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mistressmochalo · 1 year ago

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Karamatsu not narcissus (analyse of character part 1)

[Dear reader, you are reading the translation of my original text into English, I hope I didn't mess up the translation too much😅]

Karamatsu is always given this short description. This constantly raised doubts in my mind; in my opinion, although he has some narcissistic traits in his behavior, he is far from a real narcissist.

I decided to look into this issue and did a little psychoanalysis of the character.

Narcissism in psychology is part of the dark triad, which implies negative character traits characterized by malicious intent and a detrimental (sometimes destructive and dangerous) influence on others.

First, let's figure out what narcissism is. I will consider this term at two extremes: as a character trait and as a mental disorder.

Trait. A narcissist is a person with high self-esteem, inclined to exaggerate his talents and achievements, self-centered (aimed at satisfying only his own needs, without focusing on the feelings of other people). As a rule, they tend to manipulate other people to achieve their goals and satisfy their own needs. Empathy is either weak or absent. Cold and sometimes cruel cynics.

Narcissistic personality disorder.

An extreme and painful manifestation of narcissism that develops into a mental illness.

People with NPD consider themselves special, exaggerate their abilities and achievements, exalt themselves in front of other people by belittling and devaluing others. It is important for them to be an object of admiration. They are very sensitive to criticism, since their high self-esteem is very fragile, they are extremely dependent on the opinions of others. They react to a negative assessment aggressively and with contempt, or with condescension and withdrawal into complete denial. Incapable of love and empathy. Narcissists have a vague self-image and invent an ideal persona that everyone should love. For a narcissist, being less than perfect in the eyes of others is unbearable and painful.

From my experience of communicating with such people, I can say that narcissists are cunning bastards, their true nature is difficult to recognize right away. They know how to put you at ease, lull your guard, they flatter you, praise you, show interest, not forgetting to mention how lucky you are to meet such an amazing person like them. And you unconsciously begin to believe them. Then devaluation, manipulation, emotional swings and gaslighting come into play. If you don't notice the trick in time, the narcissist will destroy you.

Their grandiosity is mostly a lie in which they themselves sincerely believe and this reaches the point of delusions of grandeur. With delusions of grandeur, it is simply impossible to convince a narcissist of one’s own imperfection.

So, narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by:

• A persistent pattern of behavior with a sense of self-importance, a need for admiration and a lack of empathy.

This pattern appears when the following signs are present:

• Exaggerated, unreasonable sense of self-worth and talents (yes)

• Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited achievement, influence, power, intelligence, beauty, or ideal love (yes)

• Belief in your own specialness and uniqueness (yes)

• Need for unconditional admiration (yes)

• Exploitation of others to achieve one's own goals (no)

• Feeling of the right to special treatment (possibly partially)

• Lack of empathy (none)

• Envy of others and the belief that others are jealous of them (possibly partially)

• Arrogance (no)

So, many points coincide and we can say with confidence that Karamatsu is really a narcissist, but I will give you arguments to refute this statement.

1. He never manipulated or belittled or devalued other people. He cannot be called arrogant and cynical.

2. One of the fundamental traits of a narcissist is weak or absent empathy. Karamatsu has demonstrated more than once that he is capable of compassion. In 1s in the "flower fairy" ep, he feels pity for Chibita and for the blind girl in 2s 18ep, stands up for Jushi in 1s 24 ep, in 3s 5 ep he was ready to give up on the girl from the pharmacy, seeing Totti's progress in communicating with her, feels sorry for Totoko in 3s when she is depressed about her failed idol career. The narcissist can feign compassion, but in the examples listed there were cases where no one saw him and there was no point in pretending.

3. Despite praising himself (even alone with himself 3s 25ep) he is well aware of his position as a NEET and a virgin, and accepts the fact that he is at the bottom of the social ladder. He acts demonstrably self-confident only around family and friends, but when confronted with other people who are higher in status than him (that is, he recognizes that ordinary people are higher in status than him) (1s sp, 2s beach episode, first film) his self-confidence evaporates. A true narcissist never admits that he is inferior to others.

His unhealthy self-esteem and belief in his own exclusivity are just a mask and self-hypnosis, which already calls into question his status as a narcissist. In addition, there is one important point that is worth mentioning, namely the prerequisites for becoming a narcissist.

Narcissists are people with deep psychological trauma rooted in childhood and adolescence when the child’s psyche is very malleable.

Children of 3 types of parents become narcissists: absentees, when parents do not care at all about their child; parents are sadists, who can also be narcissists (heredity and adoption of the parent’s behavior model also play a role here), upbringing is accompanied by mental and/or physical violence; overprotective parents who plant in the child’s mind the idea that he is the best and unique. Karamatsu does not have these prerequisites.

Thus, I can confidently state that Karamatsu's narcissism is only an image, a fictional personality created as the opposite of what he was like during his school days.

But I won't dwell on this. Assuming that Karamatsu's behavior is not entirely a game, then we can assume that he really does have a personality disorder, namely... continue in part 2

#osomatsu san headcanons #osomatsu san #mr. osomatsu #karamatsu matsuno #mr osomatsu #karamatsu #analisis #Osomatsu san analysis #ososan

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mushr00mfriend · 7 months ago

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hi!! i have a question about how you have the motivation to write? ive been trying to write my own slenderverse fic and sometimes i just find myself feeling so discouraged because the fandom isnt as active anymore, and i was wondering if youve ever felt that way and how you actively get the motivation to write?

Hello! This is a fantastic question; I'm going to preface my answer by saying that this is my own outlook/opinion as well as mindset, and that it may not work for everyone. Take what you need and leave what you don't.

(also, this got incredibly long. If there's anything I love to do, it's ramble- thus, a readmore)

For direct motivation, here's a few things I do to get in the groove:

- Chapter summaries. Write a paragraph (4-6 sentences) about what you want to see happen in a chapter. Character interactions, thematic elements, foreshadowing, plot movement, etc. Don't go over a paragraph, however, or you'll end up feeling like you've already written it without, you know, writing it. If there's something tasty, reference it rather than write it all out. You'll remember it each time you read the reference and it'll make you want to get it out in its entirety.

- Bounce around. Write some of the first chapter, some of the twentieth. Finish the sixth before the fourth. Don't feel like you have to write it in the order it's gonna be read in; you have all the power as the author to do whatever you want. If you want to write the ending before you've even got the beginning penned, do it.

- Make a list of 'delicious scenes'. These are scenes that are incredibly vivid in your mind, the ones that you really really want to see in your story. Write them down and think about them often. When you feel de-motivated, start on them.

- In that vein, daydream about what's not being shown in a chapter, or imagine the characters in different situations. They're blorbo from your shows!! Play with them like dolls!! Make em kiss!

- Keep a project on the backburner. When I feel like I don't want to write for one project, I turn to another and work on that one for a bit instead. It keeps me from burning out entirely, but also keeps me writing, which is the most important thing.

You are correct in saying that the fandom isn't super active anymore. It was already simmering down when I had been working through the legacy draft of Delirium, and compared to the monolith it had once been, the community can seem nonexistent in this day and age. I definitely can relate to the discouragement you're feeling - I felt it all the way up until I was just under three-quarters of the way through Delirium, when there were enough consistent readers that I felt I had finally gotten somewhere, carved out my little niche of a community. Looking at the numbers now, you probably wouldn't believe that I suffered a lot with discouragement and de-motivation...

But I did, especially because I tied my self-worth and confidence in my story to how many views and comments it got. I still feel this, especially with other projects, and especially especially if they don't stack up to Delirium. If I were in the same mindset I was at the beginning, I'd even wonder if making Delusion was really a thing I should do, because there's definitely readers who won't be interested in it anymore.

But the thing is, I'm not making it for the readers. I'm making it for me.

Delirium started out as an homage to the Creepypasta fics I read as a teen, and somewhere along the way became a way for me to vent my frustrations and trauma regarding my personal experiences with the fandom. The most important part of the story is why you're writing it- what are you trying to say? What are you trying to impart? Who are you trying to reach, and what are you trying to tell them?

You have to sit with yourself, and with the concept of the story in your head, and you have to know that you can't make it for anyone but yourself, because you are the most important part of it. You, your feelings about the setting, the characters, the themes and motifs. Your personal reflection of the situations, opinions about the arcs and plot. And yeah, not everyone will vibe with it, but making yourself palatable to everyone will make your work tasteless and unsatisfying. Even if you write for yourself, there will be other's who appreciate it. I promise. The Creepypasta community is diminished, but not gone. Take a scroll through the tags, follow a bunch of creators. There's still people drawing, people writing, and people reading. Your dash will fill up with others who still like it.

If there's one thing I can say right now, if there's one thing you take away from my words, it's that there isn't a number that will make you feel fulfilled. I promise you that the mental ceiling will only increase. You will not find a love for the story in the views, in the favourites, nor in the comments. You need to love the story first- you need to believe in it first. No one else can write the story you want to tell, and no one can write it the way you will.

I'd also say sit with it for a looooooong while. Like, figure out how it ends, find the major plot beats, bullet point the snippets you really want to see, write it halfway, sit on that for a month, then reread and edit it. Delirium is- I just checked it, over eight years in the making, including that legacy draft (which was more of a false start, if anything). You don't necessarily have to take that long- I'm just slow- but make sure you have 80% of it figured out before you go on and post it. If there's anything that kills motivation, it's internalized deadlines when you have no backlog to fall back on. Several of the months-long hiatus' between chapters were because of this. It's also the reason why Delusion isn't being published until next year.

Anyway, this got ramble-y, but I also want you to know that you got this!! I believe in you!! And if/when you ever publish it, please give me a link, I'd love to read it :]

#mycelium netw0rk #mushroom musing #Delirium fic

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phlve · 2 years ago

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Subtype Trait Structures: sx7

Talkative

The sexual E7 is a particular form of quackery. He tends to talk a lot, even more than the other subtypes of the E7. He is a loquacious and talkative character, who does not stop occupying the space with the word. It really does have a lot of struggles, you could almost say an inability to be quiet, in a chatter that is defined by its superficiality, thematic dispersal, and inability to go deeper.

Verbal incontinence, together with the speed and mental effervescence that it possesses, turn the talk of a sexual E7 into a bombardment of words that ends up devastating in an almost hypnotic chain of light ideas that, one after another, end up being heavy.

The underlying motivation is to release anxiety, and fill the inner void and the interpersonal space with words. It is also a way to control one's own and others' emotions. What is important is not so much what is said but the expression itself (language in phatic function). It's pure oral incontinence. If a sexual E7 is asked about what he just said, he may have a hard time repeating it, because he doesn't even listen to himself.

Grandiose and Exaggerated

He is a character with delusions of grandeur, who looks at life in a big way, who makes excessive plans that he later cannot achieve... But that grandiloquence and exaggeration hides the need for a look that will rescue him from his low self-esteem. He confuses being admired with cultivating his self-love; hence, he measures his personal worth based on how dazzled others are.

His narcissistic self-inflation attempts to compensate for his schizoid inner emptiness and less admissible feelings of unworthiness, insecurity, and guilt, of which he is often unaware. Deep down, he reassures himself and self-indulgences so much, through the recognition of others, that it is not surprising that he is defined as an “enchanted charmer.”

Exhibitionist

By exhibitionism we understand here that particular way of constantly attracting attention practiced by the sexual E7. Both his attire (garishly colored, sometimes with feathers or exotic accessories and, in general, not very discreet) as well as his way of moving and speaking denote an intense activity aimed at becoming the center of attention. It is like a peacock, only with a peculiar way of understanding elegance, which is not exactly what the canons command, but rather that of a mountebank or a buffoon.

Invasive

His verbal incontinence and his exhibitionism make the E7 sexually invasive. With words and gestures, he occupies the mental and even physical space of the other. Is capable of diverting attention or the focus of the conversation by making parallel comments, introducing new distracting incepts, with jokes that change the mood or simply blurting out some superficiality out of context. Interrupts conversations, either directly or with encouragement sideways as a whisper. He is an expert destabilizer of meetings or conversations that do not interest him or in which he is not the center of attention.

He sneaks into parties where he hasn't been invited, shows up unannounced, takes places or privileges he hasn't earned... Of course, once he manages to be attended to, he doesn't easily let go of the place of centrality, food of his narcissism.

Impertinent and Cheekiness

It combines freshness with a shamelessness that reaches rudeness. He is capable of approaching and confronting the source of power so equally, with such daring, that it borders on irreverence. In his approaches, he is usually very direct and self-assured, even limiting the unpleasant effects of his impudence with jokes and various complications, putting vaseline on at every step.

However, under his apparent friendliness and sense of humor, he has scathing and corrosive words. In the irony he hides his competitiveness and even contempt and, aggressively, he exhibits his dialectical skills to ridicule his opponents with devastating weapons. His impudence comes from the incontinence of his desires, which they do impulsively, straight to what they want immediately. It is a staging of their rebellion and indiscipline. Either by A or by B, the focus is directed both at destabilizing the other and at attracting attention. Depending on the fear that he has of the situation, and depending on the strength that he grants to the other, he will use the style of covert rebellion, guerrilla warfare type, or the most open and daring, sniper type. It is common that, in a conference or meeting, he interrupts the speaker, asking some incisive and far-fetched question that nobody understands. It is possible that the subject does not interest him too much, but he will abuse the word as a way to show off to the group.

