#IT ONLY SEEMS LIKE A FOURTH WALL BREAK TO THE AUDIENCE.

[casual-praxis]

It's Praxis rambling about Red hours

My two favorite interpretations of why Red acts the way he does in the manga kinda go hand in hand, but I do want to explore both at some point, even if neither are quite how I hc Red to be.

Interpretation 1: Red is simply faking his emotions. The way he bounces between moods so quickly without acknowledging his change could potentially be explained away as him exaggerating the reaction he thinks he’s supposed to be having.

He’s Link’s innocence (and optimism?) after all, this might be why he doesn’t always take situations seriously (hence, the Vaati fight). He’s kinda just playing along.

It’s for this reason that I do think his tears are definitely fake some of the time, but it’s interesting to think the ability to cry on command might pair with Link’s lying/acting capabilities (which went to Vio). Red’s just missing the ability to act alongside his emotional outburst, which is why they feel so jarring sometimes.

I know some variations of this hc include Red doing it for manipulation reasons, which he could be, but if so, he’s doing it really badly. Like, at no point does his crying/excitement/what-have-you ever get one of the others to do what he wants lmao.

I think the closest we get to Red manipulating in this case would be in the ice cave where he tells Blue, "I never thought I'd see you again. I thought I was alone forever," while crying in a much more subdued way. To which Blue seems to respond..positively? I've always interpreted Blue's expression in that panel to be soft, but I don't know exactly what emotion it is, other than maybe the semi-gentle realization that Red cares about him? (It could also just be the realization that Red is alone and that means they're all still split up, since Blue's attitude shift doesn't actually occur until after the fairy tells him to chill.)

Interpretation 2: Red is aware of the audience, and acts according to how they might expect him to. This idea comes mostly from how Red is the only one to directly break the fourth wall by acknowledging the readers, and how they expect something of him, but would be an interesting way to explain his behavior.

In the first chapter, Red acts the most different from how he does later in the manga, as their personalities really haven't been established yet outside of vague dialogue and expressions (plus Green and Blue squabbling). At no point does he remark on being scared or even really show signs of it (outside seeming a little panicked about releasing Vaati again), and he willingly attacks the enemy without prompting, as one would expect a Link to do.

It's not until they get their names and assigned personality traits does Red really start acting as the comedy relief, as the audience probably expects of him. He almost seems to lean into it on several occasions.

I like to think this is why his reaction to Shadow's death is so muted. He either didn't know how he was supposed to be reacting, or just assumed he was out of frame so he was idling (which is the funnier explanation).

Wouldn't it be wild if he knew the actual manga's theme was personality, and that's why his is so all over the place?

[yache-berries]

me, a little sad that The Collector wasn't in that ending-still of everyone saying "byeeeeeee!!!" but then realizing that everyone was actually saying "byeeeeeee!!!" to not only the audience, but to The Collector as he flew past them,, 🥹

[gay-dorito-dust]

Could we please have a batboys (and Bruce) x reader who can break the 4th wall?

This was rubbish.

Dick

Would rest his head on your shoulder and ask. ‘Who are you talking to sweetheart?’

He genuinely wants to know considering the first thing he heard was you talking back his beautiful back and perfect thighs, only to find that you were saying all this to no one in particular.

‘Oh just the lovely people reading this.’ You tell him happily and Dick would only see the walls of your shared room.

‘And what are they saying?’ Dick would then say.

‘Oh I can’t hear them, nor can I really see them exactly but I just have this feeling that we are being watched -or read in this case- by many people, I can sense them and i want them to feel included in my love life with the most beautiful man Gotham has to offer.’ You tell him as you kiss him on the cheek, making him smile.

‘Well as long as they know that I am taken by you, then we’ll be okay.’ Dick replied as he kissed your forehead sweetly. Dick at first though you were just the type to talk to yourself like some people, but seeing as how it seemed as though you were more or less addressing someone rather then just talking to yourself, Dick then assumed that you might have an ability that allows you to look past this reality and into another one entirely that might be looking into this one.

It was a scary thought to think that he was being watched ,or read as you put it, by another reality but it was intriguing nonetheless the less that there was a possibility of multiple dimensions. So he could only imagine what you were able to experience if you were able to see beyond this reality to address people who probably saw him in a different form entirely.

If anything he’s extremely curious as to how your ability worked exactly as it was something that was clearly unheard of. Somedays you would address the audience as per usual but other times you didn’t address them at all, almost as though you knew where and when they’ll pay attention to you both: all so that you could entertain them for as long as possible without it coming across as excessive or too long winded.

He would try to act like he could see them too as to not have you feeling so alone, but would get flustered when you tell him that he was looking the wrong way.

He’ll leave the fourth wall breaking to you instead and will be nosy and ask all sorts of questions about your ability, all before saying that your powers was the most coolest he’s come across, but you knew he was only saying that because you were his beloved partner but that didn’t make what he said any less true.

Jason

Would raise a brow at first but would keep this tendency to himself out of a need to protect you from those who’d gladly send you away for such tendency.

Jason isn’t phased by much but you talking to a wall as though someone was there brought a weird feeling to his chest.

‘His thighs? Perfect. His stomach and autopsy scars? Delicious. Arms, hands and back? Gorgeous but all of you at home are already aware of that and could only imagine how plush his tits are-‘

‘Who are you talking to chipmunk?’ He’d ask, cutting you off as he expected you to be on the phone to someone, so imagine to his surprise when he saw your phone on charge and you were in fact talking to thin air.

‘Just the people thirsting after you.’ You’d reply as though it was common sense.

‘Thirsting?’ Jason tried the word, not liking how it sounded coming from his mouth. ‘What’s that?’

‘Just think of it as another word for desire, but they can’t have you because in their reality you’re a fictional character who gets the short end of the stick constantly by people who don’t know what to do with you in general.’ You shrugged as you looked over at him with a smile. ‘Also you get stereotyped as someone you’re not by people who obviously lack a capacity for reading given how short their attention span is.’ The last part was muttered under your breath before bringing the conversation back to him.

‘Enough about me how about you honey?’

It wasn’t the first time you’ve done this and Jason knew it wouldn’t be the last either as he would find you passionately ranting to your invisible audience about something, and while it was cute to watch you be this passionate, he also became concerned for you in case you were going through something that you didn’t want to burden him with out of a need to protect yourself.

‘You can tell me if you’re going through something you know that right?’ He’d tell you one night as he holds your face in his hands.

‘Of course I do jaybird,’ you whispered to him before watching him as he fell asleep, only to move your head elsewhere to speak to the wall. ‘Isn’t he the cutest? Truly a man unlike any other, a dying breed if you will, but I can assure you dear readers that you too will find your Jason Todd because that’s what you all deserve in life is to be loved deeply by an non-judgmental and caring man.’ You fished before joining him in your sleep.

Tim

He thinks your maladaptive daydreaming.

What else was he meant to take away from you talking to seemingly no one so passionately as you did in that moment.

He didn’t want to say that you were insane but it wasn’t everyday where a sane person would idly make conversation with thin air or a brick wall as casually as you did.

That or you were extremely lacking in sleep and were now seeing things, if that was the case then he would be able to relate to you as he had those types of days also, more often then others that’s for sure but from what Tim could tell was far from the truth as you looked bright and too well rested for that to be the answer.

And honestly? He doesn’t want to know who exactly you were talking to as not to frighting himself shitless and would act as though you talking to a crowd of no one within your shared room was completely normal in Gotham.

God forbid you start talking to this unseen audience during the night, Tim will think he’s in some sort of horror movie that he was forced to watch with the rest of his family on Halloween. Seriously who knew fourth wall breaking could come across as though you were demonically possessed?

He wants to ask who you’re talking to, he really does but if he was running low on fumes that day, really tired and wanting nothing more then sleep he would forgo all logic and just agree with what you were saying to thin air.

‘I wish I could tell you just how mean Tim can be when he’s sleep deprived, you think you know sarcasm? Wait until Tim is on about two hours of sleep and then you’ll know true sarcasm.’ You’d say.

‘Says the one who’s talking to the wall as though it had ears to listen or a mouth to respond.’ He’d replied.

‘See what Im on about? Absolutely mean when he’s sleep deprived.’ He would hear you whisper aloud but he was on the verge of falling asleep against the table to find out the true reason to your uncanny ability to break the fourth wall.

Damian

Genuinely thought something was off with how often you would look off into the distance, as though you were addressing someone he couldn’t see, like a hidden camera that lead to an unseen audience.

‘Isn’t he the cutest when he’s acting all tough,’ he’d her you say, ‘it’s like if you give a rabid chihuahua a knife but ten times worse because he can actually back up his deeply descriptive threats.’ Damian’s brow would raise at this as he watched you silently as his mind wondered who you could possibly be entertaining with such things.

Gotham has an ability to make the most strong minded person break and needles to say Damian would keep silent watch over you while you had these kinds of episodes, even when you would proudly praise his artistic skills but never to him directly, but more so to seemingly thin air with a beaming smile.

‘He’s got a future as many things and in all honestly I’m envious of how multitalented my Dami is, but at least I get to be his hype man and cheer for him no matter what, which is something I bet half of you which you could have but here I am loving your fantasy!’ You’d finish with a cackle and it left Damian smiling to himself at your pride towards him, but also still very curious as to who it was you were talking to.

‘Who are you talking to.’ He would ask you one day.

‘The audience reading this fic.’ You’d reply as though it was the most casual thing to bring up in conversation.

Damian’s brows furrowed. ‘Audience? What audience.’ He tried looking in the same direction as you, only to see nothing but his bed.

‘Oh I don’t expect you to see them but they are there,’ you tried to reassure Damian but it only came off as ominous and albeit cryptic, ‘they are always there, watching.’ You’d add and needles to say your words only made Damian go into a defensive posture at the aspect of being spectated by beings only you could seemingly engage with.

Well done you’ve made Damian somewhat paranoid as to what this audience you speak to wanted, what they wanted with you to have you keep engaging in conversation with them and what they could be planning.

‘Always watching?’ Damian asked.

‘Yep,’ you replied, ‘but not when we’re in the bathroom, that’s just really weird but other then that we are merely entertainment for them to consume on days of boredom and to grow a parasocial relationship with us to their leisure.’ You added and when you looked over at Damian, his jade eyes were wide and you winced internally, wishing you hadn’t said anything at all because now you’d knew Damian would start reaching for his sword out of instinct now.

Try and tell him it’s a joke as much as you like but Damian would now take your ability to break the fourth wall as a sign that someone was out there, watching all of you, an invisible enemy that he couldn’t kill and it pissed him off. He’ll break you free of the curse…sooner or later.

Bruce

‘That man is finer than a mother fucker and he knows it. And I know damn well all you thirsty bitches are making edits of my sexy Bruce to the song of older by Isabel LaRosa. I just know it you absolute sluts, but I can’t blame you because I would too.’ Bruce had just finished showering and the first thing he sees is you seemingly talking to a wall as though you were talking to a group of people in a whole different plan of existence.

He’s seen a lot of things in his time as Batman but someone talking to people who aren’t there? He’d assume you’re either clairvoyant or have another ability that can allow you to talk to an audience of people whom he can’t see, for whatever it was wouldn’t change Bruce’s opinion on you, powers or not.

‘My darling.’ He’d greet you as he holds you from behind. ‘May I ask why and or who you were speaking so passionately about me to?’ He adds.

‘The people reading this fanfic.’ You’d tell him as though it was a completely normal thing to admit as it was something you had been doing for as long as you could remember. Your parents thought you were talking to an invisible friend like other kids your age, but it grew concerning when you were still talking to no one in particular well into your late teens.

Bruce just raised a brow but would assume that you had some ability that you weren’t comfortable to admit to him, and he didn’t want you to feel pressured to talk to him about such a thing, especially not if you had admitted to someone in the past before and their reactions were negative.

He would just try and look deeper into this sort of thing in hopes of finding any pre-existing information about anyone showing similar signs as you and reading it deeply and intensively so that he could be well informed to know what you were going through. Bruce loves to be educated on things that he didn’t understand with the hopes of understanding it on a deeper level, so if he did managed to find something that perfectly describes what you were doing, then he’ll be reading it until he could recite it in his sleep.

