#'yes this a horrific and horrifying thing that happened'

[aparticularbandit]

i think it should be said, though, that dr3 is a lot more graphically violent than the games are. most of the game violence happens off-screen; punishments are the closest thing we get to on-screen, and they are not like this.

like - some of dr3 is real rough but in a different way than udg is rough.

the game mentions that junko caused the entire reserve course to commit suicide; you see that happen on screen, and that's rough. chiaki's entire death sequence is rough. a lot of the stuff we know junko did is now on screen, and it is rougher to see happen on screen than to just hear about so like.

dr3 is rough.

[tinydefector]

Do you think cybertronians ever get a bit freaked out on how tough we are? Yes they can break us like toothpicks but humans seem to be able to take a good beating as well with adrenaline helping. Even our own body and oxygen trys kills us and yet we stick around like roaches. We're fragile in some reasonable and dumb ways and then resilient in the most dumbest ways.

Oh definitely, alot of the bots are very off put by how fragile humans are just in general and tend to avoid them.

But then there's the moments like Ratchet working a late shift and a small knock on the door alerts him someone's there, he turns around expecting it to be Rodimus or Whirl who he's about to scold but instead it's one of the humans and they look worse for wear. After fussing over them for a moment, detailed scans relay fractured ribs, a broken collar bone, and a heap of bruises and yet the humans just like. "Can I have some Panadol, Nurophen, and a glass of water?" Because they don't know what else to do its what they would get. Most of the times they ended up in the hospital. Ratchet is losing his God dawn mind as he rushes around looking for the best painkillers he can find for orgaincs in the smallest dosage he can give, hoping to primus it doesn't shut their heart down. In the end, they end up on a medication that makes them extremely drowsy, almost like the green whistle/ Weed.

Ratchet ends up doing alot of study on the human body and realises just how fucked up little monsters we are. We literally need oxygen to survive but he we have to much pure oxygen it will kill us. Water, we need a certain amount of it, if we don't have enough we will get dehydrated and die, if we have to much we will get water poisoning, intoxication, or a disruption of brain function. This happens when there's too much water in our cells, such as the brain and blood cells, causing them to swell. When the cells in the brain swell, they cause pressure in the brain, resulting in death. The issue is that it can become an addiction to drinking too much water for the effect it has on the body. Same with nearly everything we consume, it can kill us, but we need a lot of it in moderation.

Human: "I just need some basic pain killers and a nap"

Bot: "No, you need full surgery, sedations, and 3 weeks of recovery!"

Human: "nah she'll be fine!"

Bot: "Absolutely Not, bed now before I cuff you"

____________

Following that imagine a first contact AU where Cybertronians and humans are just slowly getting to know how the other works and next thing a human is kneeling over in horrific pain and it send the bots all into panic mode trying to help them, wondering what's happening and thinking they are dying. And the human after about ten minutes some pain killers still looking rather pale and unhealthy just go. "Sorry about that fuck I hate, Cramps/palpitations/ phantom pains/ and such" and the bots are just looking at them horrified like.

Bot: NOT NORMAL!!!"

Human: what you talking about?

Bot: everything that just happened you literally just short circuited!

Human: nah that's causal wait till you see the really funky shit.

______________

Human pet AU

Cybertronian's keeping humans as pets is like humans keeping hamsters. Humans are some of the most homicidal, suicidal and just deranged creatures that Cybertronian's could keep as pets. It's gotten to the point that they are a luxury/ exotic pet because if you do not feed them the right stuff, give them the right amount of light and socialising, and they will just die. There are so many Cybertronian's who take their human into clinics worried as and its just the human being a little bustard because they didn't get the treat they wanted 2 weeks ago and are still holding that grudge. Not to mention, we are prone to causing as much trouble and issue. We are like cats.

But we are also very easily sick and primus forbid a human gets sick because to a bot they think it's a death sentence for their sweet little spitfire of a human who they have had now for ages. And the human looks ready to die, and the next day, they are up and about like nothing ever happened.

Human: if you don't feed me the meals I want I'm going to pretend to die. If you do feed me what I want I might actually die because I shouldn't be eating it.

Panicked bot: "MY HUMAN HAS GOTTEN SICK. HELP!?!"

Human: totally worth it.

_________

In conclusion, the cybertronians are rather wary/ concerned about how resilient humans really are.

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[evilminji]

God you know what would be FUNNY af? More "I already YOLO'd, fuckers. I see no God here but me an my new buddy The Force" SI-OC?

There's... there is the Fuckin FORCE NEXUS. Just? RIGHT THERE? Reality HAS to get unimaginably FUCKY and melty at the seams, around it? Horrific for people would HAVENT been through the Souls Car Wash as it were... but, like?

Eh. Tingly.

Feels a bit like being dead. She can taste the abstract concept of philosophical debate and the first strands of dawn. Air smells a bit purple. This is fiiiine. She and the Force are HANGING! You LITERALLY could not be closer to it outside of shrugging off your meat suit!

Aaaaay, BESTIE! She brought better meditation cushions and a swiffer. It is DUSTY down here! So~ how things? Any dead people wanna chat? Wanna watch a sunrise on a planet that stopped existing eons ago, literal galaxies away? Oh hey! Thanks for the space rock. It blurbles ominously.

Just? Yes. TECHNICALLY. "All things are possible in the Force".

But just because a NUCLEAR REACTION IS POSSIBLE? Doesn't mean it's a great idea to SIT NEXT TO IT. Child! P-Please! Back away from the thing we LITERALLY BUILT A TEMPLE TO CONTAIN.

ALL absolutes are harmful.

Yes. Even "good", even "helpful", even the "light". They as JEDI know this. Unlike SITH, they? Are not so foolish as to believe ANYONE can channel or harness a NEXUS. Absolute GOOD will kill you just as surely as Absolute evil. Do not loose yourself. And for the love of all that's precious?

Don't! Poke! Force! Anomalies!!!

Again... meh. What's the worst that'll happen? She DIES? Is LOST? Oh noooo. Not RETURNING to the Force! AGAIN! Peacefully avoiding the horrors to come! That would be AWFUL! *continues to gossip with the nexus*

Of course, this? This is fucking horrifying.

That is a youngling! Next to the ACTIVE FORCE NUKE.

Dear FUCK every moment the child sits there? It could be SCRAMBLING HER DNA for FUNSIES! But it ALSO feels like hundreds of jet engines in their head! T-they can't?! Get close enough? To grab her? Hold ON small breakable child! Help is COMING!

SOME ONE GET THE COUNCIL. NOW.

No we DO NOT care what they were doing! Baby! IN DANGER! This is clearly a priority! (And I mean? Shit... you right. They'll be there in 5)

Force maybe be "clouded"? But a cloud, dense enough? Is just a body of water suspended. And the NEXUS? Is like SWIMMING. A flood. The Force COULD NOT be clearer there. It's deafening, consuming, one might even say... less then subtle.

Yoda probably does the OPPOSITE of something helpful and just... plops on down next to her. Accepts the offered snack she holds out. Asks casually why she down here. Just two bros, a Grandmaster and Crecheling, two completely equal Jedi in the eyes of the Force, sitting watching the Pretty Colors at the edge of a reverse Black Hole.

Master Yoda, NO!

What? Did they expect him to use force? By the ear, drag this youngling, perhaps? Hmmm? How would that fix anything. The child would simply return. Stopping her ONCE will not address your concerns. There must be a dialog. You must be heard. Your fears laid to rest. The youngling must UNDERSTAND. Teachable moment!

The various knights, masters, CRECHE MASTERS and Council members? Do? NOT AGREE. Ha ha. Oh Force. Baby in a radioactive, currently inactive, meat grinder! Heart palpitations! Can't EVEN RELEASE THEIR FEAR INTO THE FORCE! Because it'll JUST SPIT RIGHT BACK INTO THEIR FACE.

.....OC would like these people to stop crashing her hangout. But is refusing to STOP her hang out, now, mostly out of spite. Well... that, AND? It's actually pretty great that most of the Order? Is getting LITERALLY FORCE BASTED CLEAN?

Like getting your soul pressure washed.

BEGONE Darksider gunk!

