#but that apparent selflessness is entirely selfish

[beneathashadytree]

I love ur imagines especially the One Piece ones!! Would it be alright if you could make a scenario of a g/n reader who's an Ancient Weapon and like they're afraid of getting close to anyone since everyone they get close to dies. They're a part of the Heart Pirates and then suddenly the crew is hunted down relentlessly because of the reader and they decided to leave the crew. While they're about to leave after an argument with Law, Law stops them by kissing them and then they try to reason things out! Hopefully this works! Lubsss uuuu

NEVER A HOME - TRAFALGAR LAW X READER

Warnings : mentions of death and injuries, probably some abandonment issues sprinkled in, this is not proofread, reader is gender-neutral!

Genre : angst to fluff (I think)

Word count : 3.4K words (holy shit—)

Additional notes : I… have no words to say—but apparently more than enough to write 😭 I got so carried away while writing this. Honestly, I just absolutely ADORED this request, so I couldn’t help but write this much. Aside from all this, please make sure to check my bio! My requests are actually closed now. I do hope you like this, though! Much love to you💗

Requests : Are closed.

Tip jar if you’d like to buy me a Ko-Fi!

Masterlist

They don’t know when they’d decided to let their guard down. They don’t know how that constant nagging feeling; that creeping thought that ate away at their mind, was reduced to nothing more than a dull ache at the back of their head.

Born so different, and living so isolated—truly, they were destined to lead a cursed life that they couldn’t run away from. The circumstances under which they’d been brought into this world dictated that; after all, an Ancient Weapon instilled terror and carnage in every place it would set foot on. The fact that said Weapon was in the form of a human being was a tragedy scripted by the cruelest deity.

Something so horrifying, someone so overpowered, could only prove as a threat to everyone’s safety. Perhaps it was out of selflessness and a will to protect others from that gruesome fate of being tracked down and hunted for their relationship with them, or perhaps it was out of innate selfishness because they didn’t want their company and happiness pulled out from underneath their feet and leave them wanting—for whatever reason, they swore to never let a single creature in. To never stay for too long, to never speak too often.

But since stumbling upon that unruly group of pirates that seemed to follow the beat of their own drum, they’d found themself settling in. All ties to the wretched history of the world felt as though they were severed the moment they stepped on board, facing their carefree smiles and lively talking. The Heart Pirates, if someone looked too closely, were like a rowdy balm to soothe all the aches that the years of utter loneliness had left in their weary bones.

And, if they dared to admit it, the main contributor to that fact had been none other than their captain. Ever-enigmatic, nearly-always brooding, and startlingly sharp-witted Trafalgar Law. The man whose wicked smile and nimble fingers were famed across the entire Grand Line, and the name that struck a certain chilling fear in pirates and marines alike, had a startling calming effect on them.

They couldn’t exactly put a finger on how or why that was. All they knew was that Law was equal parts scary and endearing, with his bloodstained hands that still held the soft fur of Bepo at night, his cold demeanor that melted away when he directed his words to his crew (and by extension, them), and his own self that carried the past he never spoke of, in his tattoos and his clothes.

A mix of intrigue and genuine fondness had gradually grown inside them towards him, and they soon found that maybe that wasn’t so one-sided. A small, selfish part of them was reveling in the fact that he often sought them out in the midst of the crowded rooms of the Polar Tang, knees knocking and skin brushing. Tingles went down their spine whenever he called them into his office, with reasons that even they could see through as flimsy excuses to have them within close proximity. Even his guarded eyes turned a warmer shade of molten gold that had their heart thrumming in their chest.

With the new-found stability they’d found with Law and his crew, their fear of having everything ripped away from them, that was always very much there, had somehow become just background noise to them. And that was probably their first mistake.

That false comfort came shattering down on them the very second Shachi slammed the door to the cabin open one normal day, a frantic look in his eyes that was anything but normal.

“Marines?” Law swiftly got up, hand reaching for his sword at the same time they gripped the sheath of theirs, already alerted by the loud presence and thumping of feet outside.

“I’ll go outside, check if we’ll need you to interfere,” they said, turning back to Shachi who now had an uneasy expression on his face. “Spit it out. What’s wrong?”

“Uh, I wouldn’t advise you to go out.” He swallowed thickly, his eyes flitting between his captain and the person that was considered closest to him. “They’re… sorta looking for you. Something about… weapons?”

Their face blanched instantly, all color draining from their face at the realization that their past and identity had finally caught up to them in the absolute worst way possible. Shachi was saying something about him not really understanding what the Marines wanted with them, but they couldn’t register a single word that was being said. Their blissful days spent on the Polar Tang were nothing but borrowed time, and fate had sent a harsh but much-needed reminder.

Flashes of images seared into their memory finally resurfaced, reminding them of what had happened the last time they’d allowed themself to indulge in someone’s presence. As Law rushed onto the deck and began to shout orders that Penguin rapidly relayed, they remained stuck in the loop in their head.

As the loop played, they watched people they’d grown to care for get sliced and gutted so brutally that the ground seemed to soak up their blood and gore—sometimes meeting a much worse fate, plainly vanishing off the face of the earth without leaving a trace behind, as if their existence had never been.

The reel was only snipped clean in half when Law huffed back into the room, an unreadable expression on his face as he called their name and snapped them out of it.

“Yes, Captain?”

He clicked his teeth. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d remind them that there was no need for stiff formalities between them when he’d been as honest with them as his tentative heart could allow him to, but he said nothing this time, and only pinned them with his piercing stare.

“What’s that they were saying about you being an Ancient Weapon?”

Say nothing, reveal nothing. That had always been their policy as they jumped from ship to island to ship. And besides, it was impossible for them to open their mouth and speak when it suddenly felt like dry sandpaper.

“I vaguely know of some of them,” he went on to say as he gestured for them to take a seat on the worn-out sofa, “But I’m sure that I’ve never heard of a single mention of your name—and considering the circles I’ve been in, that’s unusual. Why’s that?”

Swallowing thickly, they tried once again to push past that barrier and speak. This time they succeeded, but their words still came out very stilted. “Because they’ve all been… eradicated. Everyone outside of the Marines who knew, that is.”

Law inhaled sharply. “Pirates?”

“And civilians alike.”

Silence at that moment wasn’t one that they welcomed, as they often did while being in their captain’s presence, but instead an oppressive thing that snaked around their neck and squeezed their airways.

Luckily, Law saved them the trouble of having to miserably fight for words. An inked hand rubbed over his face for a second, and it took them that second to glance his pure exhaustion. “I think I get the general picture.” He sighed, opening his eyes again as he moved to sit behind his desk. “You’re on watch duty tonight.”

They could tell a dismissal when they heard one. So with no more words left to say—and none that they were able to, anyways—they nodded curtly, taking themself out with the weight of their sword heavier than usual.

***

That was the first of many, many times in which they’d directly endangered the Heart Pirates with their presence amongst them. It wasn’t just one time they’d find themself scurrying on deck despite Law’s exasperated yells for them to stay protected inside and let the rest of them handle things; wasn’t the last time they’d gotten into a heated argument with him over how keeping them sheltered was insulting to them.

The raw fury had flashed in both their eyes multiple times, subordinate and captain blurring the lines into something else entirely. The immense care and worry was plain to see in Law’s golden eyes, and were what fueled his anger, but all they felt was indignation and a deep sense of shame at the fact that he and his entire crew were fighting for them and their safety.

After all, hadn’t their very presence been the exact reason why they’d risked their capture in the first place? Hadn’t the fact that they’d been born that way condemned them to become targets for the rest of their lives, simply for associating with them? They could only dread what would befall the Heart Pirates when the Marines found out just how close they’d grown to the crew, and particularly Law.

It was that fear, deeply ingrained into their bones, that had them clenching their fists after another angry back-and-forth with him that ended with him slamming his office door with a curse. Enough damage had been done already, and hearing the small crack in his voice as he demanded that they let him do his job instead of recklessly throwing themself into danger, was the last straw.

It was time they begged for forgiveness from the Heavens and tried to undo the sin of getting too greedy.

***

The sixth time it happened by the half-year, they’d already come to the final decision, and nothing could deter them. Maybe they’d managed to fight off the Marines this time and leave them worse for wear than they were, with far less injuries on their side busying Law, but that did nothing to dispel their worries. It did nothing to calm that storm of guilt tearing up their insides.

And that’s precisely why they’d taken the chance to sneak past the bustle of the infirmary and into their room. With Law distracted like that, they could quickly pull a backpack out of their locker, and begin to stuff it full of what few possessions they had (after having spent so many years on the run and jumping from place to place, they learnt to keep the things important to them scarce and close by at all times).

Once they’d crammed it with everything that seemed of value (whether sentimental or monetary), they scrambled out of the room as fast as their feet could carry them without making their disappearance known to everyone on deck. They were currently moored to a mild-tempered island with enough inhabitants to deem it well-lived in and populated.

If they got off the Polar Tang now, they could stay at the inn in town until sunrise. By then, the Heart Pirates will have sailed away, and they could do some miscellaneous jobs to earn enough cash to carry them for a while. Once they deemed their savings enough, only then could they hitch a ride with any pirate group without feeling like they were a burden.

They’d successfully slipped past the scurrying feet in the hallways and frantic yells for helping hands from the infirmary without attracting any attention to them. Light on their feet, they hopped off the railing and landed on the grass on the other side that muffled the sounds. A light hiss followed them, and before they could get further than five steps away, they stumbled in their tracks as their (now ex-) captain materialized right in front of them.

Their eyes widened for a second, having not foreseen this. After all, wasn’t Law supposed to be holed up in the infirmary, stitching up his injured crewmates? They’d predicted a disappearance of at least an hour or two, even with his otherworldly medical skills and Devil Fruit. Their stunned expression vanished just as quickly as it crossed their face, and they stiffened in place as he trained his hardened eyes on them.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“Visiting the village, obviously,” they simply replied, not bothering to divulge more. It was better to stay quiet.

However, it seemed like he wasn’t buying it. Not in the least, if the skeptical look he gave them was anything to go by. Pointedly glancing at their stuffed backpack, he folded his arms across his chest.

Part of them grew angry at the demanding stance, while the other part absolutely crumbled in their chest as they thought of how familiar that sight was. Only before he’d been scolding them for spilling booze and not cleaning it off the counter, instead of catching them escaping.

They fumbled for another excuse, settling for a lame, “Restocking,” as if that would explain their overflowing bag.

“Funnily enough, I thought it worked in reverse. You go with an empty bag and come back with a full one.” His tone was icy as he snorted, probably at the idiocy of the entire situation.

A warm blush made its way on their face, partially out of the humiliation of getting caught in such a stupid lie. Gritting their teeth, they contemplated their options for a few seconds. Another fancy lie would only seem ridiculous and would never add up to their already-falling-apart excuses, and telling the truth would risk angering the captain and having him try to stop them.

Law had already crossed the distance between them by the time their thoughts had come to a halt.

“I’m not daft,” he snapped. “You’re leaving.” They opened their mouth for a second, and he interrupted before they could utter a word. “And don’t get smart with me and tell me that that’s what you’ve just said. You know what I mean.”

His eyes had always been intense, but now they were burning holes into their face, and they almost forced them to turn away. “And if I say that I don’t know what you mean?”

“Then I’ll call you a fucking coward,” Law barked a snarky laugh. “For running away again from the possibility of staying in one place.”