He didn’t want you to feel as though you should be ashamed of your unique ability and would often take notes and things that he’d noticed you do as you addressed the invisible audiences in vivid detail. Your ability to see into another reality or anything similar to talk to people was a powerful thing to have and Bruce was fascinated by such a unique power, a power that could prove that alternate realities exist.

But Bruce would find himself intrigued with how you talked to this invisible audiences, almost as though you were greeting an old friend, whether or not this was your way to cope with the fact that you could sense an audience watching your every move and leave no privacy to be had for yourself. It was unfortunately something Bruce wasn’t quite sure but until your ability was causing you harm he would contour to watch and observe while acting as though he was unaware/ unfazed of your tendency to talking to seemingly no one.

Basically reader: you should know this too

[lennythereviewer]

Theory: Jax is NOT a self-aware NPC nor is he actually trapped in the circus: He's a hacker who can leave at any time.

Even what little we got in terms of Jax content in episode 3 has been reinforcing a belief I've had for awhile, and in fact Jax's brief standout moment in ep 3 added a new wrinkle to my thought: That he's not some NPC who gained sentience and slipped in with the humans, he's actually a hacker who backdoored his way into the Digital Circus, and he's not trapped there.

Jax seems to have an affinity for keys and getting into places he shouldn't belong. Twice now he's done this thing of spinning a key on his finger while boasting about it. He mentions in episode 1 that "I got keys to everywhere" and in episode 2 he swiped the key to the kingdom from Ragatha, and the candy monster calls him a "Master of Unlocking Things" which I think could be genuinely some subtle foreshadowing. A hacker would potentially be able to do something like clip out of bounds, find security keys, crack passwords, and so on and so forth. All he's done with this however is seemingly just pull pranks and leave things in peoples rooms; he's a troll.

We've all speculated about the mysterious pin-back covers: The official pin merch line showing everyone's rooms except for Jaxs, which only shows his door and peeks of The Void tearing through the wall. We're not privvy to what's in Jaxs room if he even has one at all. His room door might actually be his own sort of exit door since he's not trapped. For him it's like loading into a VRChat server and he can log off any time he wants, he's just always sure to be there when everyone else is active so no one notices.

A small stupid thing but, "Jax" is not too far off from "Hax"

Okay, so if Jax is a hacker who can come and go as he pleases, a question is why? Why does he keep coming back to torment everyone around him? His brief gag in Episode 3 I think filled in the blanks for that: He's not just a hacker, he's a streamer and he's broadcasting everything that's happening in the Digital Circus to a watching audience.

He's the one character who has consistently broken the fourth wall in all three episodes so far, the first two episodes were him mugging to the camera and giving comical shrugs and knowing glances to the viewer, but in this episode he outright addresses the audience while seemingly talking to no one to the POV of the other circus members. He's acknowledging his chat. Plus in merch promotion Jax has openly acknowledged his IRL popularity, another form of fourth-wall-breaking.

This may also explain his overall behavior; the reason he's always causing problems on purpose or forcing the group to go on the most dangerous path or take the most 'exciting' option in their adventures: It makes for a good show. Audiences don't want some stupid silly candyland fantasy! They want car chases and explosions! They want to see what wacky things happen to the other circus members! The show must go on! Jax is chasing content, and when he can't get that content it upsets him like the end of Episode 2. Maybe that ties into his self-worth, maybe he needs that sort of validation from his chat and audience.

This angle also adds a bit of a meta angle to the entire series: We the viewer also tune in to watch our favorite circus buddies suffer through whatever zany adventure Caine cooked up. Are we any better than Jax's livestream audience who tune in to see how they're tormented by Caine this week? Heck maybe in-universe we're the audience Jax is playing to! We too want to see them sweat and suffer to get that sweet character growth so are we part of the problem?

Time will tell whether this comes to pass and whether or not I'm overthinking this, but I've had this thought for awhile and only after this episode did the livestreamer angle come to mind.

[sonicexelle-junkary]

Okay, Art block has been hitting me hard and I can’t get myself to do work on the AU idea I had, so I can’t make something fun to introduce you guys to the AU first off.

Instead, I’ll simply explain what the story is gonna be about, as well as the plot to it. I’ll include the art I have made so far for the au as well (which isn’t much). Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll answer best I can.

AU: QUIET ON SET

The au takes place in a 1970’s to 1990’s sitcom set of a very popular show called [REDACTED] produced by [REDACTED] (I don’t have proper names for them yet). Pretty much the whole cast of Sonic is here, with our main character Sonic, secondary characetrs Amy, Tails, and Knuckels. As well as occasional and returning guest stars; Shadow, Mighty, Ray, Rouge, Vanilla, Cream, and a whole lot more!

“But this is a horror AU, right?” I hear you say. “This is for your horror blog. It has to be horror. Is it?” And you’d be right!

After suffering a massive concussion from a falling light fixture on set, Sonic wakes up and finds that nothing is as it seems. In fact, he realizes that as far as he could remember, his life had been a lie, as he’d been living on a set this whole time, and he’d suddenly became aware of the fourth wall.

No matter what he does, he can’t seem to escape the show he was forced into, as the camera follows him the entire time, and he always stumbles back onto set, hearing the “live” audience react to every thing he does or say. His friends don’t believe him. Are they his friends? Are they even real?

Tune in to follow Sonic on a path of insanity as he tries to escape this hellish nightmare, through endless corridors, sets, rooms, trough this constantly changing place. It’s like someone is taking joy in swatching him slowly break.

Sonic believes that the only way to escape is to go head to head with the director of this show. He will soon find out that would be more of a challenge than he thinks he’s ready for.

[gatitties]

Hi, I have another request! This is going to be a long detail.. sorry!

Can Straw Hats, Heart Pirates, Kid Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, Revolutionary Army and Marines react to Female! Y/N like Pinkie Pie, who is the entertainer.

Her personality is hyperactive, excitable, quirky, and outgoing but she's always quick to apologize when she steps on any foot or hands.

She's somewhere inbetween tomboy and girly.

She is talking fast

She tends to have a lighthearted manner in serious situations. She is often not taken seriously even by her closest friends, who occasionally call her out on her seemingly illogical behavior.

Hobbies: parties, singing, and fun!

She also has a pet baby alligator named Gummy whom she loves dearly.

Insecurity:

She is very sensitive to rejection too. When she thinks her friends don't like her anymore (it turns out to be a big misunderstanding involving a surprise birthday party) she loses the ability to think rationally, retreats into her imagination, and starts talking to inanimate objects.

She shows an insecure side of her personality, doubting her friends or herself. she believes her friends to be unfaithful, causing her hair to "deflate" . She slowly goes insane as she adopts several inanimate objects as new friends, pretending that they are real.

She tries to prove that she is responsible by begging her friends, eventually they accept it. She becomes overwhelmed by the task and shows doubt in her ability to handle the responsibility.

She worries that some of her crew will eventually forget about her and the rest of their friends when Luffy becomes a King of the Pirates or some of her crew accomplished their dreams.

She feels outdone and replaced. She gives up party planning and tries other tasks but fails at them. Her faith in herself is only renewed when she looks back on parties she had thrown for her friends.

Ability:

She looks silly and but she's the smartest one of her crew. She’s also intelligent and perceptive enough to explain the plan to the others in a more understandable manner. She made some crazy contraptions in her time, but the craziest thing is that they’ve all worked! She’s creative enough to come up with her inventions, but she’s also clever enough to put them all together. She’ll have to have blueprinted them, crafted them, wired them etc. has demonstrated time and time again that she’s got a real talent for music, but it all seems to come out of the blue. I mean, she didn’t even realise she could play the organ until she came across it by chance. She can play multiple instrumentals all and she can play them well.

Someone smart like (Robin and Law) couldn’t think of a way to plan. The immensely gifted, they didn’t think to use their plan to get out of their situation, and Female! Y/N looked so DONE!, but she always seems to be one step ahead. One of the crew deadass says to the other member, “Sometimes I think she’s the smartest one of us all” too, and the other member agrees. She’s lowkey brilliant, and they all know it.

She frequently sings songs of her writing, but the other people's reactions are not always favorable. Her friends react skeptically when she begins singing, and her audience reacts very negatively to her song-and-dance routine. But at the same time, some of her songs are received extremely positively by her friends and everyone else alike.

She is an Expert Baker.

She is an exceptional ice skating pony, stating that she's been skating since she was "an itty-bitty little-widdle twinkie-Pinkie".

She can break the fourth wall, She may act and sound completely insane, but she’s competent enough to fathom that she’s simply a fictional character on a human’s screen. She knows too much.

She embodies friendship! She knows everybody! She gets along with everypony!

She sports Cartoon Physics, which she can use to warp the fabric of reality around her.

She can evenly match Kizaru's speed.

When she keeps someone to her word, she pops out of a basket of sponges, a basket of apples, and even from the reflection-side of a mirror every time anyone is about to slip up on her promise.

She has a strange ability (Pink Sense) to predict the future through various twitches and involuntary motions made by her body.

Twitchy Tail: When stuff's gonna start falling.

Ears Flopping: Starting a bath for someone.

Itchy Back: Female! Y/N's lucky day.

Pinchy Knee: Something scary's about to happen.

Achy Shoulder: There's an alligator in the tub.

Ear Flop, Knee Twitch, Eye Flutter: The sky is about to be graced with a beautiful rainbow.

Ear Flop, Eye Flutter, Knee Twitch: Look out for opening doors.

Itchy Nose: A swarm of bees.

Shudders: It's a doozy. Something that someone never expects to happen is gonna happen.

She has a very strong memory, enough to "remember everything about everybody in her village and another islands, which she would visit.

Well Organized: She has a secret room under their ship, filled with information on each party she's done and everybody's likes and dislikes and allergies.

Laughter Embodiment: She possessed the element of laughter.

─Strawhats, Heart Pirates, Kid Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, Revolutionary Army & Marines x Pinkie Pie!reader

─Summary: You are a burst of energy, a little silly but just enough, you still have a great intellect as well as a good voice and gifts in various aspects

─Warnings: none

I didn't understand if this reader is totally human or totally a pony as such, so I'll do it as if reader were a mix :p

─ You add twice the fun that Luffy seeks to this crew, you and he are like soul mates separated at birth, although you consider yourself much smarter than your captain.

─ Sometimes you have a little competition to see who of the two of you makes the best parties, whether to celebrate a victory in a battle or for the smallest thing, you always look for excuses to celebrate something.

─ Sanji is quite grateful that you help him sometimes in the kitchen, although you only make desserts for the most part, he appreciates that you cook for him from time to time.

─ Robin is the most aware of your powers because she always notices the movements of your ears, eyes or joints, she uses your power for her benefit on more than one occasion when you don't even notice it.

─ Nami always has to stop you when you start talking like a locomotive without brakes, many times she can't understand what you say because of how fast you talk, and you also get stuck from time to time, Chopper tries to help you and gives you some advice to modulate or speak a little slower.

─ Zoro doesn't have a good relationship with your pet, it always seems to bother the swordsman at the least opportune moments or he trips over the poor alligator, just like Usopp, he prefers to keep his distance from Gummy even though it is a fairly calm crocodile within reason.

─ On the contrary, Franky loves that little pet of yours as does Jinbe, they will always have some extra food for Gummy that it will accept with delight, the cyborg doesn't mind that his metal hands are nibbled.

─ You spend some time with Franky and Usopp making or helping with some of their inventions, contributing ideas here and there to improve theirs.

─ Although the vast majority are quite skeptical about your musical moments, Brook is always supporting you from the second you open your mouth to sing, joining you from time to time and adding background music, although he leaves all the dancing and choreography to you.

─ Law is doomed, he can't understand how you have so much energy, as if you were explosions and smiles constantly.

─ Shachi and Penguin adore your cheerful and chaotic personality, it gives that special touch to the seriousness of their captain and makes the days less monotonous.

─ It goes without saying that you form the most dangerous trio (for your captain's mental health) in the entire vast sea.

─ Jean Bart is the number one fan of your cakes, he will accompany you to the end of the world just to get any ingredient you need just to be able to enjoy a good cake or sweet.

─ Ikkaku is your translator when you speak too fast, she manages to catch all your words without problems, she always repeats what you say more slowly for Bepo, who seems to be the one who has the most problems understanding you.

─ You've probably felt disappointed or deflated many times in this crew because of Law, it's not that he wanted to misbehave but his serious demeanor made you think he hated you sometimes which isn't true, as irritating as you could be you were a good addition to the team.

