#Lmk is just like: and you get an identity arc! And you get an identity arc!

[imminent-danger-came]

Tang: "And you're not done yet...cause you're you! You're his dad, he knows you'll always be there for him. He knows where home is! Maybe destiny did choose MK. So what!? You chose him, and he chose you. That's, what matters." Pigsy: "Let's get this thing back on the road. And you're right—we're not done yet!"

(5x05 Claim to Flame)

-

Tang: "There was nothing we could do." Pigsy: "Nothing!? Nothing! I could'a done something! I could'a...I should've protected MK! *sigh* It's over." Tang: "It's not over. We can't help MK, but we can make sure no more lives are lost, make sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain."

(1x00 A Hero is Born)

-

Tang: "But, compared to the Great Monk, I'm not...great." Pigsy: "You're pretty great to me, Tang. Besides, your story ain't over. Not yet."

(3x12 The Corrupted King)

-

There's always more to the journey.

[itsabouttimex2]

I've seen people say that Mei's samadhi fire arc was rushed, I never really thought about it that much, but I wanted to ask more LMK fans about their opinion on it. I can't stop pondering about it sometimes.

The Samadhi Fire Arc

Honestly, in my opinion? The Samadhi Fire plot is probably the least rushed arc in all of Monkie Kid.

Season Four to me is rushed because they try to squeeze in lore about the Pilgrims, MK’s heritage, Pigsy’s feelings on being an adoptive father, the Monkie Crew’s feeling on their ancestors/forebearers, the Brotherhood, the Ink Scroll, and then try to set up for Season Five while they’re at it.

Season Five to me is rushed because they try to squeeze in Xiangliu, Nüwa, and Li Jing and flesh all three out with very little time to spread between another fetch quest (this makes four in total through only five seasons) while also trying to give attention to Mei, Tang, Pigsy, Sandy, Red Son and MK while not even having a special to help take some burden off of the 100-minute crunch the writing team unfortunately has to deal with.

However…

Because the writers set up the Lady Bone Demon beforehand, she’s not given too much direct attention in this season until near the end, instead getting occasional appearances throughout by interacting with Macaque and then Wukong and to some degree infecting both with her power.

Which means that we get a full ten episodes plus a special for essentially only two things- the Samadhi Fire foremost, with the Lady Bone Demon in the background until about the special, from my recollection.

This means Mei does get her fair share of character development throughout Season Three, which you would think might allow us to see her perspective and thoughts on the world around her. We do get to see a little more of her desire to “live up” to her ancestors very early on, but it’s addressed quickly and then entirely dropped.

Like, this was a heavily Mei-centric season! We should’ve gotten some thoughts and backstory and personal views and whatnot, but the Samadhi Fire basically took full control over any narrative that could’ve allowed the story to delve deeper into, well, Mei.

But it feels kinda like Mei herself is… secondary to the power inside of her at times, where she’s very much just an unlucky and draconic vessel.

Now this wouldn’t have been such a big deal if we had gotten something beyond the already seen “Mei wants to live up to her family’s expectations without comprising her moral values and self-identity”, but, uh… they dealt with that in the first season and resolved it pretty neatly. Her conflict with Ao Guang is just retreading water in the same way, when it would’ve been nice to have a deviation of some kind.

On a more positive note, one of the best things the season gives us is learning how she’s come to view Sun Wukong in the form of a tearful rant about his actions and the impact they’ve had on her and her friends.

That only matters to her for a few minutes, unfortunately, but it’s a highlight of the season, and I wish it hadn’t been dropped so quickly.

Now, her not being allowed to interact with him or Macaque past the third season in regards to the ways they’ve continuously endangered and hurt her is a horrible letdown that severely undermines the character growth of all three, which is part of the reason I think some people call it rushed.

Mei’s possession of the Samadhi Fire is dropped until season five, so it feels ultimately unimportant. Red Son; in spite of being fundamental to Mei’s mastery of his power, gets shelved from season four the next time we see him. Sun Wukong’s recklessness and threadbare “planning” is essentially forgotten about, because the next two seasons just find new shit for people to scream at him about. All of Macaque’s… everything, really, goes entirely ignored by the characters, narrative, and story.

And obviously that’s not exactly satisfying from a watcher’s perspective, because it feels like everything just has a strangely neat bow tied onto it in spite of there being lots of messy business in the past that still needs to be addressed, but just isn’t because there’s they’ve decided to write another “the world is going to end plot” instead of taking a breath and working through existing issues instead of circumventing older ones as irrelevant.

I think people are disappointed when they look backwards that these plot points or emotional beats were dropped and left unaddressed or only resolved with a heavy dose of “secretly all alongs”. For example…

Red Son somehow tracks Mei down without any real explanation. (No biggie, probably some kind of tech or magic. Him getting there isn’t as important as what he’s doing, so it can be ignored.) He decides to train her. For some reason he's good at teaching people to control themselves, even though he was barely able to control himself in seasons prior? Off-screen character development is never exactly satisfying, at least to me.

Throughout all of this interaction, he never once expresses the slightest of desire to reclaim or recreate the Fire for himself, and is content with Mei having it. Red even openly declares that the power is “hers” at the climax of the story.

(I could get into how fans treat Red Son + Samadhi Fire ((plus pandering from the writers)) in comparison to Mei, but that’s a rant for some other time…)

With his encouragement, Mei harnesses the Samadhi Fire and helps defeat LBD! This has a lot of longstanding implications for her place in the story and her role as a parallel force to MK! How exciting!

Sike! The Samadhi Fire is fucking gone, only one mention of it in the season, where an omniscient old man inside a hell scroll tells us that it’s gone.

Sike! Mei secretly all along still has the Samadhi Fire and also secretly all along has an insecurity complex over thinking she lost it but all of this is handled in about a minute.

Red Son secretly all along wanted to learn where the Samadhi Fire came from and is trying to recreate it...? When he's seen and felt how dangerous and uncontrollable it is and home of this was established before??

So, when you build up all these things for a full season and then drop most of them the fourth and wait until the fifth to resolve them, I think it left a very jarring impact on viewers who came to view the season as “rushed”… but only in hindsight.

It’s not a flaw I would attribute until I’m on the fifth season and thinking “this should’ve been addressed in an earlier season.”

Now, personally, there are some plot points I’m not really a fan of, like, again, the “macguffin fetch quest” nature of the Samadhi Fire rings. Normally I wouldn’t mind but again, this is Monkie Kid’s third macguffin hunt in total, and we get a fourth in Season Five. (Spider Venom Cure ingredients, LBD’s Mech Building, Samadhi Fire Rings, Power Stones)

Though I think the City of Lanterns is a cute bit of worldbuilding, like with most Monkie Kid worldbuilding it’s basically “Look at this cool thing! Enjoy it now, because we’re never coming back or addressing it again!” like they did with the Team Hideout, the Cloud and the Weather Station. “Look at this cool place! Okay we’re done showcasing a potential Lego set, change the backdrop!”

Or another is Sun Wukong just being… magically immune to it once he gets possessed?

Like, the whole reason he had to set out on this fetch quest was because the Lady Bone Demon was distinctly NOT immune to it? And he also was NOT immune to it? Because the Samadhi Fire is a wildly dangerous all-consuming fire that could destroy all of existence, but apparently all it takes to be totally unaffected by it is powerful person + possession by another powerful person? But again I guess the world-building and power systems of Monkie Kid have always been patchy and thin but it’s still frustrating AUGHHH

But I personally don’t think it’s “rushed” until it’s revealed later on that actually, “There’s more to the story!” when a lot of the story we have is just kinda… left hanging.

TLDR for anyone who skipped down here: It’s only rushed in hindsight. If someone theoretically stopped watching after Season Three I don’t think it would be called “rushed”.

[literallyjustanerd]

Tease (Fives X Fem!Reader)

You're a student at Coruscant U. The boys of the 501st are guest speakers for a class on galactic politics. But one particular ARC trooper gets more than he bargains for when he starts checking you out...

My first time attempting anything close to smut, hope y'all enjoy! Lmk if it's good enough that you'd want a continuation ;) This also may be partially inspired by a dream i had oops

Words: 1.9k

Warnings: eye-fucking, teasing, showing off, making out, hints of both dom reader and dom Fives, suggestive ending

Rating: 18+ (minors DNI please)

Credit for the Fives divider to @freesia-writes with helmet art by @lornaka !

You have to stifle a yawn as you settle into your desk, stretching out heavy limbs. Your last lecture after a long day of classes. Galactic Relations and Conflict wasn’t really relevant to your major- you’d picked the elective on a whim, but it had proven to be your most interesting class this semester by far. Today promised to be no different: your lecturer had pulled some strings and arranged for some pretty interesting guest speakers.

You hear them before you see them: boisterous laughter echoing down the hallways. Then, the boys in blue file through the door. The one in front corrals the others into order as they come to stand at attention at the back of the hall. Five in total- two ARC troopers, two lieutenants and their Commanding Officer. Armour proudly polished where it isn’t scuffed or dented, painted helmets slung under their arms. Two things hit you in quick succession as your eyes cross the five identical faces. One: these clones are nothing like the carbon copies you’ve seen on your holoscreen. As alike as they look under their haircuts and tattoos, they’re individuals, plain as day, from how they style themselves to the way they stand and speak. Two: one of them is looking your way.