Does it leave you feeling a lil woozy and hyper-aware? Overly sensitive? Headache-y like a motherfucker? Yeah. But that's the crude matter, my gender non specific dudes. The Nexus has always been more of a "oh shit! We're losing um! CLEAR!" Sort of measure, then a "you should take this rigorous round of medicine and then meditate" Sort of measure.

Not that it's WISE. It's just as likely to eat folks. Just... straight skip the suffering their redemption arch might cause others and? Yoink! Straight back to the Force with you. After all? Other people are not here for YOUR life lessons. Their pain is not a gift to YOU. A debt YOU are owed.

Speaking of? Someone should check on Skywalker. He's looking a little shaken back there. (The Void was BRIGHT and it looked BACK. He is... NOT OKAY) (but also? Feels cleaner? Lighter? He thinks he just met his Dad. Spoke to his Mom.)

Obviously? Hella grounded. UNBELIEVABLY grounded. The entire temple is down and out with the worse case of Force Strain anyone can REMEMBER. The senate will have to send someone else.

......what do you MEAN you have "no one else"? They distinctly remember there being other offices. They are a religious organization. Not nearly as large as they once were. You are THE GOVERMENT. When a planet, in need, requests assistance? Why are you handing it to an EXTERNAL RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION?

Yes, OF COURSE we want to help! But unfortunately we literally CAN NOT right now! There was an INCIDENT! Are you telling us that this whole system was one cold away from COLLAPSE?! (Local eavesdropping reporters go :3c owo? Whats this? Paycheck~☆???)

And, yes. Yes it WAS. Centuries of Sith meddling and common greed. Cut the funds to line my pockets! The Jedi will handle it. They Jedi ALWAYS handle it. If they can't, we'll just blame them. They show up first. Sometimes are the only ones to show up. Are a face for people to latch on too. Someone recognizable to get angry at, in our hurt.

But.... suddenly? Not there! And they're telling us? The NEXT step? In their Very Worried For Us, Full Of Genuine Sympathy And Concern Way? Is the Goverment. Specific offices. Makes sense. They even try to help, while looking like death warmed over. No, no! We get you can't come. Go rest! People need you!

No, they keep insisting. I can HELP! Please let me help! You're suffering. This isn't RIGHT. You don't deserve this! Are you safe? Is your family okay? I can talk to some people I know... maybe?

Then you turn around? And get automated rejection after rejection from the GOVERMENT YOU SERVE. Pay your taxes too. Bleed for. As your people are DYING. Afraid. Begging for help, that? APPARENTLY the senate is too busy throwing GALAS to send!

The Jedi is actually crying on the other line. Arguing with a healer off screen that they don't faint THAT much! They can take a pilot droid! Your people NEED HELP! Please! They have to do SOMETHING! They can't just SIT THERE! Please don't make them sit there!

The healer is telling them if they don't bring their heart rate down, they may pass out again. Breathe. Give them the comm.

You watch the Jedi literally fight to keep it. Lose, too dizzy to win.

The healer looks sympathetic but resolute. Your people's doctors are much the same. Your SISTER-IN-LAW much the same. You ask that he not be allowed to contact you until he is well. You are not incompetent, after all. Your people will survive.

The Force is with you... but the Senate is not.

This? You will REMEMBER.

Discontent grows. But NOT, as Palpatine was trying to cultivate it, towards the Jedi. They? Are in crisis. Still holding strong, yes, but clearly DEALING with something. Some... weird... mystic cult illness. It's literally BAD enough that "Force Sensitive" (you know, the kinda creepy weirdos?) cultures and peoples are offering to send various doctor equivalents!

And the Jedi! The JEDI!!!? Infamously "oh, it's only a gushing flesh wound, I'm fiiiine!" Weirdo Space Monks? Yeah, they're saying YES. Please DO, actually. Admitting to NEEDING HELP.

...........guys?

A-Are the Jedi DYING? D:>

Suddenly everyone's remembering all those times? Jedi helped THEIR planet. Possibly DIED for them. Statistically? Over the centuries? There is not a SINGLE ONE of them that hasn't needed help at LEAST once. Gotten SOME Jedi's help. Maybe it was centuries back. Maybe decades. Possibly last year. But? The Holonet is FOREVER.

Videos still exsist. Voices long dead. Wry jokes and hoisting younglings up on their shoulders. Attentively listening to elders as they talk about their youth. Protection and respect. A face not so different from their own. Laughter and light, preserved forever.

The Jedi are in family holos.

Here, with grandma. See? He saved her from slavers! And there. Sitting with the family after The Great Collapse. Over here, rocking great-uncle Nox as a baby! On and on. Flooding the net. Private collections no one thought were relevant until now. It's not like anyone ASKED. It was JUST a FAMILY story.

Those little acts of kindness. Those humanizing bits of light. Jedi, throughout our history. Everywhere. Absolutely everwhere... until they weren't.

Until... slowly... they started to fade.

People, making timeliness, making collections? Notice. Huh. Look at that decline. Is that just them? Are they seeing things? Guys! Tell me what you see....

All while OC? Is sitting by the Nexus. Breathing in some NICE tea steam, in her comfy lil meditation nook, smacking the FUCK out of Palpatine's grasping lil claws as it reaches for the Nexus. BEGONE you malicious THOT! This is a benevolent thot only space! That's why Master's Vox and Kenobi can stay. (Ha!/CHILD!?!)

OC works as a legit filter.

The Nexus? Spews, by its nature, the Force in CONCENTRATED amounts, out into the universe. Like a high pressure water spout. Feeding into a lake. There are drains. People use it, move it, muddy the waters. But the NEXUS? Is where the unfiltered stuff comes back through, after it's been recycled.

Part of the endless loop. There are, of course, many Nexus. The Universe is large. One Nexus alone would never be able to cover it all. But Coruscant? The surrounding area? That's THIS Nexus. And Palpatine wants it BAD.

Because EVERYONE is part of the Force. Sensitive or not. ALL LIVING THINGS have midi-chlorians. They're just generally drawn to sentience. Are the universe in symbiosis with itself. Being near a Nexus tend to make them vibrate. Start to multiple. Not great for the body they're IN. Fascinating though.

......wait, where was she.... >.> oh! Right!

Whole ecumenopolis? Already has a LOT of suffering. Lot of stagnant pools of Darksider rot. The senate isn't helping. But? The Nexus IS helping. By blasting clean, fresh, hope and NEW! Through the heart of it all. Anyone who wanders close enough to the Temple? Gets cleaned off.

Feels hope. Sees a brighter future worth fighting for. Gets that much needed nudge from the Force, towards a better path.

Obviously, Palpatine hates that. Wants to flip it. To bad decisions and hopelessness. Bow your head and know your place. Well? FUCK 'IM. She's the guard of the Nexus. SHE'S sitting right in from of it! He may have fucked up rituals? But SHE can literally reach her arm out, INTO IT, and drag the darkness free.

Talk to Master's through time. The Force directly. Be a concept and a bird, right angles and starlight, here and then and The Force.

What are YOU, Sheev Palpatine? But a miserably hateful little creature.

A vile, angry little man.

The Jedi? Have probably already adjusted by now. Master Fae, Master Antilles, Youngling OC. Yeah... it be like that sometimes. You get Weird Jedi every so often. Just look at Yoda and Yaddle. The various wandering Jedi. That one guy they're preeeeeety sure? Might just be? Meditating out in a swamp somewhere? He might be dead. No one's sure. Still a jedi, though!

Look, you get like... 99 put of 100 vaguely normal Jedi to one Weird one, and 1 REALLY weird one out every... no one can actually agree? Inconclusive. Have a fruit bun. Nod and smile. The Force works in mysterious ways....

And SPEAKING of "we are a wrecking ball in a rice paper world" Master Fae/Antilles duo? Very sensitive to the Force. Go where it sends them. Did.... NOT expect to get a holocall? By means of FORCE NEXUS?? From an ACTUAL YOUNGLING?

.....ngl. this one's new.

Kamino it is.

(OC wants to make Palpatine CRY. Fight me, you FUCK, says the actual child. No one knows why this Jedi child hates the Naboolian senator specifically, but it... is REALLY effecting his Affable Grandfatherly Vibes.)

