#at this point I don't even only want justice for all the wrongs done in the world by evil people I want BLOOD

[james-stark-the-writer]

just finished Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, and it is a game written by cowards for cowards.

the final twist genuinely ruins the game. it's so stupid as a narrative decision. i hate it so much. it almost makes me understand what the people yelling about The Last Jedi being too subservient to its themes were yelling about (OBVIOUSLY not the ones that were being bigoted and loud and wrong about it, but just the ones who had actual issues with its narrative directions/execution). genuinely, the twist takes what could have been an extremely solid 8.5, maybe a 9/10 game down to a 4/10 game with nothing of interest to say deluding itself into thinking it's saying anything of worth by thoughtlessly repeating patterns as if that's supposed to generate meaning without any real effort of actually committing to that meaning, or seeing the world as anything beyond its basic binary worldview of Good and Bad.

putting that twist in fundamentally cuts the legs out from any actual, interesting and substantive critique it could have leveled at the legal system and our feelings about people on trial and their perceived guilt or innocence, and it just ends up reinforcing it as a power of good that Will Ultimately Prevail In The Search For Truth, as if that is even remotely a thing any legal system is concerned with, especially the one in the game that mostly just stumbles into The Right Choices because it's a game controlled by the player. it's frankly ideologically incoherent to the point of saying nothing because its critique is unfocused and toothless. best it can muster is "maybe some people are corrupt and lying, but if You take Advantage of The System, you can beat them" as if malicious compliance is supposed to change the system. fuck off.

ran out of tags but. i'm serious about this lol, i really hate it as a narrative and ideological choice. the game threatens to say something bold and interesting and then just pulls the rug out from underneath you. it sucks. it's very much like 12 Angry Men in that way, i think, except at least that movie Knows what it's saying and that its basic premise is its ideological downfall, this just doesn't really feel like it says anything much interesting or coherent, ultimately, because the criticism either drowns in the length and comedic nature of it, or just ultimately isn't focused and pointed and nuanced enough to actually say something meaningful. like ik someone's gonna do a "kid's game" thing but hello, kid's shit has always been nuanced and just bc it's "for kids" doesn't mean it has to abide by some binary ass morality that flattens all its interesting critique, especially when you're constantly led, structurally, to the more interesting and nuanced narrative choice only to have a twist completely ruin it and making it all feel like a waste of your time. plenty of things are nuanced and interesting and "for kids" without deflating their themes and messages by writing a stupid twist that undercuts the interesting parts of its arguments.

[silvermoon424]

Thoughts and prayers :) :) :)

When do we finally start sending these sewer rats to the guillotine

EDIT: This goes deeper than I thought. The city of Davenport is hurrying to demolish the building even though there are still missing residents and they literally just found a still-living woman in the rubble who would have certainly been killed if the demolition went forward. There are currently protestors raising hell in Davenport about this.

This is disgusting and suspicious as hell. I'm seeing Davenport residents talk about how the politicians of their town are corrupt and are likely trying to cover this incident up while not caring if they end up killing people in the process (because, again according to residents, Davenport's infrastructure has been falling apart for many years).

[demonic0angel]

Dead Silent. One of the batfam ask Danny why he’s more clingy than his siblings and Danny just goes “huh??” Cuz he’s probably the LEAST clingy. Dan is Yandere Levels of clingy, Jazz is Ride or Die clingy, Dani is probably Stalker clingy, and don’t even get him started on their parents.

Danny, by comparison, is the normal one and I feel like that should be appreciated so much more.

(This is SO freaking funny and you're so right omg. It got long bc I got excited again lmaooo)

"You... you think I'm... clingy?!" Danny cried in shock, looking around for a camera. Were they serious? Was this actually real?

Duke said with a shrug, "Well... I mean, I always see you around Cass. We're just asking."

"I am literally the least clingy and the most normal out of my siblings."

Jason snorted from where he stood behind Tim's chair. Everyone was listening in but only Damian and Duke had the graciousness to not pretend that they weren't. Even Cass was staring, blinking as she was held in Danny's arms for a cuddle after the patrol.

"Oh yeah? Prove it."

Danny glared at him and pointed to his shadow, which stretched out beneath him from the Batcave's lights.

"One, the only reason she doesn't follow you around everywhere is because Jazz literally has Shadow following you whenever you go out." As he said this, two eyes blinked from within Jason's shadow and then disappeared just as quickly. "Two, she had all of your medical information on a file in her phone! And just information on you, period! Three, just yesterday, she blew up two ships and took down a trafficking ring by herself because she got reports that they put a hit on you! And don't even talk about how normal she is compared to me, because she definitely isn't! You just think she's a normal amount of clingy because the both of you have your brains rotted from romance novels!"

Jason made a face. It was one of great affront, grudging acceptance, and a wistful adoration. Danny couldn't even feel smug for proving him right because the look on his face was just disgusting.

Cass giggled from within his arms.

Dick opened his mouth and Danny pointed at him aggressively, clutching at Cass as he said, "You can't speak either! Dan is literally the most clingy out of all of us! You know what Jazz said?! He literally has abandonment issues and codependency!! Y'know what his name was before we came here?! It's "World Destroyer"! The only reason he hasn't done anything is because he really likes you and wants to spend most of his time watching you and keeping you safe instead of going around and causing destruction!"

Dick blinked. "But he also—"

"Wrong! He uses clones to do stuff while he keeps watch over you, and you're the only reason he has a moral code at all."

Dick made a considering face and then he smiled. "Aww, that's kinda cute. I didn't know he was so clingy."

Danny muttered to Cass, "Are you seeing this bullshit?"

She giggled again and patted at his arms that were wrapped around her neck.

Duke nodded, amusement on his face. "I see your point. But what about Dani? You're definitely clingier than her."

Danny made an error noise. "Nope! The entire Young Justice is codependent and clingy, so it just looks normal. And Dani just follows around Kon and Tim in intervals so you can't see either of them." He also grimaced at Tim, who was still working at the computer. "And Tim is already watching them, aren't you? You three are a bunch of freaks."

Tim looked up with a small smirk, much to Damian's audible disgust. "You got me there. I keep trackers and cameras on all of them. And Dani's usually just invisible."

Danny smiled triumphantly. "Hah! See? I'm the least clingy!"

There were murmurs of agreement and then Duke said, "I don't know, I think all four of you are clingy and weird."

Danny sulked. "No I'm not."

Duke gestured to all of him. "You're literally climbing Cass like a koala."

Okay, so his legs were wrapped around her waist and he was hanging onto her like a sticker, but so what? She didn't mind!

Cass snickered and said, "It's okay. He's light."

"Yeah, I'm light," grumbled Danny as he squeezed her.

Duke and Damian shared a look, as Duke said, "We should get out of here. Thank god these freaks are taken."

"Agreed. Thank goodness we are the most normal."

Now there were cries of outrage throughout the entire cave all over again.

[pink-amethyst-tarot]

🤍 Why You Should Be Proud Of Yourself 🤍

credit to @crystallilytarot for the idea 💕

P I L E 1 P I L E 2 P I L E 3

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and choose the pile that you think is the one for you ♥

P I L E 1 - You have come so far! Four of Swords, The High Priestess, Two of Pentacles, Eight of Pentacles, Ten of Pentacles, The Fool, The Magician

The first thing I heard before even pulling cards is The Party's Just Begun by the Cheetah Girls and that feels like a sign that you should be having fun, dancing and living your life to the fullest! Your life can be so beautiful if you let it.

You know much more than you think that you do. I feel like you are back and forth between losing faith in yourself and feeling like you are finally breaking through. (I know what that's like, I've been there too much.) You've got to cut yourself some slack. Yeah, it's not perfect now but, you have made so much progress and that is important. You are so much closer to the finish line than you realize. Don't give up now. You've worked too hard and have come too far to give up now.

party cuz you know the future's all yours // dance 'til your feet don't touch the floor // celebrate the day you've waited for // party like you're ready for so much more // do it like you know it's never been done // go a little crazy // have too much fun //today's the day, c'mon everyone // the party's just begun //

Channeled song - The Party's Just Begun by The Cheetah Girls

P I L E 2 - Going With The Flow Two of Pentacles, Nine of Pentacles, Two of Wands (Reversed), Six of Pentacles, Justice, Queen of Pentacles, Eight of Swords

Despite your fear of change, you have overcome, finding your balance in your life and either now or soon, you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor. That could be financial abundance for this pile - it seems pretty likely, considering all the pentacles. You have been a very giving person and now it's time that people start giving to you in whatever way that may fit you.

You should also be proud of yourself for getting yourself to a point where you don't feel sorry for yourself. You've done the work to really see the truth of the situation - where you have been both right and wrong - and you've seen that you aren't as stuck as you once thought.