The impudence of the sexual E7 can be such that he dares to preach what he lacks so much, that is, being ethical and honest. It is not uncommon to hear him giving advice or moralizing, from idealization, about what is correct. To remember here that the E7 suffers a direct influence of the moralism, rigidity, and perfection of the E1. As the preacher Groucho Marx teaches: “The secret of life is honesty and fair play; if you can simulate that, you've done it."

An Oblivious Clown

He can approach social situations with ease, aided by his low sense of the ridiculous as well as the courage to use himself as a caricature. He is especially witty at making fun of himself. He has little shame and makes fun of his own faults or defects as a way of taking iron from them. He is adept at parodying his own life.

It would seem that the sexual E7 does not know how to be anywhere other than the joke. Always sharpening everything, the sweetener, useful in so many moments, ends up cloying. The abuse of humor makes him invasive, impertinent, and inadequate in many moments in which that attitude does not apply.

Self-referenced

He is admiring himself through the fascination he provokes in others as a springboard to feel above others, with aggressive and haughty attitudes. The more admiration you receive, the more you come down and feed the belief that you are “special,” unique, and superior.

Such is the degree of self-referentiality that is the center of attention, and denies the value of others, reduced to mere providers of admiration, a silent public that gives him the egoic pleasure of capturing your interest.

Dreamer With Magic Thinking

It is usual for him to practice various esotericisms, parapsychology, or exotic religions, and to surround himself with an aura of accentuated new age spirituality or practice healthy lifestyles, or anything else designed to attract attention while giving himself airs of transcendental maturity.

Ultimately, he does not stop being a dreamer. Someone who needs to spend a good part of his time in the fantasy worlds he cultivates, disconnected from reality, is oblivious to problems.

Pseudo-empathetic

Although he does not lack empathy to identify with others, and tends to be kind, humane, and even emotional, his difficulty in connecting with a genuine interest in others is enormous. The sexual E7 is a person with great affective disconnection towards those who return to him, an aspect that, although he is not very aware of it, is one of the most painful for him. In the long run, he feels alone and isolated, since he does not establish real contact but through his self-image. And although he is inflamed by his abilities and triumphs, deep down he himself is aware that he has no real achievements and feels internally fraudulent, quite insecure, and fragile.

Selfish

Like all E7, the sexual subtype can also be defined as selfish. The priority is the satisfaction of one's desires, everything else is left behind in the order of priorities. He does not see the other; only his own navel. And, of course, he believes that he doesn't need anyone to be well, that he can only handle the vicissitudes of life... Without being the most tricky of the sweet tooth (title held by the conservation E7), he is also a slave to his own desire and shows no scruples when it comes to going for what he wants. Once he succeeds, there is also no remorse for the forms employed, like the child who, unable to contain his frustration, went for the candy at all costs.

Fraudulent

Self-indulgence serves as a justification for fraud. The sexual E7 can tell himself and others any kind of story, with the most unlikely alibis to justify his dubious behaviors. He lives in a kind of chronic fiction, entertainment, and permanent comedy that ultimately allows him to do what you want and when you want. And, unlike the conservation E7, he tends to believe his own lies, self-suggesting them.

Explosive and Hypersensitive

A mental character but with an emotional tendency denied in the background. In his day to day, hysterical tantrums are not uncommon, moments in which his understanding is clouded, and he behaves like a small child who, not being attended to, explodes.

This feature also has to do with the general susceptibility of the E7. These are people with such a high sense of their personal importance that anything offends them, and in the case of sexuality, this jeopardy reaches the point of hypersensitivity.

Anti-hierarchical Escapist

They tend to establish non-hierarchical, horizontal relationships, either with the subordinate or with the boss. It establishes a colleague, a closeness, a complicity that, apparently, facilitates camaraderie and trust. Their managerial style is condescending, giving permission for everyone to say and do what they want, but delegating much of the responsibility for tasks to the subordinate. Ultimately, he tends to hang himself, both procrastinating on his tasks and abusively relying on his co-workers. Something similar usually happens in their personal relationships.

Head in the Clouds

In addition to escaping from his responsibilities, he is absent-minded, a “freak” who usually lacks grounding and the ability to get organized in the practical things of life. It is not very well known where his head is or his existential priorities; what is clear is that his thoughts are not of this world.

Childish Optimism

He is an optimistic, lively, fun person... at least on the surface. He has already been designated “the clown of the enneagram” for his immense ability to laugh and make a joke out of any situation. In fact, most of the great comedians are sexual E7s.

Optimism and humor are not only at the service of highlighting the humorous side of situations, but also affect the cheerful spirit of the sexual E7, in its liveliness and joy. Optimistic ingenuity is the lubricant that allows the sexual E7 to glide through existence without the friction of living.

The sexual E7 has remained in that early stage in which the child laughs at anything. There is still no broader understanding that anticipates the sufferings of life and, in the face of any face or stimulus from the environment, the child returns a smile. The hope and joy of living is such that it is only possible to smile with dedication and enthusiasm.

Impatient, Impulsive, and Intolerant of Frustration

Although he anticipates a lot and acts from the mind, he is often carried away by his impulses. The sexual E7 has a low tolerance for frustration and wants to be one step ahead of reality itself, like a capricious child who, when he wants something, wants it now.

In permanent movement, jumping from one space to another both physically and mentally, he is usually nervous and quiet, with a lot of physical agitation and difficulty staying in one place for a long time. Internally it is also changeable and variable, easily alternating ideas and arguments. Corporally, they are jumpy people, with zigzag, sharp, run over movements. They find it difficult to sit or stay in the same position for a long time, they have difficulty stopping, being at rest. This constant mobility even makes him frequently change his profession, address, partner... Restless agitation is a mechanism to avoid contact with the inner world, where he could connect with discomfort. It's like surfing the waves of life's discomfort, tiptoeing through situations.

Behind the impatience and speed is not wanting to get lost or give up anything. The sexual E7 believes that if it stays in one place (external or internal), or simply slows down, it will have to give up fantastic possibilities in the world's great market. Stopping would also imply attenuating the initial excitement that the new arouses and sustaining the boredom that the stability of the known entails.

Hypochondriac

Avoiding suffering and repressing pain leads to hypersensitivity to any sign of physical discomfort, which soon turns into constant worry. The sexual E7 has not received attentive and adequate care, and has not found an attentive listening on the part of the adults who had to protect him. Let's say that, also in this sense, he has experienced abandonment.

Furthermore, by taking on a minstrel role to alleviate his mother's sorrows, he had to hide his own. This lack of care and the fear of death itself cause, in the event of any physical symptom, to enter a state of diffuse anxiety that can turn into hypochondria. This indeterminate form of care on one hand reveals his deep fear and on the other, an attempt to take care of himself.

Hypochondriasis increases at the moment when, not having the ability to work through their anxiety, it produces psychosomatic symptoms and a vicious circle is entered.

Source: PDB Wiki

#personality theory #personality types #typology #enneagram #enneagram subtypes #instinctual variants #enneagram 7 #type 7 #7w6 #7w8 #sx7 #enfj #enfp #entp

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sagespirit-wc · 7 months ago

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since i (finally) finished reading wind i thought id give some of my thoughts on it. might be whiny <3

spoilers probably beneath the thing - beware

overall i think it’s ok! (for warriors). it’s definitely getting more interesting from a plot perspective but im personally less invested than i was the first few books and i think it mostly has to do with nightheart and sunbeam. i like them okay and i do think they’re cute together - and it’s really nice to see a healthy romance front and center in warriors (looking at you bramblestar).

one of my biggest things - which isn’t necessarily a criticism of the books but more a personal thing - is that nightheart has become a bit boring since his character arc. i think it was relatively well done and i liked seeing him grow up a bit and grow closer with his clan and family, but he’s just so … meh now. i really liked what a spunky little shit he was at first, it was very fun to read. i wish we got more protags that aren’t viewed by the authors as perfect golden boys that can do no wrong - but now he might as well be one.

they’re getting better at handling squirrelstar - i remember being pretty pissed about how they just completed changed her character at first after she became leader (which happens too much imo) but i think we’re starting to see a little bit of her old self shine through. i especially loved her whole thing with sunbeam when she wanted to see her family. i didn’t want to see bland perfect thunderclan leader #4 i wanted to see squirrelflight as a leader. so hopefully they’re sticking with that.

on that note - this is old news i think but im glad they picked ivypool as deputy. i’m definitely biased (i adore her) but i think she’s a really interesting character and id love to see her get more spotlight again. (it also fuels my delusions that if we get ivystar we’ll maybe get twigbranch as deputy - ill never forgive the authors for abandoning her and violetshine). anyway i think there’s also a lot of interesting stuff that can be done with ivypool as deputy/ leader especially with dovewing in shadowclan. i know they won’t make her deputy too but imagine ?!!!??

it’s been said many many times but holy shit there’s too many damn cats now - especially in thunderclan. like jesus christ i can’t keep track of them all - i miss when there were like 10ish background characters with their own personalities and dialogue instead of the occasional one liner from whoever the fuck this guy is and nothing from cats that used to be protags/plot relevant (looking at you twigbranch. alderheart.)

i still adore frostpaw and i love how confident in herself she’s become. honestly i want more of her. the nightheart and sunbeam (especially) chapters dragged a bit for me. she probably had the same amount of screen time (page time?) as she did in previous books but it felt like less this time to me.

there’s just. not a lot going on. which is saying something for me cause i could read an encyclopedia’s worth of just fun character dialogue and no action - but we’re not getting much of either. it just feels a lot less charming than earlier books/series. it might just be me growing up but i just read avos for the first time this year and i ate that shit up. it feels a lot of the time like they’re just padding this shit out to meet the page count. like if you only need four books to tell this arc’s story you know you can do that right ???

like fr what happened in this book actually plot wise - splashtail is leader now. frostpaw is in shadowclan. berryheart and fam are rogues and hurt and sunbeam is worried about them. frostpaw is slowly convincing people she’s not a liar. she and puddleshine see splashtail being shady. frostpaw saves windclan(???) and then they spy on river clan some more and watch him kill harelight. maybe i’m being silly but it just - that’s not like. a story. but at least something happened i guess, like it’s moving along. i miss the park.

some little things that they would never do that would make things a little better (to me):

- frostpaw and whistlepaw. enough said. would fix all my qualms forever.

- give splashtail a personality?? he just seems like a very generic villain too similar to the others we’ve gotten. just a tigerstar/hawkfrost rehash. give him something new !! at least make him more charming and manipulative, dont just lead with the whole fear/intimidation thing again. he just comes off as brash and a bit stupid which is fine but not that exciting

- more mothwing??? like they’re hinting that mothwing is connecting the dots between this situation and hawkfrost but i want more !! give her the chance to right things this time! i wanna see her beat that little shit up!!! a lot of people think she’s going to be riverclan’s new leader and i wouldn’t be mad about that - i do love her - but i also think icewing would be a fun fresh choice

- shadowsight and frostpaw friendship. i mean come on!!!!

anyway i’m sure i could go on forever but that’ll do. sorry im sure that was extremely negative and ranty but no one’s gonna read this anyway!!!

#warrior cats #warriors #wc wind #wind #wind spoilers

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delusion-of-negation · 2 years ago

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In my RL socialcircle I'm the "Everything bagel" of ND'ness, yet I'm also the most obnoxious person about disliking ND headcanons. I think it's legit because I always feel like they're doing it wrong, because my brain tells me "I'm the default, why are you writing it like that? Oh no, stop stop stop, ahhhhhh" Then I get upset, because that's not how it's supposed to be, and then I get into an episode and really frustrated because I know my brain is being a cunt, but I can't stop it. How to cope?

how many of them do epilepsy and schizo-spectrum hcs? or are autism and adhd the only things cutesy and fun enough for your friends to lazily stereotype characters as? that isn't to say i have problems with people hc whatever they hc, it's not my business policing everybody's fun even if i don't like it. you're not wrong if you're just disliking the way they do shit, i get bad vibes already. however, you're factually incorrect if you assume the way you're experiencing symptoms is representative of everyone and every character with Symptoms Disorder should look like you- just as headcanons always all being "uwu he's picky and bad at talking", rather than meltdowns and delusions of reference and very bad anger and self-destructive boredom and so forth are incorrect. i genuinely think the issue isn't that you don't like it, because i am exactly the same, i get pissed at the way discussions about nds constantly erase epilepsy because it's not a learning disorder, it bothers me how people act like rep for that isn't important since autism is uwu ~who i am~ but epilepsy is just a curse, ignoring if that's how i feel about either. you can vent about that. the issue mostly just comes down to you needing to be a free speech ass. literally that's it. i'm a free speech ass, so i seeth and moan, but i wouldn't stop someone from doing it because as much as i hate (using my own free speech to express said hate) i also want you capable of saying whatever the fuck you want. free expression is genuinely worth a billion things that make me sick. so that's the coping you need- it's fine for your brain to be an angry cunt and perfectly fine to vent about it on tumblr, and you don't need this beating yourself up for being mad about it, even being mad in a specific way that's factually incorrect, as mentioned, that's fine. literally all you need to do is go "i can feel how i feel, but that will ultimately have no bearing on them" and then go eat a bagel or explode the government or eat another bagel. just nd hobbies. i literally used to run a blog discussing DID rep, whether it met an actual medical diagnostic criteria, yes, but also just is that a fun person to watch? are they interesting? do they feature heavily? i wasn't doing it to say every character has to look how i want, it's because i wanted a resource for people to find character they're likely to want to watch- it's long deleted, but yeah. just be chill.

