#|| character: sayo

[roseofcards90]

[teratomatica]

[finelyagedlemons]

post ep7 cope shitposting

[grassoftunnel]

I Love You For Psychological Reasons: George and Shannon as a matching pair of gendered insecurities

let me start right off…this is NOT a shipping post (for MANY reasons..), and is not structured in any particular way its just half awake rambling but I feel like George and Shannon’s relationship is super compelling in terms of what they are looking for in each other, and how they define themselves using each other as props.

the title is from the song I Love You For Psychological Reasons by They Might Be Giants which is kind of a cute romantic song but i think can be applied to them as a sad and cynical song about their relationship. I’ve also just thrown lyrics from this song into the post not for anything deep really but bc it made me think of them. Like I said, this is just rambling but I’ve divided it roughly into 4 ways they’re similar:

1.

Hard to explain, but it's plain that I love you for psychological reasons

The root of their decisions to pursue each other have nothing to do initially with an actual interest in the other on their own merits. For George, he was driven by wanting to make Shannon turn away from Battler and look at him that way instead, and for Shannon, george was her way to settle/move on from the heartbreak of Battler.

2.

Lately, I've taken to vacantly making repetitive movements. Mistakenly seen as improvements

They are both deeply insecure about their abilities to fulfil certain gendered expectations, and both seeing each other as pathways to successfully performing those gendered expectations. For George, he was bullied so much and unable to be “strong” and “assertive” or even defend himself, and feels like he’s not a real man because of it. For Shannon, she has her hangups about her androgynous appearance first, and then her intersex body later. See also, their awkward, and at times uncomfortable/forced miming of their ideas of how a man and a woman in a relationship “ought” to act. For George, this can sometimes veer into really uncomfortable ordering around of Shannon…and as for Shannon herself…she learns to react in specific ways to his artificial negging. Both are trying to follow the “script” for how George thinks these types of couple interactions should go/what he thinks Shannon wants based on his distorted perceptions of her past relationship with Battler.

They are both also well aware of the inexperience of the other in relationship matters, so they are able to kind of do a training-wheels version of an actual relationship (most notable with George, but for Shannon like as much as she eventually slowly grows to like George…kind of…any boy who was nice/showed interest would have done the job).

Nearing perfection but wisely electing To shun my reflection, preferring instead shoe inspection

Even then, they’re both twice shy due to their own neuroses so their relationship kind of stalls until George resolves to marry her.

3.

They are also both desperately wanting to leave their old/current self behind, in favour of remaking themselves in order to reach a certain type of future, even at great personal cost. For George, this is his desire to go all out in marrying Shannon, even to the point of throwing away his family if he needs to.

Under the table, unwilling, unable, the torture's medieval The dream is a fable with feeble wings

For Shannon this is her murder-suicide bomb plot deathwish that will wipe away all traces of the truth of her cage of flesh (of the body which makes her “unable to love” in a physical sense..and also a genetic one..since it taints the romantic relationships that were so important for her with incest) ,and make real the possibility of her relationship with George being a True, Uncomplicated Love. They differ greatly though in what this commitment to this relationship means emotionally….for George it’s triumphant but for Shannon, while also triumphant in a way…it’s a bittersweet death march.

Why does the mouse share the house with the louse? They won't say, but they feel their feelings

It’s also worth noting that both of them see the other as “above” themself, and as attaching themself onto someone better in order to improve themself (regardless of whatever the actual reality of their class and age difference is…)

4.

I'm ashamed to admit I'm afraid of assuming the blame For my lame abnegation of braveness and fame Brain in a jar in a car in reverse, I'm rehearsing the way I'll replay how to say how to be where you are

In pursuing this relationship, they both want to prove to themselves that they are capable of achieving these things that they’ve wanted for so long (performing their gender, remaking themselves). They are both constantly trying to plot out their future and like do a “good job” of hitting milestones in their relationship rather than being carried naturally from one stage to another.

