#Why can't I balance things like literally everyone else?

[kuromi-hoemie]

bleh

[genderqueerdykes]

i think it's so fucked up that one of the things that gets looked down upon in our society is someone choosing to eat whatever they want as opposed to forcing themselves to go without foods they actually like and starving or depriving themselves in an effort to remain "thin". i think it's so fucked up that one of the things people hate the most is people who are unbothered by their weight and people who enjoy being fat or want to be fat. why does this affect anyone but the fat person or the person indulging in their favorite foods?

someone else's diet or weight doesn't affect you. it makes literally no sense to criticize someone else for what they eat. like why is that your business? even if they're fat because of it, it's still not your business. people need to understand how entitled they are to other people's bodies. if a fat person who eats whatever they want is somehow a problem to you, that's because you're taking their body personally. you're upset that they look and behave in ways you don't approve of. that's not your place to insert yourself. you're not helping anyone by immediately criticizing someone for their weight or diet because you don't like them.

why is eating what you want even an issue? why are people so entitled to the foods others consume? it doesn't affect you if someone chooses chips over carrot sticks. a lot of people can't digest certain foods. some people can't fully digest meat, vegetables, plants, grains, fruits or any other sources of fiber. some people have to stick to 'simple carbs'. some people need high caloric, fat and sugar foods in order to stay nourished due to how little they can eat. also: people are allowed to choose what they eat abled or not. it's not an attack on you when a fat person, or ANYONE ELSE for that matter, eats what they want to.

don't get pissy at thin people because they can eat foods you can't/refuse to and "not get fat". stop harassing people saying things like "wow you're so lucky you just have a fast metabolism i wish i could eat like you!" you can eat like them (health conditions like diabetes and allergies and food intolerances permitting). you just have to get over the fact that some people are just fatter than others and that shouldn't control your diet. being fat doesn't instantly cause health issues. there are a lot of fat people who don't have any health issues that can be related even tangentially to weight. there are people who are "average" weight who have insane amounts of health problems. being underweight causes health problems

trying to eliminate sodium affects EVERYONE, and it's one of the most needlessly demonized parts of our diet that shouldn't be. sodium isn't bad for you. it doesn't give you hypertension and it doesn't make you gain weight. it's an electrolyte. having low electrolyte balance can cause someone to become very ill especially if they take in large amounts of water, as you can give yourself water toxicity if you don't have enough electrolytes to regulate the amount of fluid in your body. some people need to take in a lot of sodium to balance how much they sweat and how much they drink.

being malnourished causes health problems. some people cannot absorb the nutrients from foods like meats, grains, vegetables, fruit, starches, and high fiber foods. there are a lot of people who struggle with nutrient malabsorption and guilting them for the foods they eat isn't helping them get their nutrients any easier. many people cannot eat high fiber foods, fruits and vegetables. many people can't eat any fresh vegetables at all. there is no such thing as a one size fits all "healthy diet". documentaries like Super Size Me have proven that people will go above and beyond to demonize certain foods and fat people for no reason.

let people eat whatever the hell they want. let people be whatever the hell weight they want to be. trying to control other people's diets and weight is one of the most fucked up behaviors i've seen come out of capitalism. this shit is dangerous. other people don't owe you their bodies. stop being so entitled over other people's bodies and lives. it's disgusting. people don't have to be miserable or starve themselves to look "attractive". when it comes to how "attractive" you find someone, their diet should never come up at all because it's unrelated and it's their business, not for yours to speculate on based off of how they look.

everyone seems to forget that food has a biological, functional purpose. we consume energy by virtue of being living creatures. we need to replenish that energy. we NEED fats and sugars, whether or not people want to accept this. fats are excellent sources of energy. our brains consume massive amounts of sugars in order to function. our brains' primary resource is sugar. our bodies need it, too. sugar is not evil. food tastes good and is rewarding because we are helping our bodies replenish lost energy. it's supposed to taste good. you're supposed to enjoy that.

get rid of the catholic guilt you have around pleasure being "sinful". there's nothing sinful about eating food you actually like. you don't have to instantly repress how good it tastes and feels to eat in order to appease God or some bullshit. suffering is not virtuous. you're not getting into heaven faster by making yourself miserable. you're not making people like you more because you choose to hate yourself and anyone who displays the traits you hate about yourself. nobody is patting you on the back for choosing to be miserable

there are people out there who want to be fat and like being fat. we aren't going about life wrong or going to hell or whatever. for every person who finds thin people attractive and wants to be thin like them, there is someone who finds fat people attractive and wants to be fat like them too. some people find fat and being fat to be erotic. some people find watching themselves and/or someone else gaining weight is exciting, attractive, to be celebrated and/or erotic. fat, weight gain and food plays a huge part in a lot of people's kinks. some people just want to be fat because they like fatness and bigger bodies. some like having a cushion of weight in case they become ill and rapidly lose weight. some people want to just let go and indulge. some people are tired of being neurotic about the number on the scale. some people just want to be their happiest self, and that includes food and fatness. these are all good things.

letting go of shame and guilt surrounding fatness only benefits us all. fat people and people who eat whatever the hell they want are not affecting you. let them be happy.

[directdogman]

(Sorry if I have bad English, I'm from Spain.)

I'm super hyperfixated on the original managers, so I have 2 questions.

1. In Dialtown, Tango/Terrence says no one called him Tango before. Assuming that in the DSaF universe he also liked that nickname, did any of the other original managers call him Tango or not?

2. A headcanon I've seen in the DSaF fandom is that Abel hated everyone BUT the real Scott Cawthon, and that Scott was the only one that tolerated Abel (some ppl even ship them). Is that close to canon? Or the og Scott Cawthon also hated Abel? I really want to know what they thought about each other.

Btw, I really love your games, I've played the DSaF trilogy many times, and the Dialtown demo (I haven't played the full version of Dialtown yet, but I've seen gameplays and I'll buy it for my birthday), thank you for making 4 incredible games <3

I don't answer many DSaF questions these days, but this one's interesting so here goes:

1)Tango's nickname is a DT invention as far as I remember. If he preferred the name in DSaF's universe, Harry would've used it for sure, given how much he liked Terrence and since he's literally using a name he doesn't believe is really 'his' because it makes him feel better. He of all people would understand.

2)Yeah, that's a pretty good way of stating it, but there's a little more nuance to it that explains a little bit more about Abel/Joe's rift.

Basically, the original Scott Cawthon was a unifying figure. He got on with every single one of the original managers and they all thought the world of him. The Phone Guy process was started in an attempt to recreate him by Abel (and the other managers at first) and you gotta consider why they'd all want to do that. He was the glue that held the group together, the only manager liked by everyone else there without exception, someone who could defuse tension and resolve conflicts amicably.

It's true that he had the most patience for Abel and never badmouthed Abel to the other managers and even defended him earnestly, knowing Abel the best of the other managers and knowing some of Abel's early life and where he came from, while the others were more willing to honestly discuss Abel's short fuse and occasionally mean nature (even Terrence to some extent!) This led Abel to develop more of a bond with him than the other managers and somewhat distrust the others.

While Abel was essentially Scott's number 2, as time went on, Joe became more and more integral to the running of their budding company, since he was a skilled accountant and managed to balance the books despite Scott's somewhat reckless spending at times (he was overgenerous to the point where it sometimes led to financial trouble for the company, a stark contrast to what Freddy's became later.) Since Joe was so blunt (and Abel's biggest critic), Abel was incredibly jealous and insecure that if the trend continued, Joe would supplant him.

This also explains why Abel was so willing to toss his other managers into the 'machine' when each of them suffered accidents. Ultimately, it wasn't just sheer cowardice, it was him trying to recreate the past - to recreate the one person who seemingly saw him as anything other than a vampire. Someone who actually wanted him around. Of course, no two snowflakes are ever exactly the same. Abel was a poor replacement as the owner of the company, Joe was barely able to keep things afloat amidst a messy and chaotic expansion and Harry wound up presiding over the company's demise.

There's a pretty widespread narrative theme in DSaF of damaged people trying to recreate something they've lost - Dave trying to turn Jack into the new Henry, Jake and his family, Harry and his former identity, the Kennedy family reuniting.

“Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course you can!”

But, the fact is, you can't recreate the past. The only way forward is to pick up the pieces and build something new.

[demodraws0606]

I'm kinda peeved off that I'm seeing a few people that have the critique that Siffrin didn't deserve their "happy ending" in the end, that he was forgiven too quickly. I'm bad about this for actually a number of reasons.

(Warning this will be long because I am irrationally passionate about this, totally not because I relate to Siffrin or anything ahahahahaha)

First, logically, Siffrin's actions definitely are not as awful as people make it out to be especially not in the context of a time loop story. The worst Siffrin has done was his actions in the Bad Touch achievement and the last loop, one being purely optional. Outside of that, any tampering Siffrin had done was purely harmless, sure it's existentially horrifying but it's not like he did any actual manipulation.

