#I know he is referring to Kant's betrayal but

[ddefender]

THHeadline X The Heart Killers, tr

[semantics-error]

Bison and Kant and the narrative search for freedom

bird-inacage wrote a great post about Bison and Kant and their desire for agency. I've already been thinking a lot about character arcs for this show and I was going to wait until at least one more episode to come down strong on potential arcs, but this post just fits so well with the ideas I already had brewing, let's take the risk! Note: When I talk about character arcs, wants, and needs, I'm referring to specific narrative theory. This post has a summary, but there's lots of information out there if you're curious! Note: I haven't read the book (and if you have please don't say anything to me about it!) So this isn't spoilers, just my own musings/predictions. Kant So let's talk about Kant first. His arc is, as mentioned in the above post, is about freedom and agency. But what Kant thinks will get him that freedom (his want) and what he really needs are very different things.

In the first half of the show, Kant will be pursuing his want AKA what he thinks will set him free - turning Bison/his mother in and therefore wiping his record. He thinks this will finally give him the agency in life that he craves. We can already see this assumption is false - if the captain backed out of their previous agreement once, he can easily do it again. No doubt the captain will continue to escalate his demands even after Kant fulfills his initial promise. Kant will begin to realize that his want is elusive and unachievable, especially when he falls for Bison and that creates a conflict with his want. Underlying this entire story is his true need - the need to truly pursue what he wants, to let himself be in love with Bison, to give in to love/Bison's sway. See, I think Kant's desire for agency will be a story about gaining freedom - by giving up control. I think what he actually needs is to actually want someone else, to rely on someone else, to allow his fate to be joined to Bison's even though he desperately wants to be "free" of the whole situation.

Bison

Bison also wants agency. Initially, he wants the perceived freedom of the easy relationship with Kant that is separate from his life as a killer. He wants to leave his known life behind, if only in this one aspect. To keep everything separate, to have something just for him. But once the betrayal is out he will have to give up on that dream - Kant is already, inextricably, involved in Bison's "real life", and if Bison wants him back, wants that real relationship, he will have to accept this. We can see him fighting against it in the trailer when he says he can't promise to stay safe, and Kant says do you think I would live if you died. Clearly, Kant is trying to stay involved in all of Bison's life (pursuing his real need) and Bison wants to keep them separate, keep Kant out at this point now that Kant is no longer this dream of "a perfect life away from my real life where I have no agency".

Bison will also have to face that what he thinks he wants isn't what he really needs - what he needs is to let Kant into his real life and let Kant help him figure out their joint future. What he needs is to accept that a relationship, a good life, isn't a dream that only happens outside of his "real" self, but something he needs to work toward together with Kant who knows all of him and loves him even as a killer.

Conclusion

Both of them want freedom, or rather want control/agency - but what they need is to accept that some things (love) are uncontrollable. I think we will see the beginning seeds of this in their sexual BDSM relationship, as Kant begins to give Bison control, and Bison begins to let some of his "true" personality shine through and gives up on the ideal cute, innocent relationship totally separate from his upbringing.

Freedom must be found in accepting the things we can't control and fighting for the things that really matter. Thus as the original post said, they both become each other's freedom by binding their fates together.

Whew that was a lot anyway maybe I'll revise this as more episodes air but I was inspired!

[bts-story]

could you make a jungkook one shot of him and y/n have been dating for years, but jk was very clueless that yn dances because she keeps making up excuses or lies that she doesn't know how to dance due to shyness until he caught her cooly dancing (to one of their choreos or contributing dance steps to their choreographer) in their practice room while bts were supposed to be having a break in their lobby or something ☺️

Lies, Lies, Lies — Jungkook 

As Immanuel Kant puts it, “Lying is always morally wrong”.

He argued that all persons are born with an "intrinsic worth" that he called human dignity. This dignity derives from the fact that humans are uniquely rational agents, capable of freely making their own decisions, setting their own goals, and guiding their conduct by reason. To be human, said Kant, is to have the rational power of free choice; to be ethical, he continued, is to respect that power in oneself and others.

Lies are morally wrong, then, for two reasons. First, lying corrupts the most important quality of my being human: my ability to make free, rational choices. Each lie I tell contradicts the part of me that gives me moral worth. Second, my lies rob others of their freedom to choose rationally. When my lie leads people to decide other than they would had they known the truth, I have harmed their human dignity and autonomy. Kant believed that to value ourselves and others as ends instead of means, we have perfect duties no exceptions) to avoid damaging, interfering with, or misusing the ability to make free decisions; in other words - no lying.

