#books typically do not kill off both leads

[thewritetofreespeech]

Could I request the Obey Me brothers reacting to their s/o sending them selfies of them in skimpy outfits or completely nude?

Obey me Brothers + spicy pics from MC

Lucifer

Another tedious meeting that should have been an email. But Lucifer remained professional and stalwart as ever, so as to not embarrass Lord Diavolo.

The only exception he made was for his cellphone. Keeping it on silent, but on the table, as Lucifer had learned in the past if he didn’t check it at least regularly during these meetings it might be too late from when his brothers’ hijinks might ensure. Vering into calamity past hijinks.

He noticed he had a text from [Y/N] and was surprised as they usually never texted him when he was in these meetings. Respecting his work. If they were texting him, Lucifer assumed it was important and opened the text in a reserved manner so as not to draw attention.

When he saw what the text was, however, he had to grip his phone tight to the point of cracking to maintain that composure.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to excuse me. It seems there is an important matter I must deal with at home. I’ll be back once the matter is taken care of. Thoroughly.”

Mammon

“Mammon-san! Over here!”

“Yes! That’s perfect! Hold that pose!”

“You look amazing Mammon-san!”

The Avatar of Greed grinned roguishly as he was showered with praise. He had to admit, he really was killing this photoshoot.

The photographer took a few more shots before they called for a break and the team moved in to touch him up. Offering him compliments still, along with water. Both of which Mammon drank up. One of the attendants handed him his phone from his dressing room. Giving him a few moments to check it before it was back to work.

He looked at a missed text from [Y/N] and nearly did a spit take of his water. Able to thankfully keep it down, but still coughed in a very un-model like manner at seeing their nearly naked form.

“I uh…I gotta go. We have enough for the magazine right?? Good. Great! Thanks for the opportunity and be sure to call me again!”

Mammon was then out the door fast than anyone could catch him. Including to get his wardrobe outfit off.

“Models….” The photographer muttered as he reset his camera to take shots of the background models in the meantime.

Levi

“On your right! On your right! NO! Your other right!!” Levi shouted into his headset as he tried to lead his team through the maze of undead swarm.

Zombie Zion XX9 had just come out this week and Levi had been grinding non-stop. He barely made time to sleep, much less do anything else, in pursuit of this final battle with the Mother Swarm of zombies (there by defeating the plague and saving the world from the undead at last).

“Guys, we have to get through the door together, otherwise we don’t get the ‘In This Together’ buff! You need to catch up to me! It’s…It’s…ugh! Hold on!” His phone had been buzzing beside him non-stop for the past minute with various texts.

Usually, he would ignore it. But something this persistent typically meant it was important, and what if it was his brothers telling him the house was on fire? He’d have to save his Ruri-chan figures if that was the case.

When he opened the text, Levi’s eyes bugged out and he felt his nose begin to well up with blood as he looked at the picture of [Y/N] in their cosplay panties.

“Levi! Where are you?! We’re getting hammered out here! Levi-!” The connection on his game went dead as the last of his team members died. The screen fading into a black screen of ‘game over’.

“Oh, come on!”

Satan

This anthology that Simeon had recommended to him was thrilling. Truly a masterpiece.

Satan had been absorbed into the new series almost since the first page. Devouring each of the nine books with vigor, much like his little brother did with food. He had forsaken all else, honestly, except reading the past few days. Anxious to find out who the final killer & mastermind behind the protagonist’s plight was, and finally get some answers.

He was nearly at the climax, the big reveal, when his phone started to buzz.

Grumbling that his concentration was broken, Satan picked it up to see who it was. His irksomeness quickly dissolving as he saw [Y/N]’s nearly naked chest in front of him.

He had a choice to make.

Continue reading and get the answers he needed, or put the book down and go to the person clearly in need of him. How was he to choose?

In the end, he put the book down and sprinted off to where [Y/N] was. If the main character could wait 10 years to find out who the killer was, surely Satan could wait a little longer to find out as well.

Asmo

Shopping was one of Asmo’s favorite past times. Going to stores and looking for the perfect item or accessory was like a little treasure hunt to him. Or just perusing the aisles and new merch like one would an art gallery, with the same enthusiasm for beauty. It was a wonderful afternoon. Especially if [Y/N] was with him.

[Y/N] had gone to try on some items that they found while Asmo continued to scan over the racks. His cellphone eventually buzzed, and he fumbled with his iced coffee to get it out of his bag. Seeing a picture of [Y/N] in the dressing room in a super cute bra and panty set with the question :should I get it?:

:OMG yes! 💓🥵🔥🔥: Asmo texted back immediately.

:It looks so good on you! Which dressing room are you in?? I want to see it in person! Should we get matching ones??:

He eventually found [Y/N] and showered them with praise. Insisting that he would buy it for them if they didn’t get it themselves, and offered to buy it in every color as well.

Beel

“98…99…100.”

Beel lifted the weights one final time and put the bar back on the rack. The weights clanking down with a heavy thud with the sheer mass of them. He loved getting a good workout in before he went home.

Heading over to his locker space to get some water and check his phone, Beel saw he had a text from [Y/N]. He opened it and saw the spicy picture they had just sent him. Usually only the 5x Hellfire Spicy noodles were the only spice that could make him drool this much. Clearly he was wrong.

Beel decided to, for once, cut his work out short. He quickly packed his bag and ran home to do some cardio on the way home. Planning to do some more ‘cardio’ when he got there.

He could make up for the missed sets in the morning before school. Since he’d be busy the rest of the night.

Belphie

Belphie yawned and rolled over as he woke up from his nap. His fifth of the day, so it was a pretty short one. Only about an hour this time.

He stretched and rubbed his eyes before reaching for his phone to see what time it was. He was immediately greeted with a text from [Y/N] on the screen. He felt a little bad for missing it while he was a sleep, but by now they had to know that he would get back to them eventually. Belphie opened it and was immediately greeted with something from his dreams.

:Are you still wearing that?: He texted them back.

:Come to my room: He then added. :In the attic. I’m still in bed. So half the work is done😉.:

He waited to hear back from [Y/N] and grinned when he saw them respond with they were on their way.

And his brothers made fun of him for being in bed all the time. With his soft mattress and [Y/N], why would he ever want to leave?

[thepersonperson]

Gojo kind of sucks at being Megumi's dad but he’s definitely his dad. (An analysis of Gojo and Megumi's messy relationship.)

Notes before we start.

1) Read the light novels. They are the equivalent of Bleach's CFYOW for JJK. There is a fan translation (Book 1 & Book 2), but I will be citing the official translation from my own copies.

2) I will be mainly using the TCB scans for the manga because of their accessibility. 

3) Raws are from Mangareader(.)to.

4) Written as of JJK 263.

5) Read the light novels.

(Click pictures for captions/citations.)

Preface

This was written with the assumption you've also read these other analyses:

The Tragedy of Gojo Satoru (aka how to read Gojo)

Gojo's Relationship to Toji

Please give them a quick glance at least.

And Remember Umineko: Without love it cannot be seen.

Gojo Satoru—World’s Most Okayish Dad

There's heavy debate on whether Gojo is a good dad or a bad dad or even if he is a dad at all to Megumi. I will argue the case for Gojo being an ok dad. Not great or terrible. Just ok.

The best way to do this I think is to start off with Megumi's biological father, Fushiguro Toji.

Gojo and Toji Parallels

Toji is objectively the worse father, but Gojo and him have a lot in common when it comes to handling emotions after your wife dies. Gege draws attention to the fact that Gojo is essentially Toji. Both in looks and function.

What fascinates me about this comparison is not only does it visually scream at you “HEY GOJO IS MEGUMI’S SEMI-DEADBEAT DAD”, it also solidifies that Gojo has never gotten over Toji. And perhaps even idolizes him to an unhealthy degree. He’s dressed up as the Ultimate Killing Thing. Toji can kill the unkillable—The Strongest. If he’s more like Toji, he can kill Sukuna.

In addition to foreshadowing the outcome of the Gojo vs Sukuna fight, this also drew attention to the fact these two had been completely dehumanized by Jujutsu Society, albeit in polar opposite directions. Both of them suffered extreme objectification by their clans and the people around them, leading to a general disconnect from others. Their strength is worshiped, feared, and used until it kills them. The difference between them is that Gojo was deified while Toji was demonized. 

Since these comparisons appear to be deliberate, I want to examine what makes their relationship when it comes to Megumi and coping with Jujutsu Society.

Breaking the Cycle

When it comes to generational abuse, trauma, and toxic beliefs, a single generation is typically not enough to break the cycle. Often victims can recognize what went wrong but fail to address the crux of the problem and carry a softened version of that toxicity onto the next generation. I think the differences between the Zenin Clan, Toji, Gojo, and Megumi when it comes to misogyny demonstrate this idea very well. 

The Zenin Clan operates on misogyny. Women are treated as servants and breeding stock by the men who enforce this hierarchy for their benefit. (Naoya is the youngest of many older siblings because Naobito didn’t stop making his wife have children until his Cursed Technique (CT) was inherited.) Violence towards women is acceptable and encouraged. When Toji broke free of his clan, he also left behind this violence towards women. As a victim of their cruelty, he recognized that inflicting it was wrong.

That being said, I truly believe the main reason Toji didn’t massacre the Zenins was him benefiting from their misogyny as a man. Even if just a little. Naobito offered him an indirect place in the clan through selling Megumi and Naoya respected his strength. As a girl, Maki was not afforded anything and therefore had nothing to lose. The only way forward for her was to burn everything to the ground.

And despite seeing first hand how poorly the Zenins treated women, the idea that they exist to serve men is a mentality Toji still held onto. He bummed money and childcare off women and was content to laze around while Tsumiki most likely handled housework at a young age. 

Toji was canonically a decent husband to his wife. He also canonically fell back to his unstable behavior and abandoned his children to gamble after she died. And though I acknowledge this as a tragedy, this too is another instance of misogyny. His wife was his sole source of his emotional wellbeing, a common burden thrust onto women in relationships with men. They’re expected to not only do physical labor in the relationship, but the emotional labor too, essentially becoming a personal maid and therapist. I’m not surprised he wound up this way, he wasn’t really taught how to care for himself.

Compare this to Gojo who is even less of a misogynist than Toji. He doesn’t expect women to do anything for him. His recruiting is equal opportunity when it comes to strength and he has not once disparaged his female students on the basis of their gender. He can even recognize that the Zenin Clan is a bad place for women. His issues are far more subtle—Gojo seems to deprioritize the women in his life, even if unconsciously. Gege has stated that Gojo can never fully be honest with a woman which would explain why he emotionally shut out Shoko after Geto left. It’s not like Gojo is open with men either, but when it comes to admiration, he always thinks of male characters first and foremost.

(It's also kind of telling that his other female student, Kiara isn't anywhere here either. Maki's face being blocked out is probably a coincidence, but it sure visually says something.)

I don’t consider Gojo’s failure to be a good teacher to Maki a part of this. He just sucks as a teacher for everyone. So much so that Gojo had to beg Nanami to mentor Yuji and bullied Miguel into training Yuta. Someone who can’t even use Cursed Energy (CE) is far beyond his capabilities. (Note how Nanami thought Gojo was coming to him for Megumi. This guy can’t even teach his alleged successor properly.)

The main problem is how he treats Utahime. Gojo just straight up makes sexist comments towards her when he bullies her. He doesn’t do this to any other female character so I assume this is done to get under her skin instead of a deeply held belief. Since Gojo is otherwise not sexist, I think this may be a case of not being told this is outright discriminatory. For example, when Gojo is racist towards Miguel, he gets called out, immediately apologizes, and stops talking. Utahime doesn’t do that. She just tells him to respect her on the grounds she’s his elder—the very thing that Gojo is rebelling against.

Still there’s no excuse for this. Unmarried women over 25 in Japan face a lot of stigma as it is, Gojo antagonizing her over that is a terrible thing to do. (Unless this is a case of T4T banter where Gojo’s sexist comments are Trans Inclusive Radical Misogyny.)

I’m not sure where this puts Tsumiki in Gojo’s life. Gege has admitted to fumbling her character in the story. One of the biggest complaints of fans is that it doesn’t feel like Megumi cared that intensely for her because their relationship was hardly shown, so I’m inclined to give some leeway to Gojo here.

Gojo does care about non-sorcerer lives and will go out of his way to ensure their well-being despite otherwise treating them indifferently. When it came to Geto’s family he also took care of the ones that defected because they were important to someone he loves. I have no doubt he made sure Tsumiki’s basic needs were met. There could be a whole unique dynamic he has with Tsumiki that may or may not be expanded upon in the anime or light novels. 

But as it stands, he most certainly deprioritized her in his life. To what extent? And was it for being a girl or being weak? Who knows. She’s not in the afterlife airport scene and Gojo doesn’t think about her in death. This could be for a number of reasons. 1) He has no idea she’s dead. 2) He really did just limit things to his high school years. 3) He didn’t care about her at all. My point is I don’t know and he definitely screwed up here.

In all these cases, it seems that Gojo’s problem lies less with misogyny and more with his relationship to strength. Gojo has correctly identified that strict hierarchies are a problem. As an adult he does not tell others to put up with him because of his seniority, strength, or gender. People are free to insult him, smack him, and order him around without fear of consequence. But just like how Toji still sees women as a means to serve him without being violent, Gojo sees his strength as something that separates him from other people without abusing it.

On a fundamental level Gojo stopped seeing himself as a human because of the objectification he experienced as a living weapon. Other people to him are both precious and unreachable. His internal beliefs have him convinced this immense difference in strength means no one weaker than him can ever fully understand him. And once again, just like Toji, this is all related to unprocessed trauma.

When Geto abandoned Gojo, one of his reasons was their difference in strength. Geto straight up tells Gojo this to his face. They no longer can be friends because he’s The Strongest. Geto no longer understands him because he’s The Strongest. Gojo took that to heart it seems. If his best friend won’t be with him because he’s too strong, no one can truly be with him unless they’re as strong as him. 

I want to be clear. What broke their relationship wasn’t their difference in strength—it was exploitation at the hands of the higher ups. They kept those two separate and overworked until one of them snapped. Both of them failed to identify their work culture as the crux of their problems. Geto blamed non-sorcerers while Gojo blamed himself and only Jujutsu Society. And in the same way Toji tried to rely on women to fix his problems, Gojo went all in on strength. This is how Gojo can be correct in seeing the higher ups and tradition as a massive problem, while still overworking himself and putting his students in dangerous situations.

But despite all these flaws, Gojo did right by Megumi when raising him. Megumi is a Zenin by blood—misogyny should be present in every single drop, and yet it is not. Megumi is so divorced from sex-based hierarchies that he barely sees gender. When Todo asks a rather sleazy question about what women he likes, his answer is gender neutral and on the basis of them being a good person. He prioritizes the women in his life, respecting Maki as a role model and taking action in service to his sister’s wellbeing. His protectiveness of Tsumiki isn’t chivalrous either, Megumi extends the same prioritization to Yuji since they both meet his definition of a good person.

Megumi has internalized Gojo’s disinterest in hierarchy so much that he has no interest in power either. When he’s made the head of the Zenin Clan, he immediately wants to give the title to Maki. A girl being more competent than Megumi is not something that bothers him in the slightest. Naoya could never. All that money and influence mean nothing to him. People and animals are all that matter to him. This violent cycle of misogyny ends with him.

Gojo also did good by ensuring both Megumi and Maki were never exposed to the feud between the Zenin and Gojo Clans. Megumi is only made aware of it in passing as encouragement for his growth. Since Maki massacred the rest of the Zenins, that generational beef is officially over too. Two violent cycles ended in part because Gojo rejected the strict hierarchies perpetuating the problem.

The only cycle Gojo didn’t break was the over reliance on strength and child labor. He did lay the groundwork to escape it I think. None of his students believe strength means they need to be isolated. They cooperate in combat and appear to be close friends that enjoy themselves when they can. Since the higher ups are all dead and Japan is in disarray, there’s a good chance they can do something truly revolutionary with this if they survive Sukuna.

Gojo sucks at parenting, but it is still parenting.

Demonstrating how Gojo has benefited Megumi doesn’t make him a father. After all, neither Megumi or Tsumiki take his last name and Megumi refers to him as Sensei. There’s also the underlying coercion in their arrangement, Gojo’s aid came at the cost of Megumi becoming a sorcerer.

I put the memories of their meeting side by side for comparison. Gojo's is probably more accurate since it's presented with more details and clarity. But little Megumi seeing Gojo as a strange and annoying aberration says a lot about their relationship.

So, I turn to the undisputed Mother of the Year, Geto, for comparison.

Gege has stated that Geto was a father to Mimiko and Nanako. He outwardly shows affection towards them as family and spends much more time with them However, Geto runs a cult whose aim is genocide and everyone in his cult is a family member. Geto’s daughters do not take his last name and call him Master. They participate in cult activities and murder operations as they were raised to be prejudiced. There’s also the underlying manipulation in how he recruited them at their most vulnerable. If Geto can be called dad despite all this, then Gojo should be too.

Geto is the better parent by far, I won’t dispute that. He pursued motherhood as a means to cope with his mental illness immediately at age 17. As a cult leader he had plenty of time to be a father since he didn’t have a real job. He set his own hours while being financed by donors, allowing him to be more active in his children’s life. Gojo was not nearly as proactive, he picked up Megumi after he started the first grade.