You could also argue since Siffrin was in control of the loop, they are responsible for everything that was happening but we know full well he wasn't in control literally, his emotions were in control of the loop. Considering, a whole thing in this story is how acting as though you're fine and trying to control your emotions don't work, I don't think we can make the argument Siffrin was really in control.

He only wanted to trap everyone in the timeloop when it already had destroyed his mind. I thought it was obvious it was a monkey's paws situation.

The last time loop was the breaking point of Siffrin and it's one of the things he does suffer consequences from, they do get mad at him and he does apologize. What else do you want him to do ?

The Bad Touch achievement is the only thing that could be said to be "unforgivable" but it's optional and as far as I know it's hinted that Siffrin would talk about it with Isabeau. In fact it's said that even though right now they're fine and okay, they literally say they are okay to be mad at Siffrin later.

And also, it's not taking into acount the Actual feelings of his family either. They can't remember the loops and they have their own reason to not still be mad with him, so why should they hold Siffrin accountable for feelings they don't have.

In fact, the storyline strikes the perfect balance to not have Siffrin do such horrible action that he'd actually be unforgivable but still have him do enough that it shows what the loops are doing to him but....

..it's not just logically, judging Siffrin's actions as bad/good things like that is not just what's wrong with the narrative that Siffrin should've suffered more consequences. It also goes against the narrative itself.

For me at least, ISAT is a game about mental illness but also recovery. It's not coincidental a lot of people project their own mental issues onto Siffrin, it's not just a "ahahaha they're so relatable !!", it's a genuine part of the story.

I could make an entire essay about it but that's not the point, what would a story about these themes be if the ending was just "you need to repent for the things you did during your own mental breakdown"

It may seem ridiculous after all this that they'd just forgive Siffrin after all of this, but really hasn't most of the points against Siffrin's morality been coming from Siffrin themselves.

Siffrin believed he deserved to be rejected, that he deserved the suffer, that he was disgusting. It was these belief that kept him from talking about the loop because for him, everything was his fault. Not just because he created the loop but because the desire of staying with them was the very sin he hated himself for since the beginning.

So for all that self hatred to be met with, strange acceptance. It almost seems ridiculous, and Siffrin's talk with Odile in the epilogue reinforces how almost comedic it is.

It's close to reality, isn't it ? How many times have you thought you did something completely unforgivable to someone you cared about and you were waiting for them to be furious at you, but that moment never came.

Because they just simply weren't hurt enough by what happened. And sure it was definitely a bad thing you did and they were maybe mad in the moment, but you apologized. Sure there could be more consequences for what you did but what's the point in asking for them to be more mad at you ?

Shouldn't you strive to be better than beg to be hurt for your actions ?

Do you think being hurt, being yelled at would make anything better other than just feed the voice in your head what it wants to hear ?

Weird flowery talk aside, it just doesn't fit the themes and the narrative of the story is what I'm saying. Asking for more punishement for Siffrin goes against what the story is about.

It's just like complaining that the looping mechanics are too frustrating, that's part of the package deal bb !!

Fuck the idea of "repenting by suffering through the consequences" !!! Having to deal with "blinding unrelenting forgiveness and kindness" is in !!!!

[inchidentally]

Inch what is your opinion on this clip? https://www.tumblr.com/eightyonefour/762429464940527616/what-kind-of-guyteammate-is-oscar

It makes me sad that Lando isn’t able to find a lot of words to describe Osco ;-;

ohhh anon I know for most ppl this is all so boring and not interesting but the way excitable!nervous!shy!butextroverted!fidgety!sassy!emotional!squirmy!insecuresometimes!pleaseloveme!whydoyouhateme?!seeIknewyou'dloveme!creative!sexualconfidence!HORNY!travelstheworldintechnicolor!babyfever!workaholic!Lando exists against calm, placid, self-assured, does his job well,what's the point in doing less than his best, work life balance, lowkey, rational, good with kids but talks to them like adults Oscar makes me so emotional for god knows what reason ??? ;_;

but to Get Into It, I know this is the choppiest messiest compilation I've ever done but hopefully it'll be both self-explanatory and also go along well w my usual dissertation on something that has no real life importance for me but that makes me Feel Things

x x x

so the main thing with how Lando's stops for long periods to think and mull it over is for two reasons: one is that he hasn't done the usual PR aspect of his rs with Oscar the way he has with other drivers/teammates - and the other is that if he found Oscar dull or uninteresting then he wouldn't have had to sit and think aslfgsaljfgsajl. Lando's rly good with the media and honestly this answer would've been rly easy and quick if he could just say "yeah he's very fast and a good guy! hard worker and solid teammate!" bc it's not like anyone is expecting any more about a guy like Oscar anyway!

and with everyone else, Lando's got lots of anecdotes and jokes and shared activities as well as lots of experience interacting on camera in ways that give fans something to enjoy. it's not being disingenuous, it's just that they can easily tailor the friendship to be useful for publicity.

but !!! it's also the case of all of Lando's friends on the grid being extroverts as well as being great on camera. and Lando maybe could be seen as an extrovert but he's also naturally (self-confessed as well as confirmed by those closest to him) painfully shy and he relies on extroverts around him to help him out a lot. I got this ask that we don't even need proof of bc it's exactly how Lando is when he's alone among strangers or around huge crowds. same with when he has to do publicity stuff all alone the thinking silences stretch and he gets that upward inflection where he's trying very hard to see if the other person knows what he means??

and Osc is very much not an extrovert and while he likes the odd shared activity, he has said he prefers quiet conversation in small groups away from public places. so literally ! the ways he and Lando are compatible are simply in enjoying spending time together and being extremely low pressure friends who don't like the publicity aspect encroaching on that.

so how do you describe someone to a stranger if they're just quietly a good, reliable person who you like and work well with ?? Oscar himself needs a fair amount of prodding and encouragement to describe himself, let alone Lando being asked to do it !!

which I think is why landoscar has actually had this strong resonance for a lot of us who have those kinds of friendships or love those kinds of people - you can only see it and get to know it by observing it and knowing it in a way yourself. the way Oscar stares at Lando and does his little self-assigned duties to Lando and the way Lando watches Oscar in that wide-eyed trusting way and lets his brattiness out bc Oscar will always find it endearing. none of that makes for snappy PR content but if you get the vibes then it's so so sooooooo sweet ;__;

it's also why their dynamic lends itself so much to fic authors bc you've got a strong foundation of their authentic dynamic since they can't/don't fake it or play it up, from which you can put them in any scenario or any roles and they just… write themselves! not in a sense that the author isn't putting the work in as a writer skfgalsfg but the strongest thread among landoscar fic is that dynamic always coming through so consistently (even in the more challenging dark fic or out there AUs) the classics I can think of first off are playdate by debrief, that one from work can come over on monday night by higgsbosonblues and q&a by corsi

the common development of how Oscar is so blatantly changed by Lando in ways that seem either superficial or purely practical so that Lando ends up initially missing out on the depth of what that means - and misinterpreting Oscar not changing emotionally for him as disinterest. only to find that when someone who is solid and reliable and knows who they are decides they love you, they show it by changing their life for you and not changing themselves for you.

and that irl considering that Oscar always says how important it is for his relationship with Lily that he spend time with her that isn't connected to his career/life's passion, it's clear that he considers that to be proof of how much he cares. so all of the little ways Oscar bends and adapts and fulfills Lando's practical needs are ways for him to say "I value you" "I make you a priority in my life" "I want to fit you into my life" "I am willing to give up something/change something for you"

like idk how much Lando realizes the significance of those things and that's how I interpret him spending a very long time mulling and thinking rather than just getting past the answer in a neat, succinct way. bc Max F is a very emotionally intelligent guy and very capable of expressing his feelings, all of the guys on the grid are varying levels of emotional awareness/intelligence but they all have the same regular expectation of using their words to express how they feel about friends, and ofc the people surrounding Lando for the past ten years are highly attenuated to his needs. Oscar stands out as this very very different person to what he's used to!

and lastly, there's the whole gentleness and communicating through their kitten smiles and their ways of getting lost on a random subject - they're just such a quiet, gentle introverted dynamic. there's this moment after Japan last year waiting for a train, as well as this moment from Vegas where the crowd is singing happy birthday to Lando that I think are like, poetic levels of how their shyness/introversion fully matches up. bc neither of them feels easy or comfortable actually interacting with the crowd, so they keep looking to each other and smiling for comfort and reassurance. if another driver from the grid were around they could probably rely on him to brazen out the situation, but these two kittens just find solidarity in each other to get through!

so a lot of what makes landoscar a flop for bromance-only ppl is what a lot of us love about it <3<3<3 like I love a good bromance and self-aware PR ships too but landoscar made me want to get an f1blr and write insane pointless dissertations about them so shrug emoji !!

