#because i didn't see him doing anything worthwhile in this arc

[lazysublimeengineer]

I'm really curious on how Igaguri would play in this match.

I've yet to see his contribution in this arc.

But if Igaguri can enter the match then why can't Yuki as well?

[realvicoba]

My views on Gon's rage scene!! 🤓🫶

Let's get this out of the way first— is Gon a selfish monster?

Let me show some nuance in his rage scene and tunnel vision onto Pitou, how he hurt Killua, and his threats on an innocent girl.

Even while filled with rage to the point of almost losing himself and dealing a killing blow to Morel at that phase of his life, he was still worried about Palm's safety and one of the first to realize the inherent danger Knuckle and Meleoron were in on that staircase and the possibility of Youpi not having an oppenent.

He still had the wit and the care for his comrades.

And when Knuckle came on screen while Gon was actively seething in front of Pitou, he still made an effort to let Knuckle know that Pouf was a liar.

So we saw two little scenes where Gon showed that despite his rage and goal, he still put time aside to help his comrades. In the middle of all the anger, all the guilt, and the bloodthirst— he didn't forget his bros.

We already know he did wrong things. Threatening Komugi was very shocking, but as I've mentioned in my Gon character study— it was a moment of anger, confused morals and desperation to keep the monster in control.

With that out the way, let's get to the main course... How he hurt Killua.

Killua wants to be relied on, no matter the cost. He wants this to be like the volleyball match where Gon could only rely on him regardless of how much pain it could cause Killua— he wants them to go down in flames together, a "lover's suicide" as the original Japanese text says.

He wants to be proven to once more that Gon needs him and no one else, that he can't go alone. Killua needs to feel important that way, he needs to feel worthwhile, that he can do something for his best friend to help him the way no one else can.

Gon going off on his own like that broke that source of comfort and self worth Killua had created in Gon needing him.

And if anything, I think it was very important for Killua's character.

It was incredibly important for Killua to be pushed away at that moment, to not be allowed to sacrifice himself, and in turn get the time to rethink what he needs and wants to do with his life and his views on friendship.

And having to clean up an impossible mess after him put into perspective just how important Killua is, and that's why he was so adament on being the one to save Gon.

It's honestly such an interesting scene— It's not like Killua suddenly did a 180, but something this severe and seeing Gon's immature side and flaws on display more had a huge hand in his character development.

That's Killua's side, what about Gon's? We know both of them love each other dearly, and while Killua wished to go down with him, Gon wanted to be the one to carry that burden. Alone.

"I killed him."

Even though Killua was there too, and blamed himself as well. Gon didn't consider him responsible at all despite him running away as well, and Killua saying so.

And Gon comforts Killua, and himself.

As much as Killua sees Gon as the light, Gon sees him as the voice of reason. His awesome, smart friend who does no wrong— both have each other on a pedestal.

Though blinded by confusion and rage during the fight, he undervalued Killua's judgment, but still listened enough to wait for Pitou to finish healing Komugi.

And I also believe Gon was saving up his rage for that moment.

It was his battle, because it's his fault. Killua has no business because not only did Kite not hold as much importance to him, but because he had no fault in the matter— Killua didn't need to sacrifice himself again.

So, while Killua was willing to die alongside his friend and carry the burden together, Gon wanted to be the only one sacrificing himself and carrying that burden. He said so in the Yorknew city arc, and he proved it in the CAA.

He loves Killua, and it even shows in his harsher and cruel words.

I hope this made sense 🙏

[hamliet]

Less of a question but I was never an avid manga reader till 2019 and mha was the first manga I kept track of weekly, and I read Tokyo ghoul after it ended, and seeing everyone be dissatisfied with how Tokyo ghoul ended after keeping up weekly is something I’m reminded of after seeing the latest chapter of mha. So this is what it feels like to witness 6 years of a character you hold in high regard be undermined(to put it lightly). I’m rather sad, but I can’t help but feel fondness for shigaraki even if the way he ended wasn’t satisfying, how do u feel about how mha has gone?

Yeah it does feel very reminiscent of Tokyo Ghoul in that they just went "ah yes, killing the right people is actually how we solve world issues." Which I find morally reprehensible, but also genuinely bad writing because the story as a whole doesn't support this message.

@linkspooky explained in her meta yesterday why Deku has completely failed as a character, and why the manga has failed thematically as a story. I'm just gonna say I completely agree with Link.

To be fair, I'm not sure Shigaraki is dead dead, but either way, it's bad writing and it doesn't conclude his arc with any sort of satisfactory element. Like, why would Shigaraki see Deku as different than anyone else who tried to punch him? That's nonsensical and written from the POV of an audience, not from Shigaraki's POV. It's like in Star Wars when Rey calls herself "Rey Skywalker" when she knew Luke for 3 days and none of the people she was actually close to (Leia, Han, Ben) were Skywalkers. That's writing for the audience, with their perspective, ignoring the logic of your story. It defies believability because the character does not have that perspective. It's "forced" because the audience can see the hand of the author.

If Shigaraki is dead dead... Not gonna Star Wars this one again, but since I also hated the ending of The Rise of Skywalker, I must make a comparison. The idea that Deku may have saved Shigaraki's heart but couldn't save his body (which to be honest, nothing in the actual chapter supports, but if he stays dead might be the argument) is still bad writing. Why? Because to Shigaraki didn't even make the decision himself. He didn't sacrifice anything. How can his heart be saved if he had nothing to do with it? Saving an object is easy as pie. Saving a person is different, and that's what the whole story has been about. Like, in TROS, Kylo Ren gave his life for Rey! Was it stupid? Yes! But at least his "saved heart" did something. Shigaraki's saved heart did what exactly?

So then, is the message that Deku failed? Then why isn't it framed as a failure? Why was BNHA never set up to be a grimdark tragedy? If he failed, then shouldn't he have a miserable ending? Unless it's "heroes always become bad guys and life is unfair," but then shouldn't Deku be framed critically?

Basically, Horikoshi can't come back writing-wise from this in BNHA, and it's sad to see.

Horikoshi's biggest flaw throughout the entire story was that he kept flip-flopping on what he wanted to say, and made the characters more about his trying to please every single fan than about being, well, characters to explore important questions he has that are worthwhile. And you can do this while still having a "cool" factor!

Instead the characters tell us one thing while cocooning Deku in the sweet bliss that no one ever has on this earth--being 100% right all the time. And it's sad, because BNHA had so much potential as a story to challenge its audience and entertain too.

I thought even if it flopped in some aspects it'd at least get this right. It's disappointing.

Anyways every day that goes by I want to send Isayama and his editors flowers for actually writing a thematically coherent ending, even if some aspects were dropped or messy along the way.

[dross-the-fish]

People read that Erik didn't know good from evil and they take that in the most literal interpretation and run with it because this hellsite's reading comprehension is a fucking joke.

Agreed. Sometimes I'm a little terrified that there are people on this site who pick up a book like "Lolita" and think Humbert isn't a disgusting piece of shit because he tells the audience he isn't. I also think it's fair to say that because of the format, with it being a journalistic retelling of supposedly "true" events, we can somewhat consider Leroux an unreliable narrator so there IS wiggle room for personal interpretation. That said the idea that Erik is completely unaware that killing and kidnapping is wrong is a pretty wide stretch. If Erik didn't have at least some concept of right and wrong he wouldn't feel guilt and he wouldn't try to lie to the Daroga and deny his crimes. He also wouldn't let Christine go in the end if he didn't know that what he was doing was wrong. He knows well enough what he did was wrong, his behavior when called out is evidence enough of that. Sometimes what the characters, and even the narrator say needs to be taken with a grain of salt in the light of how a character acts. Erik is complex, he can be childish, traumatized, warped, tragic and have a heart that could hold an empire and still be cruel, manipulative and villainous, he can be ALL of these things and his morality may be skewed but he has enough moral sense to have standards and to feel a need to deny what he did. It's the complexity that makes him compelling, the capacity for good and evil and what such a character does when denied the opportunity to be good for so long only to be given it again one last time at his lowest point, when you can argue that he's used up any grace he's owed. I love seeing "unredeemable" characters get a last minute saving grace. That character who has fallen so far over to the dark side get that one act of mercy that fundamentally changes them for good. We can find him sympathetic while still being horrified by his actions and moved by the tragedy he causes and is himself a victim of. That's what makes him a worthwhile character to spend time with. This idea of a woobified baby who doesn't know better and can't be held responsible for anything he does creates a version of the character that is, frankly, uninteresting and undermines the potency of his redemptive arc and I really wish people would stop doing it, because if we have to disregard his ability to do evil then we have to disregard his ability to do good too and at that point you've just thrown out the whole character.

[koalatysleep]

YYH is actually a LGBTQ romantic tragic comedy masterfully told through subtext

In a nutshell, Canon uses very sophisticated show-don't-tell techniques to SHOW us Yusuke and Kuwabara are in love with each other, while outright TELLING us the narrative misdirection that they're supposedly in love with Keiko & Yukina (almost every canon character mistakenly thinks this & tells us this deliberate misdirection), so much so that even Yusuke and Kuwabara themselves believed the other really is in love with their supposed female love interests!

