#(which is under the read more)
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
inkskinned Ā· 1 year ago
Text
love when men cry about body hair bc "it's hygiene" and yet 15% of cis men leave the bathroom without washing their hands at all and an additional 35% only just wet their hands without using soap. that is nearly half of all men. that means statistically you have probably shaken hands with or been in direct contact with one of these people.
love when men say that women "only want money" when it turns out that even in equal-earning homes, women are actually adding caregiver burdens and housework from previous years, whereas men have been expanding leisure time and hobbies. in equal-earning households, men spend an average of 3.5 hours extra in leisure time per week, which is 182 hours per year - a little over a week of paid vacation time that the other partner does not receive. kinda sounds like he wants her money.
love that men have decided women are frail and weak and annoying when we scream in surprise but it turns out it's actually women who are more reliable in an emergency because men need to be convinced to actually take action and respond to the threat. like, actually, for-real: men experience such a strong sense of pride about their pre-supposed abilities that it gets them and their families killed. they are so used to dismissing women that it literally kills them.
love it. told my father this and he said there's lies, damned lies, and statistics. a year ago i tried to get him to evacuate the house during a flash flood. he ignored me and got injured. he has told me, laughing, that he never washes his hands. he has said in the last week that women are just happier when we're cooking or cleaning.
maybe i'm overly nostalgic. but it didn't used to feel so fucking bleak. it used to feel like at least a little shameful to consider women to be sheep. it just feels like the earth is round and we are still having conversations about it being flat - except these conversations are about the most obvious forms of patriarchy. like, we know about this stuff. we've known since well before the 50's.
recently andrew tate tried to justify cheating on his partner as being the "male prerogative." i don't know what the prerogative for the rest of us would be. just sitting at home, watching the slow erosion of our humanity.
#writeblr#warm up#ps edited so it is more clear where ā€œhalfā€ of men is coming from:#15% literally don't even touch water#an ADDITIONAL 35% ''wash'' by just running their hands under water WITHOUT SOAP#15+35 =50%#like that is not washing ur hands. go back and use soap#btw the numbers for women are 4% never washing and 15% ''just water''#which is still gross but like. sooo much better yikes#ps i know we're all gay on this site but watching ppl ''correct'' my math on this has been wild#i have a learning disability im genuinely bad at math so i check EVERY time someone corrects me#but no they're just confidently wrong.....#182 hours is a week babes. 182/24 (number of hours in a day) is ~7.6#that's where i got that number from. also from rent we know there's 168 hours in a week.#ALSO btw if u read this and ur response is ''men are also struggling rn tho'' like babe you missed the point of it tho#this doesn't even make fun of men it's legit just pointing out that bigotry against women isn't founded#in anything men actually CARE about . like they don't actually CARE about ''being clean'' when they make fun of armpit hair#or they would be WASHING THEIR HANDS.#men pretend to be rollin' in cash and Apex Predators and instead they are trained to be lazy and unwilling to act in emergencies#i have never and will never make fun of men for asking for more support on important topics like DV and mental health.#this is so clearly not about men; it's about how common just being plainly misogynistic has become.#like they don't try to hide it anymore.
5K notes Ā· View notes
ofswordsandpens Ā· 3 months ago
Text
adding to the "there should have been more genuine tension within the seven" train of thought, it would have been funny if the Argo II, technically being a ship, meant it fell under Percy's power domain and he could control it all at whim, rendering all the carefully crafted controls Leo built useless if Percy felt like being an asshole
1K notes Ā· View notes
vaguely-concerned Ā· 8 days ago
Text
on the one hand I think inner demons could stand to have a bit more romanced rook specific content, but on the other hand the underlying in-built implication that 'yours is the one true voice of comfort and safety in my inner world' is a sentiment and intimacy so way beyond the romantic or the platonic or any secret third thing you could care to name that it makes me lose my entire poor little mind a bit. it's so big and fundamental ā€” near-existential ā€” that in that exact moment at least the distinctions kind of seem irrelevant.
all the people lucanis' mind conjures up along the way are relationships he has that are unavoidably mixed and fraught in some ways even when they're also full of love (they are fraught BECAUSE they're full of love) ā€” the good in them inseparable from things that hurt him at the same time. (it's about: the basic disorganized attachment patterns this poor guy is dragging around with him. careful with those, they're dellamorte heirlooms. what you love also inevitably hurts you and you won't be allowed to have one without the other, you have to surrender parts of your soul to hold on to what little you have left: this is the story up until now.) and the idea that rook isn't that to him ā€” that beneath the fear of wanting them when romanced (which is more its own separate thing because within this psychology, actively wanting something and not just clinging on for dear life to even a meager status quo lest you lose it is in itself dangerous bordering on catastrophic), this is a relationship where there isn't resentment, or guilt, or shame, or dread, or rage, or self-hate, or any of the other emotions that keep him paralyzed, unable to move this way or that. no debts, nothing owed of yourself and your soul's substance except what you can freely and safely and happily give. love and freedom don't coexist ā€” but, I mean, you're almost starting to make me think........... unless...šŸ‘€šŸ‘€šŸ‘€. the unconditional and undramatic 'you are here and I am here with you, you can be exactly how you are right now with me and it's safe for us both even though you're afraid it won't be, I'm not going anywhere' acceptance rook shows him here that he returns to them in the big romance scene, when it's rook who needs it. the way he's just. standing there in the center of it all, like a child desperately helplessly waiting to be found, hiding in the place he hopes you'll know to look first. (rook does know. it's one of the first things they say in there.)
in short the most important room in his little mind palace for the romance is the very first room ā€” the one where rook isn't. where, in fact, rook cannot be, because they disprove the entire structure of the place with their existence and presence in his life. with everyone else he's putting words in their mouths about what they think of him, and rook is the one who actually gets to come in to speak their own words to him ā€” and have him listen. ('he'll listen to you, he always listens to you', 'your voice is a comfort'.) of course rook isn't present anywhere else in there ā€” at the risk of stating the obvious to a tedious degree, they aren't one of the locks, they're bringing the key. in the very finest 'the messenger and the message' sort of way.