There’s a cool confidence in his demeanour, an effortless assurance to his movements, and he’s not at all embarrassed to be caught looking: though he’s still in conversation with the others, his eyes don’t waver from yours for a moment. It gives you ample time to take in the view, and what a view it is. The angle of his brow highlights the tattoo at his temple, and from there you follow the sharp cut of his jaw down to the well-kept goatee at his chin, up to the inviting curve of his mouth. Solid, square shoulders shift when he laughs at something another clone says. There’s a stray curl falling over his forehead you want to tangle in your fingers. You fight the urge to bite your lip as your eyes venture lower, sweeping down a broad, thick chest to his deliberately cocked hip. You force yourself to look away. Can’t be caught ogling the trooper, like the self-proclaimed “bucket fuckers” you see on your social media feed, lining up at 79s every weekend. You’re not that desperate. Subconsciously, though, you realise you’ve straightened in your seat, pulled your shoulders back. You’re even toying with your hair. 

You cringe internally, chastising yourself for looking so eager. Calm down, you think, it probably doesn’t even mean anything that he’s looking. The lecture isn’t due to start for another ten minutes, and among the smattering of early students, you’re the only one in the front row. He’s just getting a look at his audience. But when you chance another look up at the ARC trooper, you find his gaze still locked onto you, even as the clone beside him continues to speak. Cockiness is a trait you usually find irritating. But much to your dismay, instead of scoffing when he arches his brow and quirks his mouth in your direction, you feel your pulse quicken and your skin heat.

He winks, and your mind is made up in an instant, caution thrown to the wind. It’s been too long since you’ve taken a break from your studies and had this kind of fun. If he wants to play the game, you’ll play. And you’re not going down without a fight.

You bring your eyes back down to your desk and pretend to be deeply focused on laying out your datapad for taking notes. Hot as blaster fire, his gaze still burns on you, but you refuse to give in. You’re no stranger to this dance, and you’ve gotten pretty good at it, even if you do say so yourself. Your lecturer enters soon after and begins the talk, introducing your guests. You get your first taste of the ARC trooper’s deep, gravelly voice when he steps forward in turn, as well as his name. Fives. It loops in your mind as you wrap your lips around it, trying it out. As Captain Rex takes the podium, you make your first move. Slowly, deliberately, you cross one leg over the other, and lean your elbows on your desk, shoulders pulled proudly back. The stars must have aligned for you this morning: you’d picked one of your lower cut shirts, and it frames your cleavage perfectly. A few carefully counted seconds later, you tilt your head away from the podium back to Fives.

Oh, yeah. You’ve got him. 

He’s looking. He’s staring. His gaze has darkened, intensified. When his eyes roam down low and creep back up, you feel it like it’s his fingers on your skin. Your body warms under the stare, liquid heat pouring over you, pooling at the top of your thighs. Not wanting to seem too self-satisfied, you allow yourself a small, restrained smirk. A twitch of your eyebrow, just to gloat. Such a small gesture, but it lights a fire in Fives’ eyes. You’re enjoying the game, but you want to stretch it out, so you leave him hanging, and go back to listening to Captain Rex, your stylus working across your datapad, dutifully taking notes like you’d been paying attention the whole time.

You don’t let up on Fives, though. As his brothers each take their turn to answer questions from the cohort, you pull out every trick up your sleeve. Mussing your hair, adjusting your top. You swear you see his upper lip twitch into a growl when you shift your legs, gliding one foot up and down your calf. He has his arms folded now, the end of a thumb jammed into his mouth, chewing on the tip in a way that makes you hungry to replace that thumb with your lips. He makes no attempt to hide his want: he’s undressing you with his eyes, and you’re quickly getting drunk on the power. The killing blow comes when Fives has to wrench his attention from you long enough to take his turn at the stand. You can see him struggling to keep his focus on the rest of the lecture hall and away from you. At first, you feign innocence, letting up the act for a few short minutes, playing nice, giving him a reprieve. And in truth, it’s not hard to actually stop and listen to his words: he speaks with confidence, cracks a few corny but endearing jokes, and answers the audience’s questions with a thoughtfulness and insight that catches you off guard. Shit, you think, swallowing down the flutter in your chest, he might have the edge on you. 

But in the end, he will get no mercy from you. The third time he gives in and glances in your direction, he finds you with your stylus poised at the corner of your mouth. Your pulse throbbing, you grind your thighs together, making a show of it. Your tongue darts out for just a moment and, soft and delicate, you press the stylus past your lips, teasing the tip. The effect is instant. Fives chokes on his last word, stifling a groan that quickly turns into a string of coughs. His eyes are blown wide, his cheeks several shades darker as he tries to regain his composure and remember what he had been saying. 

You win.

You back off for the rest of the lecture, content to enjoy the feeling of his eyes on you and the playful glances you exchange from the moment he leaves the podium. He takes your little trick in stride, and even gives back what he gets, a sway in his hips as he walks back to rejoin the other clones, taking it slow to give you ample time to enjoy the view from behind. All too quickly, though, the talk ends, and so does your fun. You shoot Fives one last wink as he and his brothers leave the hall, and he fixes you with a cutting smile that’s equal parts charming and dangerous. You gather your things and leave with the other students, with full intention of returning to your apartment to take care of the ache between your legs alone. The memory of Fives’ gaze lingers on your skin, drawing an involuntary shudder. 

The train home is going to be torture.

But you don’t make it to the station. You don’t even make it off campus. You’re rounding the corner away from the lecture hall when you hear him. He clears his throat, and your nerves thrill when you turn to see Fives leaning heavy against the wall, one hand propped on the inviting curve of his hip. The pathway he stands in is seldom-used, small and quiet, and the shadows from the towering buildings throw his face into shadow. His voice is pitched low when he speaks, thick and sweet, dripping like syrup.

“Quite a show you just put on,” he purrs, and the words go straight to your cunt. “What’s your name, gorgeous?” You give him your answer, careful to keep your voice in check while the rest of you quivers with anticipation. Fives repeats it, the sound rolling heavily off his tongue.

“Thought this gig was going to be boring,” he muses, “you certainly proved me wrong. Thought it would only be polite to return the favour. Show my… appreciation?”

The curling grin on your face is all the answer he needs: a thick hand on your waist pulls you into the alleyway, cold brick at your back and hot breath on your neck. You’re trapped in an instant, bracketed by his arms on either side. His lips hover an agonising inch from your skin, sparks of honey-sweet electricity dancing along your shoulders and down your spine.

His body is still angled away from yours, yet the tiny, twitching roll of his hips draws an answering thrust from you all the same. The lack of friction tears a tiny groan of frustration from your throat before you can stop it, and Fives’ chest rumbles with his answering chuckle. The end of your rope dangles so close. It would be so easy to just give in and let him win. Your defences weaken further when the warmth against your throat sharpens, searing breath giving way to the scorching wet heat of his lips at the top of your jaw. The dizzying thrill of finally feeling him against you is what gives you the strength to regain control. A firm hand at his cheek shifts his mouth away from your ear and onto your lips, kissing him hard and merciless. He moans when your fingers dip low to scratch teasingly through his goatee, and the sound sets your every nerve singing symphonies. In an instant you know you’d do anything to hear that sound again, to feel the high of him melting under your touch. With dwindling patience you reach out, grabbing at the belt of his armour and trying to pull him flush against you. He resists, breaking your kiss just barely and tutting against your lips.

“No need to rush, mesh’la,” he taunts, settling a warm, gloved hand on the swell of your hip. He’s firm but gentle, coaxing you back into the wall with just enough pressure to tease you. You recognise the Mando’a, though you can’t quite place its meaning. You find you don’t much care- not when Fives is kneading at your waist and mouthing at your collarbone. 

“We’ve got plenty of time Besides…” With one fluid movement, he forces your legs apart, pressing one thick thigh between your own. It's your turn to moan, trying to shift your hips, though Fives' grip keeps you maddeningly still. ”You gave me a whole lot of grief back there. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

You swallow thickly, the shifting column of your throat catching against Fives’ teeth and making you gasp. This one might be harder to win than you thought. A devilish grin slides onto your lips.

You still won’t go down without a fight.

[fluffypotatey]

hey u know how mk only calls wukong by his title and never his name? and how wukong rarely if ever calls mk "mk," instead usually opting for "kid" or "bud?" and how both of those things are kind of representative of their relationship and how both of them care about each other a lot but they aren't honest with each other or with themselves about the other and how neither of them really wants to confront the fact that the other is a person with flaws and struggles? haha yeah <- normal <- lying about being normal

be glad i have been released from class now :) [narrator: she would later find herself late to her 2nd class while writing this]

so happy you have given me this excuse to talk about— i mean, yes! it is super normal to be thinking about this all the time and be comsumed by it and let me explain why:

i will start by going off on a tangent about names and labels and their narratove importance in stories because i love them and have a problem. (idk the word count here. viewer discretion is advized. i just wrote. it is long. beware)

In the Case of Names: a Sunburst Duo Essay

by Yours Truly <3

In the Case of Names in LMK: a Summary (please for the love of pete be a summary)

Ok, so, let me give y'all a quick overview (i failed. this is you're only warning. i failed, and this became a monster of an essay. run while you still have the chan—) of names in the literary sense. When studying novels and books and shit in your literature classes, you will notice that your professor might discuss the importance or ill-importance of characters' names in the story. For example: in the classic novel Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist's name is fucking Guy Montage to illustrate how he's just some fucking guy, a John Doe, a man stuck and complicit in the dystopian world.

You get me? No? Sorry, you want more examples? Fine then :3 let me introduce you to a story called Hard Times by Charles Dickens. It is an allegorical novel that criticized the utilitarian movement going on in dear old Great Britain in the 19th century thanks to the Industrial Revolution. Some fun characters were Johannes Bounderby and Thomas Gradgrind. Tell me, what images did you imagine when I gave you those names? Did you think of a bouncing ball for Bounderby? Were you imagining something square or maybe a mechanical grinder for Mr. Gradgrind?

Remarkable isn't it. The way choosing a name has on a reader/audience's perception of the character. Names are not just placeholders for a character. Names are the identity of that character. Names can establish their starting arc or their ending. Names can be visual in the sense that they invoke a strong idea of what a character might resemble or what themes they will present the audience with. Removing a character's name also removes their identity.