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kingsandbastardz · 8 months ago

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Yeah it doesn't matter how much you love your parents or whether they're very close with you - there are some things you just don't want to say or show to them. I 100% agree that they didn't start as friends and that their first impressions were trash. On one hand, FDB was trying to establish hierarchy with a guy he saw as being an arrogant upstart with delusions of his own self worth/abilities. His repeated attempts to establish a pecking order was totally his expression of that. But...on the other hand - out of every other possible insulting relationship he could have picked to show his dominance, why did he chose sifu? He had enough fuel to argue that his rank was higher (easily could have chosen master for "I'll take charge of you bc you're so lowly and pathetic.") but he went with the thing that involves reciprocity in behavior when what he really wanted was for DFS to acknowledge him as his better. lmao. I guess this means he also wants to be acknowledge as being smarter, more learned, having more to offer.

I feel like this points to a certain type of upbringing where he was taught to take charge of people seriously. It isn't just about being insulting, but also "I'll teach you real kungfu." I mean yeah he was being a little shit. But I'm willing to bet he'd actually take it seriously if DFS took him up on the offer against all expectations. (he wouldn't like it, but he'd actually put thought to it and try to teach him something or at least protect him lmao)

The interesting thing about the trust issue is how he trusted dfs to not harm him, but didn't trust him with LLH. So I wonder if it's partially himself taking a sort of responsibility over dfs' actions in that he thought he could physically manage him or whether he was treating it like having two dogs that don't like each other and managing the situation in the easiest way he could think of: keep both parties apart.

He didn't like dfs' violence, but if he can trust him to handle himself well with menial tasks or things requiring strength? He'd appreciate someone who works so I can easily see him as having ideas that DFS was ultimately trainable. That is until he found out he was actually that DFS. Which brings up the question - did he ever figure out whether DFS had an issue with his martial arts, or did he continue to assume that DFS was tricky and had been faking helplessness all along? I mean, later on when looking back at things and understanding how big of a liar LLH had been. Or did he assume LLH and DFS had been mysteriously colluding with each other?

DFS revealing himself completely to fdb in the pear array of longing/lost love/whatever that thing is called -- i would personally be like wtf how do you hide that level of power? Ppl with any level of training should be feeling it just by him sitting quietly in the next room. (side note: these kinds of complete reveals is always accompanied in my head with implied vulnerability. Not physically in this case, but usually something emotional or psychological. In this case, I point toward the intrigued oh-no-he's-hot moment from fdb's pov. And dfs' playful, almost flirtatious, behavior as he's being ganged up on. And also skill-and-power as the implied language they share between the two of them as an ongoing conversation.)

I love dfs being fdb's equal from his own standpoint. But I keep getting the idea that fdb wants to establish certain kinds of boundaries regarding their relationship if only because Fdb is the type that talks. He needs to discuss things. Things went sideways with LLH because LLH refused to communicate over lying. But at least he does talk. DFS.... obviously doesn't. He talks so little, llh developed the ability to read his mind to understand him. So it's like FDB still uses the old language of himself being the good hero and DFS being 'the great big demon' like he's still that child at the beginning of the series treating everyone like they're storybook characters -- though he's clearly progressed past that emotionally by the end of the series. His mouth and mental definitions still haven't changed because as far as we know, he and dfs hasn't had important conversations yet.

I have mixed feelings about the care FDB makes LLH accept because while it comes from a good place, like you kind of said - where he sees this as the type of understanding he wished he had as a child. But if you remove the understanding from the care itself, this is what he had from his parents where they tried to anticipate and provide for his needs/wants until they thought he was hurting himself. In a way he's replicating this with LLH - and just like his parents, he came to the realization that LLH (and himself) would do what they'd want regardless of what the caretakers want - which is for them to be safe. At the very least, I think he came away from all this with a better understanding of what his parents went through.

And back to fdb venting his energy at DFS who doesn't mind because:

it gives him a chance to play around

he can absorb it without damage.

he likes seeing fdb become exponentially stronger - it tickles his lizard brain in the fun sword place

FDB is cognizant dfs is a human and not an object so wouldn't take it too far since they're part of the same unit, but he's still going to come out of the other end of their interactions with a bit of a buzz. Think of him as being a human rage room. You know the ones where people can go for an hour or two and without being judged, they smash every piece of china and furniture in there?

DFS is like a mild version of that room except none of the dishes will break. Until he does. I wonder what will happen in a post canon where DFS might potentially have ptsd surrounding violence framed as either mastery or a game? Which isn't what these two do at all, but there might be enough hints of similarity to trigger memories... Or would he lean into this to purge his hind brain of fear through exposure and FDB is the one that gets weirded out?

Anyway. One last thought about LLH giving DFS and FDB to each other. I love that the letter is given to FDB while it's addressed to DFS. I've been in situations like this as a kid where a parent will be talking to someone else, but I fully understood the implied and silent direction would be for me to follow up repeatedly with the other kid and to ensure their safety, or that they follow the instructions, or supply any help they might need to complete that task. DFS is not llh's responsibility because he's a grown ass adult - that's why he phrased it as "If you are interested" at him. But for FDB it was very much - "Follow him. Keep an eye on him. Pick fights with him if you have to. It's very important to me that you take care of him Make sure he's ok."

mysterious lotus casebook is about a generation of people stuck in time, and one boy who's the age they all were when they stopped moving forward but unlike them he still gets a chance to be Young

#sorry im sleep deprived atm so no idea if this is coherent or just me spewing ideas everywhere #great now I want an AU where dfs decided to be a menace and immediately started following following around and calling him sifu #or something where fdb has to find out everything llh never told him about dfs from OTHER PPL and deal with dfs' ptsd #i view the pear blossom scene as dfs' ver of “you gotta be this strong and this skilled to ride this ride” and fdb being quietly “Oh wow”#for a hot second - he indeed wanted to ride that ride #meta #fang duobing #li lianhua #di feisheng #difang #fangdi #my royal ramblings #mysterious lotus casebook

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shin-knee-gami · 3 years ago

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lawlight fic recs [1]

lawlight fic recs [2]

lawlight fic recs [3]

because I didn't read through every single smutfic in ao3's 'lawlight' tag just to come up empty handed. you're welcome ;)

**I plan on updating this list for the foreseeable future, so remember to check this original post on my blog for updates!**

Rating: Explicit

Status: Completed

Other: mostly Top!L and Bottom!Light, moderate to heavy plot details, canon divergent, very messy relationship (because they're messy people), mostly oneshots, mostly Light's third-person-limited POV

'the forest holds strange creatures' by avoidfilledwithcelluloid

the first time you listened to touch-tone telephone by lemon demon, did you immediately think "man, I wish this was gayer"? then have I got just the fic for you--an AU where L is a big tall tree cryptid and Light is an endearingly pretentious paranormal researcher, complete with a very thorough and extensive study on 'bodily compatibility.' mostly fluff, smut, and humor; there's a bit of angst, but blink and you'll miss it. (this author's written a lot of great stuff and is regularly active on ao3, so go check out his work!)

'vertigo' by crimesofhallowed

have you ever wanted to read a short semi-realistic smutfic that explores Light's delusions of grandeur and paranoia with an ominously ambiguous ending? well you're in luck! L might be a dead man walking, but that's not going to stop him from topping.

'Slow Down' by arcadevia

want a bite-sized tutor!L/college student!Light oneshot with a simple plot twist that'll still manage to get a laugh out of you? look no further, this fic's got you covered.

'(Please) Stay' by Rachello344

L returns home after a long business trip and Light demands he make up for lost time. if you're a fan of Light being needy, you'll definitely get a kick out of this one.

'Psyche' by PurpleOlie

Light is a huge slut, L begrudgingly admits to himself that he wouldn't mind if Kira won, and they're both equally toxic for each other in all the most delicious ways. some very angry power-struggle hatesex ensues.

'How's your head?' by vxlleyhxe

I'll be honest, I didn't expect a fic with the barebones premise of 'Light is a proud sapiosexual' to be so self-aware. in this one, both he and L are tenured professors working at the same university, and Light is simultaneously charmed and mildly repulsed by our favorite cynical gremlin. definitely worth a read.

'Idle Hands' by gayraito (@gayraito)

L has an interesting proposition for Light. Light takes him up on it. short, simple, sweet, and pretty darn well-written, though it might not be for you if dirty talk isn't your thing. (I can't say much more without spoiling the ending, but F in the chat for poor Mogi lmao)

'Body Glitter' by theredplace

what can I say? I'm a sucker for good sex work AUs. if you wanna read about stripper!Light strutting around a pole onstage like a peacock, then subsequently getting his world rocked by a certain dark and mysterious recluse, this is the fic for you.

'nothing wrong' by coprinus_atramentarius (@translightyagami)

while I usually prefer L as a top, I've gotta admit--this fic does a really good job of keeping him in-character as a bratty bottom. and he gets to be trans, no less! anyway, if you're looking for a fic to scratch that yotsuba arc itch, look no further. there's also a spiritual sequel ['need you'], so be sure to check it out! (this author's written a lot of great stuff and is regularly active on ao3, so go check out their work!)

'Catch Perfect' by Resilicns, ZombieJesus

I haven't finished this one yet, BUT I've heard a lot of good things about it and I enjoy the dynamic Light and L have going so far. basically the whole premise is, Light's desk burns up and he forgets about the death note until 6 years later when Ryuk returns with a new one.

#death note #lawlight #l lawliet x light yagami #smut fanfiction #fic recs #fic recommendations

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thefools-journey · 4 years ago

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So. Some of you may be wondering why we haven’t written a whole ton about the secondaries or what have you. Here’s the reason: we were waiting for them to end before we really dug into the problems we were noticing. We felt that it was only fair to wait for the routes to finish so that we had an understanding of the writers’ vision. Who knew, we thought, maybe they would see the problems themselves and course correct, maybe they are building to something we can’t quite see yet and these issues will have actual payoff, maybe-

In light of Muriel and Lucio’s endings, and the general mess that has dominated Portia’s route for a year plus now, we are breaking our silence. We are actually going to talk about this shit show.

The fandom at large has talked about a bunch of issues with the secondaries but for me, the cardinal sin, the thing that really all the issues lead back to, is this: the writers lost sight of the tarot themes which so strongly defined and held together the primary routes. Let me explain.

The primary routes each center around three thematic cores:

The Love Interest’s Major Arcana and its Reversed/Upright meanings

The MC’s Fool’s Journey, both how it can go right and how it can go wrong

A question about the MC’s identity and their relationship to said identity

Asra’s route asks: Who was the MC? How does the MC navigate a past they cannot and will not remember? What do they owe a past they cannot remember? How do they handle the revelations of what Asra, Nadia, Julian, etc did? How do you right the past? Can you?

Nadia’s route asks: Who is the MC? The MC has no past. Are they the Fool only? Are they actually the same person they were? How can they tell? Who are they, really? Are they an imposter? No one can answer these questions for them.

Julian’s route asks: Who will the MC become? How does the MC see their future? Is there anything worth fighting for for that future? What will become of them and their loved ones?

Now, if you notice, these themes are expertly woven throughout the primaries. Asra’s past dominates his route, Nadia is also missing memories and trying to construct her identity both with her family and with Vesuvia, and Julian’s fear of the future drives his flailing for control. Asra has to learn to take a broader view of his actions to get his Upright Ending, Nadia has to learn to trust herself and those around her for hers, and Julian has to learn how to let go for his. These lessons are the issues their cards stand for. The primaries are so dang elegant and delicate in their handlings of theme it is honestly awe-inspiring.

Thematically, the secondary routes have completely lost their hearts. First of all, the MC does not have strong, core questions which need to be answered. They just don’t. I suppose the writers did not want to retread old territory (which is weird considering how tightly bound the primaries are; it really tricks you into thinking you’re living the same events but from different angles depending on your route) but they did not replace the old with anything new. Muriel’s route is, on the surface, about discovering and owning his past, the good and the bad. Why not tie MC’s self-discovery to that story? Or they could have taken the angle that Muriel’s route is about convincing him to be present and active in the world while MC builds an identity for themself outside of Asra, the shop, and the memories they cannot retrieve. Why not tie the investigation themes running through Portia’s early route back to MC and their past? Portia has the unique angle of being as in the dark as MC about all of this, why not discover the past together? And for goodness’ sake, Lucio has no future when his route begins, why not tie that to his need for growth, responsibility, and MC’s own future between the Fool, the Devil, or something mortal and in between?