Canon had to use such show-don't-tell techniques + misdirection in order to sneak in the Kuwameshi Love Story in 90's Japanese mainstream media where there's no tolerance for outright LGBTQ representation, especially in its heroes, but it's been more than 30 years after YYH was first created, so it's a frigging tragedy if people still think the love story is between the two heroes and their supposed female love interests who are barely in the story other than as narrative misdirections, so LET'S PEEL BACK THE LAYERS AND DIVE INTO THE HEART OF THINGS!

As always, proper meta with proof points, screencaps & larger canon context at this Kuwameshi meta series on AO3!

The latest addition to the series Two Steps Forward, One Step Back - Kuwabara's Retreat from Love is now up!

Now on to the post that sums up the romantic tragi-comedy of YYH!

In the above heartbreaking scene where Yusuke silently says goodbye to Kuwabara, Yusuke is wearing the same green jacket that he had on during Genkai's succession trials, when Yusuke and Kuwabara had their Arcade Date as per the Kuwameshi undercover love story meta, and both realized they're falling in love with each other 😭😭😭😭

Yusuke's sartorial choices had gradually matured throughout the series until we saw him wearing more grown up clothes such as this dashing ensemble just before the heartbreaking goodbye scene:

So the sudden reversion to the green jacket is a deliberate choice by Anime Studio Pierrot to tell us that this heartbreaking scene is Yusuke saying a romantic farewell to Kuwabara 😭😭😭😭.

In fact, Yusuke is wearing the exact same ensemble he had on after he first came back to life post car accident (green jacket with yellow vest over red flannel), when the first thing he did was to save Kuwabara's cat in a really sweet romantic gesture as per the Kuwameshi undercover love story meta. This symbolizes how Yusuke is now at the start of another journey just like he was after his first revival post car accident, and foreshadows how he'll promise Kuwabara to check in on him first thing after Yusuke comes back from the Makai, to see whether Kuwa got into the school he's aiming for, as a way to tell us Kuwa'll still be Yusuke's romantic interest even after the Makai separation. But I digress!!

To recap, when we last saw this green jacket, it was when Yusuke and Kuwabara first went all out to show off for each other in peak courting behavior :

This was when Yusuke initiated their first hug!!! Look at Yusuke throwing himself bodily at Kuwabara!!!

This was when Yusuke outright tried to kill Rando for hurting Kuwabara!! It's worthwhile to note Yusuke doesn't actually outright want to kill anyone else, apart from Toguro, because that was the only way to stop him! Both times are because Kuwa's hurt!! (Yusuke didn't want to kill that territory arc Dr Kamiya either, until he was forced to do so to save the entire hospital who were on verge of dying). This tells us that Kuwa is so important to Yusuke that Yusuke would actually break his own moral code (to avoid killing), if it was for Kuwa!!! This is canon literally showing us Yusuke would do anything for Kuwa!

As per play-by-play proof points in The Chocolate Shake Date meta, after Genkai's succession trials when Yusuke started to realize his romantic feelings for Kuwabara, it's implied that he phoned Kuwabara for what he hoped was a 1-1 date, and Yusuke was actually trying to get Kuwabara alone all throughout that hilarious fiasco after Keiko unknowingly became the third wheel by crashing Yusuke's hoped-for date with Kuwabara after she bumped into Yusuke by pure chance!

Coupled with the fact that Yusuke was seriously creeped out by Keiko trying to kiss his unconscious body when he was still a spirit + the fact that Yusuke has never shown any romantic interest in any girl + many more canon proof points that I will add to the meta series in the future + the fact that my canon may have vastly different dialogue/meaning from your canon, I read Yusuke as gay (but feel free to interpret Yusuke as whatever orientation floats your boat, I just personally read him as gay as per the canon versions I got & reasons stated in meta).

Yusuke was always in love with Kuwabara from the start, which is why Yusuke was actually romantically pursuing Kuwabara in The Chocolate Shake Date!

Unfortunately Keiko's romantic interest in Yusuke (which was not reciprocated by Yusuke) threw a spanner into the works and prevented Yusuke from getting together with Kuwabara all throughout canon, as symbolized & foreshadowed by Keiko crashing The Chocolate Shake Date! (sorry Keiko, but I have faith you eventually figured it out & moved on happier!)

Thus, even though Kuwabara got an inkling that Yusuke may not be romantically interested in Keiko during The Chocolate Shake Date and Kuwabara started romantically pursuing Yusuke all throughout the 4 beasts arc as per proof points in Two Steps Forward, One Step Back - Kuwabara's Retreat from Love, Kuwabara mistakenly thought Yusuke was in love with Keiko after Yusuke gave his life to save the girls from Suzaku. That's right, Kuwa's 'prank' on Yusuke about the girls not making it post-Suzaku-fight was actually Kuwa testing Yusuke to see his unfiltered reactions so Kuwa could ascertain one last time how Yusuke really feels about Keiko! Unfortunately Kuwa mistook Yusuke's panic for the girls as romantic love for Keiko,

And so Kuwa Retreated from Love with Yusuke so he doesn't get in the way of what he thought was reciprocal romantic love between Yusuke and Keiko (just like he offered to let them be alone during The Chocolate Shake Date), because that's how nobly and selflessly Kuwa loves Yusuke - he wants him to be happy even if it breaks his own heart,

And thereafter Kuwa throws himself at Yukina as a way to try to get over his heartbreak and to process/express his emotions for Yusuke which he thinks he cannot show Yusuke (Denial & Transference are hallmarks of Kuwa's psyche),

Which prompted Yusuke to think Kuwabara really was in love with Yukina, and so Yusuke Retreated from Love with Kuwa because Yusuke is also a noble idiot in love who wants Kuwa to be happy even if it breaks his heart,

And even though they each got an inkling after the events of the Dark Tournament that the other might be in love with them, and they're almost on the verge of stopping their Retreat from Love with each other, especially Yusuke,

Sensui hit them with his shit and Yusuke sacrificed himself nobly so he can save Kuwa, all his friends and the entire human realm, and even though this is when Kuwa finally breaks through his Denial and his Transference which are hallmarks of Kuwa's psyche and outright admits that Yusuke's the one he's been in love with from the beginning as per proof points in It's All in the Eyes + Denial is a river that runs long and deep meta,

Yusuke was reborn as a Mazoku who is so much stronger than Kuwa felt he could ever become as a human (Kuwa has felt inadequate since 4 beasts arc), that Kuwa felt he could no longer protect Yusuke against the S-class opponents he'd face, and since fighting to protect Yusuke was one of the reasons (in Kuwa's mind) that Kuwa could 'legitimately' be with Yusuke even though he's supposed to give Yusuke space with Keiko (because fighting to protect Yusuke is something that Kuwa could do for Yusuke that Keiko can't), and so Kuwa Retreated from Love again, this time into studying,

While Yusuke knows he cannot afford to lose Kuwa after having lost Kuwa in the Dark Tournament and nearly a second time to Sensui, and at this point in time Yusuke just felt that he's Bad News for the one he loves (Kuwa), he only puts Kuwa in danger and stress, and he can't keep Kuwa safe from an unknown S-class ancestor demon who could take over Yusuke's mind at any time, just like he felt he failed to protect Kuwa against Toguro and Sensui,

And so Yusuke Retreats from Love yet again and goes alone to the Makai in this heartbreaking goodbye scene, even though his yearning and longing for Kuwabara to be with him is SO FUCKING PALPABLE I FELT IT IN MY HEART WHILE WATCHING THIS EVEN BEFORE I CLUED INTO KUWAMESHI!!!!

FUCKING HELL!!!! WHY ARE THESE TWO IDIOTS SO FUCKING NOBLE IN LOVE?!??!??!

And that in a nutshell is how our two idiots in love are in a romantic tragi-comedy all throughout canon!!!!!!

WHAT I WOULDN"T GIVE TO SEE YUSUKE AND KUWABARA GET TOGETHER I TELL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out the Kuwameshi Meta Series if you wanna, because I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SCREAM ENOUGH ABOUT THESE TWO!!!!!!

If you'd like to see them fulfill their romantic potential with each other in fic, check out The Good Fight which guarantees a much more satisfying narrative than the bittersweet one we got in canon!

Not that I'm complaining about canon, because IT IS FUCKING MASTERFUL I TELL YOU! So much so that it managed to sneak in one of the greatest love story of all time under the radar in uber conservative 90's Japan mainstream media where LGBTQ love stories were not allowed any representation, and it did it in such a rich subtextual way that holds up to the most stringent literary analysis and character analysis, that most heteronormative audiences over the past 30+ years since YYH was created still doesn't realize the real love story is between Yusuke and Kuwabara!!!