P I L E 3 - You've opened your heart again! King of Cups, Ten of Swords, Seven of Swords, Seven of Pentacles, Ace of Swords, Eight of Pentacles (Reversed), The Moon, Ten of Cups

You've been through some hard times. I feel like your heart was really bruised and batter but, despite the things you have been through, you have taken your lemons and turned them into make lemonade! I can see some of you turning to writing, journaling, or posting on social media. You have been working on yourselves and you are so happy with the progress you've made. You should be proud of yourself; I know I am! This work you have done on yourself is leading you to a new beginning in your life, a change of pace that you have be dying to have!

Your dreams are coming true and your intuition is spot on! You are about to get everything you wanted and then some so you can relax and know that your life is about to change for the better.

If you are looking for a personal reading, you can look on my shop on Etsy at PinkAmethystTarot, DM me or send me an e-mail at pinkamethysttarot@gmail.com

If you feel called to tip:

C@SH@PP: $oddlycozycottage

P@YP@L: @oddlycozycottage

KO-FI: @oddlycozycottage

Thank you all so much for interacting with me and my readings, it really does mean the world to me!

Page Divider by @cafekitsune

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. THESE READINGS ARE FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. no guarantees are implied. These readings are not a substitute or replacement for any professional help or services. My readings are not a substitute for any form of professional legal, medical/psychiatric, relationship, religious/spiritual or financial/ business advice nor consultations. You should always see a professional legal/trained adviser for help in any matter. I am not responsible for any decisions/ actions you take.

[baeddel]

tirade on pirating software. 1.7k words.

i recently read a post by someone who is anti-piracy (better: against making copies of software). they said that if you can't afford something you should wait for a sale or find a free alternative. and then they said that the only time that they find piracy (better: finding a copy online) acceptable is for games that are so old that you cannot buy them from a licensed vendor, but only from resellers, because in that case the developer doesn't get the money anyway.

i feel like i could make a sort of loophole argument in this framework, which is that i can watch ebay until the game is listed by a reseller, and then pirate it, because i'm no longer making a choice between paying the developer or not paying, but paying a reseller and not paying, and i've decided not paying a reseller is morally permissable.

but i think it can go a little further. they specified developer. i should pay the developer. even though i don't buy directly from the developer, but a licensed vendor. but the vendor's surcharge is not worth bringing up.

this is because we don't believe in following the law, exactly, and thus you should follow all copyright laws for that reason. it's because of, usually, one of two reasons: developers deserve to be compensated, or that we have a moral obligation to support the developer.

on the first view, the "just deserts argument", it's not clear to me that the moral obligation to not pirate is watertight in this case (when i said "pirate" before, i made a silly gesture, meant to indicate that i'll say that for brevity, but am not acquiescing). a developer deserves to be compensated for their work; but what do they deserve exactly?

does every developer deserve to become as rich from their game as Notch, and every time they don't there's been an injustice? you probably don't think that.

do they deserve some particular amount that we would say is 'fair'?—it isn't unjust if they do better (although you might think so, and complain about how much of the spotlight they take up compared to others just as deserving), but we only require that much success of them. this might be dependent on the kind of game that it is, for example, a better game deserves more success. if that's the case, then we've exonerated at least some pirates; so long as the developer is as successful on the market as they deserve to be, we've done nothing wrong.

you might say that it's wrong to pirate games that haven't yet reached the threshold of just success, because you place them in jeoprady of never achieving the success they deserve. further, you might say that this threshold is epistemologically unknowable to human beings (see: click), and therefore in practice you can never justify piracy, because you never know if a game has reached the threshold of justice. pirates, therefore, gamble with justice, and only Minos will pay their winnings.

i think this would be a good argument, except that i don't understand why i, as someone who wants to download a copy of the game, am the one who bears the moral responsibility. if the success of this developer is a matter of justice, then surely we all bear that responsibility, even people who don't play videogames. therefore we should all purchase and promote every game, and so forth.

this isn't what any anti-piracy advocate believes, even if they seem to take a deserts line. instead they restrict our obligations to participating in ordinary market mechanisms. the game is being sold as a commodity; therefore people should buy that commodity from a point of sale apporved by the producer, and so forth. it's taken for granted that the anarchy of the market is the right way to guarantee justice, and other possibilities are never explored. ultimately, the deserts argument naturalizes capitalist relations. once you remove these blinders, the mechanism for delivering justice it actually proposes seems obviously unreliable and unsatisfactory (in fact, i believe this criticism applies to all deserts arguments).

here i will quickly add my complaint against the second argument, that we should support the developer. the argument runs: if you like a developer, you should support their work by purchasing their products. i am a lot more sympathetic to this argument and so i won't spend much of the post attacking it. it's enough to say that it suffers from the same problem we just mentioned: why is participating in ordinary market mechanisms the best way to support the developer? capitalism is likewise naturalized by this case when it is advanced as a moral argument against piracy. therefore we can run the same argument: if we have a moral obligation to support game developers, then it's not clear to me why only potential players have that obligation, and so forth (but this time the criticism doesn't apply to all similar arguments, just this one).

however, it often isn't advanced that way, and as a pragmatic argument i tend to agree with it. in fact sometimes they actually have a case for participating in normal market mechanisms: DMC fans want you to buy DMC games because then Capcom will look at their sales figures and decide it's worth making another game. you could argue that they still have capitalist blinkers on because they only advocate you buy one copy, the one you'll play, which is how the game is sold. maybe they should be asking you to buy a hundred copies or whatever. but we don't want them to do that, LOL. and the feeling is usually that there are limits of what you can ask out of someone; when one DMC youtuber was spending quadruple digits on a DMC-themed gacha, his viewers expressed concern and encouraged him to stop. so cheers to DMC players.

in fact, there might be ethical reasons to only ask someone to purchase a copy of something in the normal way: when i try to get you to buy one of Xraftstar / Charity / Porpentine's games, i am doing it because i personally want my friend to succeed, and i want to see their art recognized. this is a kind of moral motivation, but it's the morality of rendering personal obligations; you are not likewise obligated. however, i of course feel there are limits on what i can ask of you, and so, unlike when i make donation posts for my friends who are struggling, i'm only comfortable encouraging you to purchase a copy of something i think will actually render a use-value to you (even if you could still obtain it in other ways and get the same use-value).

but anyway, why specify the developer in the first place? the work put in by the publisher, the developers and maintainers of the platform its sold on, the bandwidth of the payment processor, and so forth, all get left out of the question, even though they are all more or less necessary parts of the normal market mechanisms we're encouraging you to participate in.

i think it's obvious that the anti-piracy advocate of this kind doesn't actually want to advocate for participation in the market economy, like Bush during the recession. they want to be just by the developer because they see the developer as a fellow individual like themselves; they actually want to cut through the market alienation and simply do right by another person. therefore all of the other capitalists who make money off the sale—publisher, platform, payment processor—are just more big companies, perhaps even leeches we'd be better off without.

it's funny, because historically this view was used to support piracy when it came to music. you used to see a lot of charts like this:

how much of a CD goes to the label, manufacturers and distributors, to show how little really goes to an artist, to shut down people who said you should buy the CD to support them. there's a sort of naive anarchism underlying this: i want to help the individual who made the music i love, who needs manufacturers and distributors anyway?

in this kind of simple moral reasoning, resellers really get shafted. they're seen as scalpers, taking money without producing any value. no one says: 'make sure to support resellers!' thus we never ask who the individual behind all of the market alienation the resller is. whoever they are they don't deserve the money. then, when you are poor and struggling, and cannot afford to buy things for yourself, what do people tell you to do? sell your games, CDs...

but i don't want to be too sarcastic here, because there is nothing funny about this impulse to reach through market alienation and connect morally with another individual. it is the essence of emancipation. but hear my argument: purchasing commodities from them is an unsatisfactory way to realize it. it's true that you can certainly help someone by buying what they sell; many of us rely on this to a greater or lesser extent, and, pragmatically, i hope we'll all buy Nadia Nova's next game and put food in her belly. but systematically, not in this or that case, but as a general moral principle, the commodity form, the exchange of cash for things or copies of things—this is the very thing that reproduces these conditions of alienation in the first place. and these relations—their predictability as a feature of the market, or even their scarcity as a part of a volatile and impermanent system—is what habitually places the developer in a condition of alienation from their labour, coaxing them to give up their so-called intellectual "property", then forbidding them from using the games they made; or by seducing them into placing their music on a platform, then offering them increasingly small margins and less control; or to post their content (qua sex workers) on a paywall platform, which then imposes complex payout structures to keep them from claiming their earnings. and so forth. the desire to reach through all of the noise and support the individual is inevitably captured, redirected, and fed upon in as many ways as it can be, until the whole thing crashes down and the cycle starts again.

therefore, should you purchase or pirate the next game you want to play? Remember Ptahhotep: "The noble who sitteth before food divideth it as his soul moveth him; he giveth unto him that he would favour."

