#because its still being framed as “you have to understand people to win”

[cryptvokeeper]

i havent even watched the new episode of dungeon meshi yet but just seeing all the posts abt it is bringing back memories of the manga and like.

Oh, right, it was actually really vital to have this episode go here.

Because we've just spent the last several episodes being told over and over by everyone around him that Laios is bad with people, that Laios is socially inept, that Laios cannot handle interpersonal party dynamics.

And all of that is 100% true! But it is absolutely vital to remember that even with zero social awareness whatsoever, Laios is still a good friend. He may not pick up on the typical, expected social cues but he does pick up on other things. He knows his friends' habits, their beliefs, their personalities, and uses those things to find differentiate his friends from the fakes. It ends up kind of overshadowed because he still has to go dogboy mode to actually defeat the monster, but Laios was right on all three counts. He still does it through the lens of his knowledge of monsters, and not the way a "normal" person might, but its the way that works for him and gives him at least some understanding of his team.

TLDR; Laios may be stupid but he's not an idiot and he knows his friends.

[stardustizuku]

Unfortunately I came across a very strange and misinformed video about Black Butler.

It’s not good. Don’t watch it. Unless you wanna ruin your day, in which case have fun.

Despite it all, I watched it. What left me wondering, however, was how off the mark the person who made the video was on, well, everything.

From their insistence that the Book of Circus Arc theme or point is non existent, to reading Ciel’s character so badly they genuinely thought the Green Witch Arc did nothing for his character development.

While baffled, it also made me think on how someone could read Black Butler so badly.

Sure, you can say that there’s no real way to read or interpret something “in the wrong way” but interpreting The Hunger Games as a pure battle-royale action story would make you believe it’s bad.

“Why are we focusing so much on how the capitol preps them?” Or “Why isn’t Katniss winning everything?” Or “I wanna know more about the rebellion” All questions that miss the actual point of the story - which is criticizing (not solving or ignoring) the way that media distracts us from violence via spectacle.

The same thing applies here. While there is no “right” way to consume media, there’s things that the author makes clear they wanna focus when creating a story. Things that, if you understand, make the story you’re reading actually make sense.

And in Black Butler there’s three things that you have to understand to properly get what Yana is saying.

Sebastian is the protagonist

Ciel and Sebastian’s relationship IS the story.

And that relationship is, fundamentally, a positive one.

A quicker version of it would be:

Black Butler is a love story from the POV of Sebastian, and you have to ship it to get it

- but that’s not entirely true.

You can still look at it as a complex but ultimately positive rship and get in broad strokes of what it’s conveying. It doesn’t have to be romantic. Although, it helps much more than a platonic framing.

(That said, interpreting their rship as father and son, still isn’t the best way to go about it. Mostly because by its very nature of “soul consuming” their relationship is extremely sexually charged. And hey, if you’re into that I don’t judge. However, if you’re desperately trying to interpret their rship as NOT romantic to the point you fall back on heteronormative patriarchal ideals of nuclear familiar as framing device, I don’t think this interpretation bodes with you)

Now, having all that ground work:

Why do I say these are the key components to understand BB?

Okay so, first,

1. Sebastian is the Main Character. The protagonist.

There’s a lot of people who wanna argue against it, claiming he’s either the villain or the antagonist. Both wrong.

He does not function as an antagonist. Even if, and an emphasis on if, you consider Ciel to the protagonist, Sebastian isn’t a narrative antagonist.

If you wanna go back to Creative Writing 101, be my guest. An antagonist is directly defined by the protagonist. It’s the opposing force. If the protagonist wants A, the antagonist wants to stop them from getting A.

Sebastian’s catchphrase is “Yes, my Lord”. He never opposes Ciel, in fact quite the contrary. By the mere fact they’ve created contract, it means that they’ve both agreed in the inevitable outcome.

People want to frame Sebastian as the villain, because Ciel having his soul taken by a demon, would be a BAD END in the context of their moral compass. They see Ciel as a frail victim of abuse, who’s being tricked by Sebastian, who wants Ciel’s soul.

Which is an. Interpretation. A bad one. But still one.

The narrative (and whether the narrative fits your personal moral compass and lack of critical thinking is irrelevant) treats Ciel as an agent in his own destiny. The abuse he suffered was the moment in which he had no control. It’s only after he meets Sebastian that he can rid of both his guilt and his despair, and do what he wants.

In this case though, it’s revenge.

The famous “Asthma” scene shows this. If Ciel is taken back to his past, he becomes helpless. Swarmed with pain and memories that make it so that he can’t even react. Sebastian is his saving grace. If Ciel didn’t have him, and the power he wields to rebuilt what’s broken, he would crumble once more.

If Ciel has a panic attack, because of all the pain he has, Sebastian picks him up and says “you are not a helpless child anymore, you are not a victim anymore, you have the power to do anything. So, what do you wanna do?”

Ciel’s answer is to kill them.

A proper analogy would be to say that, if Sebastian offers a gun, Ciel pulls the trigger. They are both at fault. Sebastian, strictly speaking, is not here to directly cause Ciel’s downfall, but as a tool Ciel uses to plunge into the abyss.

If, again if, you were to frame Ciel as a protagonist, Sebastian falls closer to the “Voice of reason” character. Not a literal voice of reason, but a literary one. If you have a protagonist and an antagonist exchanging ideals, the Voice of Reason serves to engage with the protagonist on their own ideals.

That said, Ciel isn’t the protagonist. The story quickly falls apart if you interpret it as such.

Things such as Ciel’s character arc being…shall I say odd?

It’s not that his character arc isn’t there, but it’s never lineal. His goals stay the same, the only thing that happens is that we start to peel back the “why”s of his goals. Throughout the series it’s never about Ciel understanding himself better, he knows who he is, he knows what he wants, he knows why he wants it. He doesn’t ever need to uncover these, but simply remember them. Because it’s always about the audience understanding Ciel.

He knows he wants revenge.

In the Circus Arc: He knows that he needs Sebastian because without him, the pain of the abuse he suffered would be too much to bear. But WE are introduced to it.

In the Book of Atlantis: He knows that with this new lease he does not want happiness and peace, he wants revenge. The one being told this is the audience.

In Green Witch Arc: He knows that their revenge isn’t for his family, the real Ciel or guilt. It’s because he wants it. He’s angry, he’s upset, and this is entirely for him. The one being told this is the audience.

Except. Not really. The one either discovering or remembering these key moments - is always Sebastian.

Sebastian is the one who reassures him that he now holds the power of a demon to override the pain. Sebastian is the one who remembers that to override that pain, Ciel wants revenge. And Sebastian is the one who discovers that that revenge isn’t built out of grief or guilt, but for himself.

We are witnessing it all, through the eyes of Sebastian.

This is why we have an extremely vague idea of who Ciel is, Sebastian does not have the whole picture.

If you haven’t been reading this manga with your eyes closed, you’ll realize we have a better grasp at Sebastian’s character than that of Ciel. We get a lot of insight on how he thinks and what he values through light hearted dialogue he has with the servants. You even see the character development in these little interactions.

Think about how when he first arrived to the mansion he magically created food with no regards to taste, but when he meets Bard he states that food is created to see whoever will eat it, smile.

That is character development, more than you will be able to see from Ciel.

Because Ciel’s character, while not static, doesn’t go from point A to point B. Mostly, cause it doesn’t need to. He went through that when he lost the real Ciel and got Sebastian. Everything we are watching is the falling out.

Now, given the fact that I’ve told you that it makes more sense for Sebastian to be the protagonist/main character, and that he 100% isn’t either a villain or antagonist in ANY of the interpretations you can get:

Do you believe me?

If you don’t, you’ll probably believe Yana herself.

This is from the first Volume, where Yana herself describes the process of making Black Butler. The primary idea behind the creation of BB was a butler as a “hero”.

If you go back to the introductory chapter, you notice that Ciel is barely mentioned. He’s simply the one to give Sebastian impossible tasks and standards that Sebastian must find how to overcome.

Ciel is properly introduced until the NEXT chapter. The second chapter has this formula too, introducing Lizzie as a problem to overcome. Although, to Sebastian the best way to “get rid of the problem” is simply to indulge her.

The issue here being that the problem isn’t as simple as a business meeting but something directly tied to Ciel and Ciel’s past. Each time that Sebastian has to solve a problem, it chips away at Ciel. While with Lizzie he shows a persona, once he’s alone with Sebastian he acknowledges the toll it took on him. It serves to build Ciel as Sebastian’s master, and how some problems aren’t as simple as discarding a tablecloth.

The third and the fourth, are a unified narrative, with a similar premise to the first chapter. Ciel gets kidnapped and Sebastian must find a way to retrieve him without raising suspicions.

If the first chapter is to set up what Sebastian must do as a butler, the third and the fourth serve to set up what he must do as a demon.

The entirety of the volume, and up to Book of Circus Arc, is about how Sebastian tries to follow the increasingly absurd orders that Ciel has - it is not about Ciel trying to solve them.

That’s how they work, we follow Sebastian for the most part, because he’s the one having to come up with the solutions.

If anything, in early Kuro, where the emphasis was more on a slice of life conflict, Ciel is the antagonist. He’s the one creating problems for Sebastian to solve.

What’s more, in the second volume, the very first chapter is one from Sebastian’s POV. So far, we hadn’t gotten an entire chapter from Ciel’s POV. In fact, I would find it hard to point to a single chapter where Ciel is the POV throughout. The reveal of real Ciel and the flashback is the closest contender.

But once we move past early Kuro, and into Book of Circus, this set up changes.

It’s fairly easy to assume that Ciel is the main character, because from this point on the conflict of the plot sorta surrounded him. We spend a lot of time with him and with his story. The enemies start being people directly tied to Ciel and Ciel’s trauma. Rarely, if at all, we get to see Sebastian before he met Ciel.The framing device for the story, is Ciel.

This is where point 2 gets intertwined.

2.- Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship IS the story.

The story begins at the point where Sebastian and Ciel met. Who Ciel was before he met Sebastian, informs why he’s the way he is when he does. You have to know all he went through to understand why he’s a brat, why he lashes out. However Sebastian’s past doesn’t matter…because Sebastian himself doesn’t care much for who he was, before he was “Sebastian”. That’s also part of the narrative.

Unlike Ciel, he doesn’t seem opposed to revealing information from before the contract. He talks about how pets from where he is from are gross, he talks about how he knows how to dance because of other places he’s been to, and alludes to the life he's lived before.

Just that, to him, they're footnotes.

He makes allusions to a very bland, uninteresting life, up to the point he meets Ciel.

That’s why we don’t know more about his past.