Now, THAT is Great ART! 😭😭

❤️❤️🌈🌈🐦🐦❤️❤️🌈🌈🐦🐦

[variousqueerthings]

Should I watch spartacus? I've tried a few times but always lapse after a few eps bc the characters didn't really connect for me

listen, I don't usually rec spartacus to people, because it's - quite frankly - not for everyone. the language is crass, there's a ton of toxic masculinity, a whole bunch of graphic violence of (most) kinds, and it's got this super stylised environment building to it that can be hard for people to get used to

that being said I've seen it three times now and it makes me very emotional each time. so, if you're thinking of giving it another whirl, here's what I will say:

it definitely does take a little bit to get into the characters beyond the hur-dur big muscle men who all hate each other and make comments about who has the biggest dick (and like, this never totally goes away, but it's filtered through a different lens as the story goes along and the characters do start caring for one another) and here's more tits and undulating oiled women (I must stress though that everyone is oiled up and naked in this show, it's equality), but once you get into the meat of the story, I'd say rouuughly halfway-ish through s1, they really really start growing on you, like fungus. fungi -- especially crixus and agron (whom you may not have reached depending on where you stopped), I'd say for me especially crixus, who is always annoying to me for a fair bit in s1 and then you realise what sort of a character he is and where his arc is going and you're like ohhh ok. ok ok, got it, and there's a scene in the... second last episode of s1 I think where he is sobbing and unable to hold the woman he loves (naevia) as she's dragged away from him and they swear to see one another again... well, let's just say it made me feel things

the political drama of the show is *chefs kiss* it just builds and builds and builds across the whole show, with the second season being a prequel that adds context (it was made out of necessity -- the main actor was very sick, but it also adds to the story, both in terms of backstory and a new important character)

speaking of story -- some of my favourite pacing of all time! it sets up some premises and it continuously moves towards fulfilling those narrative arcs, it is a Very Satisfying Show Pacing-wise

some gay people in this show do die, because a lot of people on this show die (some very sad stuff happens to... well, everyone), but also this is a "the main gays are immortal" show, in which a beautiful m/m couple just fuckn. Cannot Die (they survive some stuff lemme tell you) and it was the first show I really saw that sentiment in

there are some very cool women in this show -- I think there should have been even more and it definitely is male-skewed, but the women on this show have their own really neat arcs and skill-sets, and it manages to not do the misstep of "the only women worth anything are the ones who aren't traditionally feminine/can fight and the rest are lesser," (with characters like diona, sybil, seppia and many minor characters mattering to the plot) while also giving us some gorgeous fighty-anger ladies (naevia, saxa), pragmatic leadership women (mira, laeta, gaia), a whole bunch who fit into difficult-to-categorise spaces (kore, aurelia, melitta) and ofc evil and scheme-y (lucretia, ilythia). I think for the most part the show is also very good at navigating ideas around power and womanhood, with characters like lucretia being both oppressor (owns slaves, can order crixus to have sex with her, is callus towards their humanity), while also at times suffering from lack of power, because she is only as worthwhile as who she is married to (same goes for ilythia and other roman women, and there's an interesting arc in s4 about how easily citizenship/personhood can be entirely stripped from you)

there's a very beautiful ethos beneath it all -- yes beneath all the hyper-violence and graphic sex and horrible dehumanisation (this is a show in which many of the main characters are slaves after all) it's got a strong core about protecting those who cannot protect themselves and it mourns the deaths of innocents (pietros, diona, aurelia, kore, etc)/isn't just about the Fighter Types, it's about fighting to overthrow systems even when it seems hopeless in order to build a better future, about loyalty, about community, about building cross-cultural bridges, about beautiful oiled up peo- wait hold on...

I think -- vs some other shows that I could mention - GoT - that's what's so strong about it. it has an arc, it has a point to it, and it like. wants to give its characters purpose, narratively

there's a couple of missteps, and I think part of that is the time the show was written in, but considering it's 2010 + its main actor died after s1 unfortunately it's miles ahead of many of its peers and most shows that came out in the 2010s that I'd argue tried to catch some of its rizz. flair. pizzazz

I think the right state of mind to go into it with is:

obvs ask yourself first if the sheer amount of sex and violence onscreen is a dealbreaker. you can also ask me what kind of violence if you want to prepare, because for me it was the not-knowing that was stressful the first time around, the next times I could step away during a few scenes that were too much for me, but on the whole was okay

we good on sex and violence? ok then, next step is: the language is gonna be super idiosyncratic. a mix of giving old (?) grammar (the word "the" no longer exists for the most part), kiwi accents (this was filmed in aotearoa/new zealand), names you're not used to hearing, and swearing in every sentence. let that seep into your bones, it becomes very fun after awhile (or it did for me)

give yourself a little shake and then go: "this is a Very Cool Show. not as a negative, it genuinely is Very Cool. other shows wish they were this Cool. it'll take half a second to immerse myself in just how Cool everything is, but once I'm used to it, it'll be awe-striking music, amazing stunt/fight-work in nearly every episode, beautiful -- and I mean beautiful -- character relationship arcs, and a vibe that's giving Mythological the whole way through," my friend it is unreal how Cool this show is, the pay-offs for its various setups make me punch the air when I get to them, every time, and by the final season you're screaming for the Roman Empire to fall beneath the heels of these beautiful oily people, while a majestic choir soars in the background

believe that the final episode of this show is gonna be so worth it -- not because it was a slog to get there, but because we're all so used to being let down in the final hour, but the ending of spartacus? chef's kiss. made me cry the last two times, which is why I'm putting it off this time.

in conclusion: this is not a show for everyone. it's definitely giving sexy boobs angry men at times. it is also a show with a quite similar set of ideas to things like black sails and sense8, which is what is so good about it. it's about how people matter and deserve humanity and it's very cathartic for me in this current day and age to watch these characters navigate the ideas of what a "revolution" looks like. it's a tragedy though, although there's joy along the way, and this is one of those stories where it was worth the trying no matter the cost

it's like. a good story. so many sexy bosom shots though (I mean, this may be the opposite of a deal-breaker now I write it out). but you've gotta gaze through the bosoms to see the plot. or something. yeah that makes sense

I've got a more detailed draft post of all my pros and cons of the show that I'll put out as well -- that was is full of spoilers that may be somewhat incomprehensible if one hasn't watched the show, but hey. it's out there

[candyskiez]

Thinking about why Separation arc works so well again.

There's already a very good post about how it makes you think it'll have Reigen fail at keeping up the business on his own, and apologize to Mob to get him back because he can't do it without him. Only to have him actually be perfectly capable of running the business by himself without even touching real spirits. But why didn't they do that?

It wouldn't have actually meant anything. Reigen apologizing to Mob wouldn't have meant shit, because it would just come off as using him. Mob going back to him wouldn't be satisfying or a relief. It'd just feel like he was going back to an unhealthy environment. No character development, no actual satisfying resolution.

What they do instead works so much better, and I've been thinking about why. Because I think about this show way too much, let me live.

Reigen was perfectly fine money wise before Mob showed up. Money problems aren't even implied to be a reason why he wants to leave spirits n such. It's all just being unsatisfied. He's restless and unfulfilled, and nothing really catches his interest. And then actual company shows up, and gets him talking to people, and gives him something worthwhile to do.

Most of Reigens worst moments have nothing to do with money. His controlling tendencies come out when he feels left behind or like someone is a better person than him. His toxic traits are so painfully human. He lashes out when he feels like his place in someone's life is in danger, he's not honest because he feels like nobody can love him as he is, and he doesn't try to change because he feels like he's inherently bad and cannot get better. Because of this, he doesn't stop and recognize he's hurting people. He thinks of him being a bad person as Inherent, not actions he can stop doing.

This is why it's so so SO important that there be a moment in the arc where he stops and looks back at how he treats people. He needs to realize that him being Bad isn't determined by just being bad by existing, but by what he says and does. Mob didn't leave because Reigen is inherently bad. Mob left because Reigen treated him badly.

If the Reigen and Mob conflict had been resolved with Reigen apologizing because he needed him for his business, it would've come off like Reigen didn't care about Mob. But because it became clear that Reigen didn't need Mob for his business, it tells the audience that Reigen really fucking cares about Mob AND why Reigen had actually acted the way he did:

Because he was a sad bastard who's scared of being alone.

And also, if they had Reigen just take on a spirit alone, the audience wouldn't have had nearly as much reason to be sympathetic towards him. It would've just felt like Reigen was being an idiot. But because of how they set up Reigen's downfall, we're so much more sympathetic to him. He works hard and gets what he thinks he wants, only to be set up by a guy who he saved the life of. It makes us feel extremely bad for him and like his ridicule is completely undeserved.

It also tells us something about him. Reigen has had so much experience where doing the right thing is punished. Reigen feels like it's too late to be good. Reigen falls into thinking he cannot be good, so he needs to buckle in and keep going. Because it shows Reigen being punished for being good as well as being punished for being bad, it makes what Reigen did feel so much more human. You're more inclined to sympathize with him, because it's not just about money. It's about the fact he was an asshole to his only friend because he felt like if he had other friends, he'd like them more and leave him. And seeing him face negative consequences for Doing The Right Thing as well as the wrong thing makes you understand why he just...doesn't try. If that makes sense lmao.

The way they constructed the arc makes us sympathize with Reigen while he's acting like an absolute asshole, while also setting up Reigen stopping and asking himself "why DID I do this, why DID I choose this path, why DO I treat people like this" perfectly.

Tldr, it's a really good arc.

[mrs-apocalypse]

Hi! How are you? I hope you’re doing okay!

I have a few questions about your game theory series! 🥳 First of all, it’s the first fic i’ve read in months because i kinda stopped reading after awhile since I couldn’t find anything that caught my eye as a reader, some fics started to feel the same to me 😭 I saw yours on twitter and I thought it was really interesting. and it didn’t disappoint!! 🤩

My questions are: Are you following the series’ plotline or book? Or are you creating your own universe(?)/plotline? I mean will you include the events in the series and the book in the future? Safehouse, torture, coup etc? I feel like your story is different than any of I have read so far that is why I wanted to ask😭 Very unique plot! I have to admit I never thought Pete became Pete since neither the book or the series mentions it. He was the main bodyguard and Tankhun’s and Kinn’s most trusted bodyguard, but how did this happen? 🤔 So your story is really refreshing!