In Japan, children may enter the first grade in April after turning 6, therefore it can be assumed that Megumi is 6 here and the year is 2009 in April or later. Megumi is in short sleeves and the weather looks warm, so the furthest out the date could be is early September. Gojo was born on December 22, 1989 while Megumi was born on December 7, 2002, giving them a 13 year age gap that puts Gojo at age 19. Since Toji was killed in August of 2007 this means there were 1.75–2 years between his final request and Gojo acting on it. It is unknown how long Tsumiki’s mother was absent.

I do not fault Gojo for this since he could’ve never predicted their mother abandoning them. After Geto died and Nanami was in mourning, the higher ups pushed all that extra work onto him. It’s likely that Gojo had no time to pursue this until he forced the issue near the sale date. These work obligations no doubt strained his relationship with Megumi and Tsumiki as their caretaker.

Some think that this absence is proof Gojo is not a father. I think this absence is proof that he is.

An emotionally distant father who works all day, barely has time for you, and is a pain to deal with. Yes he may pay all the bills and give you a place to live, but you still kind of hate him for being an ass. Sound familiar? You probably know someone with this exact dad if he’s not yours. He even has a clear bias for the son he wants to grow up to be just like him! (I'm so sorry Tsumiki.) 

But that’s not what truly makes him a dad. Gojo couples his affection with cruelty. The way in which Gojo torments Megumi specifically is unique to him and no other student. With all his other students he is consistently, overly friendly. With Megumi? He bullies him in the way only a parent can.

If you aren’t a parent to a child, perhaps you own a pet that you consider your child. I have yet to meet a pet owner that doesn’t mess with their baby to get a reaction out of them.

And since Gege storyboarded Jujutsu Strolls, this video clip is in a state of probably canon.

I can’t think of anything more dad than deliberately embarrassing your child to mess with their love life.

Fathers like these tend to have children that want to destroy them in some capacity. It can serve as a strong motivation for their growth. Protag with crappy dad they might hate while also seeking validation from them? What popular Shounen doesn’t have this? We’ve got Baki the Grappler, Full Metal Alchemist, Bleach, Hunter x Hunter, etc. (Hey look 2 of those are works Gege is heavily inspired by.)

As stated in CFYOW, JJK Thorny Road at Dawn, Chapter 5: At the End of a Sidewalk, Megumi is motivated the most when he imagines destroying Gojo.

In summary, Gojo fits the typical emotionally distant dad bill. A little bit misogynistic, a little bit racist, and trying to live out his failed dreams through his child who he bullies due to unprocessed trauma. (And holy fudge the amount of anime dads that have a kid specifically to surpass them.)

Megumi considers Gojo family even if he won’t outright state it.

Given how Megumi treats Gojo, it may be difficult to believe that he sees his sensei as anything other than a nuisance. But that's kind of how Megumi treats everyone, including his sister. How Megumi is with Tsumiki specifically can give us insight into his behaviors when he's around family vs non-family. Using her as a reference, it can be inferred how he categorizes Gojo.

Tsumiki (and Yuji) vs Gojo

We know that Megumi values his sister greatly because he prioritizes her well-being above most other people. But this motivation is never directly spoken to another character. Megumi keeps his feelings on the matter so close to his chest that Nobara and Yuji are shocked to learn he even has a sister. I don’t think seeing them together would indicate their closeness either. Outwardly Megumi often treats Tsumiki coldly, refusing her affection and even picking fights with her.

And despite his internal dialogue being less harsh towards her, it can still be quite biting. While he recalls her on the verge of passing out, Megumi refers to Tsumiki as his バカ姉貴 (Baka Aneki) or Stupid Sister. Believe it or not, this is actually affection. Sukuna uses similar phrasing for his mother and this Twitter user explains why that's actually a kindness.

Thankfully, Tsumiki and Yuji can see through Megumi’s stand-offishness for what it is. They’re good people who are willing to look past his flaws so Megumi treats them the same way. In this regard, these two act as a blueprint for reading Megumi. For the people he values most he’ll treat them harshly and barely mention them. His expression of love is unspoken devotion and downplayed admiration.

But without that context, Megumi constantly smacking Yuji and the following passages from CFYOW, JJK Summer of Ashes, Autumn of Dust, Chapter 1: Kyujitsu Kaisen would make you think that he hated him.

All of this is why I believe Megumi's taciturn behavior towards Gojo is his strange way of showing he cares and perhaps as family.

I want to draw attention to the extras where Megumi responds to the question: What is Gojo Satoru to you?

The VIZ translation has Megumi answer: "Well, I guess I owe him my life. I guess…”

The original Japanese is: "一応恩人です......一応"

This is an extremely inaccurate translation as this Tumblr user will explain:

一応 (ichiou) is “for the time being”. 恩人 (onjin) is “benefactor” or “patron”, generally someone that care for his well-being or who he’s indebted to. So it’s “for the time being, he’s my benefactor”.

If we translate back the VIZ version to Japanese, it will be 命の恩人 (inochi no onjin) meaning someone who has saved your life, which is usually used in the context of a literal life-and-death situation. For example when Gojo saved Yuuji from his execution.

Megumi calling Gojo his benefactor greatly downplays all that has been done for him. And his expression is very similar to when he speaks of or around Tsumiki. I think it’s safe to assume Gojo means more to Megumi than he's letting on.

Though Megumi claims he's protecting Tsumiki because she's a good person, I believe there's an additional reason. He owes her a great debt. When their parents abandoned them, she was the one who looked after him first. When Gojo wasn't around to directly care for them, Tsumiki took charge. Megumi's devotion to her is an expression of gratitude for all her efforts.

When Megumi says Gojo is his "benefactor for now", it sounds rather callous. I believe this can be interpreted as something much more benign. In the same way Megumi is returning the favor to Tsumiki, this could be him hinting he plans to one day repay Gojo for his aid.

Gojo is the first person Megumi goes to for help.

Megumi prioritizes Tsumiki and Yuji in part because they need protecting. He sees himself as their guardian and expends a lot of effort ensuring their safety. No such thing occurs for Gojo because he’s The Strongest and the caretaking adult in their relationship. Megumi prioritizes Gojo in a completely different way—he’s the first person he goes to for help with difficult things.

I think this is significant because Megumi otherwise does not seek direct help from others. Sure he'll train with and borrow things from people, but there's a distinct lack of vulnerability he's willing to show.

When Megumi is near death, Gojo’s memory and lessons are his crutch. He does this in his rematch with the Finger Bearer, its aftermath, and before he summons Mahoraga against Haruta. The only other people who have consistently been on Megumi’s mind near death are Tsumiki and Yuji.

And who else grew on the brink of death? Gojo. These two even make the same kind of faces as they flip out during brutal fights. Megumi rarely smiles and its a bit concerning he seems at his happiest when he's in the throes of battle like his sensei.

This could just be a Zenin thing since Maki, Mai, Noabita, Naoya, and Toji will broadly smile when they are obliterating the enemy. But I find it fascinating that Yuji and Yuta did not develop this habit at all despite being personally trained by Gojo. It's possible that Gojo's influence made this aspect of Megumi worse.

What I like the most about Megumi seeking Gojo's aid is how eager his benefactor is to give him whatever he wants when he asks. Gojo is not stingy with his money at all. Megumi’s physical needs are so fully met that he inadvertently shows how spoiled he is when interacting with Yuji and Nobara.

Not only does Megumi recognize higher end fashion, he has strong opinions on it. He also sees Yuji and Nobara react poorly to the price point so he offers to pay a little more. But as you can see, he is so disconnected from average people's money situations that he thinks ~$800 to be put towards a ~$2,500 shirt isn't a big deal.

This indicates that Gojo dotes on Megumi more than other students. Megumi seems to be in such a special category that other characters pick up on it. In other words, Gojo really is acting more like a parent spoiling his favorite child than a teacher here.

Sukuna recognizes how much Megumi values Gojo.

Megumi resisted Sukuna as a vessel by lowering his CE output before the bath. If this affected Sukuna’s ability to obtain his true form post-bath, I do not know. Kenjaku and Yorozu make the claim he could change it, but Sukuna acknowledges full control over Megumi’s body requires Tsumiki being killed first. Sukuna also says that Megumi’s face is better for fighting other sorcerers. He reverts to his true form in his fight with Kashimo, conducting only 2 battles with Megumi’s face on purpose. …If Sukuna is to be taken at his word. 

If Megumi’s resistance prevented the change, that means his soul wasn’t completely broken until Gojo was dead. If Sukuna intentionally manifested his true form after Gojo’s death, that means the two were close enough to be used as a strategy in the same vein as Yorozu/Tsumiki. Either reading suggests a close bond on par with his sister.

Why this dynamic sucks for them both.

The tragedy here is that Gojo and Megumi likely never communicated these feelings to each other. If Megumi can’t even tell his sister he cares directly, there’s no way it’s happening for Gojo. And given how Gojo keeps everyone at arms length because of his own personal hang ups, I doubt he’d ever express it either.

Gojo can’t call Megumi his son, that would be a weakness. Megumi won’t call Gojo his father, he learned how to keep his distance from the best.

Gojo’s avoidant attachment style seems to have reinforced it in Megumi. He was already pretty distant with Tsumiki as a young child, but it appears to have worsened with age. He regrets it himself in basically the same way Gojo regrets failing Geto after he’s gone. Megumi learned from the best you know. Her revival after a coma lasting 1 year and 7 months isn’t enough for him to stop doing this either—he continues to play it cool, just like Gojo.

Gojo on some level is aware he has screwed up royally with Megumi. There’s good reason Nanami thought Gojo was coming to him for help with Megumi first. He does try to make up for this in his own little Gojo way. He gets him friends his age, he tries to have him do normal kid activities, he gives him attention when asked.

But Gojo will never be open about why because he clearly doesn’t know how to address his own hang ups or grief in a healthy manner. And unfortunately Megumi has inherited his bad habits like sons tend to do. He internalizes his trauma, seeks no emotional support, and shows no signs of distress until it breaks him.

As an aside, Gojo is posturing here when he pretends nothing is wrong with Sukuna. …But like I’ve said, he’s not the best dad in the world, so him getting lost in the fight and forgetting about Megumi isn’t out of character. It’s just another trait of his that makes him even more like Toji.

(And since Megumi's name means Blessing, this also doubles as them forgetting about their blessing.)

Gojo didn't want any of this baggage for Megumi. He didn't just want Megumi to be strong—he wanted Megumi to be better than himself. During that training session after the baseball game, Gojo tells Megumi not to sacrifice himself so that others may succeed since sorcerers die alone. He recalls this conversation when he dies, making Megumi the first person he thinks about in death.

As shown by JJK 261, Gojo could not follow his own advice when it came to self-sacrificing. He sacrificed his life and body so that his students could survive. This is a part of that cycle Gojo couldn't break himself, but trusts the future generation to do so. He laid the groundwork for it knowing he'd likely never live to see it fulfilled.

And still, Megumi is even more traumatized than Geto. His only saving grace is Yuji’s refusal to give up on him. Gojo tried to be a dad to him and he failed. Megumi is paying the price for that dearly. Their relationship had problems that were never going to be addressed until the very nature of Jujutsu Sorcerer work changed. Gojo didn’t have the time to process his own grief let alone raise 2 children properly because of overwork. Their messy father-son dynamic isn’t uncommon or unexpected. Like I said, you probably know someone with this type of dad if he isn’t yours.

In Conclusion...

Gojo is an ok dad and Megumi is definitely his son. Whether or not they use those labels for each other is ultimately irrelevant. Geto's words to Kuroi Misato, the maid who looked after Riko when no one else would, put it succinctly:

[nyeigneous]

Garth Igneous 加什·伊格尼斯

Age：45 年龄：四十五岁

Birth: 20/05/1893 生日：一八九三年五月二十日

Height：188cm 身高：一百八十八厘米

Build：Emaciation 体型：消瘦

Sexuality：Homosexuality 性取向：同性恋

Appearance:

He has short blond hair, light blue eyes, and an aggressive pointed nose.

There is a huge scar on the right forehead. A tattoo on the inside of his left forearm but is damaged by a scar. Both forearms were covered with scars made by knife. In addition, there are countless scars on his body, some of which are left by knife, some of which are left by wolves.

金褐色短发，浅蓝色眼睛，有着一个咄咄逼人的尖鼻子。

他的右侧额头有一个巨大的伤疤。

左臂内侧有一个纹身，但是已经被疤痕破坏掉了。他的每条胳膊内侧都布满了刀子划伤后留下的疤痕。除此之外他的身上也布满了数不清的伤疤，有些是自残留下的，还有一些是被狼咬伤留下的。

Personality:

Garth is a neurotic, selfish, arrogant, and cunning man. His good family background and rich knowledge make him have the arrogance to master everything, so once the development of things is not expected, he will lose his temper like a child.

加什是个神经质，自私，傲慢又狡猾的人。

他的良好的出身和丰富的知识储备让他有着一种对一切都尽在掌握的傲慢，所以一旦事情的发展不在他的意料之中，便会像孩子一样发脾气。

His mind is not complicated, but it is this straightforward way of thinking that makes it easier for him to do impulsive and reckless things.

他的心思并不复杂，反而正是这种单刀直入的思维方式让他更容易做出冲动和不计后果的事情。

He often overreacts to others.

他经常对别人的言行反应过激。

Because of bipolar disorder, almost all his shortcomings are magnified, making him a completely uncontrollable madman.

在患上躁郁症之后，他所有的缺点几乎都被放大了，令他变成了一个完全不可控的疯子。

Weapons and skills:

Shotgun, hunting knife, poison bait; Good at tracking, anti-reconnaissance, setting traps, and piss his partner off.

双管霰弹枪，猎刀，毒饵；

擅长追踪，反侦察，设置陷阱，还有惹毛自己的同伴。

重要的人：安德烈·别列科夫

宝贵之物：浪琴狩猎者腕表（安德烈送给他的）

��惧之物：极光；骑马

Important people: Andre Berekov Precious things: Longines hunter's watch (Andre gave it to him)

Fear: aurora; riding

Other：

吸烟很多；Smoking a lot;

情绪激动时会过度呼吸；Excessive breathing when excited;

酒量很差；Poor drinking capacity;

画画很好；Good at painting;

写日记；Keeping a diary;

喜欢用口哨吹肖邦的降E大调夜曲九号第二首；He likes to whistle Chopin nocturnes op.9. no2;

小时候被父母逼迫学过钢琴，虽然很痛恨钢琴，但是弹得不错；When he was a child, he was forced by my parents to learn the piano. Although he hates the piano, he plays it well

人物历史History:

北方口音Northern accent

加什的父母是是来自伯明翰的地质学家和生物学家，他们是典型的守旧并且固执的知识分子。 受到父母的影响，加什有着丰富的博物学知识，以及英格兰北方口音。 

Garth's parents are geologists and biologists from Birmingham, UK, they are typically old-fashioned and stubborn intellectuals. Influenced by his parents, Garth has rich natural knowledge and a northern English accent.

在1900年左右淘金热时期，伊格尼斯夫妻带着18岁的大儿子赫尔，16岁的女儿利兹和10岁的加什来到阿拉斯加进行调研。与他们同行的还有26岁的詹森·斯坦福斯，作为孩子们的家庭教师。年幼的加什正是需要父母的时候，但是夫妻俩的工作非常繁忙，便将照顾加什和教他读书写字的任务全权交给了詹森。

During the gold rush around 1900, Mr. Igneous and his wife come to Alaska with their 18-year-old son Hull, 16-year-old daughter Liz and 10-year-old Garth for research. Along with them is Jason Stamford, 26, a tutor for the children. The young Garth is in need of his parents, but the couple's work is very busy, they entrust Jason with the task of taking care of Garth and teaching him to read and write.

温柔的人 A mild person

詹森是一个才华横溢的年轻人，本职专业是古生物学，曾经是加什父亲的学生。他性格随和有耐心，但是因为患���小儿麻痹症，他的左腿肌肉萎缩，只能靠手杖行走，同时还有各种并发症，导致他虚弱而瘦小。但是这并没有影响他的温柔和对生活的热爱。这些美好的品德同时也深深地影响了加什。

Jason is a talented young man with a major in paleontology. He was once a student of Garth's father. Because of polio, his left leg muscles atrophy and he can only walk with a walking stick. Various complications lead to his weakness and emaciation. But this does not kill his tenderness and love of life. These beautiful virtues also deeply influenced Garth.

加什小时候体弱多病，不喜欢户外活动，因此除了上课，他也有大量的时间跟詹森相处，两人像手足和父子一样促膝长谈，读书，学习钢琴，亲密关系与日俱增。在加什18岁那年，他大胆向詹森袒露了自己炙热而迷茫的倾慕之情。詹森也很喜欢这个好学而热情的男孩，但是职业道德让他拒绝了男孩。因为詹森也是一名同性恋，他没有指责加什非同常人的性取向，而是鼓励他勇敢做自己，不要违背自己的意愿。

As a sickly child, Garth does not like the outdoors, so he spends a lot of time with Jason in addition to attending classes. The two talk like father and son, read books and learn the piano, and their bond grows.

When Garth turns 18, he boldly confesses his hot, confused admiration to Jason. Jason also likes the studious and enthusiastic boy, but the work ethic makes him turn him down. Jason, who is also gay, does not criticize Garth's unusual sexuality, but encourages him to be himself and not go against his will.

但是这些事都被加什的父母看在眼里，他们辞退了詹森。加什与父母大吵了一架。

But Garth's parents see all this, and they fire Jason. Garth has a big fight with his parents.