As for why we focus on Ciel’s story…okay maybe we need Creative Writing lessons 102

I studied Dramaturgy for about 3 to 4 years. And something you notice is how play-writing is the quintessential story telling. It’s making it work with the bare bones of a story.

Some other mediums have more finesse, more depth, or more spectacle - all amazing things that work for whatever they’re created for. But understanding a play, how and why it works, helps understand the fundamentals of any derivative story telling medium.

Particularly, conflict.

Conflict is dialogue and dialogue can take many forms. A story, in its essence, is a dialogue between two opposing ideas.

Take Batman, for example, who embodies the ideas of justice and order. On his own, he’s not a well rounded character.

If you ONLY present him, in a vaccum with nothing else, you don’t have a character. You have a list of characteristics that you’re supposed to know.

You only know who he is when you have dialogue with another character.

I say Dialogue, but it doesn’t necessarily mean spoken language at one another. Dialogue can mean fist fighting, playing tabletop games, talking to other people about the other, or even just a competition. The idea is to simply to compare and contrast both ideas.

If you want an example on how tabletop games serve as dialogue, watch the video “Well, Someone Had to Explain the Liar’s Dice Scene” by Lord Ravecraft

Another example, were we to retake Batman, you have him fight Joker. Who’s the embodiment of chaos and randomness.

In the following picture, you get far more information than the one previously shown. While the Joke fights with daggers and fake guns, Batman only uses his fists. He doesn’t use the tricks that Joker does. His serious demeanor, contrasted with Joker’s glee at the dangerous situation. The fact that Batman has a deathly grip on Joker’s shirt, while the Joker doesn’t, which shows a desperation to catch him.

You are being shown, through a dialogue, who Batman is.

It’s so much easier and much more effective to explore a character through another character.

This is the reason why Shonen has a tendency to make incredibly good gay ships. If you want to explore Naruto’s personality, and his feelings of inferiority, you HAVE to have him interact with Sasuke.

If you wanna understand Hinata’s passion for volleyball, you have him enjoy himself the most with the only other crazy motherfucker who’s as obsessed with volleyball - Kageyama.

And I think that originally, Yana had this problem.

Sebastian was the protagonist, but she had little room to develop him as a character in the confines of the manor, dealing with random enemies.

She likely tried to create Grell as someone of the same stature as Sebastian. Someone who could be this other person to engage dialogue with and show or allude to his past a bit more.

The problem being that Sebastian didn’t care for his past. Or really, engaging with anyone. He sees everyone as below him, but when confronted with Grell who isn’t below him, he doesn’t wanna talk to her.

So you’re stuck in conundrum.

How do you have dialogue with a character, that as a character trait, doesn’t really wanna have dialogue?

Well, Grell also solves the problem. Because only the moment she gets him to start any semblance of a dialogue - is questioning why he’s serving Ciel.

And this is the moment when it’s perfectly cemented that the focus of the story is their relationship.

Why is Sebastian here? Why does he stay? What did he see in Ciel that made him want this extremely convoluted contract?

THATS the dialogue.

THATS the conversation we’re having in Black Butler.

We need to know Ciel because understanding who he is, let’s us know WHY /Sebastian/ is here.

Then slowly, with the introduction with the Undertaker, we find out Sebastian’s conflict.

Which is…

He’s scared of losing Ciel. It becomes apparent with the constant imagery of the Undertaker taking away Ciel and at some point even obtaining r!Ciel’s body, that he’s worried it might happen.

But he can only be worried that Ciel might be taken away if he wants to stay near Ciel.

And that’s his character arc.

Realizing that he actually likes Ciel, cares for him and the role he plays a butler that he doesn’t want this to end.

In the first chapters, he doesn’t feel a need to protect Ciel anymore than what’s strictly necessary. Just don’t die, that’s about as deep as his involvement in chapter 4 gets.

But by the Green Witch Arc, he feels a need to protect Ciel from ANY harm.

This is why I also said

3.- Their relationship is fundamentally a positive one.

In broad strokes, Sebastian to Ciel is the person who allows him to survive. He’s not worried about giving up his soul since he’s already dead. While Ciel to Sebastian, is someone who’s making him have fun. He’s slowly becoming more and more attached to Ciel and the life he has with Ciel.

Their relationship is not that of just a predator and prey, but also of master and pet.

In the terms that Black Butler itself would call: Sebastian is a wild wolf acting like a collared dog.

Ciel is aware that the wild beast will eat him at the end of the day, but if he clings hard to leash for now, he might just be able to have Sebastian maul his abusers.

Sebastian as a dog, currently finds that he enjoys being a chained dog.

(This is demonstrated in the Green Witch arc where he quite literally says, he doesn’t wanna be a wild beast and prefers to be a butler)

And much like the actual DOG Sebastian, Ciel constantly interprets his attempts to get close and protect him, as an act of aggression.

This push and pull of Ciel’s perception of Sebastian and Sebastian’s true motives is what feeds the story.

And the briefs interludes were that isn’t the case (what other people call the “plot”, but I would refer to as the connective tissue) such as Sullivan and Wolfram, the other servant’s past, the grim reapers and the like, serve as a parallel to Ciel and Sebastian relationship. Either to signify how they care for each other, highlight their weaknesses or fears, or explore how they feel.

It’s no surprise that Sullivan and Wolfram are parallels to Ciel and Sebastian. A sheltered sickly child who seeks the protection of a cold hearted machine that only knew how to kill, but who eventually found he cared for her genuinely.

Undertaker and Claudia’s relationship being heavily paralleled with them, even though we aren’t 109% sure what they had but heavily implied it was a romantic attraction from the undead supernatural creature and a Phantomhive.

Everything is a parallel.

That’s why, like the approach of the terrible original video, is flawed.

Trying to interpret Black Butler as action scene after action scene, with mystery after mystery with the only connective tissue being the mystery of who burned down the mansion - is missing the trees for the forest.

That’s not the point.

And if you’re too much of a prude to engage with gothic horror in its gothic horror game, I see little point as to why you even bother to engage with it at all.

A lot of people, including the person who create the video, simply refuse to acknowledge Black Butler IS the story of Sebastian and Ciel as a close and positive relationship, romantically and sexually charged. The reason for it being that they’re “put off” by it.

Part of me wonders how much that is genuinely true, and how much is just performative outrage. It’s like ignoring the fact that Cersei and Jami are in an incestous relationship and try to frame it as “platonic love”, because the idea of it is THAT off putting.

But regardless of that, if you don’t like the fact that it’s as canon as canon can get, I would reccomend you don’t engage with the story at all.

As I’ve explained, the entirety of the series is about them. If you refuse to see Sebastian and Ciel as, at the very least, a duo that cares deeply for the other - you aren’t reading Black Butler.

I have no idea what you’re reading.Perhaps your own biases and subconscious stigma with British aesthetic. At that point, watch the fucking British Royalty Gossip Magazine. You’d find more substance there.

Just don’t be like the person in the video, please? Don’t play dumb. Don’t ignore the fact that Yana is a Shotacon, don’t ignore the fact Sebastian is a hero, don’t ignore the fact that the entirety of the story is based on Sebastian and Ciel’s dynamic.

Because if you do, you are ashamed. You are ashamed of what this story is about. You don’t wanna engage with the text, you want to engage with yourself. You wanna project into Ciel whatever traumas and experiences you have, for the sake a vanity project, where you come out as the morally superior.

You don’t wanna talk about Black Butler, you wanna talk about how good YOU are. How you “don’t sin” by watching it “without all the gross unholy stuff”.

Which is the exact opposite of what BB is about.

So, if you don’t want to, save us all the humiliation fetish and leave.

[the-monkey-ruler]

The more I read about the JTTW Conspiracy Theory, the less I like it, and the more disappointed I am that BMW followed it.

I have found that it has turned into a unique taste at least for a more modern audience that really enjoys the thematic meanings of Journey to the West. Xiyouji at its core is one that says that anyone can change and that people can take a hold of their lives and start changing themselves for the better. I found the book uplifting how between the humor and the allegories we see the pilgrims really come together in each new demon fight and rely on each other. That no matter what you've done there can be hope that you can find people like you and you're not alone on any journey.

That is how I always connected with Xiyouji, as a journey to hope, not to save the world per se, but one that you are not you're worst self and that you can learn and grow as a person. This is journey about learning how to save yourself for your own sake. That anyone (even a monkey) can find themselves, know who they are to the point of enlightenment and become one with the universe essentially becaming a Buddha.

The JTTW Conspiracy Theory does take that message and make it more that "enlightenment is a lie" and "changing is just conforming to be more submission to your masters." It frames Wukong's person growth into something of him just becoming a mindless tool of heaven. That all his hard work and travels were really for nothing and just that he is seen as nothing more as a yao and that he will always be seen as a yao to be used.

Don't get me wrong, Xiyouji does poke fun at itself. While yes they do make Arhats taking bribes and do make Daoist yao master eat babies it is in the tone of satire and to make the scene more humorous with the absurdity of it all. Xiyouji is about to poke fun at religion while still being sincere in the religious messages found within the book. It makes fun of the gods but it also makes fun of humans and yao and anyone who can be criticized. But just because it is able to make light of the gods in both Eastern and Weatern Heaven doesn't make it an anti-religious work but rather I see it as an attempt to make the gods more human to the audiences. Humor has been used for centuries as a way to show the absurdity of life and make characters more relatable, and I really think that Xiyouji is still so popular after nearly 400 with such great movies/shows/games because it is FUNNY and their characters are still able to crack a smile even in the more dire of situations.

I have said that the Chinese Odyssey and Bio of Wukong really make the JTTW Conspiracy Theory popular, and it has, but it could be traced back to the Havoc in Heaven 1961 Movie with how it was framed that Wukong was a freedom fighter. The 1961 Movie has a long and rich history about its creation and its political meaning. But in short, it was seen as a symbolic meaning of class warfare between Wukong (the freedom fighter) and Heaven (the oppressive authoritarian government). This was taking Wukong's original meaning being of an arrogant and selfish warlord who uses his power for his own desires and transforming it into a Wukong who is now the common man who is meant to relate to the average worker fighting for his rights and the rights of others. Hence why in the 1961 Wukong WINS in the end! He BEATS the Jade Emperor! He WON! No Buddha, not mountain, he goes home, he DID IT. Because he is the HERO.

This was an understandable change as this was in the mind of inspiring people to stay hopeful in the face of opposition.

"When the first half of the film was released in 1961, state and public reception was glowing, but by 1965, when the second half was completed, it became impossible not to recognize in it revolutionary undercurrents. At first, Mao was compared favorably to the mischievous Sun Wukong, wreaking havoc in “Heaven,” overturning the Chinese bourgeoisie. But by the same metaphor Mao had also plucked away the country’s “stabilizing pillar” with his disastrous Great Leap Forward. By the start of the Cultural Revolution, Mao’s China could be seen as “Heaven,” Mao himself its stuffy Jade Emperor, and the disenfranchised groups living under his regime, the monkeys."