But this, is not a philosophy class. Actually, she never even had really good grades in highschool and anything in connection with Aristotle or Nietzsche always had her head to hurt more than necessary. So what Immanuel Kant says about lying isn’t really important. What does a dead man still have to say on the matter?

Moreover, this lie won’t ever interfere with the wild laws of the universe like the wings of a butterfly which might cause an earthquake on the other side of the world. Life isn’t a theory, life is not a question to find answers to. There’s only living and death. And making up a couple of lies along the way can’t possibly affect the cause or the good will of the universe.

“No, no, I don’t dance, go ahead, I’ll watch you,” she had said the first time around. When the music loud of the nightclub was literally causing the walls to shake. She had a cocktail drink in her right hand, and Jungkook’s hand on the other, the latter begging her to join him on the dance floor.

“Come on, I wanna dance with you,” he argued, pouting his lips in the cutest way possible. It’s a grimace, more than anything else, but usually it’s hard to resist. But she does, she shakes her head, shoos him away and Jungkook found himself coming back a while later with two new drinks in his hand for he refused to dance with anyone who wasn’t his girlfriend.

It shouldn’t have been more than that. Just a small lie slid in the middle of the conversation. It had been only three weeks since they dated, and she wasn’t comfortable enough yet to dance in front of a rising superstar. However, she got caught up.

Caught up in her own lie. What’s the deal in telling the truth at some point, but to deceive the person learning they were fooled all along? So, she stayed put. Avoiding, dodging, escaping anytime someone just as mentioned dancing.

Because the truth is, she candance. Well, she can handle herself. She manages to align a few moves after another. It’s not exactly perfect or completely fluid, but she knows she’s alright. The dance classes she took back when she was a teenager stuck with her for many years.

“You’re so drunk,” Jungkook had said another time, a few days before their first-year anniversary. They were at some friends’ house, loud music and a little too much booze to walk straight. But she was there, dancing. Though, completely off-beat, singing off-key. Her hands came to reach above her head, hips swaying left to right but nothing graceful about it.

“You’re so drunk,” she responded with a giggle, frowning her eyebrows and the mix made Jungkook smile. Still, she tripped over her own feet, almost falling until Jungkook’s hand came to circle around her hips, steadying her. Her heels crashed hard on the floor, dress flying around delicately and even drunk, even with dilated pupils and dancing like a wild octopus, Jungkook thought about how much he loved that girl.

Nevertheless, lying is always morally wrong.

So why can’t she admit the truth? It’s not like she kissed another guy or made up excuses to hide the fact that she has a twin sister or anything quite big like this. She can dance. That’s all.

There was this one time, when Jungkook too, found himself stuttering and tripping on his own words because he had brought those very expensive pair of earrings for her birthday and the boy can’t possibly lie. He’d tell anyone about how his cheeks turns red instantly, or how hot he’s feeling when even the weather was too cool to confront. But it was for a good cause. A good cause he admitted just after the bewildered look on her faded away and the earrings cupping her face made her look chic and sophisticated.

“Did you ever lie to me?” she dared to ask, one day. When she could hear Jungkook’s heart pumping hard against his ribcage, his hands in her hair and fingertips brushing ever so lightly against the nape of her naked thigh.

Jungkook thought for a moment, lips parting open in question and frowned brows as he asked himself where did this question come from. “No,” he simply answered, brushing his lips against the top of her head, “Well, apart from that time I said I had rehearsal just so I could buy you the earrings.”

It made her stomach twirl. Not in a good way. It made her skin hotter and goose-bumps to run along her skin. She nudged further in Jungkook’s embrace and they never spoke about anything concerning lies ever again.

At this point in life, Kant would probably try to rationalize his subject. Try to instruct the laws of ethics and brag about how much relief one can feel when the truth is finally out in the open. When the lies had been lifted and all the confusion and frights have gone away. Kant would suggest how disappointed the person lied to must be feeling, about their forgotten dignity.

But the loud music coming from the dance studio had Jungkook’s head to tilt to the side, wondering if the dance teacher forgot to turn it down when they exited the room just moments before. He can recognise the upbeat melody of their latest hit, the next comeback due in less than three weeks.