[mulberrydragon]

Everyone has noticed how Vaggie's wings have changed their colour from black-white palette ("rules are black and white") to grey ("rules are shades of gray"), but there's another detail someone could find interesting:

She had only one black stripe on her wings, while all other exorcists, including Lute, have two black stripes. I firstly payed attention to it in the scene where Lute was ripping Vaggie's wings off and thought that Vaggie gained it as a result of not killing a child, showing truly angelic mercy. Then I rewatched the episode and it occurred to me: she always had that unusual pattern on her wings. She always has been a "white crow" among her so called sisters.

I guess exorcists were supposed to have some kind of balance in their nature – the balance between being bloodthirsty warriors, ready to sacrifice themselves in order to protect Heaven, and being creatures of light – the same as ordinary (normal) angels, kind, loyal, merciful. The palette of their wings represent this balance. White (kindness) is for Heaven and it's citizens, black (fierceness) is for Hell and sinners.

The fact that Vaggie had less black colour on her feathers definitely means something. Maybe she had "bug" in her "natural program" when she was created, which made her less cruel and more kindhearted, soft. Maybe she had her doubts about extermination and it's ruthless methods a long time before Adam and Lute abandoned her in Hell. And those thoughts had changed the colours of her wings (something tells me angels can change shades of their feathers based on their strong emotions — even though Vaggie's grey wings demonstrate the symbolism on the first place, it can also be the result of her complicated feelings).

As for Lute and her relationship with Vaggie, there might be something beside rivalry. What if Lute had noticed that Vaggie was different and was acting strange? Just to be clear: I can't fully believe Lute was simply jealous — these two were not the only one who Adam saw as his "top girls", best warriors. The exorcist Carmila has killed during the last Extermination possibly was another high-rank angel (according to her armour), so there must be a whole group of such strong angelic ladies, not just Vaggie and Lute (plus Lieutenant wanted revenge (!) for that killed high-rank fellow. Doesn't seem to me like a jealousy at all.)

It's rather Lute's beliefs that caused her to hate another angel. She appears like a very ideological person, who draws conclusions on the basis of her worldview. And, considering the only two things exorcists have ever seen were Heaven and Hell, it's not surprise their conclusions could be quite radical (because, they literally see the best (in Heaven) and the worst (in Hell), there is no in-between for them). If we look deeply into Lute's soul and mind, we could find something else — who knows, maybe she indeed saw Vaggie as a betrayer?.. Lieutenant wasn't ready to open her eyes and see the truth, as well as other exorcists. And that's why the only angel without helmet was Vaggie (another symbolism) — she took it off just like she rejected her previous beliefs… Beliefs which were "installed" in her mind in the moment of her creation.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Why do you think they don't show Marinette comforting other characters? It's always been a weird writing decision to me, and I sometimes wondered if I was legit just erasing all the times it happened out of my memory or smth. Like the first character trait established for her is she struggles to say no to people, she is a people-pleaser. And there isn't a better way to make ur mc lovable than showing how they effect the people around them. AND it would make her breakdowns genuinely heartbreaking, because she keeps giving and giving and it's a genuine flaw. Like, she rushed off to comfort Ivan in Origins, right? We should have had more of that. I'm reminded of that one Lady Wifi (i think?) scene where Ladybug is smiling at her adoring fans and the camera while Chat Noir is in the background actually comforting a child lmao. It just feels so weird, because I think Marinette IS actually supposed to be someone who does that, who provides that comfort to her loved ones all the time (even at the cost of her own mental health, boom, an actual thing she can work towards). But we just keep getting the reverse instead. She just kinda feels like a shit friend? Showing that emotional labor would also make her exhaustion work because like, what does the guardian even DO? Tell not show, but they ain't telling shit.

One of the things that drew me to Miraculous is the fact that the show tends to write the characters in non-standard gender roles, so I actually like the fact that Marinette tends to be more of a fixer than a comforter. She drives people to action and wants to solve problems and is very good at taking the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she kind of sucks at emotional vulnerability and comforting people. It's genuinely a good flaw for her character and a lovely thing to see in a show aimed at girls. No, we don't all need to be stereotypically maternal figures. Women can be just as bad as men stereotypically are when it comes to emotions!

The problem is that the show is obsessed with Marinette holding every important role in the story, meaning that we don't get a more emotionally aware character or characters to balance her out. Nor do we get to see her learn that this is a flaw of hers and either improve or just own that she's bad at this and learn to trust someone else with these types of issues. (This is one of the many things I think Adrien should have been allowed to do, btw. Ladybug is the brains, Chat Noir should be the heart.) We also don't get a true sense of Marinette's struggles because the show's formulaic nature rarely allows for those types of problems.

The Lila thing is a good example. Lila says that she's going to destroy Marinette's friendships, but she literally can't do that because that would mean changing the way the characters relate on a massive scale and formula shows can't do that. So instead of seeing Marinette struggle as Lila lies and manipulates everyone into hating Marinette, we get extremely annoying episodes where Lila lies and everyone believes her, but no one gets all that upset at Marinette's constant accusations. They just treat it as a minor quibble which is actually more aggravating than Lila changing the status quo in my opinion.

There's also the issue that you brought up: we don't see Marinette truly struggling to be the guardian, so her new role doesn't feel like a big deal. Not much changes for her save for the kwamis being around now. We don't even know what her relationship with Master Fu was really like because he was barely ever on screen so we really don't feel her loss.

All of this is just another problem to lay at the feat of our ever-present issue: Miraculous does not have the right conflicts and characters for a formula show. Formula shows thrive off of things being lighthearted and the heroes lacking major flaws. Miraculous chose to make things somewhat serious and give everyone flaws that are just begging to be address, but that can't be because this is the wrong format for that type of thing.

In a team show where character arcs were a thing or even just one where character dynamics were a thing and Marinette was allowed to share the screen in a more balanced manner, then everything about her would work fine. She's set up perfectly for that kind of show. She is not set up for a formula show where she's basically the only character that matters outside of the villains. If that's what they wanted to write, then Marinette needed to be limited to minor flaws that never last more than an episode or at least limited to flaws that are purely situational such as being stubborn or the classic sudo-flaw of being clumsy that the show already embraces.

[sir-adamus]

One thing I love about RWBY is how it manages to thread that needle of, "That's a person" & "They have a reason for being this fucked up" without forgetting or failing to convey, "Doesn't mean they aren't still being bastard!"

See Adam, Ironwood, Salem, Mercury, hell even Jac got some of that treatment, as much as his narrative role needed and more than someone like him would usually be given.

In that regard though, it does always leave me vexed and confounded that people act like the Brothers will be some big exception. As though their issue is just that they are a little confused and don't understand some things, but once its explained and or they go home, it'll all be chill.

Like, sorry but if the woman they tortured for potentially millions of years still gets the "She's still being a bastard" treatment I cannot envision why the Brothers genocide would avoid being framed or treated as such.

yeah it's kind of weird how people have a blindspot for the gods being petty, arrogant assholes in the backstory; like it's been a weirdly common trend to see people making posts claiming it's fine for the gods to be assholes because they're gods (and therefore shouldn't be held to any kind of moral standard whatsoever), or thinking that post-volume 9, now the goal of the show is RWBY reuniting the relics to summon the gods because "the world is united" and the gods will deal with Salem.

like, the terms of Salem's immortality are made very clear, and these jackasses aren't gonna rescind on their punishment of her (which i need to point out was immensely disproportionate even before the mass genocide. "you need to learn a lesson, so now you can't die until you do" is fucked up) just because everyone else is on the same side.

and on top of that, the gods returning only means hanging a Sword of Damocles over humanity's head, because if they don't stay united, then it's just gonna lead to another disproportionate tantrum and Remnant getting the full scorched earth treatment. not to mention the gods dealing with Salem would ultimately prove her right and be immensely unsatisfying narratively (it would literally be a deus ex machina)

RWBY borrows heavily from Final Fantasy and other JRPGs, and a major recurring element in those sorts of games is that defeating the present big bad in the narrative is never the end of the story, there's always a greater scope threat that's usually either your dad or god or both. coupled with how Light and Dark are heavily influenced by mythological gods and how those are often petty, short-sighted and abusive bastards who cause more problems than they solve, and we've recently been outright told that the Brothers have completely misunderstood what 'balance' is and how that's factored into their conflicts and decision making, and how that then filters down to their treatment of Salem, demanding she understand something they don't and expecting her to learn it through the punishment they inflicted on her only ended up causing more damage

Salem's defeat has to be factored into ending her curse, and the end of volume 9 makes heavy implication that it's RWBY, not the Brothers, who are going to achieve that. but even with Salem then out of the picture, the Brothers are still a threat, they still wiped out the population of an entire planet for childish reasons and routinely abandon their creations; someone else could go for the relics to try and summon them, so there's the potential damage they could do to Remnant again, and who knows what same horrors and punishments the Brothers are inflicting on the worlds they've gone on to make and abandon since?