詹森回到曼彻斯特的老家之后身体状况堪忧，但是一直跟加什保持着密切的书信来往，给年轻人的困扰和疑惑以中肯而温柔的建议。三年后，加什22岁那年，詹森怀着遗憾离世。

Jason returns home to Manchester in poor health, but keeps up a close correspondence with Garth, offering gentle advice on the young man's troubles and doubts. Jensen died three years later, when Garth is 22.

逃婚 To escape a marriage

1919年，加什25岁，关于自己的职业和专业规划问题，他跟父母进行了一场非常激烈的争吵。他的父母已经详细地为他安排了工作和婚事，要求他迎娶当地投资商的女儿，以获得学术上的经济支持。但是加什冲动地向父母表明了自己的性取向以及对自由的渴望。他的父母非常生气，认为是詹森给自己儿子灌输了不好的想法。一怒之下加什收拾行李离家出走。

In 1919, when Garth is 25 years old, he has a very heated argument with his parents about his professional planning. His parents have arranged work and marriage for him in detail and ask him to marry the daughter of a local investor in order to obtain academic financial support. Garth impulsively tells them his sexual orientation and desire for freedom. His parents are very angry, abuse Jason for instilling bad illusion into his son. In a rage, Garth packs up and leaves home.

在这件事前半年左右，加什的父母认识了来自美国南部的安德森·黑斯廷斯（27岁），这位英俊而富裕的年轻人正在为自己的事业寻找地质学以及生物学领域的专家的协助，他衣着华丽，谈吐得体，很快就得到了加什全家人的认可。两个年轻人就此相识了，并且私交甚密。

Half of year ago, Garth's parents meet Anderson Hastings (27) from the south of the US. This handsome and wealthy young man is looking for the assistance of experts in geology and biology for his career. He is gorgeous in clothes and spokes appropriately and is soon recognized by the Ignoneus family. The two young people meet and become intimate.

加什离家出走之后理所当然的去投奔了安德森，他很快就带着加什踏上了去往苏联出差的游轮。两人开始热恋。

Garth runs away from home and goes to Anderson. Anderson soon takes Garth on a cruise ship to the Soviet Union for a business trip.

安德森对于自己性取向从不隐藏，并且向外人介绍Garth为自己的男友。这些行为令Garth感到安全，他以为这是安德森认真对待自己的表现。但是Garth没想到的是，自己只是安德森炫耀的资本。

Anderson never hides his sexual orientation and introduces Garth as his boyfriend which makes Garth feel safe. But what Garth doesn't expect is that Anderson just takes him as a property could show off.

另外，安德森还是一个非常有控制欲的情场老手，他认为爱情只是交易，他提供奢华的生活条件，而男孩们只要听他的安排就好。他认为Garth寻找精神伴侣的想法非常无聊且没有意义。

In addition, Anderson is a control freak playboy. He believes that love is only a trade. He provides his boyfriends with luxurious living conditions, and the only thing the boys need to do is following his arrangement. He thinks that Garth's idea of finding a spiritual partner is very boring and meaningless.

白月光Bright moonlight

在那个年代，通过学术研究项目来洗钱的现象逐渐在有钱人的圈内流行起来��而安德森带着Garth去见的人，大部分也是这类执绔子弟。游轮上的日子花天酒地且奢靡混乱，Garth对这种气氛感到无助且厌恶，安德烈·别列科夫（23岁）也就是在这段时间内出现在他面前的。

In that time, the phenomenon of money-laundering through academic research projects becoming popular among the rich. Most of the people Anderson takes Garth to see are such dandies. The days on the cruise ship are extravagant and chaotic. Garth feels helpless and disgusted at the atmosphere. Andrei Berekov (23) appears during this time.

安德烈是那群苏联学者团里最安静的一个，大家都在喝酒应酬的时候他会找个安静的角落独自写写画画。相识之后Garth很快发现安德烈像自己一样也是对这场所谓学术旅行抱有错误的期待的人，并且，他在植物学上的知识令Garth震惊（虽然安德烈的口音给两人的沟通带来了不小的困难）。

Andrei is the quietest member of the group of Soviet scholars. While everyone drinks and socialize, he would sit in a quiet corner and write alone. Garth finds out that Andre, like himself, is also the one who has false expectations for this so-called academic trip. Moreover, Garth is shocked by his knowledge of botany (although Andre's accent makes it difficult for them to communicate).

跟安德森完全相反的是，温文尔雅的安德烈总能看到Garth灵魂上的闪光点，他尊重他的每一个灵感和观念，并将其演变成一场场友好而意义非凡的学术讨论。这几乎就是Garth���直在追求的关系状态。

Contrary to Anderson, the gentle Andre can always see the flash in Garth's soul. He respects every inspiration and idea of Garth and can turn every chat into a friendly and meaningful academic discussion. This is the kind of relationship state that Garth has been pursuing.

与此同时，Garth与安德森的关系在逐渐瓦解。安德森自顾自地将Garth引荐给学术圈名人，用钱打通渠道让Garth发布未完成的论文，擅自为他安排好了一切，Garth只要做一个不用思考的精致男孩去谄媚安德森就可以。这所有的一切都违背了Garth的原则。一次次的争吵并没有让他们互相理解，最终两人分手。

At the same time, the relationship between Garth and Anderson is disintegrating. Anderson arranges cocktail party bender to introduce Garth to celebrities in the academic circle. He buys ways for Garth to publish his unfinished paper and plans everything for him without authorization. The only thing Garth needs to do is being a good boy to flatter Anderson. All this violates Garth's principles. They row again and again and break up.

这之后安德烈正式开始追求Garth，将他介绍给自己的家人，并且在白俄罗斯的老家一起生活了一段时间。后来，两人决定前往爱丁堡大学进修植物分类学。

Then Andre and Garth fall in love. He introduces Garth to his family and live together in his hometown in Belarus for some time. Later, the two decide to go to the University of Edinburgh for master's degree in plant taxonomy.

一年半之后，两人研究生毕业，安德烈在毕业典礼上向Garth求���。两人偷偷交换了戒指之后，踏上了前往北极圈的旅行。

A year and a half later, they graduate. Andre proposes to Garth at the graduation ceremony. After secretly exchanging rings, the two men embark on a trip to the Arctic Circle.

极光中的骑行 Riding under the aurora

婚后三年，两人旅行来到了加拿大育空地区，与另外一伙皮草猎人小队起了争执，被对方发现了恋人关系之后，遭到了恶意的报复。安德烈被殴打致死，割下生殖器之后尸体被悬挂在树上，并在脖子上挂着“我是鸡奸者”的牌子示众。加什则被监禁起来，被迫在极夜的漫天极光中看着恋人的尸体一天天被乌鸦啃食殆尽。几天后他凭借最后一口气逃了出去，骑马朝着南方一路狂奔，最终得救。

In 1923, the two men come to Yukon, Canada, and have a dispute with another group of fur hunters and they are maliciously retaliated. Andre is beaten to death. After being cut off his genitals, his body is hung in a tree and displayed with an "I'm a sodomite" sign around his neck. Garth is imprisoned and forced to watch his lover's body being eaten by crows in the aurora of the polar night. A few days later, with his last breath, he escapes, rides all the way south, and is finally saved.

育空疯狗The mad dog of Yukon

这段噩梦般的经历对他的打击非常之大，残酷的折磨也给他的右侧头皮部分留下了丑陋的巨大伤疤。他患上严重的躁郁症，自残，并且有自杀倾向。他曾经非常温和并且幽默，现在变成了一个臭名昭著的人，并且得到了一个育空疯狗的绰号。

This nightmare experience is a great blow to him, and the cruel torture leaves a huge ugly scar on his right scalp and countless scars on his body. He suffers from serious bipolar disorder, self-mutilation, and suicidal tendencies. He used to be a very gentle and humorous man, but now he has become an infamous one and gets the nickname of Yukon mad dog.

有传闻说，失去理智的加什找到了当年折磨他的狩猎小队并且用极其残忍的手法报复了他们，但是因为精神问题，警察让他只在监狱里待了很短的时间，他便重获自由。但是这也只是传闻而已。没人知道加什到底做了什么。人们只是再也没有在育空地区见到过那些人。

It is rumored that Garth finds the hunting team that hurt him years ago and retaliated against them with extremely cruel methods, but, the police let him stay in prison for only a short time because of his mental problems.

 It's just a rumor. No one knows what Garth does to them. People just never see those people again in the Yukon.

危险游戏 Dangerous game

尽管加什的精神问题非常严重，行为也非常不可控，但是不可争议的是他是这一带地区最杰出的猎狼专家。1932年，他被邀请加入一支狩猎小队，他们计划南下去狩猎大型毛皮猎物。

Although Garth's mental problems are very serious and his behavior is very uncontrollable, it is indisputable that he is the most outstanding wolf hunting expert in this area. In 1932, he is invited to join a hunting team. They plan to go south to hunt large prey for fur.

初冬季节，加什遇到了身为守林员的哈特。哈特毫无怜悯的攻击将小队逼出了林区，同时，这个阴沉而凶悍的护林员吸引了加什的注意。他觉得，能杀死他，抑或被他杀死都是不错的事情。

In early winter, Garth meets Hart, a forest ranger. Hart's merciless attack drives the team out of the forest, while the gloomy and fierce ranger attracts Garth's attention. He thinks it is all good to kill him or be killed by him.

加什很快发现，尽管这个护林员的攻击非常凶猛并且极具威胁性，但是他似乎并不是真正想要他们的命。加什离开了队伍，独自回到木屋附近，开始用主动攻击的方式试探哈特的耐心的底线。哈特几乎是马上回应了他的攻击。然而像加什想的一样，哈特并不打算杀掉他——每一次射击都擦着他的脸颊飞了过去，只有几厘米的距离。

Garth soon finds that although the ranger's attack is fierce and threatening, he doesn't seem to really want to kill them. Garth leaves the team, returns to the cabin alone, and begins to test Hart's patience by taking the initiative to attack. Hart responds to his attack almost immediately.

As Garth thought, Hart does not intend to kill him - each shot wipes his cheek and flies over, only a few centimeters away.

加什几乎一��子就沉迷在了这场危险的游戏当中。哈特的反应让他十分满意——他的反击不会真正的对自己构成威胁，其中的威胁性又能让他兴奋起来。尽管他自己也清楚，这种病态的情绪源于当年他面对死亡时在心里留下对的心理阴影，这让他恐惧，狂躁，想哭又想笑，但是却是唯一能让自己感觉��活着的时刻。

Garth almost immediately indulges in this dangerous game.

Hart's reaction satisfies him - his counterattack would not only really pose a threat to himself, but also could excite Garth. Although Garth himself knows that this morbid emotion originates from the psychological shadow leaves in his heart when he faces death, which makes him afraid, manic, want to cry, want to laugh, it is the only time that he could feel alive.

怪人组合Freak couple

然而这场荒诞而危险的对决并不是以某一方的死亡为结局。在一个初雪天，哈特把加什逼到了绝路，但是他没有扣动扳机，只是问他为什么这么做。加什又哭又笑，说自己想死。哈特转身离开了。

However, this absurd and dangerous duel does not end with the death of one party. On a snowy day, Hart forces Garth to a dead end, but he doesn't pull the trigger, just askes him why he does it. Garth cries and laughs, says he wants to die.

Hart turns and leaves.

加什想不通为什么哈特有那么多次机会杀死他却没有下手。仇恨和恐惧在他的心里已经燃烧了太久，将他内心���界的草原烧得一片焦黑。然而从那天起，他能感觉到，一束光穿过黑烟照了进来，有什么东西在重新慢慢地萌芽。

Garth couldn't figure out why Hart has so many chances to kill him but doesn't do it. Hatred and fear have been burning in his heart for too long, burning the grassland of his inner world to black. However, from that day on, he could feel that a beam of light comes in through the black smoke, and something is slowly sprouting again.

重新建立信任的过程非常漫长。但是他们并没有什么细致的沟通和交流，对那场莫名其妙的枪战也只字不提。两个怪人只是共享一堆篝火，简单地说两句话，然后便自然而然的一起行动了。加什知道自然界也有不少很奇怪的搭档，比方说渡鸦和豺，蜜鸟和蜜獾。有的搭档甚至能终生在一起行动，即使一方死亡，另一方也不会再找新的搭档。也许他俩也是这样的动物吧。

The process of rebuilding trust is very long.

They do not have any detailed communication and exchange and do not mention the inexplicable gun battle. The two freaks just share a bonfire, say a few words, and then naturally act together.

Garth knows that nature also has many strange partners, such as raven and jackal, Greater Honeyguide and honey badger. Some partners can even act together all their lives. Even if one party dies, the other will not find a new one. Maybe they are such animals, too.

[weightedblankettt]

An Analysis on the Literature Girl Insane MV!

Hey! You might not know me that much, as I’m not active in the DRDTheory community, as I’ve dubbed it, but my name is Blanket! Technically, this is a work of collaboration between the majority of DRDT Twitter, but it’s mainly just an analysis of stuff I couldn’t do by myself.

Okay, and now, onto the video!

So we start off with the spoiler warning. Pretty standard stuff, of course.

Many of my theories beginning here will be based on the colors and what I, personally, associate them with. Of course, the actual MV’s contents will be looked at further down the line. 

As a bonus, take note of what pops up right after that. It’s a question: Do you want to forgive... someone? We’ll answer this question later on in the theories section.

These are mainly just lyrics, but the “final verdict” part catches my eye, as I believe it isn’t in the lyrics further down the line. Perhaps it’s about the current trial? As many people believe, David did not kill Arei. His reasons for lying about doing so are unknown, but we can assume that the singer is calling the listeners idiots, because of their incorrect final verdict. Whatever David wants to do, it’s certainly not leading them to the right one.

Next, these lyrics. While I believe it’s fairly obvious that the pink is meant to represent the typical Danganronpa-esque color of their blood, the color that the word “game” is in is probably relates to David. After all, his hair clips and star eyes, both prominent features of his “facade”, are in the same color.

Here is where the most prominent part of the MV is, to me. The text that flashes across the screen during transition points. The first one, in white text, is an excerpt from Osamu Dazai’s “The Flowers of Buffoonery.” The book, while I’ll spare you the greater details, greatly describes themes of suicide. The story’s main protagonist, Yozo Oba, can be described as so: “-But the narrator, a self-conscious writer, makes frequent first-person asides, breaking the fourth wall as he comments on the quality or believability of the novel he is writing.” 

Something especially telling is this line, from an analysis of Yozo’s character. “Yozo is a person characterized by shame. Although I pretend to be someone who is confident and unabashedly themselves, that is not really true. I have always been ashamed of who I really am. I created a whole persona to interact with others because I believed my true self would never be enough.”

David’s character is someone very similar to that. Someone who has created a false persona to interact with others. Yozo is someone who feels resentful of other people, simply because he is forced to make them happy. “Yozo Oba is the tortured author and unreliable narrator of the three notebooks that comprise the bulk of No Longer Human. [That is the sequel to The Flowers of Buffoonery.] His appearance is depicted in three photographs examined by an unnamed narrator in the Prologue. These three photographs correspond to his appearance in each of the three notebooks. As a child, Yozo is precocious by design—an impish child who uses his antics to hide his fear, shame, and inability to relate to humanity. These fundamental flaws carry over into young adulthood; in the second notebook, he is a handsome young man whose smiling photograph lacks humanity, betraying the depth of terror and isolation that his comical persona seeks to hide. In the third photograph and notebook, he is only 27, but his gray hair and forgettable appearance prevent him from being labeled an ordinary human being.”

The quotes in yellow are from Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” The full quote reads as follows. "If you confront anyone who has lied with the truth, they usually admit it – often out of sheer surprise. It is only necessary to guess right to produce your effect." I think the relevancy of this line in terms of David can be explained with his actions so far. Fun fact: Similarly to Danganronpa, “Murder on the Orient Express” is a murder mystery. 

This is just a rickroll. DRDTDev thinks that they are FUNNY!? (They are.)

The “an archaic personal pronoun rarely used in real life, but popularized in fiction by the book” is most likely referring to thou/thy/etc. I’m not sure what this correlates to, but it’s probably important. I couldn’t find the green text, but from what I can tell, the green text probably relates to David’s nihilistic point of view towards humanity. Update: Bleuflower on Tumblr has located the source to be I Am A Cat by Natsume Soseki, so go check her out for that! If I had to say anything about that, it’d probably be relating to MonoTV, however, there’s also a continuation of David’s nihilism towards humanity that was also found in the Osamu Dazai references. The book itself is described as a ��mordantly comic evocation of Sōseki's deep pessimism about his own humanity and indeed about humankind in general.”

The white text here is an excerpt from Osamu Dazai’s “No Longer Human,” which follows the same protagonist as “The Flowers of Buffoonery.” I’m sure you can all gather what that means in relation to David, but the main point is that he seems detached from his view of “normalcy.” @shidoutism on Twitter had this to say, as they’ve read the book itself: “OKOK so basically this first excerpt is from 'no longer human' by osamu dazai (its his last finished work because dazai sadly took his own life after publication of the book) now from the limited knowledge i have of david the meaning and message of the book might help in whatever analysis ur doing?? no longer human is about a man who never felt like he understood humans. like the title suggests, he never felt like a person. its revealed the protag was pretty sheltered and rich in childhood but experienced trauma from the familys housekeepers, but he never reported it. thats basically the start of it all as the protag grows up, he finds fear in communicating with humans. so he ends up either isolating himself and/or destroying all of his relationships with people. he's scared of people seeing the real him, so ever since he was a child he started putting up a happy, cheerful front. but it just creeped some ppl out bc it didn't feel genuine, it was more like a clown wanting to so badly entertain others. the protag starts resorting to bad coping mechanisms such as dr/gs and alc/hol and has many relationships with women to drown his sorrows and feel closer to being 'a human'. aaand the end of the book is kinda unsettling as the protag is sent to a rehab center and then when released, isolated himself somewhere far away without people, stating "everything passes. thats the one thing i learned in this living hell [somewhere along those lines]" and the book ends numbly like it feels like nothing”

I don’t know about you, but this sounds rather similar to our “protagonist.”

