, hovering, pressing pale fingers into the dull bruise of yesterday to test its lingering ache. Is this all that's left?"

Gem: "what are gods if not the mothers of our own inventions. we are the avatars of violence and love and hope and fear in equal measure."

Scar: "I think I want to live. I know one day, I must die. In the cosmic wheel of fortune, I am a gamble in the making, gentle breath washing a little luck over the dice."

Grian: "Within the shape of my clawed fingers are knives: scrabbled dirt; scarlet lines; the escape route / Between a fence and / Tall grasses."

Impulse: "Life's bitter, stilted offering / Is that every person we meet / Will one day become a perfect stranger."

Martyn: "Dangerous beasts must earn / Their survival. / You are no different than a knife / In the hands of murderers."

Lizzie: "When I think of the egg-tooth, / I revel in purple glass; the lightning; the shatter; the knife-slip between / Death, and a wake."

Mumbo: "This is your life now, / Found in the cracks and crevices, scraps pried between laughter and reckless abandon."

Pearl: "I am begging, raw in the face of absolution— do not hate me. Please, keep watering me in your garden, / Despite how closely my heart resembles a weed."

Ren: "— and sometimes hearts are forged in violence /— and sometimes blood cannot form scabs / — and sometimes wounds carry half-hearted sutures / — and we are all but living fragments / —"

Skizz: "Just a little longer. Please. / There is light pooling at the bottom of the flower vase."

Scott: "I can only hope that with the rising of the dawn / I will pass through darkness and return to day, / Where I am a solar ray blinding— teeth and claws sharpened, the stretch of my skin carrying gold / Above the dull, dug out earth"

Joel: "Tamed by nothing, no one, I lose myself to the shattered chains; / Yes, there is a loss."

Jimmy: "for year after bloody year, i clung to life with aching fingernails, grasped at every straw, took every scrap of double-barrelled hope and shot myself in the chest with it."

Tango: "every time you claw yourself from the ashes you insist it will never happen again. every time you reach the breaking point, it happens a little bit faster."

Cleo: "It's about catharsis, not letting go. / Because a part of me wants to hold this, / A swelling hurt deeper than tides, / Hotter than stars. The kind of rage / A mother might raise against her own child."

I dont share my poetry on here very often, partially because it tends to end up coming from a very personal part of me, but since this was actually a lot of fun maybe i'll start posting my poems more often here :]] i think what i found most interesting about this exercise was that as i scrolled my notes app and cherry-picked quotes for each character, it felt like the ones i chose naturally became part of a larger conversation-- as if the characters were speaking to me through my own words about their lowest points, about their ultimate views on the games filtered through the lens of a red life.

It felt enlightening; i dont often feel like im speaking to characters or being informed about their plots/preferences, etc. the way many other writers discuss in workshops or casually online, but by the end of this exercise i felt like i just... understood them, better than i had before. There's something inexplicable about reading your own words and consciously finding ways to apply them in a way that encapsulates them down to a character's core that just... truly highlights the specific qualities that resonate most with you. And i think stumbling upon that organically was a very vivid and incredible experience for me

Admittedly, i did struggle on Scott, Ren, and Etho a lot-- im not as familiar with them as characters, and for a while i couldn't quite pinpoint what exact themes they tend to carry with them throughout all their life seasons. But when i started to really look at everyone's quotes as a whole, i realized they felt like a story, like the response to a question-- as if i was being TOLD what they felt and how, and that that was how i needed to frame the rest of my selections. So Scott's ended up being about control, and the desperate hanging onto of it; Ren's is about the acceptance and bitterness of what he cannot change; Etho's is a quiet resignation rounded out with softer disbelief. The more i looked at these choices, the more they felt correct to me-- and while i still think i have a ways to go before i fully understand these characters, i feel like this has helped me a lot with that ultimate goal :]

Of all these poetry snippets, though, i think Scar, Skizz, and Joel's are my absolute favorites. Skizz's poem is actually the whole poem in its entirety (as is Cleo's, funnily enough)-- it's a short, very simple poem that is incredibly close to my heart for many reasons, but the main one being because it was written at one of my lowest points a few years back. Its about clawing for hope when there isnt any, and finding even the smallest of beautiful things to hold onto, and begging yourself to keep holding onto that at any cost. The pure, clean beauty of watching light refract through a vase of flowers, and knowing that sometimes, that's all there is to live for-- I felt like that really spoke to Skizz's life series character as a whole: finding the beauty in every tiny thing, no matter how small, and scrabbling for more time to appreciate it.

Scar's snippet comes from a much longer poem of mine about the difficulty of reconciling the idea of a future when you havent had to think of one before (incidentally, Etho's snippet comes from this poem as well). I think out of everyone, this quote encapsulates him the best; i like how it subtly references that inner well of vivacity he draws from that many other characters struggle to find, and how that in turn ties in with the lore that he never died a final death during Secret Life. And i love how it simultaneously manages to encompass the way he utilizes the social game in each season as well-- Scar's an incredibly intelligent social player, and i think the imagery of a gambler breathing their luck over the dice as they cast it, and as he casts himself at others for alliances and enemies, truly does fit him.

As for Joel, the full poem his quote comes from is one im particularly proud of, especially for its final lines. I think, quite honestly, i can let this poem stand for itself in its entirety:

They say transformation is letting the light in, But in my mind it's a violence. A coarseness, a fracturing, the bloody vowels between a scream And a howl. How do you transform without killing yourself? When I am a lion, my hands and feet Grow claws; my teeth sharpen. No longer do I spark— I ignite. Tamed by nothing, no one, I lose myself to the shattered chains; Yes, there is a loss. To transform is to leave behind a body And eat its still-breathing corpse.

I find myself referencing this poem a lot even in my daily life-- as longterm readers of mine already know, one of my favorite themes is that of replacing yourself and permanent transformation. This poem really is just about how changing, in any shape or form, alters you forever; how you can look back on yourself from even just a few months ago and feel like a completely different person despite remaining the same. Connecting it with Joel's character, and how he acts during his red lives in each season, was a natural and intuitive progression once i really sat and thought about it.

Alright thats enough yapping from me 😂😂😂 im not used to writing meta nor delving into my poetry on here, so this was a bit of an experimental post for me. If youve read up until this point, i both applaud your patience and really hope you enjoyed this window into my personal works and thoughts on them :]] cheers, and thanks to @/chipperchemical the op of the original post for inspiring me!!!❤️❤️❤️

[egg-emperor]

Why I love how Eggman talks about Maria in the Shadow 101 + the connection that can be made to his feelings on Shadow:

I love this part so much and I wanna go into way too much detail and depth to explain why lol

The things this could imply are things I've thought about for a long time and to keep getting new official things that align with my theories on how he feels about Maria lately with Frontiers and now this is awesome!

First of all, I wouldn't say him taking Maria's death personally is an example of him having good standards or implying genuine moral goodness above G.U.N, considering he was cool with pointing a gun at Amy's head, who is around the same age as his cousin was who died via bullet, aboard the very place she died on.