This is still self-contained as it was only Eastern Heaven that was shown to be overthrown. Guanyin and the Buddha were never shown and thus never perceived in a negative light, thus not suggesting that enlightenment is a lie or anything like that. Also Wukong wasn't fighting for Yaoguai but rather his own monkeys, another difference, as this has no connection with "yao are an opposed group" that is seen within the JTTW Theory. Wukong shows no issues in later movies fighting Yao. And the biggest difference is that Wukong WINS in the end, he goes home and the heavens are defeated. We never see any repercussions for that because there are none, the movie is over and the audience is meant to leave with the feeling of hope and optimism that Wukong has given them.

The reason I always connect the JTTW Conspiracy Theory to Bio of Wukong is that it brought in the pessimism that rechanged the whole story. Wukong DOESN'T win. Wukong ISN'T able to change anything. He dies a martyr who rather loses his life against an impossible battle rather than live a life of servitude and while he is gone he will never be forgotten. He is a TRAGIC hero. It embraces the beauty of rebellion even in the face of resistance and the death of blind idealism.

And that IS a beautiful story. I can see why this story got so popular with young adults in the early 2000s, as they are facing a changing economy and starting to feel how hard work and everything they have been studying for feels like it was all for nothing in the workplace. This was a story that resonated with an entire generation and it can show the struggle of trying to cling to individualism in the face of conformity in order to integrate better into social pressures. I think that there can be a lot to be explored and so much that can be take from this kind of take.

But I think the real issue is while Bio of Wukong is a light novel inspired by a movie that is more of a Time Travel Movie reimagining of Journey to the West, the JTTW Conspiracy Theory tries to apply to the actual book. The JTTW Conspiracy Theory takes it a step further and claims that enlightenment is a lie, and the whole Journey is orchestrated by the Buddha to promote his “corrupt” religion while crushing SWK's spirit and making him into a tool for the Heavens. This kind of stance can come from a general anti-religion stance or a nationalist position to base Buddhism.

I could understand how modern authors compare heaven to current authority, creating a hero of rebellion who fights against oppressors but still never wins in a way to connects to audiences through gaining sympathy. By now it feels overplayed but when it first came out the 'dark version' was very appealing to young adults esp when it comes to feeling limited when facing new experiences. While it isn't accurate to JTTW and what the message is, it is more like JTTW can be used as a medium for that kind of storytelling.

JTTW Conspiracy Theory takes what could have been solid symbolism of using JTTW as a medium for modern issues in a way that is able to relate and connect with its audience, and rather turns it around as a critic of JTTW's original narrative and tries to push it as a stance against religion. This uproots Xiyouji's original messaging and its deep connection to established folklore, Buddhism, and Daoism. While I do believe that directors try to capture the impact that Bio of Wukong had, it falls short as it just isn't a FEESABLE story within Xiyouji's own verse. If you view the entire premise of Buddhism and all religions as false, then whatever answers they give to important questions can be nothing but lies and falsehoods, to maintain their own power and deceive worshippers. It takes away the foundations of Xiyouji to the point that it is no longer even the same story.

In the end, I do believe that this Conspiracy Theory has run its course and that it would be better to be shelved as more of a 'horror' genre of the book rather than to be seen as a proper adaption. It might be my own personal old age but I have been through the early 2000 'angst' era and while it was fun while it lasted I do believe that this was a needed step into a new evolution of where Xiyouji interpretations can go. I would love personally to see more interpretations of Wukong as a ruthless warlord rather than a freedom fighter. To see Wukong as a near irredeemable monster and throughout the journey becoming someone more of an anti-hero who learns more about empathy and kindness through each trial. And I do think we are heading in this direction. The most prime example I believe would be Monkey King Hero is Back which shows a reluctant Wukong slowly realizing what it means to be a hero, not his power, but what you are willing to fight for. A more interpretational battle rather than Wukong fighting demons or even fighting an oppressive regime he starts to fight himself. Another layer of Wukong's identity being explored but his own pride and ego being his enemies rather than an external force.

We see more modern movies trying to move past Wukong being just a hero or a martyr but truly being dedicated to making him the complex individual that he could always be. I hope that we do see more directors taking this stance as Journey to the West is a beautiful story with the unique and rare gift that it allows all characters, gods, demons, and humans to be seen on an equal footing. Gods are allowed to be funny and flawed, demons are clever and can be redeemed, and humans can be both good or bad depending on their actions. While Xiyouji is lighthearted I do think that interpersonal struggle aligns more with its messaging. It's complex with it's allegories but there isn't a sense of hopelessness as the one thing in life that you can control is yourself at least.

I think that Black Myth Wukong has a lot to offer, especially in terms of bringing new fans into the series. While I am a lil saddened that the story is inspired by a theory 20 years ago, I can see why as it was quite popular. I will say though it has been done to death, and while I'm sure it was a 'safe' bet it is something that is unoriginal and that does leave me disappointed (please note nearly all web-movie jttw have come out in the past ten years have a similar premise). I can only hope that with future DLC or in future JTTW adaptions they take that as a sign to grow from the premise gathering rather than repeating the same old thing.

[mdhwrites]

Villains are not Characters

I have seen multiple lists at this point that try to tell you all the traits you need for a great villain. Make sure to include a sympathetic backstory, make them scary, make them charismatic, make them smart, make them whacky, etc. etc. None of them understand what a villain is though. What an antagonist is.

An antagonist is a narrative device.

Yes, we could argue all things in literature are narrative devices... And they are. What I'm about to say also goes for a protagonist after all. We have the term anti-hero to describe a protagonist who acts villainously or isn't meant to be likable or sympathetic for a reason after all. You make what fits the story best though. What fits the goal and theme of your work best.

And so the way to make a good villain is to first understand what the concept of your work even is and how they challenge it. If your story preaches the power of friendship, your villain is probably going to be someone who is mostly alone and thinks friendship is stupid. Maybe not that childishly but that's still going to be the core thrust of him because he opposes the heroes and the theme of the story. Beating him means the theme wins out. Does he need to be deep in this example or relatable or anything like that? Absolutely not! You can do it that way, have him come to the good side when he realizes the good of friendship (hi Unikitty of all things) but you'll do plenty fine just having an asshole who sneers and mocks the very notion and then has his plans undone because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

And some of you might be saying this is obvious... While a lot of others might go "Okay but that's hard." People like a one size fits all solution. The hero's journey essentially exists for that reason. We like simple things that can be pointed at to make our work be praised because creation is scary and major elements like antagonist and protagonist are the first to be mocked and the first to be praised in a work usually, especially in writing where spectacle isn't really a thing. As such, people want a list of criteria that will just make it work.

But that's also how you get really boring or tonally clashing villains. There are genuinely stories out there where the reason people end up going "Wait, he had a point. We're the villains here," despite the framing is because in an attempt to make the villain seem to have a proper motivation and depth, they actually ended up justifying him. Ended up proving him correct and that maybe his methods were the right ones, even in works where they are NOT supposed to be. On paper they might be the best thing ever... Until they make actual contact with the story you've written.

One of the best examples for a villain that should not work on paper, AT ALL, but is genuinely genius is Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb. Yeah, the guy who wants to take over the Tri-State Area. The guy who barely interacts with the main protagonists except for sometimes his inventions being that which helps the boys not get caught. The guy who is a complete joke.

Here's the thing though: The point of the show is the unbridled power and joy of creativity. The bliss that is eyes wide open and prepared to accept the wonder of the world. After all, what is really the difference between Phineas/Ferb and Doof? Both create miraculous things in very short spans of time. They are both endlessly creative, never making quite what you expect but they view things different and thus Perry reacts to them differently. There's nothing wrong with a kid tinkering with his toys for fun and for the fun of others after all. Their heart is pure and their intention good. Perry only steps in when the boys end up somehow putting themselves in danger because someone needs to make sure the kids don't end up running with scissors.

Doof though is missing that wonder and joy. He takes great pride in his creations but the creation is not the goal, unlike the boys. He shows the harm that all of this creativity bent towards selfishness and anger can cause. He contrasts the boys and reminds the audience that there is something special that makes the protagonist who they are just by existing. And as such, because he opposes the themes, Perry is always there to stop him because he's running with scissors, hoping to find someone to stab. Not that dark admittedly but you get the point.

He is so deeply in conversation with the themes of the show that despite very rarely coming into active conflict with the protagonists, or even seeing them on a given episode, he still does his job as a villain through his B plots in the episodes. You get the push and pull of a great villain just through a shift in perspective.

But none of these listicles for how to write a great villain is going to tell you to write Doofenshmirtz. He's an incompetent, pathetic fool after all who is beat by a platypus. Of course, that's because they don't know what a villain actually is, thus making them far more of a joke than Doof ever was. See you next tale.

======+++++======

Just a fun personal element: A lot of my non-serialized works don't have explicit villains in them because they're often so focused on characters and their burgeoning relationships that the biggest villain is the self. Just your reminder that sometimes the best villain for a story is none.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[nevertheless-moving]

stormlight au number 35 (help me i'm lost in the sauce)

Jasnah, Dalinar, and Renarin (surviving Kholin Radiants) travel from End of World all the way to right after Gavilar's death.

Vengeance pact still happens, but plays out very differently. We don't need absolutely every man in the kingdom to join the army, alright Elhokar? And we're making sure Dalinar is there to accept their surrender, actually win in reasonable time frame and 'conquer' them (no Alethi want to live out there anyway, and as long as they send gemhearts in tribute we won't enslave them. actually elhokar, your sister wanted to talk to you about slavery—).

Honestly, just an excuse for:

A) Adolin to have a breakdown that his entire family has been replaced by voidbringers, before eventually accepting with relief that they're still his family, they've just become voidbringers, but its ok because he loves them and will protect their increasingly heretical actions with his life. Hugs his glowing red and green eyed little brother a lot.

Adolin: do I — should I also learn to read?

Jasnah: do you want to?

Adolin: not really, no.

Renarin: to be honest, it's probably for the best if you just focus on being, well, a good Vorin Alethi. One of us probably should be, if we don't have a desolation as a distraction.

Adolin: ok! sure! I can do that. Also thought id mention that if possible, I would personally appreciate *not* having a desolation.

Jasnah: it may prove necessary.

Adolin: I know, i know. Just thought I'd put my feelings out there.

Dalinar: and we'll need you to produce Kholin heirs. Neither Renarin or Jasnah are likely to, and I'm not remarrying a younger woman.