“Am I a coward for wanting to keep you guys safe?” they hissed, eyes burning with either unshed tears or anger. “Wasn’t it cowardice to force me to hide every single damn time we got chased down?”

“That’s not cowardice, that’s common fucking sense. Or did you want to announce your presence to the entire world?”

A watery laugh made its way out of their throat, and they had to clench their hands into fists and dig their fingers into their palms to stop themself from crying out. “Oh, please, as if the entire world doesn’t already know. The Marines have been tracking me down for years now, and—”

“And they’re not stupid enough to release a statement as to why.” Law interjected, clicking his teeth in annoyance as he read the stubbornness on their face that prevented them from thinking logically. “They wouldn’t want anyone to know more about the Ancient Weapons.”

Shaking their head, they took a step back, and it seemed that they were escaping this conversation on purpose—because they knew that if they stood there for any longer, they’d have to listen and believe in him. The body language wasn’t lost on Law, whose keen eyes tracked their every movement, and only grew harder with determination.

“We can protect you from their shitty attacks. We’re not weak.” He spat the final word out, as though the mere idea was an insult.

“Well, neither am I. And that’s why I’m taking the decision to walk away because it’s better for both our stakes.”

His hand flexed around the sheath of his sword, and he lowered his hat over his eyes for a second. They knew him well enough to know the signs of him shoving his feelings down and hiding them from others, and it hurt to know that he was doing this in front of them for the first time. But before they could wallow in the misery of being pushed out of his heart, Law had already looked up with an almost-cruel smirk on his lips.

“Is it really that easy for you to walk away from someone you love?”

His words felt like a punch to their gut, and it left them almost gasping for air. After having spent so much time running away from the reality of the situation at hand; trying to deny the very core of the problem that had them wanting to flee in the first place before things could get worse, hearing the words spoken out loud terrified them more than anything could.

It scared them; not knowing what to do with the feelings they knew endangered him. Law was incomparably strong, yes, but he wasn’t immune to the curse that followed them and wrecked everything in its wake. And to make matters worse, the fact that he’d already known of their feelings frightened them even more.

After all, no matter how much they liked to believe that they’d snuck into a crevice of his well-guarded heart as a close companion, they didn’t know what he truly made of this secret of theirs (if one could even call it a secret, after seeing the way they looked at him behind closed doors, or the lopsided smile they gave him when he shared a small piece of him with them).

If anything, it only triggered their fight or flight instincts—and at the current moment, they were leaning much further towards fleeing. In fact, their feet already took position to run off, heart hammering in their chest.

Law’s expression hardened as he observed their reaction, but before they could take off towards the town, his hand had gripped their wrist firmly enough to still them without hurting.

“Fuck off,” they snarled, in a last attempt to stave off any tears that might betray them. “Don’t mock me.”

“I’m not. If you’d only listen—”

They snorted, eyes as wild a as a caged beast’s as he got close enough for them to see the beginnings of his unshaved facial hair. In their panic, their reply only confirmed his words. “Listen to what? You enjoying making fun of my feelings, when I’ve only ever respected yours? Listen to you get cocky and hold my feelings as leverage over me?”

One step was all it took for Law’s long legs to entrap theirs. Rough, calloused palms reached out to cup their cheeks, and before they could wrench their way out of his grip, a pair of soft lips landed on theirs. Rooted in place, they didn’t even dare to move a muscle as his lips brushed against theirs in a firm kiss. Only seconds before he pulled away did they regain their senses, and the fact that Law was actually kissing them finally registered in their brain.

Tentatively, their eyes fluttered shut as they began to kiss him back, leaning into his touch that contrasted against his demanding mouth—warm and soft, and everything they’d ever dreamed of but had never dared to take for their own. It was sweet yet bitter; forceful yet gentle. It was all shards of Law’s soul pieced together against the tattered remains of theirs.

All too soon, he’d pulled away, though his bright eyes remained trained on them. It almost felt intrusive; the way he seemed to be reading something in them that they couldn’t see. Breathing heavily, they couldn’t find it in them to utter a word amidst that fragile moment. It was as though a string had been pulled taut, and threatened to snap in half at the lightest pressure. Carefully, carefully, they both had to be.

“Come back,” he gruffly said, thumb daring to brush against the flushed skin of their cheek. If they strained their ears a little, and if they put faith in what they knew about him, they’d know just how damn close those words were to begging. “Sit with me in my room. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Swallowing thickly, they blinked back the tears that they knew they had little control of anymore. How could they, when he’d wrenched their heart open and left it beating out in the open like this? They mustered what little strength that remained, and nodded. “Yeah,” they croaked out, allowing themself a selfish moment of letting him take their hand in his.

Whatever this was, it wasn’t kindness. Trafalgar Law wasn’t kind. He was all rough edges and charred pieces, and he was infuriatingly stubborn. What he was was selfish. And if nothing else, they had faith in that selfishness that drove him to caring too much. They could, at the very least, believe in him at that moment, and believe that whatever came next they’d brave through together. All they had to do was just jump back onboard with him.

And so they did.

Taglist: @stories-that-shaped-me @finch-ya @wifeofkyojuro @livwritesfics

[halfhissandwich]

What your favorite Sanders Sides episode says about you because I’m binging the series rn and I wanna do this. All of this is a joke, I’m just being silly

My True Identity: Wow look at the fun little identity crisis series! Would be a shame if this goes downhill, right? Yeah, that’s what denial of the inevitable sounds like.

Way Too Adult: I’m willing to bet you’re a fan of the Unsympathetic Patton stuff. Just the vibe I get.

Taking on Anxiety!: I’m so sorry for the atrocities that have occurred in this fandom regarding Virgil. All you wanted was a sassy little emo boy and the fandom made him the embodiment of uwu, I’M SO SORRY-

A New Year of Lying to Myself… In Song!: You just like the song. I feel you, I like the song too.

The Dark Side of Disney!: We meet again, prinxiety shippers. :)

I’m in a Disney show!: Your favorite character is C!Thomas.

The Mind vs. The Heart: I won’t say you’re a logicality shipper… but if they got married, you definitely wouldn’t complain.

Dad’s Big Game Day Tips: … Daddy issues. I’m sorry, it needed to be said.

Alone on Valentines Day: I don’t have a joke here, but I’ll just say that my first thought was “aromantic”, so take that as you will.

Losing My Motivation: Oh my gosh. We get it. Logan is wonderful. That’s the 5th PowerPoint you’ve made today. Please just let me go home.

Q&A: You want an updated one. Me too, buddy, me too.

Am I Original: Going back and rewatching this video after POF makes you cry every single time.

My Negative Thinking: Hey analogical shippers, how are you doing? Still starving? … anyway let’s do some more logicality and prinxiety, shall we? :)

Growing Up: You’re everything that the people who’s favorite episode is “Losing My Motivation” are, but for Patton, and you don’t understand why the fandom thinks he’s kind of problematic.

Making Some Changes: *obnoxious chanting* LAMP LAMP LAMP LAMP LAMP LAMP LAMP LAMP LAM-

Becoming A Cartoon: … I won’t say anything. I won’t crush your dreams. I’ll just observe, smile, nod and just move on.

Accepting Anxiety: I don’t blame you, a lot of work was put into that episode. By the way you know you can ship prinxiety platonically, right? You can like it platonically without liking it romantically, I-I hope you know that-

Fitting In: You’re actively choosing to ignore drama online and I’m impressed with that, also you are aware that it’s messed up to bash Thomas for making a Harry Potter video 6 years ago, IT WAS SIX YEARS AGO AND HE LIKED HARRY POTTER, DON’T YOU DARE CANCEL THOMAS FOR THAT-

Moving On: Sorry, I’d write a joke for this one but I’m too busy crying-

12 Days Of Christmas: holy wow- no thoughts, head empty. You saw the colorful and festive little Christmas special and you actually said “:D” out loud.

Can Lying be Good: THEATER KIDS, ASSEMBLE!

Why do we get out of bed in the morning?: You probably said one thing in support of logince at one point in your entire life and you got chased with pitchforks by the prinxiety shippers and then Roman started bullying Logan, I am so sorry for this fandom’s sins :(

Crofters the musical: You’re basically Roman in this episode. “But look at him now! (Cue Logan chugging jam like a fucking madman) He’s just so COOL!”

Learning New Things About Ourselves: Your motto is “angst doesn’t exist if I can’t see it.”

Embarrassing Phases: I… completely forgot this episode existed. This is your favorite? I’m not judging your taste or anything, but what’s with your taste?

Selfishness v. Selflessness: Your favorite design? Janus. Your favorite personality? Janus. Your favorite ship? A Janus ship. Your favorite side? … Logan.

Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts: Remus’ abandonment issues aren’t canon. But if I say that too loud, then you people might stab me, so nevermind.

Are There Healthy Distractions: Apparently this episode’s plot of Thomas forgiving his previously homophobic friend is an analogy for Thomas forgiving Virgil for having been a dark side. That’s the connection! I missed it too! I thought it was a silly Frozen episode too! IT’S ABOUT VIRGIL!

Putting Others First: … guys, you can stop fighting the moceit vs roceit war, neither of them will ever be canon. ALSO HOLY WOW PATTON IS A FROG AND HE’S RIPPED FOR SOME REASON, WHAT THE FU-

Flirting With Social Anxiety: Your number one headcanon for the season 2 finale is a direct Frozen quote where Patton is like “Thomas you can’t marry a man you just met” and Roman is like “you can if it’s true love! >:0” (also hi again prinxiety shippers!)

Working Through Intrusive Thoughts: You have anger issues and you relate to Logan. Or you’re just happy to see the silly, goofy, demented Duke with fandom-inflicted abandonment issues!

[cosmicjoke]

The fact that so many people view what Eren did as something selfless and heroic just blows my mind. He’s become so popular because of this too. Like the amount of people I see that praise him for what he’s done and just misunderstand his character and motivations is crazy even when he outwardly states what he is doing is bad multiple times. So many believe that he just did everything for his friends and in the end he achieved his goal. You have people praising him and then slandering the alliance members for wanting to stop all the death and destruction to save humanity which has been a core theme in all of AOT. It genuinely feels like they’ve watched a whole different anime. Maybe yams wasn’t clear enough for THESE people that what he is doing is wrong?? Isayama did say that he wanted people feel a little sympathetic towards Eren and his actions but like you should have the braincells to still understand he is in the wrong. Idk I just think the misunderstanding of Eren and AOT in general needs to be studied.

It really is bizarre, isn't it?

I don't really know how Isayama could have been any clearer, to be honest. He even made changes to the end of the anime to make it MORE clear that Eren did it for himself, and people still can't see it. Apparently, nothing is ever enough for some people, and it's honestly disturbing how many people just... don't get it, or aren't willing to accept that Eren was just a bad person. It's ironic, because Eren accepts that about himself. He knows he's a bad person. That's where all his self-loathing comes from. Of course we're meant to feel some sympathy for Eren. His very nature destroyed him, and that's a tragedy in and of itself. But we're not meant to feel sympathetic toward his actions, or the reasoning behind his actions, because those actions were entirely selfish in nature. We're meant to understand that a person like Eren should never have wound up with the power he did in the first place. The core message at the heart of the entire story is that when you oppress a group of people, inevitably, someone who shouldn't have power ends up with it. Someone who will use their power for ill. And that's what happened. It's why Reiner says repeatedly that Eren was the last person in the world who should have "ended up with the power of the Coordinate". Reiner recognized that because he saw himself in Eren. He saw that same capacity for evil, for nothing more than selfish gain.

