#I think they’re two sides of the same coin

[zombiecowboy65]

I do not care for jeanneil

[nocturusvulpus]

☆ Thoughts about Shadow Milk ☆

While I'm sure most have already seen the story or played through it themselves, I'm putting this under a "Read More" just in case. Plus this is long. I'm talking about how he acts with Pure Vanilla, I like sharing my thoughts.

So, that obsession huh? What a freak.

In all seriousness though, Shadow Milk having this attachment to Pure Vanilla is so interesting. Shadow Milk wanting more than just the other half of his Soul Jam, wanting more than his full strength. Him wanting someone that understands him gives such complexities to him and also his descent in my opinion. Of course this is all me basically saying a headcanon and trying to use canon as my backing, feel free to disagree. Let’s start at the beginning shall we? Long ago 5 virtuous Cookies with 5 powerful Soul Jams were baked by the Witches to lead Cookiekind into prosperity. One of them was the Fount of Knowledge, wielder of the Soul Jam of Knowledge. According to the 4th anniversary website, Shadow Milk originally wanted to learn all there was to learn but one day found out a disturbing fact, a truth if you will, that others were eager to listen to his words than actually listening to the truth. But was that really all there was to it?

Like, we know there is more to the descent of the beasts than they let on. Using Burning Spice as the example, he says he got bored of everything but it would be more accurate to say that constantly raising civilisations only to have them fall wore away at him until it became a chore that he got bored of. So, what more could there be to this line? I’ll give my take later on.

Let’s go over Shadow Milk’s insistence that Pure Vanilla will become like him/is like him. In the “A Game of Truth and Deceit” video we have this part, which has him say that Pure Vanilla that “in the end, you will become me” (Yes I didn't capture the part where the captions say that, but this just looks cooler)

And also in Spire of Shadows, during Pure Vanilla’s Memories III Shadow Milk says “We are like two sides of the same Coin!” and in IV we have:

Also the coin thing comes back in Beacon of Truth during the chess game where Pure Vanilla flips a coin that shows his face but then Shadow Milk switches it to be his asking “Aren’t we like two peas in a pod?” and saying “Sometimes it’s hard to tell us apart!”

This man is so convinced they’re alike, or specifically Pure Vanilla is like him. Let’s analyse Pure Vanilla.

Pure Vanilla was a king, though he stepped down from the throne and chose for his people to govern themselves. He is also the Ancient Hero that wields the soul jam of Truth. But I think the most important part is that he is a healer. His role is to heal others. His chosen path is to be of service to others. That’s what I think is the key thing about Shadow Milk’s obsession with him. The fact that Pure Vanilla is meant to serve others much like the Fount once did.

To me, it gives these lines a bit more to them than just Shadow Milk making Pure Vanilla think his life was orchestrated.

Since the person who’s saying it was created by a divine being (Witch) to serve others (Cookiekind), the Cookie that was made to serve others and be a guiding figure is talking to a healer who has led a whole kingdom. They both have had moments in life where they were at the servitude of others, the only difference being Pure Vanilla actually chose that path. He chose to be a healer, to learn White Moon Magic, to create a kingdom. He chose it, and Shadow Milk didn’t, he was baked into that role.

Now, we’ve seen how much Shadow Milk got so happy when Pure Vanilla got closer and closer to “joining” him, foregoing usual punishments and giving Pure Vanilla preferential treatment that even his two followers thought was weird. And he was ecstatic when he thought he finally had someone like him. Another who grew tired of the painful Truths of the world and accepted Deceit like him. He was so so happy…

Until it turned out he was tricked. Must’ve stung real bad that the one person he thought would be his truest confidante had lied all along. One would think he would be somewhat proud of the lie, since Deceit is his domain. But Pure Vanilla must’ve struck a nerve deeper than Shadow Milk himself realised. When Pure Vanilla points out he’s lonely, Shadow Milk doubles down, he insults him and pretends he isn’t lonely. That Pure Vanilla doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

He refuses to accept the Truth that he’s terribly lonely. That he just wants one person that doesn’t look up to him, but looks at him. Someone that when he talks to, he isn’t educating but instead conversing with. Someone that understands. That someone should’ve been Pure Vanilla. Shadow Milk hesitates for a moment when Pure Vanilla offers friendship but Pure Vanilla is a hero. Shadow Milk would have to give up the freedom he has, the ability to lie and deceive as he wishes. And when after so long being bound to a duty not asked for, why would he ever want to go back to anything like it? Why would he be at Truth’s side when it should be the other way around? Of course he’ll refuse. Even if there’s a minute droplet of longing, hiding in the dark that begged him to say yes.