He really didn't care about how he would've been no better than the soldier that killed his similarly aged cousin, with the same weapon, in the same place!

With the harshness of his threats and how he gets increasingly pissed during Crazy Gadget like "Sonic, if you don't come here, she WILL die!" and how he already tried to kill Tails and tried to kill Sonic and Tails again after this, his threats weren't empty.

So I'm seeing it as him taking it personally on the basis that she's a member of the family, the Robotnik family name, so an attack on a family member makes them a threat and enemy to him too.

Think about it, there's a conflict you're not a part of at all, you're just an observer but then two members of your family/your people/community etc become a target- that's when you go "oh this just got personal" because they're related to you, of your blood, and it means you're now a part of it too with your connection to them.

It's like that, except with Eggman's selfish nature, he's looking at it for how it poses as a threat to himself personally for his connection. They killed his grandfather and cousin in their slimy shady operations and they don't want to stop at them, that's when it became personal and a threat to him too and they have tried to directly take him out since multiple times in SA2 and Shadow 05.

Plus he's making Maria's tragedy all about himself with that in true Eggman fashion too, which we'll also get into.

And I want to note the very interesting difference in how Eggman acts on the subject of Maria when in private all alone to himself with his private memos, where he seemed to express absolutely no care about her tragedy and only expressed jealousy and resentment for how he feels he should've got all the attention instead.

He didn't expect anyone to ever hear these memos, he said many private things he'd never say to anyone else in them, a real intimate glimpse into his thoughts and feelings and that's what makes them so cool. He can express his bitterness and jealousy and resentment towards Maria to his heart's content.

Then compare that to how he talks about her in the Shadow 101- which isn't a private memo, it's a data log that he can present to someone else, us, the viewers. Which is why he talks like he's actually talking to someone else (Ex: The "treat him as extremely dangerous" part)

It's certainly very interesting difference to how he talks about her when people aren't supposed to hear at all in the memos huh 👀 After how much he heard "everyone" talking about her like she was so special, he knows what others want to hear.

And what comes right after this? Eggman's rant about how he was the one that released Shadow and he had to go ahead and be such an ingrate. This is very important to note because it works as him attempting to convince the viewer that Shadow not being on his side is this horrible disservice to him “after all he did for Shadow” and how he “cared so much about Shadow's only friend, my cousin” and he clearly actually finds the former amusing and scoffs at, by the way!

Two key things here, he's establishing Maria's importance to Shadow with her being his "only friend" and he's stating his own connection to Maria in being related to her as his cousin.

While he literally couldn't help but scoff at Shadow just wanting to live in peace with his only friend Maria, he still recognizes how he can use that in his attempted manipulation and argument for why Shadow should be on his side- and use the way that she's his cousin.

I'm related to his only friend Maria, I recognize how tragic her death was (because he heard everyone talk about her like she was special instead of giving him the attention he wants! He's putting it to use, eh 👀), I found and released him- these are all reasons he can feel and argue that he's entitled to owning Shadow

I'm also reminded of how Flynn said Eggman can be an unreliable narrator, which he specifically said when asked about implications to his past with the Egg Memo about Maria.

He's extremely biased and unreliable in his intended to be kept private memos, of course he's not going to be entirely truthful in his data logs and presentations too!

And his usual manipulative streak is very important to consider, especially on the subject of Shadow with his entitlement to him. It's his whole deal in the story of Shadow the Hedgehog 2005 which I've done extensive analysis of.

This 101 history video gave us yet another example of his "I'm entitled to him as a member of the family, I did so much for him, he's so ungrateful" attitude that he's always had towards Shadow. Behold, the entitlement compilation lol:

The first few examples are when he's saying how dare Shadow disobey him because he "made him" in lies and gaslighting. But in the route where Shadow knows the truth, even then he pulls the "it was MY grandfather who created you" card to express his entitlement. Literal emphasis on the MY:

He has always felt entitlement based on family connection, he can use both Gerald and Maria for this.

So he's still using a combination of that and now the way he was the one who found and released him as the reasons why he's still entitled to him now, creator or not.

And man the ME? ME! being the only word on his screen at the end of both sentences is perfect, really emphasizes how it's all me me me in his mind. Of course he's going to make everything about him, that's his whole mindset as the most egotistical self-centred narcissist of all time.

Of course he's gonna take it personally if something bad happens to a family member and he's gonna take even the smallest opportunity to make something about him. How can I make this thing about me, how does this affect me, how can this either benefit or harm me, etc. And whenever he can use it to his advantage, he will.

So yeah, I believe his words on the subject are very carefully chosen in this 101. He knows how to set up his case for why Shadow should be on his side, his weapon, his puppet, his property that he tried to trick and manipulate him into in Shadow 05 too. When lying about the origin of his creation with attempted gaslighting of him being an android doesn't work, he starts taking advantage of the truths.

I always theorized that Eggman would also try to use Maria's tragedy as a way to do so as well, if he were to actually mention her, many years prior to Frontiers. The way the only times he's cared to mention her was her name being the password in SA2, on the topic of his bitterness and jealousy in Frontiers, and as a precursor to his rant about Shadow- those are all under very interesting circumstances that are important to note. And boy do I like the implications hehe 💜

[hawksinacup]

Skip if you are not caught up on the manga. (Final vol.)

(You've been warned.)

I don't care what anyone says, Hawks still looks handsome in his early-thirties. He's been through living hell, almost died on multiple occasions, and suffers trauma and lifetime permanent scars. He lost his quirk and went through experiences that would have mentally broken anyone. He got his wish in the end, he can relax and enjoy his life.

Hawks is one of the strongest characters in the manga, and I don't mean physically. He most definitely went to therapy for all the trauma and possibly to help adjust to losing a whole sense (his quirk) and his wings. Rather than retire from hero work, he became president of the commission, to which he now helps lead the new generation of heroes and looks after the safety of Japan. He still cares about others, and rather than lose his shit over all the trauma he experienced, he lives happily. He sleeps well and clearly takes care of himself. He is most definitely on happy pills and possibly suffers from PTSD, but at the very least, he is alive, happy, and well. He kept moving forward and finally became the person he wanted to be.

AND TO ANYONE WHO SAYS "Oh, he's ugly or looks like his dad, or he's not my Hawks." Shut up and listen. You aren't going to stay handsome after surviving multiple near-death experiences that left multiple scars along with possibly destroyed nerves. Recovery, even with how advanced the medicine is in their world, isn't going to restore you to your youthful self. If you've ever met someone who had battle scars or suffered heavy trauma, they aren't going to look how they used to. Plus, genetics? Of course, at some point, he'd look like his mother and/or father. Whatever the case, Hawks is still the same character I love and adore. I will continue to adore and love him for who he is.

I don't care what anyone says, I will fucking die on this hill.