(Fucking GOOD.)

[phantomrose96]

Astounding. Incredible. Deeply, deeply horrifying. Incredible and it will be haunting me for at least the next 72 hours minimum. 10/10 sending it to everyone I know.

Reading the first time I fully did not register how much of a literal chekov's gun the disintegrator was. Made me think way to deeply on what is required for Danny to regenerate. Does it require at least a certain amount of flesh 'intact'? Cells? Molecules? Is it that so long as there is a single atom of his being around he will slowly and horrifically rebuild himself? What would happen if he did switch back? Would he briefly feel the incomprehensible pain of every scattered atom of his being or would it go to fast for him to comprehend the pain? Is he even able to fall unconscious when his body is injured that badly or does his being keep him awake at all costs as a self preservation method?

Anyways this is deeply terrifying and will now live happily next to Nothing Remains and Under Moonlight and all the other fan fics you've written traumatizing this poor, poor dead teenager.

(I've also spent way to long thinking about what comes after the end. What do you do with your friends exposed lung and vocal cords and mouth while he slowly regenerates? It's not like they could just leave him on the golf course screaming. But where could they put him that no one would hear? The thermos? The ghost zone? Hope that Vlad has something that could help?)

10/10 fic I'm chewing drywall thank you for writing this amazing piece!

(Prometheus)

JKDSNKJDSJKNDSJKNSD THANK YOU!!!!

I fully did not register how much of a literal chekov's gun the disintegrator was.

YEAH!!! I wanted there to be something that acted as a through-line in the story. I wanted Maddie and Jack's appearance near the end to be sudden and surprising and scary but not "out of nowhere." Carrying the gun through the story served that purpose so well because like, it's gaudy enough to capture people's attention, but it's also easily dismissed as background shenanigans... until it's not.

And the Disintegrator gets to evolve with the tone shift. It's some goofy combobulation Jack uses to blast fish out of a lake at the start. And then he tinkers with it. And it becomes this thing he can shoulder and point at Danny and draw a genuine fear response from his son (even if Jack had no intention of firing. And Danny is in no real danger) And then it becomes the thing he draws on his son with every intention of firing...

The damn thing even gets to be ripped to pieces and put back together over the course of the story. Danny brushing away loose nuts and bolts of the half-deconstructed Fenton Disintegrator while his liver stitches itself back together. But that's probably nothing :)

What is required for Danny to regenerate. Does it require at least a certain amount of flesh 'intact'? Cells? Molecules? Is it that so long as there is a single atom of his being around

YEah and this is absolutely part of the horror element to me. Danny doesn't know. He doesn't know how much is enough and how far-gone is too far gone. From my word of god, it's his ghost core that the reconstruction happens around (which is not a physical thing). So it at least means every cell is not about to spawn a new Danny (sorry no Under Moonlight angst here). But Danny doesn't know. And how can you tolerate gambling your life over and over and over with a mechanism you cannot understand?

Is he even able to fall unconscious when his body is injured that badly or does his being keep him awake at all costs as a self preservation method?

Yes. There is a ghost-amount of consciousness he's clinging to, which if he loses his grip on would result in him dying. ...Unless it doesn't. :) Danny doesn't know. Danny can't know. Danny cannot risk finding out. Because if he risks it, and he's wrong, he'll die. What's really the difference between "this will kill me" and "I THINK this will kill me, and the only way I can ever know for sure is to do it"? The difference only matters if Danny's made the decision he'd rather die.

I've also spent way to long thinking about what comes after the end

Nothing good. Nothing good. And consider how absolutely traumatizing it is for Sam, Tucker, and Jazz. They find Danny like this and they can do absolutely nothing while organs of himself scream. And this has been ~7 hours since the run in with the Disintegrator. Danny has only barely regenerated, starting from absolutely Nothing. It could be another 24 hours. Another 48. Before he's done. And he's required to stay conscious the whole time. He was desperately sleep-deprived already and now he needs to remain awake through this all because if he passes out with organs missing, he's done for. (Or he might be done for, and he cannot know for certain unless he takes that monumental gamble).

So what do Sam Jazz and Tucker even do. What do you even do? You can't leave him. God no you can't leave him. But you can't move him. You can't talk to him. You can't help him. You can't leave him. Do you sit in the snow? Do you sit for 24 hours watching screaming flesh grow back together? How ungodly long must 24 hours of that be? Will it ever stop screaming?

[iamnmbr3]

Severus calling Lily a slur in a fit of rage and humiliation while being bullied - obviously very bad. James publicly sexually assaulting Severus - obviously much worse?!!! That was some serious sadism on display. Yet for some bizarro reason the narrative wants me to judge the words said in this scene more harshly than the deeds done, because at this point Lily - an author self-insert and the Holy Mother of this saga - cuts one off for their crime and falls in love with the other. I do not like that Lily’s romantic choice is treated as some sort of absolution, but it’s what JKR implied. Despite paralleling James’ actions with the Death Eaters ‘sick’ ’torture’ of the Muggles at the Quidditch World Cup! Idk, I was never satisfied with the lack of follow through on the implications of that scene, nor with the textual idea that Snape’s fixation on the Marauders is petty childishness, rather than a quite understandable trauma response.

Yeah. I have a huge issue with the way James is framed by the narrative. It's also weird because in-universe everything works fine. The problem comes when we look at the jarring disconnect between what was written and the way the audience is cued to react. James's characterization - and the characterization of the Marauders - is well done and consistent. They all act and react realistically given who they are. The problem comes when we look at how we the audience are supposed to react. Because we are supposed to see their actions as bad, but not THAT big of a deal. And uh...yikes.

The Snape's Worst Memory sequence is one of the most horrifying and sadistic moments in the series. I find it particularly visceral and upsetting because it feels real in a way that some of the more fantastical scenes just don't. It's so horrifying and personal in a way that Voldemort punishing his minions or a snake coming out of a lady just isn't. The way James and the others so obviously delight in tormenting and humiliating Snape is just horrific. And the fact that they do this out in the open and face little pushback and no consequences makes it even more awful.

Even worse, everything we see in the narrative suggests that what they did wasn't even that unusual for them. The behavior and dialogue we see from Snape and from the Marauders makes it very clear that doing this sort of thing to Snape is a regular pastime. The reason this is Snape's worst memory is because of the effect this particular incident ended up having on his relationship with Lily, not because of the horrible treatment he endured which was horrifyingly routine.

JK Rowling seems to like Snape. But at the same time I think she tends to have a view (common among TERFs btw) that discounts men as victims of assault. Because that's what this was. And I know if a woman had been stripped and exposed by a group of boys JKR would not have treated it as lightly. Yes she thinks what happened was bad, but not THAT bad. And listen I don't have a problem with the story depicting this and I think the way it is viewed subsequently by the Marauders, wizarding society and Snape all work in the story. My problem is with the framing and the way JKR has talked about James in interviews where it makes clear that she doesn't view this with the gravity it deserves.

James shows more of a natural inclination towards sadism and obvious enjoyment of cruelty and violence than young Tom Riddle does. And this is never dealt with. A lot of the real evil people of the world are more like James - people who aren't the way they are because of some dramatic backstory or because of trauma or whatever. They just aren't kind. James wasn't raised without love or forced to suffer privation in an orphanage or anything like that. He comes from a loving home with parents who spoil him rotten. He has a lot of privilege due to both his wealth and his blood status. And he is cruel and delights in tormenting someone weaker than him for sport. Not because Snape did something to him. Not because they quarreled and James went too far in retaliation. But rather because, as James himself puts it, he exists. Which is so typical of the bullies of the world.

I actually like the fact that Harry's father turns out to be this kind of person. It think it adds depth and complexity to the narrative. But I don't think JKR fully understood or intended what she wrote. She meant to show James as flawed, but not to the extent that she ended up doing I think. And I agree that has always bothered me too.

[vashs-ass]

TRIGGER WARNING // SA

Analysis of Vash and His Assault in Trigun

Now that I’ve finally finished the manga, I want to discuss why I believe the fifth moon incident in Trigun is supposed to represent sexual assault. Apparently this interpretation is somewhat controversial so I’m going to go over how I see it. If you have a different interpretation that’s completely fine, I’m not trying to say one is more correct than the other.