Adolin: Sounds good!

B) Kholin family to have way too strong a reaction to this random darkeyed surgeon in training when they visit Kharbranth, scaring the absolute shit out of said darkeyed surgeon. Adolin walks into a wall when he sees Kaladin. He doesn't even know about the Radiant thing, it's just that

C) Kaladin dresses really hot in this au. Ok. I lied. this is actually the main reason for this au. It — there's a whole chain of events. I – don't look at me like that. The character development works, alright?

A lot of it boils down to distracting people from groping the female medical trainees.

He realizes that breathing in a certain way, while it makes you focus better and move faster, it also makes you more...present somehow? people pay attention to you, for better or worse. Some of the ladies teach him that there are different ways to channel people's focus on you, if they're looking anyway.

And apparently, for the first few years Kharbranth medical students, light and dark eyed alike, have basically no protections from wealthy patients or Lighteyed chief's of staff who are a bit too interested in teaching you to use your safehand, and its not like Kaladin can challenge them to a duel - he doesnt know how to fight, and it would get him and the person hes trying to protect kicked out of the program. So much for honorable lighteyes being real.

But I mean. If wearing some eyeliner, and a gemstone in your hair, if taking your right glove off first after an exam, conspicuously leaving the left on while talking, if bending over to pick his clipboard up in a certain way... if it gets people to not focus on his friends...

...one could probably get pretty angsty with this concept, ngl.

The Stormlight understanding and oaths come in time. There might also be some Radiant Disguise Superhero hijinks, havent fully decided but it's not really a major stretch from canon to say that Kharbranth struggles with violent crime. Also Kaladin gets to learn about institutional racism in school. It's great. I have a lot of Kaladin thoughts but so does everyone in this au so its ok.

Kholins visit Kharbranth:

Jasnah: you've been moping for days. Is your new fixation of the week not responding to your advances?

Adolin: I don't want to talk about it

Dalinar: son, you've clearly been in a mood—

Adolin: look, I'm not — the individual is not suitable for my station, alright? I'm not courting someone I could never actually marry, because that would be stupid.

Jasnah: while it would complicate matters, you know your brother and I have plans to alter the alethi codes around eye color, considering they're clearly a crude derivative of radiant mythologization

Dalinar: I thought we agreed that was low on the priority list

Jasnah: You said that uncle, Renarin most certainly did not agree, and his arguments are sound

Adolin: He's just some surgeon, alright! He's not just darkeyed, he's a darkeyed man. I said I'll get over it! I always do.

Dalinar: ah.

Jasnah: ...did you say surgeon?

Adolin: Yes? Why?

Dalinar: why does it —

Jasnah: how did you meet?

Adolin: He was — he was with this group of women at a winebar, and he was dressed like – but it turned out he just goes to protect them from - and it was so — why are you asking me about this?

Dalinar: Oh! A darkeyed surgeon. Protecting, you say? He sounds...honorable.

Jasnah: Very honorable.

Adolin: He is! He volunteers at this house for injured soldiers, and you wouldn't believe he'd never been to war, I mean his spear Katas — he's – it's like he was born for it —

Dalinar: He sounds like a fine young man. Perhaps you should bring him to meet us.

Adolin: I — while I appreciate that father, I really do, I thought I was the one who was supposed to well. I mean my role in...all of this is to produce heirs and look proper, right?

Jasnah: Hm. when you put it it that way...

Dalinar: I mean, Navani and I might be able to...

Jasnah: Don't be ridiculous. I'm perfectly capable of producing a child, should it prove absolutely necessary,

Adolin: Jasnah?

Jasnah: Provided the man you're courting is of worthy quality.

Adolin: We're not — I haven't been courting! I didn't think it was an option! I don't even know if he's interested! From what I can tell he has people throwing themselves at his feet all the time!

Jasnah: An abnormally honorable darkeyed surgeon, natural warrior, magnetically charismatic personality...yes that might make a worthwhile addition to the family.

Dalinar: I can write to Elhokar at once, recommend that he and Aseuden —

Jasnah: Uncle we've been over this — this is exactly the sort of thing that led to me insisting you come with me on this trip! If we cripple his ability to lead—

Adolin: Are we — are we moving into the discussing the future part of the evening, because I can go guard the door—

Dalinar: wait, when you say produce a child, you don't mean through soulcasting, right?

Jasnah: I don't see why I should answer that question.

Adolin: Yeah, i'm just going to go guard the door now

[eevylynn]

Art by Timeless

Shadows Within

Sterek || E || 37k wc

After making a deal with the Nogitsune, Stiles gained control of its powers. When an enemy comes, determined to end the Beacon Hills Nogitsune no matter the consequences, Derek gets kidnapped and hurt, and Stiles’ possessiveness comes out.

The gorgeous artwork is by Timeless. It was very inspirational!

This is by far the longest finished fic I have ever written, and I still can't believe I actually managed it.

Thank you to everyone that helped me get this done and out there into the world! You know who you are!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Stiles adjusted the grip on his stick and scuffed his cleats in the grass as he briefly closed his eyes to take a bracing breath.

After he had turned the tides of the championship game last season, causing BHHS to win, this was what he wanted. Scott had worked with Stiles on and off over the summer between sophomore and junior years to help him improve enough, so they could be co-captains together. With Jackson’s parents’ pulling him out and moving to London, that dream seemed even closer.

Then, the insanity of the fall semester happened, and any thoughts of lacrosse flew from his mind.

That is until the announcements for tryouts came out.

Thankfully, Scott had brought his grades up enough that Coach was letting him back. Maybe. Everyone had to try-out again. One would think that everyone that played on a championship winning team would automatically be back on the team the next year, but noooo–Coach had a wild hair up his ass and decided that’s not good enough and that they needed a “rebuilding season”.

To be fair, Jackson wasn’t the only one of their teammates whose parents decided to take them out of Beacon Hills. Probably because of all the murders, if Stiles was being honest. Even Danny was gone, which was unfortunate because Stiles could tolerate Danny.

This little shit that was standing, unwanted, in front of the goal on the other hand…

Opening his eyes, Stiles stepped into his shot, launching the ball towards the goal faster than he ever had before, passing the goalie’s stick by a hair and landing in the net.

The crowd on the sidelines erupted in cheers, but Stiles barely registered them.

“YES!! Another perfect shot! Way to go, Stilinski!” Coach Finstock yelled, snapping Stiles back to reality. “Stilinski, you’ve been holding out on us!”

Stiles jogged to the back of the line, making his way to the back. His eyes flickered to where Scott stood at the end. He was watching Stiles with a mix of admiration and unease.

“Dude, you’re doing, like, really good,” Scott said as Stiles neared him, eyebrows pinched a bit.

“Yeah,” Stiles muttered, as they turned to watch Isaac take his turn. “Thanks.”

They both leaned to look around the guys in front of them to watch Isaac shoot. The ball almost went into the net, but the kid, Liam, caught it right at the last second. The guys around them were evenly split between groans and cheers.

Stiles whistled as Isaac made his way to them. “So, close.”

“At least I was aiming for the net,” Isaac replied, reaching out to roughly pat Scott’s shoulder, “unlike some people who just whiffed and hit the frame instead.”

Once again, the goalie caught the ball. Scott had missed a few more shots, overshooting the goal or hitting the posts instead. A couple of times, Liam even managed to intercept Scott’s attempts, flashing that smug grin of his each time. The kid’s accuracy was almost annoyingly perfect, and he seemed to be thriving on Scott’s slip-ups.

Frustrated, Scott stormed off, ripping his gloves and throwing them down as he went.

“Dude!” Stiles said urgently, as he and Isaac caught up to Scott. “What is going on with you?”

“I don’t know,” Scott grumbled. “I’m having a really off day.”

“Off day? You are dying out there,” Isaac snorted. “Like, I’m feeling actual physical pain watching you.”

“I wish,” Stiles muttered.

“Yeah, like you need to be any stronger,” Isaac muttered back, immediately understanding what Stiles was getting at. “This is already weird as it is. I mean, you’ve been doing better than both me and Scott.”

“That’s because Stiles is new to his powers. Whereas, we’re not using our abilities out on the field,” Scott said. “On the field, we’re just as human as anyone else.”

“No, you’re really not,” Stiles pointed out, getting annoyed. “You’re a werewolf–complete with the strength, speed, and reflexes. It’s the whole reason you were able to even get off the bench last year, remember?”

“Yeah, but I’m trying to do better. Be better. I’m trying to make it fair for everyone, so I’m avoiding using my powers.”

“Well, in case you’ve forgotten,” Stiles said incensed, “Finstock doesn’t know or care if you are an Alpha werewolf. He just sees someone who’s not at the level they were last year. You might want to use some of your wolfie powers or you very well might lose your position as team captain. Are you prepared for that?”

“But…that’s cheating.”

“Technically, it’s not. There’s nothing in the rules about supernaturals playing on the team.”

“No, but that doesn’t stop it from being an unfair advantage.”

“Scott, the only way to completely prevent yourself from having an unfair advantage on the field would be to just not play,” Stiles said, getting closer to the edge of his temper at Scott just not understanding. “Your advantage doesn’t just come from using the obvious powers. Your very senses are heightened in a way that a human’s literally can’t. There is absolutely no way for you to play as a human, especially now that you’re an Alpha.”

[positively-mine]

Reki and langa with a s/o who’s a cuddly person and always wants to be holding their hand/arm or playing with their hands/hair (pretty much just a clingy s/o) thank you

Affectionate s/o

Just you being clingy & how they would react.

A/n: Nowadays i realized that im touch starved and this anon hit the spot 😕😐 anyways hope you like this. Sorry i posted this 3 days late btw, my orientation is really killing me. The campus is so much bigger than i thought and travelling time is way too long 😅

Reki Kyan

When you guys started dating he had known a little that you’re affectionate

He had observed you and he would see small interactions such as you holding onto your friends arm or sleeve

However..

When it became official, he wasn’t expecting to be bombarded with your ministrations

A stuttering mess and a blushing fool was what he was

He didn’t think that you’d want to immediately have physical contact with him and he’d thought he had to slowly ease into it

It’s hard to understand him when he’s speaking with a quivering voice 💀

I’m sorry but sweaty palms

(Nothing against people with sweaty palms or anything)

Just be prepared to wipe your hand after holding his because this is the first time he’s been this close to a girl

If anyone remembers the episode where they were on the ferry and reki wanted to approach the girl in white

From my deduction skills as a literature student i hc that he still has “awkward flirting” with you

Won’t go into detail bc I might get second hand embarrassment

Now when you play with his hair..