[xjulixred45x]

Headcanons of ed,al and ling with a s/o that have a twin? And that twin is protective,like theyre total oppossites,reader is a meek,calm and shy person while their twin is more extrovert,grumpy and protective

Awwww this is cute! I have a Twin myself, so this is pretty much relatable for me

Edward Elric/Alphonse Elric/ Ling Yao x Reader with a Twin

Genre: Headcanons

Reader: neutral

Warnings: none really, Reader is shy while their Twin is grumpy. Fluff

Edward Elric

The funniest reaction of the three

First of all, I think that Ed's relationship with the reader works precisely on the basis that they are polar opposites.

Ed is the hard-headed and temperamental one, Reader is the one who keeps the peace and has a hard time even correcting when they give them the wrong food.

They balance each other in many ways.

However, Reader is definitely what one would consider soft by nature, so Ed himself has developed certain protective tendencies towards them.

The typical thing is to react more than them when someone makes them feel bad/insults them, encouraging them to take repercussions, etc.

Ed has enough anger for both of them.

I imagine that although Ed already knew that the reader had a twin, he had not really seen then due to work issues/they being in another division in Amestris.

However, Reader and he exchanged several anecdotes about their families, including those of their sibilings.

and Ed is definitely happy to know that there is someone else in the reader's life who protects them when he is not there (especially if the reader is a civilian who doesn't know about alchemy).

However, when the mix-up incident occurs, it definitely catches Ed off guard.

I imagine that Ed and the reader were planning to meet at the Amestris barracks, but it just coincided with the arrival of the reader's twin for some work matters.

When Ed started looking for the reader and ran into their, he was MORE than confused.

Reader? What are they doing in an alchemist's uniform? Since when? Isn't it too early? Why are they looking at him like that?

When Ed goes to ask the "reader" directly, he ends up encountering a cold and powerful: "Do I know you?"

TWIN FINISHED IT..

Ed would try to maintain his composure and try to ask questions but at the same time he NEVER saw the reader looking at him so coldly, he almost feels intimidated, like he was in trouble...

Fortunately for everyone, the real reader came to Ed's rescue.

and not only that, but also to greet their twin.

Ed saw with horror how the twin's face changed COMPLETELY when they was talking to the reader, a literal 180 degree turn.

Ed didn't seem to want to give him the time of day, and with the reader they were already catching up, laughing and chatting.

He definitely leave it like that🤯

I think Ed and Twin could get along well...in terms of work. If there is a mission that depends on them, then they will do everything possible to get along.

Outside of that... difficult.

On the one hand, they both can't stand each other (which is ironic considering they have very similar personalities) and constantly compete for the reader's attention.

It's like a game of tug of war. They are both super clingy and see the other as a sudden invader of their time with the reader.

Although Ed will definitely leave Twin and the reader alone when they are exclusively family days, it's like an unwritten rule (just like Twin doesn't get involved in dating).

They try to keep aggression at bay when the reader is present, because after all they don't want to make her angry or, God forbid, cry.

It's like a cold war.

Ed also continues to appreciate Twin's contributions to the reader's self-esteem. At least they have a good common topic to get along with.

Alphonse Elric

Bby boy baby

Al and reader are definitely like the opposite of Ed and his reader, mostly because they both fall more on the shy spectrum. It's just that Al is more social and less reserved.

Although that doesn't mean he has it easy, I can see him and the reader having problems in situations like when they bring them the wrong food and they both silently accept the order🤣 or at least try to help the other by removing what they don't like (this obviously after Al already has his body).

Al is the one who does most of the talking, he's used to it, apart from the fact that he wouldn't feel comfortable letting the reader talk knowing that they make themselves uncomfortable.

Since he can't sleep, get tired or eat while in the armor, I can definitely see him carrying the reader everywhere and being their personal shield:3 both from the danger and the world in general.

They also both LOVE animals and on more than one occasion he and the reader ALMOST get away with taking some kittens (thanks Ed..)

In general, Al is super sweet with the reader and has infinite patience with them.

He knows about the reader's family and especially their twin. Al tends to compare several of their misadventures with those of him and Ed (on a smaller scale) and he even finds it cute that the reader is so attached to their sibiling.

Continuing with the fact that the reader is not an alchemist, Alphonse is happy to know that there is someone in the reader's life who protects them both physically and emotionally.

He's probably more curious about this twin than Ed, and already knows in advance that Reader and their twin are practically identical, but Al is convinced that it can't be that bad.

That is, of course, until we get to the incident.

Probably in Alphonse's case, he ran into twin while they were a civilian, which made it even more difficult to tell them apart.

Al saw Twin in the distance and thought it was his partner, so, like the sweetheart he is, he went to greet them and give them a metallic hug!

When Twin started screaming and even going so far as to hit him, poor Al was SO confused.

Did he take them by surprise? Are they angry? Why the violence!?

Since he is not used to seeing the reader shouting so loudly, not even with a frown, that image will definitely stay in his head for life.

When Reader arrived, Alphonse was so happy to see that they were still as shy and friendly as ever, he probably even hid behind them (as ridiculous as it was considering the size of the armor) to escape Twin's wrath.

Al and Twin get along surprisingly well, mostly because while Al has an intimidating exterior, Twin realizes that he is a softie because of their twin, so they trusts him more than Ed.

but it doesn't mean that they have the same level of patience for him that they have for Reader, rather they don't have any tolerance EXCEPT for reader😅 poor Al..

There's also the issue of Al being, well, AN ARMOR for much of the series, so Twin is understandably worried about how this relationship might work (or how CERTAIN ASPECTS of it work...)

Although if we're talking about full-bodied Al, I can definitely see Twin being much more patient and understanding, hell, even helping him recover from going without food for so many years.

and by the time Al fully recovers, you could say that he and twin are friends. and which twin is more open to receiving it into the family.

All in all, he's doing better than Ed🤣.

Ling Yao

Tbh it's the less surprised about it, but not less funny to see.

For the sake of my sanity and the meaning of this scenario, let's say that Ling's partner is from Xing and probably stayed there when he left in search of immortality.

Ling may have met the reader through some clan, on his own, etc. but definitely from the beginning he naturally gravitated towards them because of their reserved and friendly personality.

They are like opposite poles in a more discreet way. Ling is super social and has no problem defending himself (or others) while Reader was much quieter and barely raised their voice.

Ling made it her personal goal to help the reader be more honest and so they began dating seriously.

Ling definitely falls into the category of clingy partner, especially physically.

especially with reader because he finds their shy reactions super adorable!

He also laughs a little at their exaggerated expressions when they are embarrassed, or when they turn very red.

Although he definitely does not make fun of them, he does everything in good faith and thus his partner gains more trust! He will definitely kick the ass of anyone who makes the reader cry.

Considering that the Xingense culture is based on the Chinese, I can imagine that Ling has already met the reader's family in the past, at least their parents to have permission to "court" their child.

and Ling is also very aware of the dislike that the reader's family may feel towards him. more than anything because of what would happen if he became emperor.

I can see the reader's twin believing that it is not a good idea to date Ling solely and exclusively because of the tradition of the children of each clan, they does not want their sibiling to be left with a broken heart because of something they cannot control.

So, when Twin formally meets Ling, it's not very pleasant.

Ling is the only one who doesn't technically confuse reader and twin, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't have something to say about it (to lighten the tense atmosphere).

-"Wow! (reader) told me that you guys look alike but it's like seeing you in a mirror!"

something like that, he is partly surprised to see them in person side by side, but definitely not as much as the others.

and the only thing he gains is a loud SCOFF before twin walks away from him and reader, shuffling their feet.

Ling knows he didn't do anything wrong, but this is probably the first time "diplomacy" has bothered/distress him.

Of the three, Ling is the one who has the hardest time earning, at the very least, the respect of a twin. not because I don't try! but because twin has the typical Xingense standards.

I mean, Twin not only dislikes the idea of what will happen to Reader once he becomes emperor, but he believes that he is committing themself to someone who is not worth it.

And Ling left in search of inmortality(in Twin eyes, an ABSURD quest), it's like giving green light to these thoughs.

Fortunately, when Ling returns, apart from becoming emperor, he also manages (partially) to close Twin's mouth!

first of all, abolishing the law of marriage (that of the children of each clan, let me be happy) and he appears genuinely more mature than before, to the surprise of twin.

Before, Twin simply saw him as a bum, a scoundrel who happened to captivate his brother and who was lucky enough to be royalty.

but now, seeing everything he had done for Xing, for a foreign country, and that he still always came back to reader...you could say that speaking the heart of a twin.

