#and that that fight ends up being meaningless because it doesn't actually bring about any new outcome

[salty-an-disco]

you ever resent a character's popularity because of how most of the fans reduce them to their characterization in a single scenerio instead of observing how they are in other circumstances as well?

[danlous]

I'm getting tired of hearing the sentiment that Louis doesn't care about Armand's trauma or have any sympathy for him. In the museum scene his expressions and body language were almost exactly similar to the scenes where Claudia and Lestat talk about their respective assaults. And in all these scenes he's mostly quiet. So does it mean Louis doesn't care about Claudia's or Lestat's traumas either? Of course not. It's just how he outwardly reacts in situations like this. He tends to shut down and doesn't know how to express his empathy and distress. Dreamstat represents Louis' hidden thoughts, but at the museum he's actually next to Louis listening quietly for the most of the scene. It's only at the end when Armand compares Marius, Magnus and Lestat to each other that dreamstat reacts angrily. And it's not mocking what happened to Armand, it's a manifestation of Louis' discomfort, him fearing that he's being manipulated and being uncomfortable that Lestat is brought up and that his relationship with Lestat is compared to Armand and Lestat's disturbing relationships with their own makers.

What Louis says to Armand in San Francisco is incredibly cruel. He's on drugs and extremely upset and intentionally trying come up with the most hurtful words he can think of, they both are. He very obviously deeply regrets it later. When he wakes up after the sun scene and remembers what he did and what kind of things he said before it he's ashamed and distressed. He's crying (though partially because of pain) and immediately tries to apologize to Armand and reach out for him. He's not angry when Armand leaves him in pain, probably thinking that he deserves it. When Armand later says "after what you put me through here i deserve this" Louis agrees. That's not someone who doesn't care or have empathy.

As often with Louis, i think the things he says to Armand are as much about Louis himself as they're about Armand. He sees himself in Daniel, and his entire speech to Claudia in 2.01 is directed also at himself, and he's projecting his own self-hatred and insecurities onto Armand. Louis fears that he is boring and dull. His husband repeatedly cheated on him and laughed in his face when Louis asked isn't he enough. During his depression years Lestat complained about Louis just reading and not leaving the house and how he was drawing Lestat into his gloom. He felt his sister-daughter was more interested in the theater and the coven than spending time with him. The coven mocked him and his passions and didn't find him that interesting after he stopped being a novelty. He was told that he didn't have much artistic talent. In the 70s his life seems to be repetitive and meaningless.

Louis subconsciously detests the qualities he recognizes in Armand that he recognizes and detests in himself - including being a victim. The interview was interrupted when Daniel criticized Louis for going back to Lestat and for his passivity and suicidal ideation. When he's fighting with Armand that all is on his mind. What he says about Armand's "daddy vampire grooming him into a little bitch" actually brings to my mind such scenes as how he derisively said in the second interview that he had become an unhappy housewife living with Lestat, and how dreamstat called him a "little whore". The shame of having experienced abuse and all the feelings of emasculation and degradation that came with it have never left him. Even in the second interview Louis firmly says to Daniel that he doesn't consider himself abused and that he isn't a victim. I don't think Louis consciously thinks that being abused makes someone a bad or weak person, but on some subconsious level he probably feels like that - at least if it's about himself. Again, in this same episode we see Louis acting like he deserves how Armand treats him after their fight and his suicide attempt

[honeyryewhiskey]

moodboards for Deanna & Samantha Winchester !

me and bree (@titsout4jackles) were yappin about genderbend winchesters and after i made these moodboards for us the ideas just kept flowing???!! (skip to the end for the bonus. . . castiel !)

mary raised her girls to be hunters for survival. after john's tragic passing—she knew something supernatural was lurking in the shadows. she poured her heart into teaching them everything she knows, while trying her hardest to be the mom they deserve.

she tries to give them some semblance of home despite the constant moving around, with aunt bobbi-jo as a steady presence in their lives.

deanna . . .

mary put her eldest in the driver seat of the impala when she was barely thirteen, "you need to know how to make a getaway fast, dee."

deanna is good with a gun, better with her hands. a skill that comes in handy with sleezy men in bars.

deanna doesn't hunt for revenge—it's a duty. protecting the innocent from the evil that lurks in the corners. "I don't hunt because I want to, I hunt because I have to—because someone has to."

she doesn't let herself dream of any other life, not when she has a little sister to protect.

sammie . . .

Used to correct their mom’s latin exorcisms when she was barely out of elementary school. “actually, mom, it’s omnis immundus spiritus, not omnis spiritus immundus.”

sammie's still taller than deanna

always has emergency supplies because deanna is not a planner. first-aid kit? check. extra salt rounds? check. tampons? check.

the only reason she even considered college was because mary encouraged it. she saw how sharp her youngest was, how she would pour herself into all of the research of their cases. mary saw an out for sammie and pushed her towards it.

sammie can analyze lore faster than anyone, and she's a deadshot, but her heart is always somewhere else—dreaming of being more than just hands that sleigh monsters.

when mary disappears, it shatters them, leaving a void that nothing seems able to fill. the weight of her absence presses down on them, like a storm that won’t pass. “what do we do without her?”

samantha, always the one to follow the path she believed was right, leaves stanford, abandoning the future she had built for herself. It’s not just a school; it’s her dream, her escape, everything she thought she wanted. but without mary, it all feels meaningless. closing that door on her aspirations feels like cutting off a part of herself—yet, for her family, it’s what she needs to do. they need her.

deanna, on the other hand, channels her grief into an unrelenting fury. every monster she hunts, every threat she faces, is met with a wrath that burns hotter than hell. it's a fire fueled by loss and a desperation for control, as if killing enough things might somehow bring her peace. but in the silence that follows each victory, she’s only left with the crushing realization that it’s never enough.

they’re both lost without their mom. but, for now, they fight. for mary. for each other.

somewhere along the road . . .

Deanna drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, her eyes narrowing as she glanced between the road and the map spread across her sister’s lap. “So, uh, where the hell are we?”

Samantha let out a dramatic sigh, her eyes rolling so hard it was almost audible. “If you’d just listened to me ten minutes ago, you’d know we missed the turn.”

Deanna groaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “Dammit, Sammie! You’re supposed to navigate!”

The map crumpled in Sam’s quick, frustrated movement as she turned it toward Deanna, her face pinched with irritation. “I did navigate! I told you to turn left, and you—”

“I did turn left!” Deanna snapped, her face flushed with the heat of her own frustration.

Sam sat back, arms crossed tightly against her chest, her posture stiff as she leaned into the worn vinyl seat. “No, you turned right, which is literally the opposite of left.”

Deanna’s hands shot up, her brows knitting together as her eyes burned with irritation. “Well, maybe your left is wrong!”

Sam’s head tilted to the side, her eyes narrowing into a sharp, annoyed glare as she stared at Deanna. “That... that’s not how directions work.”

Deanna huffed, waving Sam off with one hand while gripping the wheel with the other as her gaze stayed on the road. “Fine. Whatever. We’ll just turn around.”

Sam adjusted the map with a resigned sigh, her lips pressed into a thin line as she fought back the urge to say I told you so. “Great. Awesome. Love that for us.”

The car fell into a tense silence, the only sound the hum of the engine and the occasional creak of the old leather seats. Then, Deanna reached over, flicking Sam’s ear with a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

Sam jerked away with a sharp breath, slapping her hand away, her face scrunched up in annoyance. But there was a hint of something else in her eyes—amusement, even if she didn’t want to admit it. “Quit it.”

Flick.

“Deanna.”

Flick.

“DEANNA.”

Sam lunged at her, eyes blazing, but Deanna effortlessly dodged, her laugh full of mischievous delight as she swerved away from her sister’s grasp.

“Ugh! You’re so annoying,” Sam muttered, settling back into her seat. Her lips formed a pout, and her eyes darted to the window in a silent protest, but the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth betrayed her.

Deanna’s grin widened, her dimples deepening as she shot Sam a wink. “Bitch.”

“Jerk.”

Deanna’s smirk was almost too playful to handle. “Shotgun does the snack run for getting us lost.”

Sam groaned, dropping her head back against the seat, her eyes half-lidded with exaggerated exasperation. “I hate you.”

Deanna chuckled, her green eyes flicking over to Sam as her voice softened with teasing affection. “Nah, you love me,” she quips, her dimpled smile only widening. “Now, be a good little navigator and find me the nearest gas station that sells pie.”

bonus . . . castiel !