#dragon age#dragon age: the veilguard#dragon age: the veilguard spoilers#dragon age spoilers#lucanis dellamorte#rook x lucanis#rookanis#dragon age meta#rook is his first brush with actual safe attachment. and to me and because of who I am as a person#nothing could be more romantically devastating or impactful fhdsjkfhs that's literally the unreachable wistful dream the pie in the sky#the garrus romance echoes too. some of the same stuff going on under the hood here#you know who else he's sneakily like too actually? iron bull. the 'no matter where I turn I'll hurt someone I love' and dissociation stuff#there's that whole line about 'walking close to the edge or whatever'#which is masterful as a diversion b/c what this romance is really about is feeling truly safe with someone#in a sort of weirdly realistic way that makes it struggle with the conventions of video game romance but sure is Doing something!#and I unwittingly made a rook who also is on that specific arc so it's working out just devastating for me thanks for asking#the part in andrea gibson's 'prism' that's like. there is no shelter in the womb it's where you learn the cord that feeds you#could at any moment wrap around your neck. I think that's the initial understanding of love here. which is not good. if you think about it.#I don't think I really write these kinds of posts btw I just black out for a while and when I wake up from the trance I too#get to read what the fuck I've been thinking about finally. corralling that raging electric storm#that keeps overtaking my neurons at regular intervals and translating it into if not sense then certainly words. lots of words#no one is ever more surprised than me to find out what i'm thinking and feeling
168 notes Ā· View notes
deoidesign Ā· 1 month ago
Text
Tumblr media
Time and Time Again comes back tonight!
Thank you all for being so patient with me, I know it was a long hiatus.
My health was struggling, my arm was (is) hurting, and I decided it wasn't worth it. I'd rather be slow!
So thank you for giving me that grace, and I hope you'll be there with me for the rest of the series.
#like straight up. it's not worth it. idc how many people get mad at me#i would rather work fuckin. anything else than maintain this impossible schedule and keep hurting myself#if thats what it takes to do comics full time. then i can't do comics full time. simple as that!#i hope that for my next work i can have a healthier schedule and still make this work as my job#but if not. I'm never going back#i can't do it. 3 more years at this pace will take my ability to draw#anyways. its really good!!!#like genuinely i can feel a marked improvement in my skills#which is WILD!!! And I'm extremely happy about that!!!#just one more step into being better built to give people the quality stories they deserve.#ive not properly had the fire under my ass to finish stuff up but. its fine.#like i said? not worth it.#if i have to pause again then ill pause again. like i literally simply can not my body can't handle it#so. hopefully stuff goes smoothly but whatever happens will happen#whatever will be will be#i keep getting distracted lmfao#im excited about it coming back#and also. will. probably be distracting myself...#other creators dont read their comments. I'm like straight up not capable of that LMAOOO#i check for comments like all the time#love seeing em. love reading people's thoughts about my work#it makes me a better writer and keeps me connected to what matters most. which is my audience!#so i dont regret doing that but also. jts extremely distracting#i get straight up nothing done on big update days#cause im in the comments absolutely massive eyed refreshing.#this sounds obsessive. and it is. no jk#its just fun and keeps me in touch w peoples perception which helps me learn to write better#plus people are nice and ask me questions that i wanna answer#or if someone is being an ass. then i wanna tell them to leave (cause i cant block people) cause i consider it my responsibility#time and time again
164 notes Ā· View notes
shrimpchipsss Ā· 9 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
foremost scholar of yuri theory
477 notes Ā· View notes
welcometogrouchland Ā· 5 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
(ID in alt) hi sorry for back to back marvel fanart I swear I still have dc stuff lmao. However I did recently read X-Men: first class and got a bit carried away doodling this after Lmao
#marvel comics#x men#scott summers#jean grey#hank mccoy#bobby drake#warren worthington iii#charles xavier#anyway#picked X-Men: First Class#out of sheer curiosity and desire to know more about the X-Men and I really enjoyed it!#Idk how in line with canon it but. Whatever tbh. Anyway that was the inspo behind this#just the og 5 fooling around and being silly teens#jean being the flirty one probably isn't very in character at this time period (jean doesnt really show any interest in scott in first clas#but it was too cute to pass up#also charles looks so much more pissed off than i intended šŸ˜­ there's this one issue of first class where he's just BERATING the xmen#just yelling at them psychically and eventually its revealed that it wasn't actually Charles but i didn't question it at first#which is kind of mean to charles. but idk i haven't gotten far with the x-men (im being very casual in my reading rn)#so maybe he deserves it#also i keep making bigger and bigger drawings bc i know that those print well#but i keeo forgetting that tumblr murders the quality of the image when you upload it. bwahhh#anyway i think i am finally going to knuckle down and open commission slots for part of july#idk how much a bad boy like this (lined coloured and shaded w/ multiple characters) would cost but we're gonna figure that out#honestly i might slightly under price them just to encourage ppl to spring for them#okay that's all for now I PROMISE I HAVE DC DRAWINGS TO SHARE i was just in a serious drawing funk and drawing some characters-#-that I'd never drawn before (like shulkie and now the xmen) helped break that funk!#mine
295 notes Ā· View notes