One other thing I will preface this with, is that I do not think Knives canonically SAed Vash. I think the situation is supposed to be metaphor for sexual assault.

So anyways, why do I think it’s supposed to represent sexual assault and not physical assault? In my opinion, Knives’ main objective is not to physically hurt Vash, his goal is to force Vash into preforming non consensual acts.

The symbolism in fifth moon is very heavy handed. This is the first time we see Vash be assaulted. Knives is depicted as completely naked. Yes, there is an explanation for this in the plot but I do think it was a deliberate choice.

Prior to the fifth moon incident, Vash has no memories of what happened at July. This is unusual because Vash does not have a pattern of shutting out distressing events in his life. He’s able to remember his childhood and Rem’s death in great detail. So something about what happened was particularly disturbing and violating to Vash in a way he’d never experienced before. Even Knives notes that this is unusual, apparently expecting the incident would have ‘after effects’ for his brother.

During this initial discussion Vash begins to recall some of the memories of what happened, or rather, what he felt. He describes the feelings surrounding what happened as ‘something horrifyingly sick’.

Now we will get into the meat of things.

The visuals of the actual assault are horrifying. Nightow uses some great body horror to amplify the severity of what is happening to Vash’s body. During this assault, Knives is constantly grabbing at Vash’s body, forcing it to do what he wants. This one particular panel I don’t see talked about much really hit me in the gut, with knives standing naked between Vash’s legs. This is kinda what solidified everything for me.

Knives is almost always seen holding a hand over Vash’s eyes and his heart. This is a very intimate gesture and I think this can have a lot of different reads depending on who you ask. For me covering his eyes further takes away Vash’s control over what’s happening to his body, Knives’ hand clawing at his heart representing his desire to violate Vash’s very being and take it for himself. To possess him. To objectify him.

He asks Vash how it feels, and Vash can be seen sobbing in what I think is emotional agony rather than physical pain. Having this happen to him again seems to have triggered the memories he had tried to burry.

Other people have pointed out that the angel arm can be seen as a phallic symbol. I’m not really sure where I fall on this idea but I thought I’d mention it at least.

I will also point out one more instance of assault after fifth moon because this is not the only time Vash is assaulted by his brother

I think this takes place towards the middle of the manga if I remember correctly. This scene (to me) represents the ‘loss of self’ victims often feel as well as the physical aspect of sexual assault. Knives briefly attempts to force Vash’s body into his. He stabs Vash through his arm, pinning him down in attempt to ‘merge’ Vash with himself. When it doesn’t work he rips it out of Vash which seems to cause him horrific pain.

The fact Vash goes on to use his angel arm to save people later on in the story is very powerful. It was once a reminder of the violations he had endured but he reclaimed it as well as his bodily autonomy.

After this there are a few other more minor instances of Knives violating Vash, but I won’t get into those because I feel I’ve made my point. If you have anything to add I’d love to hear it!

[transingthoseformers]

Nononono. I love SG!ConstructProwl. Because consider in IDW Baseline he never accepted them truly and they left him.

In SG they are successful at wooing him.

Oooooh.

Concept.

In SG it is the Constructicons are medics. In BL, they forcibly converted Prowl because of orders and feel in love with his brain. In there's during the SG!ProwlOP divorce, they find him beaten and broken left to die, and having seen what he went through feel sick at the idea of leaving him, and his Spark case is compromised. So they temporarily hook him into their Gestalt system since it is made to accept others, but Prowl latches on to them and is utter enraptured by their loyalty and love. He knows it exists but feeling that kind of loyalty and naivete about being goodness in the world after everything he sees is charming and what's more he wants it. So they've been chosen by a feral sleazy cat/mean girl who is very much now "Optimus who?" and eyeing them up while they squeak and push at him with a broom especially since he refuses to break the bond and gives them sad cat eyes that they know–they can feel his think which is beautifully sharp and horrifically clear and calculating–it is fake but the thought of hurting him and echoed memory of rejections and beatings and not being enough that radiates at the spark of him makes them unable to let go.

Even more Prowl is more than rwady to go full ride or die and has decided to be their murderous "he said no pickles" girlfriend and torment them into not overworking themselves and glare at the Decepticons who ask for assistance or projects and make sure they eat and are fed and have a schedule. The Constructicons overextend themselves to support everyone and have issues saying no.

Prowl does not.

The Decepticons are horrified at the implication of taking advantage and Megatron finds himself agreeing with Prowl about them taking care of themselves while they get upset at first but reluctantly admit he's right.

"Of course I am." Is Prowl’s only response as he shoves cube of Energon flavored to each of their exact tastes and locks down their work stations (Soundwave conveniently distracts Shockwave so he can't help them hack back in) and shuffles them to berth.

Hm, I have thoughts now about Workaholic!SG!Constructicons and their small bossy new self-assigned wife.

Exactlyyyyyyy

In SG, they said "we may or may not be able to fix him but we can try"

Also yes yes on SG medic!constructicons.

Exactly, SG ProwlOp is a toxic relationship I can absolutely see happening as an on/off thing that's been going on since before the war but of course this is the final off switch.

They just have to save him, they've gotta. And they do. Prowl happens to latch on very tightly and does not want to let go lol

It is such the opposite of canon and now he's the one who is sticking close by, because he has felt Positive Emotions that do not come from someone else's Negative Emotions for the first time and he's hooked.

"Would you like me to kill that guy???"

"... No thank you, but it's the thought that counts?"

Yes I'm fiddling around with the constructicon's colors and I am so tempted to keep the purple and not the green

Awww yes and he is making sure they don't implode by being selfish for them (oddly selfless of him, but he'd deny that)

Sdfg yep yep he is their evil bastard they have adopted and he's bullying them into self carem

[cuprohastes]

See strange new worlds... and go for a walk

So there you are, your little Xenobiological survey, and of course, your assigned Human, who's there to pick stuff up and do human-related things.

You've heard about these creatures. They're from some weird hell world where there are ice deserts on the poles, one of which has land under it, the other is apparently just a continental-sized block of ice, and then around the middle, it gets hot enough to make you re-read the report.

And these creatures apparently will happily live there and every 3 Tictar, the climate switches from cold enough to freeze water to warm enough to evaporate it all into enormous clouds which apparently build up a static charge and just float around randomly vaporizing stuff.

Wack.

And then one of your self-driving Sintral all terrain vehicles gets a little too much I in its AI and wanders off, of course with all the gear loaded up and... how do you even deal with that?

It's a wild planet. There are things out there, they have teeth! And Claws! you know -- You saw the human belly rubbing one of the predators, and you're kind of still wondering how that happened.

So now you need to go get the autonomous vehicle back, and of course you're taking the Human. You're a good runner, if anything large and hungry leaps out, your plan is to run faster than the human.

Everyone agrees that there's a 50% chance the Human will just outright murder it, 30% chance they'll hug it and ask it who's a good boy, and Xosh in Maint says there's a 5-10% chance they'll settle down and start a family. The other 10% you'd feel really guilty about.

What nobody told you is that this Human is going to show up with a truly massive pack strapped to it's back, and then proceed to walk. And Walk. And Walk.

There is no reason this thing should be able to do this. It just keeps walking. It's not even tired. It's got a ridiculous hat on and it's singing and it won't stop talking.

"It's been two [hours]!" you say. Walking for 2 hours on your world is considered pretty impressive.

The Human jsut shrugs and says "Yeah?" - but no it's been two [hours] - you're starting to stagger. You know you can run faster than this thing but apparently, if it wanted to it'd just keep strolling after you as you dashed away and then when you stopped to pant it'd just mosey on up.

You start to realise that this is why everyone's got anxiety about this thing turning feral. You can't run from it. It'd just keep coming after you. You couldn't sleep, or rest, it'd just keep coming like some horrific death snail.

And that's when you realise the Vehicle is hunting you. The tracks you're following curve and meet up with the tracks that have your hoofprints and the human's weird mutant leg-hand coverings. It's following you.

The human of course thinks this is fascinating.

You decide to go back but now the vehicle is in front of you, waiting. Horrified you realise it's watching you with LIDAR and SONAR, and Chu-Wave resonance.