[tocappuccinosintheclouds]

Wanna hear some deranged ramblings about lighting and possible character arc reflections in them?

so every time I watch "Free Fall" and this shot comes up, I find myself fascinated by the lighting decision, and like yes the primary intentional point of it is to convey that they're meeting under this cover of darkness so stay hidden from view, but if we want to get fun and overly analytical about it 👀

Firstly let's get one thing clear: I'm gonna talk about "darkness" and "light" as characterizations, and by this I'm not talking about "evil" and "good." I don't think Peter is bad or evil in any way, and I don't think Neal is pure and good lmao. This is mostly a perspective of the moral gray area around legalities and the pursuit of justice the show later takes on

Anyway, let's start with the obvious: Peter's in the dark because he's only just now learning all the information that Neal is telling him about Fowler, he was metaphorically in the dark and Neal (the light) is now filling him in

But here's where I'll take a leap: This represents the beginning of turning to "the dark" to get things done aka doing things in ways that break rules and conventions that he typically would be really strict of for the sake of the better good. He knows, now, that Neal is innocent, but the "right way" to do things isn't working for this case. He has to help Neal to serve justice, and to help Neal he has to do things like Conceal a Criminal, and Aid and Abet. Peter shortly before this shot lets Neal escape and purposefully sends Fowler on a wild goose chase, telling him exactly the wrong information that we know Peter doesn't believe in from the Pilot:

Now, to me, this is the first time Peter starts actively breaking rules/laws/morals for the sake of both the greater good/justice and just, plainly, for Neal. You could argue that he does this in "The Portrait" but I feel like that exists more in a grey area because of the facts that he doesn't know Neal stole it and that Neal comes to him with a plan of how to use the painting in a way that works within Peter's guidelines. Peter isn't actively breaking any of these himself, he's just kind of ignoring the fact that Neal did something and letting it play out in his favor. In "Free Fall" though is when Peter starts becoming an active participator in these choices. Peter let Neal run, and now he's coated in darkness.

Neal's perspective is a little more vague and less about direct choice happening in this episode, more so just his general character arc. It’s the light of “good” shining on him, guiding him. He’s spent so many years up to this point truly believing that his core is rotted out, that his blood is the blood of a criminal. But here there’s the small light of “good” is placed over him and him alone. In an episode where he’s being framed as the criminal, where everyone, even Peter, didn’t believe in him, Neal’s inner “good” light is still shinning.

On top of that, Peter’s shadow is literally apart of Neal’s light. There’s two ways to view this: 1) Peter is the one guiding Neal’s light, casting that light of “good” over him. 2) It’s Peter’s “dark side” meeting Neal’s “good side.” It’s a metaphysical representation of the gray area between “good” and “bad” that the two are going to create. I flip back and forth between which of these interpretations I think are “more important,” but in this moment I think the representation of Peter and Neal’s gray zone, of them meeting in the middle between light and dark so that they can, overall, do good and put away the bad guys is the winner.

Anyway the lighting in this scene and the possible metaphors make me feral and I hope I infected others 😂

[theoncomingchaos]

Who loves Rook: Spite or Lucanis

I've been seeing a lot of discourse about this, and I just want to add my thoughts.

I might be totally wrong about this, but here we go. When Spite was put into Lucanis, he was still Determination. The fact that he changed throughout the torture, forced insertion, and imprisonment suggests to me that they have been put into a speedrun of a similar situation to Anders and Justice/Vengeance where they have started to meld. (As Anders put it, you wouldn't know where one begins and the other ends). Just like Anders and Vengeance, Lucanis and Spite can have separate consciousnesses and even disagree about things, but their core values have started to influence one another and become a part of one another- heightening certain aspects.

I think this melding is why we see some dialogues where Rook tells Lucanis that he sounds like Spite and similarly it's also the reason for the shared attraction- which I fully believe is coming originally from Lucanis.

I'll be honest my first time through I romanced Lucanis and was very disappointed. I didn't even see him and Neve ever flirt (she only ever encouraged us!) But still, it seemed to go from 0 to 60 with him. Now, I am on my second playthrough and I only just met him, but I am starting to see some really subtle looks and dialogues that suggest that Lucanis wasn't lying later when he said he was attracted to Rook from the beginning, but was afraid to really pursue anything or even acknowledge the possibility of being with them. With his fear of trusting people, ptsd from the prison, failed history in romance, and his new situation with Spite that he still hadn't worked out yet, he never thought anything would or could ever come of his feelings. We know Lucanis loves romance stories and likely longs for one of his own, but in such a situation it must have seemed truly impossible and terrifying to let someone else in. Especially someone you really care for and are starting to trust. So, he pushed it all down. Rook flirts? Maybe a small smile, but then quickly lock it all up with everything else he can't handle. Focus on work. Don't think about Spite, or Rook, or anything difficult.

However, if the melding has already happened as I suspect, then the feelings Spite is expressing are shared with (and likely sourced from) Lucanis, he's just better at expressing it directly- which makes sense for a spirit that was once Determination. When you first talk to Lucanis after the rescue, the thing Spite says about Rook changes accordingly to your tone, but to me the responses still sound like they come from Lucanis and are then echoed in Spite: "He doesn't want to hurt us." Even the "He's more fun than you" is something Lucanis seems to think about himself as he is fully aware that much of his life has not been his own and believes "all he knows is death."

Leading back to the main point, Lucanis's trust and interest in Rook would be heightened by Spite the way Anders' anger towards the templars was heightened. Even though they are finally free from the prison, their is a sense of constant suffering from still feeling trapped by fear, regret, and pain- Spite feels that suffering too. The elements of determination are still within him the same way justice is another side to vengeance. Both spite and vengeance are the results of failing to achieve their goals of Justice and Determination. Spite sees Rook as a way to free them from pain and restraint, a glowing and beautiful key to the prison door, and he is determined to do what needs to be done to solve the problem. That's why he doesn't hesitate. He has no fear. He wants to talk to Rook. He wants Rook to come in and free them.

After Rook has freed them, they become a source of comfort and safety, once they encourage Lucanis and Spite to find a way to cohabit comfortably, the two continue to meld, and the need to protect Rook, to love Rook, to keep them, is very deeply shared. Now, IF Spite was somehow removed or even somehow restored (Both of which I think are impossible) that would likely change. Determination outside of Lucanis would likely become more like Compassion. He would likely forget the horrors he experienced to return to his original purpose.

So, that leaves some final questions, particularly one Hawke helpfully asked Anders- Is Spite an unwilling party in the threesome?

That's up to everyone's own morality. While both Spite and Lucanis didn't have a choice to become like this, it is the situation they are in and the way they have to find a way to accept and live with because there really doesn't seem to be any real way to change it. Through their time together, Lucanis and Spite have influenced each other and grown into something new. Part of that is Spite also loving Rook. In that way, for those who are feeling (rightfully) underwhelmed by Lucanis's romance, Spite can almost be seen as a symbolic expression of Lucanis's love.

All that being said, I think there were some small things they could have done to make the romance more satisfying over all...but I'll save that for another post.

[pancake404]

Poppy's Angel: Possibly the Scariest/Most Unknown Character in the Factory + A bit of Theories

One thing that has been on my mind lately ever since Chapter 4 was the protagonist we play as, the "Employee" that apparently everyone knows is an employee that worked here but no one knows exactly who they are.

In the eyes of the toys, the Protagonist could be one of the scariest people in the factory. Think about it, from their perspective, this unknown "employee" shows up on the side of Poppy randomly and in the same 1-2 days, kills off three Bigger Bodies(or two unless Catnap could be considered an unintentional team effort) as well as defeats a couple of other larger toys, getting them killed as well. These toys survived for the whole decade straight, doing pretty well as they were decently capable and strong and then the Player shows up and kills them. Not only that but this person, this thing, doesn't ever talk. No matter who they're conversing with, they never speak back regardless of whether it is Poppy, Dogday, or Doey. So they're like this silent executioner that survived enough to be in the Safe Haven. We then kill the Doctor, Yarnaby, and get the Omnihand which the other toys presumignly couldn't reach for years because of the Doctor.

In some complaints, I hear that there isn't an option to save certain characters like Dogday or Doey. But about those deaths as well as the deaths of other toys, the Player doesn't speak but more or less, just continues on. I see a lot of kind Player characters who want to save them but do we ever know about the intentions or thought process of the Player? No. We don't. For all we know, the Player might not care much about any toy that dies as they just continue on to find the exit. They seem willing to do Poppy's plan of blowing everything up, killing all the toys as even after Doey puts his concerns down on the table, the Player just continues with Poppy's plan(they also don’t say anything once they find Save Haven blown up). Once it backfires and Doey tweaks out, the Player kills him in self-defense yet no indication of remorseful or joyful thought. Instead, they continue on again. There is no other option and it could be solely based on the Player's character and mindset instead of being a forced tragic story(don't get me wrong, it is tragic).

That's also the thing, even when Dogday states,

"You're Poppy's Angel. Come to save us."

The Player...wasn't here to save the toys. They wanted to leave immediately and Poppy prevented them. Poppy forced them to stay and here the Player was. It also doesn't help the fact that the Player just watched Dogday die which some can argue is because it was too late to save him but it can also be argued that the Player chose not to for whatever reason(or maybe nothing could’ve been done).