(and yes there is so much sapphic subtext happening between cas and deanna)

for example . . .

cas is usually calm, aloof, but when a man flirts with deanna, something shifts. it’s not rage, but a sharp, uncomfortable feeling in her chest, one she tries to bury. she doesn’t understand it, nor does she want to. but she notices. she notices every little interaction and sometimes feels an overwhelming urge to remind deanna that she’s already someone’s priority—though she would never say it aloud.

j’s note — this was a fun little writing exercise with ideas and thoughts that i’m totally normal about… hah! no i’m not anyways now back to our regularly scheduled programs !

[dib-thing-wannabe]

Okay, here are some au ideas that I have but don't personally feel like expanding on. If you'd like, you can absolutely just steal them and make them your own, just tell me about it/tag me in it so I can follow along.

Jimmy Neutron Au Idea:

Essentially, Jimmy's evil clone escapes from the dark matter dimension and decided to try and play a couple harmless pranks on the town before starting his revenge on Jimmy. Though he wasn't able to get very far before Jimmy ends up running into him. Immediately, he dragged him into his lab to demand an explanation as to how he was able to escape. Once he tells him, and therefore proving to Jimmy that he can't just be put back without easily escaping again, Jimmy (with some convincing from the clone) decided to try and instead reform him, as there is nothing that he could do next without it being meaningless (that doesn't involve murder). Though once he tells his parents about his plan, they decide that it would be a great idea for him to live with them in their house as to keep an eye on him, essentially making him into their second child on a technicality. Which leads to him being able to annoy, tease and sometimes even fight Jimmy on occasion, and Jimmy would just have to take it (very similar to siblings having to deal with each other). Though eventually, they end up growing on each other, even if they don't like to show that. There was also this idea I had where Jimmy, before the evil clone showed up again, had begun to fall into a habit of not taking care of himself properly in favor of instead working on inventions and theories. No one had been able to either be able to see just how bad it was (as they aren't able to see his entire routine, so they just assume that whatever he wasn't doing then, he was doing later or he had done it earlier) or how bad it was affecting him. Everyone except the clone, as Jimmy begrudgingly keeps him close as much as possible to make sure he doesn't wreck havoc, so he could quickly see just how badly he was treating himself. Possible angst and character development could come from this.

Fairly Oddparents au idea:

Basically, after another time where Timmy's parents just straight up neglect him and/or intentionally do something fun without him, he ends up curling up into his bed and before sleeping, while Cosmo and Wanda are asleep, him unaware of them being asleep and unable to fullfil any wishes, wishes for new parents. Somehow though, the morning after he wakes up in a new yet similar house to his own, even with his fairies with him still, who are just as confused as he is. When he goes downstairs after a minute, he comes across a woman whom Timmy, Cosmo and Wanda has never seen before, yet she talks to him in a soft tone, as if she's known him his entire life. When Timmy asked her about herself, she confusingly tells him that she was obviously his mom and asks him if he was feeling okay. Still confused, Timmy sits down at the table and eats the breakfast his "mom" made for him, which just so happened to be his favorite food. As he finished eating, a man they also don't recognize enters the work, saying that he's about to leave for work. Timmy once again asked him who he was, where he also confusingly told him that he was his dad, his "pops". After the man and woman share a look at one another with a worried expression, they end up telling Timmy that he probably isn't feeling well and that he should go rest in his room, and that his "mom" will bring him some more warm food soon. Quickly though, Timmy adjusts to them supposedly being his parents, assuming that the wish had been made true, meanwhile Cosmo and Wanda are very confused and concerned because they don't recall Timmy very making that wish. Now this part you can choose not to do, but my idea is that the wish didn't actually become true due to Cosmo and Wanda, and that his "parents" actually strategically kidnapped him and gaslight him, not knowing how easy it would have been due to him thinking that his wish just simply came true. He still doesn't realize this, but Cosmo and Wanda do, seeing all the missing posters of him around town and his "parents" planning on moving to a very, very far away town soon.

[korrasera]

Right, but the point of this discussion was talking about killing being wrong on moral grounds and how people who say that killing is actually right (ethically correct that is) when it comes to certain targets are wrong and are doing leftism wrong.

Even when it's someone who you have a lot of pretty good reasons to want to see come to harm, violating their bodily autonomy is still an unethical act. And we know from plenty of evidence through...(checks)...all of human history, stripping people of their bodily autonomy is unethical, even when it's something that can't be avoided. The 'at best it's a bad thing being done to avoid future bad' frame.

Something being wrong on moral grounds doesn't stop people from doing it, which means the pushback you see in the notes is coming from people who feel judged when I say that killing is unethical. Doesn't matter that I'm not saying they're bad people, just that I'm illustrating how the act itself is unethical. That's not a rational reaction to the discussion, it's an emotional one.

As for the practical discussion, I think you're making some unsupported assumptions to arrive at your conclusion.

First, talking about the philosophy isn't an appeal to an abstract view of what the world should be. It's an analysis of the world as it is. Killing is always going to be the intentional infliction of harm that violates the principle of bodily autonomy. What changes is whether or not it can be avoided thanks to robust social structure.

Second, you assume there's no other way to deal with some problems. That's not true, at all. Starbucks forming a union will do more to oppose the power of the billionaires that fund Starbucks than killing any one of them would ever do. And it's by making those kinds of social changes, building bottom-up community networks and engaging in organizing, that makes real change.

Third, you're assuming that killing a billionaire can solve the problem that you're posing. That's not true either, because you're talking about a systemic issue as though it's an individual one. Not only is it not possible to kill all billionaires, any that are killed will be replaced and you'll have done nothing to address why billionaires exist. If you can't end the exploitation, their deaths are almost meaningless. And no, you cannot kill enough of them to collectively traumatize people out of wanting to be billionaires.

Fourth, courts don't work very well, sure. But they work a lot better than they used to. They're not completely corrupt tools of authority, they're imperfect tools that we haven't fully built yet. If they have no power as a tool of the people, capitalists and authoritarians wouldn't be trying to hard to seize control of them. Assuming that they are unable to do anything completely ignores the way that we've used them to make a lot of strides to support liberty and justice and fight corruption and malfeasance. I mean...we've never put a former president on trial before and yet it's happening right now. In several different jurisdictions.

Fifth, the reason I mentioned lynching above is because any plan to kill billionaires in self-defense is pretty much certain to go poorly because mob justice is even worse than court justice, that's one of the reasons why it's such a bad idea. It's a logical fallacy to say that it's the only option because that ignores literally everything else that people do to bring about an end to capitalism.

It's possible you might have a decent argument to make for it being self-defense, but don't let yourself get stuck thinking that violence, and particularly violent revolution, is the only way to address problems. It's a form of myopia. Just because violence is a tool that is sometimes unavoidable doesn't mean it's a good tool or one suited to the task.

"they deserve to die" is something you should never hear a leftist say. if you do, run

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

Just got back from L&T. Thoughts under the cut. But first, a pic of my girl (sorry, I mean, Your Majesty 👑):

So I have a few negatives to talk about but let's start with the positives.

The scene with Thor and Zeus when he's trying to convince him to join him against Gorr reminded me so much of his talk with Odin in TDW. At some point I thought they were trying to draw some parallels... but honestly I don't know if it's just me seeing things when there's nothing. Either way, I liked it.

Thor's speech to the kids towards the end was touching.

Val handling King duties and enjoying it was lovely to see.

Jane explaining the Einstein-Rosen bridge while under chemo. She was never boring and that enthusiasm is contagious. "You just destroyed your book!" - "Yeah! But now you understand wormholes!". She's lovely and I'll miss her.

Heimdall! My beloved. Only for 10 seconds but hey, I'll take whatever they give me, I love that man. Shorter hair too!

And this is something between a positive and a negative: I like that Thor said to Quill something in the lines of (I'm paraphrasing here): "You have a team that cares for each other, I never had that". I actually liked it because from what we've seen in the movies he had 4 friends who seemed to follow him and look up to him but we never saw him having a deep conversation with them, to me they were more party/battle friends than anything and Thor always stroked me as a very lonely person despite being a prince. Not to mention the Avengers never truly showed any interest, let alone compassion, especially in EG. So that line is interesting to keep in the movie...... that is, if you do something with it. But they just had him say it then ignored it for the rest of the movie. It's such a lost opportunity. Imagine Thor shit-talking the Avengers and setting the record straight after EG... if only.

Now, the negatives.

I don't understand all this talk about worthiness. If Ragnarok was supposed to teach Thor and the audience anything is that being worthy is utterly meaningless! Lifting Mjolnir was always entirely subjective, reliant on a bunch of rules dictated by a deeply flawed character like Odin. Thor is supposed to know he doesn't need that hammer or the axe or anybody's approval. He's the golden child, if he doesn't learn that then his arc keeps going in circles, and round and round it goes. It makes no sense.