Anyway I have no way to wrap this up lmfaoo this is just my loose thoughts! These two are really interesting! Their weird falsely-mutualistic relationship where theyre simultaneously both getting something but also not really getting something of actual substance since its all performance. The selves they present to each other within the context of the relationship are curated specifically to exist in the relationship. And of course this relationship “succeeding” crystallises Sayo’s resolve to undertake the murder suicide…the win condition for both of them is so drastically different haha…

[lotus-duckies]

i was going back and forth on how deep this message is in terms of the actual content of the manga cause yknow if they say stuff but don't back it up with consistent execution it means nothing

and i think the key here. is that Utena is a villain. she's quite literally the bad guy. she harasses tres magia for personal enjoyment because she's. the villain.

and the series always makes a point of emphasis when the feelings are mutual. for example, with utena torturing azul and both of them getting enjoyment out of it. or utena and kiwi getting ✨nasty✨, or whatever nemo and matama have going on

there is a distinction between "doing freaky stuff for personal pleasure" and "doing freaky stuff as an expression of love and intimacy"

there's also the fact utena tries to avoid going too far with anyone and gets upset when she hurts them, and when it ventures into genuine Bad Stuff TM, it's treated with an appropriate sense of horror and pain. which probably factors into this somehow

[hanafubukki]

https://x.com/yuanw3i/status/1763617363168006529?s=20

Oh god , this is making me cackle and sad 💖

Cause this means Silver is the calm older child and Malleus is the younger brother who is so spoiled that he is throwing tantrum to save his family! Like he needs someone to slap his senses!!!!

Hello Sayo and Anonie 💚🌺🌸

I talked a bit about the sibling dynamics between Malleus and Silver in this post and I talked about Lilia’s parenting of them in this post (both of these posts were released before chapter 5 and 6 update in twst jp book 7)

So now’s a good time as any to update those posts a bit, though points from there still apply here.

Even if we count Silver sleeping thus making him over 400+, I don’t think their dynamics just equates to one is older than the other thus their actions equate to the “older/younger” sibling dynamic because of age.

I think it’s more based on behavior than anything. Honestly for me, while Malleus’ actions might seem spoiled and seems he’s throwing a tantrum to save his family while Silver might seem the calm one trying to stop him. It’s a matter of perspective 🤔

Malleus who was raised to be king and to be perfect, who couldn’t make mistakes, who saw Lilia change from his young years to now, who taught Sebek and Silver, and who as time went on, closed himself off still gives me the older of the two sibling dynamic. Especially when you consider that Malleus OB can be considered when the “older child” finally breaks after being under pressure for years.

Silver also still gives me the younger sibling vibes. He was raised by Lilia, Malleus, and the Zigvolts. He had expectations that he placed on himself because of this as well. Because of who his father is and who Malleus is. He also is more observant when it comes to Malleus as siblings are.

Both of them are aware of each other, comfort the other, and confide to each other, etc. as siblings do.

They want to help the one they care about. Malleus did OB after all because of how much he cares for Silver. Silver is rebelling against Malleus because this isn’t what Lilia would have wanted plus the fact that it’s literally going to kill Malleus.

Silver, I wouldn’t say is the calm one either, he’s able to hide his emotions (gee I wonder where he learned that from 🤦‍♀️), he also placed these burdens on himself that no one forced on him but because of his own perception.

While I believe that the older and younger sibling dynamic still falls on Malleus and Silver respectively.

I won’t say their dynamic is black and white in that way, in fact, I won’t say any sibling dynamics is black and white but more of a gray scale.

I say this as someone who is a younger sibling who has the responsibilities the “older siblings” usually does.

They both care for the other. Both show their protectiveness towards the other and their family in their own ways. They both have their own perception of their role in the family. They both have their views on certain topics and what they believe they are doing is right or wrong. And currently, those views are clashing. (To say it very simply).

Honestly, it just comes down to siblings being well siblings. They might not say it out loud that they are brothers, but their actions speak more than words will ever do.

They love each other and sometimes siblings clash and need their opinions heard and a few good punches need to be given 🤣

But everything will be alright in the end, because they love each other.

Now, let’s talk about Lilia’s parenting. Lilia’s parenting is…well, he tries his best and honestly, for his boys, that’s enough. (To a certain point)

There’s, of course, traits of the whole “raised the first one perfectly and the second one with more freedom as mentioned in the linked posts.