Secondly, the routes lost their tarot backbone. We have a primer on how to get specific endings for each LI and it still holds, but the writers did not follow through on the thematic coherence of each secondary. The Hermit is looking for something, be it perspective, insight, a solution to a problem, whatever. The key here is that the Hermit must find or learn what they are searching for, this thing must change their understanding of the world, and finally, they must bring this lesson back to the world from which they retreated. Can someone please enlighten me as what exactly Muriel learns then teaches the world around him? Nothing Muriel learns from Morga, MC, or even the Hermit ties back into anything. The Devil warns that you are out of control and exerting a lot of manipulative, destructive behavior on the world around you. It asks you to take responsibility for yourself and your actions. So can someone tell me why Lucio’s route actively avoids any interaction or reflection on two of Lucio’s biggest victims: Muriel and Julian? Why does the route only try to make amends with the “easier” of his victims in the cast? The Star is first and foremost the card of clarity, the light at the end of the tunnel. Perseverance, if you will. Yet Portia’s route has been the muddiest of the trio; the writers drop the investigation aspect of her route in favor just handing her and MC information they could have easily found and muddying the waters with Tasya (she blows up the palace but it’s all okay bc she has a secret daughter Julian never thought to bring up or mention) and the complete removal of the Devil as antagonist.

So that leaves just the Fool’s Journey trying to hold this stool up with only one leg. And well...it doesn’t go well. At best, the secondary route books pay the barest surface level homage to the themes of the individual cards. At worst, they ignore the cards completely. Muriel's Moon book has nothing to do with illusions or delusions or lies or even an Alice in the Looking Glass upside down world. Portia's back half is a complete and utter mess, starting with her Temperance book being so badly mangled that Muriel's aftermath book does it better. Lucio's route too bungles the Tower and the Star. There just isn't enough here to carry the routes alone.

Add to the core loss the loss of intertextuality. The primary routes are very good, even great but they too do have their moments and mistakes. What helps strengthen them when the cores stumble is how the trio is woven together. Things you learn in Asra's route can inform the way you play Nadia's, for example. Julian's route informs what is going on in Asra's route and slots some missing puzzle pieces together. Nadia's route tells you of the power struggles she is facing and informs the other two routes' handling of Julian and his trial. On and on, the three routes support each other because they are built out of the same basic plot beats, just tackled in very different ways. Now, the writers are allowed to try and write whatever they want. They apparently wanted to be more experimental and less tied down to an overarching plot with the three secondaries. Okay, fine, they are allowed to do that. The problem is that they sacrificed one of the key strengths of the primary trio and didn't replace said strength with anything else. They also, on some level, harmed the very premise of the game, which is that only the player's choices and route selected change the overall plot. Instead of feeling like legitimate possibilities or offshoots of the same timeline/plot, the secondaries feel almost like Arcana AUs. The secondaries throw out all relations to the primaries and each other as quickly as possible and for what?

It is probably the height of arrogance to suggest fixes for works whose behind the scenes I do not know. At the same time, some small, obvious changes could have salvaged Muriel and maybe Lucio's endings (rip Portia). Instead of having the Hermit appear as a disappointing cameo, why not have him say something cryptic to Muriel, then have MC start trying to seal the Devil. Then let Muriel use his forget me mark to cloak MC and hide them from the Devil's attacks. Protecting MC by hiding them from Lucio, keeping him focused on Muriel, seems to me a simple third solution between Muriel's desire to run and his desire to never fight again. It lets him stand up to Lucio and let him have it while holding onto who Muriel has become. The Reversed End would have MC try to draw Lucio's attention at some point, disrupting the sealing, and eventually leading to Muriel killing the Devil. With Lucio's Upright End, I just have to ask: why doesn't MC fully claim the power of the Fool instead of the Devil? We don't need the other Arcana involved in this fight; we have three routes that demonstrate that. Just have MC pull Scout into the conflict, then have Lucio tell MC he believes in them, then add his power to the mix. You got yourself a full Fool who leaves Scout guarding the realm until they and Lucio's mortal bodies fail and they return to the realm to be together forever. Boom, you're done, you can even add some ambiguous lines so that players can decide how happy their MC is with this arrangement, send me the check.

Here is the bottom line. Our group is full of aroace, and several combinations therein, individuals. We are the last group who should have gotten into a dating sim of all things. But the Arcana did something with the primaries that was special; they wrote a compelling plot with dazzling lore, complex characters, and strong themes wrapped up in a dating sim bow. The writers know better and we know they know better. I do not know what happened with the secondaries, especially around books 10-11, which is where minor issues slowly start spiraling into major ones, but it is clear that Nix Hydra needed some more planning before they released these routes. Hopefully they will learn.

TL;DR: Nix Hydra fired their tarot consultants about eighteen months ago and it has wrecked their secondary routes until they were just embarrassments. They never intended for the secondary routes to even exist and once they had to make them, they scrambled and threw out everything that made the primaries work.

- Mod Telos

#the arcana #The Arcana Game #arcana game #arcana game meta #arcana meta #arcana discourse #the arcana lucio #Lucio route #the arcana muriel #muriel route #the arcana portia #portia route #lucio morgasson #lucio montag #muriel #portia devorak #The Wheel Turns

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cruelfeline · 5 years ago

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In light of all that we’ve learned with this most wonderful final season, some people have asked me to reassess Hordak’s backstory monologue. To see how Hordak’s narrative fits with what we now know about his home. To try to discern exactly what its discrepancies are, and why.

I’m going to do that! But before I do, I would remind everyone: this is a little difficult to fully untangle because, given that Hordak is not a main character and thus does not have the focus that we’d like, we really don’t know a whole lot about the Horde in terms of function, social roles, and general history. So this is going to be very much limited by what I can glean from exactly what the show gives us.

That said, it’ll hopefully still be interesting. So!

During season three, after recovering from his syncopal episode, Hordak describes to Entrapta what he is, what he was, and how he came to be on Etheria. He describes himself as a defective clone who, once upon a time, was the top general in the galactic Horde. When his defect became too much of a burden, he was apparently demoted, sent to the front lines to fight until death, and arrived on Etheria by way of unexplained portal.

This is what Hordak tells us, and, as far as we know, he’s not lying. Hordak, as portrayed in the show, is a very honest person, both in his own actions and in the actions he expects of others. He greatly dislikes deception and does not appear skillfully capable of it himself (save for that one time). Knowing this, we generally have to assume that, in his own mind, what Hordak is saying is true.

So. What gives, right?

After all, once we see the galactic Horde in action, we learn that it is a played-straight, honest-to-the-gods cult. There’s nothing distinctly military about it. It’s not a bigger, grander version of Hordak’s Etherian Horde.

It is a cult with a god-brother-creator at the helm, commanding countless identical acolytes who live their lives in slavish devotion to their master. There do not appear to be any ranks. We hear nothing about any generals, let alone a “top general.” There doesn’t even appear to be a need for anything like that, because Prime doesn’t seem to really delegate to his brothers in a way that singles them out or relies on real autonomy from them.

He can, after all, read their minds at will and slip into their bodies whenever he fancies. If he needs to make a decision about a battle on a planet at the other edge of the galaxy, he can just take over a body on that planet and make said decision himself. Or, at the very least, enter the relevant clone’s mind and influence the decision as needed. He doesn’t need, and certainly doesn’t appear to tolerate, clones taking their own initiative.

So, again: what gives? What does Hordak mean by “top general”? Why does he think he has this elevated role when we can see that Prime considers all of his clones the equivalent of faceless bodies to be used a he likes?

Well, while we will likely never know the full truth, given the lack of Horde background detail, we can safely assume some things from what canon shows us.

Namely that, while all clones appear indistinguishable and do not seem to have named rank, there are definitely clone positions that work more closely with Prime than others. His attendants are one example. Those who are in his throne room feeding him information while he is working are another. (Hordak actually appears to be one of these, at least while Prime is trying to hack the Heart of Etheria, when Entrapta is captured.) And then, of course, there are the chosen vessels that will one day house Prime’s consciousness.

All of these positions can likely be occupied by any clone, with bodies switched out as needed (likely what happened when Hordak got sick). I doubt that individual clones have any sort of real rank. Prime knows this. Hordak and his brothers, I suspect, may not fully understand it.

Rather, I would not be surprised if Hordak, deceived and indoctrinated into believing things about himself and about Prime that are not true, misinterprets the nature of his purpose and the truth of his relationship with his Brother. He believes that, fulfilling whatever role he was fulfilling for Prime, he was a general, an individual of note, an individual that Prime specially valued. Perhaps he fulfilled the role long enough that, in all but name, it became “his.” Perhaps he even fulfilled it well enough that Prime praised him frequently, cementing this unfortunate delusion. Perhaps Prime gave him legitimate favor - a false thing, of course; simply a controlling tool, but Hordak did not realize that.

Without canon confirmation, we can really only speculate, but these ideas seem reasonable.

Details aside, the point of the matter is that Hordak sees himself as “top general” because he sadly doesn’t understand that he is an interchangeable piece of a utilitarian machine. He truly thinks that he has this coveted position, that he is particularly useful, special, of great value. It’s a tragic misunderstanding that simply fuels his misguided devotion to Prime and prevents him from seeking freedom when he is given the opportunity.

It’s something, I think, that people in very controlling religious organizations often end up thinking: that they are especially valued, worthy in some way that others are not. It’s part of how the organization controls them.

By the by, there is also the theory that Hordak has suffered memory erasure before and is thus doubly confused, filling in blanks with fantasy, but given that we have no direct evidence of that, I’m not really going to go into it; it’s a popular bit of speculation, though.

Now, however, let us examine a different aspect of this. Labels aside, delusions aside, we are left with another conundrum: however Hordak interprets his position, it is very clear to us that said position does not actually offer the power or respect that a legitimate high military rank would offer. It does not appear to provide Hordak with any special treatment.

Once upon a time, back when we first learned of Hordak’s backstory, it was somewhat assumed that the position would do something like this. Numerous fans speculated about how it might be a position that gave a clone dominion over others, or over their own personal ships or planets; some fans suggested that it might give a clone the right to a name. Now, of course, we know that none of these speculations are true: all of Prime’s clones are essentially interchangeable; all are part of a hive mind that eliminates the need for certain clones directing others; no clone is allowed a name, no matter what their current job might be.

So. What, exactly, is Hordak practically gaining here? Despite this position appearing to hold zero effective esteem, despite it necessitating Hordak giving up his self and his autonomy, it is abundantly clear that he desperately wants it back. Why?

What about this position, whatever it may or may not be called, would provide Hordak with this sense of value, of specialness, of personal worth? After all, Hordak may be deluded, but he’s not stupid; even indoctrinated, he can tell that he doesn’t hold dominion over other clones, or have a right to his own name. He can tell that he doesn’t receive any functional privileges, that his own sense of value doesn’t translate into anything that you or I would think is “worth the price of admission,” so to speak.

In light of that incredibly steep price, what does this position offer, in a world where military rank appears irrelevant? What does it offer, in exchange for Hordak’s name and his bodily autonomy and his freedom? In short, what does it offer that makes Hordak think it worth sacrificing so much for?

Well.

It offers closeness to Prime, doesn’t it? It offers the chance to work near him, to bask in his presence, to be spoken to and looked upon and touched by him. It offers the chance to receive his praise, personally. It offers the chance to perhaps - hopefully, wishfully - receive his love.

Because that’s what Hordak really wants. Not dominion over others, or a fancy military title. He wants that emotional connection. He wants that approval and validation. He wants love. And for so much of the series, for so much of his life, he believes that love comes only from Prime. That working closely with him, being of use to him, will provide him with that sense of belonging and acceptance and affectionate care that he hungers for. That it will make him worthy and loved.

(There’s a line in the deleted Entrapdak scene, where Prime calls Hordak the “most unloved and unworthy” among his brothers that really cements the idea that worthiness is synonymous with love within the galactic Horde)

This is what marks the position as “special” in Hordak’s eyes: it is special because it stands the greatest chance of providing him with Prime’s love.

All of it is a lie, of course. Because Prime only “loves” his brothers as extensions of himself, and even then, only if they are physically useful to him. Once Hordak starts to lag behind due to his illness, he is quickly removed from Prime’s presence and sent to the front lines, destined to fight until defect or battle kills him. And yet it is a lie so powerful, and the clones’ need for Prime’s love so great, that he is able to use it to control them even when they are separated from him. To the point that a sickly clone trapped in a shadow dimension will forgo freedom in his desperate bid to feel wanted and treasured by his cruel god.

Eventually, thankfully, Hordak finds a true version of the connection he craves, someone who looks at him and acknowledges him, values him and loves him as he is, without him needing to prove himself useful. He finds Entrapta, and she provides that love that he sought from Prime.

This is why, even though Hordak actually ends up working in Prime’s throne room again, ends up close to him once more, he breaks free from control and kills his Brother. Throughout season five, Hordak remembers Entrapta. He remembers how she makes him feel. He remembers her love... and he realizes that it is not the same as Prime's. It is sincere. It is unconditional. It accepts him as his own flawed person, rather than the perfect drone Prime wants him to be. It is deeper and more true and more real than the hollow sham Prime offers.

And so Hordak rejects this once-coveted position, rejects Prime, and frees himself. He makes the choice between a false, controlling “love” and the real, heartfelt thing. He makes the choice, and he chooses Entrapta.

In the end, the greatest disconnect between what Hordak tells us in season three and what is true isn’t the word “general,” or even the cruel difference between how Prime views the clones, and how they view him. It is the impression of why Hordak wants such a position at all, of what it means to him. What initially comes off as a disgraced military man seeking to regain former glory is actually a lost, unloved soul desperately searching for the emotional connection he needs.