When Jungkook creeped behind the door, he was sure his eyes were deceiving him. There, in the middle of studio, his own girlfriend. Dancing, twirling, swaying hips. Arms, legs, pelvis and head following all directions. It’s graceful, fluid and Jungkook wonders how come he has never been aware that his girlfriend candance.

She’s concentrated, looking in the mirror and she’s totally and absolutely unaware of the intruder. Jungkook leans against the wall, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips because, she knows the routine of this dance most perfectly. Well, until she stops.

Until she can’t remember what comes after the swing of the left leg and the half-turn to the right. She exhales, Jungkook can see in the mirror though he can’t hear over the loud music. But then, their eyes meet.

In the reflection of the large mirror covering the wall, two pair of eyes cross eachother and suddenly time stop. “You can dance.”

A soft chuckle escapes her lips, but it sounded more like a nervous giggle. The music stops, and suddenly, she finds herself at a loss for words. She doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know what to do and for a moment, she’s afraid Jungkook might get angry at her for lying for so many years.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She scratched the back of her head, trying to gain her breath again. But she shrugged her shoulders, unable to support Jungkook’s gaze when she turned around to face him.

Lies are vile and evil, Kant would say. He would picture a situation just like this one, when the lied to finds out the truth and the liar is unable to find a proper explanation. Because there is no good explanation. There is only confusion and proper betrayal. At the moment the truth bursts out, something breaks. Trust becomes a long-forgotten memory. It becomes hard for the person lied to, to trust the liar ever again because, if they lied one time, what refrains them to lie again?

Lies are vile and evil, Kant would say. And he’d be right. No matter the importance of the lie, big ones, littles ones, important or unimportant. Lies are lies, and nothing or no one can change the fact that lying is always morally wrong.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

There is no explanation but a bad one.

But Jungkook has a heart of gold. Probably made by the good Gods up above. Because Jungkook couldn’t give a damn about what Kant has to say on the matter. He understands.

Jungkook understands compassion and scare, he understands the confusion about admitting something about yourself. He understands honesty and loyalty. But more importantly, he understands empathy.

Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame or reference. That is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. And ever since a young age, Jungkook had learn the quirks and cons of being empathetic.

But now, right about now, he thanks the heavens for blessing him with such aptitude.

He isn’t mad, far from that. Actually, Jungkook is glad. He is glad because it means now, that he has a partner he can dance with. It’s all he ever wanted, to share something he loves with the person he loves.

Kant says lying is always morally wrong. It might be true.

But what’s truer, is empathy will always rule over.

—————

Did I turn into a freaking philosopher over night? 

- Nageoire 

[overly-analogical]

Can Lying Be Good Analysis

SPOILERS

• When Deceit shows up Thomas is very startled. He reacts much the way he used to react when Anxiety popped up. He does not know it’s not Morality but he is suddenly scared. I’m not sure this means anything other than Deceit doesn’t announce himself like Patton does but I think it’s worth noting.

• He also says “Papa’s in the House” which while he doesn’t realize it’s untrue, it’s untrue.

• “Guess who has ten fingers and is very confused? This guy! Heh heh I’m silly like that.” Liar liar pants on fire. He’s not confused or sill and he’s certainly not Patton.

• Roman immediately apologizes to Virgil for calling him Charlie frown, he’s doing so well.

• “Oh good, Logan, everyone’s favorite character!” GUYS MY HEART!!! He says this cause it’s a lie. This is one of his insults that’s backhanded because of who he is and Logan is honestly pleased by this and thinks it’s a genuine compliment. Ouch.

• In loo of Patton Virgil is the moral compass. He’s the one telling Thomas not to lie to Joan cause it’s wrong, Logan is indifferent, Roman wants to lie.

• also can we just? We had a Virgil went missing episode, then a Logan went missing episode, then a Morality (secretly) went missing episode. Is Roman next?

• “Well you’ll have no trouble at all explaining that to them.” Is this a lie? Does he believe it? Can he tell truths? It’s about the future so can it be considered a lie or a truth or is that a gray area.

• Virgil is displeased

•F WORD FACE guys HELP I’m dying that’s hilarious

• Logan’s wise eyes and soft Ooooh when he realizes Thomas wants to lie. He doesn’t tell Thomas it’s wrong, he knows that’s not his job, but he is surprised and doesn’t seem happy about it.