If anything, I'd argue the opposite about saving the toys. The Player at this point has been killing all of them which could be stated as a mercy kill but like how the Doctor questions, are we really morally right? Don't tell me crushing, electrocution, mutilation, blending, and dropping toys fifty stories down was out of mercy. Those are some painful mercy kills. The Doctor's last line that the Player didn't save anyone is...true, no one was saved. No one had justice, they just were killed and/or disposed of like they just empty toys.

The Player might not be doing this out of the intention to save anyone as they just do what they're tasked. What they're told.

But even Poppy doesn’t seem to know the Player as well as she thinks. She doesn’t seem to know anyone as well as she thinks at this point(maybe besides Kissy). Poppy shows us the HoJ tape when there’s evidence that shows the Player already knew about it, if not contributed to it. Poppy states the Player didn’t do anything wrong which I’m saying…uh, BS. Clearly the Player’s own mind disagrees with the hallucination segments, they did something in the past as well as come here and kill off toys and are now set to kill more. Poppy talks about monsters who’ve tortured us even though there’s more evidence of us being the torturer. The Player wanted to leave, not stay here any further but they’re stopped by Poppy sabotaging the train. And at the end, Poppy very quickly doubts the Player’s involvement in planting explosives and is angry at us for killing Doey. It’s funny because the Player was casually following Poppy’s plan and was ready to just blow up the factory and everyone in it.

All of this while the Player's origins are more or less unknown as to what role they played in the factory. Unless they're P.W.(of course it's just an initial) which the evidence seems to suggest, then that means they were a biologist who worked on the Bigger Bodies. Further proven by Chapter Three where it is mentioned that the Player has guilt haunting them and that they've done something. Doctor Sawyer also wonders how Playtime Co. missed someone with this skillset which matches with the P.W. book and how they describe how no one listens to their ideas.

So far, there are a couple of theories regarding the Player's character.

One, the Player is PW:

Already explained a bit.

Would be funny since PW does describe Dogday as "boring" which is ironic given how the fandom treats him and has the "Angel" constantly save him.

From what I've seen and read, does show hints of remorse for experimentation on orphans but generally stays objective in their notes with a little bit of sass to it. It matches the Player's attitude of.... absolutely no reaction besides staring back.

Also fits the mindset of taking orders and doing what they're told to do like good employees for the company which mirrors how the Player just listens to Poppy's idea and proceeds to attempt to blow up the whole place.

Sounds reasonable.

Two, the Player is an experiment that looks almost if not perfectly human:

This sounds like a twist Mob would make.

Poppy’s line about monsters who’ve tortured the Player would make more sense in this context though that implies she knows we’re an experiment which no one hints at.

It would provide an explanation for why the Player doesn't talk as they might literally can't similar to Kissy Missy. Everyone talks to the Player like they talk to Kissy Missy.

It would also provide a reason why we're considered an employee but no one really recognizes us as well besides Miss Delight and Mommy who doesn't seem to describe much of the Player besides remembering them. Maybe, experimentation caused the Player to look a little different.

It provides canonical information on game mechanics like the Player not running out of sprint ever or surviving the last fall in Chapter Four, falling head first onto hard rock from a decent height and just getting up. Also, surviving the train crash though the Player does pull the brakes on it.

In Chapter Three, during the hallucinations, the Player takes the place of Huggy, a giant toy. The Prototype looms over them which tends to suggest his control over the other experiments.

They might also deal with memory issues as we see more and more of remembering conversations and questioning what the Player knows or doesn't know. We do know that experimentation could impact an individual's memory to a large extent.

Would be interesting to see.

The Player feels guilty about the Hour of Joy....because of their involvement in it.

Going back to the hallucination segment in Chapter Three, we take the place of Huggy Wuggy on his stand while we hear bells ring and the workers scream during the Hour of Joy. The issue with this is that the Player, according to Poppy, doesn't know about the Hour of Joy as the Player hasn't been shown the tape yet. So how can they have a clear idea about what the Hour of Joy was?

Answer: They Knew. They already knew about the Hour of Joy.

This could be what the Player had done, what drove them to stay away from the factory for a decade straight, and why they didn't show up that day.

Sort of a coincidence that the Player just didn't show up that day as well as never came to check on their MISSING COWORKERS anytime before a decade later.

The Player also is told that they should've been there on that exact date and that they missed the party and event which was the Hour of Joy. On the radio, they ask, why weren't they there? They have no right to be here.

Why would they do this? Well, the Prototype was more than capable and willing to pretend to be an ally as well as be intelligent enough to manipulate. Maybe he used the guilt of experimenting on orphans to get the Player to start the first domino to begin the Hour of Joy. In a twisted way, the Player came here for coworkers that they knew were dead because of the Player's hands.

The Doctor also mentions in a tape that Playtime Co. is filled with backstabbers and traitors so there probably was a conspirator(the Player. He also mentioned Poppy being involved so hidden involvement is put into question). Although still unclear, the Player being described as unknown to everyone could help in sneaking things through or doing something unnoticed to set up the Hour of Joy.

The Player is an ordinary worker: Unlikely, evidence seems to show the opposite.

The Player is Rich: What was Rich doing for ten years? Isn't this guy known to have a temper and is willing to argue with others. Still can be possible though I don't see it.

The Player is an orphan turned employee: You would think a couple more toys would recognize us. We would be more social with the toys that we most likely knew in the factory beforehand as the Bigger Bodies were not kept away from the children.

My personal belief is a combination of PW theory and HoJ Contributor. PW seemingly felt guilty about the experiments, the Prototype(both would be in the Labs) used this to his advantage to convince him, and PW, being decently smart yet unrecognized set it up where the Hour of Joy could happen. PW then felt guilty because he set up where a lot of his coworkers, some being possibly innocent died as well which is why they stayed out of the factory for so long. That letter must've been a bad reminder and out of their conscience, decided to come over where the game begins.

Harley Sawyer also questions if the Player lost someone they loved here which going along with this theory could either hint that someone they loved here has been experimented on and turned into an experiment(if it goes like this, watch it be the Prototype) or someone had died during the Hour of Joy...which is also bad because this theory states the HoJ was contributed by the Player.

Just a bunch of ideas and thoughts.

The Player could be an interesting character as we hardly know anything yet we have more and more clues throughout the chapter. I do believe they will be a decent bit significant in Chapter 5.

But one last thing, I don’t know if Catnap is just stuck in my head but in a way, the Player is like Catnap on the opposite side. The Player is forced into this situation by Poppy but the Player also shows a weird loyalty to Poppy considering they just do whatever they’re tasked to by her. Kill the Doctor? Got it. Kill Catnap? Sure. Blow up the factory and everyone in it? Absolutely. A lot of deaths are done brutally and the Player doesn’t speak so he’s just silently staring as it happens as I imagine Catnap does given his character, we all know about Dogday. Both are tied with religious themes like being a follower of a God or being an Angel. Also, the main chapter with the hallucinations about our past is in chapter three provided by Catnap. Just some examples.

Feel free to share any thoughts.

[cogentranting]

Let's talk about Heather's reaction.

A couple points of interest:

In the actual fight, Heather does not need to kill Muse.

Knowing Matt and what he's capable of and knowing how his previous fight with Muse went, it's pretty clear that by the time Heather gets to the gun, the fight is essentially over. Muse has lost. There's some possibility of him getting away again and therefore still some risk to Heather, but he already had a cable through his shoulder and had Matt hitting him in the face repeatedly. Most likely, he was about to be out for the count and at the time that the shots were fired he was a. not fighting offensively at all and b. not near either a weapon or Heather.

Now, I'm not saying I blame Heather. She still felt like her life was in imminent danger--she's not watching the fight objectively from a safe distance; she's afraid for her life, in pain, and losing blood. I don't really think it's much different from Karen shooting Wesley. But it is interesting to note, given her later comments.

"I saved me"

Objectively, no you didn't. Because, again, she didn't need to shoot Muse, he was already beaten. And even if she HAD needed to, it wouldn't negate the fact that she certainly would have died if Daredevil hadn't shown up. So why does she say it?

I think it's a need to pull back some control after a traumatic event. She was attacked by her own patient, in her own office, and she very nearly died and for the most part was helpless to stop it. So her options are to focus on that helplessness, or to grasp on to the moment when she wasn't helpless, when she grabbed the gun and acted to defend herself. She needs that to reassure herself that she is capable of protecting herself so that she can keep herself going. She maybe also needs to view it that way to deal with the idea that she killed someone (someone she knew, her own patient)(again, not blaming her for that but that's going to be something she will struggle to reconcile emotionally).

She claims that Daredevil and Muse fit in the same category.

This feels like an echo of Karen and Matt's conversation about whether or not Daredevil and Punisher are the same. However, that claim felt a lot more justified because both of those two have the same expressed purpose: vigilante justice, stopping bad guys. The difference lies in their methods, and even there, its a difference more of degree than kind. But Daredevil and Muse are very clearly different. One is a serial killer, one is saving people. In particular, since coming back after being gone a year, Daredevil has literally only done two things- stop a young girl from being murdered by Muse, and save Heather herself from being murdered by Muse. So again we come to, why does she say this?

