#and her relationship to her role and rejection of perfection

[sacrificialalt]

ID: A colored sketch of Pluto from Heaven Will Be Mine with a wide smile, though she's slightly covering this up with the Cradle's Grace sash hanging loosely around her frame. She's surrounded by messy starry and plant designs, and has both the veil of her ship-self and a laurel crown atop her head. End ID

The perfect princess of Cradle's Grace.

[anthyies]

Please tell us about Shiho!

omg hi. shiho suzui my favorite persona 5 npc. i think she was genuinely robbed by not having a larger role like she could totally have been a confidant...

[transmutationisms]

from a non-academic, i find parts of comphet to be useful (heterosexuality becomes compulsory when you’re raised in a heterosexual society) but the foundations . suck. what do we do with theories like this, that have touched on a truth but also carry a lot of garbage? can we separate the truth from the founder?

i have to be slightly pedantic and say that i don't think rich's essay is an example of this phenomenon. my central issue with her formulation is its bioessentialist assumptions about human sex and therefore also sexuality. if i say "capitalism includes economic mechanisms that enforce heterosexual behaviour and exclude other possibilities", then what i mean by "heterosexual" is plainly not the same as what rich means—and for this reason i would seldom formulate the statement this way, without clarifying that i am talking about the enforcement of heterosexuality as a part of the creation and defence of sex/gender categories themselves. so rich and i do not actually agree on the very fundamental premises of this paper! rich was not the first or only person to point out that economic mechanisms as well as resultant social norms enforce heterosexual pairings; i actually don't even think the essay does a very clear job of interrogating the relationship between labour, economy, and the creation of sex/gender; she means something different and essentialist to what i mean by sex and sexuality; and i think her proposed responses to the phenomenon she identifies as 'compulsory heterosexuality' are uninteresting because they mainly propose psychological answers to a problem arising from conditions of political economy. so, in regards to this specific paper, i am actually totally comfortable just saying that it's not a useful formulation, and i don't feel a need to rescue elements of it.

in general, i do know what you're talking about, and i think there's a false dichotomy here: as though we must either discard an idea entirely if it has elements we dislike, or we accept it on the condition that we can plausibly claim these elements and their author are irrelevant. these are not comprehensive options. instead, i would posit that every theory, hypothesis, or idea is laden with context, including values held and assumptions made by their progenitors. the point is not to find a mythical 'objective' truth unburdened by human bias or mistakes; this is impossible. instead, i think we need to take seriously the elements of an idea that we object to. why are they there? what sorts of assumptions or arguments motivate them, and are those actually separable from whatever we like in the idea? if so, can we be clear about which aspects of the theory are still useful or applicable, and where it is that the objectionable elements arise? and if we can identify these points, then what might we propose instead? this is all much more useful, imo, than either waiting for a perfect morally unimpeachable theory or trying to 'accept' a theory without grappling with its origins (political, social, intellectual).

a recent example that you might find interesting as a kind of case study is j lorand matory's book the fetish revisited, which argues that the 'fetish' concept in freud's and marx's work drew from their respective understandings of afro-atlantic gods. in other words, when marx said capitalists "fetishise" commodities or freud spoke about sexual "fetishism", they were each claiming that viewing an object as agentive, meaning-laden in itself (ie, devoid of the context of human meaning-making as a social and political activity) was comparable to 'primitive' and delusory religious practices.

matory's point here isn't that we should reject marx's entire contribution to political economy because he was racist, nor is it that we can somehow accept parts of what marx said by just excising any racist bits. rather, matory asks us to grapple seriously with the role that marx's anthropologically inflected racism plays in his ideas, and what limitations it imposes on them. why is it that marx could identify the commodity as being discursively abstracted and 'fetishised', but did not apply this understanding to other ideas and objects in a consistent way? and how is his understanding of this process of 'fetishisation' shaped by his beliefs about afro-atlantic peoples, and their 'intelligence' or civilisational achievements in comparison to northwestern europeans'? by this critique matory is able to nuance the fetish concept, and to argue that marx's formulation of it was both reductive and inconsistently applied (analogously to how freud viewed only some sexuality as 'fetishistic'). it is true in some sense that capital and the commodity are reified and abstracted in a manner comparable to the creation of a metaphysical entity, but what we get from matory is both a better, more nuanced understanding of this process of meaning-making (incl. a challenge to the racist idea of afro-atlantic gods as simply a result of inferior intelligence or cultural development), and the critical point that if this is fetishism, then we must understand a lot more human discourse and activity as hinging on fetishisation.

the answer of what we do with the shitty or poorly formulated parts of a theory won't always be the same, obviously; this is a dialogue we probably need to have (and then have again) every time we evaluate an idea or theory. but i hope this gives you some jumping-off points to consider, and an idea of what it might look like to grapple with ideas as things inherently shaped by people—and our biases and assumptions and failings—without assuming that means we can or should just discard them any time those failings show through. the point is not to waste time trying to find something objective, but to understand the subjective in its context and with its strengths and limitations, and then to decide from there what use we can or should make of it.

[loriache]

honestly i'm kind of interested in the idea of laios in an arranged marriage. because obviously straight-up inherited monarchies are ...bad, to say the least! but it's what the characters are familiar with (even laios' father's extremely local, extremely minor leadership role is inherited, presumably through the male line). and it isn't just about what they think the best way to run melini is; in terms of ensuring that the other longed-lived nations respect melini's continued sovereignty, having it passed down in a manner that's close enough to their own ways for them to understand it and respect it is important. And it seems like most of the other nations have leadership through inheritance - thought that isn't confirmed for certain except with the elves.

Also, a marriage carries the potential to establish foreign allies - something melini is certainly lacking. A marriage could come with resources they'll badly need, treaties of mutual defence, money, legitimacy and political capital... not that these things can't be worked around, but if laios isn't strongly opposed, there are a lot of advantages! and i don't think he would be, because that's the framework for marriage (conferring practical advantages, building intracommunity relationships and providing a partner to do important work that he can't do) that he had grown up with. he isn't exactly a romantic and I doubt he's holding out for any sort of relationship of that nature.

Like, I don't think it's impossible that they would go with this path, because it's the most obvious and it carries a lot of advantages and it's what almost all the decision-making characters would consider normal and not objectionable. and it could be so interesting.

I think Laios would have major hangups if expected (i.e., by Marcille) to establish a genuine, romantic interest in a woman. Whether because of his sexual or romantic orientation, or just his own deep-seated trauma about rejection and being inherently disgusting and scary. And I think he'd hate the idea of having kids, too, and be very frightened of being like his father. But I don't think he'd refuse on that basis; he could cope with a marriage contract, with clearly laid-out expectations and responsibilities. And when it came to having a kid, I think he'd be reluctant to express that he doesn't want to do it, because he isn't naive and he understood when he agreed to be king it would carry responsibilities like this. It's clear from his nightmare that he already felt pressure from his parents to have children, probably magnified by the fact his father has got a position, responsibilities and wealth to pass on. Obviously he isn't a perfect martyr, so he might struggle when it comes to actually going through with it - but I don't think he'd actually, outright refuse. I think he might do it even though he doesn't want to, and I think that could be really messy in a way that appeals to me.

I don't know, there's something about negotiating these kinds of complicated situations that's interesting to me. and i love a platonic marriage. If they find a woman who has an interest in education, for example, and can work with marcille on setting up schools and universities. she'd ideally be politically savvy enough to be an able partner to laios: even though kabru can and would continue to do a lot of that, there are different spheres that a queen and a prime minister can work within!

how would their relationship work? maybe she finds laios' perspective on the world, and his frankness, unexpectedly liberating after an extremely controlled, cloistered upbringing. maybe she had a rebellious phase, has magic, or something else which makes her a relatively unpopular candidate for marriage - even as melini grows in power, i doubt that they'd be getting offers for the cream of the crop in terms of perceived value on the marriage market, because laios' relationship is a bit too ambivalent/monstrous for that, and melini too new. maybe she's a widow! an older woman, wouldn't that be cool - though they'd want her young enough that she could definitely still have kids.

certainly i think he'd be happy for her to pursue other relationships, though ideally in a manner that couldn't produce illegitimate kids. with other relationships in play, that's even more interesting. like, both kabru and toshiro have complicated emotions relating to infidelity. i think kabru would actually find it quite cathartic to be in the kind of high-status environment that rejected his mother for perceived infidelity, pursuing an affair that all parties consent to, though he'd likely be incredibly aware of the public image - since "image" is what he was rejected for. toshiro... i just really really love the way he'd feel about being the "other woman" in laios' marriage, considering his feelings about his father and maizuru. especially given how much closer he is to maizuru than his mother, being in her position...! his emotions would be so complex, it's incredibly tasty. i bet he'd make a bunch of assumptions about how laios' wife feels about it and be totally wrong, and that's so interesting. also, i think laios' wife should fuck marcille (she and falin have an open relationship).

[anonymousewrites]

A Not-So-Disastrous Love (Book 2) Chapter Four

Saiki Kusuo x Reader

Chapter Four: Cute Girls and Ghost Girls

Summary: There's a new cute girl in the school, and there's also a haunting.

            Saiki and (Y/N) watched a first-year walk through a crowd of students. All the men were giving her gifts and trying to help her find her way around the school. It reminded Saiki and (Y/N) of Teruhashi, except…

            “Who is she?” whispered (Y/N).

            “No idea,” said Saiki.

            Clearly, though her beauty was immense, she was not the perfect pretty girl Teruhashi was (honestly, it would be scary if there was another person with Teruhashi’s presence and powerful beauty in the world).

            “When I heard the boys, I thought it was Teruhashi,” said Saiki.

            “I wonder if Kokomi and the freshman will meet,” wondered (Y/N). “It might break the world.”

            “Yare yare.” Saiki sighed. “Let’s avoid her.” He didn’t need more bothers (especially not people who drew attention) in his life.

            “She’s not in our year, so it should be simple,” said (Y/N).

l

            Wrong.

            As Saiki, (Y/N), Nendou, and Kaidou walked to their classroom as break ended, they found a group of their second-year students peeking into a first-year classroom.

            “Wow, she’s super cute,” whispered some of the boys.

            “It’s Imu Rifuta,” sighed another dreamily.

            “What are those guys doing?” wondered Nendou.

            “Probably checking out the cute freshman,” said Kaidou.

            “Oh, the girl from this morning,” said Saiki.

            “I wonder what she’s like,” said (Y/N).

            “You mean more or less annoying than Teruhashi?” said Saiki.

            (Y/N) leveled a look at Saiki, and Saiki quieted. “No, I mean if she’s actually a nice girl or not.”

            Inside the classroom, Rifuta stood and walked towards the door. It’s only a matter of time before I dominate this school. This is a pain. However, as soon as she opened the door, the boys blushed. But I guess they deserve a treat. She put on a shy smile. “Do you need something from me?”

            “Do her thoughts match her appearance?” whispered (Y/N).

            “She wants to dominate the school,” said Saiki, directly into (Y/N)’s mind.

            “Huh,?” asked (Y/N). They knew that Teruhashi felt the pressure to be the perfect pretty girl, and while most of her kindness—especially to her friends—was legimiate, she did make sure to present herself well to the world. That was understandable, so (Y/N) didn’t hold it against her. And Teruhashi was learning to be herself, like rejected Saiko and such.

            Hopefully, Rifuta was like that. If she wasn’t…that could spell trouble. And conflict. And an unhealthy relationship for Rifuta with her self-image in the long run.