[in-flvx]

Look... the point of all the "sirius and james are extraordinarily bright" posts is NOT to say that needing or even just WANTING to study between tests is smth that makes remus (the person this usually is about) less intelligent than he actually was, nor to shit on people who do that, or call them dumb.

We know for a fact that sirius considers snape a highly intelligent person. And snape spent most of his time after the dada owl revising. He does make fun of him for the way he writes, but not for the fact that he keeps writing until the papers are collected. He never says a word about remus deciding to study more, other than that it's not his preferred way to spend the time between exams. He regards all of the golden trios comments as equally valuable, even though hermione studies the most, and the others just do it when necessary.

Sirius has a good understanding of the divide between book smarts and street smarts, and he doesn't discriminate. He enjoys the Wensley twins ingenuity, and Harry's joy in quidditch, he regards mundungus fletchers intel as important and dumbledores plans as overall working for the grand scheme. He never shows impatience with remus' way of regarding the world around them (other than when sirius is bored and remus wants him to study with him)

The point of this is never. NEVER. That remus is stupid in any kind of way. Nobody thinks that wanting to study for exams is a sign of stupidity. If that were the case, there would be a large part of the fandom who think of hermione as barely literate or whatever. Bc she studies all the times, as well as between exams. But this is not the case.

The point of the "james and sirius were smart though" posts is this: they became animagi at 15, and helped peter to do the same. They developed the two way mirrors (once again, most accurate and reliable form of long distance communication in the wizarding world) at some point before their last year. They were two of the people who developed the map of hogwarts after all of that. They also were regarded as incredibly bright by Minerva McGonagall (who rarely gives out compliments EVER - even to those she likes, yet she was complimenting sirius at his worst), Flitwick at the same time, snape whenever he went on one of his angry rants about james, hagrid whenever he felt like it, and dumbledore - regularly about james, once about sirius after his death.

So. Again.

The point of these posts is not to be mean to remus for shits and giggles.

It's about the fact that most of marauders art and writing almost compulsively includes lines and comments about sirius and james being stupid. It's about the trend of making james a himbo - to only show his intelligence in some arbitrary grades, if ever, and to make the people around him always commenting on his stupidity.

It's about the fact that all of sirius' accomplishments have to be sourced out to remus. Its about how sirius' general interest in the world at large has to be focused solely to the fact that he wants to fuck remus. Or be fucked by him whatever.

Its about all those stupid ass incorrect quotes that call sirius and james stupid to their faces. It's about all the fics that do the same.

This isn't about the sirius fans calling remus stupid, or showing him in a light that makes him look stupid.

It's about the fact that it's barely possible to find anything about sirius or james in which they aren't explicitly called stupid in the text of the incorrect quote, art, or fic presenting them. Always in service of making remus, lily, and regulus look more intelligent

[signedeclipse]

hello! saw your request is open again hehe 🥰 douma, muzan, gyutaro, enmu and gyokko keeps on delaying in turning their human s/o into a demon because they worry that their s/o might forget them. i actually thought of this because i have been having memory fog haha - 💀

Douma | Enmu | Gyokko | Gyutaro | Muzan [X Reader]

In which they fear turning you into a demon would result in you losing your memories of them.

Douma

He had turned into a demon when he was quite young, and fortunately for him nothing really changed about his attitude or his way of thinking; he only became stronger

But you were the opposite of him, brimming with emotions, feelings, human patterns and strange doings

You did and felt more than the average person, which balanced you both out when you we're together

Douma understood that it would mean trading death with what made you

He isn't sure what he would rather, for you to grow old and live out your life to the fullest as yourself, or to transform and remain by his side forever at a fraction of yourself

He, for once, feels a sense of dread and helplessness when the topic comes up, because he knows it won't go his way no matter how he wishes for it

Douma would let you pick what you wanted, so at least one of the two of you would be happy

He's glad that at the very least, he can hold onto the current for as long as he wants

He doesn't sleep when it's morning, and instead opts to be there for you in all your waking and sleeping hours just so time slows even for a bit

Enmu

Enmu is one of many who has little to no attachment to his past, and although he has none of these strings holding him back, he can't help but wonder who he might have been

When he sees you, rushing to hold onto him when he comes back from a mission or you back from work, he starts to think of all the things he would know that you may not

Would you remember your job you had worked so long to get? The garden you tended to tirelessly? Would you remember the midnight train rides, or when you clung to him to thightest you ever had when he just barely made it home after a long mission

And he was devout, but would you be? He didn't care much that his other lower moons had been killed, but when he thought of if you had been there, he wondered what it would have taken for you to survive

Anytime he thinks about it, he gets especially clingy and wants to do more with you, because it reminds him how little time he might have with you

He doesn't care much for looks, he wants you to stay with him until you grow old, and maybe then he will look into turning you

Gyokko

Becoming a demon was so easy for him, there was nothing for him as a human

He was much happier now, with endless time, delicious 'food', and all the strength he could ask for

All he does remember was pain and neglect, but seeing you now, you seem perfectly fine

You had worked especially hard to give yourself this life, and he did what he could to keep you comfortable and safe

You were creative, you were there for him in ways no one had been, and for that he owed you at the very least his love

Even when you had just met you matched his eccentric self, you'd dress in ways inspired by his looks and your compliment his pots; the only thing he cared about besides you

And becoming a demon, it would change that

He wants to think you'd have enough will to remain the same, but with his life's track record he expected to lose you entirely

Gyokko would do what he can to convince you to remain as you are; he understands humans cannot be eternal and wants the best for your life

He could never move on, and he rather you rest at peace than continue half alive

Gyutaro

He was fortunate enough to remember some of his background, being one of the younger demons, but most were negative and drove his distaste for the town which he was raised

Daki remembered much less than him, but as far as he recalled, she was more or less the same as she had always been

Being aware that you aren't your true self isn't very troubling for him, because he never knew otherwise and has always been what you consider your lover

But he met you when you were a human, meaning when turned, you'd likely lose that sweetness and grow to resent the world

Part of that made him wondered if you would resent him too, if he had upset you and it would blossom in your demon form

If you would still love him, or if all of those hidden emotions would take over so you could leave him

It also meant you'd be under Muzan's command

He didn't mind it much, but it meant one wrong move and you could perish, or you could be subjected to extremely difficult work and killed while he isn't there to protect you

For now, he wants to savour what he has

Muzan

He's had it happen before

It wasn't a lover of his, but an old friend whom he had known for a long time

And when he turned, his will was weak, and it resulted in him becoming nothing but his negative traits

And with memory goes personality

Some demons became feral killing machines with no purpose, others only follow Muzans every command

You listened to him for the most part, but the idea that you might force your love to be exactly as he wants it regardless of yourself hurts him

The transition doesn't necessarily erase your memories, but it creates a fog that can easily become overpowered by hate and hunger

He remembered you said you wanted to be turned while you were still young, while you were at your prime

But he found it hard, and he had to consider all the negatives

He would know your every thought, the transformation would be painful, and you could potentially lose your sense of self

Ultimately, he would do whatever it is you wish, but he would have a hard time opening his eyes after, still clinging to the hope you'd be there

Authors Note - I wanted to try a new format for my multiple headcanons that'd help summarize like my other one! Hope you like it!!