I can't believe 2 movies in since she was introduced and my girl Val does not get a name. I appreciate people calling her Val but surely she's got a name, right? And her horse? I'll say this though: I don't remember them giving him a name but I'm grateful, if they call him anything but Aragorn my URL is truly fucked 😜

Why bring Sif back? She's the LAST connection Thor has to his old life. I was so happy to see her again since I genuinely thought he was going to lose it or they were gonna have some chat or something, but nah, they share one scene that's eerily similar to Thor 1 and they're good to go.

Once again character development is done in a rushed one-minute sequence. I watch these movies because I care about these characters, if that means you add 25 minutes to the damn movie then do so. If that means you cut a few fights then do so.

Thor realizing he wants and needs love is nice but giving him a kid is not the way to go, that's giving him someone to care for when he should be caring ABOUT AND FOR HIMSELF.

What kind of relationships does he have with Val and the others? A bunch of scenes with the Guardians and all I saw were screams and nothing more when that team is more a family than anything else, they wouldn't go about it like the Avengers (battle together then each member goes their own way), the Guardians care.

I would have wanted to see how the Asgardians are adapting to Earth or a bit more from New Asgard. Jane gets a statue, that's cool, no statues for anybody else though?

Oh the """queer rep""".... we were told she would look for her Queen but of course that didn't happen, I wish I could say I'm surprised but I'm not. And she doesn't even get to say anything, it's Korg who says "girlfriend" and leaves it at that? You know what, it's far worse to have this, I'd rather not have anything. If this is as far as they're willing to go please STOP. Everyone is straight, that's easier to digest.

Also, it's so fucking annoying to see people erasing her identity and saying she's a lesbian. No she isn't, Valkyrie is bisexual. We have enough bi erasure as it is, don't contribute to it.

And speaking of my girl... where the fuck is her arc? She gets no story, her pegasus is only on screen a couple times, she seems to be enjoying being a King so why not show that and how she's growing from being a warrior raised to kill to becoming someone trustworthy who loves her people and learns the humans' rules so she can defend them? Also she's still not redeemed, she has never said anything about how she feels after being raised to kill and commit genocide, how she felt about Odin (when Gorr was telling her I was almost begging! for her to speak up). I will admit I jumped when she was stabbed though. I may have a weird definitely non-healthy attachment to her lol

The problem about introducing new and powerful cities and weapons while Feige keeps parroting all that bs about "connected universe" is that it makes previous movies absolutely useless. So Thor knew about Omnipotent City? Why not go there in IW instead of Nidavellir then? Once you open the portal to Eternity why not kill Gorr and ask for anything...

Gorr the God Butcher who's shown on-screen killing the crazy amount of......... one god in the entire movie. So much for butchering.

"Lady Thor", "the name is Mighty Thor or Dr Jane Foster", I knew she was going to say that. Way too forced. You want feminism, Marvel? Flesh out the female characters and stop giving them the suits and powers of their male counterparts.

And lastly, what Mjolnir means to Thor. What that hammer represents is his past, his family, the time when stability was ensured and he had everything he wished for, back in the day when he didn't know the lies and what was hiding underneath the golden palace and his father's machinations. His attachment to Mjolnir in reality what it hides is his subconscious desire to go back to that time, which is exactly why he should despise that hammer! Not through hate for Hela but disappointment and anger towards his father.

All I keep seeing in these movies is Thor not growing up or out of his golden child status and I HATE IT. And it seems the only way they know to make characters "grow" is by giving them a romance or a kid... these characters need self-love, how is it possible that these writers and directors don't understand that familial, romantic, etc love is not the same as self-love? That you can have a million people who love you and still not love yourself?

Overall this is clearly the worst Thor movie for me, worse than Ragnarok, and I give it a 4/10 and I'm being generous (3,5 of those are for Val 😂). I still love Thor though, there are.... flashes of his old self and while short they remind me why I've always been a big fan of his.

Thor honey, you deserve so much more than this.

[livelaughlovinglobotomy]

Bloodwyrms

Dark themes ahead, read at your own discretion

Namesake derives from the way they hunt (bloody and gruesome)

Can be identified through their much darker color scheme than the average wyrm and red sheen around their mouth and down their neck

If general bloodwyrm behavior was described via the dnd alignment system, they would be around the chaotic neutral area (while chaotic good bloodwyrms are possible, it's very uncommon)

Normally solitary hunters, but it isn't uncommon for young bloodwyrms to follow alongside the hunting parent at the time

This brings us to the fact that bloodwyrms have a very keen sense of smell which helps them differentiate their young from prey with ease, making accidental infanticide very rare when on hunts

Bloodwyrms often hunt other wyrms. Not because they're desperate for food, but because they're fucking psychopaths (They will leave gravid wyrms alone, however)

While rare for most other wyrms, bloodwyrms can form familial units and usually gather underground to form a nest which can get very large without interference

When occupied, bloodwyrm nests smell heavily of viscera and gore, this makes it easier for bloodwyrms to find the nest and deter other wyrms from entering because entering a nest full of bloodwyrms is a deathwish on a silver platter

However, empty bloodwyrm nests are often sought after by mortals and wyrms with how big they can get, providing a safe zone to rest, though it's very easy to become lost in the winding tunnels, which can effectively starve you to death

Cannibalism is common among these familial units, though the one being eaten is usually the one seen as incompetent and/or has been greedy with food. And to top it off, they get fed to the younger generations first and bloodwyrm youth are just as ravenous as their adult counterparts (this is mostly done to keep some semblance of order (basically psychopaths with morals))

Infanticide involving cannibalism is seen as normal, however, any other form of harm to young is seen as taboo and will probably end with you becoming their next meal

Another thing seen as outlandish is the enslavement of mortals. They see it as you being greedy with food and use them to work meaningless tasks and they take full offense to that. They will go out of their way to make your life miserable by destroying whatever it is the forced labor is used for and will purposely let them escape as they will not hunt something that doesn't put up a fight (psychopaths with standards, if you will)

With bloodwyrms, you're either a friend or food, more often food than a friend (to befriend a bloodwyrm, you'd have to prove yourself worthy, and the criteria for proving yourself worthy varies from each individual bloodwyrm, most involving life-threatening situations)

If you do manage to prove yourself worthy to a bloodwyrm you are considered a close friend to the individual and expect them to frequently rub up against you, this is a way of showing a platonic form of affection and scenting you to prevent other bloodwyrms from eating you

Other forms of platonic affection include: gifting shiny objects and items with a funky texture that's fun to play with, will also share kills with you but will happily wolf it down if you aren't hungry (or don't eat meat)

They will also happily give information about customs and share info about traditions if you made it this far

They themselves don't actually have traditions, the mortals that worship them do via blood rituals (ha). They are flattered and greatly amused by the effort and complexity of these rituals they make to honor them and to act as a form of protection, especially when the blood doesn't belong to the one preforming the ritual

[haleigh-sloth]

Tbh even as Endeavor enjoyer I don't really understand rn what is hori cooking. Like yeah I liked that part about endeavor not being able to he like Allmight or Deku more in terms of what they represent and not their status. But what was that "ayo my life mission is to defeat af" part?? I can only assume what he means but really hope next chapter clears some things. Like his character never was about defeating afo but now he just decided that it is and it's really ??? moment. Like- I assume that he ment it in terms of defeating afo not as someone who allmight was and not to mimic him in some way like enji did after high end fight by copying allmight's victory pose but with other hand? But I made it up based on what was going on with endeavor through the whole manga and still it doesn't match with his main arc of not being an ass to his family and letting them live happy lives

Usually my go-to would be to tell myself "wait for the official translation", but honestly I don't think it's gonna change much of anything for this chapter.

It's just weird. Idk how else to describe it. There isn't really anything wrong with any of it right up until the very last moment when the last sentence of the chapter seems to kinda backpedal everything that was said......literally seconds before. That's what confuses me.

Endeavor even said that his weaknesses were ones he brought upon himself. He didn't equate his weaknesses to lack of strength, he related them to his ugly heart. He said his heart was always wrong, because of his own obsession. All of that is really spot on. All of that needed to be said, and I'm glad it finally happened.

But then it goes into him telling himself "continue fighting the enemy" and "ending this battle is my mission". Which completely opposes everything that was realized and said moments before. So I'm just left with....what? What was all of that if that is the point you landed on?

And again I'm in agreement that the Endeavor vs. AFO match is just, meaningless. There was potential, and we saw some of it when AFO was bringing up Touya and calling him a failure, but (so far) we have little to no follow up on that. So therefore all the actual interesting aspects of this fight are not present at this time. That could change, we'll see. And then AFO and this damn mask. God, I'm over it. Over. It. Either power him up and make him an actual worthwhile villain here, or move to a different battle. For fucks sake.