Inherently, it's either illogical or extremely reductionist to just lump Muse and Daredevil together and say they're the same. Even if you want to psychoanalyze Daredevil and come to the conclusion that deep down he's just trying to justify his own violent nature, the fact that he does that by channeling it towards protecting others (protecting Heather herself) does matter (even if you still ultimately take the position that it is wrong for Matt to be Daredevil) because of course the difference between Matt channeling his violence into protecting people and Muse killing random people to use their blood as paint matters. Obviously they are not the same.

But Heather for all she tries to dress it up in psychoanalytic language, is not thinking logically. She's thinking emotionally. And because of the work she was doing for her book she has created a schema of "masks" in her mind. So she was thinking all this time of Daredevil as one of these masks and trying to process the reason for the mask, and then suddenly got treated to Muse going off about his mask and what it does for him. So Muse gets added to the mask category, redefining it, but she doesn't have space to critically evaluate that because she's fighting for her life. And when Daredevil shows up she's terrified, in pain, losing blood, and all she can see him as is more of that same category, someone masked, someone violent, someone frightening. In that traumatic moment and in the aftermath that's the view that becomes fixed for her.

While in one sense Heather's reaction isn't "reasonable", I think emotionally it tracks. All of it is a response to the trauma and she's trying to deal with it by psychoanalyzing and reclaiming her agency and probably does not even fully realize the extent to which her fear is driving (or even distorting) her version of events.

[punprincess321]

So... why didn't Bruce just lobby for Joker to get executed? Like you’re telling me this man doesn't have the cajones to kill the man that killed his son (he couldn't because Joker had diplomatic immunity but in recent years he just subscribed to "I'd be as bad as him if i did") but he couldn’t just... I don't know... USE HIS VAST WEALTH AND INFLUENCE TO GET HIM A SEAT IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR!? Like if you're not gonna do it yourself, I get it, Batman should not be seen killing, but Bruce Wayne can absolutely be seen lobbying for Gotham's judicial system to give Joker the death penalty. Joker has never ONCE shown signs of improvement unlike the rest of the rogues gallery, he is fully aware of what he is doing, yes he's insane but he legit takes pleasure in the chaos he creates, there's no saving that, at this point he doesn’t even deserve the chair, he deserves to be held down and have a car battery clamped to his nipples. This fight between batman and joker doesn't end until one of them is dead and joker legit went to work at the DMV after batman died, there’s no saving joker while batman is alive.

"But he could break out with the help of his goons!" Bruce could use his wealth to pay them all off, every petty criminal and goon for hire gets a nice cash gift if they turn joker down, get lawyers that Joker threatened top notch security, HE HAS THE JUSTICE LEAGUE ON SPEED DIAL! If Joker was getting executed, Bruce would absolutely get Clark and Diana to personally escort the clown to the exection room, both are wearing heavily armored gasproof suits so he doesn't try anything funny with joker venom or kryptonite or anything else.

"What about Harley?"

Do this when she is in a 100% hates joker mood, keep her with Ivy and her doctors and more security, I say flash because he's a nice guy who wouldn't taunt her and rile her up to save joker. Don't let the path to the execution room go by where she is, one look and she could be back under his spell.

"Oh in this comic they tried to execute him and it failed" okay I wanna see that and tell me where it went wrong, and if killing him STILL doesn't work, then make LIFE hell for him. If killing joker still doesn't work here's my pitch for what to do with him:

Lock him away from everyone, lock him in a secure painfully beige house, he eats nothing with color just potatoes, well done steak, eggs, onions, milk, water, bread, and beans, his only utensil is his hands, no paper, no glass, no plastic, no metal, nothing to be used as a weapon, he just gets food put straight onto the table and he eats it with his hands, he has to drink using those fancy water bombs made with seaweed. Every product he has access to is 100% natural, no chemicals he can use to make his laughing gas to poison the guards, all he gets to watch is the news and documentaries about stuff like how taxes were thought up or who invented sliced bread. He speaks to no one, no phone calls or human interaction, his only entertainment is tv which he can only watch through a window of 12 inch thick glass and the speakers can't be reached to mess with, all chairs and tables are built into the floor. The house receives routine maintenance to make sure nothing is loose or messed with, he's knocked out for each inspection with a lot of knockout gas, all security cameras are hidden so he doesn'tfeel the satisfaction of knowing people are watching him. He doesn't get to see batman either, his one reason to live is messing with batman and he doesn't get to do that. Everyone is just hoping he gets depressed and drowns himself in the bathtub.

Like I am seriously wanting one of these to happen, either Bruce walks up to Jason with passes to watch the execution or hands him security footage of joker crying in his boring cell as a birthday present and a big apology for not handling this asshole in so long.

AND FOR ALL YOU THAT WILL SAY "You can't permanently off the most popular batman villain!" I DIDN'T SAY THIS WAS PERMANENT! I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE THAT THERE IS A UNIVERSE WHERE BRUCE MADE UP WITH JASON BY GETTING RID OF THE JOKER AND NO CONSEQUENCES! And don't say "he did it for superman to prevent the injustice timeline once" that ain't what I'm talking about, I'm saying he does this for JASON. HIS SON.

I'm taking this shit seriously if you can't tell. If you want to add something I missed in either plan go ahead, I am basically wait for the day I get sucked into the DC universe and I can tell all this straight to Bruce's face and I need it perfect.

[utytimeline]

I might make some people mad, but I'm gonna say it, anyway.

So, Ceroba's reason for choosing Chujin over Star was because she wanted someone more mature. At least, that's my understanding. Star was playing cowboy and role-playing with his friends while she wanted to settle down and raise a family.

And... yeah, Star had a lot of growing up to do. And he did almost none of it until Ceroba stopped him from shooting us.

Star's main character flaw is his ego, but it's even worse than just an ego. Half the reason he set up the Wild East was to help everyone else. He wanted to bring in money to help his family when the Swelterstone's effects caused a drought; he wanted monsters to get a taste of what the surface is like so they don't drown in despair; and he wanted to make Ceroba happy after she lost both her husband and her child. All of this on top of feeling like he was a "nobody farmer" that couldn't do anything or help anyone.

So Star's primary character flaw isn't as simple as just having a big ego. His primary character flaw is trying to fix others as a way of fixing himself.

Sometimes this is a good thing, tho. I often think of Star as the "papa" of the Feisty Five. He's the protective one, he's the one teaching them ethics (reminding Mooch that they're not supposed to be bandits, playing dead to teach Clover about the responsibility of potentially hurting someone), he takes care of the town, he's made ALL his own money from this town that he built himself (enough that Mooch wants his inheritance, so it's a sizeable amount), he even gave his posse a designated nap time, gave Ceroba a home (and possibly gave her his bed while he crashes on the couch), sews his own clothes, set up all the rules and regulations... and I could go on, but I think I've made my point. Star is not wholly irresponsible. He's not perfectly responsible- he, and the rest of the posse, have a habit of breaking and losing Blackjack's weapons, they're all loud and rowdy, and they have a tendency to forget to turn off their boulder machines out in the Dunes.

So, yeah, Star does still have some growing up to do. But he's got a good start.

As for... everything that went wrong... That was entirely due to Star's worship of humanity. Star fell in love with westerns and with the justice and overall sense of romance that they portrayed, so much so that he not only tried to make himself into one of his western heroes, but he then extended this worship to the first human to ever set foot in the Dunes- namely, Clover. And because of this, Star completely threw everything that was good about himself out the window. He sees a human an immediately decides "this is my deputy," without even really giving Clover a fair chance to see if they even are deputy material. He forgot the safety glasses, got so worked up he forgot how to pronounce "duel," became extremely temperamental, apparently forgot that Vengeful Virgil was scheduled for the train mission that day, locked up a Royal Guard against her will (arguably committing treason in doing so, I might add), and just generally began running over everyone's words and emotions, including Ceroba's.

So when it came down to the Showdown... Star blamed Clover. Star's not an idiot. He knows good and well it's not Clover's fault. It's Star's fault- or more precisely, it's his worship of humanity that is to blame. But the problem is, he's taken it upon himself to guard the feelings of other monsters, to make them feel hope and joy. And he just screwed up and stole all that from them. So he's conflicted, not willing to admit that he has done the exact opposite of everything he set out to do. And since it's his worship of humans that led him to this point, he decides to blame the human.

Hence, the Showdown.

But he doesn't want to do it. He says himself, "Monsterkind's Hero is a title soaked in blood." He loves humans. And he sees Clover as a friend. He doesn't want to kill them. He's not a killer, and he doesn't want to be one. He doesn't believe in it. Justice is one thing, but... how is it just to kill someone that did nothing wrong?

So. Here's where Ceroba comes in. Telling Star he needs to calm down and go back to who he used to be. And Star points out that she's changed, too. Even Ceroba says, before taking Clover to the Steamworks, that she doesn't know if she has room to tell Star to go back to the Starlo she used to know.

Ceroba, tho, is no different than Star (this is the part that I said might make some people mad). Ceroba worships Chujin just as much as Star worships humans.