This quote is from “The Setting Sun”, by, you guessed it, Osamu Dazai. It tells a similar story, albeit with a different protagonist, but I feel like this ties in more with his facade, and how his inspirational speaking comes off to other people. Considering he is in his facade at this time of the MV, it’s safe to say that that’s what this is referring to.

And now, this all falls into place. These are the names of the Osamu Dazai books referenced in the text beforehand. The (I’m), next to No Longer Human, however, could signify how David views himself. Someone so sunken into depravity that they don’t register themselves as human anymore.

The faded text here is the first sentence of Yasunari Kawabata’s “Snow Country”. I don’t know what this refers to in terms of David, but this also seems important.

David still views himself as manipulative. Even if he does love people, even if he does have a semblance of care for those in his life, he views himself as an evil, irredeemable sack of shit, incapable of any emotion other than selfishness and cruelty.

This part is especially intriguing to me. David still wants to live, as anyone else does, but he can’t bring himself to find a reason to leave. His career is dead. He’s worthless, and nobody needs him around. Where would he go? There’s no room for him anywhere, even if he escaped, he’d just be shunned for good now that his entire life has been thrown away. 

The excerpt from “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie, describes someone losing motivation to leave the island. The island is a metaphor for the building, that the students are trapped inside, and David has lost the will to leave in the first place. He doesn’t want to leave, because there’s nowhere else for him to even go. He doesn’t have a home. He doesn’t have a fanbase. There’s nothing left.

The text here reads: “If you’re Hythlodaeus, then I must be Morus.” This refers to the work “Utopia”, written by Thomas More. The book follows Raphael Hythlodaeus, a man who claims to be from Utopia, a perfect place for everyone. His surname quite literally means “Bringer of Nonsense,” or something along those lines. While this may be a stretch, I believe that “Hythlodaeus” is referring to Pre-Reveal David, and “Morus” could possibly be either Post-Reveal David or someone affected by his speeches, for example Xander.

Also, I find it interesting how the girl in this frame, most likely David’s “sister,” Diana, and David himself are both tilting their heads at similar angles. It’s possible that their relation is hinted at through this, but I’m not sure.

The excerpt right here is from Kajii Motojiro’s entry in the Kyoto Journal, entitled “Lemon”. While some of the text has been altered, the main story is about a man who finds himself suffering, and walks through his neighbourhood only to find a greengrocer selling lemons. He goes home, and finds himself happier than before. I’m not sure what this means when it comes to David, however if you’d like, you can analyze for yourself and let me know.

https://www.kyotojournal.org/fiction-poetry/lemon/

This part doesn’t have any external references, but I believe that the lyrics here reinforce David’s worldview, that no matter what you do and how hard you try, “nobody ever changes.”

The star imagery here is a direct reference to David. Stars are representative of his happy facade, and when he loses the stars, he quits the bullshit. 

…And this frame. Alright, let’s start from the top. The electrocution definition is a callback to Xander, who’s referenced quite a few times in the video. The yellow text, which is from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince”, is possibly a reference to David’s view on other people or himself- That nobody is special unless you were born special. However, the end of the text describes that if the boy were to tame the fox, the speaker, that they would need each other. I’m not sure if this is a description of manipulation, or a codependent relationship, but the David parallels are there. That, and the title of a “little prince” probably refers to David and how he’s idolized by many. The green text is, again, from “The Flowers of Buffoonery.” The full text is as follows. “A man crushed by reality puts on a show of endurance. If that's beyond your comprehension, dear reader, then you and I will never understand each other. Life's a farce, so we might as well make it a good one. But real life is a realm that I may never reach. The best that I can hope for is to loiter in the memory of these four days, so steeped with empathy. Four days that count more than

five or ten years of my life. Four days that count more than a lifetime.”

In reference to David, this is more representative of his true feelings. Not the asshole persona or the facade, but the genuine feelings he has. He already feels far too gone by his own standards, and constantly puts on a “show” for other people in the form of his speeches. 

The red text is possibly a person dealing with depression speaking on one of their symptoms. There’s no way I could find a source for such a short quote. A common symptom of depression is losing interest in things you previously found enjoyable.

The white text on the side describes someone who finds pleasure in solitude as opposed to being bossed around by other people. It’s a reference to David’s backstory, as someone who was pressured into putting on a performance for others, finding comfort in being alone rather than having to play pretend whenever around other people.

The white text at the bottom is a continuation of the white text at the top.

The only theory I can think of for this is that it’s a foreshadowing to either gaps in their memory or the amount of survivors left in the killing game being four. Not sure.

Update: I don’t know how I missed this, but the “11” next to the suspicious gaps refers to this. It’s possible that the suspicious gaps are gaps in their memory now, being as he doesn’t remember having an older sister, but her existence is most likely confirmed, as we saw her. 

This part here is referring to “Catch 22,” when the main character realizes that without a soul, humans are just… matter, if you will. Empty husks.

For this part, I had to call upon my not-so-trustworthy old friend, Google Translate! The translation of this from Latin is “I think, therefore I am (not.)” That’s what makes the most sense to me. We’ll refer back to this part later, for I have a different intention for it in my mind than David himself.

The dark blue text is another excerpt from “The Little Prince.” The prince in question is talking to a castaway, and the main takeaway of his words is that only your heart can tell you what you really need. If you were to simply look with your eyes, then what you truly need would be drowned out by the blinding light of superficial desires. I’m pretty sure that’s what that means. David is looking through his eyes, seeing a cruel world where nobody changes unless they were born to.

Now, let’s get into the next big part of the MV: The crossword puzzle. You might be wondering how this relates to David, but its moreso his own commentary on his classmates. Let’s go back to the latin. Pay attention to this reference of the solved crossword by raspbeyes on Tumblr. It will be very important for you to follow along.

Notice how there’s roman numerals in some of David’s lyrics? For example, this that we established earlier meant “I think therefore I am (not.)” This is referring to Rose. Her photographic memory can be linked to the description of “thinking.” The context of this may become clearer in future parts of the story. 

III. That’s Charles. “If you doubt brittle things are broken.” Is, in my mind, referring to his memories. He has a recurring element of not remembering things, but he doesn’t seem to be aware of this until Chapter 2. For example, his secret- “Your older brother died, but you don’t remember him at all.”

IV. Arei. Her breakdown sequence should be all you need to associate this with her.

V. This is Ace. He’s going insane, obviously, because of the paranoia and failed murder attempt against him. That, and he’s become more disheveled as the game progressed.

XIV. Veronika, correct? Substance to the arts relates to her talent as a Horror Fanatic. Naturally, she’d be related to things like that.

XV. Whit’s refusal to accept his mother’s death, staying ignorant to the tragedies around him, is one of the “happiest” members of the cast.

XI. Mai Akasaki is not mentioned in the current story, and all of her quotes hidden amongst the cast members describe her in past tense. She was someone everyone viewed as reliable, trustworthy, and perhaps, if you exaggerated it, as God.

These two walls of text are both from the same source: Hamlet’s Solliloquy of “To Be, or Not to Be?”

This is what the thing actually means, in case you aren’t aware, which even I wasn’t until just now. It represents David’s suicidal ideology, from what we can assume with the way he’s trying to get everyone to vote wrong in the trial for Arei, quite well. Whether he wants to live, or die, is most likely a constant struggle for David to answer.

Which is why he leaves it up to… whoever can answer.

This is an absolute reference to the trial. The class trial rules are overlaid over the death portrait texture, which is “conveniently” covering David’s face. The seventeen here is also telling, considering what the description has to say about it!

This is what I believe is David’s end goal. To get everyone executed as a result of his own hopelessness. By pretending to be the killer and antagonizing the class, he believes he can easily sway the votes by “manipulating the public” as he always believes he’s done. By getting everyone to vote for him, he can end the killing game and his own “pathetic life” in one fell swoop.

After all, it’s not like he believes they have a chance of winning and escaping in the first place.

And here, is where we left off in Episode 11. David completely drops his facade in order to effectively kill himself, along with everyone else. After realizing the hopelessness of his situation, he makes a drastic turn to accept it readily. Someone who self-sabotages continues to do so because they develop a warped perspective of having control.

And again referring to the description, the 12 near the “Tallying Votes” caption refers to this. It’s David’s way of justifying his selfishness, with a diluted form of justice serving as an “ultimately fair verdict to the trial.” 

However, David has always wanted to be loved. It’s why he even bothers with his facade, because he’s been putting it up for so long that disregarding his persona would effectively ruin everything he’s worked so hard to maintain in the first place. The repeated imagery of applause could also be a callback to his status as a celebrity, especially with how he reacted to Xander and Arei’s reliance on him.

While this does have a small fade of text pointing out that the “degraded copy” is the cover, which is not true because the MV is amazing, but. I believe this–

Oh. That’s literally it. Well, that makes one mystery solved!

Hey, look, we’re already halfway through! nice! Eden’s optimistic personality can be referenced here. She wants to live with everyone, together, and make sure that nobody gets hurt. 

This is another reference to David’s rambling on about how attempting to change is utterly futile, and that nobody changes. 

The yellow text is the definition of a television show, I believe. The blue text is an excerpt from “And Then There Were None,” by Agatha Christie. The full quote is this: “Breakfast was a curious meal. Everyone was very polite…. Six people, all outwardly self-possessed and normal. And within? Thoughts that ran round in a circle like squirrels in a cage…. ‘What next? What next? Who? Which?’...” …Do you get it? It’s a parallel to the killing game. Or, rather, how David views it. Everyone is terrified and scared for their lives, but they still greet eachother with mock kindness.

The blue text on the side is an excerpt from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.”, and it goes like this: “I am in blood / Stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o'er.” A critical analysis of the original work reads as follows: Shakespeare is saying here that Macbeth has involved himself in so many murders that it is as easy for him to carry on than to turn back. Macbeth compares his course of action with wading across a river of blood, creating a vivid image of his bloody reign. The word 'tedious' reveals the hardening of Macbeth's heart.

And now, the moment I’m sure most of you have been waiting for. Xander. Something I took notice of was that the cracks line up directly with his left eye, while his right eye is the one that’s actually missing in the game. Nonetheless, Xander clearly did mean something to David. Whether it be through his idolization of David, or if he inspired David in some way, his death had an impact on him. Manipulative persona or not. 

XVI translates to Hu from the crossword puzzle. He’s taunting her, similarly to how he did in the trial, although the ??? makes me wonder if it actually IS David…

XII, that’s Eden. I assume it’s because of her optimistic persona that she is standing in someone’s way, although we’re not sure who. 

For the next part, let’s say we take this at face value. It could definitely be referencing David allegedly pushing Arei to commit suicide, although this could also be something he internalizes, with the themes of suicide and wishing to be dead explored previously.

These are all repeats of the previous works included in the MV, like The Little Prince, Ozamu Dazai’s series, Agatha Christie’s works, etc etc.

Now, this is code, I’m assuming, but I tried translating it and couldn’t find anything. It’s a common encryption language. In case you want to translate it, it’s: 3aqxw97pktc8uki458fbdpfoacllex2f07bf8mg24b4mpfx2adc6v3f5yhxjd8i7sf11312zaj5lazet47jod5jczec5mvb6bz2o59r143sf2pe916sczcn7emvbl55ehe9iqb2708tt83482c8tw3c77gn47ojca634gbcfz0016s647wwlakcn46brcle0eam9

NOTE: @glorywelpchild on Twitter says… “For this, it may have been encrypted multiple times by different engines? I'm not a programmer so I'm not really familiar lmao. Another thing, it could be a type of programming the dev knows/commonly uses.”

The VI here is Arturo, but I don’t know what this means. Perhaps the description can give us some insight?

Hmm… Well, I don’t mind. Whatever you say.

Nico’s number is VIII, and this is referring to the defense they put up when asked about their intentions against Ace’s life. They claim they never thought about it, and “even if they try to think, they don’t know.”

This is Levi’s, as per the IX. 

I actually managed to find the original image in the background. It’s a study on Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9’s orbit around Jupiter for several years before crashing into the planet. While the name, Shoemaker Levy, may be a play on Levi’s name, I believe this is also referencing that he may die soon. Maybe this is a stretch, but the symbolism of a comet named “Shoemaker Levy” crashing into Jupiter being right under a symbol that represents Levi, our prime suspect in a game where being caught results in death, is too far to be a coincidence. Part of my theory for Chapter 2 is that Levi is the blackened, after all, but that is in a previous post. Nonetheless, we can move on.

This is “Enterance of the Gladiators.” While it is now associated with silly things like clowns, it was originally a military march song. Hmm, where have I heard this description before?

Ah, that’s right! In the description!

These two are relatively straightforward. The David we meet in the prologue is his facade, and it serves as an introduction. However, we are re-introduced to him with a whole personality change, and that comes delayed from all the others.

This is a direct reference to MonoTV and the throne in the trial room.

The truth bullets. Typical Danganronpa symbolism, and it’s also a neat little reference to Xander’s custom weapon.

References to some of the students. The dresser is Levi, the bowl of fruit is Rose, the gun is Xander, the teapot is Hu, and the candle is maybe J?

The clock is Eden, the portrait, maybe a reference to the game? The stupid kid’s toy might be Whit.

Teruko and Mai. Teruko’s misfortune and Mai’s idealization are both key parts of their characters.

The gavel, another reference. The kitchen knife, Min. The skull, Veronika. The mirror… Possibly Xander because we’ve seen him with broken glass earlier in the MV, but it might be David and his personas making another reference.

The mastermind, sitting atop their comfortable chair.

The noose is Arei, the gas mask is Charles, the mouse is Nico, the theater mask… Perhaps the mastermind again, or Veronika again. The safe is David’s locked away and suppressed emotions. These are all mainly theories based on observation, don’t take it as the wholehearted truth.

David being mentioned again with the hair clips. The lemon has been brought up beforehand, it’s a callback to the journal entry. The dummies represent David’s detachment from his humanity, and the television is a callback to the fact that they’re on a television show.

David views himself as a snake, a liar, a murderer. Snakes are common imagery to use when referring to the Devil as well. The blood is a callback to the killing game itself.

Either a reference to Min, or the fact that all the books are empty could be visual dramatization of David’s feelings. There’s supposed to be something in them, but the books are empty. The “various kinds” could also be how many personas he puts on, if that’s a prominent part of his backstory.

The killing game is being broadcasted, so that counts as terrorist iconography, if nothing else. Dandelions, while beautiful in their own way, don’t belong in a garden. The megaphone is David’s custom weapon, and it’s a way for him to broadcast his speeches to those around the world.

The letters are from the joke comic that the dev released. You know the one, where Xander writes a letter for David and he accidentally throws it away thinking that it’s garbage. The popular toy refers to the commercializing of the Tragedy, as Veronika explained on the first day of Chapter 2. How horror movies will put black-and-white designs in their films to up the fear factor because of the subliminal/primal fear of the design back in the days of the Tragedy. The flowers… No idea.

This is cleverly disguised, but it’s a reference to the debate between continuing to live and killing yourself. To be or not to be, to stop or to keep going, but they’re both lit up. How are you to do both at the same time? You have to make a choice.

Main Roles are David and Xander. It makes sense, considering they both have full-body moments and we know who they are. The crossed out name is Mai Akasaki, but the cut off name is a bit harder to decipher. Thanks to some inspiration and help, I’ve come to my final conclusion regarding this.

They are related to Arei, 100%. The letters match perfectly.

Even in comparison to Arei, the “N” in her name starts only a bit earlier, but that’s because the first word is probably only two or three letters, in comparison to the four letters in Arei.

Originally, I couldn’t translate any of these. All I could make out was that the first hand was Xander and the second hand was Min or Mai. However. @MAHIRUMILGRAM on twitter managed to translate them! They are as follows:

After this point, the truth bullet breaks through David’s words, similarly to how Teruko is fighting against David, despite the truth bullet being in agreement towards David’s idea.

There’s also this, which could be David trying to deflect us from the truth, or that the lyrics genuinely don’t relate to him. I’m leaning towards the former.

The white text at the top here is from a story, entitled “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” It is about a beautiful city where everyone is happy. However, their city is not as beautiful as it seems. They tell the story of how the townspeople have locked a child in a basement, and left it to suffer. Their happiness, as they’ve been told, requires a sacrifice. “Inside the room, which is behind a locked door, there are a couple of dirty mops, a bucket, and a young child. The child is ten years old, but looks younger. The child is scared and completely miserable. It is never allowed to leave the room. Occasionally, someone opens the door and kicks the child to make it stand up. The person fills the food bowl halfway with corn meal and grease, fills the water jug, and leaves. The child can remember what the outside world looks like and begs and pleads to be let out. The child is naked and covered in sores, and it wails at night in its misery. The people of Omelas all know about the child in the basement. They all understand that everything good about Omelas, from their abundance of food to the good weather, depends upon the suffering of the child. They all understand this because when children are between the ages of eight and twelve, they are brought to see the child, and this tradeoff is explained to them. During this experience, the children of Omelas are disgusted. They want to help, but they are told they can’t. If anyone helps the child by clothing, feeding, or otherwise caring for it, then the perfect happiness of Omelas and its abundance would die. Therefore, no one may even speak kindly to the child.” I wanted to include this because it describes David so well. Someone who has been cast away because they’re deemed useless to society, someone who’s happiness would destroy the happiness of anyone else. I find the story truly fascinating, as it might describe David’s suppressed emotions and the depressive tendencies he indulges himself in.