They don't get along at all. Ling and twin definitely shouldn't be left in a room alone for more than 5 minutes (unless you want them to tear each other's throats out), but Ling KNOWS that twin does everything out of love.

and boy does he understand it. So, for now, they are fine.

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[velvetvexations]

op of the werewolf comic was literally drawing himself, not "detransitioning her". presumably because he, being trans, didnt want to represent himself as a girl. thats common sense i fear

No, listen, it is vitally important we put a 19-year old on blast for drawing a boy in a meme instead of a girl.

I seriously can't stress this enough. This bullshit is all they ever talk about. They don't care about trans women except the ones who are compliant and into the same fetishes, they just want to hurt people and feel like martyrs online. Presumably hate crimes, transphobes legislating us out of existence, and campaign ads directly exploiting incarcerated Black trans women in support of a presidential candidate that wants us all dead, that's all, I don't know, too depressing, I guess? The TMEs stealing our memes and liking Rocky Horror, that's the real danger.

They call me a crypto-TERF because I think it's physically possible for a trans woman to cause harm to a trans man, and yet, I don't see them on any TERF's blocklist!

God, can you imagine not being on a TERF's blocklist? That would be so humiliating for any transfeminist with thousands of followers that regularly engages in aggressive activism!

Are they scared of actual, genuine transmisogynists? Is that it? Are they just cowards? Because they'll release the hounds on a nineteen year old drawing a silly meme where the girl happens to be a boy this time instead, but blogs that actively fantasize about murdering everyone with XY chromosomes, what, that intimidates them?

Or maybe they're just scared of seeing what TERFs actually think since they're so insecure in their femininity they have to pretend transphobes see them as women and only hate them exclusively. If you spent literally five seconds on a TERF's blog the fact that they feel the same contempt towards cis men would be glaringly obvious and that would emotionally obliterate these people. They wouldn't survive. Literally they would die because the idea of one person in the world mentally classifying them as men makes them have a screaming panic attack, which is also why they think getting included in a "hey guys" in a group that otherwise consists entirely of cis women and a parakeet is a deliberately cruel assault on the very soul of trans women everywhere rather than something to shrug off and politely ask to be excluded from in the future. I wish we were teaching trans girls to FUCKING COPE ONCE IN AWHILE instead of insisting that no, actually, you should have a fucking hysterical meltdown over fucking everything at all times regardless of context because no one will ever love you except for other trans women, assuming they aren't tainted by cooties from close proximity to t-boys, and you should never make friends or have sex with anyone else.

And isn't "this person drew themselves, a boy, instead of a girl, and that's bad" at the heart of it? Because just like TERFs, they see trans men as casualties in the gender war at best and willful traitors at worse. Usually both! Men will get "I want to impregnate him" jokes and that's fine, because like, sexual harassment and invalidation of one's identified gender isn't bad on principle or anything, it's entirely a matter of social karmic balance, men oppress women therefore you can do or say anything you want to a man, but like, make sure you only go after trans men, okay, because they might "socially murder" you by making a post about how you were objectively an asshole to them on their blog but saying things like that to a cis man could result in ACTUAL FUCKING MURDER WITH A FUCKING BASEBALL BAT.

[electraslight]

people often complain about how Ben seems to have gotten weaker and clumsier from uaf to omniverse, and I get that's an annoying writing decision, but id like to posit a theory.

Ben used to be an athlete, a star one at that, and he used to be a pretty physically fit and healthy guy, visibly being muscular while still having a smaller build. in omniverse, it seems all that muscle is pretty much gone, as he seems to have trouble carrying things, being balanced, and even doing routine workouts that he supposedly regularly did when he was younger. he's even kind of shrunk.

but the thing is: this is proven to extend to his aliens too.

back when Ben was physically fit, wildvine's entire power set was based on grip and strength, using his vines to swing on things or bring enemies or objects closer to him, which required strength.and now he just can't. just like Ben.

which kind of brings us to the question of why Ben is deteriorating in this fashion? he still leads a very active lifestyle, doesn't seem to have any diseases. why's he going so downhill? (the answer to this question writing wise is a different thing, I am trying to rationalize the world he lives in instead of the world the writers do). the answer probably lies in food. in ogs and uaf, Ben had a pretty diverse diet, at least by kid standards. he ate a lot of junk in ogs, but that's just because what else are you gonna eat on a road trip, and as previously stated, af/uaf Ben is an athlete, who seems to actually like a lot of vegetables, eats dinner with his family, only has fast food on patrol. around the time Gwen and Kevin left, though, things changed.

Ben has kind of an obsession with smoothies in omniverse. they're usually the only thing he's seen consuming besides the occasional chili fries, he thinks about them all the time, the comtumellia literally take the form of them. which, yes, flanderization, haha aketchi pancake think blah blah blah, but the thing is, that flanderization kind of recharacterizes his degredation.

Ben had to drop out in uaf, so now his full time job is working for the plumbers, in am environment where everyone expects him to be an ubermensch who never shows a single flaw, and when he messes up in a normal way, he's the stupidest motherfucker alive, even though he's got more experience than anyone combined. plus, he's got to go on patrol all day long, fight a universe ending threat, and then conk out at 3 and wake up at 5 to do it all again. no family dinners, no time to cram an apple in his bag for later, and the only quick easy and cheap thing for him is smoothies. junk food. quick energy boosts. and it seems like he can't stop thinking about them (although I acknowledge what a copout that was lol), can't stop thinking about food. and consuming only liquid processed baby food for all your meals and getting zero hours of sleep isn't good for your body, and the aliens you inhabit are reflections of your person, so you degrade,they degrade, making b grade villains a slog and lifting over 30 pounds even more of one.

not particularly going in an eating disorder direction with this? still tagged it that though just in case. just wanted to share something I don't rlly see people try to come up w an in universe explanation for. I'm personally leaning more toward an ARFID angle, but I'd be interested to see other's takes

[justatalkingface]

I find Endeavor giving up on Toya once he found out that his son's quirk (Blueflame) was self-destructive to be, not only out-of-character, but incredibly stupid.

Endeavor is loaded, he bought Rei. Why not buy Toya special support gear costume with cooling? Aoyama's belt, Mirio's suit, and f*cking Mecha Might basically suggest that support gear can do anything as long as the plot demands it.

Besides that, has Endeavor literally never heard of endurance training? That's literally the only type of training Class 1A does most of the time. Just have Rei on standby if anything goes wrong. It's not like being a human cooler would be the most degrading thing she's suffered.

It's like the first time Aizawa criticized Deku for injuring himself with One for All. Did they try thinking of solutions before trying to get them to give up ?

Also, it's kind of messed that Toya's inability fulfill Endeavor's goals is because Rei, the bought mother. It could've easily been Endeavor's fault, like his intense training at a young age ruined Toya's developing body.

OK, you see, the thing is you're thinking about this logically. Like, Endeavor has been many things, but 'rational' isn't one of them. Deeply toxic and twisted, on the other hand?

You need to think like someone desperate to prove themselves, filled with about eight superiority and inferiority complexes, and yet so resigned to his own inferiority that he ended up needing to make someone else to do it for him. The fact that Toya hurt himself? It meant he was weak. That's it. He was weak for being unable to use his powers safely.

And the second he was weak, he was no longer useful, because he could no longer beat All Might.

(Nevermind, of course, that there was nothing he could do to make someone able to beat All Might, because All Might and All For One are both setting breaking hacks that single handedly break the balance of power. Even a super Shoto with the blue flames of Dabi and, like, absolute zero ice, perfectly balanced and able to withstand his own power, would get casually bitchslapped by All Might. That's how overwhelmingly broken he is.)

Beyond that, it's worth pointing out that, 1, Mecha Might is, again, setting breaking bullshit, even in the bullshit casually tinkertech setting that is MHA, and that 2, while Quirk training is a thing (presumably that's how Dabi was able to be as high functioning as he was with his... well, entire everything, that he grinded with his Quirk until he was able to work beyond the pain), there are limits without Awakenings... and let's be honest, Awakenings are just how Hori tried to explain people's various power ups to try and keep them relevent in the ever increasing clusterfuck of his story. No amount of training would make it so that Toya would not burn himself; training like that increases limits, but it doesn't change how the Quirk works.

There's basiclly no reason, in setting, for someone not to suit themselves entirely in support tech to be a purely tech driven hero, beyond institutional culture that is built around people's Quirks. I can't even say it's expensive, because hell, Mei just pulls them out on the regular, and there's every reason to think she was making them even before she actually got into UA, instead of somehow learning to make them within a week or two of getting into school.

The fact that support tech is so damn underused is almost criminal, especially for people with more limited abilities; can you imagine if Kirashima, with his hardening, was given some kind of ranged tool? An air blast or something?