He’s like putty in your hands

malleable

I can totally see him get sleepy when you play with his hair

Pretend you don’t see it though

He will get super embarrassed

At this point he should just paint himself red

Cuddling is something he wants to do but is really too shy right now :(

Langa Hasegawa

I don’t think he minds it

He’s used to getting tackled into hugs by his mom so one more person wouldn’t be a problem

Either welcomes it or initiates it

You’d be walking to school together and he’d be like

“Can i hold your hand? (´∀｀)”

I have a strong feeling that when you hold hands,

He always turns to you to give you an award winning smile

Then gives your hand a squeeze

Maybe not blush but its like dusted on his cheeks

Prefers to interlock your hands together instead of you holding his arms

He’s also a person that likes to fiddle with your fingers

When he’s thinking he’ll be playing with your fingers

Or when your walking together and he’s mindlessly playing around

Will hum if you play with his hair

But i can see him prefer you to massage his skull

Or braid his hair

He doesn’t mind

Doesn’t even care if you give him crazy pigtails

As long as you’re playing with his hair

Will also want to return the favour

Not very well done let me say

It’s not that he does it on purpose but it’s because he doesn’t play around with his hair

Often enough you’ll see him twirling a strand of your hair around his fingers

He likes the soft feeling of your hair round his fingers

Definitely a hugger

Compared to reki he’s not as shy to cuddle with you

But would like it if he was the big spoon

He likes to feel you in his arms and him enveloping your frame

Falls sleep immediately after cuddling with you 🫣

[gaydinosaurbananamilkcarton]

I still love sakura. Even if she's a dumbass. No way am I sticking around for somebody that not only treated me like shit, he left me to take care of my daughter by myself for 9 years and then tried to kill her when he met her. The main reason I like sakura is because of her character development. Instead of being a weak sasuke obsessed character, she actually became a strong sasuke obsessed character! Yay!

Most people won't admit it, but they hate sakura because of some shit she said to naruto when they were KIDS(12), not to mention, she wasn't lying. He was an orphan 💀 but they go and say that she's weak, even after she gets stronger, and like rock lee for doing exactly what she did. (Training to become better) sakura never HAD the same powers that naruto and sasuke did. Yet she still MANAGED on her own. That's why I like her.

I like naruto, just not his mindset. Of course I want to become hokage and protect people that treated me like shit for my entire life! Then he became hokage, and made NO changes for the better. He didn't want to be hokage to help, he wanted to be hokage just because he craved attention and validation. He always wants to save people, and doesn't understand that he's making it worse. Sasuke IS more realistic as a character, and sasuke has had it worse than naruto has. Hate me all you want, but it's true. His entire clan was murdered by his brother, including his parents. And then he was obsessed with revenge, only to kill his brother and then find out WHY itachi did what he did and he had to regret it. All he ever KNEW was loneliness and anger, so he had no idea how to live without it. Naruto never had his parents or siblings, meaning he didn't have to LOSE anything. And that's why sasuke was angry with him.

I also think it's important to include Kakashi though. Not only was he practically USELESS for team 7 as a whole (naruto went to be trained by jiraiya, sasuke by orochimaru/? And then sakura by tsunade. It would've been cold if she trained under guy too but the author HATES a strong female character that isn't evil) kakashi needs to be analysed as a whole, especially with his treatment of sasuke. He claims to have gone through what sasuke did, and then tells him that revenge is pointless and leaves you hollow, and then he helps shikamaru get revenge for asuma. He's a hypocrite. He wins the award for the world's WORST sensei.

I won't even make a separate post for boruto, because there's no reason. The show is confusing as hell, and equally as pointless. Boruto hates his dad for no reason, all the important fights are for sasuke and naruto, naruto adopts kawaki and let's him beat up his son, kawaki seals them away and then flips it to make boruto look like he's in the wrong, there are no more shinobi, Boruto trained under sasuke, and then sasuke was sealed in a tree so now he cosplays as him. Sakura is NOWHERE to be seen💀 (good for her) himawari has kurama (how will she not be stronger than boruto?💀) and boruto has Naruto's abilities (rasengan, flying Raijin- minato, and shadow clones) with purple lighting and all of a sudden he's a god. I'm confused about what the jougan does. He also has his fathers weak mindset about not wanting to kill kawaki, but just wanting to punch him. Sarada has insane potential but of course the author won't let her be great because she's a woman! I hate the idea of borusara because I see them as nothing but teammates. It's like the dynamic between naruto and sakura. She treats him like a brother. She hugs her friend that she hasn't seen in 2 years that's also been framed and ostracised by the entire village and suddenly they're the best ship in the world 💀 Delusion at its finest. None of those kids need to be with ANYONE. Just focus on the goddamn anime and stop ruining shit. Because NO ONE is watching it

[theerurishipper]

I saw an anon compare Kuro Neko/Transmission, and I think the better comparison for how the show treats their trauma is Glaciator 2/Transmission.

G2- Adrien is sad, Marinette sees this and is immedietely giddy because she can cheer him up and win the day! I'm not angling to say she is cruel, she doesn't want him sad, but the moment is still very much about her emotional needs. She is the only player character in this world. She goes down to him, completely oblivious to anything but her plan, enacts her plan, fantasizes about her plan, and when her plan is derailed she scraps it -despite the fact Adrien liked the gift- and when he leaves she... laments the plan failed.

Transmission- Mari is sad. Alya connives to get Adrien to deliver her her homework. On the way he worries about what his actions may have done, considering *why* she might be staying home. Once there he opens with a light self deprecating joke. Then he probes gently to understand *her* feelings, and when he learns even a little about her he tries to commiserate, to validate and share her pain. He even goes so far as to unintentionally deliver into her hands the one thing she has literally wanted since S1, and he means every bit of it. He is there for *her.*

Now, on the face of it, these two moments aren't terrible. They show two people with very different social styles. Marinette almost completely lacks the ability to empathize. In her head Her personal experience is the only experience and the universal one. There is no other way to be.

Adrien meanwhile has grown adept at reading emotional states, likely as a defense mechanism at home. The first thing he tries to do is puzzle out why emotions are happening and then approach them in context.

The problem is the show *never* loops back around to this idea. Mari's lack of empathy marches it's way destructively through the series while never actually being framed as a thing she has to grow from. Meanwhile Adrien(and Luka too) are shown to go to emotional self-harming lengths for her henefit and that too is never framed as unhealthy or bad, it's *romantic* it is what they are *supposed to do*

And there in lies the core problem that you can find at the roots of so many other problems in the narrative.

Your analysis of both those scenes is spot on. Adrien's focus is on Marinette, but Marinette's focus is... also on herself. She finds it hard to empathize with and understand the feelings of others. Clearly, she can understand that Adrien is sad, and I struggle to say she doesn't care. She's shown concern for him when he's sad (Rogercop) and she's tried to help him selflessly (The Collector, the New York Special), but she still struggles with empathizing and focusing on others more often than not, and this is one of those moments where she makes it about herself.

And this part:

The problem is the show *never* loops back around to this idea. Mari's lack of empathy marches it's way destructively through the series while never actually being framed as a thing she has to grow from. Meanwhile Adrien(and Luka too) are shown to go to emotional self-harming lengths for her henefit and that too is never framed as unhealthy or bad, it's *romantic* it is what they are *supposed to do*

This is exactly right. The show is mired in its protagonist-centered morality, and Marinette can do no wrong. It's interesting to have a character who can't relate to others easily. It's realistic! It's relatable! But the show doesn't portray Marinette stepping over the feelings of others because she can't understand them as a bad thing. If she fails to consider them or causes them hurt in any way, they have to suck it up and deal.

I do feel like it's more evident with Adrien than Luka, because Luka often took on the role of emotional support who asks for nothing, but he was also allowed to break up with Marinette because he was unhappy with the relationship (Truth) and be sad that she wasn't talking to him (Crocoduel). He's allowed to have emotions as long as he doesn't bother Marinette with them. But when Adrien is unhappy with Marinette, he doesn't get anyone telling him his emotions are valid or that he's allowed to feel this way. What he learns is that he's being too sensitive and that he doesn't deserve any better. What he learns is that Marinette is right, and he should get back to being her emotional support partner who doesn't expect a thing of her.

Marinette is always portrayed as in the right no matter how her actions affect others, and this is what causes her character to fall flat. She makes decisions for others because she feels like her way is the only way, and the show agrees with her. So you get things like the Season 5 finale where Marinette makes the decision to hide the truth about Gabriel from Adrien. And her covering for the abuser is portrayed as good and kind of her. It's the narrative bias that ruins her character, and that's quite unlikely to change in the future seasons.

Thank you for your ask!

[hetaherr]

the moon as our witness

: wanderer/ scaramouche x reader

: i dont know how to tag this, maybe fluff? crack?? angst

hey this is my writing practice because i struggle with the flow of my writing, especially like pacing and stuff so it's pretty bad imo TT but it's practice so its allg ig. this is very experimental , and i feel a little outta my element because i lowkey am hella informal with the way i write and IM JUST REALLY NOT USED TO IT???? anyway thanks for reading and if u have any advice please drop them! ok anyway reblog to win ur 5050s love u

watching the scene lay out in front of you was the very embodiment of your doomsday, it was the nearest thing to an apocalypse you'd ever seen- to your world of course. it felt like you were spiraling, you felt so asphyxiated as you watched him press himself against that- that bitch as if you didn't even exist. and almost as if the world was solely out to get you tonight, cigarettes after sex just had to start playing. like seriously, was catching your boyfriend cheat on you not gutting enough as it is, you did not need a song to tell you when to 'cry'.

pushing through the sea of people transitioning from jumping up and down to swaying with their partners was absolutely suffocating. in any other circumstance, the crowd would've been just right- like the calm ocean after a storm. but at this very moment, it felt like you were drowning, being dragged into the abysmal nothing that was the deep blue sea.

with a slam of the door, you found yourself rescued by the crisp night air. barely making it a few steps, you crumble by the side of the road. it feels like tonight the tears stung even worse than usual, you can't scream, you can't wail, your throat is all clawed up and drowning feels like it's becoming a lot more literal than metaphorical at this moment.

through your tears, the faint echo of music can be heard, and a soft clink sounds beside you.

"i think you need this more than me." he says, you cant see him clearly through the tears that still continue to pour. you look down and there's a glass bottle of whatever everyone's been drinking tonight.

"i don't drink."

"you look like you should." he comments, you can only scoff at the remark. he takes a seat beside you, a bottle in hand. he hesitates a second, but you don't tell him to bug off. there's a soft silence that comes with his presence, neither of you talk- unless you consider crying to be talking. it feels so pathetic, you can't understand what you could've done to be tossed aside so easily. but the more you think about it, the harder it becomes to contain your emotions.