You run. You drop everything and you run. Let the vehicle pick the slower target - If you can climb a rock, maybe you can hide. Maybe you can survive.

Your lungs are raw from panting, and you're trying to call the survey camp. You turn around and look down.

The human and the vehicle are facing off. The Human is... talking to it.

OK well that's weird.

Now the human is climbing in... Into a rogue AI vehicle? Will it even let them back out?

The vehicle trundles off, turns, comes back, and circles the rock, making slow, comfortable passes. It's tracking you.

The sun starts to sink and you realise that you're alone out here. Help is not coming.

Then the vehicle stops and the door opens. The Human hops out and just ambles up. Ho hum, just a normal day on a wild planet with a rogue AI and some sort of unceasing predator who seems to treat this all as jolly good fun.

"You can come down." they say. Because that would be the sane thing to do. Yes let's all stand in front of te very heavy, very fast possibly killer vehicle with the insane brain.

"We had a chat - The car, uh well it's got a name now, Herby, it just wanted to follow its programming to transport things. It's quite worried about you." the Human says.

Say what now?

"Yeah it uh, well it got bored I suppose because it wasn't being taken out. So it went to do a topological survey of places it'd never been. Once it realised we were following it kind of panicked because it knows you can't walk long distances comfortably, and it wants to uh... well drive you around so it'll feel better?"

This is way too much. You can barely move. Your muscles are full of anxiety toxins and quivering from over-use. You can barely move now.

The human climbs up the rock with ease, picks you up and puts you in the car. The air conditioning and filtering! Ah! No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater... than Sintral Air!

And now the Human and the car are chatting to each other. Apparently, the agreement is to take the long way back, and a promise to go out more often. You're too tired to care.

You're more or less OK with this until the Human starts to teach the car to sing...

---

Because @marlynnofmany asked why there weren't any stories about humans being persistence predators for great justice, or AI vehicles that weren't evil and I thought "ooh writing prompt"l

[cartoonghosts]

I hate how it is that people veiw the genocide in Palestine as such a black and white thing- I support Jewish people fully, I think that Israel is a necessity in a largely antisemitic world, and what's happening in Gaza is still a fucking atrocity that I am 100% against. Those two things shouldn't be treated as opposing ideas. I think that Hamas as an organization is justified, but I don't think that them killing people is okay. I don't think that any Palestinian should be responsible for that, though- that is entirely, 100% the fault of Israel's government. If you oppress a group of people for nearly a century, forcing them out of their land and murdering anyone who speaks up about it, they are going to retaliate. That doesn't mean they're the aggressor. That doesn't make their violence okay, but it doesn't make Israel's violence okay either. I just hate how your opinion isn't allowed to be 'people dying is horrific and terrible'- either I'm gonna get people telling me that that's a reason that Israel should be allowed to murder thousands and thousands of children, or people telling me that I can't both support Palestine and recognize that antisemitism is a huge fucking problem. I can. Currently, the problem of hundreds being violently murdered every day and forced out of the last place they can call their ancestral home is a more immediate and horrifying problem, but that doesn't make anything else less of a problem. Yes, people dying on October 7th is horrible and that was a tragedy. What is happening right now is a genocide. Both can be and are true.

From the river to the sea 🇵🇸

[imbuedebauchery]

While I love to see everyone so excited about Isha,

especially where it concerns the potential for Jinx's healing, I'm shocked to see a lack of concern for the child and what she means to the story as a whole.

Arcane has always been about cycles of violence, about how people become doomed by violence to uphold systems of violence. It has always shown us this through children. Arcane is fundamentally built on the trauma of children and how that trauma becomes an inescapable vortex.

Vi would not be Vi if she was not extremely young when her parents died. She would not base her entire sense of self and worth around protecting others - she would not consider herself fundamentally wrong and reprehensible for failing to protect her charge, Powder - if not for the way this identity was cemented into her youth. The Enforcers took everything from her. The whole point of her story is how she negotiates (terribly) with all these moving parts - pieces that were presented to her through the vulnerable and fractured lens of being a literal child.

Same with Jinx. Let's not forget what her trauma looked like. Where Vi was forced to be an adult right from the beginning of her life, Jinx never got to grow up. She was forever trapped by her nightmares and hallucinations, unable to process her emotions like an adult. We know how this ended. (Terribly.)

The sister cities are at war. The sisters are at war. They were subjected to ruthless violence and isolating practices throughout their youth. One of the fundamental scenes from S1, E1 is the baroque-invoking montage of Vi, Mylo and Claggor fighting the other kids while Powder sat and watched, horrified. This could very well have been one of the worst, ugliest displays of close-up violence Powder was subjected to in her youth.

Why is it okay that this happens to Isha?

Maybe "okay" is the wrong word. I'm not accusing people of condoning or celebrating any kind of violence involving children, not by any means.

My question is: why are we cheering so loud for Jinx to be reverse-adopted by this child when their first encounter is after a lethal gunfight? Jinx shows her a ruthless display of unthinking, uncaring violence. She has become the undercity embodied with all her chaos and destructive tendencies. Isha was an evader - she ran from the danger. She was a survivor, not a killer. But the moment she is shown someone who cares about her in the same motion that she shows her how the undercity really works, she associated that care with that violence.

Did Isha know what it meant to put herself in Vi's way? Yes or no both bring their own problems. Yes, she understands death and what it means to kill people, and would participate in that act - would either be killed by Vi, or pull the trigger on her - to keep her new source of care safe. No, she has no idea what she's doing, and is blindly acting on love and attachment alone.

This was the question that would have followed Silco and Powder all throughout Powder's upbringing.

Yes, Jinx will be given opportunities to see herself, to see Powder in Isha, and to try and make things better for Isha and thereby address her own childhood trauma. But it's already off to a horrific start. Jinx is ultimately powerless to change how the undercity works (we'll see if she unites it! But likely won't change it), and cannot afford to show anything other than express and expert violence to those she loves. There was another post that talked about how the three girls, Isha, Jinx, and Sevika, communicate in body language and grunts and don't need words to communicate anything - yes. because their communication is based in beating the shit out of people. This makes them good fighters, not good at fixing issues or approaching trauma. They will simply continue to try and solve their problems and become a family in the only way they are familiar with: through killing others.

Another child is simply being roped into the way of things. Another child is being put at risk. Another child will grow up and show other children that violence is what keeps the world chugging along.

Whether or not Isha dies, something tragic will befall her. Something that will provide her with an irreversible fork in the road. She will either die, and Jinx will see that this is what her system, her city, does to people. That this is what she is permanently cursed to do to people. Or Isha lives, and faces something traumatic. Jinx realizes that this is what happens to children in the undercity, and is hopeless to affect any kind of change.

Or... Isha lives. She suffers the moment of extreme horror that will change her forever, and has no coping mechanisms, but saw enough lost love in Jinx that she is able to piece together a way to continue in this world without resorting to violence. She finds a way to address that trauma without unleashing it back on the world.

I'd like to think, knowing how Fortiche will be more than aware of the themes of childhood in this series, that Isha will live. Introducing a child this late in the game - a universal symbol of hope for the future in any given fiction - presents them with the opportunity to express how things can change. Maybe our wretched adult freaks are doomed, but maybe... maybe there's a chance. Maybe not everything is absolutely hopeless.

If they kill her? There is no shred of hope in the rest of this series. I'm sure of it. Literally nothing good will come out of any other plotline in S2 if Isha dies. She is the canary, and oh boy, we're going down deep into the mine with S2.

Why must a child suffer for Jinx to learn? I think this is the ultimate question that comes out of seeing the excitement for the new trio family. Why do we have to rope a literal child into a murder duet so that Jinx might be able to see her own traumas in a different lens?

There's something about the doom of children to systemic violence that just makes me weepy every time. Rewatching S1 E1 had me in tears almost every minute. Knowing that these kids, these children, were participating in practices that would doom them. Knowing that the adults we see at the end of S1 and where we are in S2 are direct and inevitable products of their youth. Kids that deserved love and safety, and were instead handed war and weapons. And we're watching it again in real time! And cheering about it????