            “Are you seeing anyone?”

            “Are you dating?”

            “Do you have a boyfriend?”

            The crowd of boys had no idea that Rifuta knew exactly how to play them, though, so the questions just kept coming.

            “What? A boyfriend?” Rifuta blushed. “No, I don’t.” She lightly hit an older boy, playing a “petulant” but cute role. “That’s not something you can simply ask a girl.”

            I wish she would hit me, too, thought all the boys.

            “But if I do get a boyfriend, I want someone older who can take charge,” said Rifuta.

            All the boys gasped and blushed.

            (Y/N) groaned. “So she’s that type of girl.” Rifuta was able to manipulate boys and did so intentionally.

            They’re such easy targets, thought Rifuta.

            Nendou approached and leaned in to look at Rifuta. She jumped in surprise and fear.

            “What is this?” he asked.

            “Nendou!” exclaimed the other boys.

            “Fine, I guess she’s cute,” said Nendou, “But Teruhashi is cuter.”

            Teruhashi? Who is that? thought Rifuta. What, did he just say she was cuter? She narrowed her eyes. There’s no way this dump of a school has someone cuter.

            “Hey, Nendou, what are you talking about,” said a classmate.

            You tell him! thought Rifuta, smirking.

            “She’s an aggressive Kokomi, isn’t she?” said (Y/N), reading her like a book.

            “Yes,” said Saiki.

            “That’s not a fair comparison!” continued the classmate. “You can’t compare her to an angel!”

            Wait, I lost?! Rifuta’s mouth dropped open in shock.

            “What a blow,” remarked (Y/N).

            “This girl is ten times cuter than the average girl, not a hundred times cuter!” said the classmate. “They’re in different leagues!”

            Another blow.

            She’s that cute?! thought Rifuta incredulously.

            “Shut up, back off,” said Nendou as the boys advanced on him.

            “It’s fine. I’m not that cute at all,” said Rifuta, trying to pretend to be humble. “I’m-I’m a little curious to meet this Teruhashi.” This is nuts! I need to see her!

            Yare yare.

l

            “How do you feel about that quiz, (Y/N)?” asked teruhashi as she stood up for lunch.

            “Pretty good,” said (Y/N). “On one of the triple integrations, I definitely started with the wrong axis, so it took me a while, but I think I sorted it out in the end.” They smiled.

            “Oh, yes, I’ve done that, too,” said Teruhashi, smiling.

            Outside the door of the classroom, Rifuta looked in, and her jaw dropped open. Teruhashi’s smile shone just as much as she did.

            How is she so beautiful?! thought Rifuta. I can see why they call her an angel now. I can even see her wings. She shook her head. No, those are just clouds! Even the sky is on her side? I-I can’t let anyone be cuter than me.

            “Look at her,” whispered some second-years. “She’s so cute.”

            I haven’t lost yet! Rifuta smiled triumphantly. Everyone’s calling me cute!

            “Look, it’s Teruhashi,” said a boy, running to the door to look in. He was in another class, so he didn’t get to see Teruhashi as often as other people.

            “She gives my life meaning just by living in the same world,” sighed another boy.

            That goes far beyond just cute! Rifuta couldn’t believe it. A world that doesn’t revolve around me?! I will never accept that! “E-Excuse me,” she said to the boys. “I wanted to go to the cafeteria, but I got a little lost. Could you please show me the way?”

            “Of course!” said one boy.

            “Yes!” said another.

            “What?”

            “She asked me!”

            “Want to fight?!”

            Rifuta inwardly smirked. I’m going to steal every boy fawning over you.

            And then, a shining light rained down on the squabbling boys.

            “What’s this commotion? Are you fighting?” asked Teruhashi.

            She’s even prettier up close! Rifuta just stared. Her eyes flicked to (Y/N). And she even lets random people hang around her?

            Hey. Saiki thought (Y/N) was better to look at than either Rifuta or Teruhashi, so he didn’t appreciate the thought.

            “Of course not,” said one of the boys.

            “We were just fooling around.” The other smiled. They were like best buddies now.

            They stopped fighting just because this girl showed up! My beauty causes conflict, but her beauty goes beyond that. She brings people together!

            “You want to go to the cafeteria?” said Teruhashi, smiling at Rifuta. “(Y/N) and I can show you the way.”

            (Y/N) just smiled, as bright and cheery as ever. Rifuta felt very confused and intimidated by the whole thing.

            Saiki was annoyed that his partner was getting stolen for lunch, which meant he’d be stuck with just idiots.

l

            “This is the fastest way to the cafeteria,” explained (Y/N), ignoring the “oh, wows” being created by the sight of Teruhashi.

            What is that “oh, wow” sound I keep hearing?! thought Rifuta.

            “You’re name is Imu, right?” said Teruhashi. “That’s such a cute name. Your pigtails suit you.”

            Rifuta blushed. “Really?”

            (Y/N) tilted their head as Rifuta gazed adoringly—on accident—at Teruhashi. Huh.

            “They are very cute,” said Teruhashi.

            No, what am I getting happy for?! Rifuta couldn’t believe her own reaction. People only give compliments when they think they’re better than you. I’ll show her! “Is that so? But you’re much prettier, and your skin is so smooth.”

            “Oh, stop.” Teruhashi blushed. “I’m not wearing any makeup today.”

            No makeup! Rifuta was being blown out of the water.

            “Let’s get a meal ticket,” said (Y/N) cheerfully. They were used to Teruhashi and what happened around her by now, so while Rifuta kept being shocked, they just kept walking to the counter for food.

            “Three noodle bowls coming up,” said the servers. He smiled at Rifuta. “This cute freshman gets a fried shrimp on the house.”

            Yes, look at that! Rifuta felt victorious. When you’re as cute as me, then they give you free food at the—Her eyes bulged upon seeing Teruhashi’s tray.

            The bowl was twice as large with a lobster, egg, and three pieces of fried shrimp.

            “Oh, (Y/N), I got too much fried shrimp. Would you like some?” said Teruhashi.

            “Sure,” said (Y/N), smiling as they were passed the free food. Hey, they might not have been changing the world order with their looks, but they had a good friend, so what did it matter?

            She got a whole lobster?! And she shared?! Rifuta’s head was spinning. A world that doesn’t revolve around me? “I can’t handle this!” She put her tray down and ran.

            “Imu?” said Teruhashi. Inwardly, she smiled. I’m sorry, but you must learn your place. The world doesn’t revolve around you. It revolves around me.

            In my opinion, they’re both as bad as each other, thought Saiki.

            “You were really trying to impress her, Kokomi,” said (Y/N) as they sat down.

            “I was just showing her who the perfect pretty girl is,” said Teruhashi. “She’s cute, but she’s not me.”

            (Y/N) waved their chopsticks at Teruhashi. “We’ve talked about this, you don’t need to attach all your worth to that. Besides, she’s doing the same thing, and you can see that it gets bad if someone is better than you in some way. Next time, let’s try to be a little nicer? Maybe you two could be friends. Then the world would really revolve completely around you.” They laughed.

            Teruhashi paused and considered. She smiled shyly. “I guess you’re right. I was a little harsh. I’ll be a little gentler to my kohai if we meet again.”

            “And that makes you the perfect pretty girl,” joked (Y/N). To them, what was inside counted.

            Teruhashi’s cheeks burned, but she smiled at her friend. At least someone was honest with her and treated her like a regular friend. It was refreshing.

            They’re as bad as each other, but Teruhashi is nice to (Y/N). I’ll put up with her for that.

l

            “You hear a not from the music room,” whispered Kaidou. “When you open the door, you will see on the piano keys a pool of blood!”

            Nendou, Saiki, and (Y/N) didn’t react and just stared at him.

            “Why aren’t you reactin?” Kaidou sweat-dropped.

            “Just wipe up the blood then,” said Nendou.

            “That’s not the point!” said Kaidou.

            “Why are we always scared of ghosts? I can’t imagine they’re all like the horror movies,” said (Y/N). They smiled. “Maybe they’re just having a good time.

            “Ghosts are scary!” cried Kaidou.

            “A ghost in the music room? Wasn’t there someone who knows about ghosts? I can’t remember who it is,” said Saiki.

            “You’re just pretending not to know him because he’s a pervert,” said (Y/N).

            “Yes,” said Saiki.

            “Saiki!”

            “Speaking of the pervert,” said (Y/N) brightly.

            Toritsuka stood in the doorway of the classroom. “Please help me.” Blood dripped down his forehead.

            “It’s a ghost!” cried Kaidou.

            “That doesn’t look right,” remarked (Y/N).

            “Don’t worry about it, I just got punched when they caught me listening by the girls’ bathroom,” said Toritsuka.

            “So you deserved it? No worries then,” said (Y/N), humming.

            “That’s why I pretend not to know him,” said Saiki.

            “Can we talk, Saiki? Please?” said Toritsuka.

            “Yare yare.” He knew he would be bothered, so he stood up and went with Toritsuka. (Y/N) gave him a thumbs-up as encouragement.

            “I am begging you,” said Toritsuka. “Come with me tonight to exorcise the ghost in the music room!”

            “Help you again?” Saiki was uninterested in the idea

            “I promised some people that I would handle it,” said Toritsuka.

            Saiki considered. The extra attention the ghost brings is bad for me. Too much ESP things going on could be a problem for the one psychic that didn’t want to be found out. Yare yare. “Fine.” He was going to hate this.

l

            “There’s something exciting about being at school at night!” said Toritsuka.

            (Y/N) yawned. “I’m ready for bed.” They’d only come so their boyfriend didn’t have to deal with Toritsuka on his own (plus they wanted to see a real ghost).

            “I’m surprised. I figured a coward like you would be scared,” said Saiki, looking at Toritsuka.

            “Are you kidding? How could I be scared when there are ghosts everywhere?” said Toritsuka.

            “Most people would be,” said Saiki.

            “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” chirped (Y/N).

            “See?”

            Plink!

            “I heard a piano!” cried Toritsuka.

            “Clairvoyance.” Saiki crossed his eyes and looked at the music room. “No one’s in there.”

            “Let’s go see,” said (Y/N).

            “To the music room!” said Toritsuka. He flung open the door. “Stop right there!”

            “Nobody is here,” said Saiki. “But what can you see?”

            Toritsuka had a strange look on his face.

            “What are you seeing?” repeated Saiki.

            “Only he can see the ghosts?” (Y/N) sighed, disappointed.

            “See it for yourself with your psychometry,” said Toritsuka.

            Saiki touched Toritsuka with one hand and (Y/N) with the other, sharing the ghost-seeing ability.

            “What is it, something bad—”

            “Oh,” said (Y/N).

            It was a girl their age, a ghost, playing the piano.

            “She’s so cute!” cried Toritsuka.

            “Who cares about that?” said Saiki.

            “Let’s talk to her,” said (Y/N). “Excuse me,” they said.

            The girl stopped and looked up nervously. “You can see me?”

            (Y/N) nodded. “Your playing is very nice.” They smiled.

            “But, uh, you’re scaring people,” said Toritsuka.

            The girl’s face dropped. “My playing is scaring the other students?” Her voice was small, disappointed.

            “That’s because nobody can see you except for this weirdo,” said Saiki.

            “I’m sure no one would be scared if they saw you,” said (Y/N) kindly.