Second question: I know many authors might not know the ending of the story they write since it comes as you write, but will it be happy ending or sad ending? 😭 May I ask you could you tag if there’s a mcd before it happens🥹 Third question: will we be seeing Vegas and Macau in the second book again? I think we’re getting closer to ending right?

Third question: how did you start to write this story? Was it something that came to your mind and started writing? Or was it something more planned?

Last question: what will the last book’s name be? And what would you say about the theme of the book? Is it more angsty?

I am sorry for the mistakes, English is not my first language. So I have to think in my own language and translate it as I write🥲

And I hope I am not too annoying. Please feel free to tell me if I am. And please skip the questions you don’t feel comfortable.

Have a nice day 🥰

Hi there! Wow, thank you so much for your question! I'm so so glad you've enjoyed my story. It makes me so happy that you like it so much! Also, please do not apologize for your English skills. I think your English sounds great and even if it wasn't, it's still impressive to speak in a second language!

As for your questions:

Question One: I plan to follow canon nearly 90%. I did my best to make Prisoner's Dilemma a prequel that would make logical sense with the canon story, so that is what I want to continue in the next book (Trolley Problem). That said, I will be adding some things. As much as I adore Kinnporsche, I think VegasPete's storyline would have done better with some expansion. For example, I think that the safehouse arc would have been perfect if there had been just one or two more scenes, or if the time Pete spent at the safehouse were just a few days more. So, while the story will mainly follow canon, I'll be taking some liberties on what 'happened' during the time we didn't see in the show!

Question Two: I know exactly how this story will end! I always know how my stories will end before I write them and I also never like to write a sad ending. To me, angst is the most fun to write, but only if there's a worthwhile ending to reach. It will be happy, and what I think is an appropriate ending for the all characters in the show (if you look back on my profile, you'll see that I think certain endings from canon aren't appropriate 'happy' endings for characters). But I think what I've planned will be pleasing to everyone!

Question Three: Second book is finished as of today, and it ends with a nice little scene between our favorite brothers. To be honest, any scene with Macau is my favorite to write (that's VegasPete's first son!).

Question Four: So, there's lots of reasons I came up with this story. First, I love Pete dearly, but there is so little known about him and the more I know, the more I just don't think he fits with the main family. And so to me the most logical conclusions was that he would have had to learn in a harsher environment (sans his father). I also love reading fics with Vegas being obsessed with Pete, but I do't see that logically happening unless there was some grand event that put them together, and so I was like 'what if Pete worked for him first?' Just. UGH, I think that a lot about their personalities and obsessions with each other can be explained much better with a backstory like this!

Question Five: The last book will be called 'Dictator's Game', which I think says a lot about what the contents is. The theme is basically 'What really happened between Korn, Nampheung, and Gun?" and how that affects the boys in modern time. Aka, Theerapanyakul War 2.0. There will be angst, but universally. And VegasPete will not have any extreme fights between them because I wanna focus on them being the sanest couple in the bunch.

Please let me know if you have any more questions! I love love LOVE getting to talk about my fic and also just VegasPete/Kinnporsche stuff in general!

[ac-liveblogs]

As someone who is also making a Genshin rewrite, you are SO right about Natlan being super awkward and unimportant. The whole nation is half unimportant shit, and half stuff the game should have covered with the Abyss Order and Khaenri’ah. 

My own idea for Trying To Make Natlan Worthwhile was to kind of use the fact that you arrive there super late into the story + the lack of ley lines (even though that doesn’t make sense because they’re RIGHT BESIDE THE IRMINSUL NATION-) to kind of like… show what the world could be like without so much influence/potential memory manipulation from Celestia. But even then I just feel like… you have Enkanomiya, and the Chasm, and places like that that are much cooler and can establish the same ideas- but with the Abyss Order instead. Which is a more interesting option. 

And on that note- the dragon sovereigns. Honestly, I feel like the whole war between them and the Primordial One could be a decent show of Celestia’s power, and they’re a good explanation as to why there are dragons everywhere today. But the cast of Important Immortals is too full to fit in multiple dragon sovereigns as well.  At most, they can be used to explain why Gold was making dragons and stuff like that. Maaaybe Apep can be like… the Abyss Order’s second attempt at having an abyssal dragon on their side after the events of the prologue, instead of completely forgetting about what they did to Dvalin? I can accept one sovereign surviving/getting revived, even if I still think that we don’t need one here to begin with. But why do you need Neuvillette, when you have both Furina and Focalors? I honestly can’t think of anything he can do that Focalors can’t accomplish simply by living longer and being more involved in the plot. And why do you need Natlan, an entire nation, to focus on dragons so much?

Eyyyy! 🤝 fellow genshin rewriter, hello!!

You're so right, Natlan really feels like a filler patch? I'm waiting like "well maybe 5.3 will have something important and worthwhile in it!" But I kinda… don't think that it will. A giant loredump, maybe. Mauvika and Capitano Give Us Nothing too… why they didn't use it to have WWBR enter the main plot is beyond me.

That's a good idea re; the Night Kingdom though, I hadn't thought of using the lack of Leylines that way. I wanted to use Natlan as the "shit gets real" plot stakes escalation region re; the Abyss, but that was mostly using the idea of the war between Natlan and the Abyss by shifting Khaenri'ah's location, because I wanted to make Natlan relevant. I don't feel good cutting a whole region, characters are one thing...

(i was considering having the abyss order use the incomplete loom on a larger scale to make changes that only lumine notices to justify returning to some regions, but we'll see. i'm not entirely sure if that would affect natlan, now that you mention it? probably not?)

THE DANG DRAGONS…. there's so much to think about before even getting to them! I'm this close to cutting them entirely bc I'm not sure they're necessary beyond "Celestia killed the previous inhabitants", but it feels strange to dump Neuvillette entirely (RIP Natlan again). I'd originally wanted to work him into Furina's arc more solidly, but I'm not sure it's worth having to deal with 6 other Sovereigns to do it… and his whole "I want to judge this world, all gods, the Heavenly Principles, etc…" like, okay, that's… a lot… how seriously am I meant to take this as a plot element. As you say, could just use Furina/Focalors. That would probably be neater overall.

Speaking of existing dragons, I was considering just making Azhdaha the current Geo Sovereign if that's an element I decide to keep. I was also considering using him for the mechanical god scheme, which was originally part of/still may be part of the Loom of Fate. I think if I did decide to keep the Sovereigns, I might need to tie them into the Loom's completion...? Or I could just use Zhongli, who I'm planning on killing anyway. Who knows! (it drives me nuts that thing's finished in canon. how long does it take to get it going?!)

God tfw Natlan is the dragon country and Kinich and Ajaw are the most irrelevant 5stars.

I'm super interested to hear abt your rewrite if you're interested in sharing more?

[castlebyersafterdark]

do you have any thoughts on mike's masculinity? i personally LOVE that that's what they've created for mike, the experience of invisibility and just being a man who is also gay. the way finn looked in s4 didn't change anything for me, because the writers intend for him to be a certain way and modern aesthetics just don't apply. if he was a different actor there'd be no question really (but finn is perfect and looking more grown as the days go by anyway) and i just love love thinking about how he embraces being queer while being technically invisible (but i'm sure he embraces a couple visible things along the way) as he gets older

This is a very old one that I never finished answering for some reason - I guess because I wasn't sure of my thoughts and how to word it, still unsure how to perfectly phrase a lot of it. But, just riffing on some things...

I think the thing with Mike - is not that he's this hyper-masculine character, and he doesn't need to be. But he still fits somewhat of an "ideal" image, but not so much a male/masculine fantasy - he's the every-man! He has the protector role. The planner. He's dressed like a typical 80s boy (nerdy, but nerds in 80s media have always been the adventurous or girl crazy types, while still being misfits - so many examples. This is important as he's pushed into that with Dustin and Lucas, but pointedly he's different like Will is different. But the audience might see him this way surface level - but paying attention, we know that's inaccurate)

He's Mike - which is a guy still being soft and kind to his friends ALONG with his blunt, sometimes abrasive and crude actions. Look at him and Lucas in the basement shoving snacks in their faces while being totally gross, but such teenage boys - juxtaposed with Will's reactions. THAT is so telling. Clearly a divide between personality types there. You see how amused Mike was? You see how Will even in this stupid comic relief scene posed himself as different?

He's the character that audiences are kind of meant to relate to the most. He's the leader. He's the stand in for 80s protagonists in this sort of media, simultaneously that while being a character to (ugh I hate the word but it has usefulness sometimes) subvert that expected role. That's why it's so interesting and important that his journey doesn't end up expected and standard and well, conforming to all that. Boy gets the girl, boy sacrifices himself, boy has the nuclear family dream. He's capable and the poster child for adventure mystery stories, he's Such A Boy, but... he's also queer. That's so cool.