─ Parties aren't a very common thing on the Polar Tang so you have more pressure when it comes to scheduling everything, you make sure to keep track of all the likes and dislikes of the entire crew to convince them to throw parties more often.

─ Law will also take advantage of your little spasms to foresee certain situations.

─ They're not big fans of your pet but Bepo is its biggest supporter just because he can talk to Gummy.

─ Being in this crew is like flipping a coin, sometimes it's one side or the other.

─ Kid usually enjoys all the whirlwind of emotions that you are, your small and ingenious ideas, your inventions… but sometimes you are too positive for him, he can easily get irritated if he is not in the mood for all your effusiveness.

─ Killer will sometimes ask you to calm down a bit because you are being too energetic hitting some enemies, he will offer you to bake to lower your energy a bit, although you seem inexhaustible.

─ Sometimes you are the one who gets irritated, since all these men carry too much negativity, that is why, when you know that something is going to happen, you decide to keep quiet or try to hide the movement of your ears and let that door hit Kid.

─ You love to share some accessories with Wire and you're giving each other little trinkets almost every time you land on a new island, they're usually matching necklaces, rings or earrings.

─ Sometimes you look to the side as if a camera was recording you and you talk to nothing commenting on the situation, Heat thinks it's a little weird but doesn't give it much importance.

─Most of the crew still doesn't understand how you're able to stay a few more seconds in the air before falling off a cliff, they can even see how the vowels of your scream come out of your throat and are projected into the air becoming smaller and smaller.

─ Prepare all your arsenal, because this crew throws the best parties you can find, of course, everything was organized by you and you know that nothing will go wrong because everyone loves to have any excuse to celebrate the smallest thing.

─ As well as taking advantage of the opportunity to do karaoke from time to time just so everyone can see your artistic skills, despite not being big music fans, some people tend to join in singing if they are drunk enough.

─ You have a whole room full of cabinets filled with useful information for parties, this crew is too big but that won't stop you from collecting data.

─ Ace and Gummy don't get along because when Ace falls asleep eating, your alligator eats his food.

─ Thatch always watches you work on your cakes in silence, usually doing his work on the side, sometimes he suggests giving it a personal touch or adding other ingredients that you don't usually use to innovate in your recipes.

─ Izo is very grateful for some of your inventions because they help him with some of his hobbies or training, he is also the one who enjoys your hyperactivity and energy the most.

─ Whitebeard doesn't understand most of the things you say because of the speed of your words, but just by listening to a couple of words he manages to understand you without having to listen to half of the other's sentence.

─ Marco is helping you figure this out, you need to relax when you talk, and breathe more between sentences or you'll choke on your own saliva one day.

─ Everyone is there when you start singing, Izo will do some choruses for you and Ace will dance for you, although his choreography is still poor, you have offered dance classes for anyone who wants to learn.

─ You have had more than one misunderstanding that has made you escape the ship, usually Thatch always tends to solve the situation, maybe you are a little dramatic, but you can get discouraged easily.

─ Ace has probably been hit by seeing you in a fight because of how stupid you look, you look like you came out of a comic book, he can even see the onomatopoeia of the hits and buzzes above your head, which totally distracts him.

─ You're mad at Dragon for the simple fact that your pet likes to be at your leader's feet more than by your side.

─ Koala is the one who comforts you while you're literally deflated like a balloon on the floor when this happens, she'll offer to bake some cakes so you'll forget about your pet's betrayal.

─ Sabo doesn't understand how you sometimes have such ingenious ideas, don't take it the wrong way, but on the outside and because of your excessive energy you don't seem like the kind of person who could get him out of a tight spot.

─ But you're pretty reliable and you have a lot of tricks up your sleeve as well as really useful inventions that help a lot of the agents within the revolutionary army.

─ Unfortunately the parties will be too few with this team, they don't have much time to do this kind of things because the government is doing an effusive search, but Ivankov will always tell you the right time to celebrate one.

─ Strangely, the only one who listens to you sing and dance is Dragon, although his face seems more serious than a moai's and his eyes deader than a corpse's, he always applauds at the end of your performance.

─ Many of them wonder where you get so much energy and desire to talk, as well as wondering how you don't get stuck when speaking so fast, but they don't give it much importance, because this kind of positivity is what they need to not break down with their purpose.

─ They also don't question much why sometimes you talk to yourself and comment on things with someone else who isn't there or at least they don't see, they interpret it as something related to your powers, although it's just you breaking the fourth wall.

─ You're kind of doomed here, most don't appreciate your parties, events, or songs because they need to look serious at their job.

─ Kizaru loves parties though, he'll also slowly clap with a small smile if you sing something during your lunch breaks.

─ Akainu definitely hates you and you hate him, he's a grumpy old man, he only recognizes you for your intelligence and some of your gadgets that have helped in some battles as reinforcements.

─ Aokiji usually steals Gummy from you, they seem to get along pretty well so you have no choice but to let your pet have some freedom with your superior, not knowing that your poor alligator is being trained to bite Akainu's underwear.

─ Maybe the only one who really appreciates all your good spirits and frenzy is Garp, you remind him of his grandson after all, that won't save you from getting punched if you do something that angers him.

─ Smoker is so skeptical of you, sometimes you are the most serious person and out of nowhere you start to talk with anyone the dumbest thing in the world, not to mention when you make that kind of whirlwind when you run, he can't understand you.

─ Tashigi is nicer unlike the others, she will be the most permissive with you and most of the time she supports you in everything you do, she is definitely one of the only people you bake special cakes taking into account their tastes.

─ Fujitora is the one who comforts you along with Koby the times when your mood goes overboard, the superiors are not very kind with their words sometimes and you take everything too personally which makes it easier to get discouraged.

─ You can't always pretend to be the social, outgoing, and smiling person because the job requires some moments of seriousness to project authority, but at the end of the day what drives you to continue here is being able to help defenseless people.

[but-a-humble-goon]

I get we, the audience, understand that he's breaking the fourth wall and speaking to us but can you imagine how confusing a conversation with Deadpool must be to the other characters in universe when he keeps turning to talk to people who aren't there and making references to real world things they have absolutely no context for? 90% of the time he has to be coming off as absolutely incoherent to them and it goes a long way towards explaining why every last one of them finds him more annoying than funny. Imagine if some guy IRL kept calling you Paul like he thinks he's hilarious and doesn't bother to explain that in the made up version of reality that only he can see you were played by an actor named Paul a decade ago and sure that might not especially seem funny to you but the hypothetical people he made up might get a chuckle out of it.

[nat-20s]

The horror of witnesses the horror of bystanders who will not help and the horror of realizing the reality around you and that you are not part of said reality all at once babey. OO that's good

Fourth walling breaking as a horror convention...under rated and under utilized imo

[hamletthedane]

Hamlet’s Age

Not to bring up an age-old debate that doesn’t even matter, but I have been thinking recently how interesting Hamlet’s age is both in-text and as meta-text.

To summarize a whole lot of discussion, we basically only have the following clues as to Hamlet’s age:

Hamlet and Horatio are both college students at Wittenberg. In Early Modern/Late Renaissance Europe, noble boys typically began their university education at 14 and usually completed at their Bachelor’s degree by 18 or 19. However, they may have been studying for their Master’s degrees, which was typically awarded by age 25 at the latest. For reference, contemporary Kit Marlowe was a pretty late bloomer who received a bachelor’s degree at 20 and a master’s degree at 23.

Hamlet is AGGRESSIVELY described as a “youth” by many different characters - I believe more than any other male shakespeare character (other than 16yo Romeo). While usage could vary, Shakespeare tended to use “youth” to mean a man in his late teens/very early 20s (actually, he mostly uses it to describe beardless ‘men’ who are actually crossdressing women - likely literally played by young men in their late teens)

King Hamlet is old enough to be grey-haired, but Queen Gertrude is young enough to have additional children (or so Hamlet strongly implies)

Hamlet talks about plucking out the hairs of his beard, so he is old enough to at least theoretically have a beard

In the folio version, the gravedigger says he became a gravedigger the day of Hamlet’s birth, and that he’s be “sixteene here, man and boy, thirty years.” However, it’s unclear if “sixteene” means “sixteen” or “sexton” (ie has he worked here for 16 years but is 30 years old, or has he been sexton there for thirty years?)

Hamlet knew Yorick as a young child, and the gravedigger says Yorick was buried 23 years ago. However, the first quarto version version of Hamlet says “dozen years” instead of “three and twenty.” This suggests the line changed over time. (Or that the bad quarto sucks - I really need to make that post about it, huh…)

Yorick is a skull, and according to the gravedigger’s expertise, he has thus been dead for at least 7-8 years - implying Hamlet is at least ~15yo if he remembers Yorick from his childhood

One important thing sometimes overlooked - Claudius takes the throne at King Hamlet’s death, not Prince Hamlet. That is mostly a commentary on English and French monarchist politics at the time, but it is strange within the internal text. A thirty year old Hamlet presumably would have become the new monarch, not the married-in uncle (unless Gertrude is the vehicle through which the crown passes a la Mary I/Phillip II - certainly food for thought)

Honestly, Hamlet is SO aggressively described as being very young that I’m fairly confident the in-text intention is to have him be around 18-23yo. Placing his age at 30yo simply does not make much sense in the context of his descriptors, his narrative role, and his status as a university student.

However, it doesn’t really matter what the “right” answer is, because the confusion itself is what makes the gravedigger scene so interesting and metatextual. We can basically assume one of the following, given the folio text:

Hamlet really is meant to be 30yo, and that was supposed to surprise or imply something to the contemporary audience that is now lost to us

Older actors were playing Hamlet by the time the folio was written down, and the gravedigger’s description was an in-text justification of the seeming disconnect between age of actor and description of “youth”

Older actors were playing Hamlet by the time the folio was set down, and the gravedigger’s description was an in-text JOKE making fun of the fact that a 30-something year old is playing a high-school aged boy. This makes sense, as the gravedigger is a clown and Hamlet is a play that constantly pokes fun at its own tropes and breaks the fourth wall for its audience

The gravedigger cannot count or remember how old he is, and that’s the joke (this is the most common modern interpretation whenever the line isn’t otherwise played straight). If the clown was, for example, particularly old, those lines would be very funny

Any way you look at it, I believe something is echoing there. It seems like this is one of the many moments in Hamlet where you catch a glimpse of some contemporary in-joke about theater and theater culture* that we can only try to parse out from limited context 430 years later. And honestly, that’s so interesting and cool.

*(My other favorite example of this is when Hamlet asks Polonius about what it was like to play Julius Caesar in an exchange that pokes fun of Polonius’ actor a little. This is clearly an inside-joke directed at Globe regulars - the actor who played Polonius must have also played Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play, and been very well reviewed. Hamlet’s joke about Brutus also implies the actor who played Brutus is one of the main cast in Hamlet - possibly even the prince himself, depending on how the line is read).

[thewertsearch]

GG: ok, so what is the plan? […] CG: OK WELL THE MOST IMMEDIATE POINT OF BUSINESS IS CG: YOU SEE THAT GLOWING BLUE SCREEN BEHIND YOU? […] CG: YOU NEED TO TURN THAT FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT OFF.

The Fourth Wall again?

So far, it's really only been relevant to the non-canonical Hussie interludes, but maybe it’s dangerous for Watsonian reasons, too. Gamzee certainly seems interested in it...

It did belong to Jack originally. Maybe Derse can still make use of it, so it needs to be disabled before someone like DD gets any clever ideas.

CG: I'M NOT GOING TO SAY MUCH ABOUT IT. CG: BUT SUFFICE TO SAY THERE ARE JUST SOME THINGS YOU DON'T WANT TO SCREW WITH. […] CG: THEY ARE FORCES WHICH IF HANDLED RECKLESSLY WILL NULLIFY THE BASIC ABILITY OF INTELLIGENT BEINGS IN ALL REAL AND HYPOTHETICAL PLANES OF EXISTENCE TO GIVE A SHIT.

Oh, I get it. Karkat’s taking a little break from canon himself, and explaining to the audience that too many meta shenanigans would eventually ruin the story.

I’m absolutely in agreement with this. A fourth-wall break in the wrong place could completely ruin the comic’s dramatic stakes. This is a goofy comic, and we have fun here, but going full Deadpool would tear the plot to shreds.