            “I didn’t mean to scare anyone,” said the girl. “I just realized I could touch this piano for some reason. Playing it really relaxes me.”

            “You must be able to touch things that meant something in your life,” said Saiki.

            “So you’d be able to eat coffee jelly if you were a ghost,” said (Y/N).

            Saiki couldn’t exactly argue with that comment.

            “Play as much as you’d like,” said Toritsuka. “I’d love to hear a ballad!”

            “He’s seriously flirting?” (Y/N) sighed.

            “We can’t just let her keep doing this,” said Saiki, and Toritsuka frowned.

            “That’s true,” he admitted. He looked at the girl. “I’m sorry. As a spirit medium, I can’t just ignore a ghost causing trouble for others. Now, please be gone.”

            “That’s a bit harsh, poor girl,” said (Y/N).

            “Please! You’re frightening everyone,” said Toritsuka. “Will you leave this place? I’m begging you?”

            “What?” said the girl, confused.

            “You’re trying persuasion?” said Saiki.

            “That can’t be effective,” said (Y/N).

            “He can’t even touch ghosts,” recalled Saiki.

            “You can come to my house!” said Toritsuka. He grinned. “Please? Just for a little bit?”

            (Y/N) looked directly at the ghost. “I’d suggest moving on to the afterlife at this point. He’s weird.”

            “No, no, you can come to my house!” said Toritsuka.

            “Over my dead body,” said the girl.

            “Nice ghost joke.”

            “I’ll stop playing,” said the girl. She bowed her head. “I’m sorry for all the trouble. Goodbye.” She faded away.

            Toritsuka deflated from disappointment at failing to flirt with yet another girl. “I feel kind of bad.”

            “We didn’t have a choice,” said Saiki.

            “At least she can move on,” said (Y/N). They smiled. “And then she’ll be at peace instead of lonely at school playing all on her own.”

            Toritsuka sighed again. “But I could’ve brought the piano back to my place for her.”

            “Don’t ruin a nice idea by being a pervert.”

            “Weirdo,” chirped (Y/N).

            The piano player would move on in peace, but Toritsuka got ganged up on. All was well in the world once more.

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[sugar-grigri]

Miri does the chair as much as Denji

The chapter confirms the suffering of the hybrids who turn out to be the "weapons" (thank you Fujimoto for confirming at least one of my theories).

But let's go into a bit more detail in this chapter, which only talks about alienation and never about freedom.

What better title than 'A Chair's Feelings', which is a perfect antithesis.

I have the feeling that something specific has happened, let me explain.

Firstly, Fumiko Mifune plays her role as Denji's guard perfectly. She's not protecting him as a person but as the property of the public hunters.

How does she do this? Firstly because she sticks to Denji, but more importantly she seriously disrupts the discussion between Denji and Sugo.

Every time Miri puts an advantage on the table, she questions it. A high position in the church? Chainsaw Man deserves to be guru.

Steak every day? We're getting tired of it, other dishes would be preferable.

The public hunters represent the opressor who uses Denji as a tool. In other words, the entity that Miri is trying to remove Denji from.

But what's particularly interesting is that Miri doesn't demonstrate free will and spits out someone else's arguments.

What's even more fascinating is that Miri thinks he's going to convince Denji with his own arguments, which turns out to be in vain.

Miri seems like someone who operates on principle and has taken on board concepts such as dignity and freedom, which he now intends to protect. Denji doesn't think like that; he needs concrete arguments to engage him.

For example, Miri presents Denji as his liberator. This has no effect on him, as he was unaware of it because it was Pochita who was fighting. Once again, we're projecting onto the figure of Chainsaw Man the image we'd like him to represent here: the first weapon to free himself from the oppressor that was Makima.

But Miri is far from imagining that not only was Denji not conscious, but that he consciously 'saved' Makima by allowing her to become a new version of herself who would be cherished and loved. Because Makima was never the oppressor, she was merely the object of the Japanese government, which surely also used a few weapons.

That's why I think Miri's way of presenting himself is a step backwards. I don't know if it's intentional, but the way his name appears in the dialogue bubbles and the suspension points…… The syntax is important. Miri knows that his name is just a number given to him by his former oppressor.

In fact, that's why he calls Fumiko "sushi-woman" or refers to the students as rubbish; he doesn't think of them as they never thought of him.

Sugo has no intention of forming a relationship with the humans, whom he seems to reject, which clearly shows that weapons are used by humans, not demons.

But Denji grimaces when he sees that he is so easily popular and integrated, and that he would prefer to be rejected.

Miri rejects humans, wanting only to make friends with weapons, while Denji continues to define himself only by humans. One holds a grudge and wants revenge, while the other still prefers integration. Which already demonstrates a fundamental difference.

Swordman's arguments move from the abstract to the concrete. He starts by talking about abstract concepts such as gratitude (Denji saved him), freedom and having a community, and then starts to integrate the concrete.

He already includes food by using the precise line that Denji had used, namely steaks.

Miri isn't interested in the debate about food, deploring Denji's interest in it, and reiterates in a cruder and more brutal form what he was saying before, "being used by bastards", instead of talking about instrumentalisation and freedom. And again, he has to push Denji to confirm this.

It's obvious that Miri, who presents himself as the messenger of the church, either sent by someone or is carrying out someone's order, is contradicting himself and is not yet free. As Fumiko points out.

When Miri confronts Denji, who is still in the chair position, Denji has a more interesting response than it seems: being a chair suits him because he can feel buttocks against his back.

Being a chair means contact, and physical contact with girls. Even if it's a rather perverse line (and far from the most poetic), it shows that Denji is once again interested in being a chair if it allows him to make contact with his own kind. That he has no abstract concept built in like self-esteem or claiming his dignity.

Even becoming a friend is too abstract for Denji, who doesn't react. He will only react when new physical contact is mentioned, reacting unusually comically.

Miri mentions this last argument as a last resort, leaving as if he was already sure it would be pointless. It's as if someone had told him to mention low, childish things like steak and sex because they were the only things that would convince Denji.

There's a clear dichotomy in Miri's speech between the arguments that convinced him (surely used by the church to hire him) and the other kinds of arguments that would convince Denji, whispered to him by someone in the church who knows Denji.

Who knows Denji? No hybrids, they don't have any memories, so surely not Reze.

I like to imagine that it's Kishibe, since the steak and sex with several girls are explicit things that Denji mentioned in front of him when he proclaimed his dream.

He was also the only one to observe the fight between Pochita and Makima. So he's the only one who can tell us about the hybrids' past. If we support his link with the hybrids through Quanxi...

It all ties together!

If we go back to the title... A Chair Feelings. It takes on a whole new meaning.

Note the use of the indefinite article "a" and not "the" when only Denji is doing the chair? Wouldn't a chair be a broader metaphor and category? The chair would be the form of alienation accepted by the weapons. Still not freedom.

In short, Fujimoto questions one thing: is the man who claims to be free so far removed from the man who makes the chair ?

[moistvonlipwig]

Eternity, Growing Up, and Why Buffy Keeps Dating Vampires

Vampires in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, on a most basic level, represent stagnation, a desire to stay young forever, the refusal to grow up. The show emphasizes this several times: in the show's very first episode, Buffy recognizes a vampire by his outdated outfit, and in 2.07 "Lie to Me," Ford claims that becoming a vampire will allow him to "die young and stay pretty," the dream of "every American teen." Buffy's role as the titular vampire slayer can thus be read as a metaphor for her choosing to grow up and become an adult in the face of temptations to do otherwise. So what does it mean, then, that Buffy's two most narratively significant love interests are vampires -- that she repeatedly, across seven seasons, courts eternal immaturity? I would argue that Buffy's relationships with Angel and Spike represent her inner struggle to accept the reality of growing up and getting older.

Buffy and Angel's relationship is marked by repeated references to the concept of "forever" or an eternal relationship: "When I look into the future, all I see is you" (2.12 "Bad Eggs"); "Love is forever" (2.19 "I Only Have Eyes For You"); "Forever. That's the whole point" (3.01 "Anne"); "You still my girl?" / "Always" (3.17 "Enemies"); Buffy's "Buffy & Angel 4ever!" doodle on her notebook (3.20 "The Prom"); "How's forever? Does forever work for you?" (5.17 "Forever"). At first glance, this may appear to be a romantic cliche, but taken in context of what vampires represent, the motif takes on new meaning. To be eternal is to be like a vampire -- to stagnate, to never change or grow or mature. Indeed, Angel's final line on the entire show, in his and Buffy's last scene together, is, "I ain't getting any older" (7.22 "Chosen"). In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, immortality is synonymous with immaturity. To want a "forever" relationship, then, is to want to never grow up.

(This idea is revisited in the Angel episode 2.13 "Happy Anniversary," a disturbing tale about a man who responds to his impending breakup with his girlfriend Denise by attempting to freeze them both in time mid-coitus forever. Lorne's response -- "I can hold a note forever. But eventually that's just noise. It's the change we're listening for. The note coming after, and the one after that. That's what makes it music." -- is a perfect summation of the Buffyverse's stance on the concept of eternity. To last "forever" is not romantic or beautiful; it is simply to be in stasis.)

Buffy and Angel's relationship is also frequently associated with death, and Buffy's death in particular: "When you kiss me, I wanna die" (2.05 "Reptile Boy"); kissing against a gravestone reading "In Loving Memory" ("Bad Eggs"); Angel's dream of Buffy bursting into flames in the sunlight like a vampire after marrying him ("The Prom"). The implication is that, if Buffy stays in the relationship, it will metaphorically kill her, cut off her future, freeze her in this moment of teenage love until the end of time, like the first episode's vampire whose fashion sense was stuck in the past or, indeed, like the fate that almost befell poor Denise. To borrow a metaphor from Revolutionary Girl Utena (another show very concerned with the dichotomy of eternity vs. growing up), Angel and Buffy's relationship is their coffin. They can choose to stay trapped in it forever, to never grow or change, and thus to metaphorically die; or they can choose to leave, to grow and change and mature, to gain "the power to imagine the future" (Ikuhara Kunihiko, Utena DVD commentary), where before they could only imagine each other.

It's no coincidence that the second season's finale, an episode all about "becoming," about growing up and maturing, is when Buffy finally finds the strength to kill Angel in order to save the world. In doing so, she rejects her desire to stay young forever, trapped in her coffin with Angel for all of eternity, and chooses to continue to grow up instead. But, of course, growing up is never quite so simple; Angel comes back, and Buffy falls back into her relationship with him, falls back into her desire to pretend the events of the second season never happened and she is still the same young girl who never lost her "innocence" at his hands. Even when we consciously choose to grow up, it is all too easy to seek comfort in the idea that maybe, if we try hard enough, we won't have to. In the end, it is Angel who recognizes the harm their relationship is doing to Buffy, and he departs, taking Buffy's childhood with him. Her youth leaves her, as it leaves us all, whether she wants it to or not.

But Angel is not the last vampire she has a relationship with. In the show's sixth season, Buffy emerges from her literal coffin only to climb right back into a metaphorical one. In the time since she said goodbye to Angel, Buffy has attended college, had to drop out of college, had another romantic relationship fail, lost her mother, essentially become a parent to her newly-acquired sister, died through suicidal self-sacrifice, and been resurrected only to find that she is still just as depressed as she was before dying and is now swamped with bills she cannot pay. Her problems are firmly in the realm of adulthood, and at many points throughout the first half of the season, she longs for the grave she left instead of the life she has: "I was happy. [...] I think I was in heaven. [...] This is hell" (6.03 "After Life"); "There was no pain / no fear, no doubt / 'til they pulled me out / of heaven" (6.07 "Once More, with Feeling").