It's nice to see several very different story arcs in regards to sexuality with our queer characters. I'm not going to dive into Robin's story right now, but there's one. And then we have Will and Mike. Very different characters, but for them they're so entwined they have to be put together. Will being unable to truly hide who is he because of who he is and how unforgiving and unkind society and the era is to a boy like him, vs. Mike who can go through that same society and town and be invisible for what he is, just because his nature doesn't really unintentionally flag anything. He gets bullied and made fun of for being a weird nerd - I don't think he's getting bullied for being gay. That's Will. Now, that might change in season 5 for reasons yet to be seen on screen, but so far, that's not been Mike's story.

Just a few thoughts. Still not completely as in depth as I'd like, but it's always worthwhile to examine.

[the-gayest-show]

It's a little disheartening to see people disrespecting Molly's decision to sacrifice what she had with Scratch in order for him to have his life back. I’m not sure if detractors of the series finale truly understand Molly as a character.

Literally the thoughts in my head! I'd seen a couple of those posts and thought to reply to them somehow but couldn't figure out a way to get to all of them, so this ask should do it...

The message has been there the whole time. In Libby's exposition, she mentions the quote from maya angelou: "What is a fear of living? It's being preeminently afraid of dying. It is not doing what you came here to do, out of timidity and spinelessness. The antidote is to take full responsibility for yourself - for the time you take up and the space you occupy. If you don't know what you're here to do, then just do some good." I believe this sums up scratch's arc and molly's (i will get into it later) to a T. He shut himself off from the world for years before molly met him, and was very afraid to take risks or do anything new (this is seen in episodes like All Systems No, where the whole point is scratch literally saying no to things and molly always saying yes to things). And probably other s1 and s2 episodes but none are actively on my mind rn. Him leaving to take risks was practically necessary, living out his life IS necessary because he couldn't bring himself to do so before but now he can.

Scratch needed to do something. We find out he's a wraith and then what? He can't just live outside his body knowing full well that he has a body and knows of its existence! I guess the main point argued was that he didn't have to be scrubbed of memory... I'd like to bring up a tweet that involves Bill's reasoning for choosing this path https://twitter.com/InevitablyBill/status/1746595852138008750 (it's a thread btw, take a read, i love it so much!). At the end of the day, imagine this: he goes into his human body, stays with the mcgees... maybe he meets adia... but isn't the whole point that he knew adia for years, even as a child, and wanted to come with her, but his anxiety/depression always got the better of him? Isn't the whole point that he needs to leave, he can't stay forever! You could argue "he fit so perfectly fine with the mcgees! it makes their friendship pointless like this!" but the real question of the day is: why do you think he isn't a mcgee anymore? just because he forgot them (define forgot since he subconsciously remembers stuff)? family is forever. It's in your soul! I've met some wonderful people (adults and kids alike) that have semi-made me into the person I am today. Chosen family comes and goes, sometimes it stays a while and then leaves. I still feel sad for losing touch with people I thought would stay forever...But that DOES NOT make it any less worthwhile. It's what molly said: "If you don't remember me, at least you'll remember that." The things he learnt weren't erased. He didn't "forget them", not really. Because if he did he'd be right back at square one, being all "I don't need friends!" and "Being good's for suckers!" and now that would make everything pointless.

Molly has trauma. Valid point, but I raise you this: She chose to let go. She fully understood the risks even as scratch pointed them out, and despite everything. Just as easily she could've said that it was ok and he didn't have to go back, but she didn't.

This show is heavily grounded in reality for something based on silly ghosty adventures. Why can't someone leave? Because of plot? Shit happens anyways, trauma or no trauma, and if anything, molly isn't alone. Molly originally clung to scratch as a forever friend because she didn't want to be alone. She isn't alone now though! She's got Libby! She's got Ollie and June! She's got Geoff as well (technically), so she's not completely done for!

[yamanaka-shin]

🔥 (if your still dropping the tea! xD. Idk for a topic, anything I guess, shout it out!)

Last night me and Jess were talking and I subjected her to a little Mangetsu and Suigetsu rant. So, since it's the birthday of the older brother and a few days from the birthday of the younger brother, it's time I brought some words out today. Not good ones. Keep in mind, Mangetsu is damn near tied for my #1 favorite in the entire franchise. So I don't say this out of malice.

There is no point to him existing. Both as a character and as a sibling. Because we got absolutely nothing worthwhile from his existence. Sure there was the whole "oh he can use all the swords and is basically a prodigy" but we didn't even get to see any of that, now did we? Didn't even see him with his own primary weapon (Hiramekarei) in canon, had to see it in Sharingan Legend for a couple panels and I believe one of the games too. How fucking disrespectful is that?

There's at least one other Hiramekarei wielder that's not Chojuuro that we've seen too. So we can just replace Mangetsu as the strongest user of it for the Edo Tensei and miss absolutely nothing. Suigetsu doesn't even need "oh my brother died and that explains some of why my life sucks so bad" since we genuinely don't know what role Mangetsu (and his death) played there! I can assume all I want but without shit to base it on, it's all worthless. There's easily ways you can give Suigetsu a hard time that gets him caught by Orochimaru to explain everything. The story continues as normal.

And the sibling comment, well. There's plenty of characters who aren't an only child. Both by blood and otherwise. Kabuto and Sai come to mind immediately. But you also got the Sand Siblings, the Senju quartet, Madara was one of 5 for fucks sake, Naruto and Hinata have 3, Hinata herself has a sister in Hanabi. And while Madara is an interesting case cuz only 1 of his 4 other siblings is shown, at least we get valuable input from Izuna being around. Everyone else? You can make a good case for the existence of their siblings.

Take for example Urushi, Kabuto's adoptive older brother. He didn't have a big part to play but I still am moved by his presence in Kabuto's life. We didn't need to see his whole deal either. The two were together in the orphanage for a couple years and clearly bonded based on the SCENE FROM THE WAR ARC LATER WHERE NOW ADULT URUSHI SAYS HE HOPES HIS BROTHER WILL FINALLY COME HOME. and then guess what? They're back together in Boruto! Not a great fate for Kabuto, looking like Orochimaru after All That, but at fucking least he has someone important to him left.

And then no one needs me to go off about Shin in any capacity cuz by now it's clear what my feelings are. That being said, for all my bitching about the lack of info, we got a decent amount to go off of. We know their place in Sai's life and how it shaped Sai into the person we got to know in Shippuden. That is enough to justify their role as a sibling. I'm content with it.

Mangetsu? Had an opportunity to be reunited with Suigetsu in the war. I know it could have fucking been done. But no, no, nothing came of it. Because even SP didn't want to put in the effort. WE DID NOT EVEN SEE MANGETSU GET SEALED LIKE ALL THE OTHERS. HOW FUCKING DISRESPECTFUL! Legit at this point he should have just been removed from the entire narrative. You could do that and lose NOTHING.

Happy birthday beloved wet beast, you got done so goddamn dirty by canon in every way. I wish I had the ability to correct the wrongs done.

here have a couple pieces done by Brentonsart (Twitter) who is very dear to me as compensation. I've been holding onto these a while.

[andrewhq]

I agree with the other commenter about Zenos not seeking to get redeemed, but I also want to add that he didn't need redemption because he didn't need to justify his actions, nor did he need to become better or worse. I think a lot of people miss the fact that Zenos does have a code of ethics, therefore empathy, so it's not that he's an emotionless evil man, but that he thinks so much differently than everyone else. Zenos' code of ethics says he will not fight anyone weaker than him, and we literally get that handfed to us but a lot of people miss it anyway. (See: him not killing Yugiri or any of the townspeople & him protecting those people running away from the calamity beasts, with the pretense that he was expecting to fight a worthy beast. And those are the obvious examples.)

He is a thematic opposite not only to the WoL, but to the general themes of a villain within a story. Because his goal as an antagonist isn't to oppose the WoL, but to be the WoL's mirror, he forces the WoL to face themselves, the anger, the grief, the horrible dark thoughts that have been building up, the despair. Which is why he was also our greatest ally in facing despair.

If the WoL doesn't need redemption, then neither does Zenos. Instead what the WoL needed was a wake-up call, and Zenos sure slapped quite a bit of sense into them.

"Was this life a gift or a burden? Did you find fulfillment?" is him echoing the question that Hydaelyn poses to us "Has your journey been good? Has it been worthwhile?", because the WoL is literally meant to be the hero.

When Hydaelyn asks us those questions, it's a sort of "Did I do a good job?" thing, because everything she did was to make sure we wanted to save the world. So when Zenos asks us pretty much the same thing, it's suddenly not about Hydaelyn, it's about us. Suddenly we are faced with the real question of "is this what we really wanted?"

And an important trait for everyone to consider is that he never lied to us. Sure, Emet never really did either, but he still danced around the truth, while Zenos in contrast was focused ONLY on the truth, especially because he had no reason to lie. Every thought and intention was spoken, he never hid anything from us. This makes Zenos, strangely, one of the most trustable people we have ever met.

Another thing I think about is that if we said no when he challenged us at the end of the world, be would have backed off. He knew that no means no and he wouldn't have pushed us until we ourselves were ready to agree to the challenge. Because then what would've been the point of the challenge if the WoL was not truly ready to face him? We didn't get the option to say no because the story had to end the same for everyone, but for the people who want to write "Zenos survived" AUs, then honestly the best way for that to happen is to just reject him, and nothing else would change, we'd still go back and everything after would be pretty much the same, only we'd have an extra Guy who's just out there waiting for us to finally say yes to his challenge.