"ah fuck this." you mumble, reaching out to take a swig of liquid courage. you hiss as it leaves a burning sensation down your throat, flushing your tears away leaving behind a bitter taste. the boy, shifts his gaze toward you- his head resting on his knees, hair framing his face so nicely and it feels a little unfair how fucking pretty he is.

"so much for not drinking." he says, his face is blank but there's a teasing notion to his words and just the way he was looking at you. you let him stare, violet eyes burning into your skin you feel like it's going to leave an imprint. you look back at him, under the warm glow of the street lamp. as you share the gaze, there's a feeling of guilt that has been set aflame within the pits of your heart, after all you still hadn't broken up with that jackass.

you unconsciously continue to stare at the boy, pondering. should you just break up with him through text? should you storm in and scream? should you even make a scene? maybe ghost him?

"a penny for your thoughts?" he speaks up, words so gentle it makes your heart flutter and it feels like the guilt burns worse than the alcohol.

"do you want to help me break up with my cheating boyfriend?" you think out loud. you watch his eyebrows furrow, and for a second you wonder if you made him uncomfortable. he blinks at you, and then slightly shrugs.

"sure."

within seconds, the chilly breeze outside is replaced with the smell of sweat, cigs and alcohol. it's disgusting. the boy takes your hand and lets you guide him through the horde of horny and drunk people that were either passed out or making out. you are reminded of why you didn't frequent these parties. the floor is sticky and you just hope whatever it is you just stepped on was not human fluids. and then you see him, sprawled across the couch with the same girl sitting way too close to be considered 'just friends'. with a smile so smug, that made you glad god gave you patience and not strength.

"that's him?" noticing your hesitance to move forward, the boy follows your gaze. the tears are already threatening to spill yet again, anymore and you fear the headache that follows. and yet your feet don't move, all the courage that that brown bottle clearly gave you wasn't strong enough. you barely hear his words, it feels like your body is moving on it's own as you nod. you hear the boy sigh, his hands gently grab your wrist and pulls you behind his frame. you're not able to react before he speaks up, this time his voice is a lot more harsh.

"yo asshole." he shouts, his hand still gripping onto yours, though it is a lot tighter than before. it startles people around you, and just like all humans and their natural desire to fulfil their curiosity, heads turn toward your direction. you can't even process the next few seconds, as he grabs the bottle out of your hand and pours whatever was remaining of the now warm booze down all over the cunt that sat before you.

"maybe think twice before cheating dickwad" he can't contain his laughter as he looks your now ex, up and down, eyes full of judgement. you look horrified, looking between the boy and your ex, noticing the rage building up as he spits a variety of cuss words. you can't suppress your own laughter, albeit the fact that it's slightly laced with fear- fear that your new friend would get punch right in the nose. so your feet decide it's time to get the fuck out of here, and you pull him out the door running so fast your gym teacher wouldn't have believed it was you.

there's another wave of silence as the both of you were bent over trying to catch your breath, everything that happened tonight was unpredictable and didn't feel real. you took a peek at the boy, he seemed to have the same thought as you catch his gaze. the silence is finally broken as you start laughing, like a maniac you couldn't stop your giggles. you are glad that there is no one else around to see your fit of laughter. there is still that redness and puffiness of your eyes from earlier, its odd given how drastic the contrast is to your current state, its so big that even the black hole would have a difficult time sucking it in.

"after all this, i still don't know your name." you huff. his violet eyes are morphed into that of a crescent. and with the moon as your witness, he smiles.

"you can call me, scara."

[rebo-chan]

KHR Mandela Effects

ALRIGHT YALL IMMA LAY DOWN WHATS UP HERE. WE'RE ALL BEING PRANKED.

THERE ARE SOME KHR MANDELA EFFECTS OUT THERE THAT HAVE BEEN RUINING MY LIFE BECAUSE WHERE ARE THEY. WHY DO THEY NO LONGER EXIST. AT WHAT POINT DID I ENTER ONE OF BYAKURANS PARALLEL WORLDS AND WHY IS HE FUCKING WITH ME.

THE FUCKING FON HARU HARU INTERVIEW. YES ITS IN THE MANGA, BUT ALSO I REMEMBER IT BEING ANIMATED. I REMEMBER SEEING HIS LIL COLORED RED SLEEVES AND HEARING HIS VOICE AND LAUGH. IT WAS THERE!!!!!!! BUT LO AND BEHOLD, WHEN I GO TO LOOK TO SHOW A FRIEND I CANNOT FIND IT. YALL THIS HAUNTED ME SINCE THE CONVO CAME UP IN MY DISCORD SERVER. WHERE IS IT??

Okay, this one, I'll admit I'm probably delusional for. Only because, unlike the fon interview, I'm the only one who remembers it. There **WAS** a frame in the manga during Shimon arc where Mukurowl tells Chrome that they should abandon Tsuna bc there's no way they're gonna win against Daemon. Chrome refuses and IN RETALATION FOR HER AUDACITY, he PECKS HER. I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER THIS. and I know theres a few frames where he like digs his claws into her, but thats not it I REMEMBER IT BEING A LIL PECK. AND HER CUTE LIL 'ow!' I hunted.. for this scene tirelessly. Now, you may think of that moment where he like claws at her during shimon when Daemon possesses his body but thats NOT IT!! IT WAS CLEARLY A PECK. nobody else believes me yall im suffering. The worst part? There's proof of me liveblogging this to one of my friends and going "EHJNHH MUKURO JUST PECKED CHROME" it was about 2 years ago. Where did it go. I need answers. Its such a clear frame in my memory yall IM LOSING IT.

So, this is one I'M NOT insane about because there are other people who remember this. There was a scene where Checkerface claimed that he doesn't care what happens to the Vongola rings or the mare rings, because they are 'weaker' parts of Trinisette than the Arcobaleno pacifiers are. You see, we were discussing how that makes no sense because there'll all the same set of 7 rocks that were broken into twenty-one pieces how could they be WEAKER? yall, you need to understand I have had BEEF with checkerface for saying that for YEARS. BECAUSE IT SOUNDED STUPID. HOW IS THE ASPECT OF TRINISETTE THAT WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING FOR 400 CHAPTERS THE WEAKER HALF?? Well, lucky me BECAUSE IT DIDNT HAPPEN. We went to go read Checkerface's appearance in Rainbow arc and he says NOTHING even remotely close to that. WHERE DID THIS BELIEF COME FROM? You see, though, unlike the Mukuro peck and the Fon interview, I am NOT upset that byakuran is fucking with me here. Frankly, I am pleased. Thank you for fixing what was ALWAYS MEANT TO BE, Byakuran.

The 'virgin' line. (Said like a horror clips youtuber). This one is for me and my friend ketchup because we are the ones that remember this distinctly. There is a scene where Reborn calls Yam and Tsuna a virgin for getting embarrassed about thinking about girls in the bath. NOW I KNOW YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT ONE SCENE IN FUTURE WHERE THIS EXACT THING HAPPENS, BUT NO IN THAT SCENE DEPENDING ON THE TRANSLATION HE EITHER CALLS THEM IMMATURE OR CHILDISH. OR SAYS THEY'RE ACTING LIKE KIDS. See, heres the thing its easy to chalk this up to a translation thing. The problem is, both me and ketchup saw this same translation, and NEITHER OF US ARE ABLE TO LOCATE THAT TRANSLATION. WE'VE CHECKED ALL THE DIFFERENT MANGA SITES WE CAN THINK OF, WE'VE USED VIZ'S TRANSLATION OF THE MANGA, WE LOOKED AT THE ANIME SUBTITLES. I WENT ALL THE WAY BACK TO AN OLD ANCIENT ASS ANIME SITE THAT STILL HAS THE OLD FAN TRANSLATIONS (So Viz's translation calls them 'deathperation' but most fan translations will call them dying will flames. thats how you know the dangerous) THAT IS OLD AND GRAINY AND LOOKS LIKE I'M WATCHING A HORROR MOVIE AND THE SCREEN IS GONNA CHANGE ANY MOMENT TO BE A PICTURE OF THE GIRL FROM THE RING. N O T H I N G. Where IS IT. I'M GONNA CRY.

Alright yall that's all the ones that have been on my mind, but please if you have any mandela effects on this series in your own memory please share. SOMETHING HAPPENED, AND I WILL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. WHEN DID BYAKURAN SWITCH US UP.

[theswordwizard]

screenshotting for use instead of forcing them to see hella tags but as someone who has a constant background of narration around special interests going on in their head which eventually will start to run out of "canon compliant" possibilities and start experimenting with crossovers: this is why I struggled for a bit to do a coherent plotty crossover between daredevil and nbc's hannibal. this is another rambling "for me and literally two other people with my interests and way too interested in meta-compliancy" post:

basically: daredevil and nbc's hannibal have conflicting main themes in ways where they don't as easily synthesize into a new coherent theme. nbc hannibal basically amounts to: what does it take for a person to become a 'monster,' or otherwise transform into a version of themselves that would be a terrifying stranger to them previously. and it sort of frames it as... not necessarily a power fantasy, but it frames trauma as something powerfully transformative. you become a version of yourself that can survive/thrive/take control in the hell you've ended up in. you will surprise yourself what you are capable of doing when it's your only option. but at the same time, its a sort of "succumbing" to your situation.

daredevil is almost antithetical to this. matt's whole thing can kinda be summed up as "even after everything, it's still you." you can go through any amount of trauma and still be able to recognize yourself after. you can stick to your principles even when pushed to the limit and come out alive, and being able to do so is important. he IS his principles, and even though he constantly falls short of himself, his struggle is a definitive trait of his. whenever he starts to abandon his principles is always tied to him losing his sense of self.

he cannot win (in the long run) if he abandons who he is, even if it's only an internal struggle. it's especially prevalent in the comics where basically whenever he abandons his principles he has a bit of a flip-out and tries to abandon "matt murdock" entirely, and then struggles to maintain whatever new identity he takes and has a whole identity crisis/mental breakdown. his strength is his stubbornness and refusal to remain fallen from his standard of self.

so obviously, one of these themes need to bend so far it breaks when put together. put matt in range of the BAU/Hannibal's house and its the big book vs thin book meme. in part because matt's biggest struggles in his narratives are against structural violence and systems (not to mention... the smells...). "there's this one evil guy causing 90% of the problems" is again basically antithetical to matt's narratives, or are at the most just his weakest plots.