There might be some stuff missing, maybe. We'll see. But it just looks like a mess of a chapter if I'm being honest. Or actually only a mess right at the very end. Everything before that very last sequence was good. There is some little stuff about AFO that was good because now it looks like it might move to some Shigaraki content kinda soon, but that last page with Endeavor crushing AFO's mask for a second time 🙄 just, why.

[incorrect-ikevamp-quotes]

why does jean warn up to mc so quickly? ikevamp makes it clear that jean is a pretty reserved person and doesn't open up or let people in easily but he seems to let mc in quite quickly and it confuses me quite a bit.

Oh boy, where to begin with this one.

Well, I have a lot of Feelings^TM about this, but I'll try to be concise. Essentially, I think Jeanne doesn't recover in the other routes--or the general storyline--largely because he's just a lot to unpack narratively speaking. And without some pretty direct intervention, he has a hard time healing. MC’s direct intervention was meaningful because it was focused, consistent, and adapted to Jeanne’s specific needs. She also doesn’t make light of his experiences which is key; she fully understands that she can’t fathom what he’s been through. There is a very weighty respect and acknowledgement, a seriousness with which she treats his wounds that’s important.

It’s easy to make this a “why is MC nOt LiKe ThE oThEr GiRlS” but honestly that’s just not the sense I get when I look at all the information available to us. 

That being said, I also just feel like every person's recovery from traumatic events doesn't really look the same? I mean Leonardo’s cptsd isn’t going to operate the same way Jeanne’s wartime/Inquisition cptsd is going to operate. Some people require very individualized healing, others will often require a large scale group effort to lift them up.

Typically people don't ever just get over what happened to them and never worry about it again, either. It's usually a process of coping; the hope is that with time you find healthy ways to deal with grief and move forward. Therapists aren't magicians, they just help people process painful experiences/thoughts. It's honestly up to individuals to find meaningful ways to implement these tactics. 

Tl; dr: My contention is that Jeanne doesn’t open up or choose to stay alive because MC magically heals him, rather his recovery is a convergence of many people’s efforts and hopes that he stays alive. Gilles (he insists that Jeanne must live, asks him to promise), MC (affirms and bolsters that promise), Comte (makes a second life and recovery possible)--and in no small measure Mozart and Napoleon--all make an active effort to buoy him. As people often say, it takes a village to raise a child.

While Jeanne seems to respond most powerfully to MC’s attempts, it feels more like a product of chemistry/compatibility than it does a random cop out. There is no insinuation that only romantic love can heal; after all, MC gets close to him without any romantic intentions at first. They’re just good friends? It’s more that their feelings simply moved in a different direction after a point, which doesn’t necessarily happen all the time. Jeanne is also incredibly moved by Mozart’s love for him as a friend, Comte’s love for him as a father, and even Gilles’ love as a comrade to an extent. If anything, without their input Jeanne’s capacity for romantic love would be questionable at best.

Now, because I can never for the life of me stop analyzing, I have a more large scale outline of my thoughts below. Spoilers for Jeanne’s route:

If we look at Jeanne's life history, he has pretty specific trauma. Most of the harm he endured was a direct result of human rights violations after the war itself. He didn't enjoy fighting and killing people, but he's also very much a man that sees the reality of his position: it's either kill or be killed. His entire goal was to defeat the enemy as efficiently as possible in the hopes of ending conflict, and with his enormous resolve turns the tide. He had no innate interest in inflicting harm, or lack of control when engaging. He isn't pathological about it, and doesn’t dehumanize the other side. He was more "this was an act of necessity, but those are still human beings." So as far as I can tell he has a very strong moral compass and sense of duty, he doesn't show much delusion/confusion in that regard. (Also evident in his conversations with the young orphan boy.) Furthermore, he has been shown to have a sense of humor--cracking jokes with Gilles and boosting morale for his fellow soldiers.

His childhood abandonment is significant (he left his home because he was "not an adequate farmhand and they had no ability to feed all their children") but I don't know if I would consider it a huge trauma point for him. It seems as though he deemed it an act of necessity--not spite. It was simply the way of things, and he couldn't help his wiry constitution. You'd be surprised how common that was once upon a time, tbh... While it's certainly not right or fair, it does appear that in his perception it was the choice he made and he moved on after he became a soldier. Just focusing on what he could do, rather than everything he lacked. For people in his position, they often feel it is useless to linger on what should have been. There’s no time to linger or doubt, life hangs in the balance.

That leaves us with his time under the Inquisition, just before he was slated to be burned alive. I think this is the keystone trauma point for him, because there are a lot of moving parts to his powerlessness here. The first part is that his entire life's mission--ending the war so that people would no longer have to die and/or starve as a result of senseless violence--was just sabotaged. All those years of doing things he never wanted to do (wartime violence) and being forced to leave his family to ensure they didn't all starve, all of it treated like some kind of joke. Like he didn't sacrifice years of his life and sanity to protect a people who were happy to call him a monster and watch him burn alive. The second part is the overt gaslighting and rewriting of Jeanne's personal history (and overall French public perception) for the sake of the King's political agenda. To call him a treasonous danger to the country when he was once lauded a hero. The third portion is the actual physical helplessness of being arrested, starved, and continuously maimed for no reason beyond pure malice. While it's never right to do that to any human being, this was done to a man who prided himself on his stalwart moral code. To abuse and torture him for something egregious that he would never do (at the risk of death) is just another slap in the face to everything he is and believes in.

I just feel like the context clarifies why that period of time would be the tipping point. His entire moral code and life’s work is being called into question and swept aside, as well as his agency? He believes very powerfully in a sense of right vs wrong, what's fair and what isn't fair. Somebody else deciding that for him--and deciding in a way that is openly unfair/incorrect--further makes him lose himself and his sense of reality. A person in that situation begins to doubt if they are good or bad. His belief in god all the more pressing; if he was a good person, why would fate bring him so much suffering? Honorable soldier or not, his blade has drawn so much blood...

People often reference his stilted social skills (and I am of the belief that he is on the autistic spectrum) as a reason why he is so "people-adverse" but tbh? I don't agree. His memories before the onset of this trauma reveal that he was actually a very warm person, and that people were more than willing to fight under his banner. He had friends, and he had comrades--his country loved him. He was the picture of well-meaning civic duty. Just because he doesn’t integrate smoothly into larger social groups or adapt well to socially shifting circumstances, doesn’t mean he just hates people lmao. When people give him the space to exist within his comfort zone and don’t take advantage of him, he thrives. Compounded by that, we also have his actions in the present to further prove what is true and what isn't.

While he is stern with the orphan boy (I'm sorry I can't remember his name, damn it) there is no malice or cruelty in what he has to say. He doesn't punish the kid or do anything out of line. It may not be fair in terms of the adult level of discretion he asks of him, but the kid also didn't have a lot of options realistically speaking lmao. Same thing with MC, she and the orphan boy are nearly identical in how Jeanne treats them. He's a little rough, but the route reveals that his intentions are just a reflection of what he's been through. He truly believes that if a person isn't strong, they won't survive--because his entire life was a series of trying to be strong/reliable because nobody else would. There was nobody to protect him, and nobody to care for him went things went south. It was him and his sword against the world, and even his exceptional skill as a fighter did not protect him from the Inquisition's arbitrary torture. He has lived in a world where good acts can become absolutely meaningless, where following rules and helping people still gets you slaughtered. That's going to take a considerable toll on his mental health: where do you find the will to go on when the next second of your life could mean the devastation of everything that matters to you?

Spoilers: you don't. Or if you do, every minute of the day is a fight to stay alive. That is the point at which we meet Jeanne. Caught in the hellish whirlpool of wanting more, wanting better--but being terrified of the cost. The cost of hoping, only for his entire world to go up in flames again. It's not a small thing, in my view.

If you have any doubts as to whether or not that is the case, I direct you to literally every singular instance in which Jeanne's emotional sensibility goes visibly dark/south. When do these instances happen? When it rains, for one. And when Shakespeare deliberately starts pressing on his sensitivities: about the soldiers he was forced to kill, about the nation that spurned him, how he's truly "wicked" at heart and doesn't deserve to be happy--seconds before flames erupt for the festival. Does that really sound coincidental? I mean lmao. The rain is a painful reminder, but MC transforms that memory into something a little lighter with her bet. He has nothing to lose in her game, all she does is ask for time with him or offers him something if she loses. There's a playfulness there, a restoration of agency and ease that's invaluable to his recovery.