If you take Zenos at face value, he's honestly a little boring, because his story arc isn't handfed to us like a lot of other characters. But I also don't blame SE for not wanting to move forward with his character, if they're willing to put so much depth into a character and people not consuming much of it. Bit of a shitty reality, but MMOs need to be consumable, I guess. (/shrug)

But TL;DR, redemption isn't necessary to Zenos's character.

It's sad to see Zenos go, because he truly was a refreshing character to see, and it sucks that not enough people have truly given him a chance. But I deeply appreciate how he served his purpose as an antagonist until the end, and he never once strayed from it. He wasn't softened up or made digestible, he truly was our mirror throughout the entire game, he was a part of us and our journey, he was our friend and a much needed reality check.

Hey so someone explain to me why like 90% of all the antags in ffxiv get treated with kid gloves and get redeemed EXCEPT Zenos. Why is he an irredeemable evil despite being arguably the closest thing our WoL has to an equal on several levels.

Genocidal rulers get to be redeemed because they're waifublobs, Golbez gets redeemed because the waifublob of the patch demands it, the fucking bird who wants to wipe out all life in the universe gets redeemed because she's saaaaad (and a moe/waifublob), and lets not forget Emet Selch.

All of these characters have far worse writing, far less connection to the main cast and have committed far worse crimes than Zenos. There is an incredible disconnect in how the narrative treats Zenos vs them.

[pulpypunk]

TPP spoilers kinda. Throwin thoughts around, encouraging comments.

I have such incredibly high hopes for Sasha Wire as an antagonist. She is my favorite so far in the podcast. I'd like to hear more on her reasoning of Dark Matters being the Best Route and if she'll actually make her own redemption by making Dark Matters better, but that seems highly unlikely. What's probably gonna happen is it's gonna tie in with S2s cybernetics. Dark Matters adding cybernetics to criminals perhaps? Perhaps ones with great fame and skill, that one could make an example out of? Haha. Wouldn't that be weird.

Anyways, focusing on Sasha. Her motivation is stellar and has been set in place for a long time. Annie, leaving the HCPD, likely even Juno's departure for them as well. The smart ones get off of Hyperion. The smart ones leave Mars because they know they can't fix Hyperion from the inside. I wholeheartedly believe she still has her attachments to home and wants to improve it. That her motivations line up with S1 and S2 Juno, and her deal with the devil is seen as a necessity. We have to circle back to Newtown to see exactly what she's done there however. Did she help? Did Dark Matters have any play with Ramses? They were watching the Miasma fiasco, so is this Illuminati bullshit tied in everywhere?

It's interesting to compare how her and Nureyev's minds have a bit of similarity. Pull a string here. Organized. Plan upon plan and believing they can manipulate anyone in the room. Probably boxing anything worthwhile when required (like a conscience). I'm sure someone's probably said this somewhere, but Sasha's and Peter's mirroring in thought process is. Hhh. They both want to be unknown and nameless.

We know that Nureyev's reasoning to hide his true name, true face, true nature, whatever, is from guilt and need under a cloak practicality. No, of course he doesn't feel bad about Brahma, about Mag, about Slip, and doesn't struggle with letting anyone in to see what he's done. It's simply that the things he's done are too big to handle, too big to tell anyone, too risky, right? Nah. He 100% could've and should've told the family what he did with the Guardian Angel. Any scrap of truth, especially telling them that he was a young revolutionary doing the right thing? It would've struck their hearts. Jet hating the weapon, Buddy and Vespa hating the suppression, it's severely unlikely they would've taken his past in a negative light, at least for long. But he didn't because he didn't want to be known. The guilt is too great.

So, rounding back to Sasha, does any of this apply to her? Has she done something horrifying while we weren't looking and is now attempting to wipe everyone who's known her in a way to escape her guilt? Or is this practicality? I've heard some people talking about Mick and how he's likely in danger, but I doubt it, since he doesn't know what she's been doing recently and holds no grudges on her. No guilt for her there then.

Juno is dealing with two people dear to him that are very self focused, very driven, that he KNOWS have good centers, and yet what are they doing? Part of his family, hurting his family, one way or another. I wonder if his forgiveness of one, or lack thereof, will impact the other.

Sasha is boned after almost hurting Rita tho. And the final nail must be putting everyone else in Brainwash Jail. So, yeah, might not be a mirror, anywhere near comparable forgiveness wise, unless Nureyev has some pretty bad skeletons. I'd really like to see a Sasha redemption arc on principle, but I won't get my hopes up on that.

[plan-d-to-i]

(google translate again, yeah)

(I forgot to thank you for the last answer, I really didn't know that the drama used the music of my compatriot, it was a pleasant surprise for me)

I don't know if anyone has asked you this before, but do you think JC was good with WWX as a kid?

I mean not just their childhood, but the time of their training in Gusu.

I really love JC, and I understand perfectly well that he is the most dick in character, but I love him precisely during my studies at Gusu, I can not give any arguments that then JC was directly GOOD to WWX, but he is clearly cared a little about him and even ... worried? at least that moment after the punishment where JC helped WWX get to the room...

Yay - I'm so happy to hear about Stravinsky :)

Hahah loving jc as the dick that he is is the way to do it! go for it. :) also, sorry this was so delayed I wanted to reread the Cloud Recesses arc so it would be fresh in my mind before answering.

In terms of jc the Cloud Recesses arc is perhaps the most 'mellow' we see him aside from the Lotus Pod Extra but for me it's still impossible to find him a worthwhile person. I can already see the faults in his character that I know will only get worse as he grows older. Canonically I don't see how he would have any friends studying in the Cloud Recesses if he didn't come as a package deal w Wei Wuxian. I mean I doubt jiang cheng would have any friends without WWX period. In fact jiang cheng doesn't make any friends over the course of 13 years. He's also unable to find a wife bc of his temperament and behavior...

What we can glean about their relationship in the Cloud Recesses arc (and even the Lotus Pod Extra) is that any time WWX gets a kind word or understanding from someone, jiang cheng scoffs at it. Any time someone shits on WWX, jc is there to agree, to relish the idea of WWX being punished, and shit on him some more. He would be an immensely exhausting person to be around. He doesnt believe in WWX's ideas and ingenuity, (as NHS does for example), he doesn't believe WWX is hurt, he always assumes the worst of him, he doesn't believe LWJ might like WWX. The only thing he ever seems to believe is that WWX will dishonor YunmengJiang and that WWX should be punished. So for a kid who supposedly wants his father's approval so badly he instead constantly acts like his mother's mouthpiece/minion. He reprimands WWX like he's trying to become Madam Yu 2.0. I see jc stans all the time being like oh he had to keep WWX in check bc WWX was such a lOOooose canon, for the good of the Clan!! lol listen JFM didn't give a f...about WWX's behavior (in his letter to LQR) why are you so concerned? JFM would have preferred for jc to try & save his peers in the Xuanwu cave or at least to understand why that was the correct course of action rather than for him to just sit in front of the class in the Cloud Recesses and tell WWX off for giving LQR as good as he got, while actually still breaking the rules himself but eschewing punishment.

salt up here, quotes below :

Even when Nie Huaisang picks up on the fact that WWX is being treated unfairly by LQR, jc dismisses it and piles on WWX instead.

Nie Huaisang said, “Old Man Lan really seems like he’s coming down especially harshly on you. Every time he reprimands someone, it’s always you.” Jiang Cheng grunted. “He deserves it. What kind of answer was that? He can get away with saying that sort of nonsense at home, but he had the nerve to say it to Lan Qiren’s face. He was practically asking for the old man to kill him!”

But does WWX get away with ANYTHING in Lotus Pier? When we know he is punished constantly for EVERYTHING? This is jiang cheng fully being his mother's mouth piece. It's not something WWX would get away with, it's something jc knows JFM wouldn't mind. Which is why he's so pissed off. Which begs the question if JFM would not be upset with WWX's behavior why does jc need to criticize him? Again :

A dark expression shadowed Jiang Cheng’s face, and his voice was filled with anger. “Why are you so proud of yourself? What is there to be proud of?! Is being told to get out some amazing accomplishment? You’re making our entire clan lose face!”

and his glee at the idea that WWX will be punished leaves a bad taste in one's mouth considering how WWX was perpetually punished in Lotus Pier by jiang cheng's mother for... existing.

Jiang Cheng smiled grimly. “Now that you’ve thoroughly offended both Lan Wangji and Lan Qiren, you’re basically dead tomorrow. No one’s going to clean up your corpse either.”

and again

Without the old one, only the young one remained. This would be easy to deal with! Wei Wuxian rolled off the bed and laughed while putting on his boots. “Heaven’s charmed clouds are blessing me with shade.” Jiang Cheng was beside him polishing his sword with loving care when he decided to spill cold water over Wei Wuxian’s head. “Just wait until he gets back. You can’t escape punishment.”

Where others like NHS see value in WWX's thoughts

Nie Huaisang thought for a while. “Actually, I thought what you said was very interesting,” he said, not entirely able to hide his envy and yearning.

jc is always dismissive of WWX's ideas. These are inventions that WWX realizes. Demonic cultivation in the first conversation and The Spirit-Attraction Flag and The Compass of Evil in the second:

“Enough,” Jiang Cheng warned. “Whatever nonsense you spout, you better not head down that sort of dark road.”