And, after many mistakes, after much hardship, he finally finds it.

#hordak #horde prime #entrapta #entrapdak #she ra

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animeyanderelover · 4 years ago

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Wooow! Finished all available seasons from Attack On Titan and it’s such a great Anime. The character development is more than just outstanding and I can’t wait until the Final season is being aired in my country! But for now let’s start with the basic Hc’s!

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, stalking, clinginess, delusions, paranoia, overprotectiveness, manipulation, sabotage, strict Yandere, mentions of kidnapping, death, torturing

Yandere Attack On Titan Hc’s

Eren Yeager

👊A trait that every character in Attack On Titan has is overprotective. He lost his mother and more comrades than he can count and won’t let anything harm his darling. One hell of an obsessive one who will bombard the s/o with questions about their life and interests. He’ll definitely steal a few of his darling’s things and will treasure them. He’s shown great character development and so I would say also the aware type who knows that such feelings are unhealthy. But due to trying desperately to justify his behavior he’ll have some delusional mood swings from time to time. I can see him even as the manipulative type who will pretend to just have an innocent crush on you and fool everyone when in reality it’s so much more.

👊Also the lovestruck, desperate and clingy type. He sees his darling as a gift from whoever lives up there in heaven and will probably worship the ground his s/o walks on. Poor boy went through a lot in only a few months since joining the scouts so it’s no wonder that he just really wants to hold and kiss his darling, showing them that they own his heart. He won’t leave his s/o’s side if he can because apparently even in the walls there is danger and he also doesn’t want anyone flirting with his darling.

👊Eren doesn’t have the best temper. But he’ll try to hold on just for his darling. Remember that the key word here is that he tries. He doesn’t have anything against it when Mikasa or Armin talk with his darling and can also hold on for a bit when it comes to his other friends, only exception being Jean on whom he keeps a sharp eye. But with other people he’s rather impatient, especially if they get too close to his darling. Will most likely start yelling and cursing at the person then and there, not caring that he makes a scene.

👊Eren is really impulsive, but he joined the scouts to protect mankind so he’ll feel very conflicted about that. I think he won’t kill. He most likely just starts having a fight with them. But sometimes his temper might get the best out of him and then he loses it, but for that to happen the person must have really pushed him over his limits. But he has to be smart about killing or else he’ll get in troubles. Might try to lure the person somewhere secure to finish them off in his Titan form and making sure that the body will never be found again.

👊He’s most of the time with you and has to believe in himself that he can protect you and also trusts Mikasa and Armin enough to keep you safe. But as soon as danger comes anywhere near you he’ll immediately start searching for you to protect you, especially if Titan’s are in the wall. After that he’ll lock you somewhere safe and sound up even if he managed to protect you and nothing happened to you. No one can blame him for being a bit paranoid.

👊Eren just really wants you safe and that’s perfectly understandable. He tries to show you that he can protect you, especially if you should ever witness him in Titan form where he wants to prove to you that he has control. He just really wants you to love him and appreciate him.

Mikasa Ackerman

🧣Mikasa is the overprotective and possessive Yandere, but only in the best ways possible. She lost her parents, her foster parents and so many more people so no wonder that she’s so scared over her darling’s safety and wants to keep them by her side for all time. Even though she might look cold on the outside, she’s an incredibly caring one on the inside and will often tell her darling how beautiful they are and how much she loves them.

🧣Also a stalker and obsessive one. She of course prefers to be with her darling, but she accepts it if her s/o wants some private time alone and will leave them be. She tries at least, but in the end she decides to rather watch from a safe distance so she can step in as soon as danger encounters her darling. Since she’s a stalker she’ll see a lot from what her darling is doing and will grab on every piece of information she can get of them like her life depends on it. Might even steal a few things from them here and there. The aware one who knows that she shouldn’t do that, but the world is a cruel place.

🧣Mikasa is perfectly fine with you talking to others. I can see her as someone who knows that she’s good looking and that everyone would love to be in her darling’s place. She also trusts her darling greatly. The only times when she gets jealous is when the other person gets a bit too comfortable with the s/o.

🧣She’s in comparison to Eren much more calmer. But she can get hella brutal if a person she loves is in danger and will take things in her hands quickly. She can be very reasonable and Mikasa is very intimidating if she wants to be. To get her mad a person has to threaten or hurt her darling. But she’s smart and will make a plan on how to kill that person without arousing any suspicions.

🧣Her darling’s happiness is important to her and since she’s almost all the time watching I think she won’t resort to kidnapping. That however changes the moment someone possesses a threat to you. As soon as she hears that her s/o is in danger she’ll instantly defend you and after she took care of the threat she’ll start checking if you’re hurt. After such incidents she’ll become more protective and will stick closer to her darling’s side.

🧣Mikasa is my favorite Yandere in here. She really tries to not scare you away with her partially unhealthy feelings and accepts the fact that you have other people in your life as well. She does know that you’re a grownup, but I can see her as someone who will baby you as often as she can and who will always find excuses to spend time with you.

Armin Arlert

🐚Armin is a wonderful mix of delusional, yet aware. He’s got some brain and actually knows that his feelings aren’t normal, but he just sees his darling as a god/goddess walking on earth and will just start thinking of it as really strong romantic feelings. As everyone else in here overprotective. He saw the people in Shinganshina die, he lost his grandfather and he witnessed how Eren got eaten from a Titan and has every reason to be overprotective over his darling. Also an incredibly clingy one who needs to be near you all the time.

🐚Lovestruck and a worshipper. This guy just wants to proof his worth to his s/o and would do everything what they tell him. I think he might even go as far as not caring if his s/o uses him as long as they accept him which makes him a really desperate one as well. Such a desperate one for his s/o’s love and approval. If you don’t acknowledge him he’ll feel absolutely unworthy. He’s smart and might be a very potential manipulative type, but I think he would try to not use that on his darling often. But there are certain trigger events where he’ll let his genius side shine through in a bad way. That happens when his darling tries to leave him, ignores him for someone else or is in danger.

🐚Armin doesn’t really think of himself that great and is often highly insecure about himself so if he feels jealous he wouldn’t have the courage to step in. Instead his self insecurity just increases. But he jumps over his shadow when he sees someone making you uncomfortable.

🐚Here this boy let’s his manipulative side shine through because he doesn’t want to kill people. Instead he uses his brain to somehow start spreading rumors about the person which will make other people more suspicious around said person.

🐚He would never kidnap his darling. When they’re in danger he’ll talk them into going somewhere save so he can make sure that they aren’t harmed. He often entrusts Eren and Mikasa with the protection of his darling if he can’t do it himself or feels like he won’t be able to do it alone.

🐚You might feel actually bad for Armin because of the fact how submissive he is to you and how dependent he is for your love. But I also believe that if someone pushes his buttons the wrong way he might turn into a little devil who will use manipulations with the reasoning to keep you save.

Jean Kirschstein

🐴Jean is a stalker and the aware type. He’s ashamed of his rather abnormal feelings for his darling and I can also see him as someone who thinks he is way out of their league to even be near them. So he just watches and follows his darling everywhere. Obsessive because he just found an angel walking on this rotten world so it’s only natural that he wants to know everything about them. A lovestruck one who thinks of his darling as an angel from heaven. He fell in love at first sight.

🐴A manipulative one, but in a different sense. He’ll try to befriend his s/o’s friends and will try to come in contact with his darling’s parents, trying to leave a really good impression on them so that they’ll introduce him to his s/o. Since he’s ashamed of his behavior he needs a lot of reassurance, making him a desperate one as well. He’s also the overprotective one since basically anytime something could happen to you.

🐴Jean gets quickly jealous, but since he’s ashamed of his feelings and doesn’t think he has the right to interrupt his darling he’ll just watch from the distance. If he gets courageous he might suddenly step in, especially if the other person gets touchy with the s/o. Then he’ll become a hothead.

🐴Jean needs a good reason to kill a person, but if the situation calls for it he’s ready to take someone’s life it means protecting his darling. He would only do that if someone plans to harm his darling.

🐴He watches most of the time and respects his s/o’s wishes, but if they get harmed and he couldn’t do anything, he might become slightly more paranoid and will beg them to stay in their house and will also try to talk parents and friends into thinking like him.

🐴Jean is only focused on your happiness and well-being and would never dream of hurting you. But it can be from time to time creepy when he just follows you around and watches you for hours. But he’ll make sure to never get caught by you or someone else.

Sasha Blouse

🍖Sasha is the clingy and lovestruck Yandere. She just adores her darling with everything she’s got and never, never leaves their side. She’ll always follow them around and can’t stop talking about them. Overprotective for obvious reasons.

🍖Also the delusional one who sees her darling as something above normal humans. They’re the only thing she loves more than food and that has to say something.

🍖Easily jealous and pretty obvious with it. Her whole face will scream jealous as soon as someone starts talking to them and she’s the type who keeps interrupting whatever interaction the both of you have and will annoy the other person until they’ve had enough and leave her s/o alone.

🍖I can’t imagine her as someone who would kill people. She would try to give them a hard time by annoying them and even make sure to somehow make them mess up their tasks so this person will get in trouble. Sasha would also try to somehow make the person humiliate themself in front of a large crowd. The type to slip here and there some rumors in, not too bad, but enough to make people talk about it. Embarrassing stories do that everyone will start giggling when seeing the person again. Also the type to report anything to their superiors if she sees how the person does something wrong.

🍖She’s all over her darling all the time so she won’t kidnap them and would never even think of it. If danger emerges she’ll just be even more clingy towards you to the point where it will be suffocating for the s/o.

🍖I think together with Mikasa one of my favs. She’s so open with showing her feelings for you and just wants the both of you to be a happy couple. She would never hurt you and is even ready to share her food with you. But only with you!

Annie Leonhardt

💗Annie is the aware and manipulative type. She’s very smart and knows that she isn’t supposed to feel this way. She’s good in acting when we think about that at first no one suspected her to be an enemy and she’ll definitely manipulate her darling into staying with her and cutting all of their social ties to dedicate all their time to her.

💗She’s overprotective and possessive over her darling. She’s seen bad stuff and has been trained to kill without remorse and she doesn’t want this world to mess her darling up as well so she’ll protect them from any harm possible. The world didn’t give her much so there’s no chance she’ll ever let her s/o leave her. She rarely shows her feelings, but I believe that she might show her darling her softer side. But she can still be very rough on them if she needs too.

💗Annie doesn’t show much emotions and has good self control over herself so she won’t act impulsively on this. But she does get jealous fast and she is pretty intimidating and will send the subject of her jealousy a cold glare. If the person doesn’t get her message she might step in and with her partially cruel humor scare that person away.

💗She was trained to kill without remorse and shows most of the times little to no regret in it. She is smart with it so that no one will suspect her as the killer. She kills when someone takes a liking to the s/o or when the s/o takes a liking towards someone and when someone disrespects or even hurts her darling.

💗She’ll rely most of the times on manipulation to get her darling stay willingly out of danger. If they refuse she might become more cruel with her words to them and will talk them into thinking that they’re weak if she has to. She only wants their best, doesn’t she? So being a bit more mean is worth it. And she will be able to get you to do what she told you to.

💗Her ways of doing things aren’t always right and deep down Annie knows that. Talking you into feeling worthless and forcing you into spending your time only with her is very selfish from her. But she just wants to protect you from the world and all it’s dangers. You’re also one of the very few persons she’ll ever be more tender to.

Erwin Smith

🎖Erwin is a manipulative Yandere. He might look at first like the perfect boyfriend, but it’s all an act to make his darling fall for him. He is incredibly charming and it won’t be hard for him to wrap his s/o around his finger. Overprotective because he lost his father and saw more than hundreds of soldiers dying.

🎖With time he’ll also become more and more the possessive one and at one point he might even try to make you break up contact with your family. But here comes the aware trait in where he’ll suddenly stop and remembering that this isn’t right. It’s a constant game of tug of war between his desire to keep the s/o for himself and letting them see family and friends because everything else would be wrong.

🎖He can keep his composure even under difficult circumstances. But it probably won’t even be necessary because he has some power and the knowledge that he and the s/o are together is most of the time already enough to make people stay away from them. If a person tries to talk to his darling a “friendly” warning is most of the time enough. Let’s not forget that he tells you convincing lies about the people you spend your time with which will cause you to avoid them.

🎖It won’t be necessary for him to kill someone when he can make their lifes a living hell since he is the commander of the scouts. He’ll spread bad rumors about that person which will eventually lead them to lose their job. Depending on how far someone angered him it will either end there or he’ll continue to ruin their life.

🎖If he’ll lock them up depends solely on him since he has a constant inner battle between his possessive side and more reasonable side. If he’s more possessive he’ll keep the s/o in the house even if there’s no sign of danger, if he’s in his more reasonable state he he’ll only does it when there is a threat for his darling. If his darling rejects his love or tries to leave him he’ll blackmail them to come willingly back and will keep them in his house for a shorter or longer time, it depends on how willing his s/o is.

🎖Erwin can be such a lovely boyfriend if he wants to be and nobody will ever suspect anything. That’s the problem here. No one would believe you if you told them how he really is. He has you tightly in his grip and you will always come back to him due to him threatening to spread rumors about your family out that might cost them their job. You need to play your cards carefully because this guy can turn from ‘perfect husband material’ to ‘possessive blackmailer’ in only the blink of an eye.