But Lilia raised them both the best he could with what he knew and his his abilities and what he didn’t? He learned, but that doesn’t mean he changed entirely.

With Malleus, Lilia was young and he raised and taught him what he could with his limitations. He learned to love because of Malleus. His world view changed because of Malleus. He accepted his ability to love and have love be returned because of him.

He also has to help Malleus and teach him how to act like a prince and future king when Malleus got older and more powerful. He was one of the few that Malleus would listen to after all.

But Lilia also learned from Malleus, how to savor food, the joy of spending time with others, and the joy of seeing someone smile. He helped Malleus get dressed. He taught Malleus about humans.

He loved and raised him as much as he was able.

With Silver, Lilia had more freedom, but remember that humans are different from fae. So Lilia had to learn that as well. He read books and what food would be good for humans. He had to learn about the difference in development of a human as well.

But that’s not to say, he did that all perfectly. He has help. Malleus who would make sure Silver was fed adequately and taught him magic and how to dance.

Be it fae or human, Lilia did learn, even though he was more “lenient” in raising Silver.

But what never changed was his ideals, he made sure that Malleus, Silver, and Sebek would be able to defends themselves. They would be able to survive without him. They can fend for themselves. He did what he knew best and what worked for him he did it for them. Because if he could survive and prosper these way, then so could they.

Lilia ‘seem’ to have a nonchalant attitude when it came to raising Silver versus Malleus. But the situations were different for both.

But is it really him being aloof? Or was it for him learning and caring the best way he could? And adapting? After all, like with the bat from the dorm card, Lilia wants his boys to be able to survive and thrive independently and this was his way of doing it.

But yeah 🤣 I still do agree that Lilia did take a more…carefree attitude with baby Silver before being lectured.

Thank you for sending this in Sayo and Anonie 💞💚

I always love talking about them and hearing what others think ☺️🥰

[books-are-my-life-stuff]

"Are you going to help that person from the Ghost Tribe? In that case, I'll go too. I'll be by your side wherever you go."

Kitaro Tanjou: Gegege no Nazo - Sayo Ryuuga (Pink Kimono)

[batbeato]

Yet again while talking about Umineko my partner put a hand on my shoulder and told me "you should write a tumblr post about this". Save me, everyone.

Anyway, about Sayo and Confession of the Golden Witch - I know I've talked about this before but bear with me - Ryukishi has talked about Sayo and her thoughts about her message bottles before.

Behold: the similarly named, though entirely different, Our Confession. For those who haven't read it: Beatrice shows Dlanor her unfinished manuscript, which involves some of the mechanisms behind how she carries out the murders. Afterwards, they talk about how many people won't be able to understand the truth/all layers of the story, and while Beatrice wants 1 out of those 1000 people to understand her, it might not be possible. Beatrice tells Dlanor she can release the unfinished manuscript upon her death. Dlanor releases the manuscript upon Beatrice's death and, in her notes, has these lines:

She said that she wrote two stories and revealed one. However, that was also wrong. She wrote three stories and revealed one. By reading this incomplete manuscript, you will know two of those stories. I would like you to reach the third and final one with your own power.

If we go by Our Confession, even knowing what happened (the first story, and the fantasy), and how it happened (the second story, the reality), there is still a third unreleased story (the whydunnit, the heart). Even after Beatrice's death, the third story - Beatrice's heart - is not revealed, and we as the audience are still expected to reach the heart on our own.

The Twilight manga began release in 2012; Our Confession was released in 2011. Our Confession, in its original pamphlet format and in the VN release for Umineko Saku, asks the reader to choose to open the catbox (the pamphlet has a physical seal). Confession of the Golden Witch does not - the reader agreeing to open the catbox is not part of the manga.

Rather than opening the catbox being a meaningful choice the reader makes, the manga chapters are forcing one interpretation of 'the truth' onto the reader, eradicating the catbox which Yasuda Sayo worked so hard to create.