Nice to see you again skull anon!! A few of my friends experience brain fog to the extremes so I can't imagine how it feels for you! I hope this helps a little <3

[nakachuchu]

Protector | Gojo Satoru

SYNOPSIS: Your life was far more important than Gojo Satoru’s life, but no one understood why.

READER: female

WORDS: 1.9k

WRITTEN: 07/24/2023

NOTE: I never read gojo's arc bc I hate flashbacks so things aren't the same. I cranked this out on a whim.

EVENT: part of the Sly Fox Collab

Before the Satoru bloodline, there was the L/N bloodline. The very blood throbbing within the layers of your skin and flesh stood above all other bloodlines.

Despite not being as gifted as Gojo Satoru, you were still above him. Your very existence — your very breath — meant that the Jujutsu world was still standing.

If the beacon of light was struck down, there would be no saving others.

Your clan built the Jujutsu world and it was your great ancestor who closed off a portal that allowed demons — not only Curses — to roam free in Japan, destroying everything in their paths.

Gojo Satoru was your bodyguard — your protector since birth. Despite being born before him, he was still the person who was supposed to put your life above his.

However, as the first to hold both the Six Eyes and Limitless, he was an anomaly all on his own. His clan didn't like the idea of him having to sacrifice himself to protect you, should the time come for it.

So, his parents taught him one thing when it came to you: "Her life means nothing compared to yours."

Wherever you went, Gojo was supposed to go.

Gojo Satoru hated you. He despised your very existence. You were the reason he was on a tighter leash. He was already being watched since birth, but now he was being watched more heavily and had to watch out for others.

Gojo attending the Tokyo Jujutsu Tech School was only for him to learn responsibility and how to hone his abilities.

It was a struggle to allow him to attend, but a simple "Yes" from you allowed him to attend. You were his master and he was your dog.

Because of your approval for him to attend, you attended as well. There was no better protector than Gojo, so you had to stick with him.

Your clan didn't want you to leave the confines of their estate, but they had no choice.

You were the one who held the seed of life within your very soul. Your death would unleash unimaginable death into the world, causing destruction to the very earth itself.

Only high members of your clan could know the true power you held. You may not have been as strong on the outside as Gojo Satoru or Geto Suguru, but you held your own power.

Despite Gojo being your bodyguard, you were the one who followed him everywhere. You never spoke to anyone unless spoken to, and so you became his shadow.

He had no shame in voicing his opinions on the annoying shadow trailing after him day after day, but you had never reprimanded him or told anyone how he treated you.

It made no difference to you. As long as he kept you alive, you didn't care. Your clan members only listened to you because of the power of life you held.

You knew that if you were just another woman, they wouldn't listen to you.

You currently sat on a table, swinging your feet back and forth as you watched Gojo and his classmates bicker.

You envied him. You wanted to have friends as well. You wanted to go out after school to grab ice cream and gossip about crushes.

You let out a soft sigh and fell back onto the table, laying on it peacefully as you looked up at the blue sky.

"Are you alive?" Gojo questioned.

You turned slightly to look at him.

"Oh," he said, disappointed. "Good, I guess."

You turned to look back at the sky.

He stared at you for a moment before shrugging and going back to his friends.

The school day continued until it was time for Gojo to drop you off at home. He lingered around campus as usual, enjoying the idea of you having to wait on him because you couldn't walk home alone.

He was feeling quite smug about it — he felt smug every day — until a random dog entered the school grounds and bit him in the ass.

"OW WHAT THE FUCK — "

Geto and Ieiri burst out laughing, unable to contain their laughter. However, you were also unable to contain your laughter. You let out a snort before covering your mouth with your fist and clearing your throat.

Almost immediately, Gojo rounded on you after swatting the dog away.

"Did you just laugh?"

"No."

"You did. You just laughed at me."

"Not at you. At the situation," you responded.

He narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Come on."

He grabbed your sleeve and dragged you away, pulling you like an owner would pull their dog.

Gojo had never seen you laugh before. Who knew it would take his pain for you to laugh?

Since that day, he was always trying to make you laugh. He wanted to see what kind of person you really were. He wanted to know if deep inside you were just like him.

You were put in an unimaginable position, just like him. What were you thinking on the inside? Did you really like the life you were born into? Did you wish you were human instead? Ignorant of the Curses and death around you?

Geto and Ieiri exchanged glances at the scene in front of them: you and Gojo were laughing together.

A month shortly after the dog incident, you and Gojo had been more open around each other. He was more comfortable with your presence and didn't think of you as his shadow much.

You were more like an extension of him, always going places together. He even started walking you home right after his classes so that you would have enough time to stop by a place to eat sweets.

Today, the four of you would be going to a cafe together for the first time. It was your first real-time spending time with Gojo's friends. You usually left him alone when he was at school since you didn't want to bother him.

His life was much more difficult because of you and you felt responsible for the heavy chains wrapped around his neck.

You and Gojo walked side by side while Geto and Ieiri walked side by side in the front. The two would casually turn around to talk to you when the chance arose.

The atmosphere was fun and relaxing. It was your first time having a small group to spend time with, but of course, the happiness wouldn't last.

Before Gojo could even comprehend what had happened, your body was already on the floor and a warm splatter had formed on his cheek.

He didn't even notice Geto shaking his shoulders or Ieiri shaking while holding your body in her arms.

The bullet went straight into your head.

"Where?" he whispered. "WHERE?" he shouted, pushing Geto off him and frantically looking around for the culprit.

Gojo ran off to look for your murderer, leaving Geto and Ieiri alone with you.

But, that was exactly what the group of culprits wanted. They were silent and invisible until the very end.

One masked man pulled Ieiri off you, while the other dragged your body toward him. Before Geto could attempt to do anything, a skilled assassin appeared before him.

Geto was forced to fight for his own life while watching the culprits get ready to take your body.

"Let me go!" Ieiri shouted as she kicked around with one of the culprits.

"GOJO!" Geto screamed, knowing his friend would hear him.

Gojo appeared a few feet away, cursing his inaccuracy under the stressful situation. He frantically looked between his two friends struggling and your limp body being thrown over an assassin's shoulder.

Before he could even take a step, your body jerked and the screams of the assassin you were draped over alerted the other culprits.

Your supposedly dead body had taken a chunk out of the assassin's neck. Your hands dug into his body, clawing at him through his clothes as you spat out the chunk of flesh.

The assassin dropped you onto the floor and he scrambled away from you in fright, holding his hand against his neck.

You dropped to the floor on your hands and knees. Your bones cracked as you slammed a hand onto the concrete.