dailyloopdeloop Ā· 6 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
DAY 71: shy
#codacheetah#isat#loop isat#isabeau isat#isat spoilers#i'll never get over loop being described as 'shy'. what a wonderful image#top one casual remarks from isabeau that cleaves loop's facade#like loop's personality is just a targeted missile to piss siffrin off. they're not at all confident and snarky#they're doing like the physical manifestation of winning an argument against yourself in the shower#second they see the party though Oopsies we're in scary territory. That's your family and they dont know it's you Oops#ok anyways ever since i saw that post i was like damn. this is just how i view loop in party postcanon#for as much as I think they SHOULD go explore around and be their own person for a while i think realistically they would not do that.#theyre going to go be a weird freak hovering around the party and refusing to socialize with anyone but siffrin and theyre gonna feel awful#(read: they're going to antagonize siffrin and it fails tremendously bc now The Rumor Come Out and siffrin knows what loop is doing.)#like loop as much as they can barely stand to even look at isabeau (for instance) i think their claws are sunk far too deep in.#onehats maybe the circumstances are different because there is a gap in understanding. there's no point forcing siffrin to confront the#obvious conclusion that loop is them (and thus siffrin's happy ending nails loop's coffin)#(THIS IS IGNORING TWOHATS PREREQS GOTTEN ONEHATS. BC THATS ITS OWN CAN OF WORMS)#but twohats. idk. for as much as it lets loop release some of their rage and process their feelings a bit. i think it might also be the pus#that makes loop consider their own existence as a person a bit more. theyre not a sponsor->corpse theyre just loop#theyre just somebody who wants desperately. they want to stay with them#theyre still siffrin. if also loop.#i think loop would force themself to reconnect with the party in the same vein as siffrin forcing himself to communicate more.#but of course having conviction and living an experience are not the same thing. so siffrin's going to flounder the emotional honesty thing#tremendously and loop's going to be. blair witching it in the corner.#hey i might have forgotten which post i was writing the tags under. oopsies#idk if these tags are comprehensible at all. i just really want to see loop fail upwards into friendship with everyone
308 notes Ā· View notes
hailsatanacab Ā· 10 months ago
Note
I'm a sucker for Twin Reveals, idk if you know that. So I have to ask about "you're joking, right? gala pranking turned twin reveal"
ngl this is the flavour of the month for me rn, I've really hopped straight back on the demon twins au with a passion! you get 500 words of the intro here because I have no restraint :)
ā€”ā€”ā€”
Tonight is becoming, as often happens with a gala, a dismal affair.
Bruce has (finally) managed to extract himself from a torturous conversation with Mrs. Johnson, and is allowing himself a quiet breath with a glass of apple juice masquerading as whiskey when someone taps him on his shoulder.
ā€œMr. Wayne?ā€
Itā€™s a voice he recognises, despite only meeting the man once. He doesnā€™t groanā€”he even resists the urge to throw his glass at him and make a break for itā€”but itā€™s a close affair. Heā€™s not Superman, after all, and thereā€™s a limit to his strength.
With a deep breath and the customary ditzy smile of Brucie Wayne plastered on his face, he turns towards Mr. Masters.
Only to immediately freeze.
ā€œAh, yes, I donā€™t believe youā€™ve met.ā€ Mr. Masters turns and presents a young boy to him, gently pushing him forward slightly. His dark hair is ruffled and thereā€™s a thunderous look on his face as he flashes Bruce a glare before stubbornly fixing his gaze back on the floor. ā€œMay I introduce to you my son, Daniel Masters?ā€
This is the fourth gala Vladimir Masters has been to since his reintroduction into high society, only the second one he and Bruce have attended together, and, as Bruce is silently lamenting, there is still so little known about the man. Yet, he doesnā€™t strike Bruce as someone that would pull a joke like this.
After 20 years locked away in his house suffering from an unnamed illness, his return had been completely unexpected and not entirely welcome, from what Bruce has heard. Too many years spent away shrouded in mystery has people weary about forging new connections, but his recent successes with his business might persuade a few braveā€”or foolhardyā€”individuals into making some investments.
Which must be why heā€™s now back on the gala scene.
Which must be why heā€™s chosen to become Mayor of a little unknown town in Illinois, as baffling as the choice may be.
Which must be why heā€™s pulling this stunt. This practical joke. Something to break the ice, to share a laugh with Bruce. To start a conversation.
The only real question is why Damian is going along with it.
ā€œIā€™m sorry?ā€ Bruce says, chuckling awkwardly.
Poor Damian looks just about ready to pull out a sword and start swinging, so perhaps heā€™s not as comfortable in going along with it as Bruce first thought. There's a tension in his shoulders, his whole body as taut as a bow string. Did Dick put him up to this? Itā€™s definitely something his eldest would find funny.
ā€œMy son, Daniel. Daniel, say hello to Mr. Wayne.ā€ Thereā€™s a flash of annoyance in Mr. Mastersā€™ eyes as he gives Damian another nudge to introduce himself.
ā€œHello, Mr. Wayne.ā€ Damian growls out, eyes still stubbornly lowered, his jaw tensing painfully. His voice sounds different, almost like heā€™s affecting Mr. Mastersā€™ accent. Just what is he playing at? Bruce is struggling to find the funny side in all this.
Is this a case theyā€™re working on? Not a prank, but rather some investigation that Bruce isnā€™t privy to? It wouldnā€™t be the first time his children have kept him out of the loop, but to do it in a gala, and a Wayne gala at that, where theyā€™re sure to be recognisedā€¦
No, it has to be a joke. Theyā€™re planning to embarrass him, they have to be.