CG: […] MY ROLE AT THE MOMENT IS TO ACT AS A SORT OF GO BETWEEN FOR YOU AND YOUR FUTURE SELF CG: TO HELP ALONG THE PROCESS OF MAKING THESE PLANS CG: WHILE YOUR FUTURE SELF IS DELIBERATELY VAGUE ABOUT SOME STUFF SO AS NOT TO "JINX" THE CONCEPTION OF THE IDEAS IN THE FIRST PLACE I GUESS?

I like this idea. It allows Future Jade to guide her past self’s actions, but filters her guidance through a layer of indirection. Present Jade will be getting some help, but she'll still be able to come up with her own original ideas.

Jade really doesn’t want her plans to be stable-looped into existence, and I can get behind that sentiment, too.

CG: MEANWHILE TIME IS KIND OF RUNNING OUT HERE, WHERE I AM CG: WE'RE COUNTING DOWN TO SOMETHING CG: SOMETHING LOOMING ON THE TROLLIAN TIMELINE AND NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IT IS CG: AND MY TEAM IS KIND OF FALLING APART CG: I'M COMPLETELY LOSING TRACK OF EVERYONE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

It's been a while since we've done a Veil roll call, actually. Let's give it a whirl.

Karkat is coordinating with Jade on what may or may not become the Scratch plan, and trying to keep tabs on his deteriorating team.

Vriska and Terezi are fighting a proxy war using John and Dave respectively.

Aradia has exploded, and the status of her ghost is currently unknown.

Kanaya is trying in vain to dissuade Rose from the trajectory that Scratch and the Gods have set her on.

Gamzee has recently developed a hatecrush on Dave. He also has some huge hidden importance to the comic, and he’s going to be attacked close to the end of the countdown.

Eridan is planning to confront Jack with his 'awesome' new Science Wand.

Tavros is on his way to confront Vriska and there's like a 98% chance she's going to paralyze him again.

Feferi is consorting with monsters in her dreams. She's also destined to be killed, but her assailant is currently unknown.

The only trolls who (as far as we're aware) aren't up to something are Equius, Nepeta and Sollux.

[wandasreallover]

Elizabeth olsen x reader|

Title: A Moment to Remember

Warnings:none :)

The soft hum of evening chatter enveloped the quaint rooftop restaurant, cresting with laughter and mingling aromas that swept through the air, where night began to embrace the city. Dressed in a flowing emerald gown that mirrored the lush foliage of the garden planted around the patio, Lizzie sat beside you at a round table covered in flickering candlelight. Around you, a colorful group of family and friends gathered to celebrate the success of her latest film, a heartfelt family drama that had tugged at the heartstrings of audiences everywhere.

The table was adorned with an array of delectable dishes and drinks, where glasses clinked like cheerful bells every few moments. Among the group, Natasha Lyonne animatedly recounted a behind-the-scenes mishap from “Poker Face,” her voice a joyful melody laced with humor. Having known Lizzie for years, Natasha feigned confusion at the radiant glow that surrounded Lizzie, whose attention seemed fully consumed by you.

You could feel the gentle warmth of Lizzie's hand clasped over yours beneath the table, her fingers tracing soft patterns along your palm. The world around you dimmed as you focused on the beautiful woman beside you, her heart-stopping smile stealing your breath away. Her wide, soulful eyes locked onto yours—soft and full of unspoken affection.

“Honestly,” Natasha continued, oblivious to the connection unfolding before her, “I had no idea that someone could mess up a simple card game so dramatically. You’d think it was a heist movie!”

The nearby laughter rang out like music. Lizzie’s lips curled into a half-smile, but her gaze remained unwaveringly fixed on you. You could feel your cheeks warming as her thumb brushed delicately against your wrist.

“Lizzie?” Natasha persisted, her voice teasing and curious, now honing in on her friend. “How about you, Miss Movie Star? What do you have to say?”

It took Lizzie a moment to snap back from her daze, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion. “What? Oh! I’m sorry, Nat—did you say something?” She blinked, suddenly coming back into the chaotic rhythm of laughter and chatter, her gaze narrowing as she tried to catch up with the conversation.

“Just wondering if you had any funny stories from the set,” Natasha replied, grinning devilishly as she leaned in. “Or do you only have eyes for your… date?”

Caught in the flurry of Natasha’s playful interrogation, Lizzie stuttered, her cheeks flushed a rosy hue. “I—uh, I mean… we had a lot of fun. The kids got ahold of the script and turned it into a musical number!” The words tumbled out of her lips, though they barely resembled sentences.

Natasha arched an eyebrow, her expression dance-like and mischief-laden. “Right… but speaking of eyes, I’d say your focus is elsewhere, pretty girl,” she teased, shifting her pointed gaze toward your interlinked hands. “Is it the food or the company? Because let me tell you, your date has some fierce competition.”

You chuckled softly, feeling flattered and amused by the playful banter. “I mean, the food is great, but I can’t lie—having Lizzie beside me definitely ups the quality of this dinner.”

Lizzie’s cheeks deepened in color, but her grip on your hand tightened, clearly enjoying the attention. “That’s sweet,” she murmured, smiling softly in your direction before returning half-heartedly to Natasha. “But I swear, we really did have an amazing time filming. It’s just the kids—I mean, they’re too talented for their own good, honestly. What can I say?”

The conversation flowed on, transporting to various topics, yet it always felt like all roads led back to the two of you. Lizzie immersed herself in the moment with you, occasionally breaking the fourth wall of the party atmosphere to steal glances, each look heavy with affection.

As the waiter swooped in to serve dessert, Natasha took the opportunity to lean across the table, a conspiratorial glimmer in her eyes. “So, what’s the deal with you two? The chemistry’s practically palpable, and I’d be surprised if even the cake didn’t notice.”

The laughter burst from the table, light and teasing, but Lizzie’s candid laughter quickly turned into a smirk. “Okay, okay! Yes, there’s something between us,” she confessed, her voice bright yet suddenly vulnerable. “I’ve just enjoyed these moments—so intimate and real. It feels nice to share it with someone who understands.”

“Aw, that’s adorable,” Natasha teased, her good-natured ribbing morphing into sincerity. “Just don’t forget that this place is a dinner, and you have to leave some of that love for the rest of us, too!”

You chuckled, unable to help the warmth spreading from your heart. Lizzie’s eyes met yours once more, and in that shared silence, you sensed the fabric of something beautiful unraveled between you. “I promise,” you whispered, “I’ll always save more love for you.”

As dessert plates crowded the table, Lizzie shifted slightly, leaning closer to you. The noise around faded into the background. You could feel her warmth, a gentle yet furious flame, pulsating against your skin. She brought your interlocked hands just slightly closer to her face, pressing a soft kiss onto your knuckles, purposefully slow, her eyes sparkling like liquid diamonds.

Natasha observed, a knowing smile forming as she grinned at your intertwined hands. “Well, looks like I've got front-row seats to the cutest show of the night,” she said, raising her glass. “Let’s toast—to love, friendship, and sweet moments that make life worth living. To you two!”

With glasses raised high, the laughter swelled around you, washing over like a comforting tide. Lizzie’s fingers wrapped tighter around yours, as the connection you shared transcended mere words. It was in gestures, shared glances, and a simple understanding that shone in the night.

In that lively rooftop setting, surrounded by laughter and celebration, it was clear that this evening was not only a celebration of Lizzie’s success, but of the tender bond that had begun to blossom between you. In every moment, every smile, you felt the essence of something beautiful taking root—a lifelong memory created under the stars.

And as the night stretched on, you made a promise to yourself: this was only the beginning.

For: @lizardslizzie

[size0forhollywood]

Metafiction

Pt 10

Content Warning: 21+, held in captivity, fighting, nsfw, assault, SA, blood, vomiting, murder, forced oral, torture. Fourth wall breaks.

Taglist: @xxfaithlynxx

A/N: I just want to say again, thank you for all the likes and comments!! This one is a bit of a short update but I promise the next one will get better 🫶🏼

poor y/n.. we just can’t seem to catch a break.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s time to see Sylus.”

~

The car ride was quiet except for the hum of the motor. You looked out the window, watching as you leave Linkon, to distract you from the fact that The Woman was just staring at you with her cold green eyes.

There was an uneasy atmosphere in the car and you don’t know if you should break the silence. But you decide to anyways.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

She ignores your question and tilts her head.

“What happened to your Evol? I can’t sense anything from you.” Her eyes are like daggers, her words almost angry.

“What?”

“Your Evol?” Her eyes darkened.

“I don’t know… Sylus and I did somethin-”

“Fucking Sylus.” She interrupts you.

After a moment of silence she starts laughing. The sound of her laugh just felt like ice water was getting dumped over your head. Goosebumps littered your skin.

After a while of more uncomfortable silence the car stops and you can hear the faint sounds of cheering.

“Where are we?”

Your side of the door opens and a hand roughly grabs your arm and starts pulling you out.

“Wait? What are you doing? Where’s Sylus?!”

“Silly little bird, I agreed to take you to Sylus. I didn’t say when.”

You start struggling against the hand that’s grabbed you. “You fucking bitch!”

A second hand grabs onto you and you’re yanked out of the car.

“No! Let me go!” You thrash around. Twisting and convulsing your body. Doing anything to get out of the henchman’s grip.

“Stay still!” He spat and then punched you so hard in the face you felt your head get thrown back by the force.

You cry out in pain as your cheek throbs and burn and you’re a bit dizzy from the hit but you still try and fight against him.

The sounds of cheering grows louder as he drags you to the edge of an arena.

Wanderers and humans fighting each other in a ring and an audience watches, money swinging from their hands as they yell and place bets.

Your eyes widen in horror as you watch the wanderer kill one of the humans and the crowd is in an uproar, most celebrating.

“What is this?”

“This is how we get your Evol working again.” The Woman smirks.

“No, no, no!” You scream, you start hitting the henchman.

“Don’t worry little bird. We’re going to work our way up to the ring.”

“No! Please don’t do this!” You beg. But it was falling on deaf ears.

The henchman throws you over his shoulders. You start kicking and hitting as hard as you can. You manage to kick him in the balls. You both fall to the ground and he’s let you go. You get up and start running.

Bang!

“Aahhh!” You scream in pain as you fall to the ground gripping your shoulder.

The Woman shot you. She walks over to you, gun still in hand.

“You’re a fiesty one.” She’s standing in front of you now. Gun pointed at your forehead, jade eyes cold and void of all human emotion.

You look up at her, tears staining your cheeks.

“Bitch!” You yell through clenched teeth.

She smirks and then tosses the gun aside. Your eyes don’t leave hers though.

The henchman grabs you and pulls you up to your feet, he starts taking you towards a concrete building. Your eyes still fixed on The Woman.

The building is full of cells, each holding a person captive behind solid steel doors, a tiny barred window being the only thing they can see through. The sobs and begs of the other captives echo through the building. The henchman opens a cell door and throws you inside, slamming the heavy door behind you.

You curl up on the ground, clutching your wounded shoulder and start sobbing again.

The Woman stands behind the barred window, her jade eyes fixed on you.

“Don’t think I didn’t hold true to our deal little bird.”

You don’t move.

“I’ve sent word on the grapevine that you’re back in the N109 Zone. Now we’ll just wait and see how long it takes for Sylus to find you.”

You lift your head to stare down The Woman.

“I’m going to kill you.” A determined look in your eyes.

The Woman laughs, “You’re more than welcome to try.”

You stare down The Woman until she leaves. Before curling back up on the ground. Your shoulder in immense pain. Luckily the bullet went through and wasn’t stuck in your shoulder. You can’t stay like this though. You’re going to bleed out.

You cry out as you sit up and try to peel the jumper off you. One side of your shirt underneath is soaked in blood. You take your shirt off, crying as you do and use all your strength to rip it apart into bandages. You discarded the parts of the shirt that were soaked in blood and just used the clean bits.

You bite back your crying as you try to bandage your shoulder by yourself. Using your mouth to help tighten the knots that you made. To your surprise you manage to cover the bullet wound quite well. You carefully put the hoodie back on and lie back down on the ground.

You cry out for Xavier, for Sylus. For anyone to find you. But all you’re met with are the sounds of every other prisoner here crying for the same thing.

You don’t know how much time has passed but you’ve counted five blood curdling screams as your fellow captives are dragged out of their cell, going to do god knows what.