Beyond even whether or not it would be in-character for Sayo (which I don't believe it is, nor do I like the confinement to one interpretation of their character, or giving shape to a character who does their best to have none at all, to instead haunt intangibly), it goes against the very delicate treatment given to the subject before. Even in opening the catbox in Our Confession, we still aren't given all the answers to Sayo's heart. We are still expected to search and interpret and find Sayo in the stories they left behind.

In opening, against our wills, the catbox in Confession of the Golden Witch, we are told this is the answer, and to look no further. The catbox is dead; how is Ange ever meant to reconstruct it so Battler and Beatrice can sink peacefully into the ocean?

[kristsingto]

(gestures at night and day arguing) this is what happens when you have two children then for some godforsaken reason name one after the day and one after the night. you're basically naming your kids in a way that will guarantee massive sibling conflict. for one to be in the light and the other in darkness. look at that clothing color contrast that suits their names and showcases why they cannot get along. hope you're happy

[tomoeegawa]

Some more additional supporting magical girls to the cast of Puella Magi ☆ Sayo Magica

[izroulia]

Hypnos walking his way into literally every single one of my stories

[miraclemaya]

i dont get it. why would rin not be able to be a trans girl? obviously she isnt in canon, but neither is like... sayo

oh i mean like the reason it makes sense for like a sakura trans headcanon is because of like so from my understanding mage families in fate are interested also in maintaining tradition, i mean it's how mage crests and shit is passed down and what not, so of the two sisters one being discarded as not fit for this tradtion and the other being made to up hold it, i makes more sense that sakura is a trans woman i guess.

[teratomatica]

and if you are loved by many people, i'm sure that everyone will be able to see you someday

[writer-and-artist27]

Tumblr Story: Another Day

Note: For @partialdignity and @lunarimpact. I love you both lots. 

Had to include a song too. With translated lyrics used in the story proper.

-----------------------

“Gifts for Rem and Sayo… peanut butter cookies went well, but what else could I bake…? Peanut butter bread? Snickerdoodle cookies? But we’re running low on shortening… maybe a tiramisu…? But then I gotta worry about the coffee liquor…”

Miss Vy muttered to herself while flipping through pages, the spine of the cookbook in her hands barely creaking in response to her skimming. The soft lighting of the surprisingly empty Dining Hall just accentuated the odd sight of her pacing back and forth between the counters. It was peculiar enough to make Holmes tempted to laugh out loud from his place in the hallway threshold if not for the curiosity tugging at the back of his mind. After all, the sleep schedule the late Dr. Roman had reinforced through the old Servant guard and fellow Masters was hard to ignore. The young Miss Vy was nothing if not hardworking, and the last thing anyone needed was for her to fall over dead from overwork like King Gilgamesh had back in Uruk during the Babylonia Singularity.

And yet Holmes could not deny the sheer timing.

Tick tick, the nearby clock overhead went, its face reading 4:30 am. A time that was far too early for a young, dear Master like his Miss Vy to be awake. Before her Master peers and the fellow kitchen staff of Servants, even. 

Even if there was a part of him that doubted what he in particular could do in convincing the young woman otherwise — the kind words were always more up Watson’s line of work — but watching her mutter to herself could only go so far. 

So, he made a decision to step forward and clear his throat.

“Miss Vy?”

The young woman turned away from her page flipping at the sound of her name, big brown eyes wide behind the lenses of her glasses once she got a good look at who had interrupted her train of thought. A few hairs fell out of her messily made ponytail to brush the back of her neck. “…Holmes?” A worried pitch echoes in her voice as she lowers her recipe book. Baking Yesteryear stands out from the covers in glistening blue lettering before the book is laid against a nearby table, hiding the rest from view. “What are you doing awake? It’s way too early.”

“Isn’t that my line, my dear?” Holmes ignores the urge to bring out his pipe, walking closer and crossing his arms. “I’m a Servant and Chaldea’s Administrative Advisor. You, on the other hand, my dear, are one of our only Masters, and the one most prone to pushing herself beyond her limits — I do not need my deduction skills to know you shouldn’t be out of bed this early yourself.”