I had to ramble about this because I just haven't seen anything on it - and maybe I'm wrong, maybe it just hasn't crossed my feed, maybe everyone is acutely aware of this as a base-level of knowledge and I just didn't get the memo. But I'll share my thoughts anyway.

[phenphoenix]

Vaggie pulled her mask off, trying to catch her breath. Nailing another sinner through the torso.

They were all screaming.

Didn't they know this was mercy?

She flew down another alley, and found a small child. The kid was trembling, pressed into the wall.

Terrified.

What had a kid done to get into hell?

...they were doing the right thing... right?

Screams answered her.

This wasn't right.

"Go, now," she whispered, pulling back her spear, and the kid bolted. Vaggie let out a sigh.

She needed to tell-

"Vaggie, what are doing?!"

Vaggie spun around. Emily-?

Before she had a chance to respond, the seraphim had moved, and-

Pain. Horrific terrible pain.

Vaggie screamed, falling to the ground, grabbing her eye. Or... the socket. Her eye lay on the ground. Emily moved over it.

"Wait-!"

Vaggie screamed as she was pinned to the ground, and felt a quick motion. Her wings!

Emily backed up, looking furious, holding her blade tightly....

The anger faded, and the seraphim looked horrified. Glancing at the golden ichor laying around, then at Vaggie. Emily's shoulders tensed, but she turned around and took flight.

Vaggie struggled forward.

Fallen.

Grimacing, she yanked her halo off her head and stumbled to her feet.

She needed to move.

I think it would be interesting if Vaggie still has her halo. Emily isn't quite as cruel as Lute, but in a fit of rage she would actually cast Vaggie out, but leave once she realized what she did. Does she tell Sera what exactly she did? Does Vaggie actually still have her halo, or is that how Velvette found out? Was it trashed with her uniform?

This AU has me in a chokehold, so I hope you like what I wrote.

Ohgggg I love your guy's brains sm-

I'd say that, yes, Emily would leave in a hurry. Leaving vaggie with her halo. But vaggie trashes it herself. I'm still not sure what exactly gives her away to Velvette, but I do like the idea of it being a culmination of things. In this AU, the only thing that can cause an angel to bleed is angelic steal. More specifically, angelic steal used with intent to protect. So vaggie bleeding to get revealed never happens. Which in and of itself kinda gives her away. I also like to think that angels (even fallen ones) Heal very quickly. So even just by the time Velvette found vaggie in that alleyway, the scars on her back and face had looked like they'd been there for a while. But still, two long scars down someone's back... someone who, no matter how hard you try, never bleeds. Who never talks about their time alive and despite being a recent member in hell, doesn't fully understand current Earth trends....or any trends at all. Someone who also seems rather knowledgeable about certain overlords, some even long sense been dead. The pieces start to add up eventually....

Also, I will say that while vaggies skin is strong, she can still get bruises. Because of the color of her skin, tho they don't look all that different, then what'd you'd expect. But if one is deep enough, there is a slight golden tent. This could also be what hits the final nail in the coffin for Vel.

Angels can be hurt in many ways, but anything lethal can't be done to them unless it's by another angel or demon wielding an angelic weapon. But both still need to do it with the intent to protect and be "out for love"

(I've also had the thought that Vel somehow learns this and gets angelic fibers woven into her gloves, so hitting vaggie hurts her even more than previously. Vel using her twisted love for her image and status as a way to still fit into the rule)

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

Our Bodies Know

Author's note: More of Nanael in Husbandry.

Summary: So- how did Nanael go from being a tragic boy to Cedric's Body dumping buddy? Part 4- Escape from the Black Legion.

Warnings: A Loyalist trapped among Chaos Marines. Threats of Noncon. LMK if I need to add anything.

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams

Tagged: @sleepyfan-blog, @ms--lobotomy , @thevoidscreams, @i-am-a-dragon34, @gra93fruit-blog

Tagged: @felinisnoctis, @undeaddream

Nanael would like to say that he never screamed, but that would be a lie, and that was something he wouldn't do. At least not to himself. It had taken hours- many hours before the pain, excruciating and horrific as it had been, before he started to.

Hours before, when his voice gave out and he could no longer scream, or whimper. That the bastard stopped torturing him for now. Every time he thrashed and fought, hissed and swore. The bastard stopped torturing him and waited.

An amused, patient expression on his face. Like a father, with an unruly temper tantrum having child. Nanael had been trained to withstand a lot of things including torture.

So he wrapped the core of himself in a protective ball and did his best to let his mind drift, to ignore what it was they were doing to his body. To ignore the words they spoke.

It wasn't just knives in the firelight carving into his body. Words- spoken harshly meant to make him react. Mostly he did his best to ignore their words as they tried to force him to fall.

To try and break him, mind, body, soul, and spirit. But he wouldn't let them. He recalls his Father primarch's words, "I love you my son. Live."

Those words, no matter how much they burned, gave him solace, and a grim determination to survive, to not fall to chaos and turn from the Light of the God Emperor.

For he is a Primaris Marine- and they cannot fall to Chaos. To recount, to think about what those Chaos bastards did to him, would only serve to make his nightmares worse- and only please them with his frightened whimpers and flinches.

He'd learned, to his horror that the cage- and their Dark Apostle- with the aid of some dark chaos tech could twist the cage to keep him pinned and his arms and legs and wings trapped tight and bound unable to move.

"Uvrox," Toradreel says in that same horrifying mild, pleasant, soft spoken tone, "I know that you are a follower of Slannesh and have been eyeing our birdie."

"Yes, Sir." Uvrox says, licking his lips as he eyes the pretty Son of the Ninth Primarch.

"I know, that some of the ways that the followers of Slannesh indulge in worship of their Dark God is through is through the ... carnal partaking of the unwilling." Toradreel says.

"Yes Sir!" Uvrox says, almost salivating, shaking a little as he eyes Nanael.

Who starts to thrash and fight against his bonds more, the position that he's been bound in making a lot more sense- in a horrifying way.

"Oh- he doesn't like that idea," Toradreel says, "Perhaps we can have you indulge in that practice later, Uvrox."

"But-" Uvrox starts to protest, but the look from the Master of Torture has him ducking his head and scurrying off without much more fuss.

Nanael has a rollercoaster of emotion, and he feels wretched that he feels almost grateful to the bastard for not allowing that to happen to him yet. He hates himself. And Toradreel for that.

[hold-on-a-little-longer-whump]

Trope: Ignorant Traitor

In lieu of a previous ask, here's a little trope blurb that I love <3

Ah, yes. "The Ignorant Traitor," (which, honestly, could be considered a reversal of "used for bait") in which a character is bugged with a tracking device and unknowingly leads the enemy to their team/friends/family - to the place that was supposed to be a place of solitude and respite from everything. Maybe someone detects the bug in time for everyone to start bugging out, but it's too late, or perhaps they're all caught unawares?

Cue the self-satisfied smile of a victorious Enemy Leader as they stroll through the Team HQ, seeing that their plan had come to fruition after all. They even make a point of singling out the Ignorant Traitor by thanking them, standing taller as they take in everyone's horrified expressions. "Well done! I knew you couldn't be completely useless!" They praise, watching as the team is brought into custody with little resistance because - honestly - where can they run to?

And the whole time the Ignorant Traitor is desperately trying to convince their allies that they didn't know, I had no idea, no, why would you say that? You have to believe me!

Maybe they take the Ignorant Traitor prisoner too, forcing them endure the furious stares and betrayed shaking of heads and muttered resentments. Maybe it's even worse that, when the time comes for them to be separated from their team, nobody objects as they're dragged away.

That, or they're left behind because the Enemy Leader just shrugs, saying "you've served your purpose" or "you've done enough damage" or "do you honestly think I want you, after all the damage you've managed to cause?" or "please, you're more trouble than you're worth." Leaving the Ignorant Traitor, too injured to pursue right away, to shout after their captured team that they'll make this right.

And now the Ignorant Traitor is left to rely on themselves to set any breaks, suture any bleeds, and disinfect and bandage everything on their own. Maybe they're used to it, but it'd hurt even worse if they were accustomed to the whisper-soft touches of the dependable team Medic, of whom their last memory was a disappointed glower that turned away when they had tried to plea their case. It'd be even more gripping if they barely allow themselves time to recover before they're off to fix their mistake. Give me a limping, worn down, emotional wreck of a soldier. They look like hell. They feel like hell. And you could see hell burning in their eyes. Nothing was going to stop them from setting things right.