Eren knew what he was doing was wrong, he knew it wasn't justified, and he knew it wouldn't solve anything, and yet you still have people claiming that he did it because he believed it was "the only way" to save his friends. Eren flatly admits, in the end, that that isn't true, when he admits that he knew he would fail to wipe out all of humanity beyond the walls, and yet he still went through with it, and he flatly admits more than once the selfish desire at the core of his actions. He wanted to do it, he wanted to see the sight of a desolate world. His own words are confirmation of it.

The people who slander the alliance for trying to stop a genocide are beyond sick, and I don't even know what to say to people like that. They're seriously delusional. You're right, it probably should be a point of study, lol. To really look at what sort of mental delusion leads to people justifying or excusing genocidal actions.

[musette22]

Hello, my dear

So I have a dilemma: I've been reading Bucky post endgame fics and (rightfully so) we're all ganged up on Steve leaving him. Yeah, I agree with all that, peggy was just not such a big influence, he wouldn't leave his friends etc. But...didn't Bucky leave him to go into cryo after civil war? Was THAT the right path? What THAT the Bucky that was all competent and independent, that manged to stay away for 2 years? I don't know, man...maybe Bucky left first, you know? What do you think? (please note: this is not a diss on Bucky -the victim-; it's just a thought that I had)

Hi honey! I'm so sorry for taking a while to reply to this, Sebastian’s Golden Globes thing happened, and then the Chris thing happened, and it's been a very busy week so far! But thank you for your message.

I personally don't think those two things are the same at all, or even comparable, really. Skrull Steve left because he was apparently "finally being selfish" and wanted that perfect picket fence life he never got to have (which the real Steve never wanted in the first place but ok), and because he apparently didn't care enough about the people who loved and needed him in the present to stay.

Bucky’s decision to go back into cryo was motivated by his fear of being used as a brainwashed murder puppet by an evil organisation yet again, and potentially hurting or killing innocent people (and people he loved, like Steve) against his will. Bucky went back into cryo because he had very legitimate fears, and also because he cared about other people.

Also, let's not forget that Bucky was hoping they would be able to find a way to deactivate the trigger words precisely so he could come back someday. Skrull Steve, on the other hand, decided to leave for good, and to leave regardless of the people he cared about and who cared about him. It was an entirely selfish decision that made no sense at all for this character and that still baffles me to this day.

I may not have fully liked this 'going back into cryo' plotline, also because it does feel a bit incongruent considering the fact that Bucky lived independently for quite some time between TWS and CW, like you say (though if you take into account the fact that he was once again brainwashed and made to hurt people in between his time in Romania and the end of CW, it does make more sense imo). And, as plenty of fic has shown, I think the writers could've chosen different, better solutions, but I could understand it in terms of Bucky's character. To me, that was more a selfless than selfish decision. Yes, Bucky "left" first, but he had very valid reasons to take himself, who he still considered a threat to many, out of the equation, and the hope was that he wouldn't have to stay gone forever. Skrull Steve, on the other hand... Well, you know how I feel about all that. So yeah, that's why I think comparing these particular situations is like comparing apples to oranges, you know?

[wriheart]

My Madoka Magica Thoughts

Back in May of this year I watched Madoka Magica for the first time with a group of friends, and while it was an enjoyable experience, I couldn’t quite say I liked it. While watching it, almost every character bugged me to no end, and when it was over, I was left with this odd gut feeling, almost like dissatisfaction. 

Which made absolutely no sense to me: this should be right up my alley: magical girls with a dark twist? Yes, sign me up! So why didn’t it land for me? And was giving it a second chance going to do anything? 

Apparently yes because a week ago I read the manga, and while I still don’t really like it, I did enjoy it more than I had before. So, here are some of my thoughts that I had while reading it. 

Also major spoilers. 

✨The first thing I noticed when reading the story is that this time around, I enjoyed the characters more, and I think this is because I had the context of their backstories to help me empathize with them. I know that part of the story’s point is to show a character who might be mean on the surface has their reasons for acting the way they do, but I honestly found most of the characters too bitchy or annoying to truly emphasize with them the first time around, even when their pasts were revealed. So this time, knowing that Homura has been traveling through time over and over again, or that Kyoko’s father killed her family, I was able to enjoy them more in the story than before (even if I still can’t fully say I like them) because I was able to apply this understanding of them earlier on than before. 

✨I loved the theme of selflessness vs selfishness when making one’s wish, and how there can be consequences to both: while Kyoko regrets making the wish for her father, Mami regrets making the wish only for herself. No matter what, none of the wishes will be perfect and that’s the point. There’s a high cost in wishing for the impossible, and Kubey obviously knows this, since it’s what leads them to turn into witches. 

✨Sayuka’s outburst at Madoka made more sense to me this time around. Madoka is sort of the angel on her shoulder so to speak, almost coming off as high and mighty (though not intentional) when she’s telling Sayuka what is good and isn’t while not being a magical girl herself. It can be frustrating when someone tells you how to do your job or live your life when they don’t carry those same responsibilities. Sayuka made a sacrifice in becoming a magical girl, and is figuring out how to navigate it. Madoka hasn't made that sacrifice, so from Sayuka’s pov she has no right to tell her what to do. 

✨Homura is interesting because she does everything for Madoka’s sake: she’s sort of a mix of selflessness and selfishness. Because of her repeating time over and over again, she’s become a person who no longer understands the emotions of those around her, not even Madoka and her kindness. 

Anyway, that’s most of my thoughts. Even though they’re all positive enough, overall, I can’t bring myself to enjoy the show or the manga. Something just doesn’t sit with me and when I’m reading or watching, I like bits and pieces, but not the entire picture, and I still haven’t been able to put a finger on why. I just don’t like it I suppose.

[abandonedsdjfhcvndfbv]

noelashe foilism mirrorism ramble

Sorry for this getting into semantics type of post but. People always call noelashe narrative foils but i think that saying they mirror eachother (the opposite of foil) is way more fitting... I always thoughtttt i was the one that wasn't getting the definition of "narrative foil" but if you think that you probably interpreted their arc as the few moments in which they highlight Noel as "good" (only willing to attain his wish through dream-like means) and Ashe as "bad" (able to do demonic things to attain his wish). That's what narrative foils are, an apparent contrast between 2 characters who are completely different, but share some core value that somewhat unfortunately brings them together, usually between protagonist and antagonist who couldn't be any more different. But the point of the entire explanation imo is that their wishes are the same, even the fact that their methods make their wishes unattainable are the same, It's a wake-up call as to how pointless the preaching of morals on Noel's part of these actions is in order to alienate himself from Ashe (and painfully enough in turn his father), because both are rooted in something that is basically wrong/twisted since they are trying to bring a reality that is impossible into fruition out of their own selfish (selfless) desires. The definition of this is a mirror, 2 people who share many similarities which highlight the oppositional core value that sets them apart. So albeit it was disguised as a foil, the entire POINT of the revelation in Sirius conclusion is that Noel thought they were foils, but they were mirrors all along! See the literal CG in the game where Noel is looking in the mirror and sees Ashe. And while it is possible to have mirror-characters also be foils, while they are in some cases synonyms, i feel like with my own interpretation of the characters -- Noel as capable of more than he wants to think, the effect of survivor's guilt making him hold himself back, and Ashe as barely attached to reality & using the mask of evil to obscure the guilt he feels about the rational but unfulfilling reality of what happened, the survivor's guilt spurring him on to hide its existence -- I feel like they truly don't oppose eachother enough to be called foils, only opposing eachother in ways that comes down to ONE crucial instance: whether they are able to kill Claire or not. & that's what makes them interesting, since they have almost the same values, but the response to the guilt makes them seem like opposites at first glance. But they are not <3

[linkspooky]

Here's a Bleach ask for you, what do you make of the relationship between Ichigo and Grimmjow during the arrancar arc and the narrative value of their dynamic?

Grimmjow's relationship with Ichigo is one of the best written character rivalries in the series, because much like Uluiorra he's a near perfectly crafted foil and jungian shadow of Ichigo. The only difference really between his foiling between Grimmjow, and his foiling between Ulquiorra is that the confrontation between Grimmjow helps Ichigo grow, while his relationship with Ulquiorra is entirely destructive and stunts his growth for a long time after the fact.

1. Hail to the king, baby.

Grimmjow isn't just Ichigo's enemy, he practically is Ichigo under different circumstances, the similarities betwen them run so deep. My greatest evidence for this of course is how much Grimmjow's motivations and actions resemble that of Hichigo / Zangetsu, the literal mirror to Ichigo's soul made up of his repressed desires.

Grimmjow's words, reflect Hichigo's words, which reflect Ichigo's words as well. Hichigo tries to assume control of Ichigo's body, because he believes Ichigo lacks both the desire and resolve to win because he is too afraid of internal desires like Zangetsu and has suppressed them.

Grimmjow's desire to become king, reflects Hichigo's speech about the horse and the king, that if he doesn't rule over his own emotions, that if he doesn't use his power to win then he won't be king anymore and will be ruled by someone else. As much as it seems to be deviating away from Ichigo's true goal of protecting his friends to care more about winning fights then the action of protection, Ichigo also can't help or protect anyone if he is too insecure or too unwilling to fight with everything he has.

Grimmjow also much like HIchigo, only exists in the first place because he is a strong enough Gillian that he retained his personality by consuming all of the other Gillian around him, and was able to maintain himself. He is similiar to Hichigo, and the hollow part of Ichigo's soul in general, suddenly born in emptiness given intelligence and the only way to maintain that intelligence is to fight. A smaller part of a greater whole, threatening to consume Ichigo from the inside out if he does not rule him. If Grimmjow does not fight and eat other hollows, he'll just stop existing. If Ichigo is too weak and dies, then HIchigo will stop existing as well, which is why he will hijack the body in crisis situations and soemtimes even believes he could do a better job fighting than Ichigo could.

Grimmjow and Hichigo both desire to become king, to dominate others through their power, and it's not just a selfish desire for power that fuels this, they need to fight and win in order to survive. This is also not an entirely selfish desire on Grimmjow's part, because for instance Ichigo also wants to win. The only way he can protect his friends is to gain strength and win, otherwise he's useless. Hollows are apparently empty creatures without emotions and yet Grimmjow was the king over subordinates and apparently a good enough leader that they were all willing to sacrifice their lives for him.

Which is the precise moment that Grimmjow becomes a darker reflection for Ichigo's character, because Ichigo may desire to win, he may desire to be king, but that selfish desire is also balanced by the selflessness that he mainly uses that power for the others around him. Contrast this to Grimmjow who having lost those subjects by having consumed everything around him, he has no real reason to be king.

Having no connection to the world around him, Grimmjow seeks to die by Ichigo's blade rather than just suffer the humiliation of the loss to him, because fighting is literally the only thing he has to give his life worth and meaning.

Each Hollow represents an aspect / means of death, and Grimmjow's death is by destruction. Despite his desire to be king and ruler, he has effectively lived his life (Unlife?) by destroying everything around him until there is nothing left, and there is no end to that path except self-destuction.