335 notes Ā· View notes
twisting-in-wonderland Ā· 2 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media
let! him! have! his! octopus! plush! >:[
(messy extra stuff----)
meanwhile,back at NRC:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(+ hereā€™s a WIP >:] )
Tumblr media
2K notes Ā· View notes
owari--hajimari Ā· 1 month ago
Text
i donā€™t think rhymeā€™s relationship to her gender identity is particularly important to the larger picture of twewy, but i do think beatā€™s perception of her as a girl, as his younger sister, is very very important. cause masculinity as equal to strength is important to beat, and it explains a lot of his relationship to rhyme. rhyme protecting beat, her kindness when they were alive, succeeding at pushing him out of the way in the same way beat failed, itā€™s an indignity. rhyme, a young girl, his family, then his partner in the Game, like every category of ā€˜what a man should protectā€™, is stronger than beat. beat fails to protect her time and time again. and he resents that. that heā€™s so weak. that she had to protect him.
liiiike, what kariya says to beat after ganking rhyme, ā€œ[rhyme] isnā€™t gone because of us. sheā€™s gone because of you. you failed to protect your partner. [ā€¦] she protected you. gave her life for you. [ā€¦] you want payback? then man upā€ <- thats what its all about. and ā€˜sheā€™s gone because of youā€™ stinging twice cause he failed and thatā€™s why she was in the Game at all. later, as a reaper, beat says to neku ā€œyou man up any yet? cause i donā€™t believe in hittinā€™ women and childrenā€ itā€™s cyclicalll and beat clinging to the ideal of masculinity in the face of his own powerlessness
85 notes Ā· View notes
ryssbelle Ā· 9 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Poppy for N2 au, it took me so long to make her design cuz I didn't really know what I wanted to do only because I feel like her design is pretty perfect.
But then I just thought about fun outfits to give her or outfits that I would find comfortable if I was wearing them and it all came together.
Poppy here is pretty much the same as here movie counterpart, as nothing really changes on her end of things other than having more insight on Branch through his brothers, and through Lief. Shes also a bit more understanding a bit earlier on because of it but it doesnt do much to change her own character arc I would say.
Bonus
Part of Poppys design was based off a design I had made for previous rulers of Troll Village/Tree
Namely Queen Protea who I designed as Poppys grandmother
Tumblr media
Named after the Protea flower which part of her design is based off :D
In the context of this Au Protea was the one who conceptualized the tunnels while her son, King Peppy, was the one to follow through after her death
204 notes Ā· View notes
afterphantoms Ā· 1 year ago
Text
maybe its just me and my love of all things gothic, but i've been really surprised by the classification of saltburn as a (poorly executed) 'eat the rich' satire. i would've said it was primarily gothic fiction and that the class commentary was more a backdrop to that than the major thesis of the film, so it's interesting that a lot of people seemed to interpret it mostly or entirely through the lens of class satire. i'll be interested to see if the interpretation/reaction to the movie changes at all between the theatrical release and the digital one in a couple weeks; my perception is that a not insignificant number of people went into saltburn expecting something like parasite and were justifiably disappointed. not me though i'm a sucker for a fucked up gothic romance
359 notes Ā· View notes
whatyourehungryfor Ā· 4 months ago
Text
Specifically having Travis and Jackie have sex is so interesting because both of them, I feel, are doing it to fulfill something they feel like needs to happen for them to be secure in gender/sexuality. And in the end it has consequences and is iffy at best because neither of them have the proper vocabulary or positive examples needed to navigate that!
With Travis he says yes because he misses Nat and is insecure that she's slept with multiple people while he has been with no one. When it comes to how this might affect his relationship had the night not gone batshit insane, he doesn't think because the ideals he has tell him he NEEDS to have sex to be a better man for Natalie as opposed to just being there for her and communicating normally. Toxic masculinity n all that with him desperately trying to hold onto anything that makes him feel more masculine, more capable, more desirable- but it's an ill fitting role (transfem Trav truthers I see you).
As for Jackie, there's a lot going on there. First up is the fact that she's essentially given up on survival at that point and is preparing for death accordingly in a passively suicidal sort of way (which might I add Travis also experiences. Just later) so she feels the need to Do Things. As for the sex stuff itself, from the scene in the pilot and Shauna's admittedly less reliable meat shed conversations, it's pretty clear that it wasn't comfortable at the best of times and his pressuring sounded like it was pretty consistent. Jackie's view of virginity and sex sounds almost transactional at times; a "he's waited long enough" type deal. Then there's the fact that it was wrapped up in Shauna: telling Shauna while wearing her flannel, looking at Shauna, having sex in Shauna's bed.
Jackie seems to not know how to not involve some pressuring because Jeff always did that, and she's pretty past caring about being nice. Travis doesn't know how to not take what he should want, and later on he's tripping out. Add the emotional detachment of not having negative history, a poor mental state, toxic yuri, and shrooms, and you've got a recipe for vaguely unhealthy casual sex while thinking about other people!
All this to say it was a perfect storm for the two people most insecure in their sexuality/gender presentation to use each other to feel affirmed about it only to face massive consequences (however disproportionate) for something ultimately unfulfilling ("so that was sex?"). Those old standards they live by don't fly out here. It's still a society, they're just still unlearning the rules of the old one.
68 notes Ā· View notes
g0nta-g0kuhara Ā· 1 year ago
Text
The Chapter 4 Essay Part 1: Kokichi Ouma
A metapost on my thoughts on Kokichiā€™s overall motivations and Gontaā€™s actions during ch4. Split into two parts. You can find the Gonta half here: (LINK)
I think the way Kokichi acts when heā€™s telling the truth says something crucial about his personality. When heā€™s telling the genuine truth, his expression becomes carefully neutral.
Tumblr media
(post trial, chapter 1)
To me, it feels like heā€™s trying very hard to keep this face of neutrality. Normally, heā€™s able to expertly express any emotion that he wants to. In these moments, its almost like the emotion heā€™s feeling is so overpowering that heā€™s trying to repress it in order to maintain control over the face he presents to everyone else, but isnā€™t quite able to do so.