As for Shakespeare's deliberate retraumatization...I can't even begin to explain how damaging that event was. Shakespeare is undermining Jeanne's agency in that he--not unlike the corrupt monarch of Jeanne's era--is twisting Jeanne's beliefs to work against him. He knows full well that Jeanne doesn't feel like he deserves somebody so bright and understanding (we need to remember it's not really a luxury he's had much in life, especially after the war ended). He knows Jeanne has a tendency to impose that strict moral code on himself even more than he does on others. To reaffirm his every worst fear and lurking terror only throws Jeanne into a vicious downspiral. Jeanne doesn't reject MC out of disgust or hate. He rejects her because he literally cannot handle the concept of trying to be happy again, or of burdening her with his constant struggle to move on while he’s in the middle of a bad episode. He knows he won’t be able to stop reliving the past, that every second of his life and breath will be colored by his gruesome memories. He's trying as hard as he can to keep the intrusive thoughts quiet, to move on. But I'm not going to lie to any of you, that is incredibly difficult to do alone.

The next obvious question is, well why can't the other men help him? This isn't to say that they can't--we see how much solace Jeanne finds in Napoleon and Mozart. Even Isaac is gentle with the veteran. But there are limits to how much they can do. Napoleon is struggling with his own wartime trauma, and it's not identical to Jeanne's. Plus there’s a distinct difference in their sensibilities? Napoleon is the type to habitually seek comfort in helping others when he can't help himself, he's not as in tune with answering his own personal feelings and regulating them. (I mean just look at his new ES: he knows what he wants, but it takes a nudge from Isaac for him to go through with it.) He’s very communally reliant in ways Jeanne isn’t; Jeanne is a very private person, and typically prefers one on one from what I can tell.

Mozart is the definition of repression, and if you look at their interactions it's usually Jeanne that's smoothing over Mozart's rough edges. Mozart says as much himself: that he feels like a rotten friend because he knew Jeanne was struggling with a lot of intense trauma, but he didn't know how to unravel it without hurting him in the process. Mozart calls it personal cowardice, but honestly I just feel like they both had too much going on to be able to help each other effectively. (And Jeanne expresses this sentiment too? This idea that he's not angry with Mozart? He knows they're both carrying a lot, he's just touched Mozart cares about him in return.)

Okay, briefly unrelated, but like. Am I the only one that wheezes uncontrollably when Mozart is like "?????? Idk what it is about MC...I don't want her to be scared of me..." in his own main story in the baths. And Jeanne. IS TRYING SO HARD. NOT TO SPILL THE BEANS ABOUT HIM O B V I O U S L Y BEING IN LOVE. THE HILARITY I CAN'T DO THIS. Jeanne was like "yeah....yeah that's rough buddy.......[screams internally, give your boy time Jeanne he's fragile]"

Honestly? That's the thing about Jeanne too--he has incredible self-awareness and hyperarousal-related (I mean the PTSD kind, get your head out of the gutter) awareness to the people around him. He's very, very conscious of the fact that he is surrounded by geniuses when he can't even write his own name. Just because he has the fortitude not to lash out with his insecurities, doesn't mean he never feels stupid or inferior. And it doesn't help when there are people in the mansion who call him--a fucking war veteran from 500 YEARS AGO--nAiVe. He's not naive lmao. He just doesn't know how the world works so many years later, and it's a ridiculously steep learning curve? Leonardo and Comte are nearly 500 years old, but they lived throughout every hour of that time in a linear fashion. It is a big deal to be moved from 1430 to 1890 in the span of a second asynchronously, and then be expected to function without a hitch??? Given the circumstances he adapts well.

That atmosphere--this constant impatience with what he doesn’t understand, his inability to be caught up to speed quickly--is going to hinder his recovery lmao. He feels like a burden most of the time, and agency and freedom are crucial.

Another thing that occurs to me about the mansion's arrangement is that there is a power dynamic, just as any space with people in it has some level of hierarchy (unless you live with miraculously chill people). Jeanne is acutely aware that Comte is the most powerful being in that space, and he is not only hatefully angry at him--but likely afraid too. We have to remember that the biggest betrayal he witnessed in his life was at the hands of a monarch; it was the aristocracy that turned on him and erased the truth. Comte is openly a child that resulted from both that era and that type of lineage, I don't really blame Jeanne for being wary. He intimately knows how willing rich people are to throw normal folks under the bus to suit their ambitions/whims. Comte, while not deliberately threatening, also seems to be painfully aware of this impression he gives off. His "chad persona" as I've mentioned allows him to navigate his life in secret by necessity, but it’s actively damaging to his son. He can't reveal the truth because of Vlad's betrayal, and he's openly unsettled by what it could mean to be honest. Will they wonder about Vlad and find themselves ensnared under his mind control as Charles and Shakespeare are? Will Comte himself be subjected to the mortifying ordeal of being known only to lose them?? That's a risk he isn't willing to take--and that leaves him in a double bind.

What is it that they say, the truth will set you free? This is where MC and Comte come into enormous play when it comes to Jeanne's recovery. One thing to keep in mind is that most of the people in the mansion have their own traumas they're trying to carry, and I feel like a lot of them are unsure how to approach Jeanne. Or if they do, he's very guarded. It takes a lot of consistent effort to get through to him. What does MC do when Jeanne unleashes his harsh worldview on her? She's understandably frightened, but Jeanne isn't malicious (so she chases him around). In fact, he openly avoids and runs away from her--well aware that what he's done is wrong. If anything, he did it on purpose, bringing us right back to Shakespeare's verbal undoing; why does Jeanne attack her in the first place?

LMAO. He attacks her because she essentially says "oh thanks for helping me!" "I am not nice. Watch yourself." "But you seem like a nice guy to me?" "REEEEEE" Does the pattern become a little clearer? When people think kindly of him, his instinct is to shatter that illusion with an impulsive reprehensible act. When people think poorly of him or lash out, what does he do? When that orphan boy starts yelling and screaming, Jeanne is nothing but calm. He explains the situation, and offers the kid a choice, perfectly happy to be the bearer of bad news. This operates on many levels I’m sure, but I have a feeling it has something to do with him being hailed a saint and a war hero only to be tortured and branded a monstrosity (and he probably thinks being a vampire is doubly monstrous). He’s more comfortable being hated because he feels it’s what he deserves in a lot of ways.

Jeanne has a lot of internalized self-hatred because of what he's done, and because of how much harm was inflicted on him outside of his control (he's Catholic and he was tortured, come on this writes itself). If I'm honest, I think that's actually the greater part of why he hates Comte lmao. Comte refuses the very concept of being cruel no matter how much Jeanne lashes out. Sure he lectures him and scolds him, but he never actively limits what's important to him or controls or harms him. Comte fully realizes the tragedy of how Jeanne's life was used by a nation in dire straits, and knows he needs time and acceptance to heal. No matter how dismal or unhappy, Comte doesn't stop--he fully believes Jeanne should have time in his life where he can really live for himself for once. But therein lies the issue, Jeanne doesn't know how to live for himself.

Which brings me to how MC and Comte "heal" Jeanne. I feel like they give him the space he needs to recover, and that's what results in his gentled temperament and happiness. Remember that so much of his main story is MC endlessly chasing after Jeanne. No amounts of his hissing or running or threatening stops her. Even if his refusals are empty of real dislike, they're enough to deter most people. Not MC. She's able to see through to the depths of who he is, and doesn't just use him for her own ends? She actively seeks to teach him (to read and write) to help him settle better in this era, she actively tries to ease his distaste for rain with a well-meaning bet, and she never gives up on him. (Actions mean so much more to him than words in general too, tbh...). Love is more easily defined by work and effort than it is by attraction.

When he has his episode at the festival, sure she's rattled; but that's because she truly believed that he didn't want to be around her anymore. When she notices he really doesn’t want to be followed, she stops like any normal person would. It’s only when she reads his notebook and sees the truth for herself (that he’s given up despite having the same feelings for her) that her determination is rekindled. She doesn't approach him fearfully, doesn't treat him like he's made of glass either. She just wants him as he is--accepts and loves him as he is. Scarred, bloody, exhausted, abrasive, terrified. She doesn't define him by how easy he is to love. That is a huge issue with traumatized people lmao. Because of their maturity, people always just assume they don't need help, or they rely on them to an extent that isn't sustainable. The second they reveal need or that they struggle, people walk away or victim blame them because it’s easier than taking them seriously.

While MC's attempts may be a little more obvious (cherishing his lily field, wearing the hair pin he gave her, careful about his gruesome injury, really listens when he talks about the horrors of his life and accepts that he experienced a level of agony/terror she can never understand, tries to express her feelings no matter his evasion) I think it's also important to consider Comte's large scale effort. I don't say this to undermine MC, I say it because Jeanne's life was defined by a complete lack of security. He left his parents to make their lives easier, he lived in a war that meant life or death any second, and his country's leader branded him a traitor which lead to his endless torture and public execution. Jeanne does not know a life in which safety is the norm. Point blank. He does not understanding going outside and not expecting the worst anymore.