When Ichigo stops him despite the fact they are mortal enemies, despite the fact Soul Reapers live to fight Hollows (though, they don't kill them, quincies do but killing hollows and eradiacting their existence has always been bad, Soul Reapers have a duty to cleanse them so they can return to the cycle of souls), it's a healthy move on Ichigo's part because he's telling both Grimmjow and himself that there's more to life than just battle, and that living to fight another day is more important than dying out of shame for the loss.

2. Howling

Grimmjow functions as a jungian shadow to Ichigo as much as Zagnetsu does, he is just externalized rather than internalized. There's a rich dirge of symbolism to how Grimmjow represents the primal, repressed part of Ichigo's mind that he does not see.

To explain what a Jungian Shadow is briefly.

Jung regarded the shadow as unconscious—id and biography—suppressed under the superego's ego-ideal.[12] The shadow is projected onto one's social environment as cognitive distortions. Contrary to a Freudian definition of shadow, the idea can include everything outside the light of consciousness and may be positive or negative. Because a subject can repress awareness or conceal self-threatening aspects of the self, consensus of the idea of the shadow that it is a negative function in the self, despite the extent of the repression failing to prohibit these aspects.[16] There are positive aspects that can remain hidden in one's shadow—especially in people with low self-esteem, anxieties, and false beliefs—with these aspects being brought to the conscious mind and exercised through analysis and therapy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_(psychology)

Ichigo is incredibly repressed, his struggle throughout the series is to try to make sense and find balance within the several different parts of his soul, his quincy self, his soul reaper self, his human self, his hollow self. Zangetsu similiarly not simply Ichigo's evil side, but rather a mix of the traits he has repressed both good and bad. For example, as much as Zangetsu sometimes threatens to hijack Ichigo's body, he also does so out of love because Ichigo cares more about protecting others whereas the one Zangetsu wants to protect most of all is Ichigo.

The shadow isn't just repressed desires though, it's also theorized by Jung to be constructed of our instincts.

 Jung construed [...] the personal shadow, [as] a biological and biographical shadow unique to each person, consisting of whatever innate instincts and transpersonal potentials we have suppressed in the course of adapting to society, along with archaic and traumatic memories [of the unconscious]. [...] The personal shadow is rooted in the shadow of our social group, which has moulded our ego-ideal and world view[.]  Humphrey, Caroline (2015). "Shadows Along the Spiritual Pathway". 

Instinct, is not only what Zangetsu says that Ichigo is lacking and why he can't master his hollow self or be the king.

Grimmjow is also, literally an animal. He's a big kitty. Hollows rip off their masks to take more human forms, and then when they release their swords return to the shape of the animals they began as. Grimmjow's motivations are almost pure animal instinct, fight, kill, eat, survive.

There is so much jungian symbolism in bleach it isn't even funny, Tarot is made up of Jungian ideas, and the tarot card that has the most in common with a jungian shadow is the moon.

One of the biggest symbols of the moon card is the dual image of the dog and the wolf, howling up at the moon. The dog is the domesticated animal, the wolf the undomesticated primal instinct. The dog the disciplined part of our conscious mind we are in controll of, the wolf the unconscious mind made up of what we cannot see and cannot control.

The Moon represents your fears and illusions and often comes out when you are projecting fear into your present and your future, based on your past experiences. You may have a painful memory that caused emotional distress, and rather than dealing with the emotions you pushed them down deep into your subconscious. Now, these emotions are making a reappearance, and you may find yourself under their influence on a conscious or subconscious level. 

And, what does Zangetsu translate to?

Zangetsu (斬月, Slaying Moon) is the manifested spirit of Ichigo Kurosaki's Zanpakutō as well as his inner Hollow. Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer; Viz "Moon-Fang Piercer of the Heavens") is a Zanpakutō technique of Ichigo Kurosaki's Zangetsu and Isshin Kurosaki's Engetsu.

Ichigo's zanpakuto is literally named after the fact that he uses his literal repressed shadow in order to fight against his opponent, and Zangetsu takes the form more often than not, of Ichigo's reflection. Ichigo's internal world is literally an empty city over an ocean where half the city is above the ocean and half is bellow it. It's not subtle, ya'll.

Grimmjow represents how those internal fears and anxieties are a part of Ichigo. They are one in the same the domesticated dog, and the wolf. Ichigo is the king as a man, Grimmjow is the king of beasts. As I said they even have the same desire, Ichigo's desire to win is for the sake of bringing his comrades home, whereas Grimmjow's desire to win is inspired by the fact his comrades believed in him so much they were literally willing to lay down their lives and let him eat them.

Grimmjow reflects all those aspects positive and negative, he is also just in general, an ID character.

The id is the animal part of the personality, an unconscious drive to have lots of sex, survive, and thrive. It urges you to push in and eat your weight in cake. The ego is where the conscious mind lives. It's lumbered with the tricky job of satisfying the id's wild desires in a realistic and socially acceptable way.

Hunger is the word for Grimmjow, his hollow hole is literally in his stomach, his tragic backstory is he had to kill and eat his own allies, he's modeled after a panther which is a predator at the top of the food chain. However, these are also all things Ichigo needs to survive. Hichigo says as much, he needs an insatiable hunger, a ravenous bloodlust... and the id may seem selfish but if we don't eat we can't live. Just like how Ichigo's way of defeating Zangetsu is to admit to those desires that both Zangetsu and Grimmjow represents. He is once again, stabbed straight through the stomach, the same place where Grimmjow's hole is.

The only thing that gives him the strength is his desire to have his sword back and not have it get taken away from him, Zaraki of all people appears in his mind and tells him that he has a very selfish desire to keep on getting into fights and getting stronger (much like Grimmjow) however it's not entirely negative because once again Ichigo needs this killer instinct withint himself in order to win, because winning is living.

Ichigo's greatest moment of character grwoth in the fight comes when he uses his strength not only to protect Orihime, but to proect himself, the same way Hichigo does not want him to die, Orihime does not want to see him hurt, and that moment strikes Ichigo's growth.

Which is once again just how positive Ichigo and Grimmjow's relationship is, that it's only by facing Grimmjow Ichigo is pushed to learn these things about himself, only by accepting someone like Grimmjow can he accept the more negative aspects of his own self and grow past them rather than succumbing to him.

[heretherebedork]

All of your insights on wedding impossible feel so spot on to how I’m also consuming the drama. I haven’t gotten to the press conferences and stuff since I’m only on episode 8, but I’ve seen posts about it and even those frustrated. It just feels insane to me that anyone can think Dohan is the selfish one. I know we’re kind of beating a dead horse and preaching to the choir here but it’s just so baffling. Jihan who tried to get his brother’s fiancee not to marry Dohan so Jihan can build a mall. Jihan who tells Ajeong to her face he doesn’t like her but he’s going to seduce her and she’s not going to be able to resist bc he’s just sooooooo handsome and charming (which gave me a huge ick, how lowly does he think of this 32 year old woman that he assumes she’ll fall for someone who says he doesn’t like her??? But then she does???). Jihan who then does try to seduce HIS BROTHER’S FIANCEE. Jihan who tried to stop another woman from getting married by saying he should’ve hit on her instead (I also feel bad for CEO Chaewon in this show). Jihan who then strings Chaewon along to get things he wants (like breaking up his brother’s marriage that he thinks is real). Jihan who takes zero time to worry about Dohan after he’s outed by a crazy ex before immediately getting angry at Dohan and then again telling Ajeong not to marry him. Jihan who did all of this because he wants money. He’s the selfless one? Why, because he held an umbrella?

The writers are resting on the assumption that viewers will just ignore how awful Jihan is because he’s the male lead and is supposed to be the ideal man we all fall for, so they aren’t putting in any work to actually make him sympathetic. The worst part is it’s apparently working for the vast majority of viewers. You’re also so right that the show keeps telling us Jihan and Dohan are supposed to be close, but doing absolutely nothing to show us that. They might as well be strangers sharing a lease at this point. I had never watched a (het) romance kdrama before this (I always stuck with mystery and thrillers which korea does quite well imo), and I’m not sure I ever will watch one again if this is considered good. Also do we ever find out wtf happened to the ex? It’s been a couple episodes since we saw him all beat up but there’s no indication of what happened. Did they really use a gay bashing to create an evil ex boyfriend who could out Dohan to Jihan and stalk Ajeong for a bit and nothing more?

The ex was so underutilized and basically amounted to nothing except him forcibly outing Do Han to Ji Han to make the plot move. That's really all he does. Well, maybe he does more in the finale. I haven't watched yet. I'm working up to it.

But, yeah. This is my dead horse to beat.

Ji Han was the single most selfish character in the show and anyone who tries to claim otherwise is trying to sell you something.

Or trying to salvage a romance that ended up just generally unpleasant to me because, seriously? The entire romance started with him trying to steal away his supposed fiance and then ended with him getting pissed off about Do Han being gay and supposedly manipulating Ah Jeong and then was him just destroying their supposed sibling relationship.

Which I guess they don't have anymore? Or something?

The show gave us zero closure on that and I hate it so much. Because it's so stupid. Because there was no sibling relationship. None! The show refused to give us anything. Nothing but Ji Han being selfish and Do Han having to feel like the worst person ever for even remotely trying to protect himself.

Ah, but the show isn't going to show any homophobia. Why would they do that?

Instead, the show is just gonna give us nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Not even a goddamn glimpse.

No one seeing this would ever believe these brothers loved each other.

[beevean]

I keep thinking of this interpretation of N!Hector (at the bottom). How, essentially, his growth revolved around his conception of love: how he's at his core a broken, love-starved man who had to learn how to let go out of selflessness.

They make some valid points. So I want to put together why the story still wastes a very intriguing concept and its morals are still disgusting.

Let's take N!Hector purely from this angle. His sloppy writing starts to make sense. N!Hector never warms up to Carmilla, because his last memory of Carmilla is her beating him up after she revealed that her apparent respect was a lie. Dracula is on thin ice: he was the first person who was nice to him, but he lied to N!Hector about his real plans, and most importantly, got convinced that he might have died if Dracula actually succeeded. (still doesn't stop him from wanting to resurrect him)

Lenore is "nice" to him. Lenore not only praised his voice, the strength of his character, etc., but she also has shown that she wants to be with him for no ulterior reason, and that she wants to protect him from mean Carmilla.

So N!Hector is totally fine with her. It's okay that she beat him that one time, because it was his fault (granted, an abused person might think like that...). It's okay that she made a sexual game out of taking him out with a leash: that's just how vampires are, right? It's okay that she used sex and took advantage of his feelings to put a trapping ring on him: it was with good intentions. It was for his sake. It was to protect him.

So, N!Hector falls in love with Lenore because she did everything in her power to keep him in a gilded cage, including resorting to rape by deception. Abuse is love. Selfishness is love. He, too, loves like a vampire, shown by the way he surrounded himself with pets magically compelled to be loyal to him, so the two have the same love languages.

This speaks of a profoundly ill mentality, the byproduct of a lifetime of abuse. It's a delicate topic that should be treated with the utmost respect.

exhibit a: respectful writing that truly gives trauma the gravitas it deserves.

After some more bonding over how similar Lenore and N!Hector are because no one loves them and they're just victims, they're so like each other fr fr, we get to S4E6. In a way, we can see N!Hector's actions here as a mirror to what Lenore has done to him: she used treachery to turn him into a tool and so "keeping him safe", and so he used treachery to cage her and protect her from N!Isaac destroying the entire life she built with the others. This is mercy for him. This is an act of love. Protect Lenore and stay close to her, but everyone else can die, even if it hurts her. I see the intention, I really do.