-

Changing the topic, Wei Wuxian said, “If only there was something like fishing bait that could draw the water ghosts in. Or, something that could point in the direction they’re hiding, like a compass, that sort of thing.”

“Lower your head and watch the water,” Jiang Cheng said. “You’re letting your fantasies run wild again. Concentrate on looking for water ghosts like you’re supposed to.”

“Hey, mounting swords and flying was also only a fantasy once!” Wei Wuxian said.

He's also a hypocrite. Because even though he berates WWX for misbehaving, he himself breaks the rules. He drinks, he even goads WWX into buying liquor, the only difference is that he doesn't get punished for it, and he doesn't feel like coming forward and getting punished for it :

Naturally, Jiang Cheng was too embarrassed to talk about what Wei Wuxian had been up to. After all, all of them had egged him on to go and buy alcohol, and they all deserved to be punished as well. He could only speak vaguely. “It’s nothing. It’s nothing. It’s not that bad! He can walk. Wei Wuxian, why haven’t you gotten off yet?”

It's no wonder WWX is so impressed by LWJ's integrity in spite of his social status, when he's clearly used to the other dynamic :

“Lan Zhan, I really admire you,” Wei Wuxian said sincerely. “After I told you that you had to punish yourself too, you actually did it. You didn’t let yourself off at all. I can’t argue against that.”

A dynamic which is shown repeating in the Lotus Pod Extra where WWX is the only one to get punished for sunbathing, and which repeats here when Wei Wuxian here stops jiang cheng from confronting Zixuan over YanLi's honor (and jc's) and does it himself.

Zixuan :“Why don’t you ask what about her could make me satisfied?” he said in return.

Suddenly, Jiang Cheng rose. Wei Wuxian pushed him away and stepped between them, smiling coldly. “You think you’re very satisfactory? As though you have the right to be so picky!”

Zixuan: “If she’s unhappy, then let her break off the engagement! I certainly don’t cherish your wonderful disciple-sister. If you cherish her so much, why don’t you take it up with your father? Doesn’t he love you more than his own son?”

After hearing the last sentence, Jiang Cheng’s eyes narrowed, and Wei Wuxian was no longer able to contain his own fury. He flew at Jin Zixuan, his fist raised.

WWX takes the punishment alone. Same way he offers to do when he hurts himself falling from a tree because jc threatened him with dogs. meanwhile jc is gleeful to see him being punished.

[Wei Wuxian] was kneeling on the stretch of pebble road to which Lan Qiren had assigned him when Jiang Cheng walked over from afar and mocked him. “You’re kneeling so obediently.”

“It’s not like you don’t know I have to do this all the time.” Wei Wuxian’s voice filled with schadenfreude. “But this Jin Zixuan guy, there’s no way he hasn’t been pampered and spoiled rotten since birth. No one’s ever forced him to kneel, I’m sure of it. If he doesn’t wind up crying for mommy and daddy today, I’m not named Wei.”....

Wei Wuxian "...It’s a good thing you didn’t do anything.”

“I was going to. If you hadn’t pushed me away, the other side of Jin Zixuan’s face would be hideous too.”

“Stop it. His face is uglier for being lopsided."

WWX is happy to have spared jc from getting into trouble but jc makes the whole thing about himself anyway (like everything else ever) and is upset JFM would rush over for WWX - in his mind. Even though JFM clearly had to rush over to meet with Jin Guangshan not to coddle WWX in any way.

"Jiang Fengmian had never rushed to another clan in less than a day because of him. Regardless of whether what happened was big or small, or good or bad." Never

WWX on the other hand tries to be observant of jc's feelings and reassure him & distract him from his moods :

When Wei Wuxian saw Jiang Cheng’s melancholy expression, he thought he was still upset with what Jin Zixuan said. “You should leave. You don’t need to keep me company any longer. If Lan Wangji comes again, he’ll catch you. If you have time, you should find Jin Zixuan and watch his pitiful kneeling.”

Later in the book after nearly dying in the Xuanwu cave WWX leaves his sick bed to run after jc and comfort him after his mother's rant, even though WWX had to listen to his parents (and himself) being slandered by YZY. jc doesn't spare any thoughts for how other people might be feeling or suffering. His entire perception of the world is centered around himself. To him even WWX's greatest fear doesn't generate empathy, only amusement or later on a form of torture.

From that point onward, they made trouble everywhere together, and if they encountered a dog, Jiang Cheng would always chase it away for him, then enjoy a peal of derisive, unbridled laughter at Wei Wuxian’s expense beneath whichever tree the boy had leapt atop.

he grew up on the streets, often having to fight for food with vicious dogs. After several bites and chases, he gradually became extremely scared of all dogs, no matter the size. Jiang Cheng laughed at him because of this quite a lot of times.

This brings me to the last point. jc's resentment of WWX's interest in Lan Zhan, or in a serious friendship outside of him. I see so many ppl say that bc WWX fought he was kicked out of the Cloud Recesses early... but was he?

Jiang Cheng was somewhat taken aback. “Lan Wangji? What was he doing here? He still has the nerve to come see you again?”

“Yeah, I think his bravery is laudable if he still has the nerve to come see me. His uncle probably told him to check on me and see if I was kneeling properly.”

Jiang Cheng’s instincts were sending him ominous signals. “So were you kneeling properly?”

“I was then,” Wei Wuxian replied. “But I waited for him to walk away a bit, then took a tree branch, lowered my head, and dug out a hole in the dirt near me. It’s the pile right by your foot—there are ant tunnels there. It took me so much effort to find them. Anyway, I waited for him to turn back and see my shoulders shaking. He had to have thought I was crying, so he came back and asked. You should have seen his face when he caught sight of the ant tunnels!

“…” Jiang Cheng said, “Why don’t you just get the hell out and go back to Yunmeng? I bet he never wants to see you again.”

Thus, that evening, Wei Wuxian packed up his things, got the hell out, and went back to Yunmeng with Jiang Fengmian.

Repeatedly throught his stay in the Cloud Recesses even while NHS was observing that LWJ's behavior around WWX was strange and unique, jc was telling WWX he is hated and bothersome. When WWX wanted to apologize to LWJ jc is completely dismissive of it :

“He hates me already? I was thinking of apologizing to him,” Wei Wuxian said.

“Oh, so you want to apologize now? It’s too late!” Jiang Cheng said derisively. “He’s exactly like his uncle. He thinks you’ve been wicked ever since you were an embryo, so it’s beneath his dignity to pay you any attention.”

Later on when WWX mentioned wanting to invite LWJ to Lotus Pier jc categorically says no.

“Jiang Cheng had on a stern expression, “Let’s make this clear. I don’t want him to come, anyhow. Don’t invite him.”

BONUS

jc also always doubts WWX. He suspects him immediately of wrongdoings. He doesn't believe that getting hit with the discipline ruler in Cloud Recesses actually hurt him until LXC confirms that WWX might take more than a few days to heal. He doesn't understand WWX is in actual trouble from the Waterborne abyss and assumes he's fooling around luckily Lan Zhan is there to rescue him:

The disciple’s lower body had already been swallowed by the black whirlpool. It spun faster and faster, and he continued to sink deeper and deeper, as though something hidden beneath the water was pulling down on his legs.

Mounted on Sandu, Jiang Cheng had risen calmly until he was about sixty meters above the whirlpool before he looked down. Filled with displeasure at what he saw, he shouted and dove down. “What are you up to now?!”

The suction force inside Lake Biling grew ever stronger. Wei Wuxian’s sword was optimized for agility, and consequently, its strength happened to fall just short, and they were nearly pulled to the surface of the lake. Wei Wuxian steadied himself and held on to Su She with both hands.

“Someone help! If I can’t pull him up soon, I’ll have to let go!” he shouted.

Suddenly, the back of Wei Wuxian’s collar tightened, and his body was lifted into the air. He twisted his neck and saw Lan Wangji holding him up with one hand.

He maintains this same mindset when he tries to whip LWJ and WWX as they're attempting to leave Lotus Pier after the ancestral hall confrontation when WWX passes out.

Is jc evil in the Cloud Recesses ? No. He's just an annoying, basic, disagreeable asshole who doesn't bring anything positive to someone like WWX. People like jc become obsessed with kind, outgoing, generous people, people who don't set boundaries on what they give and what others take in their friendships. Even though they're dependent on them for their social interactions, because who else would socialize with them willingly, they resent them in equal measure, but at the same time they wouldn't be drawn to another selfish, self centered piece of shit person like themselves.

On a personal note, even Cloud Recesses jiang cheng is someone I would exclude from any personal friend group. Friendship with him is adding a minefield of jealousies and snide comments to every interaction. Things that then others will need to compensate around because he won't compromise or empathize w issues outside of his own concerns.

Translation source : x

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

Last chapter was so great! Seeing Peter struggle with the way he feels about the punisher is perfect and the way Matt was absolutely right about Peter's feelings regarding Frank killing people is just perfect.

The part with aunt May and Peter was so painful though. The way she feels like a fully fleshed out character and you can see the depth of her relationship with Peter as well as that void that Ben left in their household!!!!! Absolutely magnificent.