Your shoulder is in so much pain and you feel a burn all the way down to your elbow. It’s definitely infected.

You’re sitting up against the wall staring at the ceiling, counting the cracks. Doing anything to take your mind off the pain in your shoulder.

You hear a click and your body tenses, the door to your cell swings open and you’re almost blinded by the light coming through behind the figures.

“Fix her up.” The Woman’s voice orders.

A young man wearing a doctors coat comes in and crouches down next to you.

“Can you take your jumper off?”

You shake your head, “I can’t really move my arm.”

The doctor opens his bag and pulls out scissors. He cuts off the sleeve to your jumper. You can see his face wince as he looks at your wound.

“Please help me get out of here.” You whisper to the doctor.

He looks at you with sadness in his eyes as he starts unwrapping your makeshift bandage.

“He won’t little bird.” The Woman interferes.

“In this place knowledge is power and love is a weakness that can be exploited.”

The doctor grimaces at The Woman’s words. He looks at you with a knowing look.

He wasn’t here by choice either. Someone he loves is within this monsters grasp and she’s hanging it over his head to control him.

You wince as the doctor starts cleaning your wound with antiseptic and begins to stitch the wound.

“She’s going to need about a three days course of penicillin via IV to kill the infection.” The Doctor informs The Woman.

“Lucky you little bird. You get to delay your ‘training’ for the next three days.”

She shuts the door and leaves you and the doctor alone in the cell.

“I have to stay with you to make sure you don’t rip your IV out to delay getting better.”

“Doctor please.”

“I can’t… help you in that way.”

After he’s redressed your wound with clean bandages he turns your arm out to expose your inner elbow. His fingers searching for a vein.

“What has she got over you?”

The doctor continues to set up the IV. Once he puts the needle in he uses tape to hold it in place.

“I imagine the same things she’s holding over your head..” The Doctor has to manually squeeze the penicillin bag to get the drip to work.

He looks at you with teary eyes. “My…wife. She’s got my wife in one of these cells. What about you?”

You let out a long sigh. “She made me choose..”

The doctor looked at you a bit confused and you shake your head. “I…made the mistake of loving two people. She said she could help me get to one.” A tear slid down your cheek.

“And I took her bait like a fool.”

“Like she said, love is a weakness that can be exploited…”

You look at the doctor, “what are they going to do to me here?”

The doctor avoids your gaze.

“What’s the point of fixing me up if they’re just going to hurt me again?”

“It depends on how big the fish is?”

“What?”

The doctor swaps out the now empty bag of penicillin and hooks up a bag of saline.

“She has you because you’re connected to someone powerful. That’s who her real target is. The big fish.”

Your eyes widen… it was never a trap for Xavier. But for Sylus all along. You feel like an idiot.

“So… who’s the powerful person that you love?”

You wipe away some tears with your free hand.

“S..Sylus…”

The doctor freezes.

“Sylus? Sylus is your lover?”

“I wouldn’t say that… I haven’t seen him in months.”

The Doctor is still shocked by your revelation, a flicker of hope goes through him.

“Sylus could help us all.” He whispers.

He moves closer to you and whispers in your ear.

“I’ll see what I can do on the outside. With the right people information can spread a lot faster in the N109 Zone.”

“But didn’t you just say that’s her plan? To lure him out?”

“If Sylus can get to her while her guard is down he can kill her.”

The doctor suddenly stops talking, moving, his eyes widening.

“Doctor?”

Blood starts leaking out of his eyes, nose and ears. He sounds like he’s struggling to breathe.

“Doc are you okay?”

“I’m so-”

The Doctor’s head suddenly explodes, blood sprays across you, your face and the walls.

You sit there in horror, unable to scream, unable to move. The doctor’s headless body falls in front of your feet.

“Hope is a nasty thing to have. It can get you killed here.”

You look to the barred window where The Woman is. Her eyes glowing green. Your body is trembling now.

The steel door opens and a henchman walks in and drags the body of the doctor away. Leaving a trail of blood behind him. The Woman steps into your cell and stands right in front of you. Her eyes still glowing green.

“Hmph. Even with a suppressed Evol, it still works to shield you.”

The Woman crouches down in front of you and tilts your chin up to look at her. Her eyes no longer glowing but the cold stare frightens you all the same.

“Try not to get the next doctor killed Little Bird.” She swipes her thumb down your cheek, smearing the blood as she goes.

Another man in a coat walks into the cell. His face white, fear written all over him when he noticed you covered in blood.

“Two days Little Bird.” The Woman says as she gets back up and exits the cell. A henchman closes the door behind her.

The new doctor sits next to you.

“L-let’s get you cleaned up.” His voice was shaking.

He goes into his bag and pulls out a water bottle and some clothes and starts cleaning your face and hair.

~

The next two days came and went. You didn’t talk at all to the second doctor. You couldn’t bring yourself to speak. Your mind still replaying the image of the first doctor’s head exploding in front of you. How one minute of hope killed the young man, leaving his wife a widow.

Your arm and shoulder feel better. There’s no burning pain and you can move your arm a little bit. You’re still sitting slumped against the wall. Staring at the ceiling, for if you look down you’ll see the blood that still stains the floor.

The sounds of other captives screaming and crying still surround you. You’re not numb to it yet. How could you be?

The steel door clicks and opens. The henchman that punched you in the face and threw you in here walks in. A wicked grin on his face. He closes the door behind him.

“Ready for your ‘training’ girl?”

Adrenaline sparks through you as you can see the filth he’s imagining and insinuating. You jump up and try to evade him in this tiny cell.

“Don’t come any closer!” Tears already threatening to fall down your face.

The henchman laughs, “there’s no where for you to hide, girl!”

He lunges at you, grabbing your arms. You scream in pain as he tugs at your wounded shoulder. Forcing you down to your knees.

You try and fight back but he kicks you down, knocking the wind out of you.

“Don’t! Please!” You gasp.

The henchman just continues to laugh. The evil in his eyes tells you he’s not going to stop. He’s going to do whatever he wants to you and there’s no one coming to save you. No one. He pins you down, pressing his heavy body against yours.

“Keep struggling girl, I like it when they struggle.”

You scream as loud as you can, screwing your eyes shut. Tears streaming down your face. You can feel his disgusting erection pressed against your leg.

One of his hands squeezes your cheeks.

“Too fucking loud…I think I might silence you.”

He pulls out cuffs from his back pocket and cuffs your hands together, sitting you back on your knees.

Your body trembling. Nausea brewing in your stomach as he unbuttons his pants pulling out his gross hard cock. You try to roll away but he grips your hair. Keeping you in place. On your knees. In front of him.

He squeezes your cheeks again and tugs down to force your jaw open. The sound of your sobs echoing in the cell.

“I said be quiet.” He grunts as he shoves his disgusting dick in your mouth, immediately hitting the back of your throat. Your eyes screw shut and you gag but that just feels good to him.

He starts forcing your head along his dick as he thrusts hard into your mouth.

Your cries and choking muffled by the sound of his sickening groans of pleasure.

It doesn’t take long before he cums in your mouth. Sending spurts down your throat. He pushes you down and laughs while putting his gross cock away.

“I’ll be back again tomorrow girl.”

As soon as he leaves the cell you throw up. Trying to expel every ounce of that man out of your mouth and body. You’re sobbing in between vomiting.

Hands still cuffed, jaw and throat sore. You’re crying into the floor next to the pool of your vomit.

“Sylus…” you sob out.

He can’t hear you y/n… you’re all alone.

~

Mephisto was soaring high in the sky. He blended in well with the darkness that is the N109 Zone.

His red eyes surveying the area below. The concrete building stood tall next to an open air, in-ground arena. He watched as humans and wanderers fought each other.

The screams of cheers filling the air from the humans that watched the horrific battle displayed before them.

Mephisto found a tree branch and perched himself on it. A car pulled up to a stop, a big man stepped out of the car and headed towards the back. He was trying to pull someone out of the car.

Then Mephisto heard the screams. He heard your voice. Mephisto wanted to fly down there and help you, especially when that brute of man punched you in the face.

But he couldn’t intervene. He had to watch. He couldn’t let them know he was there. Mephisto watched as you fought hard to run away only to get shot in the process. He watched The Woman with green eyes aim the gun to your head. Watched as you didn’t falter.

They took you inside the concrete building. But he saw it. He saw your eyes filled with a determination. You weren’t broken. Not completely, not yet.

Over the next couple of days Mephisto stayed close to the area. Watching and waiting. All the information he was gathering getting fed back to Sylus.

Mephisto flew around the building, assessing ways to get in. There was a hole in the roof. This would be it. He lands on the roof and hops to the hole, being cautious.

Now that he was in the roof he searched for more openings. The sound of screams was unsettling but what unsettled him the most was the sound of your gut-wrenching guttural scream. Time was running out. The black mechanical bird found another hole, his red eyes peaked through and he could see into the building now.

His eyes scanned all the cell doors, trying to pinpoint where your scream came from.

The brute that punched you came out of one of the cells and for a quick second Mephisto spotted you laying on the floor sobbing. He found you.

Mephisto waited until there was no movement. He knew his window of opportunity was a brief one.

He flew down, silent as ever and by the time he got to the barred window to your cell door he vanished into black mist.

A black feather however fell from his wings and slowly cascaded through the bars of the window.

It floated down and landed on the floor. By the door.

You snap your head up at the weird noise you just heard, worried the henchman was coming back for round two.

You saw something, at first you thought it was your eyes playing tricks on you. But as they came into focus you noticed something land on the floor.

You crawl over and there you see it.

A single black feather.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[emotionallychargedtowel]

What's different about Hatano, part 2

(Part 1 is here; part 3 and part 4 were posted later.)

The second thing about Hatano that isn’t like other characters who’ve chased after Mob is the fact that he has a unique relationship with…well, let’s say Mob’s equally unique experience of reality. So first, a little background on that. 

Mob’s version of reality

Most people in Mob’s world don’t experience it the way he does. It’s not just that he’s one of the few who realizes they’re all living in BL World, though that’s a big part of it. (The only other person who does, as far as we know, is Mayama, the mangaka who has some degree of control over Mob’s story. Though, interestingly, he actually didn’t realize he lived in a BL manga world until Mob told him in season 1.) 

In most of his relationships, Mob is completely inauthentic. His priority is remaining a side character, and sincerely connecting with others not only doesn’t serve that goal, it has a lot of potential to undermine it. He does seem to care about his family somewhat, particularly Ayato. But that’s about it. 

Except that he has one other relationship, of a sort: his relationship with us, his audience. It’s kind of strange, when you think about it. Mob’s whole thing is being a side character. And yet, he narrates his own story to us in a way that’s unmistakably protagonist-like. Maybe he justifies it through his emphasis on advising us on how to evade story traps like him. He may not have anyone else who shares his awareness of how BL World operates, but offering advice on how it works and how to avoid L with a B implies that maybe one of these days, someone else will embrace side character status like him. Maybe someday he won’t be alone. 

For now, his voiceover comments are a big part of his personality, and they’re very distinct. Sometimes Mob goes so far as to overtly break the fourth wall, like in the first episode of season 3, both when he brags about escaping the situation with Kikuchi and boasts that he’s BL-proof (above), and later in that episode, when he asks us if we’ve guessed yet why he’s exercising (below). (And of course, every single time “Bubble Mob” appears in the corner of the screen, he does nothing but directly address the audience.)

The rest of the time, he does this in a more subtle way. His voiceover commentary isn’t like a typical voiceover in a show or movie that’s less self-aware. If we watch a something that uses voiceovers in a typical way, the person speaking doesn’t acknowledge who they’re speaking to, or even that they're speaking to anyone. In most stories, unless some kind of context is used to explain who is being addressed (e.g. a frame story), calling attention to the fact that the voiceover implies that someone is being spoken to would undermine the realism of the story. Mob never acknowledges that he’s the protagonist of his own TV series, and in fact doesn’t seem to be aware of it. (Well, except when he does things like speculate about whether there will be another season.) But he constantly acknowledges the viewer through his advice and narration. He may not know how or why, but he knows there’s someone out there listening to him. 

So Mob goes through his world with this important knowledge that practically no one else shares, pretending to have friendships and so forth but never forming any sort of authentic bond with anyone (with the possible exception of Ayato), and the closest thing he has to a real friend who he can be honest with is the audience. 