But add to this the fact that N!Hector's whole plan was for the sake of resurrecting Dracula, therefore risking another mass slaughter, for no other reason than to feel better about his mistakes, and we're starting to see a problem.

We're near the end of the show, and N!Hector hasn't grown one bit. Not morally, and not emotionally. He still has no empathy. He still loves like a vampire. He still has no self-respect. He went through unimaginable torture, and he's still the "manchild" we were supposed to laugh at in S2 - except now he's marginally cooler, I guess.

(also, is it really "love" if N!Hector genuinely thought N!Isaac would kill him and he accepted it? He didn't plan to stick around, he didn't plan to "keep" Lenore with him. So the point starts to fall apart.)

But then N!Isaac makes a speech to him about agency and the will to live, and a few episodes later, N!Hector has his "magnificent" growth. His sign of maturity is letting Lenore die. Not keeping her close, despite her being the kindest person to him (although I suppose N!Isaac will quickly replace her lol). Letting this woman, both a victim and an abuser, commit suicide on her own terms, the terms he never had, is N!Hector finally learning how to love.

All very nice and wholesome. On paper.

Lenore is forcibly made to be sympathetic in S4, to the point that it becomes blatant lying. Suddenly she has no sexual interest in N!Hector anymore, after all she did to him (and very interesting, that Lenore was only aroused when he was her prisoner - now that he has more freedom and seems to like her as a person, she doesn't care anymore). Suddenly her smug demeanour has vanished, treating him with almost real respect. Suddenly there's more focus on how alone she is, and how she and N!Hector can relate to each other and only have each other in the world. It's disingenuous, and all so that I could pity her, and believe that these two would care for each other, and be touched that N!Hector's big love gesture is allowing Lenore to find freedom from her unnatural existence, while in reality I'm just frustrated that this rapist got to find freedom from the consequences of her actions - she doesn't even feel bad for what she did, "I'm sorry for everything you went through", so much for growing to love him. It's not even framed as him being free of her, but her being free of herself, fuck that guy I guess. Hell, even her phrasing implies that the main reason she sunned herself was that she wasn't willing to live in a cage, even with Hector, basically throwing a tantrum because she didn't have power anymore. I get reading between the lines and connecting that what triggered her suicide was the realization that as a vampire she's inherently doomed to go insane with craving power, but she really painted herself in the worst light.

I can't even say that the show forgot about her previous behavior: it specifically calls out to Lenore "solving Hector's problem", but makes it a joke that is quickly brushed off. We are meant to be endeared at Lenore using sex as a tool of deception. Yeah, silly Lenore, that was awkward I guess. More seriously, Lenore neither had a solid change of heart/realization that she behaved like a monster in the name of her "good intentions", nor is she tragic enough compared to her actions - at most I can understand where part of her behavior is coming from, like her being happy to show her strength by beating N!Hector into the ground, but I don't feel sorry for her. The story had the chance to emphasize her conflict with her vampiric nature, if I was really meant to pity her hopeless existence, but it doesn't take it. So I have no reason to care about her, or think she's a good person for N!Hector. The fact that she is the kindest anyone has ever been to him doesn't mean that she is kind, just that this poor man has been spit on far too much.

And maybe N!Hector really is too broken to understand that being raped is bad. Maybe his abuser choosing to waste time around him feels like a banquet for someone as love starved as he is. But is that how he ends? Still not getting it? Still not feeling anything about the way he has been treated all this life? Is he really completely not conflicted about the two-faced way Lenore treated him?

And what about his relationship with humanity? Is writing a book about his mistakes really the best he can do? N!Isaac realized off screen that he wants to change the world for the better: what is, effectively, N!Hector's change in this aspect? Sure, maybe he won't keep resurrected pets anymore, but after jotting down how much he has fucked up in life, what does he want to do? What was his journey, made of nothing but suffering and mockery and the lesson "you are stupid for trusting", for?

If I am to read N!Hector as a victim of deep abuse, so damaging that he has lost all sorts of empathy, morals and self-worth... what is, then, the story told through him? He doesn't get better. He doesn't even get worse, in the same way Isaac did, for example - I proposed an ending where he snaps and sets the castle on fire as a bookend with his abusive childhood, which would have been tragic, but ofc it didn't happen. The climax of his journey is that he holds no resentment towards a woman who was both kind and cruel to him, and simply chose to forgive all the bad that was done to him without any struggle. He accepted the crumbs and lapped the plate.

The message: forgive the people who hurt you, if they think they are only helping you - in fact, don't even think about it. Not because it's unhealthy to let yourself be consumed by resentment. Because if they hurt you for your own good, then they are good people deep down.

Steven Universe became the internet's laughing stock for far less.

(it's not even that Lenore was his mother, or his long-time wife, someone that could be genuinely hard to distance yourself from if they abuse you. They knew each other for maybe two months.)

I cannot empathize with N!Hector, and I can't even sympathize with him, because this is not a character arc, this is a slop job. I don't think Lenore is so nice because she deigns to speak to him, and I don't think her wanting to protect N!Hector can make up for her disgusting behavior in S3. I have no reason to be happy that N!Hector is "free", because he's in the same position he started from in S2: cooped up in a castle, uninterested in getting closer with humankind, alone. And I have no reason to be sad that Lenore killed herself, because the story did a poor job of convincing me that she deserved to be happy with the man she treated like a pet before her character was disingenuously defanged.

I can assure you: Ellis did not have any intention of writing a story about how abuse warps your conception of love. He just liked kicking around a ball in the shape of a character, and then gave him a rushed "good" ending (that still feels bittersweet compared to all others) because of backlash. Trying to see a coherent arc here is like trying to squint to see an image on a magic eye poster, and the effort is not worth it. N!Hector deserved better, and abuse survivors deserve to be represented by characters written with love, not spite.

[seventeenlovesthree]

Ever since I saw this lovely little post floating around, I felt the need to compile one of my favourite suffer plotpoints when it comes to Taichi’s character: His tendency to “shrivel” when he cannot get the band together. Or: Taichi Yagami’s love language is “quality time” and he suffers the most when he (unintentionally or intentionally) isolates himself from the others - and yet, he also has a tendency to fight the need to be with the others for their sake, displaying a sense of selflessness, even if it bothers him.

Let’s break this down, shall we:

Episode 21 is the third time* we see Taichi struggle with his sense of “want” vs. “need” in regards to his “responsibilities” for the whole group, which is also a big indication towards his role as leader of the group later on. (*Prior to this, his arc of understanding the difference between courage and recklessness as well as him overcoming his fears/cowardice to save Sora have been more about his general development, even if these moments help to understand his sense of leadership better. Up to this point, he had a tendency to rush forward head first without much consideration and got called out for that continuously by several other characters - but he had also already burdened himself with the idea of “being the only one with a crest”, so he HAD to be the first to fight and protect everyone there).

He’s happy to be back home, finally back in the real world and at first, that means that there is no need to fight anymore. But on the other hand, he knows that something is off - the others are still “on the other side” and his sense of duty is bugging him greatly. Taichi Yagami, as much as he’d like to, cannot consciously be selfish if he knows others are suffering because of it - and when the stakes are that high. When he receives Koushirou’s cryptic message, he panics first, then is visibly overcome by helplessness - but also weakly tries to justify why staying in the real world could be a good thing after all. Both Koromon and Hikari can tell that he’s pulling himself together, but he cannot get the others out of his head (indicated by his immediate instinct telling him that Yamato may have called him back once the telephone rings). He HAS to go back to the Digital World, he HAS to help the others, he could never leave them on their own devices.

And he’s right with that - because the others, even if they kept looking for him for more than two months, fell apart one by one, with one part of the group already having given up on Taichi, whereas the other part still believed in finding him; Sora was the first who left, still hoping to find Taichi, not believing that he could already have died. Koushirou was next, trying to find Gennai in order to get answers about their whereabouts (and, in my opinion, also because he had no reason to stay in the group, as Taichi and Sora had been the people he had been most attached to up to this point). Jyou and Mimi followed, leaving Yamato and Takeru by themselves. And when Taichi gets back, the group reunites bit by bit - as indicated by both Jyou and Yamato, even if Taichi himself denies that it was really HIS doing. However, this is the moment Taichi gets called the group’s “leader” for the first time - and even if he struggles with that title at first, it’s something he will fall back to for the rest of the season, if not the entire series. Feeling that sense of responsibility (and pressure) as well as learning to deal with the consequences.

And even if 02 already indicates that the kids are slowly but steadily growing up, comfortably learning to do “their own things”, Taichi is ALWAYS portrayed as the one (besides Koushirou) ditching real world obligations more easily to join and help the 02 group. However, it’s Tri where it becomes most apparent that the leader struggles when he has nobody left to “lead” anymore (which is quite an exaggeration in this case, but if you want to interpret it this way, it makes sense why Taichi appeared to be as gloomy as he did). 

Let’s look at the order of priority here: Taichi’s football match is coming up and, obviously, he’s keen to invite his friends to watch him play. It seems to be that he intends to ask Sora first, which would make sense, since she used to be his football club companion - just to witness Yamato doing the exact same thing, asking Sora to come to his concert, which takes place on the same day. And thus - Taichi hesitates and backs off. At this point, it is implied that Sora and Yamato actually aren’t dating (anymore/for the time being), yet Taichi is still hesitant to get in between them. 02 showed us that there are no animosities between these three in ANY capacity, quite the contrary, Taichi had always been supportive of his friends’ relationship. Which would also explain WHY he may feel like he shouldn’t get in the way right now; while it is not outright stated, we may interpret it as him trying to take a step back to give them time for themselves. Whatever may have happened before, they might need the time to reconcile. Taichi isn’t always able to find the right words, may be a bit too blunt or doesn’t appear empathetic due to his rashness - however, he IS observant of his friends.

Which is also shown by the fact that he doesn’t try to push Koushirou into coming to his match either once he hears that it takes place on the same day as his parents’ anniversary. He does seem a bit detached and disappointed, but tries his best to not let it show, roughly explaining that he cannot ask Jyou because of his exams, that he did want to ask Takeru and Hikari, but doesn’t expect them to come either. Koushirou voices his empathy towards them having a hard time spending time together anymore - and Taichi deflects immediately. You can tell by the fact that he averts his gaze here, pretending not to care too much, casually claiming that he “figured you might be free”. However, the fact that he cannot even look Koushirou in the eyes anymore really just shows that he is actually hurt.

... Which is also deducted by Hikari once she tells him that she doesn’t have time either. Once again, Taichi downplays it, but his grumpy tone and the way he looks away again are way too easy to read. Hikari is a highly empathetic person and she ALWAYS knows when something is wrong with Taichi - even or ESPECIALLY when he denies it. 

She’s uncomfortable with the situation, the viewer can tell that she’s THIS close to cancel her own plans in order to put Taichi at ease - but he keeps deflecting.  As Taichi has always been particularly protective of Hikari and probably still has to deal with the aftermath of how his good intentions may almost resulted in her dying as a kid. Thus, it’s not surprising that he is not intending to put that pressure on her here. And it can be argued that the same applied to Koushirou earlier - one could interpret his deflection as him not wanting to dwell on it for Koushirou’s sake, as he probably did not want him to feel guilty.