Remember that.

Anyway, I have talked enough about names in the general literary sense. Let us move on to LMK.

Given that this show is based off of Journey to the West (JTTW), many of the names of the antagonist are already provided, and their English translation is pretty literal (Demon Bull King, Lady Bone Demon, Red Son) with some exceptions (Jing & Yin, the Gold and Silver Demons), but their names all provide a description of what they are and how they should be viewed. Spider Queen is a spider demon and views herself as queen. Pretty solid characterization there. Lady Bone Demon, she's a bone demon and has enough rank to be considered a lady (or that could just be to ID that she is a woman but eh). Princess Iron Fan: she's a celestial princess and wields an iron fan. Got it? Good. These examples are simply here to show that a majority of the JTTW antagonists are still fulfilling their roles as antagonistic characters. What I mean is this: since "A Hero is Born," MK has been fighting against the Monkey King's old enemies from the JTTW book. It's like the moment MK inserted himself into the role of successor, the antagonist themselves were inserted to redo their old role of fighting the "Monkey King." It's almost as if nothing has changed beside the fact that their new op enemy is a "human" wielding the legendary staff.

[hmmmm, wait i actually never put this into words until now and it's fitting very well with the whole "MK's fight against Fate/the Narrative" but we'll just put a pin in that.]

However, when it comes to MK's friends (Pigsy, Tang, Sandy, Mei), they all share different names from their reincarnated/ancestral counterparts (Zhu Bajie, Tang Sangzang (they just give Tripitaka a last name lol), Sha Wujing, and Ao Lie). Their identity is separate, distinctive from who they are meant to reflect to the audience. (But look at how Tang still shares the same 1st name to the blessed monk, see how he's the one whose powers are the most similar, see how he being pulled into the direction of emulating the monk, see how much Tang fights it, see—)

Fascinating huh? But let us move on before I forget myself.

In the Case of MK's Names: a Paragraph (DO NOT, i repeat, DO NOT GO OFF THE RAILS)

So, in the English version, there is a running gag about how MK's "real" name is long and complicated, and we don't actually know it. All we know is that MK switched it long before the pilot. And even before MK has that talk with Master Subodhi in s4ep7 (or 6? 8?), I would chuckle at how on the nose his name was. MK the Monkie Kid... how silly of the show writers....ahaha, what a funny little decision to make :)

Do we know why MK changed his name? Other than his original one being long, no. Do we know why MK specifically? We don't know. Maybe, in his fanboy brain for all things Monkey King, MK thought it would be cool to have a name that identified close to his idol. A name that identified with someone he wished to emulate and be as powerful as and felt so connected to. But what do I know? I am a mere local gal who feeds off of metas and theories and all things relating to my beloved sunburst duo.

Then, we have MK's many titles: Monkie Kid (IDs him as the new generations Monkey), Successor (IDs him as the one who will succeed Sun Wukong in both the title of Monkey King and power), Noodle Boy (pronounced "New-dle Boi and IDs as the boy who works in his surrogate/adopted dad's noodle shop), Delivery Boy (his actual job for the noodle shop), and last but not least, Harbinger of Chaos.

What makes a harbinger? What is chaos? What are their intentions? Are they good? Bad? Neutral?

So, I've already defined harbinger before and many others have as well, but to sum up: a harbinger is a being/person/thing that announced the coming of something be it good or bad but most of the time the focus is bad. A "Harbinger of Chaos" then, would be the one to announce the coming of Chaos™️ and the disruption of world order. Is this a bad thing? Well, the show presents it at the moment as so, but that doesn't mean it will be. Honestly, the show has shown order and fixed structures more in a bad light and promotes free will and choosing a destiny that fits you as the good thing 👀 (another thing to pin in the MK might to go war with Fate)

But now I have established MK's names and must shut up and move on before I no longer can.

In the Case of Sun Wukong's Names: some Paragraphs (STAY ON TARGET PLEASE)

I will admit that my knowledge of names in China is very low, and by low, I mean I know nothing (most of what I do know comes from asking friends and informational sites). So, let me begin this segment with an excerpt of Sun Wukong gaining his name from the book itself :) and break it down with my interpretation and how that is applied to LMK.

When the Patriarch heard this, he was secretly pleased, and said, “Well, evidently you have been created by Heaven and Earth. Get up and show me how you walk.” Snapping erect, the Monkey King scurried around a couple of times. The Patriarch laughed and said, “Though your features are not the most attractive, you do resemble a pignolia-eating monkey (husun). This gives me the idea of taking a surname for you from your appearance. I intended to call you by the name Hu. If I drop the animal radical from this word, what’s left is a compound made up of the two characters, gu and yue. Gu means aged and yue means female, but an aged female cannot reproduce. Therefore, it is better to give you the surname of Sun. If I drop the animal radical from this word, what we have left is the compound of zi and xi. Zi means a boy and xi means a baby, and that name exactly accords with the fundamental Doctrine of the Baby Boy. So your surname will be ‘Sun.’” When the Monkey King heard this, he was filled with delight. “Splendid! Splendid!” he cried, kowtowing, “At last I know my surname. May the master be even more gracious! Since I have received the surname, let me be given also a personal name..." ..."You will hence be given the religious name ‘Wake-to-the-Void’ (wukong). All right?” “Splendid! Splendid!” said the Monkey King, laughing. “Henceforth I shall be called Sun Wukong.”

What a fucking cutie <3

So, what can we gather from this excerpt? Sun Wukong just gained his official name. No longer is he a monkey with descriptive titles, no longer is he a monkey without a surname to be referred to as and respected for. He now has both a surname and a personal name. And while I don't fully understand everything Master Subodi listed when naming Sun Wukong, it is important to note the importance of it and how happy Wukong is to receiving it.

Before this, the book would simply refer to Wukong as Shihou (stone monkey) or the Handsome Monkey King. Both of these are descriptive titles that just inform you what Wukong is rather than who, just like with the other demons met in JTTW. But now, we get to know him as Sun Wukong, someone more than his titles and such. There's even an explanation in the preface how Wukong's own personal name has significant meaning or relation to Buddhism, but I won't get too much into that since my knowledge is of that is 0 and I want to try and stick to LMK.

Now then, let us examine Wukong's name in the LMK sense. Literally everyone in the show call him either Monkey King or "simian" (and if he really pissed them off, Sun Wukong). The only people to refer to Wukong by his personal name is Nezha, Macaque, and Peng. It is literally just these three. And while we could argue all say it like "Wukong (derogatory)," I believe Peng's the only one who means it. Meaning, I think Macaque says Wukong because he was the closest friend of SWK, thus that's the only name Macaque would ever call him (sure, he said Monkey King and shit in s1 but that was when he was duping MK soooooooo). Nezha calls him Wukong because after the whole Havoc in Heaven and journey stuff, he is the new oldest member to befriend Wukong and not be enemies with him (yes, he will get annoyed and aggravated by him, and he will not always believe Wukong's intentions are great, but he still cares and is his 2nd closests living friend).

Peng, on the other hand, does not give a shit. I fully believe that guy never cared for Wukong. They only joined the brotherhood because of Azure (they even offered for Azure to be the brotherhood's leader). I do not think Peng cares for formalities when it comes to people they dislike. We could argue that maybe Peng cared for Wukong in the beginning, but I do, honestly, not believe it. The only reason Peng even felt betrayed was because it messed up Azure's plan. Not because the two were sworn brothers.

But yeah, very few characters actually call Sun Wukong by his name, and when they do, it establishes not just how close they are/were, but also how long they've known each other. It's the same thing with how Wukong refers to others. He barely calls Pigsy, Tang, and Sandy by their names. He will give people nicknames and shit just to place a safe distance from them because of his own very unhealthy attachment issues.

In the Case of MK and SWK's Names for Each Other: the Actual Sunburst Duo Essay (you are free now.....)

Speaking of attachment issues, let's talk about the Sunburst Duo and how much these two need to sit down and talk.

So, we have discussed how names are integral to identifying a character's purpose, thematic journey, description. We have discussed how a person's title can clue in on certain characterization, present or future, and how they demonstrate the way others view them. Now let us apply this to our beloved sunburst duo.

As mentioned in your ask, @gumy-shark, both MK and Sun Wukong barely call each other by name (MK never has as far as I am aware, and SWK has done so only a few). It's "Monkey King" from MK and "kid," "bud," "buddy" from SWK. Rarely do the two ever think to say each other's name.

In the beginning, I originally thought MK only calls Wukong "Monkey King" as a way to be respectful, and with Wukong, I assumed he called MK "kid" simply because MK was very young to him. However, as we get into s3, and especially s4, MK and Wukong have grown a lot closer. Neither of them see each other as just a mentor or student but as friends. And yet, they cannot seem to stop calling each other by their title or nickname.

Thus, the distance is still there. S3 ends with Wukong promising to do better as a mentor and be more honest with MK, and we do seem him attempt this. He gives out more praises, he's more open about his feelings and then gets sucked into the memory scroll. But here's the kicker: the two are doing a reverse in their dynamic.

When it starts out, it is Monkey King who establishes the line between the two. He will simply be MK's mentor and teach him all the kid has to know in order to succeed him. MK is ecstatic to even be near SWK. This is his idol, the guy he's had a special interest in for years probably. He now gets to train under the Monkey King. He wants to do good. He wants to kickass. He wants to be just like him.