As expected, Vy flushes pink, wilting a little past the soft blue pajamas and matching frilly polka-dotted apron as she fumbles with her hands. Pressing both index fingers together in front of her chest, she ducks her head. “…ouldn’t sleep.”

Holmes pretends he didn’t hear that mumble, approaching the nearest Dining Hall counter with a quiet hum. “What was that, dear?”

A Muu answers his initial inquiry, Vy fidgeting in place as her hand approaches the cookbook she put down. “Couldn’t sleep,” she repeated, a bit louder. “Thought of cooking Rem and Sayo some breakfast.”

No wonder. “…you’re not on scheduled duty for breakfast, dear,” Holmes said in a softer voice, hopefully to calm whatever nerves she was feeling. “You could’ve gotten some more rest.”

The last thing Holmes expected within his calculations was for a tiny scoff to come out of Vy’s lips. In any other circumstance, it could’ve resembled a cough, or even a sarcastic clearing of her throat, but for someone so bright like Miss Vy to scoff…

Well.

“I wish it was a little easier said than done, rest,” Vy elaborated, turning away from him to open her cookbook again. The title of Candle Salad was all Holmes could see past the counter before Vy flipped the pages backwards, her nose wrinkling to match the thoughtful crease of her brow. “But when I know my friends have seen shit like I have on this journey, if not more, I’d rather use this nervous energy for something productive, Holmes.”

Something. It was such a vague word, but the underlying meaning was there, so Holmes considered. 

“…Which is all fine and fair, my dear, but you don’t have to push yourself in the name of someone else. Especially when your fellow Masters have made it clear they do not plan to leave you, just as much as myself and all the other Servants can say the same.”

Vy had turned to face a nearby cupboard when he had said the words, freezing right before she had gotten a grip on the first measuring cup she saw inside. Her left hand twitched from where it hovered over the cup, lotus Command Seals glowing faintly against the back of her knuckles before she lowered it with a tinier sigh. Holmes couldn’t help but notice how she wasn’t turning around to meet his eye. “…Was I that easy to read?”

“Very much so.” He decided to take a risk and lean forward to rest his arms on the nearest counter, smiling as gently as he could once Vy focused one side eye on him past her hair. “And even as Chaldea’s Administrative Advisor, I can speak as your Servant, my dear, when reminding you that you shouldn’t worry so much.”

To his growing relief and surprise, Vy slowly nodded her head, another Muu leaving her lips with the motion. “I-I know that. I know. But…” she gulped a visible lump down, glancing elsewhere before tentatively reaching for a large mixing bowl. “As the World’s Greatest Detective, Holmes, I think you should know just as much as I do that we can’t predict how the journey is going to end. And whether we’ll all be there to see it.”

Holmes felt himself twitch, the sensation of ice water from Reichenbach Falls creeping up his spine for a moment, no thanks to the intensity of the emotion. 

What Miss Vy had said — it was a conclusion that he knew through cold, embittered logic without emotion, no matter how much luck and careful planning had allowed three of Chaldea’s Masters to survive this far. Still, to hear such a deduction from his own dear, his darling Master, made him unconsciously bite down on the inside of his cheek. “Miss Vy…”

“I-It’s why I’m awake, to be honest.” Vy doesn’t look at him once she pulls out a small satchel of sugar, tearing it open and pouring it into the bowl she chose to use with the nearby carton of milk and eggs that had been conveniently pulled out of the fridge prior to Holmes making his presence clear. “I know everyone doesn’t want to leave, but… but the Mages Association made it clear before the Bleaching that there was no say. What I had to say didn’t matter to them. The Lostbelts didn’t care either, and the Crypters just have so much…” Vy clicks her tongue, biting out, “bullshit,” before shaking her head. “And considering how Rem and Sayo felt about Britain when we had to investigate London, my dreams have certainly started helping me better understand them now.”

“Miss Vy, that’s…”

Holmes lurched back once Vy cracked open an egg, tossed its shell into a nearby trash can, then went on to bump her forehead into the counter. No. She didn’t just bump it.

From his vantage point, it looked like Vy had intentionally hit herself with the counter. 