I am jumping around a bit in chronology of events/cutscenes but let’s see what he says when he tries to initially deny being alone:

Y’know, if he was so happy with this, why would Pure Vanilla sense he was lonely? Why would someone that is pleased with their life and the “fools” around them yearn for kinship? Isn’t he so happy being the Beast of Deceit that something like friendship should be beneath him? To me, the answer, albeit a bit headcanon-y, is simple. It’s because he never actually changed the fact he never had anyone at his side from the start. He couldn’t. Everyone was eager to hear him speak but never what he actually was saying. They looked up to him back when he was the Fount of Knowledge. And there are two Cookies that do just the same now, don’t they?

Shadow Milk was always lonely, considering the Soul Jams seems to increase one’s lifespan when we take into account the Ancients are well ancient, could he ever have someone at his side that wouldn’t die soon after? Maybe he tried once before like the First Headmaster of the Blueberry Academy? Hence why there’s the portrait on the loading screen? The Headmaster doesn’t have the same colour scheme like the disguises Shadow Milk has so perhaps Shadow Milk did once have a friend, one that was a peer and not a student. But a Cookie can only live so long. And then once more, he was alone with no one to understand him.

So we’ve got that Shadow Milk was lonely and also was fixated on Pure Vanilla “following in his footsteps”, what was the point of all of this? I simply propose that Shadow Milk’s obsession with Pure Vanilla in part was him projecting onto him. Both were Cookies that served others, that hold fragments of Knowledge which they had used to teach and guide others. But Shadow Milk was so focused on the idea Pure Vanilla was like him, that he failed to truly see how different they were. Pure Vanilla simply could not be like the Fount of Knowledge, the lonely Virtue that had no one that could ever truly listen to him, to the Cookie that was given that role.

Pure Vanilla wasn’t a Cookie baked with some grandiose purpose, he was simply a shepherd’s boy, who took care of and adored the cream sheep he was surrounded by. He must’ve had someone who looked after him, who took care of him until he became a student at an academy of magic. It’s there that a friendship with another Cookie had bloomed into one he would cherish for the rest of his life. Not long after he set off on a pilgrimage of his own choice to find the truth for the happiness of all Cookies. Pure Vanilla was born a caring man, in a world that cared for him in return. He made friends that he values above all else, he chose a path of healing to help others, even when he doubts himself and despairs, it’s friendship that brings him back.

And if it was friendship that brought him back, why would he not offer it to one that craved it most? Why would the Compassionate Pure Vanilla, that accepts all manner of Doubt and Deceit alongside Truth, not extend a hand? But sadly, it was him revealing that he had tricked Shadow Milk and Shadow Milk’s own convictions of not wanting to change that prevented such a friendship between Truth and Deceit. It’s not like Shadow Milk didn’t know Pure Vanilla valued friendship, so much of his choices throughout episode 7 & 8 of Beast Yeast was based on how much he cared for his friends. That’s why Shadow Milk pushes the trio off of the spire even after Pure Vanilla gave his Soul Jam away. It was annoying that Pure Vanilla kept caring so much for these nuisances.