And the real kicker - after their team has shunned them? It just so happens that a different teammate was responsible for planting the bug on them in the first place - making them the True Traitor. Maybe the Enemy Leader separated them from the imprisoned team under the guise of leverage, to ensure that everyone behaved themselves, when in reality the True Traitor is thriving under the Enemy Leader's control. Now there's another layer of betrayal!

So, the Ignorant Traitor vows to make things right. They soon lose count of failed missions. After all, such a monumental task is nearly impossible when working solo. But even though they retreat with new scars each time, they doggedly continue to work at freeing their old team. Each time they are forced to retreat, the ire within their eyes burns darker. Do they manage to rescue their old team, regardless of their obvious hate? Are they tearfully forgiven or shunned? Are they killed in an attempt, which turned out to be the only successful one, and it is only then that the team discovers that the Ignorant Traitor was innocent after all? Or, my personal favorite, are they horrifically injured in a rescue attempt - during which the truth comes to light about the True Traitor? Can the old team rally amongst themselves and help the Ignorant Traitor? Does their old team manage to save them, or do they only manage to beg for forgiveness as the Ignorant Traitor dies in their arms? An ally turned martyr? Because, regardless... they succeeded. They managed to fulfill the promise they had made at the start of this whole mess - months or even years ago.

Idc if I just handed you a whole ass plot - take it! Take it apart and Frankenstein it back together and mold it to fit your own ideas and share it! I'd like to read more things like this please and thanks!! Even if they're rambling blurbs like this was! My TBR is sparse!! <3

[thecluelessdoctor]

bored sounds

I have

A poppy playtime theory

Why?

BECAUSE I AM CRINGE

anyway

Spoilers undercut

So I hope all of you have at least watched a playthrough of Poppy playtime.

I have a theory about the player character.

My theory is that the player character is the child spoken about in one of the first few VHS tapes. Let me explain

A lot of people might not notice or think about it, but the player character is HORRIFIED of catnap. They hallucinations catnap, they drop something important out of complete fear. They IMMEDIATELY flee (yes the player is controlling them but still. The implications of them immediately running away). They fear catnap, even if the player doesn't

Now why would I think the player character is the little girl who had a nightmare from catnap 's smoke?

Well if you've ever had a nightmare, one that truly scared you to your very core, you ALWAYS remember it in the back of your mind. It never truly leaves, and even if anything in it is unlikely to happen at all, it still horrifies you.

Then imagine if that nightmare became a reality. You would basically have a automatic fear. A immediate flight response. Why? Because for some reason your brain decided to wire itself to be horrified of that very specific thing.

So. The player character is horrified of catnap, anddd the girl spoken about had a horrific nightmare involving the smoke, and it could be assumed that catnap appeared in it

And before you ask "oh but what about the fact the player is a ex employee" or "oh but everyone was murdered during the hour of joy"

We don't know the exact time period of everything. We also don't know if the girl was used for experiments like Theodore was. If my theory is right, I think the girl grew up to work a bit in playtime Co before quitting, before the hour of joy. Then I'd say long after playtime Co was abandoned, they returned, wondering what happened to everyone.

The reason I think that the player is horrified, not just scared of catnap, is due to reactions.

How the player character reacts to catnap is different compared to the others. They outright hallucinate catnap. They barely have any attention towards huggy. The listen to mommy because it's the way forward. They listen to Ollie however, not just because it's the way forward, but also possibly to avoid their stalker.

Hell they out right yeet the battery when catnap appears. Mob games didn't need to do that. They could have just left the battery as he appeared, but no. The player character drops the battery, like when you get so startled, so freaked out, so stunned you freeze up, dropping anything in your hand (I know it's happened to you once don't lie)

But anyway, that's just a theory

A GAME THEORY

anyway

I'm Dotty, and I need mental help

Edit: this theory has been debunked so ignore my ramblings if you wish

[pluckyredhead]

Hi! I've been reading through your character profiles recently (they're incredibly well done, and I love learning about less popular DC characters, so thank you for making them) and in one you said Hawkman mutilated his own godson, and now I'm overflowing with curiosity. Did he actually do that? Why? That sounds horrific.

It is SO BAD, friend!

So this happened during a 2004 JSA/Hawkman crossover called Black Reign in which Black Adam decides to liberate his home country of Kahndaq from a brutal dictator (and become, um, a benevolent dictator, but that's neither here nor there). To do so, he assembles the following squad:

Atom Smasher (Al Rothstein), who is there because he's frustrated that the JSA won't kill bad guys and also because he's hot for Black Adam

Brainwave (Hank King Jr.), who is there because he has a worm in his brain making him evil (yes really)

Alexander Montez, who is there because he's possessed by Eclipso

Nemesis, who is there because she's a random forgettable villain

And Northwind (Norda Cantrell), who is there because...

Well, we don't know! Norda, like Al and Hank, is a former member of Infinity, Inc. with a particularly goofy backstory: his father is Black human man and his mother is a bird lady who kind of looks like a sexy version of Woodstock from Peanuts. So Norda is a Black biracial man who is also part bird. He used to look like this:

He pretty much hadn't been seen for like a decade after Infinity, Inc. disbanded, but Black Reign reintroduces him like this:

Note his head and how much more animalistic it looks. Note the narrative box explaining that he can't speak anymore, because something something evolution.

Geoff Johns decided to take a Black character who had always been characterized as gentle, thoughtful, sensitive, and kind, and turn him into a savage, murderous animal, who is literally incapable of speech. He's the only character in this story given absolutely no motivation, because he cannot speak to express one. He's already been thoroughly dehumanized, and we haven't even gotten to the mutilation yet!

(It's also implied that Norda is the only one of Black Adam's squad, besides Adam, who knows that Hank has a worm in his brain that's controlling him/eating said brain, and just literally doesn't care. That's his friend! What the fuck!!)

Anyway, even though the people of Kahndaq welcome Black Adam as a liberator, the JSA decides to go into another sovereign nation and attack its new ruler with zero authorization from either the US or the UN, because obviously a Middle Eastern nation couldn't possibly have self-determination and a bunch of very very VERY old white American men know best. I'm not saying this is a simple political or ethical situation but I AM saying the story treats it like it is, and like the JSA completely and totally has the right to fart on over to another country and declare war. Probably worth pointing out that this was only three years after 9/11.

ANYWAY. Hawkman ends up fighting Norda, who is his godson, a fact which Hawkman reminds Norda of before doing this:

Jay is, correctly, horrified, and the following dialogue takes place:

It's okay! Sure, Carter ripped one of his godson's limbs out of its socket, but it'll probably grow back! Maybe!

It does in fact grow back, and it's worth acknowledging that Norda was totally ripping out random dudes' entrails at the beginning of this story so he's not exactly innocent here. But for me this particular moment has three key takeaways:

The obsession that comics in the post-9/11 era had with showing heroes doing ever more gruesomely violent, morally suspect things is just as exhausting now as it was back then, and ultimately contributes very little of substance to any conversations about heroism, justice, or the wars in the Middle East.

The treatment of Norda in this story is racist, full stop.

Norda has not appeared in any significant way in the 20 years since. He was never going to be a character with a major spotlight, but this sure didn't help.

[purplink8]

you make good points I just want to add that by “using with intend” I mean his massacre of a large amount in the beginnng to which ryuk said “you are the first person to do so”

Thanks for clarifying that! I will link 2 relevant posts here & here, which imo do a much better job at explaining the issue (you mention) in a thorough manner. Nevertheless, I will answer your ask.

I think you're referencing the following scene, yes?

You are correct in that Light does kill a LOT of people in his killing spree. I will say however that context matters. (Friendly reminder that I am not defending or justifying Light's actions (which are, frankly speaking, horrible), what I am doing is *explaining* his actions from his POV- which does not make me his apologist but I digress).

As I have mentioned in this post of mine, Light writes Otoharada's name into the death note without thinking that it'd actually work. He does not take its rules seriously and why would he? Magic notebooks that kill people are not real, are they? After 40 seconds, he is forced to realize that it's all real. The Note works, and what a horrific realization it is!