“I-I’m not sure where I’m going with this, but basically, there’s so much going on right now! Way too much going on!” Vy raises her head and slaps her cheeks with both hands, making a louder Muu noise under her breath. “The last thing I want is to see my friends be sad before the end! My stress could go die in a pit, anyway! The negative memories last so much longer, but happiness is just fleeting while being meaningful! And, and I’d rather create a fleeting, good memory than leave them with more scars after all that we’ve seen together! It’s the least I can do now!” Vy turns on her heel then, giving him a wry yet innocent smile while holding up a whisk. “So if it means I’m up early to try making blueberry pancakes, I wanna try!”

Holmes blinked. For a moment, just that moment, the dim lighting of the Dining Hall caught on the lenses of Vy’s glasses, making her brown eyes appear overbright and glassy, and he gulped. 

“…Then as your Ruler, my dear, may I help?” Holmes carefully takes off his coat to hang over the back of a nearby chair, walking around the counter to roll up the sleeves on his arms. “While I may not be as good as Watson, I can at least assist you, whether in baking or playing the violin.”

“...Violin? Violin?!” All of a sudden, Vy turns to him with blinding starlight in her brown irises, the new brown galaxies in her eyes promising a completely different idea than the incomplete batter sitting in front of her. Hm? “Holmes!”

“Y-Yes, my dear?”

“How do you feel about morning songs?!”

“...Pardon?”

-----------------------

Fujino and Archer EMIYA are staring holes into his back, Holmes can feel it. Nonetheless, even with his coat stashed away on that other chair and his arms bare, he still held up the bow of his trusty Stradivari violin to point towards the ceiling. The song his dear was thinking of was certainly one he couldn’t imagine Watson listening to back in his days alive, but if the warmth of his Stradivari’s chinrest against his neck was any indication, Miss Vy certainly had her heart in the right place. 

Just like she always did. She always would.

Goodness — Holmes knew from simple deduction, with full confidence, that in spite of all her previous rambling, Vy would always have her friends and family at heart. 

All it took was predicting when Misses Rem and Sayo would walk into the Dining Hall, and once he saw approaching heads of red and blue, he merely winked at his dear to start the stove.

Holmes pressed his bow to the violin strings to start playing, and even with the sizzle of pancake batter mixed with confused voices filling the back of his ears, what mattered was the warm high pitched voice singing along with his Stradivari in well-meaning Japanese.

“Where shall we go? Let's go anywhere! Wonderful and slow, On our journey! Even if we think about it, there are things we doesn't understand — Let's just ask the wind!” 

Even if he had to keep his eyes closed, the slow rise of clapping from the growing throng of Servants — his comrades around him — made him play his Stradivari all the more passionately. 

“Well, I wonder if I forgot something? A skillet to pack in my bag I'll put this and that Hey, soft lubricant, One dream to add to my Sierra cup Everyone gather together, A warm fire awaits!”

The Stradivari strings hum happily with his dear’s voice, and Holmes couldn’t help but wonder past his bow if Misses Rem and Sayo were enjoying the performance.

The smell of cooking pancakes was sweet enough as is.

“Let's go — one, two, three, four! Let's walk with you from here! Listen to the voice of your heart From the place you arrived Draw the best here We're still on the road! Look, lucky, lucky, lucky! A small step! Lucky, lucky, what should I bring? More lucky, lucky, lucky, the tip of the wind Lucky, lucky ,the journey continues~!”

The soft clatter of a plate being placed at his side and a happy squee of “Good morning, beloved friends! I bring songs with Holmes and pancakes!” from his Master proved at least today, out of all other days, would be a happier one. 

At the bare minimum, the pure surprised looks on Misses Rem and Sayo’s faces would certainly be a picture to place in a photo album.

[grassoftunnel]

The misogyny is like the analytically yummiest part of all the umineko male characters and a lot of people don’t want to eat it unless they hate that character…

[galactic-murmaider]

Okay I’m legit having a hard time deciding on my Halloween costume (at least for a local Halloween event) because I may or may not want to get a haircut for the latter and either way I’m too proud of both costumes. So I decided screw it, handing it to my Tumblr followers!

Also accidentally summing up my gender LOL