But as the story goes on, we see SWK open up to MK more and care for him deeply and want to protect him, and we see MK uncover the skeletons in SWK's closet and feel so alone and learn that the power he used to wish for is not what he expected. And in the aftermath of s3, it is now SWK who is opening up and trying to help kindle and safely guide their friendship in a healthier path(ish). It is SWK who is placing his own protege on a pedestal because "loook at him! isn't he so great and powerful! he will help this world a lot more than i did". It is SWK who is disregarding th original rules he placed. But now ,it is MK who is keeping the distance more than SWK. It is MK is trying to force some kind of distance. He feels like he shouldn't burden SWK with his doubts and worries. He is terrified of his own powers and their capabilities and worries his actions will make the same mistake as his mentor.

With s3 and s4, SWK has called MK by name quite a few times. Especially in s4. It's not a lot, but it's definitely more than before. And yet, MK cannot call Wukong by name. Personally, I think he might still feel like he's under Wukong's shadow. As his successor, there is a legacy that he will carry when Wukong actually retires and gives his title to MK (which is what I assume Wukong will do??? It is still unclear what exactly MK's succeeding SWK of). And that legacy is quite the burden. I would not be surprised that MK is unable to place himself as being worthy of taking Wukong's place just yet (if ever).

This guy was his idol for a long time. And with that, you tend to place a high pedestal for those people. MK has given Wukong such a high pedestal, and Wukong is very aware of it. It's why the guy even keeps his distance in the first place, and why he's scared to disappoint him. But, MK has learned so much, has been told of the tales and pain his mentor inflicted on others in the past (a past SWK greatly regrets), and yet cannot find it in himself to lower that pedestal or even allow himself to think about it. Because if he does, then he will have to acknowledge his own pain and his own disappointment in someone he not only admires but has come to love like family. And it is very hard to reckon with the hurt and pain caused by someone you consider family.

So yeah, they are silly monkeys who cannot communicate to save their life and need to just sit down and talk or else this will continue to boil and explode and we'll have a SWK and MK showdown (fuck yeah! i will be crying so hard).

[end of essay]

[figgybeans]

FHJY trailer frame-by-frame

because i love these freaks. ok lets get into it (this is gonna be long)

love the dome this season !! the backgrounds are beautiful. the steps up in production across FH is amazing

ADAINE !! JAWBONE !! BOGGY !! i think her splash art is my have from the six. i have no clue what ESF stands for so anyone lmk

her mini is also i think my favorite, the pins on her leather jacket really sell it. minus points for boggy's HUMAN ARMS though, theres a clearer shot later on

fabian time ! love the blanket. bill seacaster art as well ! god hes terrifying. the doodles on the owlbear stickers are cute too

apples bee ! plus some art of cassandra. kristen is in her strong arc, which the world is all the better for. i think its also important to remember that from the start of the series kristen has always had a higher strength score than fabian (ignoring her 4 dex)

ignore the phantom riz mini, the trailer hardly stayed on his intro art for long. which is a shame cause LOOK AT IT !! the kalina picture, fuckin baron, the corn cuties, so much night yorb, bizz in the corner, captain whitclaw, coach daybreak - the man riz shot through the head in cold blood, the bardy boys !! its perfect.

fig !! sad theres no ayda art in here but theres gotta be in the series. "-and a wizards paramore, YES its part of my identity, thank you" iconic. glad her mini has a custom bass. also gilear <3<3

gorgug my boy. with his giant fuckoff axe. so happy his mini is including his artificer level, PLUS that probably means he takes another level in it, and unlocks infusions >:)

this two headed dragon guy. red dragon can always mean some Kalvaxis callback, but we never know. i DO know that there's a statblock for two headed dragons in Monster Manual Expanded III, so maybe brennan uses that ? or just gives a regular dragon two breath weapons. we will see

this was one of the clearest frames i could get for this art, but what we can see is still cool. love kristen in her kill bill jumpsuit. as an aside im still a riz-has-a-tail believer

now THIS is a battlemap. im like 99% sure that that's the Thistlespring Tree in the background, and the Sig Figs are having some kind of concert here. HOWEVER, if we zoom in, it doesn't look like any of their minis are on the stage. intrigue.

the internet mall ! or something. i have no idea who the minis could be, BUT the IDK-wearing purple one in the middle could be some Guardian of Faith representing cassandra. also adaine and boggy have matching berets in the wide shot

this set i think is a gladiatorial arena of some kind? because we see a bunch of monstrosities and aberrations with this in the background later. also the big gates and monster-keeping pens are a clue.

BOGGY ARMS. BOGGY ARMS. adaine is covered in blood. but fig looks to have some kind of ghost opossum familiar. BUT, my friend pointed out that it could be edgar, zayn's ghost rat ! so maybe we have him return for an episode. this house looks spooky enough. maybe mordred manor gets infested by demons or something

otyugh spotted !! my favorite monster of all time

this roper-looking thing. it overlays when brennan says "an eldritch beast that threatens all of the denizens of this world," so im really thinking there's gonna be an overarching Aberration theme in these combats

also this guy. i have no clue what he is honestly. the rectangle in the background could maybe be a mirror or painting, so this might take place in the mordred manor-looking set from before

purple worm, in the gladiator arena !

some sort of ghost ship? doubtful that its bill seacaster's ship again, and the mist could mean the ethereal plane

the bad kids !! just noticing that fabian's eye patch is either missing or on the wrong side

im pretty sure this is an umber hulk, also in the gladiator set

skateboard fig mini. also, this could be the hang van (?) but it also could be too long and be some kind of ghost limo. idk

graveyard ! maybe they team up with zayn here

a blue dragon, which makes me think the red dragon from earlier isnt kalvaxis related and is just a dragon

more POV arrow shots, but this one's going into a fucking hydra. which looks like it grows three heads instead of two ? if that's what the attachment on the right side means.

this could be the red wastes ? back on the kalvaxis theory.

a wider shot of the internet mall. note the "YARRRRbucks" behind lou

THE RETURN OF THE CRAB KING !!

aaaand the final art frame !! fig finally gets her license (or not)

all in all 10/10 frothing at the mouth till jan 10

[sketching-shark]

Honestly the way they butchered sun Wukong's character in LMK made me feel like that LmK's version of Wukong never went on the journey to begin with, I thought the whole point of the journey is to better himself? Any thoughts on this?

Also:

So yeah, Macaque is really cool and an Uwu misunderstood monkey.

Me: ARE YOU KIDDING?! He cannibalized one of the monkeys, hurt Tripitaka and tried to steal Wukong's identity! People just don't forget that! Unless you're Mk and Tang who seemed to have never read the part about Macaque in the classic JTTW

Xiyouji & Monkie Kid spoilers and some complaining below, so read or ignore as you prefer:

tbh anon for as much as I found Mr. Six's "read the book" spiel annoying because of the lengths to which Flying Bark has now bent over backwards to change Journey to the West and like a LOT about og classic Sun Wukong's background and motivations specifically to centralize that emo monkey I actually do hope it gets more people to read Xiyouji so that they too can enjoy the whole murder/replace plot and cannibalism funtimes of the true and false monkey king arc lmao.

But at this point I feel more disappointed than anything else that Monkie Kid's writing decisions confirmed that in their canon we've got yet another western Journey to the West retelling where Sun Wukong is a blundering idiot, and not only that but he has now been confirmed to be a terrible strategist and a terrible friend, just like Macaque said. Plus there's been this kind of annoying writing choice to have these dramatic scenes that are all about how the monkey king ruined everything before following that up, sometimes much later, with a pretty hand-wavey line about maybe he's not that bad or that he had some actual reason for doing what he did. Doesn't feel that balanced friends! And it honestly is aggravating how even 4 seasons in and even when Sun Wukong was trapped in a hell scroll that forces you to watch your worst mistakes forever we still have no idea why he and the Demon Bull King had their battle, why he killed Macaque (but I guess even after the shadow simian revolved his entire life around getting revenge against him for 500 years that's all immediately forgiven now lol), and there's still no word on why the journey here ended so disastrously that all the pilgrims except Sun Wukong presumably died badly while he was left in a self-imposed exile for centuries. I mean, I and others have proposed that maybe it was because of the journey's hypothetical disastrous end that the monkey king ended up a wreak and went into a self-imposed exile? But Monkie Kid does have a tendency to make a lot of things Sun Wukong's fault...said it before, but it is still kind of wild that even Xiyouji Sun Wukong, the hyper murder monkey himself, never did anything as cataclysmic as put all of reality in danger through his dumb decisions lmao.

[moonmoonthecrabking]

how did ocean and noel become "be gay fight crime"? how did constance and mischa become "be gay do crime"? let me tell you!!!

ocean and noel were first. they realised they could use their powers for good!!! so one day, they went to a random spot in the city, ocean stopped time and let noel grow some Trees.

they did this for a couple of months, but then the council started complaining which made them stop, not wanting to get caught and punished (ocean encouraged this since she has guilt and punishment issues)

they feel really useless for a bit, until they walk by this destroyed bank wall in the city and they realise "oh my gosh ocean there are villains in the city." "we can do something about it!!!!! :D oh wait is it legal" "we'd literally be protecting the city how could it not be"

at the next attack, ocean monitors where it happens, it's weirdly a lot of banks in the city (i was in the city today, there are so many banks) and try to figure out a pattern of timing (there's not one)

next time she hears of it she stops time and gets noel to go to the city with her

they have to walk like 5kms to find where it's going down (and like the length of how long she can stop time is limited and depends on her health and amount of sleep) so they take a breather but then they have to Fight

noel carries the team there, he traps some of the robbers with plants, he suffocates one with flowers (dw he doesn't kill anyone yet) and that lead to the robbers being imprisoned

they got a lot of praise and they were very happy about this

so it meant that they started sorta being the city protectors, they communicate about Hero Stuff on flip phones and there's a line that people can use to call them in major emergencies

constance and mischa corruption arc (i can make them worse >:D)

okay so they weren't the bank robbers, let me be clear. they don't know them, they're completely unrelated, i just needed a way for ocean and noel to bring it together

but constance and mischa did think hey???