Hanji/Hange Zoë

🔬Hanji is overprotective and obsessive. They have seen many people die right in front of their eyes and that bounds them to be overprotective over their darling. They already display a huge interest for Titans and a natural desire to learn everything they don’t know. Imagine that ten times worse with the s/o. Hanji is absolutely the type to steal their things. At first only small things like spoons the darling used to eat with or garbage they threw away. But it will escalate further and further until Hanji has reached the level where they’ll steal toothbrushes, clothes and even start collecting their darling’s hair.

🔬Also the clingy type. Hanji is an absolute fan of PDA and Levi will probably scold them often for being so unprofessional in public. But Hanji doesn’t give a shit. Lovestruck, in their eyes her darling is perfect. Depending on whether her darling catches on on their rather obvious obsession they might become a stalker and start watching from a safe distance. Hanji is very intelligent and even though they’re very peculiar definitely can talk their darling into certain things, making them the manipulative type.

🔬Hanji shows very often very obviously their emotions and gets rather fastly jealous. I can see Hanji as someone who can be really scary and most people already think that they’re a bit crazy, but when they step in to interrupt their darling’s interaction with the other person they’ll creep them out with their odd and scary behavior and look on their face. The way they’re speaking adds even more creepiness to it.

🔬Hanji can go into full mad mode if triggered enough. They won’t kill persons. No, they’ll torture them first, separating their limbs from the body until they think the persons had been punished enough and then will kill them. That happens when someone insults their darling badly and disrespects them. Imagine what happens if someone goes as far as hurting Hanji’s s/o.

🔬Hanji can be very convincing and stubborn when it comes to certain things so they can somehow always find a way to make the darling stay out of dangerous places. But I can see them as someone who likes showing everyone who you belong to so as long as there’s no danger they won’t lock their darling up.

🔬Hanji will be honestly nothing, but sweet to you. But their obsession shines clearly through and they’re the type to ask you if they can get a few strands of your hair which will creep you out. But that’s not half as scary as seeing them torture those who didn’t treat you respectfully. No one wants to see a with blood covered Hanji holding those horrifying tools in their hands to torture a person with a crazed expression on their face.

Levi Ackerman

⚔️Levi is overprotective and possessive. He’s lost a lot of people. His mother, his uncle, his squad and countless others. So the moment he saw his darling? He didn’t plan to let them ever go. He’s a really strict and controlling one. He does appreciate it if his darling has a backbone, but he also expects them to know that he has the final word in everything and that they should submit to him. There are punishments given if his s/o doesn’t behave. Hopefully they learn through this. Obsessive, he takes his time to examine the s/o carefully to predict their actions better and to have a easier time to manipulate them since he has a bit of a silver tongue.

⚔️But at the same time he’s a desperate and on most of the time even a soft one. He never really got much love when he was a child. He watched his mother die and his uncle only taught him how to fight and left him alone after he had learned everything. So he does wishes that his darling loves him. And under all this proud and strict shell there is a soft spot which is only for you.

⚔️Levi carries a lot of anger inside of him, but is good in overplaying it. But it is rather easy to cross his lines and his possessiveness doesn’t help at all. It even worsens the situation and if his darling doesn’t break the interaction with the other person up when seeing Levi boiling with jealousy then they shouldn’t be surprised itf the other person suddenly gets kicked down by Levi and they get dragged back home by him. If the other person goes as far as flirting or touching you he’ll get more violent. If someone did touch you you’ll have to clean yourself up since Levi doesn’t want you to get filthy by someone else’s touch. And if you don’t want to wash yourself Levi has no problem in doing it himself. He’ll also mark after such events what’s rightfully his, at least he thinks so.

⚔️Levi needs to be careful to not let his rage and possessiveness get the best of him or else he’ll might slaughter a lot of people. He does have a higher position and will most likely give whoever made him pissed off a very, very hard life. If someone does go as far as trying to hurt his s/o or even trying to take them away from him he might just start attacking them the next time he sees them. But he’ll hold back and make a plan on how to kill them. If it’s a member of the scouts he might use the chance to somehow lead them into making a mistake so that they’ll get eaten by a Titan.

⚔️He hates taking his darling out of the house, his overprotectiveness and possessiveness are a horrible mix. He won’t kidnap his darling. It’s more like threatening them into coming willingly to him because he can be very scary if he wants to be. But I guess it also depends a bit on your position, meaning that he’ll handle this differently if you’re just an average citizen or a scout like him.

⚔️He has a huge soft side, but still be careful with him or else you’ll get punished. His punishments consists of locking you up without food for a few days or threatening you since despite his height he’s very scary. The problem with Levi is that most of the time you don’t know what’s going on in his head, you never know what he’s thinking. It might look to you on some days that he just wants to make your life a living hell, but that isn’t true. Levi just doesn’t really know how to act with these intense emotions. He really just wants you to love him, but chooses the wrong way to reach that goal. But give him time he’ll learn how to act better around you and more carefully.

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hamliet · 3 years ago

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Acting Out: Symbolism of CFC’s Acting Scene(s)

While reading the latest translated chapters of Meatbun’s Case File Compendium, I was struck by how very... meta and symbolic it is in the story. It’s an excellent conceit with so. many. layers that exemplify the story’s themes, particularly those concerning reality.

What is real, and what is not real? How do we know what is real and what is not--is it through feelings, is it corporeal, is it intellectual? Is reality worth pursuing, and if so, what will it cost?

One Persona

He Yu is "acting," but the act is actually his public persona, and his "acting" is actually more like he truly is.

The novel as a whole is exploring where a persona and our true selves intermingle and end. That He Yu can only act like himself when he's performing, because otherwise it wouldn't be accepted, is damning of society. Yet, we must also ask whether He Yu's "true self" is really who he is, or whether he is that way because literally no one ever showed him love his entire life.

What he says to the woman about wanting to be hated is very honest, yet also still an act. It is very, very clear that He Yu doesn't want to be hated at all. He wants to be loved. Otherwise, why would he be obsessively pursuing Xie Qingcheng?

Is he even really acting in this scene, because he’s explicit about the fact that he’s thinking about Xie Qingcheng the entire time?

Which is the persona, and which is the man? He Yu doesn't know, and the only person who knows how beastly and how human he can be is the one person he’s alienated. Great going, little devil.

The Double: Mirror, Mirror

He Yu is "acting" out a scene with an actress whose name he doesn’t even care about (not that she cares either; it’s a job for both of them). But no matter how he draws on reality of his experiences with Xie Qingcheng, his current "relationship" with Xie Qingcheng is also just an act. No matter how He Yu wishes it was real feelings-wise (even if he tells himself he doesn't), it's not. Xie Qingcheng is an observer, not a willing participant, not just of this scene he’s consulting on but in their enemies-with-benefits arrangement. Things are done to him; he isn't doing them himself. He lets He Yu do what he wants, but he doesn’t take any pleasure besides that first night when he was drunk and drugged (so... to what extent was that real?)

Xie Qingcheng is so adept at putting on masks that for all his intellectual prowess, he’s almost as lacking in self-awareness as He Yu (almost. No one can quite beat He Yu in that department.)

The reality (heh) is that He Yu wants something real, but if he wants something real with Xie Qingcheng, he’s got to allow choices, and he’s got to be honest about himself--because he’s no more honest than Xie Qingcheng is. His body is honest. The rest of him, not so much.

Back to the fictional movie. If we look even closer at the scene they’re acting, it’s clear He Yu sees himself as the role he's playing, that of the crime lord having an affair with his enemy’s (Chen Man’s) wife (Xie Qingcheng). And he is similar to his character, to an extent. But in reality?

He Yu is also very much the wife in the scene.

He's currently too dense to realize it, of course. He's the one insisting he can't do something, he isn't gay, when he very clearly is. He thinks he hates Xie Qingcheng, he thinks he wants to be hated if he can't be loved, but all of this is a delusion. You want to be loved, He Yu.

You are the one who can't go back.

The moment he realizes this and accepts it is the moment he will start to grow. But that would also mean accepting something more than hideous about himself, so for now, we’re stuck in The Parked Car of Denial (yes the fact that it’s parked is also symbolic, because Meatbun kind of went all in on the symbolism these chapters).

Small Circle: Twisted Empathy

That He Yu is both the role he's playing and the role he's playing against is interesting, because it speaks to the true thing He Yu wants. He wants love, and he wants empathy.

The whole "act" of this enemies-with-benefits arrangement goes back to part of what initially broke He Yu: the realization that he had hallucinated people caring for him (specifically Xie Xue). Xie Qingcheng encouraged this delusion of He Yu’s, and does not regret it (whether or not he should isn’t really clear; it was actually well-intentioned and kind, but again the question of what is reality and what reality/the truth is worth rears its head).

Anyways. He Yu may not realize it, but he is essentially forcing Xie Qingcheng to experience this in a twisted, warped sense of forcing empathy: Xie Qingcheng is being forced to act out a delusion he does not want to be a part of. I’m not saying He Yu is calculating enough to realize this is what he’s doing, but it is in fact what he’s doing.

However, of course, this delusion is really happening, and that’s where He Yu is screwing up. It's not imaginary. While He Yu’s loneliness and rejection from his family was also very, very real and painful, his delusion was comforting and imaginary. This delusion is something he’s acting out and hurting others by doing so: Xie Qingcheng has been really hurt by He Yu, physically and emotionally.

Which is to say, this attempt to force empathy is backfiring on He Yu and making him seem less human to Xie Qingcheng. Empathy goes both ways: if He Yu wants Xie Qingcheng to empathize with him, he has to empathize with Xie Qingcheng and stop blackmailing him for a farce of a relationship.

*cue the scene where the beast lets Belle go*

Larger Picture: Questionable Reality

It's not a coincidence this movie is supposedly a propaganda film that also is like, a set where people end up murdered and as props. Props, because they are objectified and just used to create stories people consume that convince them to act one way, believe one thing. Props, because--well, I can’t say for sure, but it seems like the Organization’s issue isn’t that it doesn’t see people as human beings: instead, it’s that being human has absolutely no meaning or value to these people and their objectives.

The film exists to push great noble patriotic ideals, but that’s a farce. The film’s directors and crew are likely not aware of it (my guess is only the producers are, and maybe not all of them). The crew members are playing roles without even being aware of it, without even realizing that their reality is not what they think it is.

Additionally, on an individual level, the actors (cough, He Yu) sure aren't living out the noble ideals, and the film is being used by others to take advantage of anyone who stumbles onto it (those poor girls who just happened to be in the hotel...). So basically it’s all BS--or is it? To what extent?

What is reality anyways?

We'll find out...

#case file compendium #bing an ben #bab meta #cfc meta #hexie #he yu #xie qingcheng #tw #trigger warning #meatbun doesn't eat meat #cfc 80 #bab 80 #he yu x xie qingcheng #meatbun meta

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lamelinam · 3 years ago

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The maid and the Cat, Ren and Akira: some musings

What gloomy love brightened the half-lives of the Sohmas’ most Cursed ones?

I often wonder what the relationship between the former Cat and his attendant would have looked like, twisted and sad as it must have been. Precious little is shown about those two, and only through Kazuma’s pov. We know she took care of and pitied the Cat, to the point that she even slept with him and bore his child. This is not unlike Kureno’s relationship with Akito. She might have treated him with the same kindness and devotion, distant, perhaps harmful, yet selfless.

Selfless? I think another way to extrapolate on the story of Kazuma’s grandparents is with Ren and Akira’s relationship.

Many great meta writers have already pointed out that those who fill in the positions at the extremes of the Sohma hierarchy, the Cat and God, or in this case the Cat and the idolized, deified family head, are foils to each other and are the ones that are dehumanized and isolated the most.

But now I think that you can also compare the way the previous Cat and Akira both chose ("chose" being a relative term in the case of the Cat) a romantic partner.

(Akira wasn’t God, but as the family head, he was worshipped just like Akito. His sickness also contributed to making him stand apart. Not only was he kept inside the compound because of his frailty, the hold that death had on him blessed him with this ephemeral, divine aura. “Was it the sorrow that befell him at such a young age that gave him that otherworldly beauty?»)

Both Kazuma’s grandfather and Akito’s father were doomed, Akira to die an early death, Kazuma’s grandfather to live the life of a living dead. Both were buried alive in the Sohma estate, either at the outskirts or at the center of it.

Both reached out to their progeny. (But Kazuma rejected the offered cake, and will endeavour to atone and honour his grandfather’s memory. Akito clung to every memento she had of her father and will need to learn to let go of him.)

And both the previous Cat and Akira found some measure of comfort in the affections and arms of their female caretakers, Sohma servants who saw their loneliness and expressed their compassion, though not in a particularly healthy way: Kazuma’s grandmother acting out of pity, Ren out of obsessive love.

It’s interesting to me how their respective position was reflected in their partners’ feelings : the imprisoned, despised Cat, Kazuma’s grandmother looked down on. The respected, otherworldly beautiful Akira was adored by Ren.

Kazuma sums up his grandparents’ relationship thusly:

Those correspond to the main "duties" that a wife is traditionally supposed to provide her husband.

The day-to-day caring.

Childbearing.

Attending their husband’s deathbed.