And the other characters he interacts with don’t seem to notice any of this, even when he shows outward signs of how he’s experiencing this world. Sometimes he makes his observations out loud instead of in a voiceover, but no one seems to bat an eye. He regularly says and does things in front of Ayato that strike him as strange, but when Mob shrugs them off, Ayato does too. 

Hatano’s relationship to Mob’s experience

Most of the time, Hatano seems to be like the other characters in Mob’s world. Despite his keen interest in Mob, he usually doesn’t seem to see how he’s different from other people. Except that occasionally, he does! Every so often, he sees into Mob’s reality in a way that other characters can’t. 

The first time we see this happen, he hasn’t even met Mob since the interaction they had when they were children. At the end of episode 2, Mob’s voiceover tells us, “What I didn’t know at the time was that a destined age-gap love was looming just around the corner.” Hatano stands in the foreground watching a blissfully ignorant Mob walk away in the background. Then “Bubble Mob” appears in his little green circle in the lower left corner of the screen to talk about how more will be revealed in the next episode. That’s when something weird happens. Hatano turns his head and looks right at Bubble Mob, who is seriously disconcerted by this. “Why are you looking at me?” he asks. Then he hastily wraps up the episode, as if he’s eager to do so in order to escape from Hatano. 

This is the most overt example of Hatano being able to perceive things other non-Mob characters don’t, but it isn’t the last. 

The next time happens in episode 3, when Mob is desperately trying to think of ways to put Hatano off. “In order to squash a flag that was raised in the past,” he thinks in a voiceover, “it might work if I tell him I’m a different person from this guy he remembers.” Immediately, before Mob has said a single word out loud, Hatano says, “I’ve always liked you. I could never mistake you for someone else.” It’s as if he just heard Mob’s voiceover. He clearly doesn’t hear it all the time, unless he’s incredibly good at pretending otherwise. But it almost seems like for Hatano, the boundary between Mob’s reality (the version of reality that we experience as viewers) and the reality inhabited by Hatano and the rest of the people in BL World occasionally becomes more permeable. 

The third time happens in the other direction—instead of Hatano seeing what things are like for Mob, Mob sees something through Hatano’s eyes. Specifically, he experiences a daydream of Hatano’s. 

It isn’t completely unprecedented for Mob to see something from someone else’s mind as if he’s seeing it himself—but it is unprecedented for someone with Hatano’s role in Mob’s life. The type of thing he sees through Hatano is also unique. 

The one other person whose eyes Mob sometimes sees through is Ayato. When Ayato tells a story, not only is the viewer able to see a flashback of him having the experience he’s recounting, but often, it’s clear that Mob can see it too, in a very literal sense. We see a perfect example of this when Mob asks Ayato what kind of guy Hatano is and he tells the story of what happened when a girl confessed to Hatano at school. We know that Mob actually sees this flashback because he identifies the specific type of flower that surrounds Hatano (the same way other BL main character types that he encounters have some kind of accompanying burst of flowers). Mob sees Hatano’s face ringed with gerbera daisies, which he’s able to identify despite Ayato saying nothing about them (and not seeming to perceive them at all). Mob’s face is even lit by a mysterious light as he comments on the gerberas, as if Hatano’s “sparkling aura” has been conveyed through the story into Mob’s bedroom. 

So it’s not completely unheard-of for Mob to be able to see what someone else is picturing. But in Ayato’s case, he has only seen flashbacks connected to stories Ayato tells. (I’m not counting fantasies about Ayato that are clearly just Mob’s imagination, which Ayato is completely unaware of.) That makes Hatano the first person besides Ayato whose eyes Mob sees through, for starters. More specifically, he’s the first of Mob’s suitors to have that effect on him. And it’s also noteworthy that the narrative of Hatano’s that Mob sees 1) isn’t narrated—he’s not picturing it because Hatano is telling him a story, he’s just spontaneously inside of it without warning, and 2) isn’t a memory, but a scary fantasy—a daydream about something he’s worried about. Specifically, Mob finds himself inside of a scenario from Hatano’s mind in which Mob is arrested for “deceiving a minor” due to their relationship. Hatano goes on to talk about how he heard something on TV that led him to believe that people wouldn’t accept their relationship if they dated, but the fantasy clearly swallowed Mob up independently of that. Hatano only comments about the TV thing after the fantasy has ended, and he’s just talking about social disapproval, not Mob getting arrested. Nothing he says here would lead Mob to picture the jail daydream, and anyway, the daydream happens before he even raises the topic.

The fact that Mob found himself inside of this fantasy is remarkable enough that he’s clearly thrown off by it, commenting “Hang on, was that Hatano’s daydream just now?” He doesn’t dwell on it, but he gets that it’s weird. 

There’s something else about this fantasy scene that I only noticed after seeing it a ridiculous number of times for the fansub project. I’m not certain that it’s significant, but I think it’s worth mentioning. Mob mentions in the scene that he’s a “mobu,” an anonymous side character. Specifically, he asks the guards for a trial and then, more specifically, “a trial worthy of a side character”—basically, the kind of trial that would befit a “mobu.” Now, you could justify this in a few ways. Maybe Hatano’s fantasy is just a setting that Mob is dropped into, and he says what he would say if he were actually thrust into that situation. We don’t know if Hatano is even aware of what he says. But this is Hatano’s fantasy. It seems like the things the police officers/prison guards say to Mob come from Hatano’s mind. Maybe the things Mob says do too. If so, it suggests that Hatano knows about Mob’s “mobu” status. Again, it’s hard to say how to interpret this, but it’s a possibility. 

A brief digression about characters who engage in direct address

In the next part of my post I'm going to be comparing Mob to another character who sometimes breaks the fourth wall, but first I want to situate Mob in the pantheon of characters who use direct address for a second. I'm not going to try to do an overview of this whole topic. This post is going to be long enough as it is, and plenty has been written before on this subject. But I want to stop and think for a second about what fourth wall-breakers tend to be like and why they do what they do.

Direct-addressers are almost always funny, often sardonically. This takes different forms. Sometimes you get Garfield, other times you get Deadpool, other times Clarissa Darling. Sometimes they’re douchebags, like the Woody Allen character in Annie Hall. Sometimes they’re actual sociopaths, like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. They’re almost always at least a little bit cut off from their world, as if they have one foot in the audience’s world and one in their own and this gives them the perspective they need to make trenchant comments on the people around them. It can be as simple as the fact that the people around them are a bit absurd, or as stark as the fact that they believe themselves to exist on a different moral plane from everyone else. But it seems pretty much universal that there's some kind of difference between them the the people around them.

Mob is certainly cut off from his social world. Most of the time, this is simply a result of his trying to avoid falling in L with a B. But he can also be a creep. He constantly spies on his peers, manipulates them, and lies to them. For example, in season 3, he causes two friends to fall in love as a sort of experiment, then gloats in the distance while cackling to himself. Though that last part isn't so remarkable for him, since he’s always laughing at everyone behind their backs. 

One big subcategory of fourth wall-breakers is, well, smug buttholes. Ferris Bueller is the archetypal example. Parker Lewis was created to be the off-brand Ferris Bueller. Zack Morris is the absolute bottom of the barrel in this class. Basically, these dudes (and they are always dudes, in my experience) seem to talk to the audience because they feel so superior to everyone around them—even their supposed friends—that when they want to talk about what they really think and feel, only an unseen adoring public will do. 

Mob is hardly the opposite of this. He has a real smug streak and he can definitely be a dick. But he's more anxious and more alienated than the typical smug butthole type, and he has a kind of low-key but profound ennui just below the surface. In other words, he's a bit like a really stressed out, subtly despair-filled Ferris Bueller.

Another fourth wall-breaker who found someone who noticed

The first time I saw Hatano look at Bubble Mob, it made me think of another example of a character who habitually broke the fourth wall, then encountered another character who, on some level, noticed her doing this. I’m thinking of Fleabag and the (Hot) Priest. 

Directly addressing the audience is Fleabag's raison d'être. In the first season of Fleabag, she does it continually, sometimes at times that would shock or offend the other characters if they were aware of it (including while she's having sex). None of the people around her notice this.

Then, in the second season, something different happens. Fleabag meets the Priest, starts to bond with him, and then he starts to do something that takes her completely by surprise: he notices when she's addressing the audience.

During one of their first times hanging out alone, she addresses the audience like she normally does, and he shocks her by noticing this and asking her about it. “What was that?” he asks. “Where’d you—where’d you just go? You went somewhere.” When she tells him “nowhere,” he accepts it and backs off.

In another scene, when she does it again, he once again comments on it. “That thing you’re doing,” he says, “It’s like you disappear.”

When Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the creator, writer, and star of Fleabag, was asked about the Priest’s ability to sense when Fleabag is breaking the fourth wall at a BAFTA event, she said that the Priest can tell what Fleabag is doing because of his relationship with God. She said that Fleabag "has a relationship with the camera the whole way through and it was interesting to have somebody who has a similar thing. He's mirrored 'cause he has God. And she's witnessed by the camera the whole way through…I just felt like it would be a really good way to mirror each other's journeys."

Respectfully, I don’t buy this explanation. It may be what Waller-Bridge was thinking about when she wrote season 2, but it doesn’t resonate at all with my experience of the series. I vastly prefer the explanation given by Kathryn VanArendonk in her piece “Fleabag Breaks the Fourth Wall and Then Breaks Our Hearts,” written for Vulture. 

Fleabag’s sly, secretive, sometimes resentful tendency to break the fourth-wall of her own story is an escape hatch. She dissociates from her own life whenever things get to be too much….The Priest feels her leave him, even though he can’t quite see that she’s leaving him so she can speak to us….But when he notices Fleabag talking to us, he’s barging into our secret relationship with her, pointing at exactly the place she assumed no one could see — pointing at us, her distancing strategy, her audience who can’t ever speak back to her. That false intimacy she shared with us? Suddenly it’s real, and it’s not between Fleabag and her silent viewers. It’s between Fleabag and the one person who can still see her whenever she tries to take a step away.

This is a profound kind of engagement with Fleabag’s attachment to her “secret camera friend” (Waller-Bridge’s term for the audience Fleabag addresses), much more profound than what we, as Mob’s secret friends, ever see from Hatano. But it does tell us something about what the stakes are in this kind of situation. 

While VanArendonk analyzes Fleabag and the Priest, she ends up saying some things that could easily apply to Mob. 

It’s tempting to think of Fleabag’s compulsive habit of looking to the viewer as a form of intimacy.…But that sense of intimacy, however effective it may be for the viewer, is only ever one-sided….Her intimacy with us is also a way of distancing herself from anyone who could actually speak back to her. The scene where Fleabag sees a therapist played by Fiona Shaw underlines that idea very directly: The therapist asks Fleabag who she confides in, who her friends are, and Fleabag turns to us once again with a knowing, happy smile. We are her friends, because we are the recipients of her private disclosures. That scene is thrilling and crushing at the same time. It’s so flattering to be her confidant, and so sad. Her closest relationship is with a presence she can neither see nor hear.

But Mob isn’t Fleabag

Mob’s situation is very different from Fleabag’s in most respects. Her situation is realistic; his is fantastical. Her history is traumatic; the worst thing that has happened to Mob is the realization that he lives in a fictional universe. (Though to be fair, if you give that enough thought, it’s fairly horrifying.) He isn’t avoiding engaging with the people in his world because of psychological turmoil or alienation of the sort Fleabag deals with…well, not the psychological turmoil part, at least. 

There are two kinds of distance that Mob puts between himself and other people. Often, he simply avoids relating to others. This is mostly due to his calculated assessment of the risks involved. Sometimes he gives people a wide berth and sometimes he only avoids certain types of interactions with them, but either way, he’s not engaging because he can see that there are certain risks involved. This is very different from what separates Fleabag from those around her, both in type and in magnitude.

Except when he kind of is

At the same time, the fact that he’s realized that he lives in this contrived sort of universe and that he has to watch everyone around him allow themselves to be buffeted about by it without noticing it, much less attempting to fight it, does have an effect. I’m not trying to dig too deeply into the implications of realizing you live in a fictional world. If you were to go deep enough, it would have some pretty disturbing existential implications that might be more fitting for a Philip K. Dick novel than a BL parody. But that’s not the story being told here. Still, the emotional distance Mob maintains between himself and the people around him is clearly caused by his alienation from his world and their lack of awareness about it. How can he get close to anyone who is so far from understanding his daily experience? How could he even respect them enough to relate to them authentically at all? So Mob’s inability to authentically bond with others does have some of that existential dimension to it. And in that respect, his alienation bears some resemblance to Fleabag's.