It is at this point that she begins a sexual relationship with Spike, her second dalliance with eternal immaturity. Buffy and Spike's relationship is also marked by references to death, with an emphasis this time on graves: Spike notices and verbalizes the shared experience they have of clawing their way out of their graves ("After Life"); Spike and Buffy fall into a grave together during Spike's song, during which he beseeches her to "let [him] rest in peace" ("Once More, with Feeling"); several of their sexual encounters literally occur inside the crypt Spike lives in; this crypt is brought into focus especially in 6.13 "Dead Things," in which Buffy and Spike place their hands on either side of its door, separated by her status as living and his as dead. Buffy additionally uses Spike as a proxy to call herself "dead inside" ("Dead Things"). Buffy may have literally risen from the dead, but in a metaphorical sense, she is still trapped in her coffin, unwilling to leave it.

There are, of course, multiple layers to the grave and coffin motif in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's sixth season. But I would argue that one such layer is that it serves as an extension of the death metaphor from Buffy and Angel's relationship, in which death signified Buffy never growing up. In this reading, Buffy's longing for the "heaven" granted to her by the grave is really a longing for the innocence of youth, now lost to her as she must continue to grow up. In Buffy's confession to Spike in "After Life" about where she was in death, she makes particular note of how "time didn't mean anything" in the place she labels "heaven," whereas in the real world, it's hellish "just getting through the next moment, and the one after that." Unlike Lorne, who saw beauty in the progression of time, Buffy sees only suffering, and longs for a time in her life when time itself seemed not to march forward at all.

It is no wonder, then, that she seeks comfort in someone who is frozen in time, who can never grow up. If Buffy's relationship with Angel represented her childhood desire to stay young forever and never face the hardships of adulthood, her relationship with Spike represents her adulthood desire to return to that period of youth and never leave it, to curl up in her coffin and close the lid. But unlike Buffy and Angel's relationship, which is littered with references to eternity, Buffy repeatedly insists on the temporary nature of her dalliance with Spike: "What we did is done. But I will never kiss you, Spike. Never touch you, ever, ever again" (6.08 "Tabula Rasa"); "Not gonna happen. Last night was the end of this freak show" (6.10 "Wrecked"). Buffy is furious with Spike for his hold over her and hates herself for wanting him, but returns to him again and again. She believes she shouldn't want to return to her unattainable youth, she knows she should accept her adult life and face its difficulties head-on, yet when confronted with its difficulties, she repeatedly goes to Spike to escape them, as in 6.11 "Gone," 6.12 "Doublemeat Palace," and 6.15 "As You Were."

If Angel represents Buffy's youth and Spike her nostalgia for that youth, then of course it follows that Angel must leave Buffy, but Buffy must leave Spike. Nostalgia, unlike youth, does not depart from us so easily. But she does leave him, and in the sixth season's finale, she finally crawls out of the grave she's been trapped in, represented by her leading her sister out of a literal grave and smiling at the world before her. As Buffy tells Dawn: "Things have really sucked lately, but it's all gonna change. And I wanna be there when it does. [...] And I want to see you grow up" (6.22 "Grave"). Change, the inevitable forward march of time, the reality of growing up -- these things no longer strike Buffy as hellish, but rather beautiful. She is an adult, and she is living in this ever-changing world, and she embraces that reality fully, leaving the coffin of youth behind for good.

What to make, then, of Buffy's relationship with Spike in the show's seventh season? I would argue that her evolving feelings towards Spike in the final season represent her reconciling with and forgiving her past self, the Buffy that didn't want to grow up, before finally letting that part of her go. She comes to recognize that Spike, like her past self, was capable of change, eternally immature though he may seem. She forgives herself for wanting him. When he offers to leave, she tells him she is "not ready for [him] to not be here" (7.14 "First Date"). She has already chosen to embrace and accept her adulthood, and she no longer resents her desire to return to childhood, but she still needs her inner eternal child with her.

It is in the very last episode of the series that she lets go, demonstrating her full-hearted and joyful acceptance of ephemerality in the process. Buffy has not told a romantic partner she loves them since Angel, although she told Angel she loved Riley in Angel 1.19 "Sanctuary," and from episodes like 4.03 "The Harsh Light of Day," it is clear how much the unexpected transience of her supposed-to-be-forever relationship with Angel has haunted her. But in 7.22 "Chosen," Buffy tells Spike she loves him in a moment when she knows for sure that his death is imminent and that their joint existence together is temporary. She no longer fears a love that is not eternal. Through Spike, she expresses her love for her past self and for the part of her that never quite grew up, and then she lets that part die with him, and with Sunnydale itself, the place where she spent her adolescence, another representation of the grave that was her dream of forever childhood. Despite this destruction and loss, Buffy only smiles in its face, and it is this smile we leave her on. She has grown up, she has forgiven herself for not wanting to grow up, she has let go of the last remnants of the childhood she once hoped would be eternal, and she has come to not only accept the ephemeral, ever-changing nature of life, but to meet it with love and joy. "The power to imagine the future" is hers to wield. And her smile tells us that she is finally ready to wield it.

[sleepydaemon]

The complexity of mentor/sidekick relationships adds so much depth to the Young Justice characters.

Robin’s mentor is Batman, but he’s also his adoptive father, and he seems to be a decent parent (compared to other versions). But Dick has this need to prove himself both to Batman and Bruce, so he gets crazy intense about being the team leader, which then spirals into self hatred (“Just Aqualad??”).

Aqualad has a kind but firm mentor in Aquaman, but that’s also his king, so it’s almost impossible to be truly emotionally vulnerable with him. And then as the leader, he has to ba a sort-of mentor to his teammates. So he’s left with no one to really emotionally lean on when confronted with Tula.

M’gann has her uncle J’onn who she clearly has a close relationship with, even though he has no idea the scope of her powers. But, he’s also her only ticket to Earth and she’s been lying to him about her status as white martian, because she feels like he won’t accept her for who she really is.

Superboy was literally programmed to be as close to Superman as possible, making him a perfect mentor. But Superman fully rejects him, leaving him without purpose, and being forced to see everyone else’s (perfect) mentor relationships. Superboy eventually reaches out to Black Canary though, seeking out a mentor who will actually engage with him.

Kid Flash clearly has a close relationship with Flash, who’s his uncle and mentor. They have a lot of fun joking around, but Flash really doesn’t seem to acknowledge a lot of KF’s ideas and they don’t have them at much screen time together. KF also had Kent Nelson as a role model, though, which seemed to have a much larger impact before they were separated.

Artemis really doesn’t have a mentor. Her dad taught her most of her skills, but almost none of her morals. She used to really look up to Jade, but gave that up when she got left behind. Green Arrow is supposedly her justice league mentor, but he’s barely gotten over Speedy, so for a while they have very little relationship. I think this makes her feel even more out of place on the team.

And everyone is just forced again and again into the realization that they have to make their own decisions and be their own people now. Everything can’t depend on their mentors if they want to be anything more than sidekicks.

[maxdibert]

Lily. Is she just a popular Petunia? On the surface they’re two sisters that could hardly be more different, the elder unattractive, dull and untalented and the younger beautiful, vivacious and magical. But they both chose domineering upper class bullies. They’re both concerned with social respectability. They both place themselves in physical danger for their sons. And while I can’t see Lily shoving a child in a cupboard, she also seems to operate within the framework that violence is acceptable if she can justify to herself the victim deserves it. Lily gets called a Mary Sue a lot and I get why but I think JKR put just enough in there to make the case that that she’s as grey as her chosen company lol

This take on Lily as a “popular Petunia” gains even more depth when we consider their working-class backgrounds and how each ultimately chooses a partner who offers social mobility—though in questionable ways. Petunia finds security and an upward social shift by marrying Vernon, a man who embodies traditional middle-class respectability with all its rigid, judgmental values. Lily, on the other hand, ends up with James Potter, who, by magical standards, is akin to a wealthy, privileged elite. James’s status, confidence, and the power that comes with his family’s legacy mark a clear jump for Lily in the wizarding social hierarchy, just as Petunia’s life with Vernon marks a leap into conventional middle-class security in the Muggle world.

Both sisters align themselves with men who embody aspects of control and social status within their respective worlds, suggesting they value security and social respectability—even if it means overlooking or accepting certain flaws. Petunia tolerates Vernon’s small-mindedness and cruelty, while Lily accepts James despite his past as a bully and privileged figure. Yet Lily’s decision is often portrayed in a highly idealized way, with Rowling rarely delving into her motivations or background beyond her role as Harry’s mother. This lack of context is perhaps one of the biggest issues with Lily’s character: she’s preserved as an almost saintly maternal figure, untouchable and morally pure, which can feel one-dimensional and even hypocritical, especially when we learn about her past friendship with Snape. Rowling’s reluctance to explore Lily’s complexity leaves her moral standing somewhat hollow, given that she rejects Snape for his darker choices while forgiving James for his own troubling traits.

In the end, both Lily and Petunia are driven by a desire for social respectability and stability, but their different worlds shape those ambitions in distinct ways. By elevating Lily to an untouchable status as Harry’s “perfect” mother, Rowling misses the chance to flesh out the complexities that make her choices relatable, instead framing her as a near-flawless martyr. This leaves her character feeling almost like a “Mary Sue” figure, unable to reconcile the murkiness of her past or the double standards within her relationships.

[violetasteracademic]

Hi , I want to ask if you think Lucien was always meant to have a rejected mating bond with an Archeron sister ?

Hello lovely anon!

So.... this is a tough question to answer- because where does always begin in the writing process?

Does it begin in the first draft? Does it begin in the wild prophetic visions you have at three am that you want to scribble down but you don't because you are trying to sleep, but still, it lingers? Does it begin in a beat sheet, a plot outline, a Pinterest board?

I'm not sure if SJM always intended a rejected mating bond. To be completely honest, I go back and forth. I think that Sarah has let a lot of things slip that she wrote that were never going to even be submitted to her editor on a first draft (like the famed Nesta/Cassian/Azriel batwich, RIP and I'm still waiting on SJM to write a threesome). And yet when she shares those things, people almost consider it canon and analyze it to death and use it to prove certain things. At some point, she probably really genuinely considered making Lucien and one of the sisters a couple, but I can't say for sure where in the process that died.

I remember seeing Emily Henry share on her stories recently an addition to her "RIP" character list- as in characters that she had written that literally did not even make it into the book. The first draft of Beach Read was actually a love triangle, involving some local guy who owns an ice cream business or something of the sort who is also trying to romance January. I can see what she might have been trying to do there- give January two options reflecting two sides of her. Ice Cream Steve (not sure if those details are correct but we'll go with it) would have served as a perfect foil to Grave Digging, Bleak Literary Fiction Author Gus. But ultimately, Ice Cream Steve did not even make it to the book. Do we treat him as real? Do we wonder if he may have been a better fit for January? Do we analyze what this means for January and Gus?