Obviously Ren wished she could have skipped the second one and be there for the last one. (I headcanon that she had prepared her last words years in advance, finding small pleasures and comfort, on the back of the wave of despair anticipating Akira’s death, in rehearsing the declarations of passionate love she would address to the dying man.)

The Cat’s companion attended her partner’s deathbed, seemingly very composed, even cold, as seen in Kazuma’s memories, while Ren, deprived of her husband’s last moments, that she felt were “stolen” from her by Akito (in reality by the maids :@), was mad with grief.

"The only one who can save him"

Those parallels make me wonder whether or not the Cat’s companion might not have developed a saviour complex, like Ren, both believing that they were the only one able to save this lonely, condemned person they were taking care of, and relishing it.

“I love you” vs "I pity you"

On Ren’s side though, it seems that she believes she truly saw Akira, as the person hiding behind that otherworldly aura, filled with sadness and fearful of death. Seeing that Akira agrees with her ("Ren noticed I was lonely"), fought against the Sohma leaders and regretted on his deathbed that he and Ren couldn’t reconcile, I believe this is not a delusion of hers. Her love was genuine and passionate, and she and Akira were happy. Unfortunately, that happiness didn’t survive her pregnancy, for she was also jealous and obsessed.

Kazuma supposes that his grandmother believed that she was doing something good. I wonder at her expression. It is shadowed, enigmatic. Is it a smirk or not, is she sad or not? i wonder whether she was selfless in her pity, like Kureno, or selfish like Kagura, perhaps feeling better by «sacrificing» herself in associating with the Cat for the sake of a miserable soul.

(Whatever you can say or imagine about her, Kazuma doesn’t seem to suffer from the stigma of being the Cat’s grandson, nor does he bear any trace of an abusive upbringing - in fact, he was among those doing the abusing - or even the echoes of the previous generation’s, so my guess is that she was an okay mother and grandmother... which would have made Kazuma’s disappointment and hurt at her words all the sharper... Like Tohru thinking of the zodiacs members she finds so kind and adorable secretly looking down on someone else she realizes she cares about more than she thought.)

There is no way to know how the Cat reacted to a pity-love. But considering Kureno and Akito’s relationship, this might also have been but a superficial balm, and potentially just as hurtful. Then it depends on the interpretation. Kureno’s pity cocooned Akito and kept her from moving forward, but the Cat was condemned anyway to an eternity of imprisonment. Moving forward was forbidden to him. And if his self-worth was already completely destroyed as his role and his treatment are meant to do, he might have just felt grateful towards the attendant. There’s no way to say for sure whether he would have been hurt or not by the truth, and I don’t know which option is the saddest!

... but I know what could be sadder. Because is the maid entirely to blame? We know that in Fruits Basket, love requires a measure of selfishness. The one cursed with the Cat has no self, no existence, no wants and no future, and they accept this fate. They believe they deserve it. (Which is why the Cat's Room doesn't need bars in the manga, nor locks. Rin was under lock and keys because either Akito didn't completely trust her to keep her word or she didn't want someone to discover her.)

It would be very difficult for someone to fall in love with a person who has renounced to everything, perhaps including love. Because who's to say that the Cat loved the maid too?

Recognition vs indifference

How depressingly fitting that we don't even learn the Cat's name, while Akira’s is remembered by all and echoes back and forth in the later part of the story.

Ren marrying the Sohma family head was such a big political deal it provoked a family schism. The Cat’s story with the maid gets completely ignored. It is probably known, just not "officially recognized", says Kazuma. Like everything related to the Cat, it was relegated to the back of the minds, in the dusty closet of the things that are uncomfortable to think about but that you tolerate if it doesn’t upend your little world-view. Ugh, some maid is being inappropriate with that monster! Well, as long as she doesn’t free the loathsome creature, who cares. (And she wouldn’t, because she’s no Tohru.)

In contrast, the maids of the main family thought that Ren was stealing Akira from their grasp. Ren didn’t seem to care for the family, and in a way, her love allowed Akira to also escape from them, "snatched away" by "that woman”, for the old attendant. Unlike the Cat’s attendant, Ren felt like a threat to the Sohma strict hierarchical system. (Fortunately, God will be born to bring back the right order of things, phew! Certainly she he will accomplish what Akira-san was momentarily too misguided to do and rid us of that woman!)

Inheritance.

Both women's profession of their true feelings deeply marked their progeny and the way they view relationship, whether personal or not, romantic or filial.

While her mother affirmed that "a woman only needs one man", Akito leaned on the love of the zodiacs ; Kazuma viewed and loved Kyo as a human and dreaded that his son would find himself in the same situation as his grandfather but also with the same kind of companionship. (His reaction to Kagura speaks of a long-held anxiety). But Ren's hatred for Akito coloured the way Akito interpreted her words, while Kazuma’s grandmother’s declaration shook Kazuma, his personal relationship with his grandmother notwithstanding.

This comparison isn't about good or evil, neither to judge those characters. Furuba isn’t about that. Obviously, they are not blameless. But it is very difficult to say whether or not Kazuma’s grandmother was wrong to act out of pity if it provided a bit of comfort to a prisoner. And is it surprising that Ren developed this saviour’s complex when it seems she was the only one willing to breach Akira’s isolation bubble?

Anyway, Takaya-sensei is really good at making foils. Either because she does it on purpose or because her characters are so deeply intertwined with the themes of the series the parallels appear on their own. But in this case, I don’t think it’s for nothing that the chapters recounting Ren and the Cat’s attendant stories follow each other (chapters 114 and 115).

Of course, this meta is less an analysis and more suppositions and conjectures (frankly, I wonder if I might not as well have written a fanfic). From the little we see, the Cat’s companion and Ren work as distorted yin-yang mirrors, their differences highlighting the similarities of their situations, from the ugly effects of the inner workings of the Sohma cult to the messed up inner workings of the heart. Genuine but obsessed, jealous love... Pity, perhaps self-serving, in the guise of martyred love.... One thing I can say for sure is that these two both gave me chills in their own way.

#ren sohma #cat's companion #the cat spirit #zodiacs #fruits basket #fruits basket manga #fruits basket season 3 #fruits basket meta #love vs pity #meta #akito sohma #akira sohma #kazuma sohma

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okayto · 4 years ago

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Mini-Review: Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!

I’m so glad @littlestartopaz recommended this to me, because it was SO GOOD.

Yuta wants to start high school afresh: new school far from home, new classmates who don’t know he spent middle school acting out the fantasy of being the mysterious and magic “Dark Flame Master,” new him. But one of his classmates has delusions of her own, and after she accidentally discovers his embarrassing past, Yuta is unwillingly drawn into her life and a growing circle of friends with their own quirks.

The “chunibyo” of the title basically means “8th grade syndrome;” a phase in middle school where some kids inhabit and act out their own fantasy stories, positing themselves as dark magicians, magical girls, and other wielders of magical powers.

I had avoided this for a while, until it was specifically recommended to me, because honestly, it sounds embarrassing, right? It sounds like it’s gonna be an embarrassing manic pixie dream girl scenario. But what it actually contains is the story of how a mixed bag of students--some actively chunibyo, others not--become friends and develop very endearing close relationships, while arguing and frustrating each other because that’s what friends do.

Now, the idea of being the star of what’s essentially your own fantasy-action anime is embarrassing, but what’s notable is that the show doesn’t really hold the chunibyo characters up for mockery. Sure we might laugh at them, but hey--it’s funny to watch friends be silly together. And most viewers, just like some of the characters who have moved on from their chunibyo phases, probably easily understand the mix of soul-wrenching embarrassment and (mild?) fond sentiment that comes with remembering our middle school selves.

But let’s be real: the reactions the two former chunibyo students, Yuta and Shinka have to being reminded of middle school, are #RELATABLE

Rikka, our title chunibyo, in particular uses her fantasy in part to cope with grief, coming from an extended family that (without getting spoilery) didn’t help a young girl to deal with a very hard and life-changing time. Now that she’s in high school, her older sister blackmails Yuta (using an a voice recording of one of his chunibyo speeches) into helping deal with Rikka and things (like the cat she wants to adopt) that pop up.

One thing the show is very good at, though, is not making a single thing the reason behind a character’s chunibyo. One may have started their fantasy inspired by another person, or prompted by an event, but it’s also (while active) part of their personal narrative that influences how they spent their free time, how they see the world and keep blogs or diaries, etc.

But at the same time, they’re still teenagers, and their inner view of themselves...doesn’t always translate skills.

I said the show is primarily about friendship. A lot of that friendship is between Yuta and Rikka, but they accumulate a little group, mainly through Rikka’s attempt to start a magic club. Recruit 1: Kumin, a polite, quiet senpai with no chunibyo history or aspirations.

Kumin starts off seeming like a background character, but by the second season it’s clear she’s not just there for jokes about how she’ll take a nap anywhere. She’s perceptive, and genuinely enjoys watching the others act out their scenarios.

Compared to the other characters who are boisterous in their chunibyo activities (Rikka, Deko, Satone), or vociferously trying not to get drawn in to chunibyo activities (Yuta, Shinka), Kumin is happy to watch and offer encouragement, but she’s also willing to participate if a chunibyo scenario calls for a group.

Incidentally, the show does a really interesting thing where occasionally, we’ll be drawn “inside” the chunibyo world, seeing what Rikka/Deko/whoever see: a fantasy land, big magical weapons, anime-grade magical attacks. Occasionally we’ll also see what this “really” looks like--a couple people running around waving umbrellas at each other--but often we only get the fantasy version. It’s clear that Rikka and co. are legitimately on some level engaging in a shared imagination, and the times when a reluctant character (particularly Yuta or Shinka) willing steps in to the shared illusion are genuinely sweet.

Speaking of, Shinka (aka Morisummer) became one of my favorite characters. Like Yuta, she was chunibyo (”Morisummer the magician”); like Yuta, she chose a high school where she didn’t know anyone expressly so she could reinvent herself as a normal teen. And like Yuta, she’s getting dragged kicking and screaming into chunibyo again.

It would’ve been so easy to make her a bad character. She’s pretty, puts a lot of effort into being popular and likable at school, trying to keep up a good teen girl image, despite being fairly sarcastic at her core. And as loathe as she is to admit it, she likes her friends (even if she won’t admit they’re friends, even if half of them are actively chunibyo, even if she says she’s only hanging around so she can make sure all traces of chunibyo-Morisummer are erased from the internet).

Shinka gets drawn in to the group through Rikka’s apparently only pre-existing friend: Deko, a fellow chunibyo who follows Rikka (or “Eye of the Wicked Lord Shingan”) as her master, and is extremely devoted to the great magician Morisummer. So devoted, in fact, that she has several physical copies of Morisummer’s book containing all her wisdom...aka Shinka-Morisummer’s blog, which Shinka has tried to erase all trace of.

Needless to say, the two don’t seem to get along great.

Deko’s dedication to chunibyo and Morisummer irks Shinka; Shinka’s claim to be Morisummer irks Deko, who refuses to believe the great magician could ever be this sarcastic, mundane girl. Deko’s refusal irks Shinka, bringing out the sarcasm and bluntness Shinka tries to hide from the school at large.

Obviously, they actually become close friends, but heaven help you if you actually say so.

The entire series is an exploration of relationships, and Yuta’s developing closeness with Rikka (hey, we knew it was going to happen) is also sweet. He’s a genuinely likable boy, embarrassed by the vestiges of his former self he sees in Rikka, but often willing to meet her on her level, and both of them also learn/reaffirm the importance of doing things their way, and keeping both of them comfortable, rather than acting a certain way or performing specific acts just because their classmates think their relationship status mandates it.

Speaking of classmates--and I know this is getting long but I CAN’T HELP IT, I LIKED SO MANY ASPECTS OF THIS SERIES--the characters aren’t ridiculed at school. Sure, some people think they’re weird, but there’s no shunning, no arc involving teasing or bullies. Rikka’s often content as a loner, but when she attempts to join in a social circle, she’s welcomed. Shinka’s obsessed with reinventing herself and appearing normal and seems to think that otherwise she’ll be cast out, but multiple characters mention that others at the school notice how she behaves (oddly, on occasion) and there are no social repercussions. Truly nice for a show that has characters spending quite a lot of time in school.

Verdict

English dub? Yes, and it’s got strong performances. Rikka’s voice actor in particular does a fantastic job capturing the difference between chunibyo!Rikka’s confidence and command, and regular!Rikka’s, well, normal awkward teenageness. (Plus, I also found her lower-than animegirl-average voice enjoyable.) (Double plus, I honestly think her English voice is better than her original Japanese voice at showing the difference between her emotions and chunibyo/reality.) Deko’s VA is fantastic showing the enthusiasm of the 9th grader (and what enthusiasm, Deko is like the Energizer Bunny), and Shinka’s VA manages to show her alternating annoyance, cheerfully sweet ideal self, and organizized leader voices.

Visuals: Fine, and I really liked the chunibyo designs for each character’s chunibyo phase. The contrast between chunibyo-vision (giant magic weapons; mysterious lights, fantasy landscapes) and reality (an umbrella or soup ladle; a strip of lights taped to the floor; a local park) was really well done.

Worth watching? Yessss. It’s very manageable--two 12-episode seasons--and while each season contains its own arc (you could stop after the first one, but why), together they make an excellent story. Heck, I think the second season is equal to, if not better than, the first, because the friend group is well-established and even more fun to watch.