they work in customer service they've seen some shit

constance really just fucking snaps one day and good for her so sure, part of it is sadism

i'm still working on their motivation tbh, so if you've got any recs, lmk please!!!

the current consideration is that mischa's retained his anger from canon about "thank you for killing my mother and indirectly killing me". perhaps constance's father was killed bc, idk if y'all know this, but the us doesn't have great healthcare. maybe something or other endangers a cousin she's really close to and she lets out some anger through fighting?? or the two of them directly target the workplaces of billionaires??? i really don't know too well yet, sorry!!

so then, naturally, ocean and noel rise up against them

and it's not like they don't fully get where they're coming from, but they can't admit that publicly!!!

as a result, they create a fighting schedule. no, they don't want to know each other's identities, but they agree to fight on wednesday evenings and friday mornings.

the vibe between them in the first chapter will sorta be inspired by batman and joker in the lego batman movie!!!

spacedolls are watching and they are entertained

penny started a reddit supporting constance and mischa *blindly*

[supergay-supergirl]

I fixed supergirl s6. here's how

ok! first of all disclaimer that I really enjoyed s6, but I've been thinking about this recently and I have some conclusions.

basically: I think supergirl s6b should have scrapped the power theme and instead been about reconciling different parts of one's identity.

all my thoughts under the cut.

overall for each character:

for kara, this means deciding to integrate her human and alien sides permanently. they do this at the end, but it's complicated and mostly overshadowed by the power stuff.

for lena, this means letting go of both sides of her family and becoming her own person. tbh this one was done the best individually in the season. but if the other characters were also going through something similar it wouldn't have felt so much like lena was being shoved off to the side.

for alex, this means learning how to be both a mom and a superhero and becoming more confident in her ability to have it all. remember in s3 and s4 when she was worried about that? yeah...

for kelly, this means realizing (and teaching the others) that superheroes have to focus on everyday systemic problems as well as big superhero stuff. once again, they did this in s4 then kinda abandoned it smh

j'onn can chill he's ok

and brainy and nia had their own arcs that worked really well, so I wouldn't change those.

how I would change the plot:

first of all, there are way too many totems. get rid of all of the totems except the courage totem, the hope totem, and the love totem. now we can proceed.

kara's courage gauntlet is 1x09 blood bonds, when cat becomes convinced she's supergirl. she initially (based on the stress she's been under this season) thinks she lacked courage by trying to go back and forth. she tries to abandon supergirl. she tries to abandon kara. she fails both times.

kara's hope gauntlet is to inspire a hope that burns brighter than the sun. this is an idea I had during the episode and I was sad it didn't happen so here it is now lol. alex is trying to teach esme how to control her powers, but the way she's doing it just reinforces that esme shouldn't use her powers and no one will ever accept her. kara shows her that her powers are nothing to be afraid of (thus bringing about a realization for herself as well). then something blocks out the sun. kara loses her powers. but since esme's powers aren't technically powered by the yellow sun, esme still retains kara's powers and is able to use them to help. hope that burns brighter than the sun. boom.

the love gauntlet goes to alex. pretty simple. partly based on the events of the hope gauntlet, alex is worried she won't be able to show esme the love she deserves. she realizes that she can. potentially with a conversation with lena where lena's like sure eliza had flaws but you grew up surrounded by love and that's the most important thing.

this whole time, nxyly becomes more and more evil and bent on revenge. she refuses to be that scared princess who was exiled by her father. all she cares about is power.

the super friends acquire all three totems (with the courage gauntlet still not passed), and nxyly kidnaps esme to ransom her for the totems. the super friends must assemble the allstone to fight her. at this point they are a cohesive unit, none of this backstabbing and arguing. in a last-ditch effort, kara tries the courage gauntlet again. this time, she just tells cat everything she's thinking (like nxyly did when she passed): she is supergirl, but she loves her job and she needs both in her life. cat understands. kara has performed admirably.

plot stuff, idk... the big battle was fun... but eventually, it's lena and nxyly facing off. and lena's like, I get it. I went down the same dark path as you for the same reasons. but you are not beholden to your family... the greatest triumph is being enough for yourself and letting them go. then nxyly is like damn u right and surrenders. the end.

might do a post about how supercorp could have happened, keep an eye out for that. but for now that's it! lmk what you think! but this is a tv show about superheroes so be chill abt it

[atlasllm]

Top 5 characters ??

ohh having to pick between all my blorbos ajbsklgss...

1.) Elliot Baek from Zero Game on Webtoon....

He's like a murderous bastard but he constantly does it with an ^_^ face and he also has the vampric red/black aesthetic and like I think he's SUPER interesting as to how he ties Alex into the game and how he sort of haunts the narrative during his dead arc, I'm really interested as to how his character is handled from now on

2.) Macaque from Lego Monkie Kid

I feel like people will scoff at me calling him a Vegeta ripoff but he is SUCH a refreshing Vegeta-esque character, he has such wonderful villain moments, his shadow powers are cool (oddly enough Elliot also has shadow powers akjslkgns), but he also has the more western take on a "redemption arc"

Billy Kametz did such a fantastic job with portraying his character and I hope he knew how well he did with his performance, he singlehandedly got me into LMK over how well his performance was and I know VAtwt will remember him as the great guy he really was

3.) Ursula Callistis/Chariot Du Nord from Little Witch Academia

Look I just love blorbos who are just sorta Sad:tm: but Chariot du Nord does this while also hitting my fave tropes such as

Broken found family

Dual identity crisis

I feel like Chariot would be one of those characters that I would've woobified/pathetic little meow meow'd if she was a guy but she's also a milf which makes her character really hit different for me; a lot of my "bad but sad boy" blorbos are men but Chariot can Get It yknow and it's nice to have a female character with an awesome arc and also I will gladly simp over ajkgnsgklsdg

4.) Cinder Fall from RWBY

I love those Prideful Jerk characters who would do anything to lust for power and I honestly REALLY love how Cinder's character has been so far; her aesthetic has become something I really enjoy and I hate to love her but the team behind RWBY make her lovable enough to not be obnoxiously hatable

I really like how she's gone from "just another sexy villain lady" to "prideful jerk character who throws tantrums when things don't go her way but also A Woman"

5.)

i'm not elaborating on this guy you just had to have been there ajbntgslkgnsgsd

[kuinliekkienroihu]

I (crysuzumushi, haha) am working on answering your ask game prompts, you picked two of my very favorites, thank you! I'm gonna ask you to do Kaname too! And Byakuya.

Okay, thanks for the ask!! Sorry it took so long to answer, i wrote a novel. Also sorry for all the spelling and grammar mistakes, English isn’t my first language

Kaname:

1. Favorite thing about them

How he always seeks to act according to his sense of justice. Also he's one of the best written characters in the entire series. He's very complex, which makes him feel kinda like an actual person with understandable actions caused by his past. There are a lot more things, but i'm not good at putting things to words so yeah.

2. Least favorite thing about them

How underutilized he was as a character. I'm really glad there's more of him in cfyow, even though i've only read the first part

3. Favorite line

" I follow the path least soaked in blood. The path I walk is justice."

4. BrOTP

I have many, mostly Shuhei, Aizen, Gin and Sajin

5. OTP

-

6. NOTP

hmm, i don't like him and Aizen romantically at all, same goes for Sajin

7. Random headcanon

He has a plant garden in Las Noches in which he grows, among many other things, the ingredients for Aizen's tea, which is Kaname's secret special mix of herbs. Aizen really misses the tea Kaname made for him.

8. Unpopular opinion

He did nothing wrong, or rather, all he did was (more or less) justified

9. Song i associate with them

-

10. Favorite picture of them

This is my favorite too

Byakuya:

1. Favorite thing about them

Yes. I love every single thing about him. Even the things others would consider as flaws are perfect. I really like how calm and collected he is regardless of the situation, he's intelligent and calculating.

A very well written character with, in my opinion, the best character development. Especially his relationship with Rukia from ignoring her out of pain (since she looks almost identical to Hisana), protecting her to keep a promise, letting her be executed to keep another promise to genuinely caring about her and saving her life in many occasions, clearly regretting what he did to her and trying to compensate for his actions.

Kubo wrote his development extremely well, in the end of the series he's objectively a better person than in the beginning, but his personality didn't change much. He's still the same overly serious, stuck up asshole we know and I love him for it.

Another thing I love the most about him is the fact that he's another walking contradiction. But somehow, these contradictions make a paradox or a perfect harmony without cancelling each other. Kubo did an amazing job making him have many layers in his character. There's this line from a book (had to look it up, the book is called "the chrysanthemum and the sword") that the author used to describe Japanese people, I think I read that in someone's ig story and it got stuck in my head since it reminded me of Byakuya so much, and in my honest opinion, describes him rather thoroughly, especially second, third and fourth ones. His zanpakuto, which is one of the infinite reasons I love him, being fully portrayed by the second one "both militaristic and aesthetic" being combined into the beautiful but deadly weapon Senbonzakura is.

"both aggressive and unaggressive, both militaristic and aesthetic, both insolent and polite, rigid and adaptable, submissive and resentful of being pushed around, loyal and treacherous, brave and timid, conservative and hospitable to new ways"

When you think about it, he has the most fitting zanpakuto for his personality compared to the other shinigami and the way he uses it is one of the tiny details which make him, him.

His spot as a captain and the head of the Kuchiki clan is in my opinion fully earned (rest of the nobles (except Yoruichi) can go fuck themselves) (sorry Tara, ignore this please lol). He is hardworking and precise, almost workaholic, has trained hard from a very young age and puts duty above everything. But he still has a hidden "work mode: off" -side which we see occasionally as cracking a dry joke or the wakame taishi fuckery in general. Latter being, in my honest thoughts, hilarious and adorable.