Shortly before his match starts, the urge to have the others around takes over one last time - Taichi’s just about to ride his bike, but sends a quick text to Sora regardless, asking if she goes to Yamato’s concert or not. She responds within not even 5 seconds, asking why he asks. So he just generally tells her about the time and place of his match - and starts to type “Come if you have time...”, but then, after a short moment of contemplation, decides to delete that last line again.

It is very easy to take that scene as symbol for his inner struggle of not wanting to be alone - yet also not wanting to be a bother to the others either. The fact that his fight with Yamato about whether or not they should fight and cause harm (to lives and environment as well as emotionally) in all iterations is dealing with the exact same thing on a higher scale - and is really telling: Taichi’s entire arc will always be about making (uncomfortable) decisions, whether it’s about killing a friend or in regards to choosing to become a diplomat/ambassador in the end. Which is indicated by the last screenshot from above, showing him talking to Yamato about their career choices, how difficult it is to see everyone else thrive, yet having to accept that everyone is drifting apart.

He had to learn to become more considerate, empathetic and less impulsive throughout Adventure - but once he did, he also learned how difficult it is to find a good balance in order not to hurt others. That’s why Stageplay!Taichi also mourns the loss of his younger self, thinking that he has regressed, because he cannot just move forward anymore. Which is also why we see him isolating himself throughout Tri, not really confiding in anyone, keeping away from the likes of Sora and Koushirou (the ones he wanted to ask about coming to his football match first), suffering from his dysfunctional bond to Yamato - and only choosing to talk about his emotions to Agumon and Meiko, who ALSO struggles with her sense of self and the idea of having to kill her own partner. Stageplay!Agumon tells him that he’s only struggling so much because he has realized that there are way more things he’d like to protect, but that he shouldn’t deal with all of that by himself. That’s what everyone in the stageplay is trying to tell him as well; whether it’s Sora telling him to stop pretending to be "tough”, Hikari telling him that he does not have to "play” a role when he doesn’t want to be or Koushirou telling him that he’s pushing himself and that he thought he could be honest with him.

That’s why everything always feels less disrupted, less dysfunctional when Taichi is on good terms with himself - and the others as well, as he is (mostly figuratively, but also kinda literally) what “keeps the band together”. Just because he is who he is, with all the charisma and his own sense of courage.

Kizuna shows us that he hasn’t really learned that lesson yet - he does know what’s going on in the lives of Jyou, Mimi, Koushirou, Hikari and Daisuke, but has no idea about Takeru and Sora and only meets with Yamato to really (superficially) mope about how hard adulting is. That also explains why he’s seen thriving when he gets to ditch real life responsibilities to fight alongside the others again - even if he chooses to close himself off from them emotionally (as indicated by Hikari stating that their mom tells him to come home more often), he can still shine as a leader to fight for the greater good. He has come to the conclusion that fighting IS in fact necessary - that’s already one step forward in comparison to Tri. But due to the fact that he could not make up his mind yet, rather playing the role of a stagnating adult, he starts to lose the bond to Agumon (at this point in time at least). He may use the fighting as escapism, but doesn’t see his partner as an active part of his life (unlike every other Chosen Child besides Yamato and Sora, who suffer the same fate). Furthermore - the fact that he’s denying himself emotional support time and time again fundamentally contradicts who he really is. 

He IS a people person - obviously he’s not the most extroverted extrovert, as he has always had his more contemplative, quiet moments, overthinking to find the right solution if he cannot trust in his guts (and courage!). But as much as the role of the leader was externally assigned to him once, he genuinely has that sense of responsibility - and likes the company of the people close to him, which is why he cannot (fully) grow without them. Stepping up is hard, you have to know when the right time is to take the lead and when to cut yourself some slack - and we see Taichi being on a good way by the end of Kizuna, having decided on his final thesis and taking a step closer to becoming Digital World Ambassador.

The 02 movie already implies that he has stepped up in that regard, doing PR work alongside Koushirou, which means that he has at least embraced that “you can get the kid out of the Digital World, but never the Digital World out of the kid - who is also learning to become an adult alongside that attitude”.

Hence my hope for the future is that we will actually see him thrive again, without isolating himself (or getting isolated) from his friends, fully embracing who he is and what he wants.

[simply-smitten]

I’m gonna go insane over how both Dream and George are wired to care for each other, to the point it’s selfless.

It’s apparent most in their inners during the heat: George trying to feed Dream because he takes care of him; Dream calling his mom because George dropped; George trying to stay up so he can wipe away Dream’s tears. But, it happens with each other even without their inners having a main say, like with the light scenting with Karl and breakfast/scenting.

And it’s so beautifully heart wrenching it to me because both Dream and George view their love for the other as selfish. Dream thinks that kissing George is only for himself. George thinks asking for help from Dream is selfish. But when push comes to shove, each of them are willing to put aside their wants for the other, and it’s just a waiting game for them to open their eyes.

I’m just so in love with this fanfic, and I’m happy to be along for the ride :)

-Rei

Ugh THISSSSS

they’re both so stuck in their mindset that they are what’s wrong, that they are the selfish one, that they need to suppress/control what they’re feeling to protect the other.

Yet here they are- choosing each other over and over again, sacrificing parts of themselves willingly for the other, but every act of kindness that they genuinely want to do is just taken as something to feel guilty about in the other’s eyes.

Like George bb, he’s staying with you and prioritizing you because he loves you- not because you’ve somehow trapped or manipulated him. And Dream, oh baby boy, George is not reciprocating your love out of pity or guilt, he’s just an emotionally constipated idiot who’s accidentally hurting you by trying his best to not hurt you.

In conclusion- they’re both idiots who suck and I hate them but also I love them with my entire being

[lanymme]

Having just reached Meltryllis’s first appearance it’s very apparent why she’s the leading lady in the SERAPH collab and so on, and why she’s a fan favorite over Passionlip.

As much as I personally like Lip, Melt is undeniably standout, and Saori Hayama’s voice performance of cool intelligent superiority and breathless sadism is really compelling.

She’s not just a favored child—yes, she gets to be the one to break genre expectations and shatter the episodic format, which of course is going to give her a huge boost, but the intricacy of how her parts work together is apparent from just her first scene.

To see what I mean, let’s compare the two sisters.

Lip is very pitiful, and she’s convincingly miserable and mentally unstable. She’s a really compelling character and I really love her arc. But I think she doesn’t really take advantage of the fact that she’s designed after a BDSM concept—Masochistic Constitution feels like it mostly serves as “this is one of the several reasons she’s so miserable and sad.”

Based on some lines from her Punish scene and her SG entries, it seems like there’s supposed to be a sort of temptress angle to her powers—that once you get a taste of hurting her, you lose yourself in her like a fly in a trap, even knowing she’s not well, even knowing she’ll hurt you, until she closes around and devours you.But we just don’t see that in practice.

If she inspires anything it’s pity. Like, yes, we see in her SG2 scene that Robin Hood gets caught up in trying to punish her, but it’s more of a technical process, limited to the scenes where someone is bullying her. She doesn’t represent what’s so enticing about a masochist or a submissive person, she’s not even really portrayed as a closeted or unconscious masochist. Every indication points to her hating that kind of treatment, but being too meek to resist.

As a result, the different elements of her character don’t tie together. The eternal victim who shares the blame for her own loneliness and kills people because she doesn’t want to be alone, but doesn’t want the vulnerability of being known—she doesn’t have that element to tie everything together.

In fact, the line about her being a temptress from her Punish scene falls so flat as to come across as distasteful projection, which seems to imply we’re supposed to know she likes it by the fact she doesn’t fight back. It kind of makes me think Nasu doesn’t understand how to portray the appeal of a submissive, how to represent her as subject and object of desire.

Melt, however, is a different beast.

She’s bold. She’s direct. She’s domineering. She’s scary, she’s a merciless killer, but she’s also a really hot sadist.

It’s hard to fully get across without Hayamin’s breathless perfromance. She just sounds like a dom enjoying the high of Dominance. There’s an intoxicating joy in her violence, a sense that it’s not a warrior’s attack but something that she enacts for her own sake. She’s scary, but she makes that fear feel sexy; that life or death moment where you know she will kill you if you slip up feels almost like a scene between the two of you. It’s hot, and you can feel that almost dulling your extremely necessary fight or flight reflexes.

You can feel the influence of Sadistic Constitution just by being present with her. She goes from cold, beautiful, and fearsome to sounding like she’s going to lose herself in the joy of sadism as the encounter continues.

And this connects directly to her goal: she wants to offer up her entire self, the whole world, as a cradle of pleasure to her beloved. It’s the generosity of the sadist taken to its utmost extreme, the selfish selflessness of wanting to be the one that creates a paradise for your partner. It’s magnetic.

You can tell she’s unsafe. You can tell she doesn’t have limits and will really hurt you, that her love has no room for your humanity. She’s very obviously messy and dangerous. But also, she’s so magnificent that you worry if your attention slips, you just might take her offer anyway.

Melt is the femme fatale that Lip fails to be, and that lets her tie her aesthetic together and adds a lot of depth and complexity to her character. It makes her entrancing whenever she takes the stage.

It makes me sad to think about what Passionlip might have been, but it also makes me really pumped for Melt’s chapters.

[awanderingtortoise]

zoya, power, and vulnerability (analysis)

came across a post earlier talking about how Nikolai's realization of how he feels for zoya began when he admitted he was jealous of juris and it got me thinking a ton about zoya's amplifier story and her character in general so get ready for a long ass post on that scene and how it shows 1. zoyalai and mutual understanding, 2. zoya being scarily similar to, but ultimately totally different from the darkling, and 3. juris vs the darkling. spoiler warning for the entire grishaverse

1. Zoyalai and Understanding

One of my absolute favorite aspects of Zoyalai is how they learn to be vulnerable with each other after putting up walls and facades for everyone else, and I think Zoya sharing her amplifier's story is really a major development towards that. Even this early in their development you see how much Nikolai understands her. Just looking at the Darkling's response to Zoya freeing the cubs and contrasting it to Nikolai's:

Where he basically praises her only for wanting power (which actually wasnt even the reason she freed the cubs but alright) and ignores/shuns the innate selflessness that led to her gaining that power in the first place. Nikolai, on the other hand, has such an understanding of that compassion that drives her, actually the same compassion that fuels her fear of not being strong enough to protect everyone because of how much of it he also sees in himself. The whole reason she feels safe enough to share the story with him (well besides the fact that he could have died the next day) is because they echo each other so deeply; never truly being known by anyone to protect themselves from being hurt. (i go more into that here)

2. Zoya and the Darkling

The Darkling, who i am struggling not to refer to as a little shit after reading the second excerpt, was really just another man who saw Zoya through his own biased worldview. Its true they're pretty similar, and I'd say Zoya definitely had the potential to go down the path he did. But surprise surprise, she's actually just a better person than he is.

Both of them are powerful, ambitious Grisha, and I think its fair to say that in his early life, both he and Zoya were motivated by protecting people. The main difference in their driving force is that Aleksander later wanted not only protection for the Grishas but an elevation of status, believing them superior to normal people. Even from that you can already see the main reason that he was corrupted and Zoya wasn't: his motivations had a streak of selfishness. He wanted to be the savior of the Grisha, he wanted to be the most powerful, he wanted to rule.