I'll get a little bit into the technicality of what developmental editing is and how it can completely reshape a story, erase characters, create characters, and shift their storylines, but what I do know is this- the function of Lucien being assigned an Archeron sister, any Archeron sister, is completely clear: To win him over to the Night Court as an ally and embolden him to help Feyre get away from Tamlin. This is absolutely critical. Lucien's role in the story since this hasn't developed romantically because he is mated to one of the Archeron sisters, it has spun off in a new direction plot wise with the Band of Exiles, Vassa, Koschei, and the human queens- which also develops a tentative relationship between himself and his brother Eris again, with his mating bond hovering in the background. However, his mating bond began this new direction, and it wouldn't have existed without it:

Lucien would not have left if it were not for the mating bond. I believe that is the element that was always true. Lucien's mating bond, be it with Elain, or Nesta as originally planned, was always going to be a plot device. And I can answer where I believe the story of a love triangle at the very least began its groundwork- which is A Court of Mist and Fury. I personally think that as of publishing ACOMAF Lucien and Elain were already done, fizzling out in the developmental editing process, and Azriel and Elain were endgame, but I'm open to those who see it differently.

Before we move on, here are the different types of editors:

A development editor basically edits the story at large. They focus on elements like theme, character development, plot holes, ECT. When dealing with a series, often times an author will provide a detailed packet to their developmental editor before doing dev runs. This is because the developmental editor needs to understand where the story is headed. They need to understand what needs to be appropriately foreshadowed, what themes to highlight, and keep their eye on the big picture so that everything comes to a well developed, emotionally charged, and thematically satisfying conlcusion.

What is clear to me is that Azriel and Elain were being developed emotionally and thematically in ACOMAF:

These are the types of passages that focus on the big picture. Before Feyre's sisters have become Fae, Feyre is musing on what her sisters would be like in Velaris. She thinks about how Nesta would like it, despite herself, and become fast friends with Amren (true) and how Elain would like Velaris, but she would cling to Azriel for peace and quiet. True. Feyre considers how handsome Elain and Azriel would be together if he ever stopped loving Mor.

Developmentally- what is the purpose of this? It's the same book that Lucien and Elain's mating bond is revealed, so why muse on Elain and Azriel as a couple if Azriel could get over Mor, which he now has because of Elain? Meanwhile, Elain is engaged. Feyre doesn't say a word about that. She sees how her sister would want to be with someone like Azriel, and Feyre doesn't even think twice about Graysen because Azriel is right for her sister. This isn't Feyre being an unreliable narrator. Everything else in this passage came to be true.

These are the types of moments developmental editors hone in on to make sure theme and foreshadowing are strong and successful.

Of course this is already after the beautiful moments Azriel and Elain have together- Azriel getting shy and self conscious before dropping one of the most beautiful lines in all the books about being born hearing the song of the wind. Elain already being able to read Azriel- looking to him and smiling and finding comfort and assessing his countenance to see if everything is going okay.

If I'm a developmental editor, and I wanted it to be really clear why Lucien and Elain were right for each other- why would I keep all of this in? Why tie Elain and Azriel together thematically and emotionally? So again, this is where the question "where does always begin" comes into play. Did SJM realize in her first draft that Nesta and Lucien weren't going to work, so she switched to Elain, only to realize that Elain and Lucien don't have chemistry either? Was it after a developmental edit? I can't say for sure on that end. Maybe ACOMAF truly was just setting up a love triangle, but personally I think Elain and Az were always endgame as of the books being published, and trying to explore Elain and Lucien as a couple probably died out before the final draft of ACOMAF and SJM realized Lucien still needed to be mated to one of the sisters, thus ideas about the rejected mating bond started stirring instead and then were hit HARD in ACOWAR. I can see the argument that the door was being kept open for Lucien in ACOMAF, though I personally think Lucien's mating bond reveal was strictly a plot device. But what is extremely clear is that as of ACOWAR the path was set in stone.

Again- these are the things where, not to take credit away from Sarah, a developmental editor really comes into play. If Sarah is going, okay- who is Lucien going to end up with? Nesta? No, it can't be Nesta, even though that was originally the plan. Elain? Maybe, it could be Elain. What does that look like? Maybe it was Lucien and Elain in the pitch packet. Then a developmental editor goes, okay- where are we headed? What are the themes? What are the character arcs and growth we are looking for?

Then we move on to ACOWAR, and both of them were developed to have a theme of choice threaded into their interactions:

What these moments make clear is that the mating bond makes it impossible for Elain and Lucien to get what they truly want out of love with each other- for someone to love and choose them beyond the circumstances placed on them. Lucien wants this just as much as Elain does. They are now thematically connected in that way- in wanting to be chosen above all, despite everything. That's where this Facebook comment makes soooo much sense:

Nesta didn't have any growth or healing to offer Lucien, because thematically there was not really anything there between them. Nesta and Cassian also had this instant, intense connection that could not be ignored or played slowly. Nesta also didn't lose her fiance, she herself saying she had as little at stake in Velaris as she did on the other side of the wall. Nesta had anger and resentment. Elain had loss, which on the surface could thematically match Lucien, but then we dig deeper to learn that they aren't only needing to heal from the loss of love, they are needing to heal from the loss of choice.

Elain was engaged to a man who hates fae. And Elain was always going to become Fae.

Lucien had his history and story with Jesminda since book one. He thought Jesminda was his mate. The woman who loved him for him, not because he was a High Lord's son or because of any other High Fae customs Lucien rejects. This is where you see the development. Lucien and Elain could have worked on an incredibly surface level, both of them having lost their first loves, but deeper themes revealed themselves that showed they mirror each other in a way that doesn't make them right for each other, but that allows them to face what needs to be faced: being strong and brave enough to choose for themselves instead of letting the world control them.

For Elain and Lucien to have made sense together thematically, everything should have been reversed. Elain should have been mated to Azriel, and then Elain and Lucien should have met somehow and fallen in love, and the choosing each other above all, love trumping even a mating bond, Lucien being chosen and loved without question, without hesitation, would have belonged to them.

But again, without the mating bond, Lucien and Elain wouldn't even have met in the first place and Lucien would not have left Spring. So where does that leave us? The mating bond as a plot device. It was literally required to move the story forward, but thematically is anticlimactic for both parties in terms of the kind of love they want for themselves.

So- was Lucien always going to have a mating bond rejection? Probably not. But where in the years long process did all of this reveal itself? Only Sarah knows that. But I think what is quite clear is that it was always going to happen if we start from what is published in the books between him and Elain.

I think it's very possible that SJM did really intend for Lucien to wind up with one of the sisters. But if you've ever gone through the writing process yourself, you realize pretty quickly how many things fall apart and don't work/make sense/are actually anti-thematic to the characters you've created. Maybe she'll tell us one day exactly when Elain and Lucien fell apart, just like Nesta and Lucien fell apart. But we do have to keep in mind that an author like SJM, who was able to sell a trilogy all at once, probably had to have at least a 25 page packet outlining the trilogy and it's development. So- was it Nesta and Lucien in the pitch packet? Was it Elain and Lucien, because even while structuring a pitch she realized Nesta and Lucien would never work while outlining, but thought Elain and Lucien would? Only to discover Elain and Azriel connecting while drafting ACOMAF?

Writing a book is years of plotting, outlining, writing, rewriting, editing, writing again, and sometimes what you come up with is unrecognizable from the plan. And considering SJM contracted a trilogy, she would have pitched in pretty significant detail what would happen in book two and book three. We'll see what Sarah does and does not choose to reveal!

I think that's everything! I love getting these questions from you guys. I still have a cue in my inbox, and I am sorry it's kind of random when my inspiration strikes and I have a clear answer and can quickly think of the passages and ideas! But I will try to get to my older ones that have been sitting for a minute, I promise!

What do you guys think? I know everyone has different thoughts on this and I love to hear them!

[velvet-games]

fucked up staticmoth time! (no idea if this is good or not lol; I've never written dead dove-adjacent stuff before)

cw for dub/non-con, (extremely) unhealthy relationship dynamics, acephobia, racism

I wrote vox as kind of a disaster bi that fell in love with everyone in favorite, which I thought would be incompatible with aroace vox, but! I think it's perfect actually.

I present to you:

aroace vox who was rejected by everyone, who never had enough actual romantic/sexual experience in life to realize she'd never felt allo attraction (she does love very deeply, just not like that)

asian vox who feels emasculated by the stereotype that asian men are impotent/undesirable and will fight to the death to prove that he does indeed fuck (she doesn't)

transfem vox who is so unbelievably repressed that she overcompensates by playing the role of a dominant, hypersexual man after death

vox who is so immediately enamored by valentino's attention that she interprets the feeling of validation as love

vox who starts to believe that alastor's criticisms of her must've meant he was just a heartless asshole and never really her friend in the first place

(mildly) sex-repulsed vox who learns from valentino that love and sex are supposed to feel uncomfortable and scary

valentino who implies on several occasions that aroace people aren't real; they're just boring prudes who aren't hot enough get laid! sex is a part of human nature, mi amor; relax, it's all in your head.

sex-repulsed vox who loves valentino anyway, because the moments of genuine comfort and affection are special to her

they'll always be special to her, unfortunately

sex-repulsed vox who is so paranoid about valentino getting bored of her that she discovers her hypnosis powers while trying to convince him to fuck her

he still wants to fuck her, right? she's still worth something?

maybe val never really liked her, maybe he was lying about finding her attractive, but vox can make sure he wants to stay. and it's supposed to feel bad when it happens; it's the least she can do to endure it ...

vox who starts to feel sick to her stomach thinking about valentino touching her, but it's just butterflies. she's just nervous. she's just in love.

vox who gets trigger happy and starts hypnotizing val when he shows any signs of being out of her control

vox who eventually can't tell how much the hypnosis has done and how much of val is actually intact

vox who wants to care about that last part, but who does she have if valentino leaves her?

[continentaltheater]

Something many ppl could ask themselves is why is touga alive if he's dead and many ppl could go the easy route of saying that he's only dead in the movie.

The thing is, he's not, he's not only dead in the movie, he has always been dead in all Utena media. Touga saved Utena from drowning by drowning himself in the first chapter in the manga, in the anime Juri tells the story of the boy that drowned trying to save a girl, to which the camera focuses on Touga, and in the movie we see it.

So why is Touga 'alive' if he's dead? For the same reason Akio is, he's the ideal of a prince, he's alive because there's people in this world that clinger to that idealized version of him.

Anthy and Utena cling to Akio. Utena, Saionji and Nanami cling to Touga.

Anthy clinged to his brother for when they were kids, her prince and tried to save him, failed and now that same prince is dead and has been for a long time. That dead prince walks among the living now corrupted and trying to fill the role of a prince that cannot be filled.

Utena clings to the ideal of the prince who saved her and the same role she would imitate. And on the other side of the coin, Utenas ideal of the prince is at conflict with Touga, mixing in her memory two different people that made the first moves so that she could leave her first coffin, thinking now that Touga could have been her prince and gifting him that role too.

Saionji clings to the memories of Touga, his best friend, the one above him, better than him, the one that's better at kendo, more popular, braver, smarter, the one who he shared his childhood with.

And Nanami, oh Nanami, she clings to a fake constructed memory of a perfect brother, the one and only perfect man in her life, the brother who played with her, the one that cared about her, unlike her parents, and clings to the one thing that made her special, family bonds.

She's also the only one that remembers a short haired Touga, no other character remembers Touga like that, whether he ever had short hair before arriving to his adoptive parents house or if it's a reminder on how distorted Nanami's memories are I can't say for sure.