Kokichi is very careful about keeping people from seeing the parts of himself that he doesnā€™t choose to show. His villain persona and constant lying is part of this- He wants to keep people away from him. During the events of the killing game, he uses the distance that he creates in many ways. Part of it was that not having many close alliances allowed him to go off and do whatever he wanted during daily life. This let him explore the school and investigate the truth of the killing game without interruption or much attention. Lying also gave him distance between the game and himself. Pretending that the killing game was fun mightā€™ve been his way to cope with everything that was happening. I think Kokichi is really damn good at separating himself from his emotions, lying to himself to do what he thinks needs to be done. This line from Chapter 1 is pretty tellingā€¦
Tumblr media
(post trial, chapter 1)
This was also something he says himself to Kaito in the exisal hanger during chapter 5.
Tumblr media
(post trial, chapter 5)
Iā€™m inclined to believe everything that Kokichi says to Kaito in the exisal hanger. As Kiibo says when Kaito questions it, ā€œI think his dying words may have been the honest truth.ā€ Knowing he was about the die, and that he absolutely needed Kaitoā€™s help to get his plan to break the killing game to work- to achieve his genuine, true goal- I donā€™t see any reason for him to lie.
This emotional distance extends past just the killing game. I think it's a key part of how he interacts with others around him.
Kokichi is an ultimate leader. I think he uses his talent throughout the game in an attempt to ā€œleadā€ everyone from the shadows. He wanted to stop the killing game and escape with as many people as possible. However, his methods are very ends-justify-the-means. I believe that he did genuinely care about everyone at the ultimate academy, but in the detached way a distant king might care about his subjects. On the other hand, if he had to use or sacrifice a few as pawns for the greater good, that is what had to be done. Itā€™s not like it didnā€™t emotionally affect him, but I think he was deliberately trying to keep his distance so that it would not impact him as much, and so that he could continue trying to tear the killing game apart with as many tools in his arsenal as possible.
Tumblr media
(post trial, chapter 5)
With this core motivation in mind, this brings us to Chapter 4.
In my opinion, the Killing Game Busters was never a plan that was meant to succeed. From an in-game perspective, the idea that he was originally going to follow this mercy kill plan doesnā€™t make sense to me. Firstly, Kokichi already had suspicions that they were being watched as early as chapter 3.
Tumblr media
(post trial, chapter 3)
ā€¦and he later confirms that he was fully convinced of this fact when Monokuma agreed to reuse the chapter 4 motive in the virtual world.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
(post trial, chapter 5)
He knew that this killing game was for somebody elseā€™s entertainment. Iā€™ll go a bit into the secret of the outside world in a moment, but considering this, I donā€™t think he ever fully believed in it. Choosing to mercy kill everyone, in the name of a ā€œtruthā€ that was incompatible with what he had discoveredā€¦ just doesnā€™t make sense to me.
Not to mention, from a narrative standpoint, I think the idea that he was completely for this mercy kill plan, decided to throw out the plan mid-trial, and then start an entirely different plan to end the killing game in chapter 5, isnā€™t very compelling. It weakens Kokichiā€™s overall character by making his motivation less cohesive and making him seem less organized over all, which I think is one of his strengths as a character. A Kokichi that is this fickle with what heā€™s trying to do would not have been able to write the script for chapter 5.
I think he always had different goals in mind with the Killing Game Busters. The first was something that is made very clear in chapter 5, but started here in chapter 4: He wanted to stop the killing to give himself room to break the game while minimizing deaths. The second was to further villainize himself, for all the reasons I talked about above, and some more I will get into in a little bit.
Seeing the secret of the outside world was undoubtably disturbing, regardless of whether he believed it or not; there is a noticeable shift in how Kokichi acts before and after he swipes that card key. Combined with discovering that Miu, someone heā€™d been working with closely, was planning on murdering him, I believe that seeing the destruction of the outside world pushed him towards more drastic measures than what he had been doing in previous chapters. He decided that in order for his plan in chapter 5 to work (which he had almost certainly already been planning at this point, considering how elaborate it was), he needed to make everyone question if pursuing the truth was the right thing to do at all.
After Miuā€™s body discovery, nobody was really worried about losing this class trial. Everyone had seen how Shuichi had guided them all to the truth and caught the blackened three times in a row, despite the unique difficulties in each case. They had full confidence in his abilities.
Tumblr media
(investigation, chapter 4)
Shuichi is also not really doubting his abilities as a detective anymore. One of Shuichiā€™s core internal conflicts is his fear of the consequences of revealing the truth. Up to this point, it seems like heā€™s been moving past it. Especially after catching Korekiyo ā€œActual Serial Killerā€ Shinguji, who had no regrets or grey motivation for his killings. Shuichiā€™s morale, and subsequently everyone elseā€™s, was at an all time high. (Of course, he was starting to feel a lot of pressure to solve these cases and save everyone on his ownā€¦ but thatā€™s another issue. ily Shuichi)
If Kokichi could take the wind out of Shuichiā€™s sails, really destroy the confidence he had built up so far, he could set up his impossible trial in chapter 5 to be more likely to work as intended. Everyone will be less motivated to try and figure out what happened if they are uncertain that finding the truth would actually result in anything good.
And I do believe he was trying to knock Shuichi off balance specifically. Damaging his confidence is one thing, but he was also deliberately trying to drive a wedge between him and Kaito. He antagonizes Kaito all chapter 4 investigation, including making up a nickname for Shuichi (ā€œShumaiā€) that directly riffs off Kaitoā€™s closeness with Maki. He insists into the trial that he and Shuichi are partners now.
Tumblr media
(class trial, chapter 4)
(Sidenote: Kokichiā€™s behaviour during trial 4 is genuinely really interesting to me. On top of the direct digs like this, he says a lot more subtle things to get under Kaitoā€™s skin during trial 4 that I think are super neat to pay attention to.)