“Their tears at the bitter injustice dry when they begin to perceive the terrible justice of reality, and to accept it. Yet it is their tears and anger, the trying of their generosity and the acceptance of their helplessness, which are perhaps the true source of the splendor of their lives. Theirs is no vapid, irresponsible happiness. They know that they, like the child, are not free.”

“How you have felt, O men of Athens, at hearing the speeches of my accusers, I cannot tell; but I know that their persuasive words almost made me forget who I was—such was the effect of them; and yet they have hardly spoken a word of truth [alēthēs]. But many as their falsehoods were, there was one of them which quite amazed me—I mean when they told you to be upon your guard, and not to let yourselves be deceived by the force of my eloquence. They ought to have been ashamed of saying this, because they were sure to be detected as soon as I opened my lips and displayed my deficiency; they certainly did appear to be most shameless in saying this, unless by the force of eloquence they mean the force of truth [alēthēs]; for then I do indeed admit that I am eloquent. But in how different a way from theirs! Well, as I was saying, they have hardly uttered a word, or not more than a word, of truth [alēthēs]; but you shall hear from me the whole truth [alēthēs]: not, however, delivered after their manner, in a set oration duly ornamented with words and phrases.”

Do you remember, in the prologue, where Xander describes the “rumors” against David’s positive front? This is a direct parallel. Here, Socrates denounces the words of his attackers, similarly to how nobody truly believes the rumors except for the critics themselves. Even Xander was fooled by his charisma.

“Was't Hamlet wrong'd Laertes? Never Hamlet: If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away, And when he's not himself does wrong Laertes, 240 Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it. Who does it, then? His madness: if't be so, Hamlet is of the faction that is wrong'd; His madness is poor Hamlet's enemy.”

Hamlet blames his own insanity for the death of Laertes’ father. Just like David tries to get everyone killed, and blames himself for murdering Arei, because of his own insanity.

This is a line from the poem “Be Not Defeated by The Rain,” by Kenji Miyazawa. It describes a man wishing to become someone strong, someone who cannot be bested. I believe this is exactly what David wants, too. To be as strong and as hopeful as he is forced to pretend to be, instead of a hopeless mess who would rather die than be seen as worthless.

David reaches the height of his insanity, before finally quieting down after being basked in green light. I don’t know if this was intentional, but I believe that it represents how he’s given up on even death after the students manage to vote correctly, hence the green coloring.

And now, number 19.

I severely doubt that David will actually die in Chapter 3. That is not “foreshadowing,” that is just giving out the answer, and DRDTDev is much more careful than that. I believe this is a final representation of David’s suicidal ideologies. He says he will forget, he says guilt will not weigh him down, but he’s lying to himself. That’s why the stars are still behind him, because he’s still lying. He says he is satisfied, he says he’s okay with death, but when has David ever been truthful with us?

And he leaves an empty throne behind. Not because he is dead, but because he has relinquished his career and his reputation for nothing.

Even though he is missing, nothing else has changed. That is how he views his life.

And that concludes the main analysis of David’s MV! It’s such a beautiful thing, really, I don’t know how to phrase any of it properly. Thank you to everyone who’s read this far, and everyone who helped me out. The decoding and puzzles? Ah, I’ll let you all do that… But, maybe I can help a little! Blanket, out~! See you all next time!

[xx-vergil-xx]

Can I ask what pushed you to end Hounds the way you did? It's a fantastic ending, but I'm curious. I expected the Fates to revive Dream, or allow him to inhabit a new form (such as one made by Daniel, so that Dream becomes a dreamthing), etc. But instead, his death is made to have never happened. Which makes it partly feels like Hob's whole road trip journey was for nothing since he lost all those memories and connections with Matthew, the Corinthian, Delirium, Despair, Desire, Death, etc. (thank god he kept the farmhouse). But it's almost like he traded all those memories and connections for Dream. Unless I missed something while reading (I was crying very hard).

Again, fantastic ending, and I'm also glad it's a happy ending. But I'm curious as to why you didn't go in the other direction

howdy! thanks very much for the ask — an excellent query, one which i’m happy to answer

(verg of the future: this answer ended up long! there’s a short form at the top here and at the end <3)

in brief: he did make that trade you described! but not strictly for dream — it was the price of swapping genres!

an explanation:

what i had in mind while planning and writing was less the idea of erasure of prior narrative action and more a subversion of the expected genre, in particular the genre tropes that follow dream in the original arc of the comics, where his story is very classically tragic (with the understood weaving of hob into that tragedy, this being a dream/hob telling and all)

for reference, i also drew a lot of inspiration for hob’s road trip odyssey from the aeneid, an epic that is, yes, about the founding of rome but also (at least to my reading) a fundamental tragedy — the cost of founding rome is aeneas’ home, many of his friends, much of his core family, and the very end of the story is not some victorious depiction of the glory of rome to be (which we do get earlier in the book, with the ekphrasis on his shield) but aeneas, overcome with fury and loss, killing a man who begs his mercy. i’ve always felt that the aeneid, while certainly stepped in the expected amount of roman nationalism, is centrally about a single man and his singular suffering as an instrument of higher destiny.

i wanted to model hob’s arc around the aeneid (minus, y’know, some of the chunks that are strictly battle sequences <3) both because intertextuality is a huge part of how i wanted to handle hounds (story about stories, made of other stories, etc), but also because hob and aeneas are fundamentally parallel characters — nomads with exceptional ordinances, permanently displaced by the passing whims of higher powers, men who are made to reckon with both extraordinary wonder and extraordinary tragedy regularly while still, at their core, just being human. that’s what makes aeneas so compelling — he’s just a man. and so is our beloved hob — that’s his whole thing, his whole narrative function and his whole central ideal, humanity

so then, approaching hounds with both the thought of the sandman’s original tragic contours (see: the whole lead-in to daniel. christ above is the way that goes devastating to read) and the man vs fate core of the aeneid, i was considering a lot of things about how to mess around with both notions without gutting them entirely. i tend to dislike tragedies that become un-tragic without some sort of Serious Payment For It (not to say i don’t like happy stories because i very much do! but i get ticked off when high stakes get deflated too quickly) and i didn’t want to undermine the very real fact that the Fates are typically not versed in notions of empathy and/or leniency, and that dream and hob and those around them did experience and endure devastation and loss, and that death is a fact typically immune to argument.

the world of sandman is not one with easy answers, and to my mind there’s no such thing as a bargain with the Fates where you break even. for hob to get what he wanted, something had to be given, something dear and vital and real. there’s more to what hob actually gives the Fates than he verbally stipulates, which i tried to address largely via the corinthian and his perception of the situation, especially those last conversations with dream in the “swamp”. i have a lot of options about the corinthian in his function as “dark mirror” having a blistering clarity of understanding much of the time, which is why i foisted the onus of those complexities onto his dialogue, rather than hob, who (and i say this with love) is a creature of bias and often blinded to greater repercussions of his actions insofar as they extend beyond his immediate objectives/enjoyments, or dream, who can see the bigger picture but i think often really keeps himself from doing so when it comes to anything at all that’s personal (king of stories has a blindspot for his own). what hob gives the Fates actually costs him almost nothing, in the long run, if we operate with the idea that he cannot remember, nor is there any lasting effect from, his 600-ish heavily-relived years. there’s narrative and symbolic weight, of course — he gives them love as an oath and as nostalgia (sidebar: his driving force is an almost pre-nostalgia, a continual love of the moment as the moment is passing, but anyway) (cuff links), he gives them in a captured moment the lovely discomfort and simultaneous brilliance of being alive (the hook, the finger prick the blood), and he gives them a rich and complicated experience of humanity (those 600 years). but practically, what is actually taken from him that he doesn’t just get back?

only those few months — and in them, a web of real and known connections, all of which matter, and all of which change his understanding of and relationship to things like grief, and loneliness, and fear, and forgiveness. those are important changes, real changes, that would affect how he operates in the world going forward. that development is gone. he returns instead to the (of course, fought-for and hard-won) stasis of what was, which becomes what will always be. in making the Fates and their judgement more complex, he has actually made his own life less complex. now, i’m not going to sit here and argue that “suffering has inherent value” or some shit like that because i think that’s bullshit! pain is just pain. but he does lose experiences which would have shaped him in new ways, and, i think, good ways. even important ways

and he may well be shaped towards similar courses with dream (especially re: learning that lesson about loneliness — i think hob suffers from the curse of always, ultimately, being alone (immortality etc there’s so much discourse about this), and the road trip was in part about him learning that though it is the simplest path it is neither the sole nor the best path), but he certainly doesn’t learn them the same way, with the same faces, with the same acuity and clarity and intensity.

the thing with the Fates (to me anyway) is that you don’t ever just win. maybe you can get what you want, but it’s not easy (it make take a thousand repetitions of your lifetime until friction and the touch of your hands wears the sisyphean boulder down to a pebble — like the parable of the bird scraping its beak on the mountain), and it’s sure not free.

so yes, those months are lost. that’s a big part of the price. and we don’t know, at the end, how much of that thing he really gave ultimately comes back — his new relationship depths with deanna or cori or the other endless, those things aren’t seen. the main arc is resolved — hob and dream — but there are still pieces missing. he loses a piece of his human experience, he gets tossed back around through the wringer of his life (which is often distinctly not pleasant), and he is, as he ever was, a character with a path whose impetus and dictation rest heavily on external forces. even in attempting to channel his life elsewhere, he still has to bargain, and is still subject to the choices of the fates, and in some ways the story remains irrevocably a tragedy, in that one way or another it has loss in a central place. in the latter half of hounds hob really became my attempted version of an aeneas type — a man with a quest and a fated directive, a deeply human and flawed individual, who can alter the path and even irrevocably change the genre of his own narrative, but only at cost.

of course let’s be clear! some of all the actual rendering of this ended up as it did partly because i am not always a clean writer, and for that i apologize! but i did genuinely want that sense of gaps — of faces and voices given over to the gravitational well of the principal narrative arc of hob/dream versus the Fates. i think those things are gone. the narrative is forcibly re-centered around hob and dream, and in doing this — in shifting the story genre — other ties and bonds are not just cut, but unwoven entirely. when you change the kind of story you’re telling, the change is done at the expense of something else. kind of like how there’s a fixed amount of matter in the universe? you can’t create or destroy matter — to make something new you have to take from another place. (sidebar: wow i’m realizing something about my fundamental storytelling beliefs right now! laws of physics! anon your ask has really got my cylinders firing, and most sincerely thank you <3)

still, they might come back. though i didn’t write it as fully as i could have (i will freely admit there was a great deal of burnout at play towards the end there), i had a lot of thoughts re: repetition and density, namely that if you stack a thousand repetitions of a lifetime against each other it’s the equivalent of writing a word over and over and over on a page. when you erase it, the channels remain. language flows most naturally in the direction once etched for it. maybe hob learns those same lessons and knows the same people in the same way — maybe he and the corinthian find that odd patch of common ground, maybe he takes a long drive with delirium through rural maryland. maybe there are echoes. maybe even if it is gone what was still shapes the topography. maybe a kindness or a word exchanged still ring out when you can’t see them or remember them. while the milestones of our lives rippled the most visibly, i think we’re shaped a thousandfold ways by accumulations of small things we can’t distinctly remember. only a feeling of a thing, or the negative space it leaves.

well. tl;dr — i didn’t want to let hob get away without actually giving anything up, nor without his choice to bargain affecting others besides himself in equally irrevocable ways (sidebar: at his core is a selfishness that is both charming and ignoble — he wants to do a good thing for dream but also he makes a call that changes a plenitude of lives other than his own, and i don’t think he really asks, he just does — grey areas are his whole gig to me), because nobody makes a deal with the Fates for free, and changing genre has a price tag. it was my effort to make the tone of the whole beast more authentically sandman-esque, since sandman does a lot of that sort of water-muddying, especially when using understood narrative models/archetypes/etc etc

i am. sorry this was as long as it is! jesus! but i’m sending it off all the same. anyways, anon, thanks very much not only for your lovely kind words and the high honor of your tears (no pulitzer could mean more to me than knowing a thing i wrote really moved someone, seriously thank you) but also for giving me a blank check to go buck wild and ramble about my own damn writing and Things I Just Think <3 i hope you have a lovely day/morning/noon/night, and thanks a bunch for dropping by <3 <3 <3

[metanarrates]

you got that genre and gender essay for us 👀

i might talk about gender in the hunger games a different time but right now im ready to talk about genre in it (FINALLY. sorry gamers ive been in the sludge for a while)

so one of the things that really struck me about the hunger games while reading is that it did not function strictly as an action genre story during the games themselves. the genre it actually seemed to be dipping into a lot of the time is wilderness survival. this is weird, for a couple of reasons.

for anyone unfamiliar with the wilderness survival genre, the underlying conflict tends to be rather slow-movingly paced. this isn't always the case - some wilderness survival stories do have limitations that force the plot to speed up - but in the vast majority of works I've seen, the main force the main character is working against is the slow-moving course of nature. there is a lot of time spent hunting, crafting, building shelters, tending to injuries. occasionally there are bursts of action, but the story is much more concerned with the daily work of solving more longterm survival problems than it is with more temporary threats. it's typically a story about endurance rather than urgency.

now, I like the genre just fine. I would even say suzanne collins does it decently well. the problem is that it doesn't actually suit the premise of the hunger games.

the hunger games is, on premise, a death game. for at least the first two books, the main setpiece of the story is the promise of the arena. it is a televised match where children have to kill each other for the entertainment of a crowd. this isn't a crazy uncommon subgenre or even main genre for action stories - there's a lot of story potential in forcing combatants to battle to the death against their will. my favorite novel, omniscient reader's viewpoint, has death game elements. when done well, it is tense, exciting, and asks questions about the culpability of both viewer and participants. oftentimes, the story's major theme is forcing the audience think about the way they may treat violence as spectacle. this is certainly something the hunger games also wants to do.

this premise carries a lot of intrinsic tensions. in a story where people are hunting one another in order to survive, the protagonist almost always is under threat, or nearly under threat, of being attacked. the tension of potentially having to kill adds another layer of tension. the demands of audience, in a story about violence as spectacle, serves to add another layer. the protagonist always has to look over their shoulder, to make sure that their audience can't hurt them if they become dissatisfied with the protagonist, and to be sure that they can fend off attackers at any given moment. to do otherwise, at least without justifying it, would be to undermine the logical stakes the premise introduces.

the end result, when done well, is a fast-paced action story with consistently heightened tension. you'll notice that this doesn't blend well with a slow-paced genre with a consistently low but omnipresent baseline tension.

through both games, again to collins' credit, there are a lot of high-tension action sequences. katniss does spend a good deal of time fighting, running, tensely hiding out, and dealing with high-octane environmental factors. however, I was consistently a little disappointed by how quickly a lot of these sequences ended. more importantly, I was confused by how often it would lead back into katniss skirting around the woods. she spends a ton of time fishing, hunting, chatting with allied tributes, scouting, and waiting around in a cave for peetas injuries to heal. the threat of the other tributes finding and killing her slips into the background. the audience in the capitol only matters occasionally. the minuitiae of surviving in a wilderness takes up major screentime. the threats intrinsic to the actiony premise stop being an immediate concern.

this inability to follow through on the established stakes totally kills my suspension of disbelief in the gamemakers as threats. very few people would be actually interested in continuously watching days-long, unedited livestreams of teenagers hunting and fishing and occasionally kissing. it doesn't make sense as a story about entertainment, because the events on screen would simply not be logically all that entertaining. the only reason the gamemakers don't act to force katniss towards more action is that collins plainly does not seem as interested in writing action. and that's really the root of the first two books' weird genre problem.

since collins seems to want to focus on wilderness survival rather than action, neither genre can properly shine. as a reader, i'm always feeling antsy whenever katniss takes a break to nap for a day, and I'm always frustrated whenever an an action scene is cut short instead of staying excitingly tense. the action stakes never feel believable to me because it seems like they only exist when the plot remembers they should. the survival stakes just feel like a tiresome chore in a story that should have much more urgent concerns. it's just a really weird choice. why write a death game story if you're often disinterested in the stuff the premise demands?

I also don't think that the rebellion/war story is done well in book 3, for similar pacing and tension issues (that book DRAGS in ways that actively undermine what it seems to be trying to do.) but this little essay has run on long enough. this has been a really longwinded way of saying "these books struggle a lot with tension and pacing and it makes them feel weird in how they play to their supposed premises," but I did want to approach it from a genre angle because that's what I was thinking about while reading. what is genre, after all, but a shorthand to communicate expected aspects of setting, focus, mechanical structure of a story?

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Boggart

CR 4

Chaotic Evil Small Fey

Bestiary 5, pg. 50

No, no, not Boggards, Boggarts. This isn't the first time Paizo has run into the problem of critters with names that are too similar to already-existing monsters for one reason or another (like the ghul, ghoul, and ghole) and it's far from the last, especially since the world has a myriad of languages and many mythological or folkloric creatures often end up with names similar to one another. Or, in the case I mentioned in parenthesis above, legends spread across the world and slowly become different creatures while keeping roughly the similar name.