Also do you write original works? Because I have to say. I absolutely love all your fics, writing style, plot ideas and characterizations so much!!!!

Kintsugi is just everything I want in a Peter Parker fic and he's a very important character to me because I grew up with him. I hope you know that I read every chapter you release multiple times and always wait for the next time with great enthusiasm!!!

we are still answering asks from many moons ago, it is great to see you again!! thank you for always saying such kind things to me, you always bring a smile to my face. Peter parker was my favorite character of anything growing up, and I care about him sooo much. I'm always so excited to meet people who love him too

I do write original works! I really hope to be published one day, but i've never actually sent in anything to a publisher. i'm hoping to maybe do it in the next few years, because I really love my stories. I do a lot of low/soft/urban fantasy kind of stuff.

I have SO MANY THOUGHTS about May and Ben in this fic, and I'm longwinded by nature, so if anyone is interested it's below the cut.

I really wanted Ben to be almost like a him-shaped hole in their house. Like a cartoon character who ran through a wall and left the shape of them behind.

I liked that they didn't do the origin story again with the MCU, just because it's been done so many times and so recently that it would have been sort of a waste of spider-man's screen time. That being said, I am a bit of a purist when i say I don't think that you can replace Uncle Ben's role in spider-man's origin story.

I know that they were trying to do the original trilogy as a three-part origin story for Spider-Man. I think they succeeded in a lot of ways. NWH is probably my favorite MCU project to date and I think they got a lot of things right. That being said, I was deeply unimpressed by FFH and I have (visibly) mixed feelings about Tony Stark's role in his arc. Like, I don't think it's a secret I don't like how their relationship started, but i do think that their relationship had a lot of good parts that were worthwhile. My main contention is that they gave tony stark a lot of uncle ben's role, and I think that he's both 1) the wrong character to do that with and 2) undermines the entire story of spider-man in the first place.

Uncle Ben usually gets boiled down to his death, but I think the best versions of him are the ones where you can see that this is a truly good man who shaped Peter's entire life and belief system. He's a character who carried a sense of community responsibility that he then imparted to Peter throughout his entire life, and Tony Stark is an extremely interesting and very complex character whose entire character arc is contrary to uncle ben's belief system.

And that's not a bad thing! characters are meant to showcase different arcs and character types. but it does a total disservice to one character when you try to replace it with a different one that's completely different.

Ben's story is about responsibility and the price it takes. He's a man who loved his community. Who tried to do the right thing. who raised his nephew like he was his own. There's some very excellent comics where it's suggested he felt a bit like a failure because he didn't have a profitable career and wasn't able to pull their family out of poverty, because he spent all of this time helping his neighbors. Some of the stories about ben that peter tells I just stole directly from comic panels, because he was a legitimately good man who had to pay the price for being a good man. Peter spends his life being shaped by Ben, wants to shirk off his responsibility when it comes calling, and then loses ben. He has to make the choice to follow the example ben set him and shaped him with and pick up the responsibility that's his.

The thing about Tony Stark is that he has the absolute inverse storyline. And it's a great and extremely interesting storyline, but it's not even the difference between apples and oranges. it's like trying to replace an apple with a car battery. Tony Stark is inherently a story about irresponsibility. He's the industrialist. and, to be entirely frank? He's the robber baron. And he was born into that, don't get me wrong, but his story is about recognizing that and making amends.

Stark Industries made its fortune in war profiteering. And like, I do actually like Tony Stark. I know there's a lot of discourse around him, and I think a lot of it misses the nuance of his character. Tony Stark shouldn't be vilified or sanctified. A lot of people try to absolve him of any fault he's ever had, blame it all on howard or Obie, or they try to heap more fault than he should have at his feet. But the value of his character was that he was a very big cog in a very bloody machine, and he decided to break the machine.

Fact of the matter is, he made his original fortune on war profiteering. He was an active participant in that and the damage that resulted in that. Granted, he didn't make Stark Industries into a weapons manufacturer, Howard did that, and Obie did the black market trading. But he was also a fully adult man and one of the smartest people on the planet. He was not duped about what he was doing. He said the same military dogma as everyone else to the cameras, and then he pocketed the check, and he did that his entire adult life until Iron Man I. And maybe he even believed what he was saying, to a degree, but that doesn't change the fact that he was a very active participant in a very profitable and exploitive industry. And he was likely a big participant in that. It probably didn't stop at just designing weapons. he was the face of Stark Industries. He is the one the cameras look to. He more likely than not had a big hand in lobbying efforts and PR campaigns that enacted some very harmful policies. We cannot erase that from his history because then we lose why his character is so compelling.

Because he got so much profit from that. An absolutely ludicrous amount of money. Everything anyone's heart could want. He spent his entire life, from the moment he was born, knowing nothing but power, privilege, and obscene wealth. And when he truly saw the damage he caused? He risked all of it to fix things. That is why his hero's journey is so compelling. Because it would have been so easy for him to go back to his place at the top of the pyramid, he risked his company and his fortune, upended his business design, and fought to both make amends and make the world a better place. He's a story of utterly choking irresponsibility that he recognizes and seeks to make amends for. You can't excuse his origins because that loses the entire foundation of his character journey. It's an extremely interesting story and one that I love a lot, and I'm very fond of his character. but it does a huge disservice to forever-poor uncle ben trying to help his neighbors to replace him with a billionaire whose story is rooted in the inverse.

The other thing is that losing Ben's influence completely undermines spider-man's inception to the point where I say that Peter shouldn't be a hero without it. Inherently, Spider-man is a story of loss and anger. You need him to be driven by Ben's absence or his motivations aren't right. Ben's pain should be visceral enough to drive Peter to extremes. If it's just the sort of happy-go-lucky, fanboy, "I want to be an Avenger" thing Homecoming Peter had going on (don't get me wrong, i absolutely love tom holland's peter and homecoming was a lot of fun, but this was my biggest axe to grind with it)? Go home, kid, and wait until you're old enough to vote. I love teenaged spider-man. Teenagers should not be fighting crime. They shouldn't be. His brain isn't even finished developing yet. Legitimately go home and watch cartoons, i say this with all the love I have in my heart. Wanting to be a superhero is a childish motivation that cannot sustain you through a vigilante career. I legitmately think that if that's the only motivation, Spider-man should have given up until he was older.

Which is why the first step of kintsugi Peter is a lot less happy, a lot angrier, and a lot more traumatized that MCU!Peter was in homecoming. because I just don't really accept this as a decision a child can make if he's 100% okay in the head. I haven't fully finished revealing everything that went into his decision, so I won't go into that, but I did sort of make the conscious choice to erase the hero worship that Homecoming Peter had. I couldn't reconcile it. He still likes superheroes, Iron Man included, but it's not so much of a motivation the way that MCU Peter seemed to have it as a motivation. This Peter is, quite frankly, in one of the worst mental health places possible right now. He's extremely into self-isolation and overburdening himself, he's in a PTSD-induced guilt spiral, and Frank is helping him sort of free himself from it. Both with actually asking for help, and just with unloading on people.

They have a lot of conversations? I'm sort of hesitant to have characters have open and honest conversations, because there's shit that wild horses couldn't drag out of me, and it always feels unrealistic for people to just say things. That being said, after Peter made his big reveal about why he wasn't telling May he was starving, I made the conscious decision to have Peter have more and more confessions with Frank specifically. Because there is shit that wild horses couldn't drag out of me, but there's a few specific people in my life who i would and do tell everything to. they also get to be tormented by this knowledge.

Frank has suddenly become the only person that Peter has been able to tell anything to in a very long time. so it's just a dam bursting. he needs to process and grieve a lot of very traumatic events and he hasn't been able to, and Frank's finally letting him do it. so he's being a lot more honest with Frank than he's been with anyone in a very long time, since long before Ben died.

Which puts Frank in a very precarious position, because he's suddenly become the most constant and biggest pillar of support in Peter's life, and I don't think he's actually realized that yet. Peter's a very traumatized kid. So if that support has cause to crumble, it is going to do a lot of damage on the way down.

Which is probably the reason why May's actually the most tragic figure in this fic.

She's a good parent, is the thing. I love May Parker so much. She's such a good parent. I wish we saw more of her in the MCU, because Marisa Tomei killed it. And fandom dismisses her way too often.

May is trying so hard in this and she's just being crushed under so many stressors. Poverty has always been part of Spider-man's origins, and it's something that May is desperate to try and support Peter through now that she's suddenly lost an entire income stream. She still hasn't been able to grieve from her husband's death, so that's another huge source of stress. And she's just been spending months watching Peter die a slow death in front of her and she's been trying desperately to stop it.

Because May's not stupid, is the thing. That was the thing about Marisa's portrayal that I love--she always knew something was going on. She says to him at one point that she knows he's sneaking out, she knows something's wrong. Peter gets injured. he sneaks out. He's visibly struggling with something. He's completely shut down and stopped telling her things. So may spends this fic being frozen out by someone she loves and being rendered powerless to help the only family she has left while she watches something kill him right in front of her.

And Peter is extremely traumatized well-meaning about this, and while he sees May's in pain, he doesn't realize the depths of it. Not knowing leaves May eternally wondering and spiraling into every possible cause of this, and she has no way of helping Peter without him letting her. She's left completely helpless, and it's hurts her more than knowing the truth would.