There is a lot more but i literally can't list everything. This is already a hell of an essay.

2. Least favorite thing about them.

My answer is probably as you can expect: none.

There is one thing i don't really like, but it's about the writing.

!!TYBW SPOILERS!!

In the beginning of the arc i think that immediately releasing bankai, especially when he knew it was gonna be sealed, was out of character and i would have been very upset if he stayed dead, since the action which resulted in that was not something he would do.

3. Favorite line

“If it’s for the sake of my pride there’s nothing I won’t destroy.”

I know it’s from a filler but this line just sums his whole character, personality and motivations up so well.

4. BrOTP

I have so many, i want him to have friends lol. But to point out the most significant ones i'd say Rukia, Renji, Kenpachi, Toshiro and Ichigo

5. OTP

The only one i really ship him with is Nanao. Hisana is kind of “it’s canon and i’m fine with it.” I haven’t seen enough of her to form an opinion about the ship, but it’s obvious how much Bya loved her and it’s so sweet.

6. NOTP

Okay, i have never mentioned this before since i know many of my followers/mutuals ship them. Renji. The only ship I. Can't. Stand.

Like, platonically? Yes, they're bros. But romantically or especially sexually? No. Fuck no.

I don't care if you ship them, good for you, but please tag the stuff so it gets filtered.

7. Random headcanon

He sleeptalks a lot. And it's not mumbling, he talks the same way as when he's awake but it's absolute nonsense.

Byakuya, asleep: Do not eat the drawer.

Hisana, awake: *watches him in utter confusion*

Byakuya, still asleep: Give him a pink tricycle.

Hisana: To whom?

Byakuya: Head captain Yamamoto

Hisana: *trying not to laugh*

Another hc that i have is that he is a closet metalhead and likes especially power- and symphonic metal (this might sound very weird if you know nothing about this kind of music lol)

8. Unpopular opinion

His actions in the soul society arc were understandable. He was put between the bark and the tree (i hope you get what i mean) and had to choose from just letting things happen and going against central 46 and all of soul society (or at least that’s what he thought). Also the line he said to Ukitake, which is still easily in top5 most asshole things he has said/done, in my opinion shows what he thought of Rukia’s execution and why he didn’t do anything to prevent it. “Once you’ve let one of your people die.. ...two or three more make no difference.” Both of his parents are dead, Hisana is dead, Ginrei is most likely dead and he thought for 100 years that Yoruichi was dead too. I think Byakuya thought losing one more person he cares about couldn’t hurt more than it already has and therefore didn’t think it was worth breaking the promise he made in his parents’ grave and trying to save her. And that fucking breaks my heart.

9. Song I associate with them

I have a 6h long playlist which I’m not gonna post. Can’t choose just one lol.

10. Favorite picture of them

*digs through nearly infinite pinterest board, tumblr and phone’s gallery*

This is (one of) my favorite manga panel(s) of him. I love how calm but powerful he looks. The lines representing the heavy spiritual pressure. Like an inescapable doom approaching (which indeed was the case). And for some reason i love it. 

My favorite fanart, which i obviously can’t post since you can’t post others art so here’s the link: https://www.deviantart.com/keelerleah/art/Bleach-Byakuya-Looking-Back-127254804

and then one which I think is official art or at least an edit of it, if I’m wrong please lmk

[imminent-danger-came]

IVE ONLY SEEN ONE PERSON POINT THIS OUT BUT MK TRIES TO PUNCH MACAQUE DISGUISED AS WUKONG BEFORE HE EVEN REALIZES ITS WUKONG. I CAN FEEL THE MK AND SWK FIGHT IN MY BONES. Also can you imagine with like that one art post Mei asks MK who HE wants to be, not a reflection of somebody, not the Monkie Kid, not the Harbringer of Chaos and HE REPLIES WITH HIS REAL NAME I WOULD GO INSANE

I'm like. 85% sure that person was me afasdfafsd. I know I've mentioned it before somewhere!

Because it's like, MK feels extremely abandoned and hurt by Wukong during s2. MK's line of "Fine! Then just leave! At least my friends will never abandon me!" in 2x01 Sleep Bug is VERY telling, and it also makes me sob when put together with 3x10 The Samadhi Fire:

MK: "NO! Mei is my best friend—I'd never abandon her when she needs me! We're heroes! It's what we do!"

And 4x02 New Adventures:

MK: “You don’t know! We’d risk it for sure! I won’t abandon them when they need us.”

MK's own low self-worth combined with Wukong's tendency to leave in the worst way possible, which was only further exacerbated by the Lady Bone Demon's manipulation.

And I think MK's experiences and feelings throughout s2 made him resolve to never make his friends feel abandoned.

But of course, since this is Lego Monkie Kid, it's more interesting than just that—because MK leaves at the end of s4. It was out of fear, sure, but so was Wukong leaving in s2 and at the end of s3. MK does exactly what he set out not to do, making the same mistakes his mentor has, literally going to isolate himself on Flower Fruit Mountain for an undetermined amount of time.

It's things like this that make the question of "Who is MK" so intriguing, because that's who MK want's to be. He want's to be himself. But who is that person?

Is MK just like Wukong? Is he a harbinger of chaos? Is he just a noodle delivery boy? Is he Monkie Kid? What if you remove all those labels? What's left? What is he?

(Plus the whole "I just want to be me—to be MK!" "Yeah well...we all know where that leads." interaction between MK and the curse in 4x07)

And now that we've thrown MK's mysterious past and ominous future into the mix, we are in for a FULL on identity crisis spiral next season.

And well, when it comes down to it, MK was willing and ready to fight Wukong in s2. The lmk writers are fantastic at paying off several arcs all at the same time (see all of 3x10, which literally had the culmination of Mei's, MK's, Wukong's, and Macaque's arcs all in one. It's fucking phenomenal), and this is partly due to the time constraints of the show as a whole, but it's also just damn good writing. MK's past, his identity, the hurt he's experienced across every season—that's all going to come to a head. I also imagine it's going to happen right along side Mei, Wukong, and Macaque's arcs once again, because that's just how this show do. It do insane shit.

I also happen to be a believer in "Samadhi Fire Part 3", in which we get another 3x10 and 4x08 parallel to round it all up, and I am waiting, WAITING, for Mei to repeat MK's words back at him:

“Mei! You have to stop. I know you’re upset, and that’s okay! I know what it’s like to have a power you don’t know how to control—to feel like the fate of the world is in your hands and you have no idea what to do! But you always have my back, and help me through it. We, will figure this out! Together!” (3x10 The Samadhi Fire)

((Which, MK himself is repeating Mei's words back at her, with "But we're going to figure this out." I NEED A POSITIVE FEEDBACK FRIEND LOOP BABY))

But yeah. I'M WAITING MAN. WE HAVE THE SAME BONE FEELINGS.

[webswingers]

welcome to avengers campus, isn’t it nice to be back, PETER PARKER ?  it’s been so long since i’ve seen you being a typical TWENTY-TWO year old INTERN AT OSCORP, the image of TOM HOLLAND against the retroreflective panels of headquarter buildings.  feels like forever since i’ve seen you hanging around PIZZA PLANET. i don’t blame you, though;  it fits your vibes perfectly given everyone associates you with BATTERED CONVERSE, INK SMUDGES, HALF EATEN TAKE-OUT.

death mention tw

...... hey, have you seen the news reports lately …?  i heard you’ve been getting visions from MARVEL beginning to return, waking up from dreams of J. JONAH JAMESON REVEALING HIS SECRET IDENTITY.  must be something in the water …  say, did you always have A LEGO ANAKIN SKYWALKER on hand ?  i’ve never seen you leave home without it.

BASICS:

birth name: peter benjamin parker

alias: friendly neighbourhood spiderman, pete, kid, queens, etc.

species: mutate: superhuman abilities/powers stemming from a bite from a radioactive spider

date of birth: august 10

sexuality: bisexual 

gender and pronouns: cismale, he/him

occupation: intern at oscorp industries 

CANON: 

“canon” timeline wise, peter’s taken from the mcu so everything on this wiki are the specifics if you wanted to know in depth, but long story short:

super secret superhero living with his aunt in queens (until the Reveal), only the four people closest to him know about this; Ned, May, MJ, and Happy

lived a relatively normal ‘teenage’ life when he wasn’t a vigilante: a little bit of a loser, friend-group of one (his guy in the chair) for the majority, had crushes, got good grades, just tried his best to make his aunt and tony stark proud after the death of his mother, father, and uncle.

joined the avengers to help iron man, got a little bit out of his depth but stark helped him become a better supe, he’s a lot better but he’s still learning.

the death of his mentor and third father figure heavily influenced his behaviours and added to his constant need to keep the people he loves safe, but somehow never manages to do so and it keeps him up at night.

trusts men too easily still for some reason??

everything that has occurred in peter’s arc in the mcu timeline to this point is all canon for him, he obviously is just slowly remembering it.

EARTH 200000:

for peter’s alternative timeline, i wanted to incorporate more of who he is in some of his comic arcs, in some of the cartoon tv shows, too, but primarily his personality/some relationships are inspired by the ps4 spiderman game.  i realise this can get a little confusing given all the different characters and plot lines, so if you’re confused at all please feel free to message me and we can talk about it ! i wanted to incorporate his canon relationships with people outside of what they’ve introduced in the mcu for peter, but this will be something that needs to be plotted out, so pls lmk if you wanna do so ! here are the basics:

still a super secret superhero living a few floors above aunt may, so he can still see her whenever but he has some adult privacy.

slightly older than the spidey on screen currently, is an intern at oscorp industries and admires what they do there (this is not his first internship rodeo, but he gets paid a lot better at oscorp)

still has a relatively small friendship group, peter will never be mr popular but he’s absolutely okay with that.

wants to help people constantly; other than his spidey work, he volunteers with his aunt at F.E.A.S.T and works with the people staying there so he can learn how to help the people who don’t get helped.

big believer in justice, probably rants a lot to his friends and co-workers when he’s in That Kinda Mood, but ultimately keeps to himself and stays in his lane (unless he feels he needs to intervene)

he is a lot more confident as spidey than he is as peter, so his personality shifts slightly depending on what he’s wearing

has been known to sell some of his photography when he’s a little low on rent 

just a big nerd who luvs his aunt < 3 

inspirations for earth 200000:

ultimate spider-man (tv), spider-man (2017, tv), spidermen (comic), mcu spidey, the spiderman ps4 game-- these are just inspirations for his personality and interests, but if there are particular plots you’d want to write out from these i’m more than happy to plot that out !