The biggest problem here is that Boggards and Boggarts live in roughly the same territory, nesting in swamps, marshes, or near bodies of water in forested areas, which can lead to a potentially amusing but definitely frustrating case of misunderstandings if a low-level party is sent to deal with one monster or the other and then finds out they're up against an entirely different foe. In some ways, though, finding a gang of Boggarts is much, much worse than a bunch of frog people; the frogs, for one, don't tend to be psychic.

Boggarts are tormentors and bullies through and through, being born from negative emotions and psychic influence infecting a more benevolent Fey (typically a Brownie or a House Spirit) and causing it to undergo a gruesome metamorphosis. They seem to feed on the same negativity, carefully cultivating an environment of fear and frustration in chosen families or towns as they terrorize livestock, shatter belongings, and vexes chosen targets with its psychic abilities to disorient them, but the book notes that such acts seem to stabilize the Boggarts, and that being deprived of the ability to do such acts--such as by harming or killing their targets, which is why they avoid doing so--gradually causes them to become more agitated and murderous... which, you know, is a creature's normal response when it begins to starve.

While Boggarts are menacing enough when they're being nice, they're significantly worse when they're starved of fear or being attacked by an adventuring party trying to drive them off. They're vicious and clever, able to swiftly build and set up simple traps in their territory while making them less obvious with Hallucinatory Terrain, and they have a penchant for drowning people. Their small statue and 5ft space is offset by their startling 10ft reach, their arms rubberbanding outwards to deliver two claw attacks for 1d3+2 damage each, but if both claws strike a target at once, the tiny Fey can Abduct the victim, dragging them 5ft (or more, depending on how low the target's CMD is!) against their will. Abducted victims often find themselves repeatedly dragged until they either reach a dangerous trap or are yanked into the water and held down until they drown, but this isn't the only method Boggarts have to dispatch their enemies.

As mentioned before, they come equipped with more than a few psychic powers, having 10 PE to divide among their abilities as they choose: they can become invisible or use Hold Person for only 2 PE, the former letting them easily sneak around in their cluttered territory (in which they already have a +23 to Stealth), the latter letting them freeze up a single victim to either keep them out of the way or to simply let them helplessly drown as the Boggarts breathe in the victim's terror. Making the situation worse is the Boggart's Aversion, an ability that only costs 2 PE to use but which marks a 60x60ft area as forbidden for the spells' target, nauseating them if they enter it and compelling them to leave it be. While using it to prevent anything from drawing too close to their lairs is its most common use, the book explicitly states that Boggarts will use their Aversion to stop anyone from coming to help their victims; even if they fight through the compulsion to leave, the target becomes nauseated and thus cannot help.

One of the most unique powers available to Boggarts is Telekinetic Maneuver, but it's not unique because players don't have access to it or no other monsters have it! It's unique because it's 0 PE instead of the 3 it is for other creatures, essentially giving it the 3rd level Psychic spell at-will. This lets them disarm, trip, bull-rush, steal, reposition, or even grapple people from afar with a +12 bonus (+14 when dragging) instead of +7(+9 for drags) and no penalties due to size differences. With a flick of its wrist, it can slap weapons from the party's hand from high in a tree or from the middle of the water, push them into traps and pitfalls, drag them into more dangerous encounters, or pilfer their valuables from afar. If there's multiple Boggarts in the same battle, one can use Telekinetic Maneuver to grapple or trip a victim, while the others can then utilize their +1d6 Sneak Attack damage to augment their claws without fear. Telekinetic Maneuver at-will makes an already dangerous and annoying enemy into a menace, and when combined with the marshy environments they enjoy (and their penchant for hiding in bodies of water) and their love of creating dangerous traps, they become downright deadly even for a prepared party.

On the plus side, Boggarts are only protected by DR 5/Cold iron and little else; their massive +10 to Reflex saves closes off that particular vector of attack, but they have pathetic Fortitude saves and only okay Will. In addition, their Small size means that despite their proficiency with abducting people, they can often be body slammed by anything that can consistently beat their 19 CMD... and for added irony, they cannot breathe underwater, potentially allowing a party cruel enough to drown them right back. or at least throw them into their own traps. Of course, all of this doesn't mean much if the party can't even find the sneaky, usually-invisible buggers, let alone catch up to them through the environmental hazards and constant telekinetic battering, which is likely the biggest challenge of the encounter! One encounter with a Boggart may make the party sigh in relief when it turns out the next swamp menace they face is just a bunch of toad-men.

You can read more about them here.

[severeaesthetic]

In another life

@wttcsms banner credit

I am so sorry in advance

⚠️Angst, Death, mentions of violence, suicide⚠️

Nanami Kento is a very serious man. He was serious in his job as a salaryman was serious in the four years he did it full time. He is serious about his wife and his daughter and son on the way. Now though, he has more pressure as a jujutsu sorcerer and teacher at Jujutsu high. He doesn't get to spend as much time as he would like with, you, his heavily pregnant wife and two year old daughter Kurotori. He has a picture on his desk from when you moved to your new country home in a tiny village not far from Jujutsu High. He looked forward to coming home to his girls every day.

After leaving the school after another draining day, he was excited when he saw Kuro in the window waiting on him. As soon as he parked and got out of his car Kuro took off towards him, screaming at the top of her lungs "papa home! papa home! papa home!" Ken dropped his briefcase and immediately picked her up and smothered her in kisses causing her to giggle at the feeling of his stubble tickling her.

He was a man who loved his routine. He loved parking his car and picking up his daughter who always ran outside to be the first to greet him before you could. She was a daddy's girl through and through. He loved you though, just as much. He loved you waiting for him at the door with a kiss and when your daughter would push you away cause "das my papa mama!" and you can't kiss him until he Ken tickles her and calls her a brat(playfully) for not letting you kiss him. Dinner changes every other day depending on leftovers. He always looked forward to eating the delicious food you made, and getting your daughter stripped and in her high chair ready to make a mess with whatever it was.

Most parents find being with their child and doing little tasks tedious and annoying. But not him. He loves being home early enough to spend time with Kuro before she goes to bed. He does bath time every night, unless he has to work late (which is very rarely does, that was his one rule when going back to sorcery). He enjoys rolling up his sleeves and playing with the bubbles and bath toys and spending as much time as he can with these little moments. Both of you have to get Kuro ready for bed. One of you does the diaper and the other gets her dressed. Then, her night time routine. Her cup of milk and snuggled in her big girl bed between you and Ken and one of the many books she has. Her favorite series is Skippyjon Jones, so those books are read over and over again, but Ken doesn't care. He loves seeing the way her eyes light up at the silly cat and the very cute way she repeats certain words and phrases like a parrot.

After getting her to bed, it's big people time. This is the time where you both clean up and put away dinner and do the dishes. Soft music playing in the background and glasses of wine for the bu both of you. After the dishes are done the two of you dance in the dim light of the kitchen having a moment to be with each other in a way that isn't sexual. After cleaning up, you two head to the bath or shower with soothing lavender candles. Most of the time it leads to passionate love making, neither of you in a rush and just being together in the moment. Your night time routine is pretty much intertwined, you do yours and his skincare, brush your teeth, rub lotion on each other, Ken is always the one to rub your baby bump with lotion, he talks to it and tries to feel the baby kicking. Massages are a must, his shoulders kill him and your lower back and hips is typically what kills you with the baby on the way.

He loves his routine and wouldn't change it for a thing. So when his routine gets interrupted by whatever the case may be pissed is an understatement. Not at you or Kuro, never at you two. Working late is usually what pisses him off to no end. But this time it was important. Curses everywhere, wiping out all the sorcerers. He knew you and Kuro would be safe away from the city thank God. There was so much damage to the city and the innocent people by the major attack. He was hurt badly, so even though he knew you were up waiting for him he stayed at the school and got his wounds tended to before coming home.

"Mr. Nanami? Mr. Nanami?" He was confused, at first he thought it was your voice but you never called him that. It was a mans voice. All of a sudden everything isn't blurry anymore. The police tape on his front door, red and blue lights illuminating everything. Including the three bodies under sheets being put back into the coroner vans. He was sitting in the back of an ambulance with a shock blanket, barely registering that an officer was telling him he would have to identify the bodies.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today..." Ken zoned out after that. He was sitting in the front pew of the church with all the staff from Jujutsu High. All he could focus on was the three pictures. You, Kuro, and your baby boy who didn't have time to live. He knew that your daughter would've wanted pink and glittery, so he fulfilled her request. Matte black for you and a powder blue matte for your son. He knew how much his girls loved flowers so he spared no expense and the whole church was an array of flowers in different colors and species even if it wasn't the right season.

Empty. That doesn't even describe it. There is nothing to describe the hole that is his heart. He has tried to go on about his routine as best he can. But the ultimate interruption has driven him mad. He has no more tears to cry. He sleeps with your clothes and Kuro's favorite blanket and stuffed teddy bear because it smells like you both still. He goes to work and stares at that picture on his desk. He goes through the motions of his daily routine.

Sitting at his desk, he was watching your wedding video. One thing you said in your vows stuck out to him though.

"I found you in this life, and I promise to find you in every other life after this one." Both of you were crying and looking absolutely stunning in your dress and his suit.

In another life. You said you would find him. He said he would find you. So it's okay that he wants to leave so much to be with you and his kids. He has thought about it a lot since that day. It is so tempting. He hasn't been eating as much. Again, it's his planning period, so he is alone in the classroom. He planned it all out. Something quick and painless, he would simply go to sleep in his chair.

The needle in his neck hurt like hell, so did the liquid going in. He leaned back in his chair and got comfortable staring at the ceiling. His vision started going blurry before he saw everything clear as day. It was his normal routine. He got out of the car in the driveway, Kuro was running to greet him after seeing him in the window. He picked her up and smothered her in kisses. He saw you, standing on the porch holding your new son waiting to give him his kiss.

In another life, you and your children were brutally murdered by curses. This life though, this life is perfect and he wouldn't change a damn thing.

[conflictofthemind]

Not saying this means anything especially since TBSOAS (the book) only came out in 2020, more of a “hey this is weird” post but:

I’ve always thought these two looked / were similar as two wavy blond haired blue eyed men, and it definitely helps that they both premiered (in the case of film Corio) within one year of each other . But there’s like, more than that? And some of it is very strange?

First off, they are two characters who since the start of their chronological stories teeter between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ with a lot of forces in their life, including their evil scientist mentor, pushing them towards the dark side by use of manipulation tactics. Henry is much more of a direct victim to this than Corio is though, and the latter also does have more good influences in his life.

“Fueled with the terror of becoming Prey, see how quickly we become Predator?” - Dr. Gaul

“I could restore balance to a broken world… a predator, but for good” - Henry Creel / 001

Also, can I mention how both TBOSAS and TFS are set in the same exact time period? The Hunger Games uses retro futurism since the entire story is set centuries from now, but the era is clearly inspired by the late 50s to early 60s, especially given that it takes place 60 years before the main series.

Now here’s the actual weird part that had me making this post.

Both of their origin stories center on a romance with a female co-lead that ends with them killing her (heavy question mark). That’s not the weird part. It’s the way that the plots of both of these origin stories and said female characters are based off of old European folk-songs that were popular in Appalachia. TFS is based off of ‘The Tale of Barbara Allen’ and TBOSAS is based off of ‘The Ballad of Lucy Gray’ - Stranger Things just bothered to change her name to Patty Newby. Barbara Allen (Patty) appears as a covey sister of Lucy Gray in TBSOAS. Naturally, both of these characters are singers which plays a role in their respective stories.

I just have to say, it’s a very obscure source of inspiration to happen twice like this. There is a little part of me that thinks Kate Trefry and the writing crew on TFS might have been fans of The Hunger Games. But who knows.

Suzanne Collins wrote the TBOSAS prequel to answer the question of ‘nature vs nurture’ and how much choice villains have in becoming their future selves - which is the exact same question that is actively being posed by Stranger Things in regards to Henry.

And then how I got started on this line of thinking again today - the older adult versions of these characters both kidnap the respective sweet boy love interests and hijack them against the main characters. For strategic reasons and, in the case of Peeta, emotionally torturing the main character so she gives up. Will and Peeta are just both so similar as characters; soft and sensitive, traumatized, painters, both the poor underdogs with (seemingly) unrequited love for the protagonist though Mike isn’t really the protagonist.

I’m not sure if there’s actual inspiration being taken here. I typically assume not on the basis that I’m someone who can find connections between any pieces of media I enjoy. But the whole Appalachian folktale angle of it all is strange to me.

While I don’t think Henry was conceived with this in mind, it’s possible the inspiration sprang up during the further fleshing out of his backstory and into writing The First Shadow. Maybe it will even have an impact on the final season.

One of the things I liked about TBOSAS was the theme of the past coming back to haunt Snow in the future through Katniss and the music Lucy Gray created living on through her. If this was in any way inspiration, I’d love to see Vecna haunted by how similar Will is to him and especially the ways that he is different and able to do better.

[redrikki]

Scott's Season 2 Master Plan

In Teen Wolf season two, Scott McCall has a problem. Gerard Argent, his girlfriend’s evil grandfather, is threatening Scott to force him to help Gerard get the Bite to cure his cancer. Scott solves this problem by pretending to comply while switching out Gerard’s medication with mountain ash to ensure Bite rejection. The plan and who Scott chooses to involve (or not) in it say some interesting things about Scott’s character and his relationships.

Of course, Gerard doesn’t just explain what he’s after. Scott has to figure out the truth from disparate clues like Erica’s motivation for receiving the Bite and Gerard’s cancer smell and behavior. Once he’s figured out what Gerard’s game is, he comes up with a plan which pulls together things he’s learned about Bite rejection, mountain ash, and disguising murder to look like a medical emergency. It’s a smart plan. The show has spent a lot of time harping on Scott’s academic struggles, but this shows his how clever he actually is as well as his attention to detail in terms of replicating Gerard’s pills and pill case. Scott may not be book smart or good at figuring things out on the fly like Stiles, but give him the space to think and he shines.

It’s also a very passive aggressive plan, which is fairly typical of Scott. He rarely liked to confront his problems head on when he can come at them from the side or get a third party to deal with it (kind of like Gerard). Here he plays possum, plays Gerard and Derek off each other, and uses a tool which could not have been traced back to him if he needed plausible deniability for his involvement. Scott shows both Gerard and Derek exactly what they want/expect to get them where he needs them and shows nerves of steel in the pill handoff and waiting out the clock for them to take effect even as Gerard keeps the pressure on.

The plan displays Scott’s sense of poetic justice. Gerard wants the Bite? Well, Scott’s going to ensure that he gets it in the worst possible way. Derek won’t stop biting people even after Scott tells him not to? Well, Scott’s going to ensure he bites Gerard wether he wants to or not. We haven’t seen this from Scott before, but we will absolutely see it again in season 5 when he uses Deucalion as a sort of reverse uno card to destroy Theo’s pack from the inside the way Theo tried to do to him. 

It’s unclear, exactly, what Scott hoped to do aside from making sure Gerard didn’t become werewolf. He has repeated conversations about how Bite rejection kills, so he had to know Gerard’s death was at least a possibility. In canon, Gerard manages to alienate his entire family at the last second, but had things played out with slightly fewer witnesses, Derek would have been the one taking the fall for all of it. Scott would have kept his hands clean while allowing Gerard and Derek to destroy themselves/each other. I wish we’d gotten to see Scott’s reaction in season 3 to learning Gerard was still alive. Allison was shocked, scared, and angry. Scott being shocked (or even relieved) would be a hint that he planned/expected Gerard to die, but sadly the show skips right past a reveal in favor of evil grandpa story hour.

After seeing Gerard kill the omega in 2.01, Scott is understandably scared of him, but he consistently underestimates him. Gerard’s true threat lies not in his ability to personally cause harm, but his ability to inspire, manipulate, and lead others to do so (he’s a dark reflection of Scott in that way). Scott gets one over Gerard by preventing him from becoming a werewolf, but it is ultimately a hollow victory. It doesn’t break Gerard’s hold over the kamina or prevent Gerard from raising/funding a hunter army in season 6. In fact, it took Scott in Gerard’s eyes from a scared kid to be manipulated to an arch nemesis to be to be destroyed. 

Derek is an essential component of Scott’s plan, but he doesn’t get to be in on it. This makes sense given that their history largely consists of Derek threatening Scott and his friends and screwing Scott out of his hope of a cure after promising to help. Derek has repeatedly saved Scott’s life, but he can’t be trusted to do what Scott wants. He seems visibly hurt by Scott’s “not my Alpha” speech. He’s willing to help Scott with his tattoo in 3.01, but he clearly has no interest in involving Scott in his troubles with the Alpha Pack until Scott forces the issue.

The only person we know is entrusted with the plan is Deaton, as evidenced by the pill-making flashback. Deaton is Scott’s long-time professional mentor who has kept so many secrets, but is helpful when asked. As a werewolf, Scott can’t wield mountain ash. The will behind the pills’ magic is Deaton’s and he hates Gerard. He also believes that Scott has the capacity to be a True Alpha, but that blood on his hands will negate that. This plan allows Deaton to take out a guy he considers a murderer (or at least prevent him from becoming a werewolf) without getting Scott’s hands dirty. Whose idea was it to use the mountain ash this way? Would Scott even have known it could be used this way without Deaton’s guidance considering it’s a pretty far cry from how it was used at the rave?