Ok, look. Chujin was a great craftsman. He built so much- furniture for Dalv, his and Ceroba's house, the space heater at the Honeydew Resort, many other items in use throughout the Underground, Kanako's toys (even programmed a video game for her), and so much more. So much that even Star respects him for all that he did for everyone.

However, there is also much that indicates that Chujin wasn't the best at his job. His only award is "You Tried at Engineering," and it took 14 tries for him to build a working robot. In Chujin's defense, I will say that it is impressive that he did build a working, sentient robot without the use of a SOUL, which is how Alphys made both Mettaton and Mew Mew; however, if Chujin is really such a genius, why did it take 14 tries to get Axis to work, when it apparently only took 1 try for Guardener?

And then Chujin didn't just stop with robotics, but went on to SOUL research. Two completely different fields. (And before anyone starts commenting on Alphys, I just want to point out, yet again, that both of the robots she built did use SOUL power; so, realistically, Alphys never was a great robotics genius, but rather, everything she did was a part of SOUL research- hence, the reason Asgore hired her as the Royal Scientist). But Chujin decided to press on with his SOUL research, despite there being no indication anywhere that he had ever done any such research before.

Now, I'm not trying to say that Chujin wasn't remarkable or a genius. I'm just pointing out some things that indicate that maybe he wasn't quite the genius that Ceroba wanted to make him out to be. And... Ceroba's reaction to his "You Tried" award. She's proud of him. More pride than what is warranted by such an award.

Ceroba said she met Chujin when he pretty much rescued her after she twisted her ankle, fell into a ditch, and laid there for several hours, unable to move. She also said that she had considered dating Starlo before meeting Chujin. So... hate me for this if you want to, but I feel like she may not have the best judgement when it comes to guys. Now, that's not to say she picked losers or creeps. Both Chujin and Starlo were/are sweethearts that care deeply about everyone around them. But the fact remains that Ceroba left behind the guy that she'd known all her life for a guy she just met, just because he rescued her from a bad situation.

And I'm not even saying she made a bad choice! By all accounts- including Ceroba's, Martlet's, and even Starlo's- Chujin was a good, kind-hearted, hard-working monster, and a wonderful husband and father. But... he wasn't perfect. And I think Ceroba, even though they had to have been married at least 10 years, just always had stars in her eyes where he was concerned. He was her everything. She believed he could do no wrong. She believed it so strongly, she was willing to do... many horrible things.

Ceroba's drive to kill Clover started with her love for Chujin. She wanted to do anything to keep him alive in her own heart. And when their child begged and pleaded for a chance to help, Ceroba agreed, because Kanako woshipped her father, too. Ceroba's misguided belief in her husband guided her to do things she would never have done otherwise.

Thus the reason for her guilt. It's not just guilt over killing her own child. It's also guilt over knowing that it was her own misguided worship of a monster that wasn't as perfect as she thought he was, that this was what led her to kill, and to kill again.

Ceroba worshipped Chujin. Just as Starlo worshipped the ground Clover walked on, Ceroba worshipped the ground Chujin walked on.

So when people point to Ceroba's comment that Starlo didn't grow up... yeah. She's right. Starlo needed to grow up.

But so did Ceroba.

One of the hardest parts of growing up is realizing that the people you worship are just people. They make mistakes, and you, yourself, are mistaken for believing they can do no wrong.

So, anyway. There's as much Staroba (Starfox, I call them) hatred as there is love for the ship. I've seen both sides of the argument: Starlo isn't mature enough; Ceroba is insane. Yeah. You're both right. And that's why they're perfect for each other. They both made the mistake of changing everything they were in an effort to continue worshipping their idols. They both went nuts. They were both driven to kill. This is the inherent danger of idolatry, believing so much in something that isn't real, that you will do anything to make it stay real to you.

[ultfreakme]

Secret Six is putting Jon in a position where he is forced to form what his ideology of Superman is, fast.

With great power comes great responsibility. The person with power needs to define what their responsibilities are based on a steadfast ideals. Jon has never had to do this because he's a legacy hero of Superman. Clark has been very clear, but also rather succinct about what his ideals are. Be kind, be good, don't cause harm, protect. Truth, Justice, and the American Way.

None of this is going to work for Jon because he is his own person, his life experiences are different, and by being a bisexual man deeply involved with the queer community with queer and POC friends & lover, he needs to understand that this kind of blanket non-violence is never going to work.

Clark's Superman obviously defends the marginalized, but it's been acknowledged that a good chunk of his influence comes from being the "all-American" cishet white man. We don't see what it's like to be a hero who isn't these things through Clark's Superman. Typically, the Steels were who showed us the systematic discrimination, & how many more obstacles there are to upholding The Superman Way when you're marginalized.

(JHI had to watch his nephews be exploited, paralyzed, he had to watch as Nat tried to cope with all of this happening to her siblings, their entire family was threatened when she was barely a teenager. The trauma of going through all this as a child. Now I don't like the 90s Steel run because it is racist as hell but even the white author knew JH had to deal with the violent racism of the US on top of the sci-fi bombastic threats)

Point being, Jon being queer immediately brings up obstacles which makes the regular Superman motto inadequate. On top of this, the events of Absolute Power reaffirmed his fears of losing control of his powers & has pulled him away from the defiance he showed in SOKE. The safety of following Clark, verbatim, gives a sense of comfort that Jon has been searching for for 7-8 years. He's tired, he's done, so he'll go to a comforting lie if it gives him some reprieve.

Sucks for him because he's dating a guy named The Truth.

Jon loves Jay. Loving Jay means acknowledging that the superhero system, the American Government, and practically the entire world has let him down. The things he seeks safety in are used to torment Jay and his people.

Jon is trying to make Jay a part of the superfam and pull him into the comfort of this vague blanket ideology of "do good, be nice" thinking it'll help but Jay is well aware that it will not. He's been trying this since as early as SOKE #4. Take him to his family, getting Dick and Lois involved, trying to shut him away in the fortress of solitude for the final battle. But Jay has showed him time and time again that dating him means defiance, risk, rebellion.

There is nothing pretty or non-violent about dismantling a dictatorship. The definition of the "right thing" changes depending on circumstance. Secret Six as a group have always been outcasts who were exploited. Some of them want to do good, some are bad but only because their situations gave them little other choices, others are straight up evil but trying to reform. This is where moralities and lines blur.

Should Jon consider Lori a villain because she killed her parents due to a loss of power? Is Nia good or bad for accidentally using her powers which she barely understands to save him but also mess with his brain? Is Floyd terrible for wanting to protect a woman who colonized Gamorra or good for wanting to keep her alive? Is Thomas deserving of a chance to be a hero after his past as a villain?

Is Jay right or wrong for wanting revenge for his mother?

There is no correct answer in any of these cases when you learn the entire context. Jon needs to realize that a LOT of underprivileged, marginalized people are forced into violent systems, and that preaching non-violence can amount to complicity. What is Jon holding up by preaching the Superman Way? The aesthetic of righteousness, or true goodness? Who defines what the "correct" way to liberate is?

[linkemon]

Too late (Runaan x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.

Other oneshots can be found here.

"— ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ꜰʀᴇᴇ, ʀᴜɴᴀᴀɴ."

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴇᴘɪꜱᴏᴅᴇ 8 ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ 1ꜱᴛ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ. 2. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴏʀɪᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ (ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴜꜱ ᴋɴᴇᴡ).

What was Viren trying to accomplish? The question had been on Runaan's mind for days now. How long, he couldn't remember exactly. After he'd murdered the king of Katolis and been thrown into a cramped cell, he'd lost track of time.

[Reader] would visit him sometimes. At least, that was how she introduced herself. She brought him both human food, elven juice and messages from Viren as well. So far, he had not drunk anything, nor admitted to anything. But he found that the girl was a diversion during the slowly dragging time. The time that was still left before he died.

He was more certain of nothing in his life than his imminent end. Raised as an elven warrior, he learned from an early age to push fear into the recesses of his consciousness. And years spent training and the oath sworn with his brothers allowed him to do what had to be done and accept the consequences.

He only regretted that Rayla, whom he had trained for so long, was unable to shed her scruples. But he had little control over that. He only knew that she would lose her hand instead of her life, which might have been a silver lining but in reality she would be covered in shame for not keeping her oath.

The value Runaan fought for was justice.

Or at least he believed with all his might that it was. Even if, from the perspective of the human race, he dreamed of revenge, he considered it righteous.

That was why he was hanging almost helplessly from the handcuffs connected to the ceiling. They locked his arms, legs and prevented him from moving most of the time. But he still held his head up with the pride typical of elves. Unfortunately, his strength was gradually failing him, which did not go unnoticed by Viren.

Runaan had already examined every inch of gray stone beneath his feet and the mold at the other end of the cell. Every now and then he caught a glimpse of a mouse scurrying by. At that unremarkable moment, [Reader] entered the cell. Her demeanor, however, indicated that something was clearly wrong because she usually moved quickly and quietly but now she turned her head a few times, as if checking to see if anyone was behind her and then, right in front of him, drank some of the juice.