Theoretically, pushing Kaito away from Shuichi, combined with the powerlessness heā€™ll feel in the wake of the truth of both trial 4 and the outside world, could make him easier to convince to join Kokichiā€™s ā€œsideā€. He even directly asks Shuichi to team up with him before leaving the virtual world:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(daily life, Chapter 4)
This leads me to believe that Shuichi was originally the one that Kokichi intended to use to build his impossible trial. I mean, if Shuichi was the one in the exisal hanger and presumed dead instead of Kaito, the chances of everyone else solving that mystery drops Significantly. Everyone else, aside from maybe Kiibo, was 100% convinced that Kokichi was the mastermind at that point. No one except Shuichi wouldā€™ve tried to dig as deep as he did, for better or for worse. I think this idea is supported by the note that Kokichi wrote next to Shuichiā€™s face on the whiteboard in his room (ā€œtrustworthy?ā€). He was clearly considering Shuichi as a person for one reason or another, and I believe this is it.
By condemning Gonta, who everyone else perceived as a kind soul who would never hurt anybody, someone who was struggling to understand what the virtual world even was with his amnesia, would be perceived by the others as kicking someone when they were down. Gonta has an absolutely miserable time through the accusations and wholly blames himself for how things turned out in the end. That, and Gontaā€™s actions were even well-intentioned. The secret of the outside world was apparently so horrible, Gonta thought it would be kinder to mercy kill everyone rather than force them to face it. This result would make everyone question if the truth was really as undoubtably good as they had come to think so far; Not only did Gonta suffer because they had to find the truth, but seeking the secret of the outside world would apparently also only lead to suffering. This would make them hesitate during Kokichiā€™s impossible trial.
Tumblr media
(class trial, chapter 4)
As I said before, Kokichiā€™s second goal for trial 4 was villainizing himself even further. He says that this was a goal himself to Kaito in chapter 5.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(post trial, chapter 5)
Part of this villainization was just adding to the persona he had already created for himself and that I already talked about his motivations for before. The other part was what he says here. He specifically wanted everyone to think that he was the mastermind. This gave him leverage in two main ways. First, making himself appear to be the mastermind with an actual mastermind as hands off as Tsumugi genuinely gave him power over everyone else. He used this in chapter 5 to put a pause to the killings and give himself more room to enact his plan to break the killing game from the inside.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
(daily life, chapter 5)
Although he then says ā€œYou guys can commit suicide together or kill each otherā€¦ / Or, you can change your mind and stay here! Youā€™re welcome to do that too!ā€, having experienced the secret of the outside world already, I think heā€™s pretty confident in what they will be feeling in this moment. No one is going to kill each other, and he knows that. He wants them to take that second option for the time being while he sets up his plot.
Making himself appear like the mastermind also benefited his impossible trial plan directly. Everyone would be much more likely to vote for someone they were convinced was the mastermind rather than one of their friends. No one would suspect that it was really him that was the victim.
ā€œUsing Gonta and making him into a murdererā€ was a significant part of how he villainized himself, but the way he treated Gonta during this whole experience was also a major factor. Starting as early as just after Miu was killed, he begins to be really aggressively mean to Gonta. He just straight up bullies him throughout the second half of the trial.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(daily life, chapter 4)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(class trial, chapter 4)
And then, after all this, he acts remorseful and sides himself with Gonta at the very end. It isn't genuine emotion like he felt before Kaede's execution, shown by his neutral expression. To me, this uncharacteristically open expression of grief feels like it was just set up to exacerbate the impact of his cruelty after Gontaā€™s execution. At this point, everybodyā€™s little faith in Kokichi has been shaken significantly. With the shock of the trial, maybe you Could start to believe they were on the same side, as a team. Then, at the reveal of the extent of Kokichiā€™s manipulation, that is all ripped painfully away again.
Tumblr media
(post trial, chapter 4)
Tumblr media
(post trial, chapter 4)
Even if these parts of trial 4 make my stomach turn, I donā€™t want to imply that Kokichi is completely cold-hearted and unfeeling. Actually, I think there were multiple moments in chapter 4 that show him struggling to regulate his emotions and keep face around everyone else while he enacted this plan.
1: I donā€™t think Kokichi initially planned to make the reveal that Gonta was the killer as dramatic (or frankly, a bit traumatic) as it ended up being. He had been carrying himself a certain way during the first half of the trial, and I think Shuichi lying to his face in front of everyone about Kokichiā€™s own alibi dramatically changed his attitude. I mean, Shuichi lied (as he had done almost every trial and gotten 0 flack for) and Tsumugi even called him out on it, but everyone believed him over Kokichi anyways. So when Kokichi lies, itā€™s completely inexcusable, even though heā€™s been working tirelessly on his own trying to save everyone?* But when SHUICHI lies, and gets caught in it, people go along with him? They donā€™t doubt their trust in him for even a second? This double standard infuriated him. Itā€™s at this point that he completely shifts in energy. If Shuichi, no, everyone, is going to disrespect him like this, he was going to make them suffer for it.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(class trial, chapter 4)
2: Kokichi only goes full villain after Kaito says ā€œKokichi, If you really cared for Gonta, explain yourself to everyoneā€ in the post trial. I think that even though he was always going to paint himself as the villain, he was legitimately affected by the things that had just happened (Gontaā€™s death, Miuā€™s attempted murder, the secret of the outside world, even if he knew it wasnā€™t real) and what heā€™d just done. Even if he was trying hard not to be. The sudden shift he has from not saying anything to cackling about how little he cared about Gonta feels to me like he was kicking himself back into gear after trying to process some genuinely difficult emotions. 3: After Kokichi punches Kaito down, and everyone completely ignores him in favour of helping Kaito up, Shuichi says these iconic words to Kokichi: ā€œKaito always has us by his side, see? But no one wants to be around you. / Youā€™re alone, Kokichi. And you always will be.ā€ Kokichi responds like this:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
(Post-trial, chapter 4)
Thereā€™s something about the way he cuts himself off, pauses, and then his mask falls. I think Shuichiā€™s words got to him more than he wanted them to. Honestly, Kokichiā€™s attitude towards cooperation, keeping everyone at armā€™s length, and insisting (to himself) that he (as a leader) must fix the killing game completely on his own just seems so lonely to me. Even if he is intentionally trying to alienate himself and get everyone to hate him, being so viscerally cut into like this must have hurt. Especially from someone he was trying to work to get onto his side. Itā€™s no wonder he quickly left after this moment.