You turned abruptly to look — blood in your eyes — at the assassins who were fighting Ieiri and Geto.

The three teenagers were frozen in fear. You looked rabid — like a zombie covered in blood.

You slammed your other hand down onto the concrete. Cracks formed in the concrete, shaking the earth as the assassins attempted to scramble away from it.

Despite having a bounty on your head, no one knew the true reason why you were so important. They just knew you were important enough to have Gojo Satoru protect you.

A large monstrous hand shot out from one crack, while shadow-like tentacles shot out from the other one. The assassins screamed in agony as they were pulled under by the demons.

The "seed of life" within you was the ability to control those in the underworld. That was why you were so important.

Your very existence was the barrier between the underworld and the real world.

With the assassins gone, the cracks closed and repaired themselves. It looked as if nothing had happened, except for the blood that stained you and Ieiri's clothes.

You slowly got up to your feet and wiped your face with the sleeve of your jacket. The bullet lodged in your head pushed itself out and the hole repaired itself.

The three teenagers were silent.

"I died once before," you said quietly.

A tear rolled down your cheek.

"I got hit by a car when I was seven. I was walking home from school. And when I died, I saw things. I went to where those things were and I was in so much pain. Everything hurt. Everywhere hurt."

The more you continued to talk, the more it turned into sobs. You couldn't control your tears. You tried to stop them by rubbing your eyes raw, but your sobs turned into cries as if a child was crying.

"And I — I came back an hour later in the arms of my mother. I couldn't stop shaking and screaming. I tried to kill everyone who got near me. I — I didn't know who — who I was or where — where I was — "

Gojo walked the distance between you two and hugged you, smothering your head in his chest.

You wailed like a baby, clutching his school uniform into your fists. You refused to let him go and he wouldn't dare to let you go.

"Go ahead," he said to his friends. "I'll see you later."

Ieiri and Geto glanced at each other and nodded before walking home together. Geto wrapped an arm around her shoulders in comfort.

"I — I don't know if I can die," you said, muffled. "But each time I do, it hurts so much. It scares me. I hate it. I hate what I see. I'm damned to eternal hell."

His hand cupped the back of your head, large and warm.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Apologies were hard for Gojo. He hated showing vulnerability and sincerity, but he couldn't imagine what you had been through.

"I should have been more careful," he said. "I'll take better care of you now."

Gojo Satoru now understood why you had to be protected. His parents were wrong. His life wasn't above yours. You were far more important than him, but they would never understand that.

He would protect you until the day he died.

[yuurei20]

Hi, I'm working on a theory for Ramshackle and MC. Have the creators said why Queen of Hearts/Scar/etc. were chosen for the Great Seven? ((Also, why did MC become the prefect of Ramshackle and not the Housewarden?))

Hello hello!! Thank you for this question, it became a rabbit hole!

Yana had this to say about the villains who were used for inspiration (from the game guide):

"The number one reason is that they are all from 'masterpieces with which everyone is familiar'. They are all legendary—you need only say the movie titles and the characters come immediately to mind.

Since they are also legends in their own right, we thought it would be good to choose stories with a long history, and that is how we settled on these seven.

There are many other movies with fascinating villains, so it was a very difficult decision."

-Twst Game Guide (2020)

She also goes into detail about the different eras during which the movies were set, which may also have influenced which were selected! More here! (Youtube)

But there may be more going on than we have been told 👀 There are theories that "death" is another theme that links the dorms together!

All members of the Great Seven were villains that either died in their movies (Scar, Ursula, Maleficent, Jafar (in the second movie), the Evil Queen), or were never alive in the human sense to begin with (Queen of Hearts, Hades).

Death has never been a subtle theme in Twst, with new students at NRC arriving via coffins.

Kalim observes that, with the ceremonial robes they wear to orientation, "it's like we're attending a funeral."

And there are also the ghosts!

While it seems possible to be born as a ghost (according to Crowley and Eliza), Lilia says that ghosts "linger here due to powerful attachments or personal motives...they aren't visible outside of magically suffused locations like Night Raven College," and that they "linger" by choice.

And this brings back to the prefect!

In the manga, all three prefects that we have seen thus far have had names connected to the afterlife:

・Heartslabyul Arc, Enma Yuuken (円満 雄剣): Enma's family name is pronounced the same (the kanji is different) as 閻魔 (Enma), the king of hell in Buddhism. From the Kyoto National Museum website: "The King of Buddhist Hell is Enma, who is also the judge of the afterlife."

・Savanaclaw Arc, Hirasaka Yuuka (比良坂 悠河): "Hirasaka" is written and pronounced the same as the hirasaka of Yomotsu-hira Saka, known as "The Entrance to the Underworld" in Shintoism, explained on Shimane Prefecture's official tourism website: "Yomotsu-hira Saka appears as the boundary between the land of the dead and the land of the living."

・Octavinelle Arc, Mito Yuuta (三途 宥太): "Mito" uses the same kanji as 三途川, the "River of Three Crossings," which is "a mythological river the souls of the deceased must cross by one of three crossing points." Credit to blogger Tansho for the discovery that "River Styx" was changed to 三途川 in the Japanese-language dub of the "Hercules" TV show.

So there is definitely a theme of the prefect filling a role between life and death!

While one theory is that the prefect ended up in Twisted Wonderland after they died (in the manga it is insinuated that all three prefects were hit by vehicles directly before waking up at NRC), another theory is that they're not quite dead yet.

If that is the case then they may be close (Grim wakes them up prematurely, and Crowley says that this is his first time having a student who opened their "gate" (coffin) on their own) and they might just be an astral projection of someone who is between life and death, appearing at the magically suffused location that is NRC.

In other words, a ghost 👀

The manga is following a theme of naming its characters something involving "Yuu" (which is always the students' nickname for them) and "Yuu" is also commonly adopted as the default-name for the game's prefect.

Another word that involves a "Yuu" sound is 幽霊 (Yuurei), which means: ghost :>

(Hence the name of this blog! It is the very chuunibyou name of a twitter account I made in 2018 to complain about my job. This potential connection to Twst was completely unintentional and makes me laugh.)

As for why the prefect was named Prefect of Ramshackle dorm instead of Housewarden: I am not sure! But it seems to have something to do with the unique situation that is the prefect's role.

They have not technically been assigned to the overseeing of the dorm as a whole, just to Grim, so maybe that is why? :>

And it is particularly interesting as that means that the role of Housewarden of Ramshackle Dorm is still open--maybe to be filled some day...? 👀

[sezez]

So the Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 ARG has been shining a load of light on Harley Sawyer so I figure it's time I talk about it. (I just realize I've been dead for the past...two months? Anyway-)

So we know by now that Harley was part of this program when he was a child or teen possibly and he was favored by Elliot because of his intelligence. But he lack one thing that made the founder worried.