Whatever the cause, VanArendonk’s statement above applies as thoroughly to Mob as it does to Fleabag. Like her, “[his] closest relationship is with a presence [he] can neither see nor hear.” And by the same token, if someone was able to see him clearly enough that they noticed the ways he disconnects from the world, as the Priest sees Fleabag, that would represent a kind of closeness that would mean something, that might even be enough to make relating to a person in his world more worthwhile than always prioritizing his “secret camera friend.”

Hatano isn't the Priest—but they have some things in common

As I wrote above, Hatano's ability to notice Mob's fourth wall-breaking and his tendency to act on it aren't nearly as profound as what we see the Priest doing with Fleabag. Nevertheless, that more concentrated example of the phenomenon does tell us something about what it means, even in smaller doses.

It means that a person who notices fourth wall-breaking is attuned to the fourth wall-breaker to an extent that others aren’t. Maybe they’re just more attentive or perceptive when it comes to that character. Or maybe they’re also alienated from their world in some way, and that puts them on the same wavelength as the other person. If, as Waller-Bridge says, the Priest’s relationship with God has something to do with it in his case, it’s a possibility that someone like Hatano could prove, on further investigation, to have something or someone outside of himself that he’s somehow in dialogue with.

In any case, it seems unequivocally true that such a person is poised to relate to the fourth wall-breaker in a more meaningful way than the other characters they typically encounter. After all, having some understanding of how someone sees the world is a prerequisite for really relating to them, much less having feelings for them in a way that actually means something.

Mostly, this tells us something about how Hatano's feelings for Mob are different from the feelings most of Mob's suitors have for him. But this might point to the possibility that Mob's feelings toward Hatano differ as well (though not necessarily in the way Hatano would like). Mob seems to treat people's feelings toward him with the most contempt when they're unfounded, seemingly random. After all, as he says in the opening theme, "this Boy's Love is too absurd." It's hard to respect someone whose feelings are so ridiculous, when they have so little basis in anything. Kikuchi seemed to touch his heart in part because he was quietly observant, noticing things about Mob and basing his feelings on actual information about him instead of pouncing on him on some thin pretense the way most of his pursuers do. If Hatano also shows that he sees Mob in a real way, a way that no one else has before, it has the potential to make a difference in how Mob sees him, too.

Next up, part 3, followed by part 4.

Thanks to @my-rose-tinted-glasses for helping me out with gifs and by being a sympathetic sounding board.

[pumpkinmetaphor]

Ouran, Performance, Audience

Okay I said I was going to write this and I can't look at it anymore so posting. Anyway, performance in Ouran is interesting and we’ve all been chatting about it lately. Each character puts on an “act” for the guests, each character puts on another “act” for the people around them. It’s a testament to how well the characters are written that we can unravel these performances throughout the text. I still think there’s several levels of reading the characters and the text as well. 

Ouran is satire- hence why they’re essentially parodying these archetypes. But Ouran is also self-aware, self-referential, and meta. Characters break the fourth wall. They’re, at varying levels, aware of being in a story. We have characters who obviously break the fourth wall (Kyoya looking right into the camera in episode 1, for example. I would say Tamaki’s “homosexual supporting cast” speech, except it’s kind of an anomaly for him) and characters who are resistant to any sort of self-reflection that might lead them to any sort of conclusions like this (Hikaru.) I will at one point go through the entire manga again and count how many times each character narrates– which, to my recollection, is uncommon outside of Haruhi (MC obvs, and framed as talking to her mother) and Kaoru (framed as talking to himself/ the audience/ Hikaru-that-lives-in-his-brain) but I could be misremembering.

This is generally played for comedic effect. Tamaki breaks the fourth wall when it’s funny. Kyoya plays dumb about plot conventions (such as “we have birthdays here?” “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”) when it’s funny for him to do so. 

Anyway that’s just my setup. I want to discuss the Paris Arc, specifically whatever is going on with Kaoru. 

Read More because this is 2k words.

Kaoru is an interesting character because I think the performance is a little more pronounced. There’s reason to interpret he generally controls the scripts, his host club act is a bigger deviation from his natural personality, and fundamentally, as a person, Kaoru is less solid in his sense of identity. 

Which does kind of beg a question. The version of Kaoru the host club girls get is clearly fake. But the Kaoru most people get is some form of a mask. Kaoru reflects Hikaru– which is what Hikaru needs until Kaoru fears he doesn’t. Kaoru seems to take Haruhi’s assertion that he’s the “less evil one” to heart. I think neither Hikaru or Kaoru know what Haruhi is going to say is the difference between them in Episode/Chapter 5 because they themselves don’t know– aside from this very philosophical “well the one who is you is the one who is not me and the one who is not you is me etc.”

Anyway, we all kind of understand the general baseline– Hikaru is going to grow up, fall in love, and spread his wings– Kaoru is afraid this means Hikaru will leave him behind. This is the plot. 

But I think a lot of this comes down to “the thing they won’t be able to share,” which is presented to us in the form of that cookie. Haruhi notes that Kaoru will just give whatever it is to Hikaru. Hikaru ultimately snaps the cookie in half and forces Kaoru to take half of it anyway. This kind of embodies the fundamental difference between them, in my book. 

(Ch. 45, various spliced together pages) Hikaru: It is literally not on Hikaru’s radar that there might ever be anything that he and Kaoru do not share. He does not conceive this on any level before the Paris Arc. Kaoru will literally always be here, he is a constant that Hikaru cannot conceive losing. Hikaru’s not afraid of Kaoru abandoning him– he may be, afraid something will happen to Kaoru that will take him away, but he’s not afraid of Kaoru choosing to leave. Why would he? Kaoru is the one person who cannot betray him. 

Kaoru: It is a given that Hikaru will one day leave. It is simply the only way. Hikaru will grow up and, for various reasons, Kaoru will not grow with him. And Hikaru will choose to leave– this will not be a betrayal, it’s just how life works when you’re not the main character in your story. Your carriage turns back into a grubby ole pumpkin and you’re left all alone. 

After the cookie scene, Kaoru tells Hani that he has feelings for Haruhi. This is, in my opinion, when Kaoru takes the reins of the narrative. Of the carriage, so to speak. The carriage in the anime exists on the condition that no one acknowledges that they’re in a love story and “breaks” the found family. Kaoru saying he’s in love with Haruhi steers the narrative on the course to the inevitable. 

Which is great!

Except is Kaoru in love with Haruhi? 

My hypothesis: it literally doesn’t matter. Kaoru’s feelings for Haruhi do not drive the narrative. Kaoru talking about it does. He could be lying. He could be mistaken. He could be genuinely in love with her. It could be an idle crush. It doesn’t matter. It’s the performance of this love for the appropriate audience (aka: Hani, Hikaru etc.) that matters.

I think the base reading of this arc is that the cookie is Haruhi. Haruhi is the one thing they can’t share, right? They can’t like, keep eating biscuits out of her mouth and licking her face if Hikaru wants her to be his girlfriend and Kaoru wants her too. While I don’t think it’s incorrect to read this as a concern Kaoru has, I don’t think it gets to the heart of the issue. 

So, performance!

Kaoru puts on his little act for Hikaru throughout the Paris Arc. Generally tormenting him, ostracising him. In a way giving him a taste of what Kaoru goes through in a zillion Hika/Haru fanfictions or Kaoru’s own nightmares. This culminates in the date, where Kaoru basically brings Haruhi on the date he asked her on first (before giving it to Hikaru) and hitting every single mark that Hikaru missed. Not that anyone is enjoying themselves regardless to be honest. 

And of course, at the end, he kisses her and Hikaru sees and runs off upset. 

Except we, the audience, know Kaoru kisses Haruhi on the cheek. It’s a clear enough stage kiss from the art. Just close enough for us to understand that, from Hikaru’s perspective, Kaoru kissed her on the mouth. We’re bystanders, watching this plot unfold. Hikaru is Kaoru’s intended audience– that’s who he’s performing for. 

So what’s the difference then between this scene.

And this scene?

Well, first: what else can be the one thing Hikaru and Kaoru can’t share? If you go one level further, I think you come to the conclusion that Hikaru is the one thing they can’t share. After all, Hikaru cannot keep giving half of himself, half of his time, energy, love, self etc. to Kaoru all the time, and grow up. They suffer a classic case of enmeshment. Kaoru determines that Hikaru needs to be shoved out of the nest– and that the only way to do that is to stab him in the back. 

I don’t think Kaoru is trying to make Hikaru hate him. I do think what he’s trying to do is make Hikaru realise that he’s a person? Who is capable of betraying him, just like any other person. As long as Hikaru believes that Kaoru is “the only person he can trust,” he’s never going to grow up. By knocking himself off that pedestal in Hikaru’s eyes, Hikaru is forced to see him differently and Kaoru is prepared to accept however Hikaru might feel about him in the aftermath (though assuming he’ll drastically distance himself). 

(Side note. I think Hikaru and Kaoru internalise their maid-related-trauma slightly differently. While Kaoru’s fear is abandonment, Hikaru’s fear is betrayal. They just manifest similarly because there’s a lot of crossover. This is sooo long already, I’m not getting into it unless someone asks lmao.)

Loop back to the image again then. What’s the difference here? Well, it’s still a stage kiss! They both are. But, with one fundamental difference. 

Image one, Hikaru is Kaoru’s audience. He is performing to trick Hikaru (and possibly anyone else, like Hani and Mori, watching). But reality is clear to us, the reader.

Image two, you are Kaoru’s audience. He is performing to trick you. (but reality is clear to Hikaru, the participant)

Like, that’s pretty in your face huh? Faces obscured in a way that you don’t infer it as a cheek kiss as easily as you do with Kaoru and Haruhi. It’s also on the left page of the physical edition, meaning you have to skip to the next page to see the aftermath:

Kaoru’s not just tricking the audience. He’s queerbaiting the audience. Typical.

Firstly, I do think one can be led to the conclusion that if the one thing they can’t share is Hikaru, not Haruhi, that means Kaoru is not in love with Haruhi but is in love with Hikaru. In fact, I think that’s kind of the point with these panels. It’s framed as a bait-switch, which only works if the audience misinterprets the kiss. My ultimate conclusion therefore is that there is no textual romantic incest occuring. It is enmeshment at a bare minimum though. But that's another topic, another day, for somebody else.

Secondly, I think this is because the audience is, regardless, on the wrong track. Or at least not the full track. We have access to the narrative when other characters don’t, but we’re still reading the story Kaoru is telling. We’re still the audience to his performance of the story. It’s easier for Kaoru to tell a story that’s all about his brother– he’s been doing it his whole life. He’s not the main character, after all. So he’s telling us a story where the one thing they cannot share is Hikaru, telling all the other characters a story where the one thing they can’t share is Haruhi. 

So the one thing they can’t share is something more nebulous. It’s the identity. 

Which feels like a contradiction in a way, because the identity is Hikaru, isn't it?

They can’t be one double act, split down the middle. They can’t be one seed sprouting two leaves. They can’t be two halves of one cookie, or two halves of one soul. And the problem is, Kaoru views everything as something Hikaru has split down the middle and shared with him– and now he has to give it all back. 

I don’t really think Hikaru views “their room” as being “his room, that I share with Kaoru.” But I think Kaoru does. I think Kaoru views everything as something Hikaru has shared with him, right down to his own personality, his own face. Hikaru cannot leave, cannot grow up, unless Kaoru stops pretending to be him and gives him the half of his identity back to make one whole, true Hikaru. 

Only problem is, Kaoru has to cut that tricky spare leaf off. After all, when he gives Hikaru back the identity, Kaoru won’t have one. Kaoru is defined as being “the one who is not Hikaru.” My brother is Hikaru. The one who is not my brother is me. And how do you define that? When your brother is no longer there, who are you? 

That’s why it’s important that Hikaru dyes his hair. Because I don’t think him dyeing his hair matters if the issue is Haruhi (Haruhi can tell them apart anyway). I don’t think it matters if the issue is Hikaru (this would not, in isolation, fix Kaoru's thought process). 