But that ideal is fake and it gets destroyed completely as we progress in the story. Utenas rejects Tough as his prince and fights for herself, Saionji realizes that Touga wasn't the top of the chain, he too could be overpowered, he could act irrationally too, he wasn't perfect, he could love.

And Nanami gets the worse, first thinking the only thing that made her special was fake, she wasn't her sister and as such then she's nothing to him, that it was their parents that urged Touga to treat her like a brother, realizing what her relationship could have become that went far from a familiar bond and of course, thanks to Akio, crossing that same boundary in the Chairman's Car.

In the end, in a world when only Utena was clinging to him he seemed more like a ghost than him. Nanami doesn't exist as we know her, Saionji and the rest of the Council doesn't seem to remember him and in the end, once Utena let go, he disappeared.

Once the ideal memory died he finally died too.

[ninadove]

hi!

i’m so sorry if you’ve already made a post or answered an ask like this before, but i remember you saying a couple times how the lovesquare is queer-coded.

i think that’s such an interesting observation, and i was wondering if you’d be willing to elaborate on that a little more?

i’d love to hear your thoughts!! and thank you for taking the time to read this. :)

Absolutely Anon! Thanks for dropping by! ❤️🖤

I’m sure there are a lot of wonderful, more complete posts on the topic out there — my Sentikids tunnel vision means I don’t always grant other characters/relationships the attention they deserve. That being said, here are some things that popped into my head:

1. Secret identities

You know ‘em, you love ‘em. Secret identities are the core of the show — the very reason the Love Square is a square! Hiding part or the entirety of who you are for safety reasons is a theme most queer people unfortunately relate to, and the great thing is that we get two very different perspectives on the matter from our two protagonists.

For Adrien, Chat Noir means freedom: being away from his father’s grasp (read: from a power structure that tries to sculpt him into something perfect and bland — more on that later) allows him to become bolder, funnier, more like himself or at least more like the person he wants to be — which very prominently features being in love with Ladybug, aka exploring romantic connections outside of Kagami, the only acceptable option for Adrien.

And yet… Chat Noir is also something dangerous. When Chat Noir gets rejected, Adrien tries to renounce his Miraculous, aka to bury this part of himself as far down as possible; when Chat Noir gets unmasked by Ladybug, the object of his affections, IT’S THE LITERAL END THE WORLD (twice and a half now). There’s an entire post to be made about Cat Walker and Aspik and Adrien folding himself into what he thinks Ladybug’s perfect partner should be.

The point is: Adrien being himself puts him (and the people he loves) in harm’s way, both emotionally and physically. You see the themes, I see the themes, we cry together and hold hands.

Marinette, on the other hand, fucking hates being Ladybug for most of the series. She wants to be a normal girl (!) with a normal life (!!) and it’s just not happening. The reason? There’s something about her that no one knows yet (!!!) ‘cause she has a secret (!!!!).

If anything, being Ladybug keeps getting in the way of her romantic shenanigans: she can’t be with Adrien/Chat Noir because Apocalypse, she can’t be with Cat Walker because her Lucky Charm doesn’t like him, she can’t be with Luka because she has to lie all the time! Not only that, it endangers her friendships as well, as seen in The Gang of Secrets. Look at the wording of her talk with Alya in this episode:

“I won’t try to figure it out our force it out of you. If you can’t tell me what’s in your heart… it’s your right.”

“Will we still be friends?”

“Marinette, I’m your best friend, and I’ll always be. That’s why it kills me that I can’t help you with whatever’s making you feel so alone.”

[…] “You know why I broke up with Luka? Not because I don’t like him! He’s amazing! It’s because there’s something that I can’t tell him. You know why I have to forget Adrien? For the exact same reason. You’re right! I keep secrets, I lie all the time, I lie to my friends, to my parents, everyone, and the worst thing is I can’t do it any other way. […] I tell you, things will never be the same between us again, it will mess up everything — maybe even destroy it!

“Marinette, I’m your very best friend.”

“And I… I’m Ladybug.”

If this isn’t a coming out scene, I don’t know what is.

Of course, Marinette progressively steps into her role as a superheroine and learns to navigate her relationships accordingly — but she’s still carrying this secret that sets her apart from the rest of the world. It’s the othering, isolating part of queerness, and it’s really well portrayed throughout the seasons.

2. The Adrigaminette-to-Lukadrinette pipeline

I cannot not mention it, because what the hell was going on here.

Adrigaminette felt less like a love triangle and more like the girls voting themselves out of the polycule in quick succession. We got an entire episode of the three of them running around, holding hands and jumping in ballpits together. Both Adrien and Kagami went heart eyes over Marinette’s loose hair.

Then André came in with his cart and clown shoes and said “Nah you can’t all share the Magical Ice Cream Of Romance. :( Yeah sorry my ice cream is for two people and two people only. :( Also I guess I could serve Marigami and Marigami only but the flavours would taste gross together. :( Don’t look into the subtext too much” HE JUST HAD TO RUIN IT FOR THEM DIDN’T HE

I’m really happy he ruined it for them, for bird reasons, but still. Adrigami is also the one time we get to see Chat Noir ruin Adrien’s love life, and most of the fuel for my aroace Adrien thoughts, but I digress — LUKADRINETTE

Luka is in the unique position of knowing both Ladybug and Chat Noir’s identities, aka the most secret part of their souls, and immediately went in repression mode in Wishmaker upon finding out his two crushes were basically soulmates. It pays off in Migration, when he becomes their de facto safe place, the one person they know has both of their backs no matter what. Just look at the way they all look at each other:

With Marinette knowing she does not have to lie to him anymore and Adrien being Adrien. I’m sorry but in my mind they both independently proposed to him right then and there. This is the timeline I live in now.

Parenthesis over. Let’s get back to business:

3. Feligami Adrinette

By which I mean the themes explored throughout their relationship.

Adrinette’s story has always been about rescuing Adrien from the abusive environment he grew up in, as Marc and Nathaniel so helpfully drove across through their delightful storyboards:

(Note the gender role reversal here, blurring the lines between Marinette and Ladybug as she takes on the role of the knight in shining armour, while Adrien is the princess locked away in her tower… Adrien’s gender deserves another other essay in itself, but for today, let’s just agree that he is Not Cis.)

In S5, this theme escalates into a full-on Romeo and Juliet situation. Gabriel and Tomoe are of course the main obstacles to Adrinette’s happy ending: given A. Gabriel’s history of forcing his son into a mold, B. the strict expectations placed on Tsurugi women and C. the oppressive, uniformly white world they want to create through Perfect Alliance (Perfect!!! Alliance!!! Rings!!! Marriage!!!), it’s not a stretch to see them as the messengers of a certain vision of masculinity, femininity and relationships. You see it, I see it, Marinette doesn’t see it because she’s too busy sobbing on the floor, which finally brings me to my favourite thing ever:

“But Nina!” I hear you protest, “you’re making everything about Feligami again!” To which I reply: first of all, yes I am. Second of all, you can’t stop me. Third of all —

Third of all, characters don’t exist in a vacuum, and this is particularly true of the Adrinette & Feligami quartet. Kagami’s name literally means mirror; Felix is a foil to Adrien, of course, but also to Marinette (and Gabriel and Emilie and a bunch of other characters and I love him so much but let’s not stray too far from the point). Of course Feligami is going to parallel and contrast Adrinette, especially since Felix is Aware of the Themes and Motifs and has decided to make it everyone’s problem.

So in June (!) 2023, a little thing called Representation (!!) aired.

There are sooo many things to say about the queer-coding of the Senti-lore in general and of Felix and Feligami in particular. Today, though, I want to draw your attention to the way the kids talk about themselves at the end of the play, drawing clear narrative links to the Love Square (and most specifically Ladybug):

“You know what it’s like to not be able to love the one you want.”

“To constantly fight to save the people you love.”

“To have to lie all the time and never reveal who you truly are.”

[Wipes a single tear away] They grow up so fast…

At the end of the day, this is what both Feligami and the Love Square are all about: embracing who you are and the love you feel, no matter its form, in a world that perpetually tries to enslave and/or kill you for it. I don’t know about you, but I find it hella queer in nature.

Thank you for coming to my DUUSUTalk! 💙🦚

[pagannatural]

2.09 Croatoan

-my beloved

-The brothers go to Oregon because Sam has a vision of Dean shooting someone who pleads for his life.

-Sam thinks Dean is violent and out of control because of his grief but he’s actually violent and out of control because he’s losing his mind over Sam.

-Sam looks very Scared Little Brother when they realize the town has no phone signal. He stands really close to Dean. Sam is right. I forgot how scary this episode is.

-Sam hesitates to kill the son who had the mom tied up, and Dean berates him. Dean calls the son a “monster” and Sam says “it was a kid.” Dean likes a clean line between monster and human.

-Sam is always the one who comforts the victims and tells people everything will be okay, another way in which his role in the relationship is traditionally feminine. He’s the one women find non-threatening. (And he’s too distracted by Dean to be attracted to them).

-When the mom, Beverly, says “one minute they were my husband and my son and the next they had the devil in them” the camera cuts to Sam and Dean. This line could be Dean describing a blood-drinking Sam: one minute he was my husband and my son and the next he had the devil in him.

-One of the armed men blocking the road out of town asks Dean to get out of the car to “talk a little,” and Dean says “you are a handsome devil but I don’t swing that way, sorry.” It’s easy to forget that in the early 2000s, this kind of throwaway joke on network tv didn’t usually hint at a character’s hidden sexuality, it was just a vaguely biphobic little joke. But I do think there’s a reason it’s here.

The Croatoan virus is a demonic virus spread from blood infection that’s not visible just by looking at someone. So we have a little AIDS parallel. It’s also a similar concept to Sam’s demon blood. His blood represents choice and sin and the human mixed with the monstrous. Blood is also associated with family.

Incest and queerness are taboos that have often been conflated in fiction (and in history), and both have been strongly associated with monstrosity—think predatory sexuality, birth defects, infertility, rejection of the natural order. A desire that’s dangerous and wrong and destructive, that must stay hidden and can only survive in the shadows. The homoerotic incestuous monster hunters are the perfect storm of gothic queer horror.

Whether or not either brother is queer doesn’t affect the plot, and isn’t the point. I can see Dean grappling with being in love with Sam without questioning his sexuality at all. Sam is a category unto himself to Dean, and Sam doesn’t appear bothered about his sexuality aside from his feelings about Dean. But the confluence of these taboos—incest and queerness—with blood is central to the plot of the show and the question of what evil is. Really their love for each other and their shared blood is what saves them, keeps them human.

-Another of my absolute favorite underrated wincest moments is when Beverly is begging for her life from the utility room and Dean asks Sam “are you sure she’s one of them?” Sam barely nods and it’s enough for Dean to shoot her three times point blank. He doesn’t need any more information, just for Sam to nod slightly.

-Sam suggests that they need to leave to warn others of the virus and Dean tells him he has a good point. They respect each other’s input and work together well.

-Duane shows up and the situation becomes very tense. Sam is standing with his whole body facing Dean. In moments of extreme stress, Sam often seeks Dean’s protection rather than focusing on the threat.

-Dean has a gun on Duane with some urgency but Sam says “I gotta talk to you—now” and Dean leaves the room with him immediately.

Sam argues that they should wait and not kill Duane in case he isn’t infected. Dean says “what’s that buy us?”

“A clear conscience, for one.”