Comte not only understands that level of despair, but treats it with dignity and respect. He fully accepts being hated if it means Jeanne can use that hatred to live on and find a way to heal. And most importantly, when Jeanne begins to move forward with MC and Mozart's help, Comte never once holds it against Jeanne when the truth is revealed. He's not angry, this isn't about reprisal or reparations or revenge. It's just love.

Jeanne doesn't really have a concept of this? His entire life was mostly transactional, defined by strength and efficiency. Nobody gives a damn about your feelings. You either hurl yourself at the problem or die. Nobody is going to help you or carry you or save you. While he may have had a little more support while he was in the military from his fellow soldiers, that support system was ripped away from him during the Inquisition.

One very common sentiment regarding elongated imprisonment and torture is that survival occurs in pairs. It is an undeniable fact that people need others to survive. It is the nature of who we are. Individualism has never proven to be successful, or if it is, its dividends are astronomically minimal when compared to people working together.

What does it mean to be the most reliable, steady person in the room? Usually it just means you don't know how to ask for help when you are no longer capable of maintaining that stance. Napoleon is guilty of it. Leonardo, Comte, and Jeanne all are too. It's part of why MC and Comte's capacity to see what he needs and provide as much as they can is such a big deal. That sort of consistent support (without a constant necessity to beg for help) allows Jeanne to be able to re-integrate into his new reality and find joy. Even if his nightmares and memories never go away, they are now being actively overrun by positive experiences. That's the thing about recovery, really--it tends to be more about drowning out the negative as much as possible and coming to terms with it, than it is about forgetting or never feeling it again. It’s about softening the sharp edges of pain like sea glass.

So is MC magical and randomly got Jeanne to open up? Nah, I don't think so. I think it was a series of persistence and real acceptance of who he is that made him warm up. People really seem to underestimate how deeply affecting understanding is, but that's how damage is undone. Jeanne can't really linger on the idea of his own monstrousness, his unworthiness, a lifetime of misery, when the person in front of him actively listens and cares about him. Makes him laugh and smile and lose himself in warmth for the first time.

If I'm honest, I feel like people also just...underestimate the level of traumatic resurgence that's perpetuated and inflicted by society’s standards in general lmao. This rhetorical structure in which good and bad exist in moral extremes, this idea that people should be able to recover and never experience relapses or periods of sensitivity. The refusal to radically listen to people and their problems, and make active attempts--not matter how small--to mend/ease those hurt feelings. Granted there will always be people in the world who do not want to improve, but I feel like most people want to. It's hopelessness, silence, and stigmatization that remain the true enemies of traumatized/mentally ill people everywhere. And among that population are always war veterans...

[ganymedesclock]

V: A secondary (or underrated) character you want to see more of in fic?

Honestly, I think there's a lot of them. To just pick the main fandoms I'm writing for right now- Sonic, Legend of Zelda, and Hollow Knight- a kind of pattern emerges in that these tend to be series or franchises with lots and lots of characters.

To focus on Hollow Knight in particular... really a lot of the 'minor' NPCs in HK are, to me, essential to its flavor and really fun to bring in. Full disclosure- in Refuge for Resolve, I settled on the gruz mother's arena as PK's base of operations / depression shelter both out of its convenient location in the forgotten crossroads, and because it's clearly a former temple of sorts dedicated to him, and I liked the idea of a fallen god finding sanctuary in a place where he was once worshiped, after the congregation has left. It felt thematically relevant to the whole piece.

And then I realized Salubra was right there- and outside of immediately wanting her to make PK uncomfortable at least once because Salubra's gaudy personality and flirtatious joking would set PK off like a cat cornered by a large amiable dog... she actually has a lot to say.

And I think this is one of the really good things Hollow Knight does right there in its canon, though I definitely try to inject it into any franchise I write for- it's that there's no such thing as a person so trivial they don't have anything important to tell you. Sure, there's if anything a smaller-than-standard number of people telling you, "hey, go here and do this to make the plot happen! To be continued in the sacred forest with the mushroom hermit!" and there's definitely a realistic number of people who don't know who you personally are, or don't know why the kingdom is specifically being afflicted by a dead god...

but the ostensibly inconsequential conversations you have with "meaningless" NPCs in HK always come back to telling you about the world. About family, about love, about duty, about emptiness and memory and grief and regret. One of the NPCs who consistently tells you most about the world is self-admittedly a cowardly old man who refuses to leave his doorstep and actively pretends to not see some of the things that happen around him because he has no faith in the world anymore- exactly the sort of person who many games would dismiss as a feeble idiot who clearly has nothing important to say. Heck, even Zote's definitely comedic and self-sighted blathering still ends up speaking to the themes of the game. One of his most inane precepts talks about eggshells, when eggs are such a major repeated and ominous motif in the game that you literally fight the final boss inside of a giant egg in all but two esoteric and odd endings.

So I guess this doesn't completely answer the question but as much as I have my personal favorites I think I'm just a sucker in general for watching minor or easy-to-overlook characters get their perspective examined.

That said though I definitely feel like both Unn and the White Lady could get more attention, especially takes that examine how WL is both some forms of kindly and also not, remotely, in any way, the "nice one" compared to her husband.

[yandere-romanticaa]

The votes are in and the winner is: Shuu Sakamaki! I hope you guys like this!

Yandere Alphabet.

ft. Shuu Sakamaki. 💛

A - Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

Shuu's affection is simple but subtle. He always has an arm around his darling, even while he is sleeping. By doing this not only is he keeping his darling close but he is also telling the world that they are his and off limits. A win win situation.

As for intensity, Shuu isn't a very intense yandere compared to his brothers but that doesn't make him any less possessive. If his darling tries to leave he will complain and he will end up drinking their blood and marking them. Can't let little darling think they have so much freedom now, can he?

B - Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

Hmmm, not too messy tbh. As lazy as he is, once Shuu actually decides to do something he will finish it. As the eldest brother he just has some experience that the others do not and because of that he can probably just use his words to intimidate rivals.

He will throw hands if anyone gets too close though.

C - Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

He would definetly be a bit of a tease even though he does complain a lot. At first he's just annoyed, why is his darling being so noisy? It's driving him nuts! But then again, there are days when he finds darlings desparate face especially amusing and a small smirk finds its way on to Shuu's face. s/o little screams and whispers soon become Shuu's favorite thing to listen to.

D - Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?

No actually, believe it or not. The only thing Shuu will do is drink darlings blood. The guy has to, you know, eat? He isn't super sadistic like most of his brothers and he really won't do anything harsh unless he is jealous or really mad.

E - Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

Shuu would prefer it if his darling was the more sensitive one, that just brings him greater piece of mind. Most of the time he just doesn't really talk about his feelings which can make Shuu a bit of an enigma. But after being with him for a while, s/o will pick up on the subtle signs in case Shuu is irritated or anything of the sorts. His grip always seems to be especially tight then.

F - Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?

Sad and disappointed. He actually does love his darling but a part of him also gets why they are doing it. It doesn't make it any bothersome though... Please, just... love him, okay?

G - Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

Shuu might say it i to tease but it's not. He sees no point in meaningless flings, this the long run. And Shuu would be heartbroken if darling tried to leave - darling is like a lost puppy in Shuu's eyes, he has to protect them at all costs, he has to.

H - Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

Whenever he gets jealous, plain and simple. He just hates it when his brothers get touchy feely with his s/o and Shuu always drags s/o away to his room, his face showing no emotion but the look in his eye says it all.

A rough and sleepless night awaits...

I - Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

He never had any plans but he wouldn't mind staying in the Sakamaki household with his s/o. With his home and lovely spouse, Shuu would be on cloud nine.

J - Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

You bet he does, painfully so. He is able to hide it most of the time but if someone just flat out flirts or touches his s/o, Shuu is by their side ready to fight.

K - Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

Normal, for the most part. He will probably become affectionate over time though, even downright shameless if he feels like it.

L - Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

He doesn't really know what he is doing but he will try to put in the effort even if it doesn't look like it. He treats them normally for the most part but there is a subtle soft side reserved for his darling only.

M - Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?

He's pretty much the same 24/7 but if he gets mad his more sadistic side will be a bit more obvious. He'll wipe the floor with anyone if they dare challenge him.

N - Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

Heck yeah. Sharp bites, a few slaps, teasing little licks, it varies with Shuu. He mostly just bites their neck to shut them up but he isn't afraid to use more force if need be. He'd rather not though.

O - Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?

All depends on darlings behaviour. If they act accordingly he won't really care, just as long they aren't too far away from him that is. But in case darling decides to do something stupid, Shuu will put his foot down.