Where to watch (USA, as of October 2020): Netflix (dub, sub); Crunchyroll (sub), HIDIVE (sub & dub, plus OVAs and film)

Click my “reviews” tag below or search “mini review” on my blog to find more!

#love chunibyo & other delusions #chuunibyou demo koi ga shitai #Rikka Takanashi #Shinka Nibutani #Sanae Dekomori #anime #brb just going into withdrawal from the lack of Shinka and Deko snarking in my life now #not sure if Rikka was supposed to read as non-neurotypical but I think it's a possible interpretation & I want more #reviews #recommendation

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sepublic · 4 years ago

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Productively Handling an Issue

A while back, I got an ask where an Anon felt like Luz deserved some degree of punishment for the book report incident, even if the Reality Camp WAS a bit much. I’ve also noticed some discussion of the potential danger of what Luz did. And thinking about it… Here are my thoughts, and how this connects to the show’s recurring themes as a whole;

I do agree that what Luz did WAS a mistake… But to me, it seemed like a fairly innocent and innocuous mistake. Definitely the worst thing she had done up until that point, but otherwise… Not something that needed too much punishment? Maybe even none at all… At the very least, the Reality Camp was going overboard.

It’s worth noting that those snakes are definitely Luz’s pets. Camila alludes to Luz having ‘reptilian’ friends… Not to mention, she and Principal Hal don’t bat an eye at Luz bringing the snake to the meeting and holding it in her bare hand! The implication is obviously that the snakes are Luz’s pets, and considering the kind of person Camila is… I doubt she’d let Luz have dangerous snakes as pets- At the very least, no more dangerous than a dog or a cat would be. Like I said; Her and Hal are completely fine with Luz bringing her snake to the meeting, in her bare hand; They don’t expect it to hurt them or Luz, and obviously this expectation is transmitted to Luz. To Luz, if her mother lets her have the pet snakes, then clearly they’re not dangerous; And if they’re safe for Luz, then surely they’re safe for other kids as well!

Luz probably disregarded the snakes biting other students’ hair as them just ‘playing’… Which DOES point to the snakes being mostly harmless. Let’s be real here, a cockroach crawling onto a person wouldn’t actually hurt them, but it’d definitely freak them out and make them act as if they were bitten… I speak from experience, and as someone who thinks roaches are low-key interesting creatures no less!

But of course, that’s still rather negligent on Luz’s part to disregard how other kids may feel. At the same time though –especially when one considers how she’s coded as ADHD- I’m willing to give her some slack because it really DID seem like a genuine, honest mistake… That Luz figured that if her mom and Hal were fine with Luz handling these snakes, what’s so different about other kids handling them? Definitely a mistake, but I think one that Luz merely needed to be informed of, rather than punished for.

Then there’s the fireworks… ALSO dangerous and wrong, but- Luz isn’t exactly a criminal (at least not yet she wasn’t). Last I checked, you can’t buy fireworks without being an adult –or at least older than Luz was- so this points to the fireworks being something that was already at home, and thereby accessible to her. Not trying to shift the blame towards Camila, mind you… I do agree that Luz did a genuine mistake, and Camila is a single, working-class nurse and likely away from home a lot, just so she can keep her kid fed. I can’t entirely blame Camila for not remembering to tell Luz that even if the fireworks are accessible in their home, they’re not to be toyed around with.

We don’t exactly know what Luz’s plans were, but I assume she planned to set them off outside. I don’t think she was hell-bent on setting the fireworks off, no matter what; She seems willing to stop when Hal and Camila indicate they’re a bad idea, so it’s likely that Luz just did not realize that they canbe that dangerous. I wouldn’t so much say that Luz was actively, apathetically disregarding the safety of others, as she was simply caught up in the idea of doing something that could dazzle and impress her classmates.

Again, that isn’t to say that Luz DIDN’T mess up… She made mistakes, let’s be real here! But the thing is… She really didn’t seem to know better, and when Camila and Hal DO tell Luz to stop; She readily agrees! Obviously they brought up the Reality Camp as a punishment beforehand, but based on what we see of Luz’s personality afterwards –even if one takes character development into account- I doubt she needed to be threatened in order to agree with changing her behavior.

In fact, I’m not sure if Luz even needed to be punished; At the very least, her ‘punishment’ would be something that focuses on rectifying the situation with those students her pets harassed. She’s not like Lilith, who willingly took chances with Luz’s life and risked it during her final duel with Eda, even if she probably thought Luz wouldn’t actually die! By contrast, Luz didn’t intentionally overlook the safety of her classmates, because she never realized/considered there was any danger to begin with… Impulsive, but understandable given her ADHD-coding, and certainly not dumb nor apathetic!

I think something very important to remember is that Luz does promise to change her behavior, to not make the same mistakes again! She really was willing to respond to criticism; Which makes it all the more painful when the snake, beyond Luz’s control, attacks Hal. That scene was honestly very uncomfortable to me; Luz didn’t even get the chance to change her behavior, to fix things, before she got punished! Luz immediately being sent to the Reality Camp for something that happened as a result of a prior mistake she was already planning to fix (instead of a new one she made after her promise), a mistake she didn’t even get a moment to rectify…

It just comes across as cruel, mean-spirited, and outright petty! Spiteful, even… Like come on, Luz made it clear she was going to change and fix things, or at least try! And Principal Hal LET Luz bring the snake into his office, and hold it in her bare hand right in front of him! Luz is just following the guidance of the adults, looking to them to tell her what’s right or wrong… If Hal let Luz bring the snake in and it attacked him, then he’s partly to blame for poorly mishandling the incident! He IS a principal, after all, he should know about de-escalating situations and ensuring the safety of everyone else at hand here, when kids can’t tell what’s dangerous or not. It’s definitely Luz’s fault for bringing the snakes to school, but it’s not her fault for bringing the snake into the office when Hal let her!

Coupled with how Luz was willing to change her behavior, didn’t even get the chance to, and how that snake was part of a mistake that happened BEFORE she made her promise… It all just comes across as more like a vindictive punishment to a kid, than an actual attempt to help them. And, I should preface that I’m no child psychologist; But even so…

I feel like Hal and Camila’s handling of the situation established a precedent for other problems we see in this show. Namely… Luz DID have a problem. She had a problem with genuine loneliness and not knowing how to make friends, not distinguishing reality from fiction at times, and thus disregarding others as an occasional result! Luz was clearly suffering from some issues and she needed help, that’s kind of a major point!

But the thing is… I feel like Hal and Camila (mostly Hal) didn’t address the problem in an effective manner? Which makes sense, given this show’s critique of the American school system… Luz definitely had issues of loneliness and delusion that caused prior incidents. But clearly, punishing her for those past incidents didn’t keep them from stopping… Which brings up the idea of addressing the symptoms of an underlying problem, and not the root-cause that’s causing them to begin with! Punishing Luz the first few times for her other incidents was like a band-aid, it made her stop doing those things temporarily… But she was still a kid who wasn’t taught how to differentiate fiction from reality, and so Luz was still prone to keep causing problems as a result.

I’ll give Camila some slack, she’s a single mother and a nurse, she’s no doubt incredibly busy. But I think this concept of recognizing that there’s an issue, but then either not actually addressing the root cause behind it, or worse, handling the issue in a manner that’s less than productive and just makes the person feel worse… This seems like a precedent established by our opening scene, which we then see with OTHER characters and conflicts later in the show!

We have Lilith, who recognizes that she cursed Eda! However, Lilith opts to wallow in self-pity and beat herself up for it, destructively tearing down her own self-esteem, instead of constructively fixing the actual problem by sharing the curse with her sister, or at least being honest about what happened! You have Luz and Willow helping Amity learn to be kinder and happier…. While leaving the implicit awareness that until the Blight Parents are addressed, Amity won’t truly heal.

Principal Bump saw Viney, Jerbo, and Barcus getting into trouble; But instead of addressing the issue of their unmet educational needs, he instead completely banned them from practicing magic in the Detention Track! And this is speculation, but it seems that Emira and Edric WERE concerned with how cold Amity was to other people, and seemed under the impression that their cruel pranks would somehow ‘lighten her up’- When instead they just made Amity feel even more miserable, and less willing to open up and reach out.

It’s a recurring trend- A destructive response to an issue, instead of something constructive and meant to fix the problem itself… It’s a ‘solution’ fixated on simply punishing and hurting someone as retribution for their mistakes, while the actual problem and its effects keep going on in the background. It’s ignoring a systemic cause behind these recurring incidents; Just as ignoring the Coven System and not dismantling it would be a fatal error, because even if people like Lilith and Boscha learn not to be so terrible… The Coven System will continue to enable and encourage other witches after them to do horrible things. And while individual accountability IS a thing, the show’s messages seem to point towards tackling systematic issues (either on a personal or societal level), before then having time to focus on the individual problems that came from them.

Camila was right; Luz DID have issues with differentiating fantasy from reality, of being lonely and unsure of how to handle social interactions, etc.! Just as Lilith recognized she made a mistake, Bump saw that the Detention Kids had caused trouble, Emira and Edric noticed Amity was becoming cold and cruel… But instead of constructively fixing the issue and addressing the root cause behind it, they instead focused on patching up the individual problems that spawned from this core issue, or even simply hurting and punishing the person ‘responsible’ for them.

Amity messed up when she was cruel to Willow, that much is clear. But piling on more cruelty towards Amity as retribution wouldn’t have helped- It wouldn’t have fixed her issues. It wouldn’t have given her the self-confidence to actually change her behavior. It would’ve just made Amity feel worse and more terrible, more self-loathing, and believe she was a terrible person who could never do things right- So why bother trying to make a difference?

The approach of Hal, to me, seems about as effective as slapping a band-aid over an injury… You’re addressing the symptoms, but what of the actual problem that’s causing them to spawn? And that’s even assuming he DID address the symptoms… His handling of the situation, overtly punishing Luz by sending her to the Reality Camp –again for a mistake that was literally and figuratively out of her hand- did not make things better, it likely would’ve just made things worse… Or at the very least, Luz would stop misbehaving, but at the cost of major emotional damage and self-loathing.

It’s a theme this show has been building up to; Learning to address problems in a productive, constructive manner, not focusing on punishing the culprit, but instead diverting energy into actually making things better! Making the ‘culprit’ feel worse isn’t going to fix things. And similarly, while individual accountability and incidents ARE a thing… If you really want to make a change, one must address the systemic, root-cause of the issue!

Just as Luz’s issues stemmed from loneliness and delusion, or how people like Lilith and Boscha were encouraged by the overarching Coven System… You can help Lilith be a better person. You can get Luz to not turn her eyelids inside out. But the core of the issue will still remain, and it’s going to cause other problems in the future; Such as Luz bringing the snakes and fireworks, or further generations of witches being indoctrinated into the Coven System’s elitism and abuse.

I might give Hal, too, some slack since he’s a principal and really busy… But then again his entire job is to look after kids and help them do well. But just as Lilith never bothered to consider why Eda still refused to join the Emperor’s Coven, even under the incentive of having her curse cured… I think Hal should’ve considered that something else was afoot that was causing Luz to repeatedly cause these sorts of incidents at school. If punishing her with detention in the past didn’t keep other issues from happening- Then what makes Hal think that punishing Luz again, with Reality Camp, will make things any different? When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Instead of telling someone to stop doing something, maybe ask WHY they’re doing that? It calls back to when Luz posed this question to Principal Bump, who initially dismissed this as him ‘not caring for the ins and outs of rascality’- Although of course in HIS case it’s understandable because he DID know and empathize, he was just afraid of the Emperor’s Coven for a good reason.

However, just as Lilith should’ve realized that the same old promise of curing Eda’s curse and hiding the truth wasn’t going to fix things, that maybe it was time she tried a different approach… I think Hal should’ve also recognized that repeated detentions weren’t stopping Luz’s misbehavior, at least not in the long-term. He should’ve tried a different approach, and he DID… But it was a worse one. The Reality Camp would’ve just screwed over Luz and likely traumatized her, getting her to stop causing trouble but at the cost of her identity and self-esteem; Or making her SO self-loathing and desperate for loneliness, that she does worse things for attention!

And again… I have to wonder if Hal isn’t entirely to blame, if he himself is also dealing with the underlying issue that is the American school system, which he probably grew up in. And that all ties back to a major lesson of The Owl House; That just as the Coven System needs to be addressed, so does our education system! Maybe it’s not the kids/witches who are intentionally screwing themselves over and messing themselves up, maybe it’s actually the system…!

TL;DR Luz definitely had issues. But not only do I think we’re exaggerating her maliciousness/carelessness in this situation, but also we need to consider what was actually causing these repeated incidents… And similarly, Camila and Hal definitely recognized that there WAS a problem, potentially responsible for all of the incidents- But they didn’t handle it any better than Luz did, and would’ve just made things worse. And honestly, with how messed-up the system is back home, those two aren’t entirely to blame for their faulty approach, either…

#the owl house #owl house #the owl house luz #luz noceda #the owl house camila #camila noceda #the owl house lilith #lilith clawthorne #the owl house amity #amity blight #the owl house bump #principal bump #hieronymous bump #the owl house hal

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