• So I looked into Kant some. The story is actually from Kant and not Plato. Kant believed that Morality is based in reason. It’s trying to do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing, and not as a means to achieve an end that benefits you or others. Saving your friend is what most of us would view is the right thing, but according to Kant, the result of your actions don’t make them right if they would be wrong in other circumstances. Morality is based on reason and truth not lies and manipulation. Interestingly though many people believe that according to Kant’s philosophy you simply could not lie to the murderer, so if you were to say “I will not tell you that because I want to protect this person and I believe you will kill them” then that is not a lie, that is the truth. You are not manipulating their reality, or using them as a means to accomplish your ends. I think Deceit knew all of this but he left it out. I this was a lie of omission.

• I also find it very interesting that it was Kant that Thomas and Joan chose because Kant believes all Morality is based in reason, also known as Logic. I’ll make a separate post for this though cause I want to really get into that on its own.

• Deceit’s rant about Kant is in direct opposition to Patton’s short and factually incorrect statement about Plato and that speaks volumes about them as characters. Deceit usesfancy names and technicalities to manipulate the others while Patton finds the content of the story is more important to his point, and then makes jokes about eating play dough.

• Logan is impressed but also confused. I think he suspects something is off at this point.

• “Well I’m Morality I gotta know my stuff.” No you’re not and that’s not his job anyway, another lie.

• “Impressed isn’t the word I’d use.” Virgil still thinks this is Patton and he’s really disappointed in his friend.

• “The point is many people think Kant is just a bit idealistic.” By this he means many people think Kant was an amoral piece of shit with no regard for the consequences of his actions. Do understatements count as lies?

• “Patton I thought you said Lying was wrong” “well it’s all about your priorities friendo. What’s more important to us, Joan’s feelings or honesty?” I once saw a post on here that said if somebody ever tells you you only have two choices, it’s a lie. It’s a lie and they want you to forget about the other choices. If somebody tells you you can have an apple or an orange they want you to forget you can have and apple or an orange, or both, or neither, or a banana. There’s never just two choices and deceit isn’t just deceit is manipulation.

• when Logan says “see I know things too.” He feels threatened when people know more than him.

• “I can’t lie to Joan.” “Detailed instructions of how to lie to Joan.” Me though.

• Roman breaking the fourth wall about the shapeshifting thing.

“Maybe if you’re considering lying to Joan you deserve to be punished.” Virgil is like. Harsh. He’s really protective of Thomas’s friends. Even from Thomas.

• “Strategy” for lying to Joan. I don’t think Logan can really like this but he’s respecting Thomas’ decisions anyway because hours not his job to ask question moral decisions.

• “DWI” “Driving While Intoxicated” guys I’m crying this is so funny I can’t

• Logan says no so soft and he looks at the back of the card before he tells Roman the real definition because he’s unsure and he’s scared of being wrong.

• “Aww Pwease! Right? You know how I love cartoons?” This an attempt to appear more like morality and assign a reason to take the job Roman really wants which real Patton wouldnt do.

• “you were a mistake” Roman wtf.

• “Doctor Who reference? Fantastic.” Clever and borders on word association. Nice.

• “Roman, that was a beautiful portrayal of a mother betrayed by her son.” It was terrible and Roman just let’s this snake man fool him. Smh.

• “Logan does Thomas have that information?” “No he doesn’t.” My serious son takes this serious question seriously.

• A homeless lady ate it.

• Let👋 Virgil👋 say👋fuck👋!!!!!! Kidding don’t ever.

• I will always find Logan teaching things extremely comforting. Logan is comforting. This is going to be a video I watch when I have a bad day because it has Logan teaching us things.

• “We should makes point to actually feed the homeless later” “totally” wow. He doesn’t agree at all. He doesn’t think they should try to feed the homeless he thinks they should just lie about feeding the homeless.

• Virgil: “what if mom found out”

Logan: “According to Romans portrayal probably some kind of betrayal driven disownment.”

Virgil: “WHAT?!?!?!?!?!”

This is funny because Logan I think is attempting to make a negative remark about Roman’s portrayal of Thomas’ mom but Virgil takes it very seriously and considers it as a real possibility because Logan said it and now he’s afraid.

• “Action! That’s not just for movies!” Maybe he can’t stop talking until he’s told a lie.

• Virgil’s booing.

• Virgil saying nice to the idea of working at hot topic

• “Drama Terg” Deceit does not once refer to any one of them as kiddo.