When that should’ve been attention directed at him. I mean, Pure Vanilla is meant to be the only Cookie that could understand Shadow Milk, why would Shadow Milk be happy with the attention and care meant for him being wasted on some brats? Shadow Milk wanted Pure Vanilla to embrace Deceit so badly, but is he not the Beast of Deceit? Practically Deceit itself? What was it he wanted Pure Vanilla to do regarding Deceit again? Embrace it? Or embrace him? His loneliness is such a suffocating feeling, one he must’ve experienced for centuries, even if we only consider his years as a Beast. But, had Shadow Milk not called the other Beasts “friends” when he was introduced back during episode 2 of Beast Yeast? Let’s see what he says:

Yeah yeah I know I’m making this long but c’mon, why is the dude lonely if he has four other friends? Would they not understand the freedom of being Beasts like him? Here’s the thing; I don’t think he lied when he called them his friends. I just think they’re no longer friends how they once were. Why would they act the same as they did as Virtues? Obviously Mystic Flour doesn’t see the point of conversation when all is meaningless. You think Burning Spice wouldn’t break Shadow Milk’s puppets and props when he’s bored? Would Eternal Sugar pay attention to what he does or says, or would she just yawn and be half-asleep? Sure maybe Silent Salt listens to his words and watches his plays, but the lack of a response doesn’t make it as fulfilling as Shadow Milk hoped. They’re friends… Right? Yeah surely they’re friends, it’s just like when one friend is married and another has a kid while you’ve got neither, it’s just that they’ve all got different goals. They’re still friends, they have to be friends. Or else Shadow Milk wouldn’t have anyone else. Perhaps that is why he clung to Pure Vanilla when he had the chance, he’ll have someone like him, someone that doesn’t find things pointless, that wouldn’t break his stuff, that would be wide awake and would respond to what he says. He just wanted someone that he could use to bury the loneliness clawing at his heart, to pacify it and ignore his problems. But he couldn’t have it. The one thing he craved he couldn’t get, because it wasn’t in the way he wanted. He’s a terribly selfish Cookie, he’ll only accept things if they go his way. And he will try to bend and twist the situation to suit him and only him. Who cares if others get hurt, why would he care? This is a Beast we’re talking about, selflessness doesn’t suit him.

Oh that Pure Vanilla, what a traitorous backstabbing Cookie. When Shadow Milk gets his hands on him he will make that pathetic healer regret betraying him. He is not giving second chances… But… Maybe, maybe if that Cookie finally opens his eyes and sees that the world doesn’t actually care for him like it didn’t for Shadow Milk, maybe when he’s at his lowest and he’s too broken to heal himself, he… Could give him a second chance… Pure Vanilla would have to earn it, to let himself be twisted and turned to Shadow Milk’s heart’s content, to be cracked and barely tied back up, only to be cracked again over and over. He wouldn’t trust that wretched Cookie so easily again, he’d keep him at arms length, further than his own subordinates.. Then when he earns the right, Pure Vanilla could be at Shadow Milk’s side… He.. He isn’t lonely…

[thenarwhalgal]

At what point does Jinx’s crimes against Piltover in Arcane go from appalling, to an understandable if even necessary evil? This is not to say she did nothing wrong. It would be a lie to claim that. The whole point of Arcane is that even with the best intentions sometimes you just end up making everything worse.

But those who see all of her actions as bad because they’re terrorism, because ‘violence is wrong’… and therefore shooting a missile at the council is automatically an unforgivable crime, who can’t understand why they took her character the way they did in season 2, how Ekko could make up with her, how Zaun started looking up to her as a hero, I just want to ask a question.

At what point is it ethical to use violence as a tool against injustice and subjugation? If it ever is. Even if every peaceful option has been walked down before and the best that ever gets you is the tolerance of being allowed to exist as long as you don’t exist too loudly. That’s not a hard answer, there’s no definite line in the sand here. It’s one you have to draw yourself.

Personally? I think the reason some people look at Jinx and see an irredeemable monster, is because they live in a society that feels more like Piltover to them than Zaun. Have already drawn a line of what Zaun is in their society so that they live above it, are better than it.

How fucked does a country have to get before we can fight back and people will look back on us as revolutionaries instead of terrorists? Two sides of the same coin after all, the only real difference is perception.

[seeminglyseph]

Sometimes I think about Karna and the fact that I was rambling a little while ago about the point of The Menu being “Food is for the Hungry”

And I wonder if I’m going to end up going on a fucking delusional rant about hunger and food and its use in fiction and what it means to me as a person and how famine and pestilence are such important factors in history and war and Karna represents both in a way that so rarely gets humanized in these stories about nobles fighting over titles and names and honour.