You're also ignoring all his complexes in implying that, 1, Rei could do anything, when literally she only exists to be a breeder, and I don't think he's ever shown imagining her able to do... anything helpful.

And, most importantly, 2: Endeavor always blames everyone but himself. Always. Even in the 'canon' (I have opinions on the sheer level of retcon there) version of events, with how soft that is on Endeavor, Endeavor sets up Toya to have a psychotic break. He isolates him, orients his entire life around one thing (surpassing All Might) and then takes away the very foundation he built his life on, before basiclly ignoring him and never trying to fix him afterwords; of course the kid is messed up! Yet, all this time, he looks back, and all he can think is, 'I couldn't stop him! Toya was so driven, Toya wouldn't stop hurting himself, Toya wouldn't listen to me!'

Toya, Toya, Toya. Everything wrong with Dabi's story was blamed on Toya, even though he was an actual child and Endeavor was the one with all the control in the family; his recollection of things was so warped you could see how it contracted with literally everyone's experience of events... Of course he was going to blame Rei over himself! Rei is the person he bought, and he's the top hero, rich and famous! Nothing is ever his fault!

(Also, I have opinions on Aizawa, and they're overwhelmingly negative. The fact that Aizawa wanted to ditch Izuku first thing is a result of his overwhelming biases and prejudices..... exactly like Endeavor. MHA has this thing of making massively biased authority figures that are obviously so and then going through fire to protect them from their own actions.)

[mcdonaldsforehead-emofurry]

Daoism and The Complicated Bond Between a Hero and their Arch-Enemy ☯️

(Disclaimer: I'm not an expert on Daoism/Taoism, and even though I made sure to do plenty of research before writing this, I'm likely going to be wrong about some things. If I got something wrong, please correct me. I'm also going to use the Daoism spelling from now on for the sake of simplicity)

A common sentiment expressed between a hero and their arch villain is "Wow, the villain is the yin to that hero's yang", or "They're so yin and yang".

I myself am not an exception, as I've made that point before, especially in relation to the characters I talk about on my blog. But what does that truly mean, and how much does the original source (Daoism) play into these characters in their story?

The most commonly held definition of Daoism is that it's an ancient set of beliefs that focus on being harmonious with the universe (AKA the Dao) via being spiritually/emotionally/physically balanced within. The hard part of the definition comes specifically from the Dao because it represents the universe and its overall depth along with the seemingly contradictive beliefs that come from it. (which is fitting because of how vast and fluid the very nature of the universe is). [2][4][5]

One of the main ways the universe/oneself can remain in balance is through the aforementioned concept of Yin and Yang. Yin is the darkness that holds light and Yang is the light that holds darkness. Yin is feminine, quiet, passive, calm, and negative. Whereas Yang is masculine, loud, aggressive, and positive.

Despite these contradictive traits, Yin and Yang are forces that can't live without one another or else the universe would be out of balance. This balance is achieved through each one having an aspect of each other, as Yin holds some of Yang's passionate and aggression while Yang holds some of Yin's softer and colder parts from within.

It's also important to note neither is inherently good or bad. Rather, they're merely two sides of the same coin that remind us that everyone and everything is multifaceted.

Another concept I need to define from Daoism is Wuxing:

[1][3]: Wuxing Theory/Philosophy is a principle found in Daoism that sets to explain the natural order in the world. Wuxing incudes the elements and their associated color: fire with red, earth with yellow, metal with white, water with black, and wood with green/blue. Each of these elements/colors represent the different aspects/cycles of life including the seasons, body parts, planets, life stages, directions, etc.

[3] Here's a simplified chart showing what each element represent/is associated with:

And here is a simplified chart showing the relationship each element has with each other:

The elements chosen are more so allegorical rather than literal, which is why wood and earth are considered two elements instead of one.

When the wuxing elements are out of balance, a person's self/the world divulges into chaos as the order of nature is ruined. However, when in balance (both the destruction and creation aspects), one's self is complete and in line with the natural order of the world.

This post is going to focus on how this concept applies to the "enemies and lovers" (though lovers can be substituted with friend if desired) trope; specifically between Batman/Joker, Adora/Catra, and Ekko/Jinx. I chose these three relationships because I feel each relationship represents what happens when Daoism is applied in different ways, because this blog is mostly focused on those three, and because I feel like the Batman/Joker dynamic is arguably the most influential/subversive Yin/Yang duo in the modern age.

Which brings me right to-

Part 1: "You're the yin to my yang, can't you see?" Batman and Joker

Before analyzing the specific dynamic and how that influences their respective story, I'm going to analyze the aesthetics because I think the physical appearances are a good visual indicator of their ties to Daoism.

Simply put, Batman is the embodiment of "Dark is not Evil" whereas Joker is the embodiment of "Light is not Good". Batman wears all black to hide in the shadows and blend in while Joker wears bright colors to stand out from the shadowy Gotham. Batman works hard to uphold justice while Joker works hard to spread harmful chaos. Even more interesting is that Batman wears fully black while having white pupils, while in the animated series, one of Joker's redesigns has him with (sans undertale type) black eyes against his white skin. This would seemingly lead to the conclusion that Batman is Yin while Joker is Yang. After all, Yin is usually the quieter/repressed one with elements of aggression while Yang is the opposite.

However, it can also be argued that Batman is Yang due to his aggressive and passion to help others while holding a deep darkness within, while Joker could be Yin due to his overall darker nature with his jovial side being hidden behind his actions.

its been stated by both men how they could've easily become the other after their respective "bad day":

Detective Comics #33 (1939) Bill Finger and Gardner Fox

Batman: The Killing Joke DC Comics (1988) Alan Moore

Either way, I think this ambiguity of who Batman/Joker represents is fitting for what Yin and Yang is because everyone has a bit of Yin and Yang in them.

However, what makes Batman and Joker the ultimate Yin and Yang duo is the fact they represent opposite ideals while reacting in completely different ways. Because of how extreme said ideals they get, both men need a barrier of some sort to keep the other from going over the edge.

After all, its been said by Batman himself that if he killed the Joker he'd end up going overboard with wrath and end up hurting more than intended:

Batman: Under the Hood (2005) Judd Winick

Besides that, Batman's anger is infamous for how it manifests in a highly controlling nature. One of the only people that can go against and challenge Batman's controlling nature is Joker. Likewise, the only person who can plan for Joker's chaos is Batman. That's what makes their fights so personal for each man. They aren't just fighting a man they hate, they're fighting the contradictive ideals they see in one another while giving the other symbolic purpose.

It's no wonder why there are a multitude of stories that showcase Joker grieving over Batman's death/disappearance. After all, without Batman, crime has no punchline:

Knight Terrors: The Joker #1 by Matthew Rosenberg

Joker's 80th Anniversary: Kill the Batman, Gary Whitta

Batman The Animated Series Epsidoe 51: "The Man Who Killed Batman"

Some other examples include The Dark Knight Returns (by Frank Miller), and Going Sane (by J. M. Dematteis, Eddie Campbell, and Daren White).

While Joker is open about how much he needs Batman (with the most infamous example that comes to mind is the final fight between them in Arkham Knight), Bruce is a lot harder to crack.

At first, Batman's feelings are cut and dry, with him hating Joker for all the terrible things he put him and his loved one's through. However, various adaptations and comics (especially in recent years) have shown that Batman's feelings about the Joker are a lot more complicated than originally thought.

Part of this complication comes from how they've been fighting for so long that it's become routine for both of them. Ironic considering that Joker is all about chaos, but I digress. Heck, this same point is brought up in Batman Arkham Knight: The Riddler's Gambit by Alexander C. Irvine, where Batman tries to sort out his seemingly out of place grief that came after Joker died due to how familiar fighting him was.

Another part of this complication is due to the nature of comic books and all the adaptations that come from it. Some writers will write Batman mourning over the loss of Joker (I.E. The short story Perp Walk by Jason Shawn Alexander, The Arkhamverse, The Injustice series, Batman: Damned by Brian Azzarello, etc) whereas other writers will showcase Batman not giving a crap over Joker and his death (I.E. the DCAU). The only thing we can guarantee is that Joker makes Batman feel everything BUT indifference. Even when Batman claims he means nothing to him, he's usually screaming this or putting other peoples safety in jeopardy just so he can deal with his seemingly unimportant butt.

Whatever their personal feelings are, it doesn't stop the fact both men are trapped in a dance with one another due to their conflicting ideas.

Which brings up the question "If Yin and Yang are meant to compliment each other, how can Batman and Joker be Yin and Yang if they constantly fight with one another while rarely working together?"