“Well it’s too late for that.” Is Dean talking about his guilt over John’s death? Or is this more about his general self hatred around never being enough to be everything for everyone, to give Sam everything that he needs and be the perfect son and soldier and brother and father and mother?

Sam tells him “you don’t act like yourself anymore, Dean. You’re acting like one of those things out there.” Dean does feel lost. He needs Sam to save him so that he can save Sam.

-Sam is so devoted to Dean this season. He spent season 1 gradually giving into his complete trust and commitment to Dean and now he’s been losing him or at risk of losing him in different ways all season. He fights tooth and nail for Dean every step of the way to get him to listen, to talk, to come back to him.

-Dean pushes Sam out of the way and locks him out, aiming to kill Duane. He says “it’s not him, not any more” and “I’ve got no choice.” But then Dean decides not to shoot him.

-When the doctor asks if it’s alright to untie Duane, Dean and Sam seem to have a wordless conversation in which Dean defers to Sam’s judgement, and Sam tells the doctor it’s okay to untie him.

-Sam is Dean’s morality. Dean is submitting to Sam, needing him to help him make the right choice. By doing this he’s also believing in Sam’s ability to stay good.

-Sam says about Dean not killing Duane “you know I’m gonna ask you why.”

Dean replies “yeah I know,” not looking up, focusing on keeping his hands busy making Molotov cocktails.

“So why? Why didn’t you do it?”

Dean looks at Sam with his chin tucked, like it’s hard to meet his eyes. He doesn’t answer. He clears his throat and says “we need more alcohol,” basically asking Sam to leave for a moment so that he can pull it together. He gazes after Sam with this raw, shamed look.

It’s the first of two parallels in this episode to their conversation in 1.19 where Sam says his reticence to date is mostly not about Jessica, and Dean asks “then what is it about?” and Sam just looks at him, implying heavily that it’s about Dean.

The question Dean was asking Sam there was essentially, Why can’t you love anyone else?

The first question Sam asks Dean is why he didn’t kill someone, but it’s also why Dean wants to do the right thing and not lose himself, and the answer is because of Sam.

-After Sam is attacked, he reaches for Dean’s hand to help him up off the floor and then just leaves his hand outstretched after Sarge holds Dean back and tells him Sam is infected. It’s like his muscle memory of reach-out-hand, Dean-pulls-me-up hasn’t caught on.

-The whole time Dean argues with the others about Sam, Sam only looks at the floor or at Dean. He’s not watching the conversation, he’s watching Dean because he’s scared and he looks to Dean when he’s scared.

-Dean says “no one’s shooting my brother”

He’s so protective. He was about to kill someone who might be infected just in case, but when it’s Sam he would simply rather die in a murder suicide and that’s that on that.

-Sam asks for the gun so that he can shoot himself, saying “I’m not gonna become one of those things.” This episode is pure foreshadowing for the end of s5. Sam refuses to become a monster, Dean chooses to stand by him and die rather than kill him. Because of their faith in each other, because they waited, things work out.

-Dean hands over the keys to the impala. He’s not fucking around. He tells the doctor “oh actually we’re not really marshals.” He’s in a truth telling mood, fuck it.

-Sam asks Dean to leave him and keep living, looking at him with incredulity and gratitude and love and fear.

Dean leaving him alone to die or become a monster would fulfill Sam’s deepest fear—left behind, not belonging, because something is wrong with him. But he still asks Dean to go, he throws a fit, he tells him “this is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” It reminds me of that scene from Titanic, Jack telling Rose “you’re so stupid” for staying with him instead of saving herself.

He says “it’s over for me, it doesn’t have to be for you.”

“No?”

“No. You can keep going.”

“Who says I want to?”

This scene is so dramatic and romantic. Close shots of their faces, Sam looking up at Dean with his eyes full of tears, begging him. Dean tells Sam he doesn’t want to go on without him.

Sam asks, what?

For a moment it almost looks like he’s taking this as the confession that it is, before Dean puts some distance between them and leans against the wall. This is the second scene is this episode to parallel their conversation in 1.19, this time even more closely.

Sam thinks Dean doesn’t want to go on because their dad died, but Dean says “you’re wrong. It’s not about dad. I mean part of it is, sure, but-“

Sam interrupts to ask “then what is it about?” and Dean gives him this look,

this look of love and tenderness, like he’s willing Sam to understand.

This time Sam’s question is Why don’t you want to live? And the answer is that Dean doesn’t want to live without Sam.

I love how this scene makes clear that Sam’s romantic partners compare directly to Dean. It confirms what Sam was thinking about in 1.19, because for these scenes to rhyme they must have been thinking about each other.

-The brothers share a romantic beer at the lake. Sam asks Dean what he was talking about last night in a way that honest-to-god sounds like he’s referring to pillow talk. Dean doesn’t want to tell so Sam keeps pushing, but their tones are teasing and light. They really sound like they’re flirting. Dean suggests that they go to the Grand Canyon.

Sam keeps questioning him, gentle but insistent, as Dean talks about taking a break.

-Where is our Grand Canyon episode?

-Sam looks so scared when Dean says John told him something about Sam before he died. I wonder what’s running through his head. There’s this feeling that people with Sam’s negative core belief often get, which is a fear that something is deeply wrong or rotten in them and that eventually other people will find out. He’s probably thinking that’s finally happened.

[sailormoonrewatch]

Discussion topic: What did/do you think of the "Rei tries to date Mamoru" subplot?

Rei was hinted at being attracted to Tuxedo Mask in her introduction episode, but it really started to crystallise in episode 015, where she actively decides to pursue Mamoru romantically. This was an anime-only subplot - what are your thoughts on its introduction and execution?

Mod opinion: It makes a lot of sense for anime!Rei's personality that she would want to find a boyfriend with whom she could be a "power couple", and I think she was interested in Mamoru more because it seemed like he would provide her with a certain status than because of a genuine attraction. Rei is shown to be highly goal-oriented and future-focused; I think we all went to school with a girl who had their whole career and every milestone planned out from age 14, regardless of how realistic those plans were, lol. It felt very much like Rei wanted the abstract concept of the "perfect boyfriend" and Mamoru happened to be the ideal candidate for that role rather than being drawn specifically to him.

What makes less sense is why Mamoru went along with it?? It's hard to argue that he's oblivious to Rei's intentions, and had certainly demonstrated that he didn't mind coming off as an asshole if he wanted to reject her, lol. Obviously from a meta perspective the subplot was introduced as a way to progress Usagi & Mamoru's relationship via jealousy in addition to progressing Usagi & Rei's dynamic by generating conflict, but from a character perspective, for as much of a jerk as Mamoru could be in season 1 he never seemed like the type to string a girl along for his own amusement - mostly because he didn't seem to enjoy "dating" her at all?? I can only imagine that Rei basically wouldn't take no for an answer and Mamoru didn't care enough to press the issue. It's not not weird, but it's at least consistent.

But what do you all think? Were you a fan or a hater of this anime-only plot point?

[anonymousewrites]

A Not-So-Disastrous Love (Book 2) Chapter Four

Saiki Kusuo x Reader

Chapter Four: Cute Girls and Ghost Girls

Summary: There's a new cute girl in the school, and there's also a haunting.

            Saiki and (Y/N) watched a first-year walk through a crowd of students. All the men were giving her gifts and trying to help her find her way around the school. It reminded Saiki and (Y/N) of Teruhashi, except…

            “Who is she?” whispered (Y/N).

            “No idea,” said Saiki.

            Clearly, though her beauty was immense, she was not the perfect pretty girl Teruhashi was (honestly, it would be scary if there was another person with Teruhashi’s presence and powerful beauty in the world).

            “When I heard the boys, I thought it was Teruhashi,” said Saiki.

            “I wonder if Kokomi and the freshman will meet,” wondered (Y/N). “It might break the world.”

            “Yare yare.” Saiki sighed. “Let’s avoid her.” He didn’t need more bothers (especially not people who drew attention) in his life.

            “She’s not in our year, so it should be simple,” said (Y/N).

l

            Wrong.

            As Saiki, (Y/N), Nendou, and Kaidou walked to their classroom as break ended, they found a group of their second-year students peeking into a first-year classroom.

            “Wow, she’s super cute,” whispered some of the boys.

            “It’s Imu Rifuta,” sighed another dreamily.

            “What are those guys doing?” wondered Nendou.

            “Probably checking out the cute freshman,” said Kaidou.

            “Oh, the girl from this morning,” said Saiki.

            “I wonder what she’s like,” said (Y/N).

            “You mean more or less annoying than Teruhashi?” said Saiki.

            (Y/N) leveled a look at Saiki, and Saiki quieted. “No, I mean if she’s actually a nice girl or not.”

            Inside the classroom, Rifuta stood and walked towards the door. It’s only a matter of time before I dominate this school. This is a pain. However, as soon as she opened the door, the boys blushed. But I guess they deserve a treat. She put on a shy smile. “Do you need something from me?”

            “Do her thoughts match her appearance?” whispered (Y/N).

            “She wants to dominate the school,” said Saiki, directly into (Y/N)’s mind.

            “Huh,?” asked (Y/N). They knew that Teruhashi felt the pressure to be the perfect pretty girl, and while most of her kindness—especially to her friends—was legimiate, she did make sure to present herself well to the world. That was understandable, so (Y/N) didn’t hold it against her. And Teruhashi was learning to be herself, like rejected Saiko and such.

            Hopefully, Rifuta was like that. If she wasn’t…that could spell trouble. And conflict. And an unhealthy relationship for Rifuta with her self-image in the long run.

            “Are you seeing anyone?”

            “Are you dating?”

            “Do you have a boyfriend?”

            The crowd of boys had no idea that Rifuta knew exactly how to play them, though, so the questions just kept coming.

            “What? A boyfriend?” Rifuta blushed. “No, I don’t.” She lightly hit an older boy, playing a “petulant” but cute role. “That’s not something you can simply ask a girl.”

            I wish she would hit me, too, thought all the boys.

            “But if I do get a boyfriend, I want someone older who can take charge,” said Rifuta.

            All the boys gasped and blushed.

            (Y/N) groaned. “So she’s that type of girl.” Rifuta was able to manipulate boys and did so intentionally.

            They’re such easy targets, thought Rifuta.

            Nendou approached and leaned in to look at Rifuta. She jumped in surprise and fear.

            “What is this?” he asked.

            “Nendou!” exclaimed the other boys.

            “Fine, I guess she’s cute,” said Nendou, “But Teruhashi is cuter.”

            Teruhashi? Who is that? thought Rifuta. What, did he just say she was cuter? She narrowed her eyes. There’s no way this dump of a school has someone cuter.

            “Hey, Nendou, what are you talking about,” said a classmate.

            You tell him! thought Rifuta, smirking.

            “She’s an aggressive Kokomi, isn’t she?” said (Y/N), reading her like a book.

            “Yes,” said Saiki.

            “That’s not a fair comparison!” continued the classmate. “You can’t compare her to an angel!”

            Wait, I lost?! Rifuta’s mouth dropped open in shock.

            “What a blow,” remarked (Y/N).

            “This girl is ten times cuter than the average girl, not a hundred times cuter!” said the classmate. “They’re in different leagues!”

            Another blow.

            She’s that cute?! thought Rifuta incredulously.

            “Shut up, back off,” said Nendou as the boys advanced on him.

            “It’s fine. I’m not that cute at all,” said Rifuta, trying to pretend to be humble. “I’m-I’m a little curious to meet this Teruhashi.” This is nuts! I need to see her!