— You should take this. — She held the bottle to his lips. — I assure you it’s not poisoned.

— What you did doesn’t prove anything yet — he replied in a hoarse voice.

He didn't really believe in the girl's intentions. She could have just as easily drunk the antidote or let herself be sacrificed to the governor.

— Viren doesn't want to kill you. He needs you. For now, at least — she added quietly. — And I'm going to get you out of here.

— Why would the woman from Katolis want to release her king’s killer from prison? — he snarled.

— Harrow was never my king — she snapped quietly.

— I still don't see why you would do something like that.

— I don't have time for your idiotic questions.

— My dear, I have all the time in the world. — He smiled.

She looked at him, then resignedly pushed her hair to the side. Despite the darkness, lit only by the faint glow from the corridor, he saw that it carefully covered her long, elven ears.

Runaan, unable to believe his eyes, moved his gaze to her hands, where he saw five fingers.

— Most people are at the king’s funeral, so we have some time — she explained briefly, glancing back out of the corner of her eye. — My grandfather was an elf. — She pointed to her ears again. — He fell in love with my grandmother, who followed him to Xadia, where my mother was later born. A year later, humans stole the dragon prince’s egg and, at her husband’s urging, she fled to Katolis. Hoping for his return, she raised the child. It wasn’t that hard. My mother was physically fit but her appearance was deceptively close to human. When she grew up, she met my father and the genes weakened even more. That’s why I have five fingers and I’m not much different from anyone else. After my mother died, I ended up at the castle by saving the life of Claudia, who is Viren’s daughter. Since then, I’ve been under his watchful eye and...

— I don’t understand what you’re getting at — he said.

— I want to get to Xadia safely. I received a sealed letter from my grandfather half a year ago. There is no mistake. He is waiting for me there because he is unable to get to Katolis without getting involved in the conflict. By holding back, he pays tribute to my deceased grandmother.

From the elf's perspective, [Reader]'s grandfather had lost his honour by failing to fight for his people but Runaan was not about to throw away a potential ally. So he stuck to the neutral statement of fact:

— I understand that in exchange for your help I would take you to Xadia.

— Yes. — She rubbed her fingers nervously.

— Why do you think I'd agree? I've already achieved my goal. Besides, I might as well slaughter you right after you escape.

— Elves aren’t like that! — she interjected.

She hesitated but quickly regained her composure.

It sounded like she'd said this denial many times before.

— I know that... people believe the nonsense they're told but my family didn't ignore the truth when I was learning about your culture. If I hadn't chosen to trust you, I wouldn't be here.

Runaan held her determined gaze.

— Let's say I trust you, too. What's your plan? Assuming you have one...

— We'll have to wait until the coronation, when the perfect opportunity to get you out of here quietly will present itself. Especially since Viren put spells on the shackles but I've already stolen a few things, so that shouldn't be a problem. You should also try to regain your strength by then, so I brought you some juice and some formula. — She pulled out a second vial, previously hidden in her wide skirt.

The elf eyed both bottles suspiciously, then sniffed as she unscrewed the cap. The first definitely contained juice. He wasn't so sure about the second but the liquid reminded him of something the medic had made him the last time he'd had a nasty wound and needed a quick fix.

He was aware of the risk he was takin but he had already completed his task. The only thing that loomed before him was death or the betrayal of his already dead brothers. He had no other choice.

So he did what cold calculation told him and drank the contents of both bottles.

— I’ll be back tomorrow. — She smiled shyly in response to this act.

Then, looking around carefully, she left the cell. Leaving Runaan with doubts.

The elf was finally able to let his guard down for a moment.

Being suspended in handcuffs was already making it hard for him to sleep. Now, on top of that, he wondered if he had just made a mortal mistake. As a result, he didn't sleep a wink until Viren's next visit.

[Reader] came to him when she received such an order and she was exactly as quiet as she had been at first. The elf guessed that the governor must be watching her.

Their meetings were completely different when she came while Viren was unaware.

She brought him bits and pieces of information about his kin that she had managed to overhear in the castle, told him about her past and corrected her knowledge of elves. Oddly enough, she managed to get close enough to Runaan to tell her about himself. He had never confided in anyone like that in his life.

[Reader] also made an ointment that would partially numb the pain but didn't get rid of the prisoner's scars, cuts or bruises. They didn't want to risk a failed operation by acting too suspiciously.

The girl applied the medicine with such delicacy that the elf could have sworn that if he had even hissed, he would have stopped feeling that anyone was there.

Oddly enough, her touch and presence seemed oddly soothing to him, even though he had hated the human race so much up until that point. He explained it to himself by saying that she was the only one who resembled his people to some extent.

The night before her escape, [Reader] went over every step of the journey and the details with him once more, and then, before she could change her mind, she walked over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

— Tomorrow you will be free, Runaan. — She left.

The elf was confused as he felt a warmth around his heart but decided to put the budding feeling aside as the day had come when he would regain his freedom.

However, the governor thwarted the plans by bringing something the prisoner had not expected. A mirror was brought into the cell.

Runaan was well aware of the danger that lurked within the ancient relic, especially considering whose hands it had taken. He also knew that if he so much as uttered a word, death would befall many, so he proudly refused to cooperate.

He kept the secret.

But it cost him pain, suffering and endless nightmares.

Even Gren on the other side of the castle dungeons heard his screams.

He had lost all hope of any escape.

Because how could one try to escape from inside the coin?

He lost his chance at something he had never experienced before.

Two hours later, [Reader] entered the cell.

However, she found no one there.

She arrived too late.

[j4keluver]

baby, i'm here to love you

pairing: boyfriend ! jake x girlfriend ! reader genre: established relationship, angst, comfort warnings: reader calling herself stupid, crying authors note: this is for my pookie @luvj4key. i hope i did you justice love </3

jake has always been the best boyfriend - like a golden retriever to your beck and call. his smile radiates through the entire room and his laugh could heal the souls of millions. he has loved you endlessly and never once have you ever doubted it.

so how did you end up yelling at him over not washing the dishes? "jake i asked you to do one thing for me ! and you couldn't even do that," you yell out. whatever those girls said about mercury being in retrograde, were right. it felt like the earth was rotating backwards with finals week around the corner. you have summed up about an average of 3 hours of sleep a day, the rest of the hours hunched over in the library.

it was getting more frustrating with the days going on and jake has been busy with his own school work. you knew jake was busy, either studying for his own finals or gaming with his friends. jake was always a smart guy, being in honors classes and passing them with ease. you. on the other hand, struggle to grasp concepts until they are fully immersed after countless hours of practice.

you had given jake a heads up to ask him to please wash the dishes before coming home. you wanted to cook dinner but you didn't have any clean dishes to use. jake, on the hand, had just got home and decided to take a small nap before doing some cleaning around the house. he sets an alarm and it doesn't ring.

"baby i'm sorry, it was a mistake, i didn't mean to forget," he says as he tries to pull you in for a hug. you shake off his advances and you roll your eyes at him, "it wasn't that hard of a task to do but you still couldn't do it? i've been endlessly studying in the library for finals week because i'm not a genius like you and i don't understand the material ! i keep trying all these practice problems and i keep getting everything wrong and i just wanted one thing to be done. i'm starving all day and i wanted to come home and cook us dinner but none of the dishes are done and.."

your voice breaks with ease and jake's demeanor immediately softens. his tone is so soft that you would miss it, "baby..."

the emotions that you've been holding for however long comes breaking down as tears streamed down your face. jake feels like his heart is chipping away, "oh baby, come here." you take a step forward before jake fully wraps his arms around you, his cologne wafting into your senses. his arms rub soothing circles on your hip as he plants soft kisses into your hair. "hey it's okay, i got you, i got you."

your tears start to slow down as you slowly catch your breathe. jake slowly pulls you to sit on his lap while the sound of your breathing is only heard. jake whispers to you, "what happened baby? tell me."

you only let out a small exhale, "i've just been so stressed with finals and i just can't grasp the content and i feel so stupid. i just don't know how to get these formulas down and i didn't want to bother you because i know you were busy with your own finals. i just didn't want you to become annoyed at me or think i'm stupid."

jake reaches up his hand to cup your cheek and softly caress it with his thumb, "my sweet angel, i can't believe you've been holding all of this in. it's okay to not understand content after studying it, sometimes you just need a little more time for things to click. if it doesn't, you know i'm here to help you always."

he continues on, "you are not stupid because you don't understand something, okay? you are very smart and work very hard and you can never bother me. baby, i'm here to love you."

your eyes soften at his words and the only thing you can say in this moment is a 'thank you.' jake points to his watering eyes, "look baby! you even got me crying." you only softly laugh and give him a kiss which he gladly returns.

"let's order some takeout and we can work on some of your material tomorrow morning? how does that sound?" jake says and you nod. for the first time in weeks, you finally smile.

© belong to j4keluver. do not copy, translate, or repost.

[ladyofthehightower]

Leaving Driftmark discourse in 2024...

... but i still have two more days to speak my mind, so i will.