[tongues--and--teeth]

Lovvveeeee this fic from @thebiscuitlabryinth sooo much omg. She’s such a visual writer I felt like I could actually see what was going on while reading lol.

Click for better quality!

POV: you’re Pure Vanilla Cookie

[hardlypartying]

Both JJ and Rafe blowing through their newfound wealth will never fail to make me laugh because yet again they get another parallel. I was too focused on JJ’s case since there were some real (narrative) consequences there while Rafe’s loss just felt… fake? Like he’s a kook and he’ll get back up on his feet but that’s not the case bc he’s so emotionally dependent on the people around him to make choices, let alone good choices, that he’s fucked. He’s never learned to stand on his own two feet and no matter how much he peacocks, everyone knows it and he’s so fucking paranoid about that. He’s just gonna keep losing it to anyone who shows him a modicum of kindness while JJ is entirely too sure of himself because there is no other alternative, he’s all he’s got. He doesn’t ask anyone before he does anything. At the end of the day, the both of them are trying to cosplay as uber rich people lol. They just have vastly different approaches in their need for validation & the subsequent self destruction.

[lion-buddy]

Obviously the reason I started liking supreme and puka was because the movie itself was good, with great character interactions designs music and fight choreography. But I’m always questioning why I’m still thinking abt them despite the lack of content. There’s something endlessly endearing about two characters designed to be opposites in a way that they can learn from each other. They’re going to be butting heads the entire time they’re together, but that makes for so many possible interactions. And in the end it’s that willingness to understand and change for each other that makes them a good dynamic. Its just so addicting to think about and study

[thwackk]

my ass will be like “idc abt romance at all. shit sucks lmao” and then all i ever draw is romantical intimate shit for fictional couples i made up in my head

[dekusleftsock]

I have to say that your post on Deku peddling a lot of casual homophobia and toxic masculinity across the manga, was really interesting and eye-opening. I mostly agree with you, except the part about bkdk supposedly being the endgame for this particular arc. I've had similar thoughts about how gender and sexuality is portrayed in MHA, for quite a while, but the conclusion I always came to, was more along the lines of "Reject Masculinity; Embrace Lesbianism". As I've just stumbled upon this blog, I must therefore ask: how do you feel about transbian Deku hcs?

Oh it’s so fun! Trans lesbian deku is awesome, I love all trans hc’s so much.

Unfortunately though, I am also a bkdk shipper and my opinions in that post are about my genuine thoughts that, yes, deku is a cisgender gay man, and there’s no real problem with that. Welcome to my blog though!

A lot of my posts do focus on bkdk and togachako (while mainly togachako for the past couple of months), so that’s just your fair warning! If you aren’t into that it’s like… kind of impossible to avoid that shipping on my blog. I often post fanart and metas/shitposts that focus on those two ships solely.

And I will say, I feel like the notion of “rejecting masculinity”, especially as a trans masculine person myself, does often fall down anti trans rhetoric and spaces, as lesbianism and masculinity aren’t even necessarily contrasting things to be. NB is an identity that can be stretched so far into so many spaces that it’s kind of hard to reject masculinity OR femininity without well… falling into exclusion.

I’m not sure if that’s what you mean though, however I do enjoy most if not all trans hc’s because they are amazing and so interesting when people really dive into a characters internalized issues having to do with that identity. Transgenderism is so maleable and can easily apply to so many different types of characters, even giving them a deeper sense of depth.

Canonically though, I think I like Izuku how he is. Because everyone has issues, and while cis men have obviously had a lot of stories where they are the center of attention, told from their perspective, Izuku is unique in his own right; because how often do we really see a short, androgynous, emotionally expressive, cis male character deal with things like the insecurity of crying, the unknown of if your identity (if it really is your identity) will be accepted in spaces where you have been pushed to be with, from your perspective, a platonic female friend? Because yes, izuku WAS bullied—rather indirectly with Katsuki sure—but the little comments made about being a crybaby, being creepy, being weak, they all build up. They build and build until, hey, the bully isn’t there anymore. In fact, the bully is you.