ALSO, a lot of the murders in hannibal get treated as combinations of three categories (by Hannibal, who I would say has the most Thematic Influence over the show): 1) they basically deserved it and they were better off being dead in whatever form than alive (mason, mischa's killer), 2) what the killer gained from their death was more important than their life (sorta the case of melissa, her death being the photo negative so will could understand the ripper), 3) their death was important to the killed person, they were only able to ascend or transcend something in their death (many of the ripper victims and general murder victims.)

Basically "agreeing" with Hannibal, or adopting his viewpoint, (or basically being 'seduced' by the story) requires viewing deaths in those three ways. It requires a sort of dissociation with the reality of a person dying in any practical matter. any death becomes metaphor and symbolic, and the symbol is more important than the ending of life, it transcends it. this also doesn't rock with matt's themes.

even if you go serial killer AU matt's relationship with violence, and the temptation of committing murder, is based around practicality. it's that killing would technically be the most efficient way of stopping someone from hurting other people ever again. it's how he could cut through the red tape and financial security that protects fisk or fisk's stand-in, the way they've manipulated systems of supposed justice to hurt people (and specifically innocents), and just end it for good. obv in cases where that does happen (by his hand or others) it again leans into the fact that there is no single bogeyman that can be killed to stop evil or whatever. if fisk dies, there is a replacement to that power vacuum, if matt steps into that role to try and control it, he fails miserably.

hannibal approaches the seduction of murder with: and it's actually awesome? while daredevil approaches it with: it won't actually help you, and it won't fix anything. you will only destroy yourself. both of the (shows at least) fixations on catholicism also have parallel approaches with hannibal encouraging you to become your own god and daredevil reminding you that you aren't. will is basically betrayed by his friends and community while matt is consistently supported by his.

ultimately, nbc hannibal is very metaphorical and artsy and pretentious (i say lovingly) while daredevil is like. How Would Superpowers Effect The Local Law Economy.

[valeriefauxnom]

Euden's Moral Confusion of Self

Let me introduce this rant/analysis (rantnalysis?) in a more humorous way: did you know that the act Euden did for the circus event never was specified? No, it never was, but I have a pretty good guess what he excels at: mental gymnastics!

Jokes aside, Euden had a very... robust set of tendencies that were not quite so healthy, and sometime in the future I'll probably go over more of 'em. First, though, I'm attempting to tackle his deceptively-poor self-image. Of course, long post ahead!

To start framing what I'm getting at, I'd like to cite the scene I used in a previous rant, wherein Euden declares his efforts to continue the path he's pursuing 'selfish.'

It's a very small footnote of his overall character, but it is consistent. He, in short, has flipped his (well-known) tendencies toward self-sacrifice and otherwise protecting other people from a 'virtue' to a 'vice'. We can see this in anything from Jurota's to Mitsuhide's stories, the latter wherein he wins her otherwise unwinnable game by framing his act of saving villagers as 'selfish' instead of 'selfless' to beat Mitsuhide's "no acting for others' sake rule" in her Uprising Game.

Taken to its logical extreme, this means that pretty much all those times Euden was being recklessly selfless or otherwise sacrificial, he himself views it as a completely selfish action. There is something to be said, in that he's not entirely incorrect: he is acting because acting that way makes him feel good/reaffirms his moral code, but past a certain point this view is...harmful.

For Euden also outright will raise a rare criticism to those being selfish to the point of endangering others. It is a 'bad' thing to be selfish in his mind, especially when it starts endangering others, and understandably so. I think largely that's a view many cultures share.

Still, it is a twisted little part of a psyche when you can frame any degree of self-sacrifice as being selfish in my view. In what probably will be another rant/analysis someday, Euden seems to have a lot of trouble with identifying himself as his own person, on his own merits, even before Nedrick entered the picture. Even in a bit of a lighthearted note, he rarely identifies himself as a prince or otherwise someone held in esteemed position very quickly, often leading to miscommunication and surprise on many people's behalf to learn that this teenager is actually lord of the land, like Elisanne experienced first when she took him as Zethia's manservant.

But I digress. The end result of that is the same: Euden seldom voices thoughts about himself as a person, but even rarer are positive ones, and this is a prime example of it. He's cultivated an self-image of mediocrity, 'nothing special', and with him flipping 'virtue' to 'vice' with his extraordinary (say, supernatural) selflessness, he can't even take some esteem in "I think I'm kind/generous/good at giving back" we might throw around in a 'introduce yourself to the class' introduction.

We can see the overall message I'm trying to get across plain in Gala Leif's story. Here's two notable highlights for my ideas:

(Oh, Luca, yes they do have 'unique personalities', and they're all their own unique messes. I love them, though, disasters that they are.)

Ahem. Here, Euden lays out plain that he views his desire for a future to be built without sacrifices and making everyone happy as selfish, himself as arrogant instead of kind, and otherwise unremarkable in any other sense.

All in all, though, this starts to paint a sad picture. What good qualities Euden does have, he flips to negative attributes instead (Selflessness=selfishness, developed sense of right/wrong/kindness=arrogance, etc) and what negative attributes he does have are kept as-is, and neutral attributes are viewed as standard for anyone and not something that should be praised (he sometimes flips 'positive' to 'neutral' attributes instead, though, sometimes attributing his selflessness to nothing special or something expected of everyone).

So...yeah. Euden doesn't hint to it often, but he's got a bit of a twisted view regarding himself, something I'm sure has no negative repercussions in any other aspect of his life...(not foreshadowing at all, no, no...) He goes beyond modesty and into self-deprecation. Even worse, he has it perfectly straight when it comes to dealing with other people. Self-sacrifice is a virtue, even if it was done out of duty or pride, etc. This mess of morality is all for him and him alone. And that's kinda messed up.

If you've stuck around this long, though, thank you! I hope I'm not spamming the tag or anything. I guess all this new access to be able to articulate my many non-fanfic thoughts on Dragalia where people will actually understand them has been too tempting of late! I'd also like to reiterate that I'm always down to discuss Dragalia (I miss it!), so if you've questions/comments/rants you want to ask about it (or Tales of the Abyss, a lot of other JRPGs I'm not listing here, or my fanfics) feel free!

[uldren-sov]

🖊️ + Elora Starwars? 👀

Ms. Elora Starwars, if you're nasty.

Tyty!!!

( art by @artofzofia !! mwah!!)

Some more about the Empire! More Sith culture! Some Sith philosophy!

So have to start this out by saying I don't agree with a lot of the writeups about the Empire not being as bad as it seems, it's worse. Maybe I'm just more sensitive to the subject, but beyond the cartoonishly evil moments, it is smarter and crueler than that as well.

The Empire is a massive machine that has worked thus far because it grew bloated in isolation while the Republic thrived. Even that kind of beginning will show just how the emergence back into the galaxy at whole should frame a lot of perspectives. It was and continues to be an insular society that prides itself on the ubiquitous homogeneity of who is given power. (Apparently both the Mirialan and Cathar home planets are a part of the Empire, you don't see a lot of them in DK do you?)

So, given this frame of mind! And the fact that it is Dromund Kaas is the capital planet of the Empire, not Ziost, I think she does feel ostracized from the start of her exile (around 13 ish years old), by being from Ziost which has more of the cultural heritage of the Sith Empire from ancient times that was then reclaimed. Further, it had New Adasta, which was the gateway to the Empire as well as where you go to trade with the Empire. So as she grows up, she already had more access to cultural history, that does not exist in DK outside of stories and the ability to interact with other people in this very tailored exposure to the rest of the galaxy, that doesn't exist in DK.

She's spent most of her life angry and frustrated at the Empire due to the restraints placed upon her by Sith and Imperial society in Dromund Kaas versus Ziost given, in some way, Ziost had to give the facsimile of being open to the rest of the galaxy, and could not be as earnest in its invidiousness as it is in DK.

So given this emphasis on actual Imperial history and ancient Sith artifacts, teachings, etc. She felt a connection to that aspect of the Empire more than anything. It's why she had her tattoos done in traditional way, scarification, venom, and all!!!

So then with that gone, so too was so much of the history and left her once again kind of listless and apart from DK. Thankfully hatred, rage, and spite are typical of Sith, because one of her biggest complications now is, how can she have a home -- or save her home!!! -- when she feels once more separated from what is forced to be her home again. It's a complicated relationship where she hates what the Emperor did to her home and by extension hates the Empire for essentially letting it happen, hates most of the people in charge of the Empire still, but is loyal enough to it to want to try and make it better. She has no home but her family, her friends, and the amorphous idea of the Empire that will be undone if the Republic wins.

Also I've always liked how she's played with the Sith Code. Ideally it results in freedom and there are understandably many interpretations on how to achieve freedom through power beyond the obvious one. I enjoy an interpretation that is more personal to the Sith, gaining a kind of self assurance and power and confidence in oneself will set them free. And to a point it does! Imagine living without such self doubt! She subscribes to it a bit as well as how it plays into how the Empire is a "meritocracy". She uses assets more than she destroys them, she's converted Jedi rather than killing them, and all of it still add to her power which leads more often than not, to victory. And at least by now she has proof of concept! Through those victories she's broken some of the chains that the most hated parts of the Empire had kept her down with.

But some chains just aren't broken like that :)

Also thought of having her apprentice be a fallen Jedi but honestly what Sith in their right mind wants a teenager (or anyone tbh) around who's planning on killing them?

tiresome!!!!!!!!

so she's trained some of her friends and colleague's apprentices

and her first real apprentice is her dottir Cosima!

[accirax]

Disventure Camp All Stars Power Ranking (Round 20)

At long, long last, it's time to crown a champion! Will Jake rise up to a heroic victory, or will it finally, in a sense, have to be Riya? You probably know what I'm going to say, but, let's dive into it anyways! One last time... :,)

In case you haven't seen my previous power rankings, the Power Ranking Format is essentially a way of ranking how well each player is doing in the game. So, in essence, this is a long form way of predicting who I think will be eliminated from the competition in the next episode. There will be spoilers for last week's episode (obviously) and its power ranking, so make sure to read that first if you don't want to be spoiled on how I ranked our last boot. If you want more clarification on the rules, that first post will help you out as well. Furthermore, I'm going to be spoiling the preview for next episode, so if you want to go in TOTALLY blind, save this for later. Let's go!

Recap - Ally's Elimination

Current Score: 78 acquired/115 total

(Points versus @venus-is-thinking: 29 acquired/41 total)

Bench Points: 9/15

It's pretty funny that, after how well it appeared I was doing with the bench points last time, I only got 1/5 remaining people correct. But, really, how was I supposed to predict that Gabby and Ellie would go to Riya's bench because it had more space on it? And why was Grett out here supporting Riya anyways?!?!