This is what I think drove Kokichi in chapter 4. Heā€™s a leader who wants to ā€œleadā€ his classmates into safety, but he isnā€™t afraid to use underhanded, cruel tactics if he thinks it will get him ahead in the game for the greater good. He viscerally represses his emotions in order to keep himself going and keep everyone else away from him. He tried to destroy Shuichiā€™s confidence and drive a wedge between him and Kaito to get him on his side for his plan. He used and made Gonta into a murderer to villainize himself and discourage everyone else from seeking the truth.
Whenever I imagine Kokichi on his own, out of the spotlight of the Audience or the eyes of his castmates, heā€™s never as expressive as he is in the open. I think in reality, Kokichi is a pretty depressed and lonely person. His clownish personality isnā€™t entirely a facade, and outside of a killing game scenario, I think he would act pretty similarly to how he does in game. But I do think that he uses it as a mask for his true emotions. While I feel like the ā€œevil villainā€ persona is a genuine part of Kokichiā€™s personality, outside of the killing game he probably doesnā€™t act on it as deeply as he does in-game. I also think Kokichi struggles with letting people become close to him, even without anything on the line. The killing game just caused him to lean into these aspects of his personality hard, and in potentially the worst ways.
*I feel like here itā€™s important to mention that personally, I still think the collateral damage he caused in his attempts to stop the killing game matters. A lot. I donā€™t think he should be excused for the things he did, even if he had good intentions. This makes him a really interesting, morally grey character, and I like that about him. EDIT: I can't believe I have to add this, but please do not use this essay as ammunition for harassing people who ship ougokuā€¦ I don't agree with doing that at all. I hope I made it clear that I find Kokichi to be a complex character whose mistreatment of Gonta was never targeted, and more just an aspect how how he isolated himself and how he manipulated others to end the killing game, even if it caused suffering to them in the moment. Kokichi cares about everyone in the ultimate academy, in his own weird, detached way. He's not completely heartless nor is he an abusive monster. And even if none of that was the case, it's never an excuse to harass people for disagreeing with you. Please be cool!! Thanks <3
271 notes Ā· View notes
mechaness Ā· 6 months ago
Text
First of many
So much had happened. Nasiens had found her biological family, she found out about herself, she almost died... but now her hero was with her again.
When the battle was decided, a few words were exchanged and someone gave Percival a cloak so he could cover up. He hadn't even realized he was naked. He apologized, though it was clear he didn't see the issue.
After a while, her new family (she had to present them to Ordo as soon as she could!) left her alone with him, sharing knowing smiles.
Nasiens couldn't stop looking at him.
Percival... She smiled.
"So you are a fairy now? That's so cool!" Percival's voice was so soothing to her. How had she missed his smile!
"Yes... I'm not used to flying, though..."
"But now we can fly together!" Percy said, laughing. He grabbed her hands and gently lifted them up. Nasiens was shocked but soon started smiling again. A little spin in the air, and she was laughing along with him.
"I just can't get used to the height..." she admitted looking down, feeling cold sweat in her forehead. It had been fine in the battle, but now... She looked up at Percival, thinking how silly she was being. Something gleamed in his eyes.
He threw her one of his winning smiles and she felt her heart stop.
"Well, that's easy! Just keep looking at me!" His face was too close to hers, but then again, he had never been good at respecting people's personal space.
And Nasiens couldn't think of anything better to look at than his eyes. He always managed to calm her down. She could do anything as long as he's with her.
"See? You can fly really high if you want!" Like a spell being broken, she looked down. She almost let out a scream. They were so high up she could barely see the ground!
Her arms moved on their own, hugging Percival. She hid her face in the crook of his neck, trembling.
Percival was shocked. Not because of the hug, he loved Nasiens' hugs, as different as this one felt. However, she felt like dead weight. Had she stopped flying?! Of course she wasn't in any real danger as long as he was there to hold her, but...!
"Nasiens?!" He could hear her mumbling nonono again and again, "I'm sorry! I thought...! Are you ok?" He was so worried about her and Nasiens was still trembling, but she managed to answer,
"Ye-yeah..." she looked up. She was again at a loss for words. She knew Percival was still Percival inside, but he was really big now, and tall, and... she could feel her face aflame. "Yeah, I'm... I'm good. I was shocked, I guess..." she couldn't look him in the eyes anymore.
Percy was silent for while before he spoke again.
"You really feel different now, uh..." Nasiens eyes widened at his comment.
"Wh-what do you mean? Is it bad?" Percival's silence made her a little nervous. He wasn't looking at her anymore. She forgot to ask again though, since they landed in the hollow part of a cave, up in a mountain, and the sight amazed her.
"It's beautiful..." she said. Percy agreed, but he wasn't looking outside. His eyes were fixed on the pretty girl he was holding by the waist.
Screw pretty, he thought. Nasiens had always been beautiful, but now... It was like a whole other level. The way she held herself felt different. Also,
"You got boobs now!" he shouted, almost giving her a heart attack. She almost tripped, blushing like crazy.
"Ye... yeah..." she put her hand on her chest. They weren't even that noticeably, but... "the whole thing feels weird..."
"Bad weird?" he sounded genuinely curious.
"N... no, I don't think so. I never felt bad being called a boy, but now... I like this. Being a girl, I mean. It feels right, but I'm... not used to it yet. Not completely, at least. Is that weird?"