And really, I see why people don’t necessarily pick up on Izuku of all people having masculinity issues. When the viewer sees a momma’s boy who’s relatively soft and empathetic, they register someone who vaguely understands themself. They see him be self sacrificial and think, “that’s a man who goes against masculine stereotypes, so obviously he doesn’t struggle with fitting into the stereotype himself!” Because it’s not what we’re usually shown in our every day media.

A man with masculinity issues is someone who is SUPER masculine—he’s super buff, he screams a lot, he has anger issues, he—oh wait I’m describing Katsuki.

Yet, in reality, Katsuki actually DOESNT! Not as much as Izuku does anyway. In middle school? Sure, most definitely. He registered weakness and refused to accept himself, therefore his masculinity. The anger issues build and build on each other… except for the fact that we’re forgetting the key here.

Katsuki grew up.

Katsuki HAD to grow up because the way he expressed these anger issues (that I will say, izuku also shares, the crying is literally a symptom of that in a lot of cases) was much more prevalent. It stopped him from truly growing, and when he was humbled he was able to see all the mistakes he was making. And slowly but surely, he apologized. He sacrificed. He started to really, truly, care.

He always cared of course, seeing as he cared enough to try to stop deku from getting into UA, because he thought he was a threat. Hell, after the entrance exam at their first day of UA, he genuinely thought Izuku had enough heroics in him to make it past the entrance exam! He didn’t think Izuku even NEEDED a quirk to get in. He’s always believed in him.

Was that expressed through his insecurities? Yes, because he was a dumb 15 year old.

But now that he knows he cares, that’s allowed him to reflect on himself, and on Izuku.

Izuku ofc will change, he will grow up, he will get that character development, but he has to have that realization that, oh, Katsuki really won’t hate him for anything. Ever.

Whether Izuku has internalized homophobia simply because Katsuki isn’t a girl, or because he’s afraid of Katsuki’s rejection at Izuku’s weirdness, well, I guess that’s up to your interpretation.

Mine is personally on the second side though.

[doomedbythe-narrative]

thinking about how pretty much every adult in dazais life failed him btw

[poltergeist-coffee]

and what if i said q!insaneduo are soulmates who meet at the wrong place wrong time… then what…

[haveihitanerve]

I don’t think you guys understand- dicks parents died when he was fucking eight and yet he was never orphaned because Bruce was right there and picked up the slack as much as he was able to and dick never had to feel unloved or like he didn’t have a reliable parental figure he could always trust and fall back on and it just gives so much more depth to their relationship and their stories because they’ve been in each others lives for so fucking long and have such a deep connection because they’re two sides of the same coin and that is why dick will always forgive Bruce and why Bruce will always see dick as his greatest success and his one true successor because they pulled each other from the darkness and gave each other the family they had both lost. 

[bubblewater]

Wdym Chief Bogo and Mayor Lionheart aren’t basically brothers who grew up together and pursued careers that suited their personalities

Bogo, with his blunt and stubborn demeanor, of course he’s a chief officer of the police academy

Lionheart, with his cunning and showmanship, of course he’s a politician

They are both characters very much tied to law and order, but they take different approaches to it.

As adopted brothers, they would’ve been exposed to the struggles that the other goes through. They would’ve seen them experience prejudice and bias, realizing the injustice of it all

[wildworldmp3]

thinking about rachel duncan again

[sodacowboy]

I’m seeing lots of good omens stuff on my dash and what I’m gathering is that I’m very much an aziraphale trying to be a crowley??? y’know???

[hy6erion]

viktor and jayce fighting over you??

𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐲 - 𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐞

⇢ 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲/𝐧, 𝐠𝐧! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐

𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐨

1. The Scientific Method (or How to Win You Over)

It starts subtly—at least, as subtle as Jayce can manage.

“You know,” he says, leaning against your desk, broad shoulders blocking your view of the latest schematics, “I was thinking—you and I should go out sometime. Just the two of us. For research purposes.”

You don’t even have time to process before Viktor, seated across from you, speaks without looking up from his own work.

“Research into what? The effects of secondhand embarrassment?”