Humility

Harley did not care at all for other people and rather focus on the process and progress of things. He even lashed out at Elliot for being too soft, then stormed out. In a shred up document, he calls Elliot a backstabber for believing and having high-hopes for him only to be let go.

Which is why Elliot had to let him go and tell him to try and reconnect with other people.

(Which basically him politely saying "Go outside, touch some grass and visit a mental hospital)

And then when Harley became an adult, Leith is the one to hire him back into the factory. Which makes me curious as to why.

This could take place after Elliot's passing, but I watched a few SheepRampage's video and he theorize that Harley is the one behind his death; via using a Bigger Body toy to kill him. So if Elliot was in fact alive when Harley got hired, the doctor could have pretended to change and only go back to his usual self behind the founder's back.

And let's just take a quick moment to realize something; Harley could have very much been the one to place the dead body of a young boy in Elliot's house, to ruin his good name and his image as a family man.

(which is a extreme petty move, Harley. You really did that because Elliot said "No more experimenting" to you all those years ago?)

Anyway, back on track; I can guess that Harley was brought back as a desperate move by Playtime Co. after the Catnap Controversy. Which is where the Bigger Body Initiative was made then the rest is history.

Now, let's talk about the audio we hear when dialing the phone number the ARG gave.

So in the audio, we hear Leith, Eddie and Stella in a private room discussing about a mistake/incident that angered the Head of Innovation so much. It's also must be very bad because Leith ask Eddie if this will get out, to which the latter said they'll be in the clearing zone.

And Gerald Lockheart is back, (the same detective who investigated the Theodore Case back in the PPT Chapter 3 ARG) and he soon entered the room, and told the three Heads who is responsible; Harley Sawyer.

And that leaves a major question; WHAT is this mistake? WHY did it anger Leith so much to the point he wants to strangle the person responsible for it?

For the former, I think the ARG is giving a clear hint; the Theater Incident.

The theater has been mention quite a lot in most of the ARG updates, it started with a ripped apart Incident Report from a employee who was touring a bunch of people that led to a child getting hurt, they pleaded to not ever be mention and willing to do anything as long as they aren't blame for it because they honestly don't know what happened because it was so quick.

And now thinking about it, I think this is what the higher-ups were talking about.

But I decided to take it one step further, what if not only this resulted in a injury of a child, but also the death of Elliot Ludwig and the people who were being toured.

As for how it plays out (forgive me if it's so bad) ; So one day in the factory, a group of people were being toured around and reached the theater. Elliot was also present at the time, then suddenly Yarnaby comes out and kills the founder. Leading to a panic and possibly more deaths, and it's like a fire also broke out, base om a few pictures that have shown burnt toys and a poster.

And I know it's a sudden leap to think Yarnaby is the one who killed Elliot. But people kept pointing out Yarnaby is a yarn lion toy, and I like to imagine he is meant to be in the theater as entertainer. Along with the other characters teased such as the Piano Dinosaur and the Jester character we have yet to see.

Also Harley is likely the one to tell Yarnaby to attack Elliot, because he purposefully isolated himself with so he can make it very obedient to him.

So with the founder dead and a few bodies, this obviously furious Leith. And I think what Stella was trying to say before the Head of Innovation cut her off, is that they most likely had to kill any survivors of the attack to keep things quiet.

And even after all of that, they still kept Harley around because he may have threaten to blackmail them or because he is like the one thing that's still keeping the factory together. As much as they hate it, they knew the doctor can just kill them any time he wants.

[matan4il]

How to write this update post on Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day. Where to even start. It feels unreal to make a post about so many killed because of an antisemitic, genocidal terrorist organization, on the day we repeat the promise, "Never again."

We have found out that Dror Or, who was thought to have been kidnapped, was actually murdered on Oct 7, and it's his body that's being held hostage in Gaza.

We've also been informed that another presumed hostage, who I've written about before, Elyakim Libman, has actually been murdered on Oct 7. They'd found indications that Elyakim, who worked at the Nova music festival as a security guard, was in the "death ambulance" after he had brought there one of his wounded colleagues, Shani Gabai, and staying with her to help. Hamas terrorists noticed the ambulance aiding the wounded, and fired RPGs at it. The vehicle became a fire death trap, and not only were all the people inside murdered, it was also very difficult to distinguish the bodies from each other. This is what happened to Shani Gabai, they discovered that what little of her remained, was difficult to separate from another body and they ended up being buried together. Once indications were found that Elyakim was in the same ambulance, suspicion rose that maybe what happened to him was similar to Shani's fate, so they started opening graves and checking whether his remains might have accidentally been buried with someone else. They eventually found him in the grave of Victoria Gorlov, who also worked with her bf, Alexander Samoilov, as a security guard at the party (both had been murdered by the terrorists).

Elyakim Libman:

Victoria Gorlov and Alexander Samailov:

Shani Gabai:

This brings the number of hostages, both living and dead, held in Gaza, down to 132, with at least 37 confirmed to have been killed, so it's their bodies that Hamas is refusing to return, and with more suspected of being hostage corpses, too. There is still one Israeli woman missing, whose fate (whether murdered or kidnapped) is unknown. This is the uncertainty of an indiscriminate massacre and mass kidnapping campaign, it's been almost 7 months, and we're still searching for and collecting pieces of our dead.

Yesterday, Hamas fired mortars from Rafah at the Israeli soldiers overseeing the Kerem Shalom crossing. It takes mortars just 8 seconds from when they're shot until they hit, which means the people targeted don't even have time to react and take cover. Iron Dome, which can fail on occasion like all technology, didn't intercept the mortars. I wanna emphasize: this crossing doesn't bring anything into Israel, Israelis aren't getting anything out of it, it was closed after Hamas' massacre, we opened it and have been keeping it running purely to allow humanitarian aid in, from Israel into Gaza, and thousands of humanitarian aid trucks have crossed through it during the war. Every soldier operating it, is a part of Israel's humanitarian effort on behalf of Gazans. What do you think Israelis feel and think when they hear Hamas fired at the Kerem Shalom crossing? But the mortars also hit the nearby civilian community of kibbutz Kerem Shalom. Bottom line, Palestinian Hamas terrorists murdered (as of now, at least one more person is still in critical state) 4 young Israeli soldiers at the humanitarian crossing and wounded at least 10 people inside Israel (at least one civilian house was reported as hit). The attack forced the IDF to close the crossing. Where are all the social justice warriors, crying for more humanitarian aid, to denounce Hamas depriving Gazans of precisely that? But also, the terrorists chose to fire out of Rafah, making sure that even if Israel wanted to stay out, Hamas has proven they use the city and the civilians in there as a basis for murderous actions against Israelis. Where are all the people opposed to an IDF ground operation in Rafah, why are they not denouncing the terrorists' choice, which is forcing Israel's hand? Unsurprisingly, as Hamas has been stalling its response to the latest Egyptian-proposed hostage deal, and with this murder of our people, today the IDF has ordered the start of civilian evacuation from eastern Rafah. You can thank your local friendly murderous terrorists, Hamas-loving college kids.