Outside of their team up storylines including Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo (2023) by: Marc Silvestri, Batman: Europa (2016) by Brian Azzarello, Batman: The Enemy Within, Batman: The Brave and the Bold: season 1 episode 13 Game Over for Owlman, and Dark Knights: Metal (2017) by Scott Synder), they don't seemingly mash well.

And that is the crux of how Batman and Joker both subvert and utilize Yin and Yang. Does being opposites and the same while not being able to truly work with one another prevent them from being truly Yin and Yang? Or is it only a reflection of how Yin and Yang are both separate concepts that retain their individual ideas even when together? There's a lot to say how their cosmic fight both utilizes and rejects the union present in Yin and Yang (at least in a conventional way).

Whatever the case may be, the ties they do share with Yin and Yang is a reflection of each other's vices, and potential successes should they work together. Unfortunately, with the nature of comic books, these two won't be able to break apart from the cycle, which both supports the idea how they both subvert and utilize the tethered nature of Yin and Yang.

Part 2: "But you two... Even when you're trying to kill each other, you can tell there's a real bond there" Adora and Catra

Just like the previous section, I'm going to start off with analyzing the aesthetics' of these two before doing a deeper dive into how Daoism plays into their story:

Adora's main color palette includes red, white, and gold whereas Catra's color palette is red and black (with occasional violet-red in some of her outfits). They both share the color red as a reference to their leadership roles, but the difference with Adora having white and Catra having black best represents how the symbolism of red is applied differently. For Adora, red represents confidence, strength, energy, and health while for Catra, red represents danger, war, blood, anger, and passion.

With these descriptors, Adora/She Ra could be represented with Yang while Catra can represent Yin. Adora is more spunky, competitive, confident, and noble while Catra is closed off, sly, colder, and feminine. And like Yin and Yang, they held opposite qualities, with Catra being often rougher than Adora while Adora (at first) had to be told what to do and wasn't very assertive in what she wanted in her own life.

The whole series follows the fall and rise of their relationship, and how they go from enemies to allies over the course of several years. In short, their relationship serves as the backdrop for the show's universe; as while the two were fighting against each other, Etheria was often in jeopardy. However, when they reconciled and truly opened up to one another, they were able to save everyone around them.

Even their very character growth required them to learn from one another. Adora needed to have some of Catra's selfishness while Catra needed some of Adora's sympathy for others. Without these lessons, the two were self-destructive and unhappy. In this case, selfishness turns into self-love when applied correctly.

This union is also showcased in their future outfits, as Adora adopts some of Catra's feminine side along with her crown, while Catra adopted her ponytail and jacket:

During their first kiss, the scenery involves an excess of yellow, blue, white, green, and black. Combined with Adora/Catra's red, these colors are the same found in Wuxing philosophy (though technically there's five colors with green and blue being interchangeable/substituted with one another).

I'm sure this was a coincidence, but I think the background colors matching with the Wuxing elements is fitting as both women were finally able to open themselves up about their love for one another. It's especially interesting that Adora and Catra have red color's, especially because red/fire is associated with the heart and growth in Wuxing [1][3].

All in all, Adora and Catra's journey throughout the show concluded with them adopting elements from each other while still keeping certain aspects of themselves intact (with the exception of the self destructive traits), and I think that's a beautiful description of what Daoism aims to achieve. Not to concern yourself with someone else's differences, but rather learning from one another in order to grow as a person and retain balance in the universe.

Part 3: "Dynasties and Dystopia" Ekko and Jinx

Once again, lets start off with analyzing the aesthetic references to Yin and Yang that Ekko and Jinx share:

During their infamous bridge fight, Ekko is standing in front of a bright light while shadows fade on him. Meanwhile, Jinx is shrouded in shadows with a brink of light shined on her. This visual imagery showcases that Jinx is Yin, and Ekko is Yang.

Interestingly enough, their outfit's seem to showcase the opposite:

Ekko wears a white tank top with something dark on it whereas Jinx is wearing a black tank top with something light on it. There's also how Jinx is a pale white woman who wears mostly black/dark clothes whereas Ekko is a black man who wears mostly white/lighter colored clothes. Through this visual indicator, it would seem Ekko is actually Yin while Jinx is Yang.

Which could also work because Ekko's gritter aesthetic contradicts with his hopeful, noble personality while Jinx's playful aesthetic contradicts with her inner turmoil and anger.

The idea of Jinx being the Yang to Ekko's Yin is further visualized with both the necklace Ekko gives Jinx/Powder in the alternate universe:

Another tidbit to mention about the ambiguity of who represents Yin/Yang is the season finale where the two come together to save everyone around them. Like Catra and Adora, this union is visualized through their new outfits:

Jinx has hour glasses and green streaks colored onto her while Ekko has pink X's around his body. They also adopted some fashion elements from one another with Jinx's shark hoodie probably being partially inspired from Ekko's hoodie/owl mask, while Ekko is wearing a crop top similar to how Jinx would wear crop tops. Jinx has a brighter top with black in it (like Yang) while Ekko's top is darker with some whites on it (like Yin)

Similar to Batman and Joker, the ambiguity of what Jinx/Ekko represents is fitting for what Yin and Yang is, as everyone is ultimately made up of both forces.

That being said, on a metatextual level, Ekko and Jinx's relationship is one of Arcane's visuals for how much balance is present. This is best observed through the differences in season 1 episode 7 and season 2 episode 7.

In season 1, Zaun and Piltover have a lot of tension due to class issues (which in itself is a reflection of imbalance) and everyone's respective trauma. This fits along with the disarray between Ekko and Jinx and their mutual frustrations with one another.

In the alternate universe, the main cause for everything being different was hex magic never being utilized due to Vi's death. Despite this tragedy, Zaun is seen thriving with everyone looking healthier, happier, and safer. This is best showcased with Ekko and Jinx/Powder being in a happier relationship together.

Even with these differences, Ekko and Jinx still share a Daoist connection to one another, something shown through Powder/Jinx's line: "You know those ugly twins, genius and madness"

At first, it would seem Ekko is the genius to Powder/Jinx's madness. However, Ekko himself isn't as mentally stable as he appears to be. He spent various time loops and over a decade trying to help his best friend turned terrorist, he's prone to obsessive behavior, he witnessed his adoptive father die, and he's prone to bottling up his emotions due to the various traumatic events that he went through. Meanwhile, Jinx is also genius in her own way; as she's able to build advanced weaponry using scraps, she's a poetic person, and she (with the help of Ekko) was able to convert her lair into a working blimp of sorts.

Ultimately, it would be more accurate to say Ekko is the genius holding madness while Jinx is the madness holding genius inside. Both with the potential to act out as either, but only in a way that balances the other out.

Whatever the case may be, these two are always going to be tethered together even though Jinx had to leave. One of the main themes of Arcane is duality, connection, and opposites living together. Ekko and Jinx's cosmic relationship is just another way to showcase this theme among the chaos going around them.

Part 4: The T.D.L.R.

Batman and Joker both utilize and subvert Yin and Yang

Adora and Catra are directly influenced by the message presented from Yin and Yang through their union together

Ekko and Jinx is the personification of Yin and Yang in Arcane/League of Legends

This distinction is important because it shows how much the environment reflects each character VS how much each character reflects their environment.

Batman’s/Jokers world is stuck in a continuous loop unable to break apart from the cycle despite wanting to, Adora/Catra's world changes and evolves with their relationship, and Ekko/Jinx is a relection of the good and bad their environment could bring depending on how they react to it, and well they come together.

Sources:

Bertschinger, Richard. The Five Elements - Mytaoworld [1]

Oldstone-Moore, Jennifer. Taoism: Origins, beliefs, practices, holy texts, sacred places. Oxford University Press, USA, 2003. [2]

Hsu, Shan Tung, et al. “Wu-Xing Theory.” Blue Mountain Feng Shui Institute [3]

Taoism. National Geographic [4]

Zai, Dr. J. Taoism and Science: Cosmology, Evolution, Morality, Health and More. Ultravisum [5]

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 3 MATCH 1

Qiu propaganda:

“i love them sooooo much i was completely head over heels for cove but then i found out about qiu lin and ol2 and they took that spot in my brain IMMEDIATELY. that should say enough. also i just really want them to win this time </3”

“They're my beloved :] and also the only OL character not disqualified so I had to hdjdbdj I just wanna see how far they can go now :]”

“Genderfluid ADHD monarch. They enjoy mountain biking and ballet. As a kid, if they're set to Crush, they'll desperately try to find a way to link the MC's favorite color to themselves in an attempt to impress. They're the most popular kid in town and for good reason. Can be sharp as a tack, especially in social situations, but also can be so endearingly stupid.”