• Roman feels off after the Lying to get out of work scene and he looks to Patton hoping that, as morality, Patton will put a stop to all this, or reassure him. Deceit isn’t Patton so he doesn’t.

• Virgil is appalled Patton isn’t upset by this.

• Patton is pleased during the case scene.

• Roman announces he’s feeling icky. He’s bad at describing emotions and understanding them too I think. We get descriptions like “icky” or “Bittery Jittery and not very Glittery” when he’s upset.

• “Everyone knows where babies come from. Messenger Falcons.” An attempt at behaving like Patton or a lie for the sake of lying? It’s poorly executed if it’s a Patton imitation. Patton doesn’t believe he knows and he thinks “Storks are involved”, storks are not messenger falcons. No one in the history of the world has ever suggested messenger falcons deliver babies that’s preposterous.

• “And stopping again, Thomas I didn’t believe any of that.” A truth? Or was there a very small part he did believe.

• Roman gets really upset and puts this energy into freaking out over a soppy cup prop.

• Virgil is so ready to be done he completely misinterprets Roman.

• These nerds and their love of the classical arts poetry geeks logince someone write an au dammit.

• “Thomas, you don’t want to make Joan mad at you do you?” Manipulative bastard.

• “Could you stand to lose the support of one of Thomas’ friends?” Playing on Virgil’s insecurity that Thomas’ friends will leave them.

• can we just. Virgil. We’ve talked about Patton probably being scary when angry but not Virgil. We haven’t actually seen Virgil Angry up until now. Mildly annoyed? Concerned? Disappointed? Afraid? Yes. But not genuine anger. Here we see a glimpse and he’s holding back because it’s Patton. Never be on the wrong end of an angry Virgil he’ll kill you with one look.

• “Virgil? it’s me. Aren’t we friends?” “I’m not so sure we are.” I’m pretty sure he still thinks this is Patton. Which means this is a really powerful moment for Virgil. Patton was the first person to really value him in the mind palace and treat him as a friend and an equal. He considers Patton his best friend. This is Virgil, standing his ground even if it means giving up almost all the progress he’s made with the others to do the right thing. It takes great courage to stand up to ones enemies. And a great deal more to stand up to ones friends.

• Deceit realized no part of Thomas is going to budge and he gets desperate.

• “I know what I said, it doesn’t matter, in this situation it’s the right thing to do, period.” His voice starts to chance here it’s nasally.

• he practically shreiks “Yes”

• he drops the act and you can see it visibly the moment he gave up Thomas is such a good actor.

• “wow I’m so proud of you Thomas you’re so mature.” He doesn’t care if Thomas notices somethings off now.

• “I knew something was off” he knew something was off but not what was off. He really didn’t know that wasn’t Patton.

• Logan thinks it’s obvious he figured it out a while ago but didn’t say anything. Probably because he knew he couldn’t. Though he does try to say it here. I really wonder what point he figured it out.

• my sweet oblivious prince.

• “oooh I don’t know either Thomas you might not like what you find.” So Deceit lies to Thomas about himself to keep Thomas happy right? But here he doesn’t care about concealing himself and seems to be goading Thomas so he’ll ask. So he’s lashing out at Thomas because he’s angry Thomas didn’t go with his plan.

• Logan says Deceit much the same way he says Falsehood.

• “Did you just finish washing some dishes?” “Yesss” Deceit seems to take a lot of joy in this specific lie which I find very very funny.

• “Oh, you are, Thomas. You are a good person. Everybody says so.” Daaaaaaamn.

• The exchange between Logan and Deceit. I got chills.

• I am and always have been Patton muahahaha

• the other three are so done with his bs but Thomas is genuinely terrified

• okay but it would be an interesting idea if Deceit has been Morality the whole time. Awful and angsty, but interesting.

• “ow that Hurt, I mean that didn’t hurt me at all ow” he can tell truths, but does he have to tell lies?

• we’ll see him again and I’m looking forward to it. Every story needs a good old fashioned villain.

• Virgil is so happy to hear Patton’s dad jokes again he doesn’t hide his smiles.

• The eating play dough thing has me cracking up but especially the part where Logan was confused and he thought Patton meant he was eating the ancient and very dead philosopher Plato.

• Roman is adorable and he’s a knight and a hero I love him.

End of Analysis thanks for reading.