Especially for such a golden child like Light Yagami, the brightest student of Japan. Light says it himself:

"I'm a serious, straight-A, student...a model teenager." This is not just him bragging, it's shown again and again in canon just how exceptional Light is and how all the people around him say that they "can count on Light!". Additionally, his father is the chief in the NPA and has, understandably, a strong sense of justice evident in lines like these:

"I will not succumb to evil."

Light has deeply internalized these values; which is why Light resents being called evil very much. Being Kira or killing people goes against the very core of his father's ideals.

Remember, prior to discovering the Death Note, Light was for all intents and purposes, a law-abiding citizen (if we ignore his hacking skills). More importantly he excelled in every thing he tried- he played all his roles in his life amazingly well; he was the perfect son, the best brother Sayu could've asked for, "a serious, straight-A student", "a model teenager" and so on.

All this to say that pre-Kira!Light views himself as a virtuous, Righteous person. He has this image of himself which is absolutely valuable to him, that he is a good person. In canon, it's shown that pre-Kira!Light is the most reliable person in terms of skill, intelligence, and good intentions.

Imagine how he'd feel after he has accidentally killed Otoharada. His experimenting with a harmless prank (as he had imagined) has cost the life of an individual. He is appalled:

He cannot bring himself to believe it. It must be a coincidence:

He has to convince himself that it's a coincidence, because if it's not, it would mean that the best student in Japan has become a murderer. That is why he decides to try the Note again. To confirm his hope that it is indeed a coincidence. Thus, he tests the Note on Takuo Shibuimaru to see what happens. And lo and behold, Shibuimaru *actually* dies (very violently at that, I might add), Light's worst fear has come true:

Now he can't blame it all on coincidences or remain in plausible deniability. A grim realization that he has killed two people is forced onto Light:

Look at his eyes, the poor kid is horrified, in the worst manner possible, that he has unwittingly become a murderer. He's become nauseous, sick to his stomach, he panics, he even contemplates (even if it's for just a few moments) just throwing the Death Note away:

Casual reminder that before finding the Note, Light has been an admirable role model to all those who meet him. People who know him, have immense respect towards him. He's the son of the chief of the NPA, like that fact isn't lost on Light and I imagine it adds on to the expectations others have of him, and the thing is? He delivers on those expectations. No he's even better than that- he raises the standard set by the society.

Now remember all this info & combine it with the fact that the one person whom everyone can count on, has become a murderer (his two kills were accidental but still). Light's view of himself as a person is at risk of being drastically shifted very negatively. Light has tried his whole life to be righteous at all costs (as he follows Soichiro's ideals) however these two kills are too threatening to his identity and morality.

Light is not used to failures even minor ones, he's successful at an amazing degree in his life, and these two incidents easily take the cake, so as to speak.

Think back to his first reaction to becoming an accidental murderer: "What do I do... Get...rid of this evil thing..."

Notice something? If he does decide to get rid of the Death Note as per his thoughts, he'd be admitting (at least to himself) in his conscience that he made the two mistakes. Disposing of the Note would crystallize his mistakes for what they are as he can't just bring back those two victims back to life, can he? There's no way to bring back the dead (Death Eraser was only part of the pilot chapter). It is an irreversible mistake of gigantic proportions.

But "we can count on-" Light Yagami doesn't make mistakes, much less a criminal offence, right? Since the mistake is neither reversible (such as spelling a word incorrectly which you Can undo/erase) nor small, Light can either accept those mistakes, live with the guilt they cause him for the rest of his life OR he can deny that those were mistakes.

You may wonder, how can he possibly live in such a denial? Isn't he supposed to be a genius or something? And the answer to that is good old rationalization Light is a professional rationalizer imo. In a matter of seconds (proving how quickly he thinks), he has already gone along where his defense mechanism leads him to:

It can't be a mistake if it was done intentionally, right? Light convinces himself that "This is what I've been thinking all along..."

I'd like to point out that while Light does think the world is rotten before getting the Death Note. He doesn't extend his thinking to "The world needs to be cleaned up" via murder until after the two deeds are done. Light would move Mu and earth for maintaining the belief that, he is righteous, true no matter what. Still, whether he rationalizes the heck out of his actions or not, his self-image is shattered irrevocably and he can never be the same person again no matter how hard he tries.

This, i.e., coming into terms that this is what he wanted, wants, and will want re: the whole killing criminals to make the world a better place, does not happen overnight. Light gradually adjusts to this massive change in his worldview over the course of the next few days:

He acknowledges that it isn't easy by any means.

In true Light Yagami fashion (by which I mean, how he's the most suitable person to "count on", THE number 1 student in all of Japan, his self-image being a very VERY Righteous person etc etc). he goes "With great power, comes great responsibility" (instead of getting spiderman's power, he has the power to kill) and he is determined that only he can handle this responsibility.

Only he is brave enough, intelligent enough, responsible enough, righteous enough to be entrusted with the future of the whole world as he'll slowly but surely transform the world into a better place. Of course it won't be easy! That's why only he can do it. He is one tough cookie to be sure for better or for worse like others would've been too scared after killing 2 people and would naturally give up. Not Light tho as to him giving up would be akin to accepting that he fucked up.

But he's Light 'doesn't make mistakes' Yagami, he cannot be a failure as a murderer. He's not used to disappointing others at all. I know I'm stressing this a lot, and it's because to really understand Light, you'd have to know how he is before finding the Note. At the risk of sounding redundant, let's summarize how pre-Kira!Light is.

He's popular, smart, admirable and most importantly, he has great prospects ahead of him. Yes, he does think the world is rotten but he *is* also passionate with respect to changing the current scenario. He has a very strong sense of justice. And I would argue that at the age of only 17, the black & white morality (y'know that criminals deserve to die?) of his is not that unusual. He probably would've matured past that thinking had he not found the Death Note.

Alas that doesn't happen, and he's forced (by himself only to maintain his positive self-image) to remain stuck at that mindset because otherwise? That'd imply that he made the exceedingly large mistake of killing 2 people. You cannot correct that mistake, if you're as exceptional & good as Light Yagami, you have to choose to deny it was a mistake by thinking it was all deliberate. That's how he copes.

That still doesn't make it okay, and Light knows that all too well as he loses sleep & weight:

I believe that now we're at a stage to understand just why did Light kill all those hundreds(? idk the exact number) of people afterwards. After he shows Ryuk how many names he's written, he says this:

Light (before Ryuk tells him otherwise) fully believed that there would be consequences, most likely: Light's death, for using the Death Note. He's tremendously guilt-ridden after 2 kills, and he thinks he's already damned to lose his life/soul once the Shinigami arrives. He will, according to his logic, die at an age of mere 17 years. All his ambitions, dreams, future aspirations gone in a poof of smoke. He's too young to die; what about his life's purpose? He (like any other human being really) wished to have a meaningful life.

He figures, if he's already doomed by 2 kills, why not kill more people (who deserve to die, i.e., criminals from Light's POV)? This serves 2 purposes:

If he continues killing by using the notebook, he can reinforce the denial in his mind, that using the Note on the first 2 criminals wasn't a mistake. The equation goes as follows: Mistakes happen unintentionally & Light does not make mistakes = Killing those 2 was not a mistake & it was all intentional actually.

If he's going to die anyway, why not die as a martyr for his cause? Why not kill most of the other criminals in the world to have the maximum positive impact? So that he can rest in peace knowing that his actions *did* matter in the grand scheme of things.

And that's why I believe, he goes on his killing spree. His logic, at a closer examination, is horseshit (like come on, solving accidentally killing 2 people with intentionally killing even more people? Still it's Light we're talking about) but it's his coping mechanism to which he clings dearly.

He hasn't deceived himself that killing is good, he just views himself + his integrity (and the lives of criminals) as a necessary sacrifice for the betterment of the world and to preserve his self-image as a righteous citizen.

So yes, he kills them with intent. That's the point I'm trying to make. Intent is essential as the lack of it would indicate that Light fucked up. And since he is of utmost conviction that he cannot fuck up, he has carved out this path in which the ends justify the means and he was acting only according to how he always thinks "This world is rotten".