Long post, but do bare with me.

One of my biggest issues with HoTD discourse is how moments like everything that goes down at Driftmark are treated. The events—from Aemond claiming Vhagar to Alicent's knife attack—aren’t standalone; they’re deeply rooted in the show's prior dynamics. But people loooove to ignore that!

SO. For the last time, before we leave it behind in 2024, let's discuss Driftmark, and everything that led up to it.

Let's start with Aemond, as we only have one previous episode to go through for him.

We learn that Aemond is being bullied by Aegon and his nephews, mainly for not having a dragon. But we can assume that his bullying has been going on for a while, and goes beyond the dragon, judging on scenes/dialogue in the episode (we have Viserys and Alicent discussing it, Alicent confronting Aegon about it, and of course Alicent comforting Aemond. We also have the training scene in the courtyard).

We can easily assume that his lack of a dragon is a big source of insecurity, as he literally risks his life to remedy it. It must be especially difficult that Jace and Luke have dragons, as Aemond knows they aren't "true" Targaryens. It's unclear to what extent, but we can assume that Alicent and/or Aegon have been talking to Aemond about Jace and Luke being bastards. I mean, it is pretty clear to see, but the animosity comes from somewhere.

In s1e7, at the funeral, Aemond tries to approach Jace, but doesn't when Jace ultimately return Aemond's attempt to reconcile or comfort.

Now Alicent!

Let's think! Looking at episode 1-7, strictly from Alicent's perspective, completely ignoring "factual truth" and other character's views and opinions- Just kidding! We don't even have to think at all! Because Alicent tells us, with words, why she is upset with Rhaenyra!

What have I done but what was expected of me? Forever upholding the kingdom, the family, the law. While you flout all to do as you please. Where is duty? Where is sacrifice? It's trampled under your pretty foot again. And now you take my son's eye, and to even that, you feel entitled.

Essentially from s1e2 forward, Alicent watches as Rhaenyra get's away with anything and everything, while Alicent suffers at the hand of her father and her husband. It does not matter what it is, Viserys seems blind to Rhaenyra's faults. Alicent is jealous of the freedom she sees Rhaenyra enjoy, of the crimes she gets away with. It's clear that Visery's only priority is Rhaenyra, he cares little for his children with Alicent, which is of course very frustrating.

Alicent loses all her happiness because she does her duty. While Rhaenyra gains all of hers from ignoring it.

Let's then look at s1e7, Driftmark, THE moment.

Aemond claims Vhaegar, a huge feat for a child. He risks his life for it! Is it insensitive? Yes. Laena has just been buried, Baela and Rhaena are mourning. But what Aemond did was not a crime, it was a child being insensitive at most.

Luke, Jace, Baela and Rheana (with a knife) go to intercept whoever claimed Vhaegar, and they find Aemond: Luke and Jace's bully victim. It's a 4v1 where they're all on top of Aemond at one point, punching him. Aemond rises a stone to Luke, but lowers it. Jace pulls a knife, tries to attack Aemond. Aemond rises the rock to Jace, but does nothing, which is when Luke attacks with the knife.

After this, we watch as Alicent, heartbroken, demands justice for her son's lost eye. Is she wrong to demand an eye for an eye? Yes. They are all children, and demanding an eye from a child is crazy, but in that moment, Alicent is crazy. Because no one cares! Her son lost an eye, and somehow the discussion is about Rhaenyra and her children being insulted? Aemond lost an eye, and now Rhaenyra wants him sharply questioned? I think any mother who loves her children, who has never strayed from the path of duty while watching someone ignore it and get away with it for 20 years, would go crazy when her son is maimed and the conversation shifts to someone else, making her son's attackers out to be the victims.

I think it's also pretty clear that Alicent runs for Rhaenyra, not Luke. She has her knife raised high, she is looking at Rhaenyra who his in front of Luke. I don't genuinely think Alicent was trying to harm Luke, but more so Rhaenyra, who is the actual source of her pain in that moment.

ANYWAY.

That's what I had to say. To understand Driftmark, both how Alicent and Aemond act (and why I disagree when I see people blame the fight on Aemond), we have to look at the previous episodes, and we have to be able to see things from Alicent's and Aemond's perspectives too.

Like Viserys, the fandoms very easily sides with Rhaenyra and tends to overlook all other perspectives. Which is why I ignored her perspective in this post. But I will say, how she acts is incredibly smart. With her "thank you, father", she actively drives Alicent to lash out, to appear crazy, in order to discredit her. She knows which buttons to push.

[scoobydoodean]

#okay wait do y'all think that she wasn't going to try and murder Dean?#Do you think he was going to get through to her?#convince her somehow to not try to stab him?#that she was telling the truth at all in that scene?#because she was totally going to try and kill Dean#like 100% that was going to happen#and if Sam hadn't shot her then Dean would have had to kill her and that would have been so much harder on Dean#like it was disturbing that Dean had a 3 day old monster child that wanted to kill him but who was then killed by her uncle Sam instead#and even more disturbing that they then never mention her again#but these are also the guys who left their half brother in Lucifer's cage and didn't lose any sleep over it so...#and I love Dean but killing Amy was an asshole move#and there's kinda a difference between killing an active imminent threat and killing someone in cold blood after the fact @jinkieswouldyoulookatthis

I didn't want to clutter someone else's post but this was partially directed at me? I've talked about the whole "Emma vs Amy" debate quite a few times, but I'll share a few thoughts.

Amy is a present, unrepentant, fully cognizant, adult, serial murderer. She is not actually sorry about what she did in any way. She believes that slaughtering humans like cattle to feed them to her son was the morally correct action even if it wasn't the ethical action because it kept her son alive. She is not correct.

Emma is a brainwashed child who's been psychologically conditioned for a few days. She has never killed anyone and only wants to kill Dean because some women who abused her told her to.

Hunters like Sam and Dean primarily deal in punitive justice, not preventative justice—and what I mean by that is that Sam and Dean try not to kill people (with powers or without powers) who have never killed anyone.

While I think you're right to point out that a preventative justice component is in play, that is not primarily how Dean makes the decision to go after Amy, and the reason we know that is because Amy's son swears to kill Dean and Dean does nothing about it because the boy has done absolutely nothing wrong.

Dean's application of his personal code is consistent here. He kills Amy, who is a murderer who killed four people, but he does not intend to kill Emma or Amy's son—both of whom wanted to kill him—because neither has actually killed anyone and both may choose not to.

You say that Emma was going to kill Dean 100%, but you don't actually know that because we never got to see that future. You assume Amy would never have killed again, but when you add up "murderer who regrets absolutely nothing" and "child vulnerable to catching illnesses" you get "Mom who absolutely would kill again as necessary and who would feel zero remorse doing so just like the last time".

I don't personally think SPN gives us any reason to suspect that three days of psychological conditioning from a cult is too much to overcome. We have seen other characters overcome much more serious levels of psychological conditioning intended to make them killers. For example, Cas and Alex. I'm not saying Emma wasn't trying to pull the wool over Sam and Dean's eyes in the scene where Sam shot her, but I am saying that doesn't actually mean in any way that she couldn't be convinced to actually choose a different path.

Under the same litmus test with which you suggest Emma's condemnation, we'd also condemn season 2 Sam for his potential "future" crimes. We are killing monsters before they actually become those monsters... because of the dark path someone else intends for them to go down. Amy—again—is an active present unrepentant serial killer.

I think sometimes people misremember the scene where Sam kills Emma—recalling the scene as a scene where Emma lunges at Dean with the knife and Sam steps in just in time to save his life, or where Dean is unarmed and Emma has him at knife point. But that is not what happened. Emma quite literally brought a knife to a gun fight. Dean had a gun pointed at her, and if she was thinking straight at all, she would have left to avoid being killed if given the chance—especially when Sam arrived. And had she not, Sam could have shot her at that point—but Sam didn't wait to see what she'd do. He wanted her dead, because even if she ran, he didn't think they were equipped to deal with surprise attacks from Dean's Amazon child. That is the decision Sam made after a brief moment to consider, and it makes sense to me given the headspace he was in at the time and his assessment of Dean's headspace as well, but it does not make his decision consistent with his previous or future behavior regarding people who have been psychologically conditioned to kill.

My own frustrations are more with fandom, for a thought process that really really does not make sense to me, where Emma deserves to die but Amy deserved to live. I do not agree with that premise. I do not understand why so much of fandom has the perspective that a child who hadn't shed a drop of blood and who was acting in response to a cult's torture, who brought a knife to a gun fight and had already been driven into a corner where she had no choice but to surrender or run—doesn't deserve a chance to choose something else before she's barely lived and before she's heard a loving word in her entire life, but an adult with full cognizance of their actions who went through with killing four people and doesn't regret it should go on with their life and is "just a good mom doing what she had to" and killing that person is the bad thing. I don't understand that. I don't think Dean killing Amy was wrong at all in the "hunters kill supernatural murderers" show. The only thing Dean did wrong was lie about it and not take enough care to keep her son from seeing it happen.