Jayce shoots him a glare. “Into team bonding, Viktor.”

“Mm. And what hypothesis are you testing? That you can single-handedly drive them to madness?” Viktor hums, scratching something in his notes. “A bold assumption, but I suppose it is not entirely unfounded.”

Jayce turns back to you, ignoring him. “Dinner. Drinks. Maybe some—”

“A headache,” Viktor mutters.

Jayce groans, running a hand down his face before pointing at you. “You. Pick a side here.”

You exhale, setting down your pen. “I don’t even know what we’re arguing about.”

“We aren’t arguing,” Viktor says at the same time Jayce huffs, “We are arguing.”

You stare at them both. They stare at each other.

This has been happening for weeks.

It’s not always this obvious—sometimes it’s in the little things, the way Viktor always ensures your coffee is warm but lets Jayce suffer with whatever’s left in the pot. Or how Jayce somehow always has an extra set of tools whenever you’re missing yours, grinning like he wasn’t just waiting for the opportunity.

And the way they bicker—gods, it never ends.

“Fine,” you say, leaning back in your chair. “Jayce, we can do dinner. And Viktor, you can join.”

Jayce groans, throwing his head back. “Not the third-wheel invitation—”

“I accept,” Viktor interrupts smoothly.

Jayce turns to him, expression wounded. “Dude.”

“You do not own them, Jayce.”

“Neither do you!”

Viktor just smiles.

You take another sip of your coffee. This is going to be a long night.

2. The Art of Winning (or Just Being Petty)

“Y/n, my dearest, most trusted lab partner,” Viktor says, sidling up next to you while you’re examining some blueprints. “You are an artist of unparalleled skill. Would you mind assisting me with some designs?”

You raise an eyebrow, but before you can answer, Jayce materializes from across the room.

“Woah, woah, hold on, I was just about to ask them for help.”

Viktor tilts his head, feigning confusion. “Just about to? How convenient.”

Jayce narrows his eyes. “You knew I was gonna ask them—”

“Mm. And yet, I asked first.”

“That doesn’t—”

“Time is linear, Jayce. Surely you understand this.”

Jayce looks ready to explode.

You pinch the bridge of your nose. “You both know I have other work to do, right?”

They don’t. They definitely don’t.

But Jayce recovers first, flashing you his most charming smile. “C’mon, you know I have the bigger project right now—”

“Size does not determine quality, Jayce,” Viktor interrupts. “By that logic, your brain should be much more effective.”

Jayce’s jaw drops. “Did you just—?”

“Mm?” Viktor takes a slow sip of his tea.

You sigh, turning away before you witness a murder. “I’m flipping a coin. Heads, I help Jayce. Tails, I help Viktor.”

Jayce’s shoulders relax. “That seems fair.”

Viktor hums, noncommittal.

You flip. The coin lands. You glance at it.

Then, you slap it onto your palm before either of them can see and say, “I’m helping myself today.”

Viktor huffs a quiet laugh, and Jayce groans, dropping his head onto the nearest surface.

“Brilliant,” Viktor murmurs. “I am rubbing off on you.”

Jayce mumbles something into the desk. You pat his shoulder in consolation before walking away, leaving them to their stalemate.

3. The Heart of the Matter (Or: Maybe They’re Not as Subtle as They Think)

At some point, you begin to wonder if they even know what they’re fighting over.

Because it’s not just lab work. It’s not just projects, or coffee, or who gets to sit next to you during meetings.

It’s you.

And they’re both smart enough to know it, even if neither of them says it outright.

It’s in the way Jayce’s gaze lingers whenever you laugh, like he’s memorizing the sound. The way Viktor’s voice softens when he murmurs your name, careful, like he knows the weight it holds.

It’s in how they both wait for you at the end of the day, pretending it’s just coincidence.

It’s in the way Viktor watches Jayce’s arm brush against yours and says nothing, but his fingers tighten around his cane. In how Jayce watches Viktor pull you in to murmur something close and he says nothing, but his jaw tenses.

It’s in the way neither of them will ever say it—but neither of them will yield, either.

And you?Well.

You just let them fight.