The murdered soldiers (left to right): Michael Ruzal (18 years old), Ruben Marc Mordechai Assouline (19 years old), Ido Testa (19 years old), Tal Shavit (21 years old).

Yesterday, we also experienced shooting from Hezbollah at Israel's northern communities, with some direct hits. This is what it looked like from inside a Kiryat Shmona home that was impacted:

And today there was another attack by Hezbollah, this time with several waves of suicide drones, leading to 2 people having been seriously injured (another drone attack from Iran-funded militias in Iraq, plus rocket attacks from Syria, were intercepted overnight):

After we've had a Hamas computer server center discovered by the under an UNRWA location, now the IDF has also operated against a Hamas center inside UNRWA's headquarters in Gaza. But I'm sure once more UNRWA heads will claim they "didn't know." How much more linkage between Hamas and this UN agency do people need, to get that when you fund UNRWA, you fund terrorism? When you support UNRWA, you support the death of innocent civilians, both Israelis, and Gazans used as human shields. Is this the right time to talk about all the countries that were quick to re-instate their funding of URWA, without waiting for any real change? (You can find a list of which countries reinstated the funding and when, plus which are the few heroes still freezing it on UN Watch's site, kudos to US, UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Romania, Estonia, Italy, New Zealand and Austria for proving that countries can have a backbone on this matter) Here's the shame list for the countries funding UNRWA, despite its symbiosis with Hamas: France, Spain (never suspended its funding), Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Norway (never suspended its funding), Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Australia and the European Union. True champions of human rights. /sarcasm

Last Tuesday, a 34 years old Turkish supposedly-tourist, who had entered Israel through Jordan, chose to commit a terrorist attack, stabbing an Israeli policeman at the Old City of Jerusalem with a knife he bought in one of the local shops. The policeman is recovering, the terrorist has been neutralized. But since this is all supposedly about the occupation, I would love to hear which part of Turkey Israel is occupying...

I've mentioned Hamas robbing humanitarian aid to Gaza multiple times during this war, but did you know that they don't stop there, and last month, Palestinian terrorists have actually robbed about 70 million dollars from a Gazan bank? "Free Gaza from Hamas" is not just an empty slogan. No one should live under the rule of a group capable of intentionally creating this nightmare reality for its people.

Yesterday, the 2024 Eurovision had its opening ceremony with the "turquois carpet." Israel did not participate because it was the eve of Yom Ha'Shoah, our Holocaust Memorial Day. Instead, the Israeli representative, Eden Golan, participated in a Yom Ha'Shoah ceremony held by the Jewish community in Malmo, while wearing the hostage pin. I recently came across a magazine interview with Eden about the hardships she'd experienced growing up abroad, and how returning to Israel gave her back her faith in humanity. It made her participation as Israel's representative even more meaningful. Eden at the ceremony:

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[idontliekmondays]

excerpts from a daily mail article released shortly after her arrest

When members of the Geneva High School role playing club asked 16-year-old Lindsay Souvannarath to choose a character they were expecting an elf, a sorceress or perhaps a female warrior.

But the shy, clean-cut teenager opted for a rather more unsettling choice, presenting them with a detailed pencil drawing of her chosen persona - the 'Nightmare Nazi'.

The trench coat, jackboots and gas mask were unmistakably those of an SS soldier; the skeletal hands clutching a vast dagger more akin to dark fantasy art.

Former classmates at Geneva High recall Lindsay Souvannarath as a shy, withdrawn youngster, who had few friends and instead sought out after-school groups and writing clubs to express her creative side.

But she was also prone to bouts of anger and violence - allegedly stabbing another student with a pencil in one outburst and occasionally letting slip an alarming infatuation with the Third Reich.

'On first impressions I didn't think there was anything too strange about her,' he told Daily Mail Online.

'She could be funny and intelligent but most of the time she was quiet and not very warm or outgoing.

'One year her character was a sort of Wonder Woman-type heroine, then all of sudden she tells the group she wants to be a Nazi ghost.

'You choose your species and come up with a back story. Hers was that her character was a guest from a crazy, dark Nazi universe.

'It's supposed to be a game in a medieval, fantasy setting but she would just argue if she didn't get her way.

'So we went on our quest with a robot, a couple of elves, wizards and this weird Nazi.

'Aside from the character's background he didn't do anything racist or too alarming. We didn't know about her interests at that time so we just got on with it.

Ms Szigeti recalled how Souvannarath began to idolize black-death metal bands in her mid-teens.

She became particularly infatuated with Varg Vikernes, a white supremacist musician convicted in 1994 of killing a rival guitarist and burning down three churches in Norway, describing him as 'cute' and writing essays about him.

'Her work was always dark and full of violence, there were soldiers and Nazis and all this weird stuff,' Sabrina said.

'She acted normal on the surface. She was never physically violent but she would get aggressive and upset if you criticized her.

'Everyone was uncomfortable but we just avoided trying to start a fight with her. 'If you asked her straight up 'are you a Nazi?' she would argue that she wasn't.

As far back as 2007 - when she was just 15 - she allegedly wrote 'free speech is dead' in one forum, adding: 'That's why we need people like David Duke to bring it to life again.'

In another warped entry, writing that same year under the pseudonym Snoopyfemme she wrote: 'They use sex in commercials all the time to sell products. Why don't they ever use violence?

'Wouldn't you love to see a bunch of guys tearing each other apart with machine guns to get a bowl of Cheerios?

'Sure, it might traumatize our children, but in my opinion, children aren't being traumatized enough.

'The only reason for Americans to breed is to create more soldiers to fight for freedom. We need to weed out the weaklings early on. Survival of the fittest, man.'

'She was very odd to the point among a lot of our classmates that no-one was surprised by her arrest.

'She was a very lonely person - but she isolated herself. 'From what I remember she was even suspended for stabbing someone with a pencil in middle school.'

'She was known for putting spells on people. She would do it by saying weird things and then putting on a curse - obviously we did not take her seriously.

'She would break out into laughter in the middle of class for absolutely no reason.

'When we saw that Lindsay did something like this, nobody was surprised. She was the one most likely.'

source

[gingernut1314]

Speak No Evil ch. 1

Summary: You get a call from your cousin who, five years prior, ran away with a man and became the disgrace of your family. She's sick and begs you to come take care of Megumi and his father when she's gone. You promise but are left feeling unsure when she continues to remind you he is a good man.

Content: female reader, pre-star plasma vessel, reader is the cousin of Mamaugro, reader is Tsumiki's mom, Tsumiki and Magumi are cousins, gendered terms, Mamaguro is sick and dying, mention of pregnancy, more Toji in the next chapter, more of a "background" chapter

Word Count: 1.4K

Tag list: @sordidmusings

A/N: Because I love Toji and because I love to hurt my own feelings and really really can't stop writing angst. I also know Megumi and Tsumiki aren't actually blood-related but I just really really don't see Toji going off and marrying a whole other person after his wife's death--mamaguro was a very special woman and I want to keep it that way. Tsumiki is still a Fushiguro so I just did it this way. I hope you enjoy!