It is unclear how much, if anything, Stiles knows about the plan. In season 1, any time Scott was hurt or threatened, it was followed by a conversation were he and Stiles discuss it. We don’t get any scenes like that in season 2 after Gerard declares war and threatens Scott (or after Victoria tries to kill him). The boys don’t really talk to each other after what happens at the Sheriff’s station, and it’s unclear whose idea that is. When Stiles expresses anxiety about how things are going to go down, Scott doesn’t remind him of the plan or even assure him that there is one. Stiles comes back from his beating at Gerard’s hands and doesn’t respond to any of Scott’s 17 missed messages and entirely misses Scott’s big reveal. Obviously, he learns about what happened later, but all signs point to a distinct lack of communication between the friends about what’s going on. What’s less clear is why. Does Scott no longer fully trust Stiles? Is he trying to protect him somehow by keeping him in the dark?

Scott also isn’t communicating with Allison. The difficulties of hiding their relationship from her parents absolutely plays a part, but he cuts her out of the channels of communication they do have. She repeatedly asks if there’s something going on with Gerard and Scott repeatedly says no. She checks her window for messages multiple times after the rave and gets nothing. The price of knowledge is responsibility and Scott is trying the shoulder that burden alone, but knowledge is power and in doing so he denies her the ability to make informed decisions about her relationship with her family. Gerard offers Allison up as a prize at the lacrosse game and then taunts Derek that Scott is doing his bidding all for Allison. That’s not what’s really happening, but I wonder how Scott’s lack of denial plays into Allison’s decision to break up with him.

Isaac doesn’t know the plan, but after Scott told him to be careful at the rave, he doesn’t care. He’s ready to back Scott up because he always tries to do the right thing and the fact that it works just makes him trust Scott even more. 

Gerard threatens Melissa as soon as he realizes Scott is a werewolf, but Melissa does’t even know she’s in danger until he’s choking her with the kamina’s prehensile tail. Scott and Melissa’s relationship has grown increasingly strained over the course of the series, but Scott’s reluctance to trust her with the truth of what’s happening to him might be a sign of how their relationship was already strained. Melissa freaks out and refuses to really speak with her son after learning he’s a “monster.” Her begging Scott to protect her and then showing up for him at the game and with Jackson is the first step of them repairing their relationship, but the dynamics are permanently and knowingly reversed. While Scott has been trying to protect his mom without her knowing since Peter tried to date her in season 1, now Melissa knows about the danger and fully expects Scott to deal with it. 

In the end, Scott is forced to reveal his plan after Gerard starts screaming about mountain ash. The tactics he used (playing possum, secret-keeping, manipulation, and using third parties to do the dirty work) are all tricks Gerard also likes to use. The difference is that Scott is trying to do what he thinks is right to protect others, while Gerard is strictly out to help himself. Scott damaged relationships with his actions and in 3.01, he declares his intent to be a better son and a better friend. When he faces Gerard again in season 6, he does so as someone who communicates openly with his allies and draws on his community rather than attempting to work around them.

Comment on AO3

[targaryenofrph]

Subject to Change by Kelsea Ballerini Sentence Starters

Change the pronouns and tense as needed for your verses.

The right and the hard thing are sometimes the same

Thank God he broke my heart in my hometown

Thank God I got a strong gut feeling leading me to somewhere new

I guess, haven’t decided if I’m gonna stay brunette

If I’m honest growing up, it kind of hurts like hell

Just leave a daisy on the dashboard

Back to the basics ‘cause they’re bigger than they seem

Give me that typical, simple love, it’s the little things

Just pull me in and kiss me slow

I could go to bed before 11:30

I could go read a book that tells me not to worry

I could do a load of laundry that’s just been sitting dirty

I could show up on time and maybe even early

All my inhibitions are gone by a quarter to twelve

I could go for a walk and maybe eat a salad

I could pick up my guitar and write another ballad

I could even meditate to live with less distraction

We go back like Pontiac seats

If I got an aisle with a mess I gotta clean up, I know you’ll be showing up with bleach

Got a couple nights that have slipped my mind

Proof and photographs have been deleted

We both know our hands ain’t clean

If you go down, I’m going down too

It’s a good thing we’re each other’s kind of crazy

If you rob a bank, I’m your getaway Mercedes

God knows that’s what friends are for

I keep all your secrets by the dozen

You know where my skeletons sleep

Hypothetically, if you ever kill your husband, hand on the Bible, I’d be lying through my teeth

Even if I wanted to I can’t snitch

Thirty to life would go quicker with you

Wrecks you in the worst way

Your hair’s a little longer

How long will you be back in town?

Are you still drinking that Jack and water?

Why don’t you let me buy you this next round?

I can pick you out of a line up, even with my eyes closed

My hands know just where to be

My body won’t forget our history

For old time’s sake let’s take a ride

Let’s ride the long way home tonight

Every little thing coming out of your mouth, I like how it sounds

I guess they call it falling 'cause you end up on the ground

You can’t live forever with your head up in the clouds

That night you told me I hung your moon

Did you only get me high to let me down?

I’m sleeping by myself in a bed I didn’t make

Did I wake you up on the wrong side of the bed?

Is there someone’s body that you’d rather be laying with instead?

How did we go from summer to cold as ice?

Are we really lovers if you’re changing your mind?

I’m not asking for much, just a little reliability

Baby, talk to me

Tell me what you need

Don’t leave me hanging anymore

Maybe it’s just dumb luck or somewhere in God’s plan

Whatever got you here to hold my hand is some kind of magic

You make me believe in something bigger than just me

Baby, you make the impossible feel like it’s all logical

Lying in your arms, could be Jupiter or Mars

You say I hang the stars in your eyes but you put the universe in mine

Who I was before you, I forget

I don’t get how you broke into my mind and opened it

Maybe someone up there lost a bet

'Cause now I’m saying all the things I never say

If you want consistency, then that’s something different than me

Loving me is no easy breeze

I already know I’m no walk in the park

That voice in my head says to slow down

That’s just the kind of risk that we take

My head is yelling that I could get hurt

I ain’t looking for a one-night rodeo

You’re drunk, go home

Yeah, I know you’re a Virgo, that’s the third time you told me

2020 was a weird year

Ain’t the homecoming queen, but better believe I cried

Therapy for one turned into therapy for two

When you get married that young, you got a lotta shit you gotta get through

If I said I had it all together, I’d be lying

But I’ll die trying

I’m doing my best

I’m letting the rest roll off my shoulders

I don’t always get it right

I think that showing up is good enough for me

Wish I could take it back, I would have never asked if I knew we wouldn’t talk anymore

Sometimes I try to say the right thing and it comes out wrong

I live in my head till the sun’s up

Even I can admit that it’s fucked up

Must be nice to be so nice and beautiful

Were you still alone at the party?

Everybody wanted to see you

Everybody wanted to be you

Was it worth it to seem so perfect?

Did you think you’d feel more fulfilled?

I bought the shoes where the bottom is red

Who the hell am I trying to impress?

I got what they call a dream job

I’m happy with what I have

Even the bad days ain’t all that bad

I’m doing alright right where I’m at

[asexual-angsty-writer]

More Beta!LQG & Beta!SQH ideas

Once LQG presented fully, SQH was the person that had to guide him through it, much to their shared weariness

- SQH would make soft coo's and chuffs at random, because LQG would unconsciously respond back

- LQG always had a bullied expression when he'd unconsciously respond back

- SQH once reconstructed a nest, while using a manual, because his instincts demanded he do so and put an injured!LQG in it

- LQG randomly chuffs at animals he thinks are cute, without realizing he did

- SQH spent hours 'proofing' the room Cucumber-bro had designated as LQG's guest room

- LQG often goes to SQH after SQQ/LBG leave after one of their visits, as a way to self soothe

- SQH and LQG greet each other by throwing fists, because Beta-Fight-Bonding instincts (SQH can't even be upset because he always feel more relaxed afterwards)

- SQH always wrist-scents LQG during meetings; originally, this was to help keep him calm due to the overestimating nature of their hypersensitivity — now its to get a bullied expression out of him

- LQG had several failed tries at recreating a nest, even under LMY's instructions

- LQG feels embarrassed that he needs to read through books and pamphlets about his subgender — mainly because they started him off with the same collection that are given to newly presented betas (which are typically children with vastly different literacy level)

- LQG felt conflicted during the first time he encountered MBJ after presenting; because he actually thought his scent was decent to be around

- LQG now often barges into SQH's office and asks him to summing his 'Demonic Alpha' to fight with

- LQG refuses to speak about the one time he started a wrist-scenting; SQH cherishes that memory more than anything

- SQH basically vibrates in his seat whenever someone gets LQG subgender wrong; because on one hand he wants to correct them, on the other he wants to see them get blind sided by the truth

- After a sparing match with MBJ, LQG often smells of him and SQH (Much to YQY distress)

- LQG chuffs at his students, which makes them make a sound back (Chuffs from the betas, chirps from the Omegas, and rumbles from the Alpha's)

- LQG does, much to his embarrassment, often unconsciously croon to comfort his students

- SQH (he made it) and LQG (he was forced to participate) have a detailed list of which Alpha's has the most agreeable scent to which one has the least; They both agree MBJ is top 3

- LQG gets into even more fights now — because other betas now smell his scent and their instinctual fight-bond mode gets activated

- It once leads to LQG actually wrestling with a succubus; because Instincts went burr and the Succubus forgot she had asphorisiac bs at their disposal

- They may have started a ritualistic greeting-fight whenever LQG visits Huan Hua because of SQQ

- Beta Huan Hua disciples (Whether human, half-demon or full demon) will follow LQG around whenever he's training; like lost pups

- LQG may have started to give them minor lessons to improve their stances and he may recognize each of them by scent at this point

- SQH didn't mind being paired up with LQG when they were disciples, though he wa svery jumpy, because LQG has the funniest reactions to things

- He loves it even more now, because having the resident War God help him get materials and watching how LQG ends up circumventing so many hidden Plots/his reactions to them is just perfect entertainment

- LQG's face whenever he's hit by some sex pollen that won't kill him + will wear off eventually is just the perfect mixture of resigned disgust and definetly-not-pouting moping

- Ace made it so LQG has the potential of being the 'Asexual-smut-writer' stereotype, if given the chance; Which means the moment SQH let him read anything he wrote, he got roasted by his shidi

- LQG nose thinks the combination of LBH's scent and SQQ's is the most agreeable, but he'll die before admitting to even himself

- LQG has a constipated face whenever his instincts demand he cares for someone, because he's unsure of where to start or how, just knows he *needs* to

- LQG and SQH will, occasionally, sink so much into a beta-equivalent of a subspace that they start making hyena cackles at each other because they deep in their instincts

- SQH keeps trying to gift SQQ some scented candles, to try and help make his and his husband's scents more harmonious to LQG

- But also, never explain that LQG has the biggest cheat sheet when it comes to Wife-plots or plot-pushers because of several unspoken headcannons or details

- No he will not tell SQQ that certain asphorisiacs/sex plans require someone experiencing sexual attraction to work

- No he will not explain that succubus-siren hybrids would be peaceful around LQG because their powers only work on someone that has some amount of sexual attraction towards them

- Nor will he explain that other things work off of arousal and that those are the ones LQG hates the most

- But yes, he will very much be bitey and fight his bro for the right to be the one to help LQG with any plot-points that revolve cuddling

- Beta instincts demand to gift stuff to those they care; LQG hunts rare creatures for SQQ, gets rare materials for MQF and makes good quality ink/brushes for LMY & SQH

- SQH particularly hunted down a creature for their horn, and gifts it to LQG to help with gathering liquid/sap from plants/trees

- MBJ eventually gifted a thick winter coat to LQG because SQH convinced him to visit the Northen kingdom (Did so by telling him about all the strong creatures there)

- LQG, in turn, hunted down a fearsome creature that was making trouble in MBJ's territory and gifted it to him

- SQH likes watching SQQ and LBH fumble in regards of interactions with LQG, because of how everyone else perceives a mated A/O couple interacting with a lone beta

- The demon realm are convinced LQG is trying to court the couple; their hearts go out to the lone beta

- Cultivators find the way LBH postures against LQG kinda... off

- Normal people either theorize LQG is SQQ's beta or that LQG is trying to prove that he should be the couples beta

- SQH may or may have not found a way to get LQG scent all over a certain item to keep in his house (may have found a way to scent an item that's in LQG's house)

- SQH is waiting for SY to either figure shit out or enter a crisis over the entire "But he was really a beta all along" plotline; could go either way iho.

- SQH might be petty a be an obstacle in SQQ's eventual endeavors; just to be a smart ass

- It would be so easy with how LQG ends up smelling like Him and MBJ after a visit/sparing session

[mermaidsirennikita]

So You'd Like to Fuck a Villain: Romance Novel Recommendations

Have you gotten caught up in a villain ship? Are you, perhaps, what might be called a villainfucker?

The issue with stanning for villains and wanting them to have romantic love and happiness and possibly group sex, is that they often don't. At least, not onscreen. Some of the most popular romantic ships, obviously, have been villain ships--Reylo spawned a wave of romance novelists (though, I might add, many do not actually write villain-centric romance novels, which is fine), Darklina powered no small part of Shadow and Bone's publishing success... and let's be real, the success of the soon-to-be-ill-fated-from-what-I'm-hearing TV show. On a darker level, Interview with the Vampire took off in no small part because people love the tainted love that is Louis and Lestat, where maybe? They're both villains? (Definitely more Lestat, but you know.)

You know what the great thing about a romance novel is? The villain has to get a happy ending. They just must. It's a rule. If a villain is a lead, the HEA is guaranteed (rhymes), or it's not a romance novel.

So, for Cupid's birthday, I'm recommending some of my favorite villainfucking romance novels. I just think that we deserve it.

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Wicked Villains by Katee Robert.

As you might guess, this series is in fact about villains getting their happy ending, full stop. And it does so by adapting Disney villain ships and placing them in a contemporary setting full of organized crime, sex clubs, and deals gone wrong. It is fun, it is campy, and it is very, very sexy. Check the trigger warnings (which Robert typically lists for each book on her website)--some of these do feature heavy BDSM and CNC.

The diversity of the pairings is so appreciated--while my favorite thus far is the first, Desperate Measures (Jafar/Jasmine with a mob wife "you killed my father" spin, for those curious) you get several triads (Hades/Hercules/Meg, Beast/Gaston/Belle, Ursula/Ariel/Eric, to name a few) and the ever-coveted sapphic Maleficent/Aurora moment. I don't think there's a straight person in this collection of characters. Contemporary romance can be a hard sell for me, especially in terms of villainy... But these are just a ride.

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas.

Obviously, if you haven't read Devil in Winter yet, you need to read Devil in Winter. It's a classic--not just of historical romance, but romance in general. Though, pro-tip: I would recommend reading the preceding It Happened One Autumn first, as that's where the villainy takes place. Devil in Winter is about a recovering villain--a rake who did a very, very bad thing (kidnapping his best friend's lady love) simply because he did not want to get a job. I mean.....

Sebastian St. Vincent is a soft touch villain, and not just because he's super good at touching. You know he's going to roll over and beg for it with his seemingly-gentle, secretly-iron-willed heroine; but it's watching him get there that's so fun. His bark is worse than his bite, but he does deliver quite a bark (and quite a bite). If you like 'em snarky and slutty, read this book.

Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt.

If you like a blond villain who seems better at lounging about than doing manual labor, Valentine Napier takes what St. Vincent was doing to another level of insanity. St. Vincent is sane; Valentine is not, and he's a lot less fun about his kidnappings. Fortunately, his heroine (dispatched to spy on and steal from him) does not take any shit.

This is a book for those who like them loony, because I really don't think Valentine reforms in the least. He just falls in love, all while running around naked in bedazzled, open robes and brandishing a knife. At least he's good in bed and keeps giant, nude portraits of himself in his own house. Keep in mind that this book does delve into some pretty massive childhood trauma, including all kinds of abuse.

Villain I'd Like to F...

This anthology of novellas delves into five stories of historical romance villainy, by five great authors. I'm going to list each novella and its author, as these collections typically disband after a period of time, allowing the authors to sell the novellas individually (though you often can find the collections in online libraries like Libby). In the brackets!

[ Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh.

Do you enjoy Dangerous Liaisons? Try this delightfully sexy Georgian-era novella about a widowed vamp and an illegitimate libertine, teaming up to break apart two young lovers (for a price). Except what happens when these two assholes start to catch feelings? Notable in that these characters are in their forties, know themselves, and do engage in some fun role-playing.

Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson.

Our young-but-ready widowed heroine is toiling in the service of her dickish in-laws... Until the owner of the local gambling hell (who isn't above murder and torture, and does enjoy dominating a bit) shows up demanding payment for her brother-in-law's debts. Those who love an innocent heroine lured by the darkness will love this one, a she very much goes willingly to her "doom" of being his mistress for a week, and loves every minute of it. It's sexy, it's sweet, she also loves a torture moment, there's some exhibitionism.

The Gangster's Prize by Joanna Shupe.

A Gilded Age gangster is thrown off balance by the young woman who comes to him demanding help in finding her missing father. But wait... who's in his dungeon as we speak? Could it be? Her dad? Joanna doesn't pull her punches here, and it's delightfully wacky. Watching our hapless villain hero be like "uhh, what screams from the dungeon" while our heroine looks for her father... who he has captive.. is hilarious.

The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera.

Did someone say sort-of pirates? Our heroine is a nightclub singer, and she books passage to New York with a dangerous rum runner. There's a lot of sex in this one, and--delightfully--a triad, as there happens to be a young gentleman who catches the eye of both our singer and our rum runner...

The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone.