It is however enough for Hikaru to be able to illustrate to Kaoru that their identity is inherently interwoven, not necessarily shared. It doesn’t matter if Kaoru is the same as Hikaru or not– because Kaoru is who he is. That may have been affected by the fact that they’re twins, but his identity is not negated by it. Kaoru's identity is not inherently a performance just because it reflects Hikaru, and he doesn't lose it when he ceases to reflect Hikaru.

(breathes)

CAVEAT AS ALWAYS: I am reading the English translation. While it is the official Viz Media translation, something is always changed in translation, localisation, and interpretation. With the assumption that everyone here is reading the manga in English (sweeping assumption, sorry) this is therefore a reading of the text inherently coloured by the site of circulation (English translation, volume compiled) and the site of audiencing: aka the fact that I am an English-speaking, European, media studies/animation academic, speaking on an largely American blogging platform to the like, twelve Kaoru stans that follow me. It also means your interpretation may be very different to mine! Anyway If you read this far, congrats! You deserve a cookie– whatever that might or might not signify.

[lonewolfel]

Ok so guess who is finally putting the English Lit major that their almost finished with to use. Below the cut is a character analysis. I will also be using an outside sources such as "Medea" by Euripides you do not have to read "Medea" to understand the point I will be using them for as I will explain it.

I want to talk about Athena (and to a lesser extent Odysseus) specifically her role in the narrative.

Blame @saixria post for this (let me know if you don't want to be tagged).

One thing I have noticed after reading her post is that Athena seems to have a similar role to that of the chorus in Greek plays.

For a class project I recently reread "Medea" by Euripides and I recently realized how similar Athena in "Epic" and the chorus in "Medea" are. First I will explain the difference between Ancient Greek choruses and modern choruses. Modern choruses act as either back up or characters in their own right (not to mention they only really have roles in musicals), Ancient Greek choruses are characters (unnamed) and can interact with other characters in the play such as "Old nurse, tell me./I heard from some household servant in there that she’s been screaming. I find no pleasure/in this house’s suffering. We’ve been friends." (Euripides, 158-161) however they break the fourth wall and give things to the audience that they wouldn't know without as seen with "You sailed here from your father’s house,/your heart on fire, past those two rocks/that stand guard to the Euxine Sea./You live now in a foreign land." (Euripides, 506-509). Ancient Greek choruses also were tasked with teaching the lessons of the play "Gods often contradict/our fondest expectations./What we anticipate/does not come to pass./What we don’t expect/some god finds a way/to make it happen." (Euripides, 1685-1691).

If we address Saixria's point on Athena talking to the audience in I can't help but wonder then she would fit into the role perfectly. She is a character in her own right that interacts with other characters, teaches some of the lessons in "Epic" and breaks the fourth wall by addressing the audience. She also gives us information that as an audience we don't know but the characters do know. In Suffering we are left unsure how much time has passed or how they got out of the Underworld, compare that to Love in Paradise where Athena says "Seven years she's kept you trapped, outta your control". She is clueing the audience into aspects of the story that they may have missed. I would like to point out that her role in "Epic" is similar to that of Ancient Greek choruses it does not mean Athena is a representation of it. Ancient Greek choruses didn't have any actual affect on the plot where as her actions within the story are important.

This also does something interesting as it suggests that Athena is telling the story and as such it is her perspective we are viewing through. While Odysseus is the protagonist and focal point of the whole story he isn't always in focus as with the Wisdom Saga were it isn't until Love in Paradise that he makes an appearance. Odysseus wouldn't know about what happened between Athena and his son and her and the gods (yes Odysseus could find out after but there are other reasons that I think this is unlikely). Odysseus isn't actually named within the musical until Remember Them which is in the second saga and the ninth song. While yes the audience knew exactly who Odysseus is it is extremely odd. Telemachus also has a similar issue which is why some people confused Telemachus for a young Odysseus (yes, Telemachus's name is states as early as The Horse and the Infant, however his character is not named with his name only really being implied based off of the knowledge that he is Odysseus's son). Other reoccurring characters are named fairly early on (this excludes Zeus and the suitors who's names aren't mentioned in the actual songs). Character names are really important as they signal their significance to the plot and differentiate it. The lack of early name uses for both Odysseus and Telemachus could suggest an audience insertion for these characters for seeing the world of "Epic" through their eyes as if we are experiencing this moment. The audience also gets important aspects of these characters through other characters (Odysseus being a leader and a friend and having a close relationship to the crew. Telemachus being an underdog and willing to great the world with open arms.) This is important as they both are the students of Athena and if Athena is the one telling the story it allows the audience to be further placed in Odysseus's and Telemachus's shoes (or sandals).

There is also the fact that Athena's character arch symbolizes a change in the story. Odysseus's character arch of becoming a monster has little change in the story until 600 Strikes. Despite making the change of becoming a monster it doesn't help him until the end as he is continued to be separated from Ithaca. Athena's character arch though acts as a renewal of hope within "Epic". Athena aids Telemachus giving him hope that he can fight back against the suitors. In God Games she is the reason that Odysseus has a final chance; a hope of returning home. While Odysseus fully submitting to becoming a monster in 600 Strikes can also be assigned hope to me it feels like the act of a desperate man with nothing else to lose.

Warrior of the Mind also makes more sense in this regard. Warrior of the Mind feels narratively like a retroactive song. While the music of the song is repeated the lyrical themes aren't. Athena never acknowledges her desire to create the greatest warrior until in I can't help but wonder. Not to mention it dives more into Athena's thinking then Odysseus with their meeting being from her perspective (also the fact she is introduced twice in the song once by herself and again by Odysseus a sign of her importance as it signals to the audience that she is an important character to remember). Her words are also extremely vague. What does she mean he will change the world? What does she mean by build a better tomorrow? What is her purpose for Odysseus? Also what is a warrior of the mind? Despite this being her song from her perspective her motivation seems rather vague. We know there is an aspect of ruthlessness and turning off emotions but it is unclear if those are her only goals or to what extent.

There is also the fact that despite this song supposedly for reminding Odysseus of her lessons it focuses on before their meeting and their first meeting. Moments were Athena isn't teaching him. This song clues the audience into Athena and Odysseus's relationship however story wise makes no sense. A few aspects of the song do appear later on in regard to My Goodbye (Odysseus considering her a friend, her being his mentor, her against emotions, him being a warrior but not referred to as a warrior of the mind, and disappointment; the warning can be considered redundance to Warrior of the Mind but I always took it as her orders to him in Remember Them) the song by itself holds little significant until I Can't Help But Wonder. One of the interesting things to not is that Athena's motivation in Warrior of the Mind and My Goodbye are different. As stated before in Warrior of the Mind her goal is to create the greatest warrior so that they can change the world. Odysseus states that she is just doing this to be known, this obviously ties into her pride which can be tied to Warrior of the Mind in regard to her being prideful into changing the world in her image; however, why not say that. Why say fighting to be known instead of saying she wants the world in her image? He makes no actual mention of her motivation she claims in Warrior of the Mind suggesting within the story's timeline the song hasn't actually happened yet. This is important as some of the aspects she brings up in Warrior of the Mind are also brought up in Remember Them. Once again she is reminding him of the lessons she has taught him while also not mentioning the fact they had a similar conversation in Warrior of the Mind.

One thing I have noticed is that outside of Warrior of the Mind, Odysseus never actually uses the title of warrior of the mind (I could be wrong). Yes in My Goodbye he rejects the title he is given but before that he is never referred to as that by anyone else. The only person after Warrior of the Mind that is referred to as a warrior of the mind is Telemachus in Odysseus (in the animated part). No gods refer to Odysseus that way (even Poseidon who has a thing against Athena in myth) or even during The Horse and the Infant when the title of warrior of the mind would have been extremely important. This could mean that the idea of warrior of the mind hasn't actually happened yet or that Odysseus wasn't the one she was referring to in the song.

I Can't Help But Wonder carries most of the references to Warrior of the Mind. This being with Odysseus calling out to Athena about knowing that she is watching him. Her reference to making the world a better place and an offering for him to be beside her. There is also the acknowledgement that what she had taught him was wrong. These similarities could be a suggestion towards circular story telling (where the story is a cycle where the end returns to the beginning this would go along with Saixra's idea of Athena telling this story). It can also be used to highlight Athena's character arch as playing the two songs next to each other highlights Athena's different ideologies within each of the songs. It also shows how little her main goal has actually changed in terms of making a better tomorrow just how she is going about it has change.

Saixra's point on the "maybe"s and "what if"s is rather interesting. As she mentioned it is tied to a future specifically with regards to a future with open arms, which Circe, Athena, and Telemachus suggest. All of those characters will experience the future with Circe and Athena both being immortal and Telemachus due to being in his twenties he may live long enough to witness it. Athena represents seeing that future, Circe creating a future where she wont be able to see (due to her being imprisoned on an island), and Telemachus a future that may happen in his lifetime but one he still has to fight to reach. I would however point something out about what she says specifically in terms of "maybe"s. Maybe is vague word that simultaneously means both positive and negative. Lets look at one of her lines in Warrior of the Mind "Maybe one day he'll follow me" it can me one day he'll follow her while also meaning he won't follow her. Maybe leaves room in the future for anything to happen. Due to her uses of maybe and if we believe this is Athena telling the story after the events that her goal still hasn't been reached. That she is still holding out hope that this future could happen.

All of this leads to reaffirming the idea that Athena is telling this story and this is her cry for action.

TLDR: Athena is like Ancient Greek choruses who are telling the story to the audience and teaching it. While the story places you in Odysseus's place (and to some degree Telemachus's) it is clear that it is due to his relationship to Athena and how it ties to her character arch.

I might be missing something in the TLDR because I honestly have lost the plot of this. (Especially cause I first started talking about "Epic"s use of genre I may post that eventually cause I find it really interesting but also I know I'm going to be the only person who understands what I am saying.) I think after this someone needs to take away my (future) degree I have lost it's privilege. Sorry for this but hey thanks for reading all my rambling.

[b0tsbby]

Midnight thought but now I’ve got my mind on how Tristamp has the overarching themes of identity, self-actualisation, adolescence but also a distorted sense of reality, past (Memory sweep finale) and present (Vash really telling himself Nai can still be saved, where Knives also wants to tell himself Vash needs help) , for the brothers especially.

So I look back to the last words the brothers shared, and hone on Vash’s “Who are you?” when he finally sees Nai for the person he’s become.

Yes I could talk about how the question is thematically directed to both of them throughout the entire season but there’s also an implication, I feel, there’s something, not quite right about, how Knives is presented.

Vash is an obvious “Who are you?” to the audience I think. Kinda all over the place. Masking to people half the time. Changing who he is to suit the people he’s with/ situation. Making promises he can’t really keep and then getting a lil too stuck on his own perceived failure. He only really becomes Vash the Stampede right before he blows up July.

But with Knives, he seems pretty sure of himself. Pretty sure of his goals and the work he’s got to do. Pretty linear in all his approaches. So his “Who are you?”, as a question from the audience, feels, off.

With the distorted reality idea, I wonder if, in a lot of his memory appearances as a kid we’re being introduced to someone that, never really existed. Maybe I’m reaching, but he’s entirely reconstructing Vash’s memories in the finale, and that’s, most of his appearances as a child.

He doesn’t seem very different as a kid in that he’s a lot more calculated, he’s colder, and Vash is the one that seems more interested in humanity’s acceptance. (While I personally don’t really mind that change tbh, I am aware it fundamentally alters the character). Considering he’s purposefully omitting the good and hopeful memories of Rem as their childhood, this presentation of him is so oddly convenient, helping him avoid the confrontation of a Nai, that was once well. Happy. Happy with humans. Happy with Rem.

We also see it in how he so easily takes the form of his kid self in Vash’s memories. Odd.

So I feel that “Who are you?” question has the potential to be one that kinda breaks the fourth wall. Compared to the other iterations, Knives does feel like a stranger. I like the idea that everything to do with him is a fake lie he’s orchestrated. And the creepy idea his control has extended to us as well.

It’s 2am. I may have better words tomorrow but this is essentially my long winded way of saying I can’t trust any Knives backstory given, knowing the extent of his possible control. And that sunshine crybaby Nai may still be a thing, it was just omitted by him. I could also be extending my arms across the continent with this reach…