[ori-orio]

Ted Lasso and Corruption Arcs

Everyone talks about redemption arcs but I don’t think we discuss corruption arcs enough, and I mean corruption arcs done WELL, where likable characters become the absolute worst versions of themselves with no comfort. I want to see the Zuko redemption arc of vilifying characters, if you will.

As we know, redemption arcs are marked by a character at the worst stage of their journey slowly make their way to becoming compassionate and actively dealing with whatever traumas and circumstances that led them to become villains. Zuko does this perfectly — the key to his arc, and to all character arcs, is that those characters need to be SYMPATHETIC from the start (I remember there was a whole other post about this but can’t remember who did it, if anyone knows please lmk)!!

Naturally, this means the reverse is true for a corruption arc. And in my opinion, no show does this better than Ted Lasso’s Nathan Shelley.

Like Icarus, he flew too close to the fucking sun. Once he had a taste for that power, for feeling useful, his ego surpassed his morality. Over the course of season 2 (although it can even be seen in season 1) he slowly becomes the worst possible version of himself. He withdraws from others, and starts bullying a new employee with a near identical role and personality to himself where the show began. He spends hours, just soaking up the praise of social media, and when he found the FIRST hate comment? He lashed out at that poor employee. And that praise goes straight to his head, and from there he forgets that there is no “I” in team.

Worst of all? He doesn’t hold himself accountable for his actions. However, this is PERFECT for a corruption arc. A redemption arc is all about acknowledging ones’ flaws and working through them. Nate, on the other hand, ascribes all his issues to others. In the final episode of season 2, he has the absolute audacity to claim that his behavior is due to Ted not paying enough attention to him and not believing him, a man who LITERALLY GOT HIM HIRED AS A COACH FOR THE TEAM. Furthermore, Ted was the first person to believe in Nate and to encourage him forward. Ted employed Nate’s strategies and really went out on a limb for him despite being a DESPISED football coach, as he is an American in England coaching football while he only coached American football before.

Something I find absolutely vital to a corruption arc is a indifference. If the strength of a redemption arc comes from empathy and care from the character in question to become a better person, the opposite holds true for antagonists. They must lose their sympathetic qualities so neither the audience or in-show characters can forgive them (besides Ted who is a goddamn treasure). The writing of Nate NAILS this. By the end of season 2, he is entirely disengaged from the team and the relationships he has with those individuals. He is cruel, and uncaring of his actions as long as it gets him up the “Pyramid of Success”, all while whining and blaming said cruelty on anyone but himself.

Ted Lasso hits the viewers with a 1-2 punch. First comes the devastating blow that Nate outed Ted to the media for having panic attacks. He knew how it would he perceived; mental health is extremely stigmatized, and unfortunately many people today still see panic attacks as a weakness somehow. In sports, where toxic masculinity runs rampant, this is even more dangerous to both Ted’s career and livelihood. We as an audience see the immediate consequences of these actions, with Ted being harassed on the streets he once found comfort in. What makes it worse is how absolutely real Nate is as a character. I think it’s safe to say that most people have had a Nate in their lives, someone who was close to them and ultimately betrayed them. On a personal note, as someone who has been outed for their gender identity, that scene hit especially hard. Sometimes people are just assholes, intentionally or not. Nate knowingly chose this path, going behind his friend’s back in a childish tantrum in an attempt to boost his own career. Because despite any hardships he’s had, that is how he is acting. There is no excuse for his actions and their dangerous affects on others.

The show closes his corruption arc with a final blow: the tearing of Ted’s “Believe” sign. This is an iconic prop of the show, and is seen throughout it’s entirely. It’s representative of Ted’s mindset, that with love and belief, anything is possible. Some of the most impactful moments have come from the team of footballers touching that sign hanging above Ted’s office. It’s more than just a sign, it’s a representation of Ted’s positivity and faith in his relationships despite his own hardships. As a character, Ted tries so hard to make everyone feel loved and appreciated while he struggles with his own trauma and mental health. And Nate, FUCKING Nate, ripped that sign in two. For no reason. In the final game of the season, his strategy worked. But since he lost the tiniest modicum of control, it wasn’t enough for him, and he stormed off the field to ruin that belief. This completely sealed him off as a character to me. He is not a likable character, and I don’t want him to be. He is written perfectly for this vilifying arc and I’m sure will play a major role as an antagonist next season.

There are so many more nuances to his devolution I can’t describe, like his eye rolls and general body language changes throughout his fall. However, the main point is that he perfectly encapsulates the corruption arc. He begins and rises as a likeable and sympathetic character, only to falter from a character trait turned toxic, before losing his own empathy and the audience’s empathy. He successfully becomes the absolute worst version of himself, committing very realistic acts of callousness and cruelty that make him so, so hateable. Of all the corruption arcs I’ve seen, Nate is done the best by far. It’s gritty and realistic, and most importantly shows his indifference to his worsening state (is the opposite of character growth character decay?)

His betrayal doesn’t come from nowhere, and there is as subtle and prolonged a change in his character as the best redemption arcs. He is written so incredibly well and amazing to hate.

TLDR: Nate from Ted Lasso is a fucking bastard but the best example of a corruption arc I’ve ever seen

[unhallowedarts]

Let’s Go Steal A Seder

(Sort of a continuation of this post about how Sophie should be Jewish.)

Kay uh, once again, I’m not Jewish, and my info is mostly from inter-religious seders I’ve been to (the kind actually run by Jewish people, not the “Christians try to do what they think Passover is” kind) supplemented by wikipedia, so I apologize if anything is Wrong or Bad and I would be super happy to hear Right and Good corrections or for folks to jump in and add better ideas! Also, gonna tag @binateford again cause you were happy I was thinking of you in the last one, lmk if you want me to stop doing that though. 

- Season 3 would be the perfect time for Sophie to say “Well we made such a big deal out of Christmas, you can all at least sit down in one place for a little while so we can have a family Passover.”

- Crap, I just remembers that she gives Nate The Name at the end of the Ho Ho Ho Job and that ruins one of my ideas. So I’m retconning that, he does NOT get The Name at that time, he gets it at the end of this episode after he finally stops being a dick and does something actually thoughtful and sweet idk what. So Anyway Nate’s still trying to guess her real name and throughout the episode he keeps guessing increasingly inappropriate Hebrew names (by inappropriate I mean like, they’re names of historical figures Sophie dislikes or they’re boys’ names or they have unfortunate meanings or something -- it’s not supposed to be  “haha that’s a funny sounding name” it’s supposed to be “haha Nate thinks he knows everything but he doesn’t”)

- Also, Nate is really uncomfortable with the idea especially since obviously they’re hosting it at his place, but there is of course an easy way to rope him in: “Well, of course I’m not going to make you participate, I guess we’ll just pour your four glasses of wine down the drain. . . .” “No, ah, actually, I think it’s a great idea!”

- SOPHIE AND ELIOT COOKING TOGETHER

- Parker opens the door for Elijah but she’s very confused about whether this is actually someone they’ve invited or whether it’s like Santa or what. She’s somewhat suspicious of it but by the end is probably talking about Elijah like she totally has known him for years and Sophie’s like “Okay well we’re getting warmer at least.”

- Maybe Nate earns The Name by surreptitiously adding the orange to the table as a gesture that he actually did some research after all and as an acknowledgment of Sophie’s leadership and of all of them being, uh, Definitely Not Straight and also just a queer set of people?

- I don’t remember this part well so I’m using wikipedia, but I think you could match up each character besides Sophie to one of the Four Sons? Clearly Hardison is the Wise Son, he wants the details, how it’s done. Nate is the Wicked Son not necessarily because of his character traits but because in this episode he’s obviously the one feeling like he’s not part of what’s going on (especially cause, again, we’re in Season 3 where he’s kind of having to earn everybody’s trust back). I thought Parker should be the child who does not know how to ask, but then that makes Eliot the simple child and that seems rude, but maybe I just don’t understand that part well. 

- I keep referring to this as an Episode because the planning and discussion of it MUST be taking place over the course of an episode and then the actual seder happens at the end, but I have no idea what kind of job is going on in the meantime??? Probably one that Sophie can take lead on since this is a Sophie Episode. Has to be thematically relevant somehow but..... idk, anybody have thoughts?

- [edit to add] Yet another good thing about it being Season Three is Sophie is just getting back from her trip around the world to Find Herself, and personally I’ve never been completely satisfied with the conclusion of that arc -- she comes back, she shares her real name, and that’s kind of all there is to it? So this would be a great sort of epilogue where she’s like acknowledging that her Found Family is part of her real identity and she wants to share more of her actual self with them. 