P - Patience: How patient are they with their darling?

Depends what it is really. He will try to be reasonable but if his darling keeps making a fuss that patience will run thin.

Q - Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?

Never. Shuu would never let this go, the grief would just consume him and destroy him, he won't even bother stopping it. He is nothing without his live and he would have a hard time moving on if this happened.

R - Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?

No, not really. He did because he had to, and he did it to protect them. He just hopes darling will realize that one day.

S - Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

Shuu can get very insecure and because of that he wants his darling to always be by his side, that way he can always protect them. He doesn't want to lose them, Shuu wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he were to lose yet enother loved one...

T - Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?

"What a pain."

He will grumble to himself and this kind of behaviour won't be tolerated for too long. Yeah, it's cute to hear darlings pleas for help but Jesus do not shout.

U - Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?

Well yes but no. He does do the usual things such as kidnapping but it's his attitude towards it that makes him stand out. He calls everything a pain and an annoyance, why can't darling just come to him? He'll treat them nicely...

V - Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

No, actually. He loves being spolied rotten with affection and he often catches himself falling for darling's sweet words but Shuu isn't dumb. As lazy as he is, he is smart, very much so, and he can tell if his little songbird is plotting something. He just knows, don't even bother finding out how.

W - Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

Yes. Mostly by sucking darlings blood, which can get a bit rough. Shuu just loves to mark his little darling up with his deep love bites, just seeing them so out in the open, it gives him a real sense of pride. He especially loves it when Reiji complains that darling should cover up but Shuu merely replies with a smirk and just brings darling closer, much to Reiji's dismay.

X - Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?

He will try to court his darling but he'll just give up halfway and kidnap them. It's a lot easier that way, you know? And Shuu wouldn't exactly worship his darling, but they make up a huge chunk of his world and he wouldn't really know what to do without them in the end.

Y - Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

For quite a while, actually. Shuu might appear as though that he couldn't care less, but he does, he really does. He tells himself that darlings feelings are irrelevant but he doesn't mean that, ever. He wants them to actually be happy, to be happy with him.

Z - Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?

Intentionally? Never. He fell for them for a reason, he doesn't want them to change. But he will leave long lasting scars on his darling which will affect darlings psyche. And there just might be a chance that darling dearest might not be able to handle those deep wounds.

[fly-pow-bye]

ThunderCats Roar - “Prank Call”

Co-Executive Producer: Victor Courtright

Supervising Producer: Nate Cash

Producer: Marly Halpern-Graser

Story by: Victor Courtright

Teleplay by: Marly Halpern-Graser

Directed by: Jeremy Polgar

I was expecting a lot less from this episode just from that title, that’s for sure.

This episode starts with Lion-O talking about how, as Lord of the ThunderCats, he will not give up on fighting the forces of darkness, as the camera is zoomed right into his face. Gee, I wonder if he's not fighting those aforementioned forces of darkness, but actually doing something really mundane.

Big surprise, that turns out to be the case, as Lion-O is repeatedly punching a TV trying to get it to work. He's not lying about the darkness, he's just fighting against the darkness of a non-working TV. There's more of a joke here than one might realize. This is a problem, because there might not be any TV stores on Third Earth!

Tygra, the down-to-Earth straight man of this reboot's version of ThunderCats, decides to bring out his secret weapon...a TV manual that says "How to Television." If the grammar error was intentional, it really wouldn't fit Tygra as the down-to-Earth and by-the-book voice of reason. Lion-O decides to take all of this to heart and read along with him...

...or, he can just hit it with the Sword of Omens, and let the Eye of Thundara do all the work. Hooray for simplicity! Cheetara may also have a point about there probably being TV stores on Third Earth, because it does get at least one channel that airs the Silverhawks. Kids, that's another show by the same people who did ThunderCats. Maybe if this reboot does really well, we'll get "SilverHawks Squawk."

Unfortunately, this fictional reboot appears to be truer to the original than this one, as it's too slow and boring to appeal to today's kids. At least, that's what everyone seemed to imply about the original ThunderCats. WilyKit and WilyKat aren't swayed by the majesty of Commander Stargazer, and they want to go outside and explore. Tygra tells them that they can't go out to the wilderness by themselves unless they have a chaperone, and he specifically chooses the guy that just hit a TV with a sword. Well, it worked, so I can't argue with that logic.

Lion-O immediately jumps at the opportunity with a audible and visible "heck yeah", but the ThunderKittens respond with an audible and visible "that stinks." Lion-O tries to make his case.

Lion-O: Just us cool kids hanging out, getting into trouble, fun stuff!

Wait, us "cool kids"? Are they or are they not going to go with the "Lion-O is still a kid in a grown man's body" plot point from the original? They never really confirm this either way, though Roar's version of Exodus implies he was an adult even when he was escaping from his exploding home planet. WilyKit and Kat say that if he's a chaperone, he's one of those grownups, with Kat calling him "basically the same as Tygra."

We get a zoom in of his brain at that comment, which is extremely small. This is funny because he's not particularly intelligent. Honestly, I'm surprised he even had a brain. Cheetara comes up, saying that it's also not that bright of an idea to let the "baby king" babysit them, and Lion-O responds that he's basically an adult, which still leaves the answer to the “was he calling himself a kid because he’s still a kid in a grown man’s body” question vague, and there's no manual for that.

Tygra then takes out a book called "How to Responsible". I get it, like how the last manual was called "How to TV". Again, if the grammar error was intentional, it really wouldn't fit Tygra as the down-to-Earth and by-the-book voice of reason.

But no, he's not going to read some stinky manuals; he wants to be cool and hip, not by someone who is literally by-the-book. Lion-O doesn't want to be just a chaperone, he wants to be the best chaperone ever and a general "cool guy". First, he's a cool kid, and now he's a cool guy. I guess that "baby king" comment got to him, if a little bit less than "you're basically Tygra."

Using his and Snarf's knowledge of the coolest things on Third Earth, he takes them out surfing on the waves of the Jade Lagoon, swinging across the Bottomless Gorge, and telling stories about how he convinced a caveman to give him a time capsule. Less than a minute into this outing, the ThunderKittens are already calling him cool...well, almost cool. He rubs his cheeks with enthusiasm at that.

WilyKat points to a big rock with a bunch of pointer fingers pointing to a sign that says "Danger! Evil!! (Bad Stuff Inside!!!)" When the exclamation points get more numerous with each warning, one knows its serious. Even Lion-O knows this, as we don't get the way-too-easy joke about him just ignoring the sign and saying, "well, it must be safe!"

Instead, he tells WilyKit and Kat that they should leave it alone. Snarf nods to this oath of safety, which is fitting for the original Snarf without the annoyance of Snarf's way of speaking. WilyKit is not impressed by this, and says "whatever you say, Tygra."

So Lion-O kicks through the walls into the evil "danger evil" location, and they find a giant crystal in the middle of it. Lion-O gives some pause to interacting with it, thinking that it must be the evil stuff that sign was warning about, but the ThunderKittens immediately go out and touch it. Lion-O tries to raise some concerns, but WilyKit suggests that he's becoming Tygra. They get a lot less subtle about this here; Lion-O outright says that there should be a manual for that crystal. He's just setting himself up for the inevitable "you're just being like Tygra" talk, and he shuts his trap.

In the opposite end of the "how much one shuts their trap" line, the crystal then lights on fire and reveals that it was calling Mumm-Ra. Those telephone sounds aren't just to sound cool; it turns out that this crystal is like a giant telephone, and it only has one number on its speed dial. Mumm-Ra answers what a "who dares to call the tomb of Mumm-Ra", and WilyKit and Kat know exactly what to do.

We get the titular prank call, with WilyKat declaring himself as the evil plumber. Lion-O, again, tries to get the kids to stop doing that, but they respond by reminding him that they did kick his bony butt. Wow, a hint at continuity? Say it ain't so! Well, okay, they're going to kick his bony butt in any other episode featuring him, so it could be a coincidence.

Snarf is even more the voice of reason even if he doesn't use it in this reboot, and Lion-O eventually tells him that he shouldn't be like Tygra. It's a good downwards progression for Lion-O in this episode. He starts out as kind of the voice of reason, and then he just decides to be the irresponsible caretaker that joins in on the mischief.

He does have a reason for that. After convincing Mumm-Ra to screw his cauldron to fix his plumbing problem, causing his lair to flood, they laugh it up. Sure, they angered an evil ever-living guy, but one of the kids called Lion-O the best chaperone ever, so it must be fine for him to do that!