On to the more important part, well, I guess it still wasn't yet Riya's time. I've already spoken on how I thought that the challenge could have been framed better (Riya's lack of jewels still haunts us all), but also why taking out Ally instead of Riya could benefit her character. I'm disappointed that we didn't get to see Ally and Jake duke it out at the end, but hopefully ONC will be able to pilot these pieces into better conclusions for both Ally and Riya. Also Jake, but I think his fate was pretty locked no matter who he was dueling.

Trailer Analysis

Hey, there's Hunter supporting Ally post-loss like I wanted him to! Setting up/bringing back the drawing from the Loser's Motel is a super cute additional detail. I'm guessing this scene will happen very early into the episode, given that it's a direct follow up to what just happened at the end of last episode, and Ally has things to do later on. And Tess will come join them too! With Ally's confiscated games! Very nice.

LMAO, that's what happened to Emily? Quick turnaround on those bandages, girl. I wonder if Trevor will at all try to redeem her here.

Jake will pick up Ally and Tom as helpers, and Riya will pick up Ellie and Alec. It makes sense that Alec is helping Riya (from a writing perspective); they still have some emotions left unresolved that I imagined this episode might want to tackle.

I'd say this was the Jake supporter zone, except then I don't know how to justify Grett being there. I mean, I don't understand why Grett would want to support Riya, but she evidently did, so I don't know what would have caused her to change her mind so fast. Nearly killing Jake, James, Ally, and Fiore doesn't count.

Also, it seems like Gabby and Fiore were missing at some point in time? There might be a scene not included in the trailer of Gabby talking to Ellie and Fiore talking to Alec. Weird that we wouldn't have, like, Hunter/Tess/Ally or Aiden/Tom at the same time, though.

So, my best guess is that it's a "last man standing wins" type of challenge? Like, if you get hit by the colored arrows (of the opposite team's color?), you get eliminated. The helpers are supposed to protect their champion, but they can get eliminated as well. I don't know if that fully makes sense, but it seems viable enough.

This could go to show that all of the helpers will be eliminated before Jake and Riya (as to be expected). Wait, why is Gabby wearing gladiatorial clothing now???

Finally, more Jake/Ellie beef. I missed that this season. (/gen)

I don't think these guys are guys that we know, but it would be funny if they were. Or, even funnier, they're contestants from Season 4.

OKAY ALLY POP OFF!!!

Oh my god, you two, get a room. (/ref)

Literally everyone comes to align themselves against Riya eventually. I wonder if that can be some sort of a learning moment for Riya.

RIP Tom.

"Since no one is interested, I'll be picking someone random out of this jar. ...Alec, you're up!" "...Fine." "You can finally pay your alimony!"

Well, thank you, ONC, for including this scene to help us understand how the teams come to be. Here's my guess: as the person who placed first in the last challenge, Riya gets her first choice of bench helpers. Nobody wants to help her, until either Kristal reveals that helpers will be paid or Riya tries to bribe contestants forwards herself. Ellie, always looking for a quick buck, agrees to help Riya. Jake then picks Ally, as a show of good will towards his fallen competitor and in hopes of finally fulfilling Connor's wishes. Riya's turn again, and no one is falling for her bribery (interesting if true for Alec). This scene occurs, and Alec is forced to help Riya. Afterwards, Jake has his choice of multiple strong contenders, but with the urging of everyone on Jake's bench (who know that Tom wants to confess to Jake), Jake picks Tom.

Power Rankings

We're going backwards this time to ~conceal the mystery~. For all of two seconds.

#2: Riya (2nd Place)

I mean... after everything that's happened, maybe I should hesitate more in putting Riya at second place. After all, she's dodged, like, five straight weeks of me trying to sabotage her to the bottom, just to crawl all the way back to where she ended the last season. She has to, statistically, be the best player in DC history at this point. Maybe she would come through with a win.

Realistically, though, I know that that shouldn't happen. With the prize at $3 million and with the return of any of these characters fully unconfirmed (outside of the tomjake miniseries), I would hope that ONC would be smart enough to realize in advance how mad it would make everyone if Riya was the All Stars winner. As far as I can tell, the main people rooting for her at this point are either A) rooting for Ellie or Alec to get money, or B) just rooting against Jake.

No, it makes far more sense for Riya to come in second place yet again, and realize that, no matter if she plays the game as an underdog-turned-villain or a Queen Bitch from Day 1, she'll never be able to win because of the same reason she wasn't able to win Season 2: connections with people. Riya lost Season 2 because her cruelty and villainy caused Connor to turn on her, and thus lost her a ton of time (and pride) in the cave. This time, her two "supporters" will only be there for facetious reasons, and be unwilling to really take an arrow for her-- or at least, far less willing than Tom or Ally would be for Jake.

And you might protest that Ally would definitely be willing to let Jake get shot, and I hear you, but I also think that's part of the point. It's not like Riya is up against someone like Ashley or Tess, who probably would have been loved and supported by all the contestants up through the finish line. Instead, she's up against Jake, who easily started this season with more enemies than friends, but also managed to convert many of those enemies to friends along the way. Tom, who he had a rocky relationship with; James, who he voted out first; Aiden, who was caught in the crossfire of his jealousy; and even Ally, who initially hated his guts for how pettily he acted over Ashley. It's not just that Riya is up against some saint, it's that she's up against someone who could have been as hated as her, but decided to put in the work to be a better person and try to reforge the connections he burned when he was following solely his own internal compass. Jake is a winner because he's a hero, and he's a hero because he tried. Riya has never tried, and that's why she'll never win.

That being said, there is a compelling narrative to be had if ONC did decide to let Riya win this season for whatever reason. This comic, though a bit outdated compared to what actually happened, does a good job of showing how Riya could still get her karmic comeuppance despite winning the money. (Thank you to @/sapphireroses282 for showing it to me! Also, @/brieflykay, your style is really fun and I like your expressions.) I think the universe will have that handled without Riya needing to win, but it just serves as another example of how you can't call an idea "bad writing" until you see how an author actually plays the scene out.

#1: Jake (1st Place)

If the Power Rankings were actually based on who we thought was going to win the season at any given point in time, Jake would have been at #1 for weeks now. Even if there were times when I thought he plausibly could have been eliminated, I never really thought it would come to pass. And that's because he just makes so much sense as the winner of the season.

When Jake started this season, he was as everyone reported: selfish, whiny, and jealous. One could argue that Jake only did as well as he did in Season 1 because of his strong alliance with Tom and Miriam, who carried him through close to the end. At the beginning, everything stayed the same, with Jake voting emotionally to take out James, but everything also changed, as he was separated from Tom and Miriam was taken out early.

And then he did SO much. I know I've said it at least once before, but this truly was the Season of Jake. He formed a strong friendship with Ashley, but unlike in Season 1, he had to endure the thought of his alliance choosing to work with someone else over him. He was the bigger person in his talks with Tom about why their relationship wasn't working. He patched things up with Aiden, having to admit to his faults, and made a genuine friend. He fought with Ally, yes, but by the end of the season he never voted emotionally to take her out, instead learning about the importance of strategic voting and alliances.

It was hamfisted, sure, but James was right last episode in pointing out how much Jake has changed. He's still Jake, but he's also nothing like how Jake was before. He's the version of Jake that can win a season.

...As long as you ignore that weird relapse in Episode 19. Inconsistencies in DC writing, whatcha gonna do? (/lh)

[svturn-exe]

more re hc stuff ^_^ under cut bc i am just pasting in stuff i've already said on disc to a friend and some of this shit gets Long

👍wesker. has been conditioned to be impatient. if he wants something, he has to get it himself and can't wait for someone else to do it for him

william is way too anxious of a guy to make the first move, so wesker is the one who interrupts him mid sentence and goes I Want You apropos of nothing but hey, it works

if wesker wants someone to stop touching him, he has to Make them. and in the process that stops most people from Trying Him for a while. until the next idiot comes along

if wesker wants the experiments and mutilation to stop, he has to Kill the bastards responsible (perfectly reasonable, ngl. like actually)

and i imagine. killing marcus probably has wesker feeling good. great. amazing, even. like finally things are starting to maybe go well for him

and then having that blow up in his face when, for the first time, his award winning Go Getter attitude backfires badly, and he loses Everything in less than a month.

the remainer of stars want nothing to do with him - understandable, he did have to kill quite a few of them to make the (messy, rushed, impatient) plan work. but still failed in the end (so they sorta died for nothing)

chris wouldn't join him either, for reasons wesker doesn't understand (and won't for some time. his world view is a little skewed and his frame of reference is non existent)

and william is dead. because wesker couldn't wait to carry out the plan like they had discussed umbrella found out about their betrayal and now wesker is Alone

xx

👍claire joined the girl scouts bc she wanted to do wilderness shit, but got disappointed bc its mostly selling cookies. so she dressed up as a boy and used her brother's name to get into boyscouts and got every badge girlie is a survivalist and she goes hiking and camping frequently !!!

xx

👍thinking about ada and in-universe applications of the leon effect. spies, as in Real Life Spies, don't tend to have legal identities, and if they give you a name, chances are it's a fake one. so. headcanon time ada wong is not ada wong's birth name like, even without the trans headcanon. it's a name she came up with for the job wesker assigned her to do in raccoon city, in the event that she needs to give someone a name for whatever reason. and maybe she only really tells it to leon in the first place to get him to stop asking so many questions. give him the bare minimum to distract him from the more . Relevant. issues but then as this bright-eyed, stupidly trusting rookie tails her, even tells her off to being too calloused with kendo, and going as far as taking a Bullet for her. the way leon says that fake name starts to mean More . and it's as she's falling to her death that she realizes maybe ada isn't so fake of a name anymore. maybe she is ada wong and then some time after wesker plucks her from midair and they get out of the city she decides to say hey. i'm going by ada now

and ofc he pretends not to care, but he is curious about what happened to spark the change.

xx

👍the wallflowers - one headlight is a claida song specifically about like . leon made ada want a name. but claire makes her want to be a Person, instead of a half-real shadow of a human being that sheds everything about herself for every new job

ada goes into raccoon city that day as a half-real nobody with a mission, and emerges from its ashes as Someone

xx

👍thinkign abt aeon . their dynamic has a lot of potential either as a romantic ship or a burgeoning friendship

the delicate balance of tentative trust between them

ada, who was taught how to tell a near-perfect lie before she could do long division & has never wanted to - or had the opportunity to - hold onto something for very long. Permanent just hasn't been a Thing in her life since… ever

leon, who has been fucked over and betrayed more times than he can count. distrustful and wary but despite it all still tender-hearted. gets attached too quickly and too easily and all too desperate to see the best in people

smth abt. ada doing her best to try and regain leon's trust, and how to navigate life outside of being a spy. and leon having to relearn how to trust ada again, and not jump to the worst conclusion immediately and also they're t4t