Zoya, in contrast, is motivated almost out of pure selflessness. In her younger years you can definitely see her as being selfish but so much of that was because of the way the Darkling had conditioned her. He made her so desperate for his approval that it was all that she cared about. In the amplifier story you see that need for his validation ("his disapproval was more painful than any wound..") and the way he turns her away from her heart and towards pure ambition. Like what the hell would make you tell a girl that was nearly killed for trying to save tiger cubs from death that because of her, they were going to die anyway? He all but ensured she'd view her compassion as a weakness, leaving the amplifiers and power as the only valuable thing she'd gained that day.

Liliyana's death is what turns the tide for Zoya's character arc, bringing her back to that core selflessness, showing her the flaw in the Darkling's ideals, making her realize that power matters only when its working towards the greater good. Though she changes and moves to fight alongside Alina, her grief remains with her until KoS and we only see it processed through Juris' teachings, bringing me to the next point:

3. The darkness and the dragon: Juris in contrast to The Darkling

The way I see it (which is apparently not how the Netflix show sees it), Zoya has had 2 father/mentor figures in her life: Juris and The Darkling. Both strong figures, both powerful Grisha. Her actual father unfortunately did not do his job well enough, failing to protect her from being married off, and I believe thats one of the factors that causes her to latch so strongly onto the Darkling as an-- idol?

When Zoya came to the palace she was just a scared girl who'd just had the world ripped out from under her and her father figure fail her. The Darkling then appears, and he is everything her father was not: strong willed where her father was compliant, mysterious where he was familiar, cold where he was warm, and ultimately cruel where her father was kind. Given that the approach of the latter didnt work out, coupled with her natural desire for approval (dont have much evidence but the peach stealing for Sabina? she wanted her mother to love her for sure) it seems only natural that she grab so strongly onto the Darkling as a figure and embrace the ideals he promised, all things that would be comforting to anyone in her situation. She had been helpless, then shown herself to be a Squaller, that manifestation saving her from a life of suffering. He promised their power made them greater and stronger, that there would be a future where they would have nothing to fear from anyone ever again. What was there for her left to do but to hold onto that promise and the man who had given it?

Of course, as we mentioned above, Darkles has a lovely tendancy to devalue compassion. She still had other examples of the power of love: without Lillyanna's compassion and heart, Zoya might as well have been married off anyway. But were talking misconceptions here, and Darkles' favorite one would have to be power > everything. He's a taker of power, he uses it, he takes what he wants. So of course compassion is nothing when it inhibits the power to be gained, like how he saw empathy as the weakness that led Zoya to save the tiger cubs. But through Juris we see Zoya learn the opposite: its her compassion that gives her her greatest strength. In a very literal way. And this contradiction to the Darkling starts the moment he enters her life and breaks exactly the thing the Darkling gave her that she values so much: her power, as he breaks her amplifiers.

Juris doesn't come into Zoya's life with a promise of safety and strength. Juris swoops in and breaks her world. He shatters her amplifier, scoffs at her understanding of Grisha power, throws her into vulnerability and upheaval when she least wants it. Because its what she needs. He wants to change her relationship with power, and still this makes her more powerful. Juris sends Zoya the caterpillar into a state of pupal goop and soup to become Zoya the avatar butterfly. I regret that sentence but I'm leaving it there. anyway.

claiming a piece of the power of creation, without giving anything of ourselves: The clearest illustration of how Juris and the Darkling differ is seen here. Again the Darkling always takes and with amplifiers thats no different: whether its the way he used Alina or just looking at the Grisha tradition he upholds of killing an animal to take its power, its all superiority, taking, domination and selfishness. Juris works in the opposite direction: merging, giving, surviving the fall, opening the door. He saw the dragon as not something to be taken or conquered but as an equal and felt a kinship with it. This so strongly echoes the like calls to like that is at the core of the Small Science. He goes beyond the act of calling into the act of merging, becoming one with that power by giving up the self. Selflessness versus selfishness. I doubt the Darkling could be capable of that merging, even if he wanted to be.

but still, you wept for the tiger. Just like Nikolai, the very compassion the Darkling devalued is the only thing that Juris finds value in. The amplifiers the Darkling so coveted are exactly what Juris scorns. And yet Juris' way is the one of greater power, ultimately. Compassion is power, that is what he wants her to know. Her love never made her weak. That is why he brings her back to her past, to the memories of her aunt that she locks away because of the vulnerability they make her feel.

She blames herself for the deaths she could not prevent, for falling for the Darkling's lies. She locks that hurt away. But he knows the capacity to feel so strongly that pain is what makes her so strong.

After all that pain, Juris does not ask her to stand up, to toughen herself, to fight. To do anything that she believed made her strong. He asks her to forgive. To forgive herself, most of all. And when Juris is dying and Zoya becomes the dragon, he echoes the theme he began to teacher her when he brought her back to her past. Stop punishing yourself for being someone with a heart. Love is strength, not weakness. To let your wounds heal is what allows you to grow.

Don't leave me. Not you too. Zoya, who spent her life building herself up, working so that she would never feel weak again. At the moment where she becomes her most powerful, she is returned to her weakest and most vulnerable. But she isnt here to fight it and conquer it. To live is to grieve. You are strong enough to survive the fall. Sometimes to let go is the most powerful thing we can do.

in essence:

At the end of the day, the Grishaverse is about the power of love. Look at the first trilogy. Alina and Mal's love is what destroys the fold. Six of Crows is not as grand, but its all about individual love saving individual people. Kaz and Inej as they learn to heal. Nina and Matthias as they break boundaries and prejudice. Wylan and Jesper and the way they teach eachother that they are worthy of love, that its unconditional, flaws and all. Zoya's arc is no different. Juris breaks her from the Darkling's lies she didnt know she was still holding on to, and teaches this girl who wanted nothing more than to be strong and to be safe, that it was this thing she had so desperately tried to tuck away that made her the strongest of all. That's it, really; thats the message of the entire Grishaverse to me:

To love is the most powerful thing we can do.

thakns for coming to my ted talk lmao

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Altruism

Altruism refers to the selfless concern for the well-being of others, often at one's own expense. In philosophy, the concept of altruism raises questions about the nature of morality, human behavior, and the motivations behind ethical actions. It is closely related to ethics, psychology, and evolutionary biology, as philosophers debate whether true altruism exists and how it fits into broader theories of moral obligation and social behavior.

1. Ethical Foundations of Altruism

Moral Obligation: Altruism is often seen as a moral duty, where individuals are ethically obligated to act for the benefit of others, even when it does not directly benefit themselves. Philosophers like Immanuel Kant argue that moral actions should be based on duty and respect for others, rather than personal gain. In this sense, altruism reflects an ethical commitment to the well-being of others.

Utilitarianism and Consequences: In utilitarianism, altruism aligns with the principle of promoting the greatest good for the greatest number. John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham argue that moral actions should maximize happiness and minimize suffering, which often involves altruistic behavior. Altruism, from this perspective, is instrumental in achieving the overall welfare of society.

Virtue Ethics: In Aristotelian virtue ethics, altruism can be seen as a manifestation of virtuous character traits such as generosity, kindness, and compassion. Altruistic actions reflect a well-formed moral character that values others' well-being as part of leading a flourishing life (eudaimonia).

2. Psychological Egoism vs. Ethical Altruism

Psychological Egoism: A significant challenge to altruism comes from psychological egoism, the theory that all human actions are motivated by self-interest, even when they appear altruistic. Proponents argue that people help others because it makes them feel good, relieves guilt, or earns them social recognition. According to this view, pure altruism is impossible because individuals always act with some benefit to themselves in mind.

Ethical Altruism: In contrast, ethical altruism is the normative view that people should act in ways that benefit others, even at a personal cost. Philosophers like Peter Singer advocate for a demanding form of altruism, where individuals in affluent societies have a moral duty to significantly contribute to reducing global suffering and poverty, especially when it involves minimal personal sacrifice.

3. Evolutionary Perspectives on Altruism

Kin Selection and Reciprocal Altruism: In evolutionary biology, altruism is often explained through theories like kin selection and reciprocal altruism. According to kin selection, individuals are more likely to act altruistically toward relatives because it helps ensure the survival of shared genes. Reciprocal altruism suggests that altruistic behavior evolves because individuals expect that their selflessness will be reciprocated in the future, creating mutually beneficial relationships.

Group Selection: Some evolutionary theorists argue that altruism can evolve through group selection, where groups that cooperate and act altruistically are more likely to survive and reproduce than groups of purely selfish individuals. This theory posits that altruism benefits the group as a whole, even if it comes at a cost to the individual.

The Problem of Free Riders: Evolutionary perspectives on altruism also highlight the free rider problem, where individuals benefit from the altruistic actions of others without contributing themselves. This creates tension between individual self-interest and collective altruism, raising questions about how altruistic behavior is maintained in populations.

4. Philosophical Debates on True Altruism

True Altruism vs. Pseudo-Altruism: A central debate in the philosophy of altruism concerns whether true altruism—acting entirely for the benefit of others with no expectation of reward—exists. Some argue that all apparently altruistic actions contain some element of self-interest, whether it be emotional satisfaction, social recognition, or the expectation of reciprocity.

Moral Worth of Altruism: Another philosophical question involves the moral worth of altruistic actions. Does the motivation behind the action (pure concern for others versus self-interest) affect the ethical value of the action itself? Kantian ethics suggests that actions motivated by duty alone, without any consideration of personal benefit, are more morally praiseworthy than those driven by self-interest.

5. Altruism and Moral Philosophy

Altruism and the Common Good: Altruism plays a significant role in discussions about the common good, where individuals are expected to prioritize the well-being of society or the community over their own interests. Philosophers debate the balance between individual rights and altruistic duties in the context of the collective good.

Moral Universalism vs. Particularism: Altruism also touches on the tension between moral universalism (the idea that we have moral obligations to all humans equally) and moral particularism (the view that we have special obligations to certain individuals, like family or friends). Philosophers like Peter Singer argue for effective altruism, where individuals should prioritize helping those who are most in need, regardless of proximity or personal relationship.

6. Altruism in Modern Ethical Debates

Effective Altruism: In contemporary philosophy, effective altruism is a growing movement that emphasizes using reason and evidence to determine the most effective ways to improve the world. Proponents of effective altruism argue that individuals have a moral duty to act in ways that maximize the positive impact of their resources, such as donating to charities that are proven to be the most effective at reducing suffering.

Charity vs. Justice: Modern debates about altruism also consider the distinction between charity and justice. Some argue that altruistic acts of charity, while beneficial, do not address the root causes of inequality and injustice. Philosophers like Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum advocate for focusing on systemic change to achieve justice rather than relying solely on altruistic acts of kindness.

7. Altruism and Self-Interest in Public Policy

Altruism and Social Welfare: Altruism is also relevant to discussions of social welfare and public policy. Governments often justify social programs (e.g., healthcare, education, and welfare) on altruistic grounds, aiming to ensure the well-being of all citizens. Philosophers debate whether such policies are rooted in genuine altruism or self-interest, as a healthy and educated populace benefits society as a whole.

Altruism in Economics: In economics, altruism challenges traditional models of rational self-interest. Behavioral economics explores how altruistic behavior can be integrated into economic theory, examining cases where individuals act against their own financial self-interest to help others.