            Yare yare.

l

            “How do you feel about that quiz, (Y/N)?” asked teruhashi as she stood up for lunch.

            “Pretty good,” said (Y/N). “On one of the triple integrations, I definitely started with the wrong axis, so it took me a while, but I think I sorted it out in the end.” They smiled.

            “Oh, yes, I’ve done that, too,” said Teruhashi, smiling.

            Outside the door of the classroom, Rifuta looked in, and her jaw dropped open. Teruhashi’s smile shone just as much as she did.

            How is she so beautiful?! thought Rifuta. I can see why they call her an angel now. I can even see her wings. She shook her head. No, those are just clouds! Even the sky is on her side? I-I can’t let anyone be cuter than me.

            “Look at her,” whispered some second-years. “She’s so cute.”

            I haven’t lost yet! Rifuta smiled triumphantly. Everyone’s calling me cute!

            “Look, it’s Teruhashi,” said a boy, running to the door to look in. He was in another class, so he didn’t get to see Teruhashi as often as other people.

            “She gives my life meaning just by living in the same world,” sighed another boy.

            That goes far beyond just cute! Rifuta couldn’t believe it. A world that doesn’t revolve around me?! I will never accept that! “E-Excuse me,” she said to the boys. “I wanted to go to the cafeteria, but I got a little lost. Could you please show me the way?”

            “Of course!” said one boy.

            “Yes!” said another.

            “What?”

            “She asked me!”

            “Want to fight?!”

            Rifuta inwardly smirked. I’m going to steal every boy fawning over you.

            And then, a shining light rained down on the squabbling boys.

            “What’s this commotion? Are you fighting?” asked Teruhashi.

            She’s even prettier up close! Rifuta just stared. Her eyes flicked to (Y/N). And she even lets random people hang around her?

            Hey. Saiki thought (Y/N) was better to look at than either Rifuta or Teruhashi, so he didn’t appreciate the thought.

            “Of course not,” said one of the boys.

            “We were just fooling around.” The other smiled. They were like best buddies now.

            They stopped fighting just because this girl showed up! My beauty causes conflict, but her beauty goes beyond that. She brings people together!

            “You want to go to the cafeteria?” said Teruhashi, smiling at Rifuta. “(Y/N) and I can show you the way.”

            (Y/N) just smiled, as bright and cheery as ever. Rifuta felt very confused and intimidated by the whole thing.

            Saiki was annoyed that his partner was getting stolen for lunch, which meant he’d be stuck with just idiots.

l

            “This is the fastest way to the cafeteria,” explained (Y/N), ignoring the “oh, wows” being created by the sight of Teruhashi.

            What is that “oh, wow” sound I keep hearing?! thought Rifuta.

            “You’re name is Imu, right?” said Teruhashi. “That’s such a cute name. Your pigtails suit you.”

            Rifuta blushed. “Really?”

            (Y/N) tilted their head as Rifuta gazed adoringly—on accident—at Teruhashi. Huh.

            “They are very cute,” said Teruhashi.

            No, what am I getting happy for?! Rifuta couldn’t believe her own reaction. People only give compliments when they think they’re better than you. I’ll show her! “Is that so? But you’re much prettier, and your skin is so smooth.”

            “Oh, stop.” Teruhashi blushed. “I’m not wearing any makeup today.”

            No makeup! Rifuta was being blown out of the water.

            “Let’s get a meal ticket,” said (Y/N) cheerfully. They were used to Teruhashi and what happened around her by now, so while Rifuta kept being shocked, they just kept walking to the counter for food.

            “Three noodle bowls coming up,” said the servers. He smiled at Rifuta. “This cute freshman gets a fried shrimp on the house.”

            Yes, look at that! Rifuta felt victorious. When you’re as cute as me, then they give you free food at the—Her eyes bulged upon seeing Teruhashi’s tray.

            The bowl was twice as large with a lobster, egg, and three pieces of fried shrimp.

            “Oh, (Y/N), I got too much fried shrimp. Would you like some?” said Teruhashi.

            “Sure,” said (Y/N), smiling as they were passed the free food. Hey, they might not have been changing the world order with their looks, but they had a good friend, so what did it matter?

            She got a whole lobster?! And she shared?! Rifuta’s head was spinning. A world that doesn’t revolve around me? “I can’t handle this!” She put her tray down and ran.

            “Imu?” said Teruhashi. Inwardly, she smiled. I’m sorry, but you must learn your place. The world doesn’t revolve around you. It revolves around me.

            In my opinion, they’re both as bad as each other, thought Saiki.

            “You were really trying to impress her, Kokomi,” said (Y/N) as they sat down.

            “I was just showing her who the perfect pretty girl is,” said Teruhashi. “She’s cute, but she’s not me.”

            (Y/N) waved their chopsticks at Teruhashi. “We’ve talked about this, you don’t need to attach all your worth to that. Besides, she’s doing the same thing, and you can see that it gets bad if someone is better than you in some way. Next time, let’s try to be a little nicer? Maybe you two could be friends. Then the world would really revolve completely around you.” They laughed.

            Teruhashi paused and considered. She smiled shyly. “I guess you’re right. I was a little harsh. I’ll be a little gentler to my kohai if we meet again.”

            “And that makes you the perfect pretty girl,” joked (Y/N). To them, what was inside counted.

            Teruhashi’s cheeks burned, but she smiled at her friend. At least someone was honest with her and treated her like a regular friend. It was refreshing.

            They’re as bad as each other, but Teruhashi is nice to (Y/N). I’ll put up with her for that.

l

            “You hear a not from the music room,” whispered Kaidou. “When you open the door, you will see on the piano keys a pool of blood!”

            Nendou, Saiki, and (Y/N) didn’t react and just stared at him.

            “Why aren’t you reactin?” Kaidou sweat-dropped.

            “Just wipe up the blood then,” said Nendou.

            “That’s not the point!” said Kaidou.

            “Why are we always scared of ghosts? I can’t imagine they’re all like the horror movies,” said (Y/N). They smiled. “Maybe they’re just having a good time.

            “Ghosts are scary!” cried Kaidou.

            “A ghost in the music room? Wasn’t there someone who knows about ghosts? I can’t remember who it is,” said Saiki.

            “You’re just pretending not to know him because he’s a pervert,” said (Y/N).

            “Yes,” said Saiki.

            “Saiki!”

            “Speaking of the pervert,” said (Y/N) brightly.

            Toritsuka stood in the doorway of the classroom. “Please help me.” Blood dripped down his forehead.

            “It’s a ghost!” cried Kaidou.

            “That doesn’t look right,” remarked (Y/N).

            “Don’t worry about it, I just got punched when they caught me listening by the girls’ bathroom,” said Toritsuka.

            “So you deserved it? No worries then,” said (Y/N), humming.

            “That’s why I pretend not to know him,” said Saiki.

            “Can we talk, Saiki? Please?” said Toritsuka.

            “Yare yare.” He knew he would be bothered, so he stood up and went with Toritsuka. (Y/N) gave him a thumbs-up as encouragement.

            “I am begging you,” said Toritsuka. “Come with me tonight to exorcise the ghost in the music room!”

            “Help you again?” Saiki was uninterested in the idea

            “I promised some people that I would handle it,” said Toritsuka.

            Saiki considered. The extra attention the ghost brings is bad for me. Too much ESP things going on could be a problem for the one psychic that didn’t want to be found out. Yare yare. “Fine.” He was going to hate this.

l

            “There’s something exciting about being at school at night!” said Toritsuka.

            (Y/N) yawned. “I’m ready for bed.” They’d only come so their boyfriend didn’t have to deal with Toritsuka on his own (plus they wanted to see a real ghost).

            “I’m surprised. I figured a coward like you would be scared,” said Saiki, looking at Toritsuka.

            “Are you kidding? How could I be scared when there are ghosts everywhere?” said Toritsuka.

            “Most people would be,” said Saiki.

            “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” chirped (Y/N).

            “See?”

            Plink!

            “I heard a piano!” cried Toritsuka.

            “Clairvoyance.” Saiki crossed his eyes and looked at the music room. “No one’s in there.”

            “Let’s go see,” said (Y/N).

            “To the music room!” said Toritsuka. He flung open the door. “Stop right there!”

            “Nobody is here,” said Saiki. “But what can you see?”

            Toritsuka had a strange look on his face.

            “What are you seeing?” repeated Saiki.

            “Only he can see the ghosts?” (Y/N) sighed, disappointed.

            “See it for yourself with your psychometry,” said Toritsuka.

            Saiki touched Toritsuka with one hand and (Y/N) with the other, sharing the ghost-seeing ability.

            “What is it, something bad—”

            “Oh,” said (Y/N).

            It was a girl their age, a ghost, playing the piano.

            “She’s so cute!” cried Toritsuka.

            “Who cares about that?” said Saiki.

            “Let’s talk to her,” said (Y/N). “Excuse me,” they said.

            The girl stopped and looked up nervously. “You can see me?”

            (Y/N) nodded. “Your playing is very nice.” They smiled.

            “But, uh, you’re scaring people,” said Toritsuka.

            The girl’s face dropped. “My playing is scaring the other students?” Her voice was small, disappointed.

            “That’s because nobody can see you except for this weirdo,” said Saiki.

            “I’m sure no one would be scared if they saw you,” said (Y/N) kindly.

            “I didn’t mean to scare anyone,” said the girl. “I just realized I could touch this piano for some reason. Playing it really relaxes me.”

            “You must be able to touch things that meant something in your life,” said Saiki.

            “So you’d be able to eat coffee jelly if you were a ghost,” said (Y/N).

            Saiki couldn’t exactly argue with that comment.

            “Play as much as you’d like,” said Toritsuka. “I’d love to hear a ballad!”

            “He’s seriously flirting?” (Y/N) sighed.

            “We can’t just let her keep doing this,” said Saiki, and Toritsuka frowned.

            “That’s true,” he admitted. He looked at the girl. “I’m sorry. As a spirit medium, I can’t just ignore a ghost causing trouble for others. Now, please be gone.”

            “That’s a bit harsh, poor girl,” said (Y/N).

            “Please! You’re frightening everyone,” said Toritsuka. “Will you leave this place? I’m begging you?”

            “What?” said the girl, confused.

            “You’re trying persuasion?” said Saiki.

            “That can’t be effective,” said (Y/N).

            “He can’t even touch ghosts,” recalled Saiki.

            “You can come to my house!” said Toritsuka. He grinned. “Please? Just for a little bit?”

            (Y/N) looked directly at the ghost. “I’d suggest moving on to the afterlife at this point. He’s weird.”

            “No, no, you can come to my house!” said Toritsuka.

            “Over my dead body,” said the girl.

            “Nice ghost joke.”

            “I’ll stop playing,” said the girl. She bowed her head. “I’m sorry for all the trouble. Goodbye.” She faded away.

            Toritsuka deflated from disappointment at failing to flirt with yet another girl. “I feel kind of bad.”

            “We didn’t have a choice,” said Saiki.

            “At least she can move on,” said (Y/N). They smiled. “And then she’ll be at peace instead of lonely at school playing all on her own.”

            Toritsuka sighed again. “But I could’ve brought the piano back to my place for her.”

            “Don’t ruin a nice idea by being a pervert.”

            “Weirdo,” chirped (Y/N).

            The piano player would move on in peace, but Toritsuka got ganged up on. All was well in the world once more.

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