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Your cousin had left home years ago. How the story goes, according to all the women in your family, she had ran away with a man. Not the boyfriend she had be with throughout high school. Not some boy she had met during her time at university. No. Some random man she had picked up on the streets like some feral, flea-ridden cat. 

“She had such a bright future.”

“Stupid girl. Throwing all that away.”

“Mother was the only one who caught sight of him. Said he was no good. Scruffy. Dangerous looking even. Just a bad bad man.” 

“I thought I had raised her better than this.”

And on and on they would go for hours. It was worse during family gatherings, naturally. More ears to listen in. More mouths to speak horrid things about your cousin.

“She was a slut. Slept around at university.” 

“It’s no surprise then she followed that man.”

“Maybe he is in a gang. Maybe he made her join.”

“All I can do is pray for her soul.”

You knew the truth. 

Your cousin had only been able to trust you and you had only been able to trust her in the entirety of the Fushiguro family. You two had been by each other sides since the day you two were born. Just one day apart and raised in the same home.

She hadn’t just been your cousin, she had been your sister and you knew she had loved that man. She had told you as much just days before she left. She loved him and he loved her and she had been ready to leave your horrid family behind.

You wished you had been able to do the same. You wished she had taken you with her, but she had left without a word. Had left in the dead of the night, leaving her bed unmade in your shared bedroom. No note no nothing. Just gone.

You had made the mistake of trying to defend her one too many times. Tried to tell your family she had truly found someone she had loved but they wouldn’t hear it. They would call you a liar and shake their heads in disappointment. 

“Speak no evil.” They would hiss alongside your name. 

“You’ll end up just like her if you keep spewing such nonsense.” 

“You better keep a close eye on your daughter. She has that look in her eyes. The same one her cousin had.” 

You stopped trying to defend your cousin and kept your mouth shut. Kept your eyes squeezed shut and ears covered as they spoke. 

During your last semester at university, you had gotten pregnant. The father was of no importance and you couldn’t even remember his name. Just some random hook-up in some random bar that you probably shouldn’t have even gone to in the first place.

Your family finally, finally stopped speaking ill of your cousin because they turned their lashing tongues onto you. 

It was a hard time. You only stayed because you needed a place to stay so you could slowly begin to save your money and leave.

You had a daughter you named Tsumiki; meaning the moon, beauty, and hope. She was your hope for a brighter future for yourself and she had given you the courage to finally leave. You took what very little you had and left in the dead of the night just as your cousin did a few years prior.

You moved to the city. Found work and did everything in your power to make sure Tsumiki grew up happy and healthy. 

Three years later you get a call from an unknown number. You typically didn’t answer such calls, knowing it was more than likely a scam call, but something in your gut churned. Something told you that you should answer and so you listened to your gut only for your heart to stop in your chest. 

Your name was spoken. A name said on a weak, shaky, near tear-filled voice. A voice you could never forget and one you had longed to hear despite its soft weakness. You said your cousin's name in a rush as you stood from where you had been playing blocks with your daughter.

“Wh-where are you? How have you been? Are you alright?”

“I’m…” She took a shaky inhale as if to steady herself. “ Listen. I’m sick.”

“Okay--okay, tell me where you are and I can take care of you.” 

“No. No, not yet just--I need you to know he’s a good man.” He. He the man she had run off with. “He’s a good man but when I die--”

“Die? You’re not going to die. Tell me where you are and I’ll come make you better okay.”

“He’s not going to take it well and--I have a son now. Megumi.” You said your cousin's name once more in something like a warning. A warning she didn’t heed. “He’s so precious. Looks just like his dad--kinda looks like you too. His hair is wild. Can’t tame it no matter how hard I try.” It sounded like she was crying now. Tears burned at your eyes too. 

“What are you trying to say? You’re--you’re not going to die okay. Just let me come help you and--”

“I’ve been told I only have a month left. In a month, you’ll get my address and I want you--no, I'm begging you to come here and remember that he is a good man despite his flaws. He’s trying his best with what he’s been dealt and--I don’t want him or Megumi to be alone. Please don’t let them be alone.” Your cousin cried. She sounded so weak--really weak and all you wanted to do was rush to her side and take care of her but you knew she wouldn’t allow that. “Promise me you’ll be there for them. Both of them. He’s a good man. He’s a good man.” 

Your mind floated back to all the nights your family spent talking of this mystery man your cousin had run away with. 

Demon, devil, scruffy, dangerous. They never painted a good picture of him…but you had defended your cousin and this man. You had defended them because your cousin had loved him and had always spoken so dearly of him. Just as she was now. 

“I--I promise. I’ll be there.” You spoke, voice breaking as you tried to wipe away your tears. Small hands grabbed hold of the fabric of your sweatpants and you found Tsumiki standing there, her own hazel brown eyes brimming with tears. Only three but she could sense the emotions waging within your chest. She was your little empath. 

“Thank you…I--I know I’m asking a lot.”

“You can never ask for too much. You’re my family. You can ask whatever you need from me okay.” You said despite your soul screaming out against such an ask. 

“Did you--did you get away from all them?” The rest of your family. Family you would do nothing for. 

“Yes. I--I had a daughter. Her names Tsumiki.” You could almost hear your cousin smile through the phone. 

“You’ve had that name picked out since we were little girls.” You chuckled, getting to yours knees so you could look over Tsumiki’s round face. You place a gentle hand on her cheek and she was quick to grab it, holding it close.

 “Do--would you want to say hi? She’s right here.” 

“Please .” You were quick to put the phone on speaker, holding it so Tsumiki could see the screen. 

“Kiki. I’m talking to your aunt. Can you say hi?” You said, brushing a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. Her eyes snapped to you, then to the phone, then to you again, looking shy as ever.

“Hi.” Tsumiki said shyly.

“Hi, sweetie. How old are you?” 

“Three.” She responded quicker, her grip on your hand never flattering. 

“Wow. You’re such a big girl now, huh?” Tsumiki didn't respond then, climbing into your lap and burying her face in your neck. 

“She’s a bit shy.” You chuckled, holding her tight against you. “Kiki, we’re going to meet your cousin soon. I think you two will be good friend.” She merely nodded against your skin. 

“Thank you.” You cousin spoke on a whisper. 

“I just--I wish you would let me come help you right now.” You heard the sound of a man’s voice in the distance. A deep thing the followed with the sound of a door shutting.

“I need to put all my focus on my boys right now. There is nothing that can be done for me. There is no cure no medicine. I’ve run out of luck and that’s okay but--I need to be with my boys until I can’t.” You heard the man call for your cousin and the ruffle of sheets as she moved. 

“What’s his name?” You asked, curiosity getting the better of you. 

“Toji.”

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