The philosophy of altruism grapples with the nature of selflessness, moral duty, and the interplay between individual well-being and the welfare of others. From ethical theories that promote altruism as a moral obligation to evolutionary perspectives that explain altruism in terms of survival and cooperation, the concept raises fundamental questions about human motivation, morality, and social behavior. Philosophers continue to explore whether true altruism is possible and how it shapes personal and societal ethics.

[thegirlking]

Continuing a bit from the previous post I made about Bruno, which was more about discussing the storyline in context of my own experience and similar real life situations. But I didn’t really discuss the actual writing of the movie and the general portrayal of such storylines in media, so I felt like sharing some more thoughts - getting a bit more critical here but again, no character bashing, don’t worry.

Storylines about cutting ties with your family are difficult to get right - in a family-oriented media, it can contradict the message and usually has to be toned down.

As I talked about in my first post, the topic is very sensitive and there is still a lot of stigma and shame attached to it - though people are starting to discuss it a lot more and it’s not difficult to find supportive people (at least in online spaces) who might share your experience and show you empathy.

That being said, media still struggles a bit with portraying things like that. It’s especially tricky for movies like Encanto, created by a company known for its “traditional family values” (and you know I don’t mean this in a good way - this has always been an argument against diverse and inclusive storytelling in animated movies, even if Disney is becoming a little bit more inclusive lately). Anyway, back on topic, the themes and message of Encanto are very much that a family can heal and mend their relationships - of course, this is a good message. (A more personal note: I might find it a little too idealistic and delivered in a rushed manner, but it’s a good and positive message after all, and if people can find hope it it, that’s great! I’m not a cynic, just because my own personal situation cannot be resolved positively, doesn’t mean I want all stories on this topic to be devoid of positivity.)

However, showing someone leaving and cutting ties with their family is not completely in tune with this kind of message - after all, this is usually the final step, a pretty extreme measure you take when the situation is really beyond repair. And let’s be honest, it real life, there’s usually no going back once you’ve done something like this.

And I think that might be why the movie kind of beats around the bush when it comes to Bruno’s whole situation and why the framing of it feels a bit inconsistent and not entirely honest at times - because even though he’s supposed to be a likeable and sympathetic character, he did make an extremely controversial decision that goes against the movie’s (and Disney’s) family values.

So the only way to make this kind of plot point work with the intended message was the following: 1) Giving Bruno a “selfless motive“ for leaving rather than doing it for his own well-being; 2) Making it clear he didn’t actually want to leave and that he loves and wants to be with his family.

I’m not saying there is something inherently wrong with this writing. It’s just that it almost feels like (just my opinion anyway, nobody has to agree) this is the only way his decision to leave can be seen as “forgivable” - if he had done it purely for selfish reasons (”selfish reasons” being removing himself from a toxic environment for the sake of his own well-being), then I do wonder if his character would have been portrayed as similarly sympathetic. 

How this all leads to unaddressed trauma

But here's my actual issue - the writing not being completely honest about Bruno's decision to leave, the writing being apparently scared of its own implications...results in problematic handling of Bruno's trauma and character resolution.

His actual trauma is barely addressed properly or taken seriously - the negative (to put it mildly) attitude to his gift, his toxic situation in the family and the ten years he spent in isolation - none of which is treated with enough importance, in my opinion. The large focus seems to be on how much he loves his family and the fact he can’t be with them anymore - this seems to be only thing the movie actually wants you to feel sorry about (see how the whole plate scene is portrayed as a tear-jerker vs how everything else about his situation is downplayed and even reduced to a joke). The fact Bruno can’t be with his beloved family is undoubtedly sad, but it’s not the source of his trauma - it’s a result of it and it’s just weird to dismiss the reasons for it. But it's apparently necessary to ignore and downplay the reasons purely because they lead back to the very uncomfortable topic of leaving a toxic family? That's how it seems.

The closest the movie comes to addressing his trauma and acknowledging the real reason he left is in Mirabel’s confrontation with Alma before the house collapsed - Mirabel (bless her!) does call out Alma for driving Bruno out of the family by always seeing the worst in him. But as great as this moment is, the movie doesn’t quite build on it.

Not when Bruno’s actual reunion with his family mostly consists of him being the one apologizing and trying to make amends. And because this seems to be a bit of a controversial topic - I do think it's fine for him to apologize. I do think that Pepa and Julieta deserve the apologies, it's not an issue that he apologized to them. At the same time, I’m also a bit iffy about how one-sided the whole thing is and that this is the sole focus of the reunion - it’s not even about people apologizing to him (verbal apologies are not everything) as much as I’d have preferred the focus to be on everyone learning his side of the story and finally understanding him, while recognizing they might have been unfair to him and hurt him even if they didn’t mean to. 

You can make the argument that there was simply no time for this, because it’s not his story after all, but I do think the way those reunions play out more or less comes down to my point - that the movie largely ignores his trauma and focuses just on his love for his family and inability to be with them. So of course, just the fact he’s accepted back into the family should be seen as enough to provide him a satisfactory conclusion and a happy ending, while everything else can be presumably dealt with off screen. 

Again, I don’t even necessarily think this is inherently bad writing and I know I shouldn’t expect too much from a Disney movie when it comes to handling a topic like this. The fact this character is generally portrayed in a positive light and not outright condemned by the narrative is already something. But I can’t help but feel that the writers accidentally wrote a subplot that was a bit more than the movie could handle and perhaps not entirely suited for the overall story they were trying to tell - it was always doomed to be handled in an awkward and not entirely satisfactory manner.

Ultimately, I think stories like Encanto are very important for children’s media - which is notorious for putting biological family on a pedestal to a harmful degree. I do think the movie did an okay job somewhat deconstructing this by showing how flawed families can be (without being flat out abusive or malicious) due to generational trauma. And yet, you could still feel the movie is afraid to be perfectly honest about its topics and has to downplay and sugarcoat certain things for the sake of achieving the desired happy ending. Somebody leaving their family is most certainly one of those uncomfortable topics that simply can’t be resolved as easily and neatly as the movie tries to, that’s why it has to bend it into fitting its message instead of dealing with it properly and resolving it in a way that actually strengthens the message. 

[hello-nichya-here]

Been a long time since I sent an ask but I'm hoping for your forgiveness xD

Anyway, I've been in a Stannis staning mood recently and remembered a theory.

Apparently the reason Stan is popular is because he serves as the replacement Ned Stark due to his strict adherence to honor, law and morality. Any thoughts?

I do see similarities but I've always felt them to be different people. They had respect for each other yes, but were never really friends.

Plus their flaws and shortcomings are different. Ned could have prevented the war by not telling Cersei but he was too merciful of a person for that. Stannis greatest mistakes and vile deeds came almost always when he compromised on his code.

I guess what Game of Thrones teaches is that both good and evil deeds, both selfish and selfless actions can have negative consequences. People don't act in isolation, the results always depend on how other people react.

While they both are characters that fully believe that "What's right is right", the are some key differences between them.

The first and most important one can summed up in an exchange that happened between Davos and Stannis:

"What is the life of one bastard boy against an entire kingdom?"

"Everything."

Ned covered up the truth about Jon being Lyanna's son with Rhaegar, spoke out against the plan to kill Daenerys (who was 14 and pregnant at the time), and refused to just let Cersei's children be executed despite knowing that they were bastards born of incest. All of that was because his honor and his idea of what's right says that protecting the weak and innocent is his obligation - especially if said weak and innocent are children.

Stannis meanwhile was fully ready to kill Dany and Viserys as children, nearly burned Edric Storm alive, and will 100% kill any of Cersei's bastards if he ever comes across them. That is because Stannis's morals are all about the good of the real and the rules of society.

This isn't always bad - he is sexist and racist, but won't allow his men to rape women of the free-folk because to become a rapist is to become a dishonarable man, and he won't tolerate that kind of shit.

But it also means that he is fully okay with Melisandre burning people alive because her God told her to and (more importantly) plenty of said people were enemies of his that were breaking the law by supporting other kings. Why would he have a problem with that? What's the difference between burning people in the name of Rhollor and stabbing a bunch of them to death in the name of the Seven/the king? War is war, and sacrifices have to be made.

Ned meanwhile will NOT accept that kind of thing. He has killed people before, and he WAS willing to let Cersei and her children be executed if she didn't run away with - but he still gave her the warning. He gave them a chance to survive. To end this conflict without anyone's death being necessary. Stannis meanwhile fucked off to prepare for war.

Another key difference between them is that Ned is much more forgiving in general, and especially with the people he cares about. He killed the guy who deserted the Night's Watch, but only because he did not believe his story about the White Walkers attacking them - if he had, the guy would have lived and not suffered any punishment. Ned was also not okay with cheating, excessive drinking, or people neglecting their responsibilities - but he was best friends with Robert, the guy who full on said "Hey, be my Hand, so you can do all the work for me while I eat, fuck and drink."

Can anyone even imagine Stannis Baratheon EVER letting someone get away with saying that kind of crap to him? For fuck's sake, Davos is his best friend AND smuggled food to Stannis in a siege in which he nearly died... and Stannis still cut off Davos's fingers as punishment for the crime of being a smuggler.

We also have the fact that, while Ned didn't really understand the Game Of Thrones. Like, at all. He legit thought Cersei wouldn't stab him in the back after he said "I know about the treason, incest, and I'm also gonna accuse you of murder." Stannis never made that kind of mistake. He despises the empty flattery and courtesies their society relies on, yes, but he always makes sure he has some card up his sleeve that allows him to get away with not enganging on that part of the game.

This also connects to another thing: Stannis changed, Ned did not. Ned Stark died because he could not addapt to the place he was at, not even long enough to just get enough time to go back to Winterfell and leave Robert holding his dick. Stannis meanwhile addmited that Davos and Jon Snow were right - just going "Fuck you, I'm the king, bow to me!" was not working, would likely never work, and if he wanted people to support him, he'd need to change tactics and help them with their problems instead of focusing just on his. He went from the king that even rejected, and who despised his subject, to "the king who cared." Quite the drastic change.

Finally, we also have ANOTHER way in which Stannis changed, and that ties into something he does NOT have in common with Ned: the way they handle being the second son.

Stannis went from sleeping with Melisandre just because it was necessary (both in the sense of "the red God wants it" and "It will kill your rival in a second"), to not so subtly bragging about the fact that she is his mistress and that she scares the fuck out of everyone but is his loyal servent.

This "sudden" change happened because, while Stannis never really asked to be king, he was always the unloved child. The one who was too difficult to deal with. The one who just needed to lighten up a little. The one who didn't have Robert and Renly's charisma. The king NOBODY wanted.

And then here comes Melisandre, telling the is the literal chosen one. The most important man in the whole world. The one who will save everyone and be seen as a legend forever and ever. And he buys into that pleasant lie because it validates all the anger, resentment and loneliness he felt all these years, and tells him "It was not your fault, you were right all along. Everyone else was the problem, not you"

Ned meanwhile, despite loving Catelyn and the life they had together, would often get all melancolic over the fact that he was not supposed to be the heir, the ruler of Winterfell. And when Robert comes in offering to give him MORE power, MORE responsibility, MORE of a great status, he fucking hates it. Unlike Stannis, Ned doesn't resent the time he spent in his brother's shadow as the "least important one." He seems to miss it and the safety it brought to him.

Which is why he often refused to play the game, unlike Stannis. Playing is the only way to have even a CHANCE of winning. And when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.