[sketching-shark]

Bangs head on my desk. Its sooooo fucking hard I have literally most of the LMK fandom blocked and I still can’t fucking escape that mid ass pairing I want to explode. Honest to god it sucks because I actually like analyzing LEMH and Sun wukong’s dynamic when it comes to the original story and like the idea of a character trying so hard to be this other person they just fundamentally erase any aspect of who they could be. That shit is interesting (especially if you interpret the two as actual family bc there’s a level of. Tragedy there) but NOOO mfs wanna focus on shipping clones/siblings together instead and painfully writing both characters ooc instead of just making an oc good fucking god. ( that being said I really like the art you draw of LEMH. It’s really cool. Keep up the good work 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾)

fregarewargtfds I once saw someone describe the LEMH & SWK ship as jttw retellings's reylo and. hm. yeah.

BUT YEAH YEAH YEAH to this day one of the things I find most baffling about the western monkie kid & jttw fandom is this widespread refusal to even recognize LEMH's actions in the og classic. Because it's like: here we have what could very well be one of literature's first instances of the "evil twin" trope and it's being done SPECIFICALLY in a way to create the maximum amount of conflict and uncertainty for SWK!

Because on one hand the false monkey of the true and false monkey king arc is essentially the very embodiment of everything that SWK ever wanted; LEMH, in copying SWK so completely, does it in such a way where he gets to be both a yaoguai warlord with a loving family AND a holy pilgrim bound for glory at the exact same time, whereas SWK is constantly being forced to choose between the two! But LEMH's also doing it in the worst way possible! He beats Tang Sanzang into unconsciousness, steals their stuff for his own use, and in so doing drives a serious rift between SWK and the pilgrims!

He clearly doesn't give af about the Mt. Huaguoshan monkeys outside of how they can serve as his personal tools to fulfill his own aims! He just wants them to use their own powers of transformation so that they can serve as his own obedient group of pilgrims! He even eats one of them as part of a merry feast he throws for himself after a violent encounter with Sha Wujing, and immediately has that monkey replaced with another! And he's doing ALL of this wearing SWK's face and adapting SWK's mannerisms! EVERYONE thinks that it's SWK doing these things! It's like LEMH's very existence is throwing it in SWK's face how this horrible version of himself is closer to achieving ALL of SWK's desires than SWK ever was, and that no matter how much SWK tries to change for the better even the two sides of his beloved family automatically think even this version which would inflict such violence on them is the "true" him! No wonder SWK hated him so much!

And AUGH the possibility of LEMH either being a manifestation of SWK's worst impulses or of being his brother just ramps the tragedy and horror of this situation even more! Like if it was part of SWK inflicting all this pain on the people SWK loves most, well there is truly something messed up about this situation where even if it's not technically "you" going along with your worst impulses they will still hurt people! Could you ever trust yourself again? Should you? How much of the blame for this situation lies with you? And can it be enough to fully acknowledge you have violent impulses but don't act on them?

And yes @the-bitter-ocean even in interpretations where LEMH is some random yaoguai who decides to commit identity fraud the story from his point of view of him throwing away his identity so completely that there's basically nothing left of him is just...goddamn. In his ambition he literally reduced himself to one part of SWK's story, just one more obstacle for the Monkey King to overcome.

And SCREAM if LEMH was SWK's brother? Imagine this situation where for SWK he's confronted by what is essentially the culmination of his failures to protect his family, where his beloved brother (I'm saying beloved because SWK loved all members of his monkey family very much) ended up despising SWK so much that he has essentially destroyed everything that he was or could have been in his bid to be the "real" monkey king and bring glory back to that name, but does so in the worst way possible to the point where SWK feels he has to take down LEMH himself. And then for LEMH, you can see how love and admiration for his brother would be twisted into resentment, envy, obsession, and hatred due to the series of atrocities the Mt. Huaguoshan simians faced in large part as a consequence of SWK's challenge to the heavens and his own sense of entitlement, so that eventually he convinced himself he would be a more "true" monkey king than the monkey king himself, and thus completely discarded his own identity to take on that of his brother, and in doing so basically tossed his own morals given how his "version" of the monkey king cares for no one but himself.

Sorry for the rant! But all the pieces for a whole series of interesting tragedies are! Already! Right! There!!!!! Why are we all so hellbent on ignoring/rewriting them!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[kralmajales]

i know it's not 2013 anymore but i am genuinely so curious about your les mis classpects

Ahh thank u for asking !! It’s okay we can pretend it’s 2013 for as long as it takes u to read this! Hopefully this makes sense it’s like 3AM and I’m writing this on mobile so sorry for weird formatting.

Alright so I haven’t figured everyone out yet but I AM pretty sure about Valjean, Javert, Enjolras, and Grantaire. I do have a lot to say abt all of them though so this will be long, sorry. Also I haven’t read Les Mis since 2012 so this is like. From memory .

Something I didn’t do on purpose but ended up happening and made me happy is that I believe Valjean & Javert as well as Enjolras & Grantaire are on the same aspect continuums- Heart & Mind and Rage & Hope respectively.

Let’s start with our main men- Valjean and Javert. Heart and Mind are all about meaning- personal and impersonal. Heart focuses on the self, the soul, passion, and personal subjective meaning. Mind on the other hand, focuses on logic, choice, and impersonal objective meaning. The Mind player says “My opinion doesn’t matter, what matters is making sure the correct decision is made to satisfy what the Objective Meaning of our story is” while the Heart Player says “But as individuals, our subjective interpretations is really all that matters. We only Know ourselves I know that THIS is what it means to ME.”

Javert’s story is about the Mind Themes. To him there is The Law and there is The Criminal. There is no room for interpretation- what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. (Speaking of the law and Mind however.... I wonder what Terezi would think of Javert with her whole Criminals Deserve to Die thing she had going for a bit there...)

Javert’s Class is the Witch. Witches are magical, but unlike the inherent magic of the maid or the sylph, witches and heirs have a magic more akin to alchemy than anything else. The Witch Changes their aspect to make it more useful. Javert takes Mind and changes it into something that works for him. But like every witch we encounter in Homestuck, he doesn’t benefit from it. None of the Homestuck witches really have a good time by the end of their journey, and neither does Javert. After spending the story actively changing the ideas of logic, choice, and objective meaning into a structure of its own, he ends up getting trapped by it and driven to suicide by his inability to get out of his self made cage of Mind.

Valjean’s story is ALLLL about Heart, babey! He has multiple identities over the course of the story, and really his story is about love (which while not necessarily a Heart theme ... it totally is.) His story is about figuring out what’s important to him and how his identity changes to reflect what brings meaning to his life.

As for Class? I believe he’s a Knight! A knight’s story starts low, where they’re having a hard time with their aspect and life in general, and they’re very insecure. Then as they grow and learn to use their aspect, they manage to achieve personal growth on the way (which sadly can’t be said for many classes.... knights have very satisfying arcs.) Valjean starts off with his Self, his Identity taken from him as punishment for doing what he believed was the right thing to do even if society at large would disagree... his name and autonomy were taken away as he was forced to work while imprisoned. Then after he left, he went through multiple identities, each reflecting where he was at the time and what was important to him then. By the end of his story, Marius and Cosette understand what kind of person he really is (a GOOD person who saved Marius’ life) and they have a final reunion with Valjean, who happily dies with his loved ones, knowing he is understood. He has mastered his aspect of self and subjective meaning, and he completes his arc.

NOW! Onto Enjolras and Grantaire. These two are particularly interesting because they have pretty warped perceptions of who the other one is. But let’s discuss!

Rage and Hope are kind of tricky to explain as a continuum but basically it’s about .. what is there. Rage is about Truth and Hope is about Belief. Rage is what demolishes unnecessary structures as Hope builds them up.

Enjolras is SUCH a Rage player, even though I’ve seen people argue he’s a Light or even Hope player. But that’s just not the case. Rage is The Tower card in tarot. It says “This is a societal falsehood and MUST be torn down.” It’s revolutionary, and Enjolras is nothing if not a revolutionary.

As for class? He’s a Maid! There’s a joke Aradia (one of my favorite characters! She’s a maid of time, for those reading and aren’t familiar with homestuck) makes where she says she’s MADE of Time. Which I think is a brilliant way of conceptializing the maid class. They are magic, as I said before, but they’re not alchemists or magicians... they (and the sylphs!) are magical creatures. Their aspects come so naturally to them it’s like they’re made of it. They are creators and they are used to help spread their aspect to other people. This is 100% what Enjolras is with Rage’s revolutionary spirit.

Now onto perhaps my most controversial take. Grantaire is a Hope player and you CANNOT convince me otherwise. Sure, he may come off as perhaps a Doom player, but at the end of the day his story is about Hope. It’s about Belief. Your aspect isn’t always something you have a good relationship with. Grantaire is a man who “doesn’t believe in anything” and is a known cynic. It all comes down to belief with him, and his lack of it, until suddenly he Does believe in something (Enjolras!)

His class? BARD! Bards are passive destroyers, and like their active counterpart the prince, may come off as more inclined to the other side of the continuum (in this case Rage, so for Grantaire it’s “Truth”) (side note- as I’m writing this I just realized that Grantaire and Enjolras are not only opposing aspects, but opposite in classes as well- the active creator and the passive destroyer! Love that!) but in the end they end up being taken over by their aspect in some way and embracing it (at their own expense.) Grantaire died because he decided to finally embrace his aspect and Hope. He let himself Believe and he died for it but it was a very real change right before that happened. Also! Bards are typically kind of fun in a weird uncomfortable way and I think Grantaire is DEFINITELY fun in a kind of weird uncomfortable way. He may be depressed, but he can also be hilarious.

Thank u for reading all of that! I have some more ideas for some aspects for some characters but I’m not entirely sure for most of them, and also I always figure out aspect before class so I’m even less sure on that front! If u have any ideas pls lmk !! Anyway it’s 3:45 AM I’m gonna go to bed now!! Thank u again for the ask!

tl;dr: Valjean is a Knight of Heart, Javert is a Witch of Mind, Enjolras is a Maid of Rage, and Grantaire is a Bard of Hope!