Hedonistic nuns? A Norman invader (in more ways than one) who turns out to be a lady conqueror? As in, a conqueror who is a lady and conquers ladies? I think yes. Our proud abbess Tate is ready to stand up to the Wolf, but what happens when the Wolf is very sexy and cruel in the best possible way? ]

The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe.

If there's one thing Joanna Shupe loves, it's a hero (or a villain turned hero) who hates your dad. This book opens with our casino-owning hero beating the shit out of someone, and when he meets the headstrong spoiled rich girl who wants to open a casino for ladies and needs mentorship... He takes her up on it. All while planning to take down her father (as revenge!!!).

While Clay isn't a super hardcore bad guy, he is pretty violent and pretty diabolical. What makes this book is, of course, his dynamic with Florence, and her defiance of norms that quickly has him completely besotted. This book has a very good grovel, and it should. Does anyone deserve Florence?

... and after reading this one, you can mosey over to Shupe's next book, The Devil of Downtown, in which a bad, bad gangster gets his ass emotionally kicked by Florence's goody goody angelic sister.

The Dragon and The Pearl by Jeannie Lin.

This is another one that benefits from reading its previous book, Butterfly Swords, first. In that novel we're introduced to the treacherous warlord our heroine is fleeing--Li Tao. Lin doesn't shy away from his intimidation factor: he even gets into a sword fight (that turns into an outright brawl, lmao) with the hero. In this novel, Li Tao gets full focus, kidnapping a former emperor's concubine to get information out of her.

What follows is a match of wits that gradually gives way to two manipulative, emotionally closed off people falling madly in love with each other while being unable to say it. Li Tao is a cold, seemingly-unfeeling villain-as-hero, and he really pushes how far he's willing to go to reach his end goals in this book. Also, there's a sex deal. If that matters to you.

Daring and The Duke by Sarah MacLean.

Again, one that does in fact benefit from reading the two preceding books, Wicked and The Wallflower and Brazen and The Beast (fortunately, they're both good!). Ewan, our titular duke, is the villain of both--and he is completely batshit insane in his pursuit of his childhood sweetheart, Grace. Who, for reasons relating to villainy, wants absolutely nothing to do with him.

This is a book-long grovel the way Sarah MacLean does it best--with abject shame and humiliation. Ewan is put through the ringer: and he should be, because he did a really bad thing! And was legitimately a nutjob of a villain! But that's what makes it so, so good.

PARANORMAL/FANTASY ROMANCE

The Four Horsemen by Laura Thalassa.

This series has the rather bold take of "what if the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Fucked". Starting with Pestilence, bleeding into War and Famine, and ending with Death, this series is a bit bonkers. But it doesn't let up on the extent of the villainous heroes' determination to lay waste to the world. There is a lot of gore. There is a lot of moral ambiguity.

But it's also legitimately funny. Pestilence discovers the joys of a bathtub. Death receives his first blowjob and is like "I don't know, maybe the apocalypse is bad". It's campy, and it's fun, and it leans the fuck in to the concept. I would recommend reading these in order, as the love stories stand alone but the overall arc leads to a big finish (and there are lots of finishes in between, if you know what I'm say--)

The Tenebris Trilogy by Kathryn Ann Kingsley.

If you're interested in the occult and some Lovecraftian vibes set in a pseudo-1920s world, this is it. Our heroine is on the search for her brother, and who is to assist but his stuffy-hot professor who happens to be a cult leader and has perhaps merged his body with that of a Cthulu monster?

What's interesting about this series (which cannot be read as standalones, and must be read in order) is that our hero is legitimately loony tunes, and our heroine is into it. She falls in love with him and his monsters, and that does... extend to the physical. (Tentacles, everyone! Shadow tentacles! Think Venom.) I will add that there's a lovely secondary romance with a trans heroine (with a hero that's not a villain) and it is excellent, but at one point an antagonist is transphobic towards her. An attempted off-page forced detransition occurs. The main heroine is totally supportive of the secondary heroine and stops it, but read with caution.

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole.

This rare villainess/hero romance sees a sorceress heroine take a deposed demon king captive to coerce him into impregnating her so that she can bear his heir (all for villainous purposes, of course). Yes. So this book is heavy on the dubcon--lots of edging, lots of people chained to beds--but to be frank? He is into it. We have a stern, morally upright hero being driven to the brink by the baddest of bad girls, and it's great.

This book is a bit controversial because of the content, and I do recommend checking out my IAD Cheat Sheet before reading for a full list of triggers/details about the world of Immortals After Dark. But it reads fairly well on its own, and I personally adore it. The sex is hot, the romance is angsty, he gets back at her in every possible way, and it's so fun to see a villainess take center stage and bring out the dark side of such a noble hero.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole.

Here, we focus on an immortal valkyrie heroine who's had centuries of near-misses with her would-be Berserker love--every time she kisses him, he remembers his past lives with her and promptly dies in increasingly gruesome ways. He's always be good and loving to her... which is why she's so shocked when he returns to her, this time in the form of an immortal-hating torturer who's taken her captive.

This one is dark--yes, he does torture her (not that badly, but there are other scenes of torture at the hands of different villains which are... bad). But if you can hang in there, I think you'll find a very compelling romance with a legitimately troubled, intense hero and a woman he can't get out of his head. There's also a very, very good bathtub scene that turns into "let me blindfold you so you can't see my hideous scars".

Lothaire by Kresley Cole.

The villain romance to end all villain romances (best read after Dreams, so you get the one-two punch of a pair of very different villainous heroes). What happens when you mix a 3,000-year-old megalomaniacal vampire with a 24-year-old whip-smart human woman he believes houses the soul of the goddess he's supposed to wed? A fucking ride, and possibly my favorite romance ever, that's what.

Lothaire goes HARD. It goes hard on the villainy (this is a story of a villain falling in love, not a villain finding redemption), it goes hard on the sex (with possibly one of the most infamous sex scenes in romance, and I love every word of it), and it goes hard on the angst. As much as Lothaire fucks with Ellie's head and is determined to deny his love for her, she's determined to one-up on him and will never, ever break. I think this book is always best summed up in a scene early on where he kisses her, bites her lip, and draws back, smugly expecting horror--only to find her grinning through the blood and pulling him in for another kiss. Tell me that isn't villain romance perfection.

Sworn to the Shadow God by Ruby Dixon.

Not so much a super hard villain romance as it is a "falling in love with Death himself" book, this wacky romance finds our gamer girl heroine falling through a portal to another land and... yes, sworn as the mortal companion of the God of Death as he attempts to complete a trial set before him by the father god. It is funny, it is sexy, it's adventurous, and it is for the Reylos.

You think I'm joking. No. He is very clearly modeled after Kylo Ren, and he sweeps around in dark cloaks and emo smashes about being the God of the Death, and it is glorious. He's less bad than he is detached and uncaring, but, you know... Death. By the end of the book, though? He cares very much about one particular person.

Look, man. Check your triggers always, especially with romance novels about villains. These won't work for everyone. But I imagine... if you like a villain... some of these are for you.

[rhondafromhr]

Unhinged Heathers AU where Veronica and the Heathers are the ones who go on a murder spree (based more so on the musical version than the movie). Warning for canon-typical mentions of murder and suicide below the cut.

Ram is their first victim—at his party, he, Veronica and the Heathers are in a dark corner of the backyard by the pool while everyone else is inside. He’s being creepy towards Heather Duke, Veronica pushes him in the pool and he lands weird, hitting the corner with enough force that it snaps his neck. McNamara is terrified, Duke is pissed because Veronica butted in when she didn’t need help and now they might go to jail and Chandler is telling her she better get them out of this. Thinking quickly, Veronica screams as loud as she can, yelling that Ram accidentally fell into the pool and he’s not moving and somebody has to call 911. It’s ruled an accident and they get away with it. Heathers D and C are both intrigued by the rush of power it gives them, Duke especially. McNamara goes along with it because it was sort of an accident and he was being a jerk and should she and her friends really have to serve hard time over a silly little accident?

Kurt is up next. He starts using Ram’s death as an excuse to be even more of a shithead and be even creepier and sleazier towards girls, plus he was the first to emerge from the house and Veronica worries that he might have been close enough to the sliding glass door to see something. They need to shut him up forever and it’s not like he’s contributing anything positive to Westerburg, anyway, so they lure him to the cemetery and do a plan similar to the one Veronica and JD do in the movie, leaving a note explaining that he just couldn’t live in a this “cruel, ununderstanring world” without his best buddy, whom he also loved. There are no “ich lüg” bullets though—it’s a real ass gun and they all know exactly what they’re getting into. Unfortunately, they’re not very skilled with it and a stray bullet gets Heather Mac, so they have to hastily set up the scene to make it look like she killed herself, too. The guilt starts to eat away at Veronica, because Heather Mac was the most innocent in all this and she ended up dying for it. (“She was just seventeen, she still had room to grow. Who could she turn out to be? Well now we’ll never know”.) After this, she appears to Veronica as a ghost/figment of her imagination like Heather Chandler was in the musical.

Then Veronica catches Martha digging around in her locker and Martha confesses that she thinks Veronica’s been acting weird ever since Ram’s death and she heard she was the last one to talk to him (he died and things got shut down before Martha could come to the party). And, well, to quote the musical : “Martha, I’m so sorry.” Veronica lures her in with the promise of watching the princess bride and popping some Jiffy pop—just the two of them, just like old times. She really does put the movie on, but only so Martha can see her favorite movie one last time. See the happy ending, even though she’ll never get one. Veronica goes to pour them both “sodas”, spiking Martha’s with drain cleaner and leaving a note just like they did for Kurt. The surviving Heathers help her set up the scene and then they book it.

After this, it really sinks in what a monster Veronica’s created and become and she tries to break it off with the Heathers. Heather Chandler makes it clear that she can’t go back to being a nobody—if she leaves, come Monday, she’s an ex-somebody. Duke won’t let her leave without a fight either. She needs the power this gives her and she won’t have Veronica messing it up by walking away. She maliciously complies—she won’t walk away; she’ll face what she’s done, in front of everybody. This leads to the “dead girl walking reprise” sequence, an epic confrontation between Veronica and the Heathers at the pep rally.

If you’re wondering where JD is in this AU, he’s just chilling in the background, fully aware of what Veronica and the Heathers are up to. Picture him nodding in approval and saying, “well played.” Or if you want him to have a bigger role he could channel his God complex into deciding it’s up to him to defeat them and end their reign of terror and becoming sort of an antagonist to them.

That’s all I have so far, haven’t fully fleshed it out yet and this is my first unhinged AU outside of my main fandom so I hope y’all like it. Also let me know what you think of the characterization here bc I kind of struggled with it.

[cabeswaterdrowned]

I had been trying to figure out where some of my issues with Emma's characterization post LM came from you are absolutely right, it definitely feels like CC stopped focusing in Emma's gray morality to focus on Julian's

In theory I think the idea of their arc being Emma starting off the more ruthless and revenge driven character then easing up on that mindset as things unfold with Malcolm (I really like that little moment where she tells Julian about how her conceptions have changed since killing Malcolm didn’t give her closure, but we should have seen more of her introspection on this after it happened before bringing it back up in QoAAD) vs Julian being more of a wolf in sheep’s clothing whose manipulation and ruthlessness becomes more apparent over time, until eventually Emma is willing to do something morally gray (break the parabatai bonds) that in this set of circumstances Julian will not do, is compelling to me but the execution on Emma’s side falls short after LM because there’s not consistent enough exploration of her changing attitudes towards glorified vengeance and violence, more of an occasional check in. Part of this has to do with pacing/structure and although I love TDA and find the ensemble probably the most compelling overall of tsc series it is overstuffed with how many povs their are as much as tlh is. But also Julian clearly took priority to her at some point and his arc is more the focal point of books 2 & 3 despite all the povs, maybe if that was only the case for LoS it could work because then LM is more Emma focused LoS is more Jules focused but even though QoAAD is pretty all over the place Julian’s emotionless + grieving arc feels like it’s at the heart of the book, and I like that arc I mentioned I related to quite a few of the grief manifests as repressed/controlled emotion aspects so subjectively that clicks for me, but it does put Emma in the role of having to be more of a tether morally for most of the book and then there’s not enough of a transition between that and the moment where she goes to break the bonds. So yeah it’s partially cc prioritizing exploration of the male mc’s gray morality as the series goes on and being less interested in the female leads corresponding gray morality (and I know I would be far meaner about this if I didn’t like Julian as much as I clearly do) partly just other pacing and point of view distribution issues towards the back half of TDA that lead to this. Is how I see it. I do also think there’s something to critique about how while I adore blackstairs and enjoy that they flip some gender roles typical of cc’s earlier books couples, if when gender inverting the bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold x good-girl-going-bad trope the male version of the good girl with a dark heart thing gets to have a more centralized arc that is allowed to go further gray morality wise than female chars you’ve written in that vein (I would say that both Clary and Lucie count as this, Lucie in particular has a lot of parallels to Jules imo which is fun family tree wise ) and have the more centralized arc whereas while I do think Emma is a much better written character than Jace who she was clearly originally conceived as the female version of, she doesn’t have the centralized status Jace does narratively.

I do think both modern TSC arcs end up prioritizing Jace / Julian over Clary / Emma in terms of who’s character and dynamics the series eventually revolves around most (although again TDA being so ensemble changes this a little). I’m meaner about it with tmi because I don’t like Jace and Clace doesn’t work for me as a ship, and more just passively critical about it with tda because I do love Julian and Blackstairs really works for me as a ship, so I’m definitely a bit of a hypocrite there but I’ll still critique what’s relevant. I think both historical arcs do better with this I’ve spoken before about how Tessa is my Favorite tsc char as well as protag, and I think her arc and narrative is really really good and that she is central, maybe tied with Will towards the end but definitely her narrative isn’t given less importance than the guys and I’ve disagreed with takes on that to the contrary. Cordelia is an interesting case because again, the overstuffed nature of the cast means she often does not feel like the protagonist in her own story and I found that aspect worse in tlh than for Emma in tda. However I actually really don’t agree with takes that Cordelia’s story went badly because she was turned into ‘just a love interest/got lost in her romance plot’ because imo James is way less of a character in his own right than she is even in the last book where he has more agency than he did with the gracelet. Her emotions and struggles drive the plot of their romance much more than his do, and outside of it she does get to be a more proactive character in the Lilith paladin plot, dealing with her familial relationships etc. So while I did often feel like I would rather tlh focus on Cordelia herself more that really had nothing to do with James who I think was just not a priority for cc a lot of the time. Perhaps there is something to the cursed plots Will / James start out with and that device creating a need for cc to lean on the female protagonist’s characterization more (but also I’ve only read TLH once so maybe my opinion would change if I revisited I do want to say I don’t think I am a TLH or TMI expert).

[jewishregulus]

hi hello hope you're well.... could i ask about alectolily like whats the dynamic like? i've seen you post about them and i really wanna know more

thank you so much for this . i cannot encompass them in one post but here is just a nibble .

ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THIS ENTIRE BLOCK OF TEXT ABT THEM ONFGFGG .. basically alecto has been cast out from pureblood society due to her family’s cowardly history and as a result is v poor .lily is one of the only people outside of her family who sees her for who she is and validates her identity outside of the performance she puts on. and simultaneously alecto is one of the few people who doesn’t put any expectations onto lily . she doesn’t need lily to do anything but be herself and lot lily that is so RARE, because everyone wants her to be a prodigy and to be this big savior and hero and she doesn’t want that!! she wants to do her own thing!! and then alecto betrays lily by joining the deatheaters and it’s the worst possible thing she could’ve done because this betrayal has already happened to her. so not only has she joined the hate group that wants to kill her, she made lily look like an idiot for trusting her . and alecto doesn’t regret it . she craves power and glory over even her own Actual desires . she wants her family to be safe and will do anything to put them back on the map. at a point they both end up just wanting to hurt the other so much they almost die, and then nurse them back to health just so the other can feel how Hurt they are. alecto by lily not understanding why she needs to do this and lily because she did it. they want to be the other’s punisher, and their savior. they want to be the butcher who takes the pig to his own table and cuts the head off in a clean go: a mercy not provided by anyone else but a death nonetheless. real toxic yuri. alecto and lily would go to eachothers houses over break during the hogwarts years (alectos father isn’t a blood supremacist, he put that behind him due to a bad relationship w his parents . they r normal until alecto hates how it has caused themto fall out of good graces and tries to fix it.) alecto talks to lily about her dead mom and lily tells her about petunia. they have a genuine cute romance to the point lily is so shocked their 100% doomed relationship actually meets doom. she was genuinely caught off guard and that’s the part she hates the most .

in like a modern muggle au tho i have a clear vision of lily being a successful author who interviews alecto: masters in arts and language for her new book and ends up becoming alectos accidental sugar mommy bc alecto is dirt poor in every universe. amycus calls her a sugar baby and alecto plucks a leaf off his favorite plant (a crime against him worse than death) . big fan of the sugar daddy/mommy is the bottom trope and that is them here . sorry sorry . alecto leading service top nation but only w lily .::: she wants Lily to feel amazing all the time and nothing else . but also it isn’t ur typical sugar baby arrangement where it’s all sex n stuff …. they have a genuine connection and lily pays her to go on walks around a park and to play with her and amycus’ weird pets and pays her a “room and board” everytime she stays the night . just because she can. and she loves alecto and wants to spoil her as much as alecto wants to spoil her. it’s the worst thing to ever happen to alecto bc she is chronically Anti “charity for herself”…. but lily gets what she wants !!! anyways they are deeply in love .

heres some goofy modern stuff

here’s some canon imagery