“Listen. Listen to me. Here's why Qiu Lin deserves the win (ha)

- They're a trans POC love interest (specifically genderfluid and chinese-american)

- They spend a lot of time in Step 1 (the first part of the game where everyone is a kid) being super nice and trying to accommodate for you

- They specifically try super hard to bring you (and Tamarack) into their already established friendship group

- (It doesn't work out super well initially but they're trying, be nice)

- Qiu's also just. Super sweet when you're set to have a crush on them in Step 1

- Like, their word count almost doubles when they have a crush on your MC

- There's one part of the game where you can bring up your favourite colour

- On a friendship route (or if you're set to neighbours), Qiu will maybe make a short comment about something related to your favourite colour

- On crush? Qiu stretches so far to tie your favourite colour back themself. Your favourite colour is green? That's the colour of their jacket!!! It's black? Like their bike, did they mention their cool bike!!! It's white, [imagine this is in italics] the inside of their house (no, really)!!! [end of imagining this is italics]

- They're also set to have an arc about much they accommodate for others and how they go from over accommodation in Step 1 to no accommodation in Step 2 to finding a balance in Step 3

- Also, like, they do in fact go through gender identity issues. In fact, they spend Step 2 not quite knowing their gender identity fully

Now, vote for Qiu!!!!”

"Genderfluid and uses they/he pronouns.

Their hobbies are mountain biking and ballet.

Most popular kid in town by, like, a mile. And for very good reason.

Immediately devotes themself to making sure their new neighbors (the MC and Tamarack) feel welcome in their new town.

Loooooves teasing their friends.

Is genuinely confused if the MC doesn't immediately consider them friends because. He considered you friends.

Not canonically ADHD (yet. things can change.) but like. The ADHD vibes are strong.

Forgetful and writes stuff down in a notepad to remember it, then proceeds to lose the notes. This happens constantly.

They have a whole arc about going from being overly accommodating and giving too much of themself to others, to closing off and not giving anything, to finding balance and figuring out how to be kind and caring without overexerting themselves.

Also, one of their closest friends is a trans woman. This is relevant simply because I love Renee and had to mention her."

Fenris propaganda:

“Broody hot elf with glowing tattoos and a sultry voice that escaped from his former slaver and joins your ragtag team of misfits that save the city. He is snarky with your companions and always so surprised to be loved and supported. Everytime I play and try to romance someone else I fail because I can't not flirt with him.”

“I've played through DA2 four times now and every time I think I'm gonna date someone other than Fenris and every time I don't do that”

“Please he is my husband. I literally cannot do a playthrough without romancing him regardless of how much I try to give the other chara ters a chance because his romance lines are just so good and he's always so surprised that Hawke is into him.”

[yousaucygirl]

So I watched Ride the Cyclone over the weekend, and OOOOUUUUUUGGGGGHHHH I gotta yap about these characters. (spoiler alerts for people who haven't seen it)

I'll start with Ocean. I feel like almost everyone either knew someone like Ocean or was Ocean. She comes off as overly ambitious, goal oriented, and selfish. And she IS. She starts out as someone you're meant to hate. I mean, she literally sings a song about how she's better than everyone else in the group, even standing on top of them in a human pyramid to show her superiority. But I loved Ocean in the end. Yes, she pressured the others (especially Constance) to vote for her because she wanted to be brought back to life, but she ended up sacrificing a second chance of life in the end. Because Karnak changed the rules, she won the game. Ocean could've easily taken her chance at life, but she realized that she had something she wanted to go back to. They all did except for Jane Doe. As badly as she wanted to live, death taught her to be happy with what she had in the end. She would rather something over nothing.

Noel is an ICON. He's a romantic. In his fantasy, he's a French prostitute in the post-war era. Monique is a tortured woman. She is slapped, thrown to the ground, and her heart is played with until she ends up playing with hearts hearts herself. Noel romanticizes this life. It's shown that he's always had a flair for the dramatic, but Monique is a direct manifestation of Noel's tortured heart. I also LIVE for his friendship with Mischa. Noel could never really fit in, and I don't think he ever wanted to. He mentioned how his mother always wanted him to be more like the other kids, but he's too passionate for that and he knows it.

Mischa is another very interesting character, and not because he's from Ukraine. His adopted parents literally locked him in the basement and only provided basic necessities. It's also clear that he wanted to go back to his home in Ukraine. He understands why his mother had to send him away, but that doesn't mean he didn't miss his home. His desire to go back only got stronger when he was dating Talia long-distance. We only get glimpses into the character's lives, but Talia was Mischa's light. She was the love of his life. Mischa is a genuinely kind person despite his gangster persona, and though he misses Talia, singing her name over and over, is willing to not vote for himself.

Now THE swinging space age bachelor man, Ricky. I think death was the best thing for him. In death, he can speak. He can walk without crutches. All of the effects of his disease are reversed. I only say it's the best thing for him because he most likely thinks the same thing. After his song he takes his name out of consideration for voting. Part of that is because he can't vote for himself and believes that the others are more deserving of a second chance, but he also enjoys the freedom that death gave him. I love you Ricky Potts.

Jane Doe is the most mysterious character of the play and also my personal favorite. She has a lot of funny moments, but everything about her has an undertone of sadness. The others avoid her in the beginning. They don't really view her as a person (Ocean literally refers to her as a super freaky monster). She's a walking existential crisis. She has no memory of her life. Everything about her was gone once she lost her head. To me, the doll head she wears is a representation of what she's longing for. She wants a face of her own. She wants her identity. Until her song, the others avoid her because she's a reminder of what they could have lost in addition to their lives, plus she's creepy (having no head literally took away her balance, so her movements add to the horrifying nature of her character). After her song, the others realize just how much she lost. She knows how she died, but not who she was. The New Birthday Song is one of my favorite scenes in the show. It shows the others reaching out to her. They're trying to console her. Even Ricky lets her have the name Savanah (with the greenest eyes). We find out she's Penny Lamb in the end, but her name is really all we directly learn about her.

Constance is also a deep character. On the outside, she's the nice girl. She loves her friends, family, and has pride in her town. This stuff is true. But she also has a passionate side. She wants a lover and wanted to lose her virginity, which she ended up losing to a carnie. She tried to blend in, hiding her love and the things she was passionate about. She was made to feel ashamed for so much in her life. She was so self-conscious in life, to a point where a lot of viewers could find it relatable. It took death for her to accept that she loved her life, that she loved her family and her town. She misses all of the small things, but she's glad she had them in the first place.

Anyways this is what my brain is fixating on right now.

[tadc-harlequin-au]

In terms of non-canon, how did Pomni and Ragatha's relationship start? What’s Anya and Pomni’s relationship like? Also, how were Anya's teenage years? (Hopefully more easier than her brother's lol)

Well, the reason why Jesterdoll doesn't become canon is because Ragatha doesn't feel ready to be in a relationship on top of other things. A confession happens, but Ragatha becomes scared of becoming fully committed to another person again, so she turns Pomni down.

I mean the story ends with the possibility of Jesterdoll happening post-canon but AHEM I'm getting off track

BUT. For the sake of Jesterdoll, let's say Ragatha has already gotten over this fear by the time the confession happens. Guilt and trauma no longer clouds this confession, instead, Ragatha learns to use what she had went through to make this relationship work. So she accepts, and they are officially a couple.

Caine will overhear this as he was canonically eavesdropping by the time the confession happens, so he will be out of commission for a long ass while due to immense heartbreak. Seeking Kingr's comfort and company and literally not being available to everyone else as he is too shaken and depressed to be a leader at the moment. Oh, all the angsty kinda one-sided showtime, possible royalteeth that could be possible with this scenario, on top of wholesome Jesterdoll, GODDAMN GRRRRRRRRRR.

A-anyways, that is how they would start off.

Anya and Pomni's relationship is good, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have it's times of uncertainty from Pomni's side. Pomni's afraid that her gruff side would end up hurting Anya, so she's constantly having to explore how to be more gentle, calm, and a comforting presence towards her daughter. Tapping into her feminine side more, so she can bond with her; Joining the tea parties in dresses, pretending they're the queen and princess of the world, all the classic fun parenting stuff like that :>

The two kids are basically two sides of Pomni's spectrum that she has to learn to balance, not only for her kids to have a better life, but also so she learns how to better control her new self and her life going forward.

Anya's teenage years.... She'd be constantly on Pomni's side of the argument, leading to a slight rift between her and her brother. It's not her fault that her brother can't see their mom's point like she does.

Despite this nonetheless, Cade still trusts her enough to confide in her about things he feels and things he wants to share while exploring (yes, he is EXPLORING when he sneaks out.) which she tries to keep between the two of them, as both of them understand that their parents would likely not really understand the depth of his situation and how much this helps Cade get his mind off of things. She'd even cover for him while he's gone and they ask, distracting the adults with an infodump about a thing she's learned, which could last for HOURS. Anya's becoming more and more confident, but she's still reluctant on some things, like going out on the city.

Better to start slow, like her mom Ragatha.