"I don't think so! Anyway, Nasiens is Nasiens, no matter what! You are amazing!" when he looked at her, he could see that gentle smile of hers that he loved so much.
Nasiens was so grateful. Of course Percival wasn't fazed. He was just Percival. He hadn't even questioned her change, something which she she was grateful for. She couldn't even imagine how she could start explain the whole thing to him.
She was thinking how much she loved this side of his and was so deep in her thoughts, she didn't realize when Percival got behind her.
"You gotten slimmer too, right? Right?" his poking sent shivers down her spine. What was his obsession with her back?!
Nasiens felt her face aflame again.
"Please, don't do that!" she almost screamed, taking a step back.
"Why? Can't I touch you?" he sounded so innocent, she almost felt bad. But when she looked up again she saw how serious he was. She felt taken back. He had never looked at her like that before, not like this.
How could she tell him that the only thing she wanted was for him to touch her all over... it was just so embarrassing to admit!
She felt her true feelings coming forward before she could stop herself.
"Well, if you a-!" a flashback made her stop. A painful memory crossed her mind and she felt silent.
Anghalhad.
She felt her blood boil.
"...you know what. I think it's best that you don't." She turned, not before giving him the iciest look he had ever seen. That kind of look was never directed at him! Percy got worried.
"N-Nasiens?! Are you angry at me? I hate it when I make you angry!" he ran to her. He grabbed her hand so she couldn't get further away from him. She flinched and stopped, but she didn't look at him. "I'm sorry, did I say something bad?"
"You got Anghalhad to touch, don't you?" she said, immediately regretting her words. It wasn't Percival fault, or Anghalhad's for that matter. Plus, she knew Percival didn't understand these kind of things! She barely could, after all.
"Yeah, I guess..." Percival's voice made her angrier and she felt so ashamed. She took her hand back, snapping at Percy.
"See?! Go to her for all I care!" she looked down, hiding her eyes as best as she could. She couldn't face him like this...
"Wha...?! No! I don't want to! I want to stay here with you! Nasiens!" he grabbed her by the shoulder, shaking her a little. He had to make her understand...!
Were those tears?
"Nasiens...? What's wrong?" she lifted her arm, trying to wipe her tears with her sleeve.
"I... I'm a horrible friend! I don't hate Anghalhad, I actually like her... but thinking about you two...!" she put her hands on her face, trying to control herself. "Who am I to say anything? You are free to do whatever you want...! But I hate it! I hate the thought of you two-!"
Percy hugged her so tightly she almost couldn't breathe. She felt his hand grabbing her hair, same way he had done early that day.
"P... Percival?"
"I won't touch anyone else!" he exclaimed, shocking her. "I don't really get it, but I thought of some else touching you and that made me angry, so I guess it's the same for you? Is that it?"
"Ye... yeah."
"Is it because you love me?" Nasiens felt trapped. She was about to protest when...
"Cause I love you too!" he said, his smile so bright it blinded her. He caught her so out of guard she almost fainted.
"Well," he continued, "I love all my friends... but with you... love falls short. Does that make sense? I want to hold you forever..." Percy said, snuggling to her. Looking down he saw her eyes, so full of hope and love, he couldn't help but smile. Nasiens smiled back.
"Y-yes, it makes sense. I... I feel the same way." Nasiens couldn't believe it. She confessed! She managed to do it and now...
"Good!" he grabbed her waist again, lifting her from the ground, "then it's settled!"
Nasiens felt tears forming again, this time from happiness. Things could be so easy with him sometimes... but then she remembered their little argument. She blushed again.
"A-about before... I don't mind, you know... but, you have to ask."
Percy was confused for a moment. Then it hit him.
"Really?!" he had pulled her down a little. His face was so close to hers...!
"Ye-yeah."
"Can I, then?" he asked. His lips were so close to hers, she felt her heart about to explode.
"Yes..." she tried to close the distance and...
"NASSIE! Percy! Dinner time! Come on, where-! Oh, there you are!" Tioreh shouted, appearing out of nowhere.
"...what are you two doing?" she asked, innocently.
It was a rare sight, if you asked her. Nassie with her face all red, pushing Percy away. Her hand was on Percy's face and he looked miserable, ignoring Tioreh and trying to get close to Nassie.
"But you said I could...!" he whined.
"QUIET, PLEASE!"
Tioreh had never seen Nassie so embarrassed. It was fun!
Later that night...
Nasiens couldn't believe it. They had almost...!
But the moment had been ruined.
She put her hands on her face, sighing. Maybe some other time... She was fixated in the fire next to the log she was sitting on, deep in thought.
"Nasiens! I was looking for you! Look!" Percival's voice took her out of her trance. She looked up to see him better, confused in what was she supposed to be looking at.
He placed a white flower on her hair.
"I knew it! It suits you!" he said, making her blush yet again. She gently touched the white flower with her fingers. "You look beautiful, you know!" Nasiens felt her blush deepen. She was going to get a fever from blushing so much...
"Thank you, Percival..." she smiled at him and he smiled back, love in his eyes. He sat down next to her and she rested her head on his shoulder, sighing.
"Man, that sucked, uh?" he suddenly said, looking down at her. "I really wanted to kiss you."
Nasiens was definitely getting a fever.
"Re-really? Honestly, I did too..."
Without much thought, Percy turned and grabbed her by the waist, surprising her. He flew them away from the dinner and the rest.
In the air, with the moon shining brightly, he looked at Nasiens. He smiled, closing the distance between them.
"Can I?" he whispered.
Nasiens laughed. He really took it to heart to ask first.
"Of course...!"
Their laughter filled the night. At least for tonight, everything was going to all right.
66 notes Ā· View notes
ratatatastic Ā· 12 days ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
your favourite finn's favourite (honourary) finn
winnipeg jets @ florida panthers | 11.16.24 (x)(x)(x)
39 notes Ā· View notes