While Lion-O has a brain that is easily breakable, Mumm-Ra's is a bit bigger, as he eventually realizes what's going on. This crystal has a few other abilities, including teleportation, as he's able to reach through the crystal and grab the ThunderKittens right into it. Turns out, this was a crystal he had that he forgot about, even with all the pointer fingers surrounding it, and he knows how to use it. Well, sort of; Mumm-Ra does seem to share Lion-O's hatred of using manuals, as even he doesn't know all the features of the crystal. He doesn't even know where he teleported the ThunderKittens to, only hoping that it took them somewhere nasty.

He does know one other feature of this crystal; it can store and give him evil energies, turning Mumm-Ra into his buff form again. He's not as big now, but at sunset, he'll be at full power. Lion-O would try to stop him, but he realizes that he can't fly, and he's way up there floating on that phone-teleporter-evil-storer crystal.

Mumm-Ra, using the crystal to fly away, goes right back to his pyramid, and Lion-O vows to go to the pyramid and fight him. But not before we get another close zoom-in on his face, getting a slightly off-model shot of him covering his mouth and saying "before Tygra finds out."

For the record, Cheetara guesses it, but Tygra and Panthro are kind of clueless. Hearing some commotion surrounding that evil pyramid outside, they go into the Thunder Tank and drive it, two of them assuming the baby king and the kids must not be there. Tygra may be the straight man in this episode and almost every other time, but even he is fallible.

Lion-O shows up at Mumm-Ra's lair first, and reveals that he found a way against the "but he's up so high" problem: use the robotic Snarf's ability to turn into a jetpack. Maybe he just assumed he had that feature, because he seems to do everything. One can even play video games on him, though they're too old-school for the ThunderKittens. Huh, I realize that's a continuing theme from the last episode, and thankfully for this episode, that's not something I'll say very often.

Unfortunately for Lion-O and fortunately for the TV-Y7-FV rating, he figured out that strategy too late, as the crystal has given Mumm-Ra enough power to be impervious to stabbing. The other ThunderCats show up, and they see that Lion-O just lost the kids.

Everyone knows where this is leading to, but Mumm-Ra has no time for "sorry I'm such a jerk" scenes. He immediately commands silence. Turns out, that crystal takes that as a command to petrify the others into not so flattering poses. One can see Tygra's now-sculpted behind, one cannot unsee it.

He then throws Lion-O and Snarf into the crystal. I would say that if he petrified Lion-O too, the episode couldn't continue, but it's more likely he wouldn't know how to activate that feature again since he didn't read that all important manual. Lion-O’s not the only person who needs to learn a lesson.

It turns out, the crystal teleported to this void, the same void that the ThunderKittens were sent to. They tell him that there's absolutely no way out of this void, which only contains carpet, and they begin to cry about it. It's really over-the-top, with them crying buckets of tears over this situation and blowing their nose with tissue paper. It's not played like a tear jerker scene, it seems more like a "huh, look at how much they're overreacting" joke.

They do throw in one plot-important aspect to that joke, giving it a point: Lion-O asks where did they get that tissue paper from. This scene isn't funny, so we can't use the Roger Rabbit excuse, but it turns out that paper came from somewhere. Let's see Mumm-Ra figure out exactly what it was, as he's gloating about how the ThunderCats are defeated without him even worrying about reading a manual.

Lion-O: You mean this manual?!

It turns out, manuals are good! That's the lesson of the day, kids: make sure to be educated, and Lion-O had to learn this by having every other option be unavailable to him. That's how lessons should be learned!

While he may have found out how to get out of the void thanks to that manual, the sun still sets, and Mumm-Ra's power is now at its maximum. He's big enough to use the ThunderCats base as a chair again. However, he does not c, because reading the manual gave Lion-O knowledge beyond knowledge, giving him the ability to just talk to the crystal to undo all of that evil stuff.

The joke, of course, is that this mystical crystal is more like one of those smart home devices. It's even activated by saying, "hey Crystal", and it talks to him like a Google Assistant or Alexa. See, even ThunderCats has to go with modern times!

We get our fight scene, and yes, one of the actions is a "mummy butt spanking" from Panthro. One can see Mumm-Ra's not-nearly-as-sculpted cheeks, and they cannot unsee it. Outside of that, it's a decent fight scene, with one particularly neat effect throughout it: as one of the evil actions the crystal did was give Mumm-Ra the power, he's constantly fluctuating between his skeletal form and his muscular form. The animation isn't as good as the last episode's, but I'd say the rest of this episode stacks up pretty well against that one. At the end, Lion-O shouts a one-liner to finish this whole scene, echoing the moral of the story:

Lion-O: You should have read the manual! (winks at camera)

Including that eye wink makes that line so cheesy, but I'll accept it. At least it's self-aware about it. He decides to destroy the crystal, which causes Mumm-Ra to revert back to his skeleton form as he falls into the cauldron. Wait, I thought the cauldron was broken! Never mind. In the end, the day is saved, and Lion-O has learned not to trust glowing crystals. That wasn't exactly the lesson, but Tygra accepts it anyway.

Also, there's a "The End" title card drawn in crayon? Cartoons seem quite satisfied with just ending abruptly now, including every other ThunderCats Roar episode I've seen. It's not like this was the end of a running joke, it's just there. Seems like a minor thing to talk about, but I just found it kind of odd.

How does it stack up?

This one feels very similar to Boggy Ben, but it feels a lot more connected. I had no real issues with this episode other than the over-reliance on wacky face gags, something the last episode lacked. It has good pacing, and there's even a moral somewhere in here that the kids could learn.

Again, I was wondering if I should give this one rating or another, but in this case, it's whether it's a 4 or a 5. So far, this is the best episode I've seen, including some episodes after this one, so I might as well give it 5 cats. Maybe there will be better episodes that will make me re-rate this one, and I hope that's the case, but as it stands...

Next, we meet Mr. Driller.

← The Legend of Boggy Ben 🐈 Driller →

[altocat]

I think we're going to have to constructively agree to disagree.

I don't see any implications that Sephiroth genuinely despised Genesis, at least not until Nibelheim. Any scenes of aggression between them are based on either the context of the situation or the result of a competitive scuffle gone haywire. But when you're offering to donate blood, losing weight out of stress, intentionally discarding missions to keep away from your friends, verbally saying that you're going to "fail" to eliminate them and let them escape, and overall not retaliating when it would be a mindlessly simple, that just doesn't spell out seething contempt and anger. It just doesn't.

Sephiroth could have very well taken Genesis out in Hollander's lab early in the game. Would have been easy. He doesn't. He's more concerned with voicing his frustration towards Genesis' stupid obsessions with glory and jealousy. At no point does he indicate that his beef with Genesis is based on anything other than Genesis being jealous over stupid, meaningless reasons. It's not hate or disgust. It's disappointment that all this is spawning over something Sephiroth views is childish and unnecessary.

As for the training room scene, Seph clearly isn't really on the offense until Genesis starts escalating. Beforehand, he was very clearly being teasing and friendly, even humoring Genesis by guessing sections on Loveless. Their interaction is playful, not hostile or angry in the slightest. Even when the fight first begins, there's a smirking/chuckling little tradeoff between them--they're enjoying the spar. It's a challenge. They're getting into it because the competition is FUN. And then things go downhill. In the Convo we get between him and Zack about the fight, Zack asks if everything worked out. Sephiroth replies "yes, as far as Genesis was concerned". They apparently talked it out afterwards. Not sure if that was before or after Genesis' medical issues but Sephiroth brings this up as a contrast to Angeal lecturing him. On both accounts, he sounds perfectly serene and relaxed. Again, no hostility.

Genesis and Sephiroth actually being friends isn't really a "fanon" concept. The game itself states it. One of the general themes of the game is what amounts to the tragic break-up of a friendship due to Shinra's meddling, fulfilled by Zack symbolically sharing the apple with them at the end (also symbolically fulfilling Genesis' childhood dream of sharing a Banora White with Sephiroth btw). Was there bitterness there? Sure. Frustration and insecurity? Definitely. Outright hate on Sephiroth's end after the reveal at Nibelheim? Yes.

But I refuse to believe that the two mutually despised each other. I don't think that was the takeaway, at least not in Sephiroth's arc.

Also, another fun fact for those who may not have noticed: Sephiroth turns his back to Genesis multiple times throughout the game and it’s a defensive maneuver to guard himself and his emotional state from his own feelings regarding the man.

When Genesis gets injured and the simulator powers down, Sephiroth turns his back on him. He intentionally turns his body even as Genesis is leaving so that he’s not facing him. Most likely out of shame and guilt.

In later cinematics, when Genesis pops up to confront him, he’ll face him until Genesis starts bringing shit up like glory that should have been his or tearing apart Sephiroth’s concept of his mother and then Sephiroth turns his back on him again to protect himself.

Through a lot of Crisis Core, Sephiroth turning his back means he’s uncomfortable.