#can you tell im not doing good

[risingscorchingsuns]

still thinking about this btw. shinjuro and kyojuro are the same man.

when kyojuro died, shinjuro told senjuro to stop crying and get over it. the funeral was over, it was time to move on. it’s more than likely that he taught them both to grieve exactly like that when Ruka died.

when Ruka died, kyojuro was lost. he didn’t know how to cope with grief, with loss, with change, with any of the massive, massive feelings that no child should ever have to navigate. but here he is anyway, with all these emotions and no way to process them.

so he goes to shinjuro. his father, his guardian, the man who was always so infallible in his previous years. to him, shinjuro held up the sky. kyojuro goes to him for comfort, for affection and familiarity to make sense of the grief, only to have him utterly and completely abandon him. lost in his own grief, shinjuro shoves kyojuro away to wallow, telling him to get over it. that there’s no point dwelling.

shinjuro wallows in his grief, drowns it in sake, does anything he can except actually processing and moving past his emotions. he won’t acknowledge that anything affects him. he won’t admit, not even to himself, that a single moment of earnestness and humility will leave him much happier than pretending he was never hurting at all. but shinjuro won’t do that work, because it’s uncomfortable. he doesn’t want to feel pain, so he quits being a Hashira. drowns himself in agony in order to avoid it. he’s destroying himself in a desperate attempt to make sense of it all.

kyojuro is a child. he has no idea what grief is. he doesn’t know that you have to feel your emotions, to let the pain hurt so it can heal. when shinjuro tells him to get over it, and punishes him for being upset, he has no idea that he’s not doing anything wrong. that it’s healthy to feel grief, and that his big feelings are a sign of healthy emotional development. he can’t get over it. he can’t make sense of it, he can’t forget about it. he can’t let go of it, so he learns to push it down. watches what shinjuro does, and mimics it accordingly. hangs on every shouted vicious word.

the grief of ruka’s death was fundamental in the way Kyojuro learned to process emotions. even as he lay dying, bleeding out from a gaping hole in his abdomen, he remained calm, forced himself to stay collected so he could leave his last words behind. at twenty years old, calm and collected as he bleeds out into the dirt. a smile on his face.

he refuses to be like shinjuro, so wrapped up in suppressing his misery that he can’t see anything but pain. but in his efforts to never turn out like his dad, Kyojuro inadvertently absorbed the mirrored behaviors to cope. the only difference is that kyojuro is reflective. he knows how it feels to be scorned and alone, and refuses to ever make anybody feel the way his dad made him feel. but in all his endlessly self-sacrificial martyrdom, Kyojuro never took the time to feel his own pain- he simply buried it by ridding others of theirs.

hi guys it’s 5am and im having a mental breakdown so here’s some rengoku family analysis

kyojuro and shinjuro eternally two sides of the same coin. he may not have realized it, but both his parents died when ruka did. he grew up without a father, except his father is right there in the other room. he had to be the father for senjuro. he HAD to be, because Shinjuro wasn’t gonna do it. in his own words, “Senjuro has it even worse than I.” Kyojuro had to protect those weaker than him, had to be strong. Being strong was the only thing that gave him control. The only thing that made him feel worthwhile.

Kyojuro died without a dad. He died not knowing that Shinjuro would ever regret his actions. He died without the father he’s always been deprived of. But he still loved Shinjuro because it’s the only father he has. even though shinjuro failed him fundamentally. neglected him, abused him, scorned him. abandoned him utterly and completely. Kyojuro never stopped loving him because he’s his father’s son.

Kyojuro saw himself in Shinjuro. In ways that both inspired and terrified him. The death of Ruka, Shinjuro’s reaction, Kyojuro being so young. Shinjuro taught him how to grieve, whether he meant to or not. Both of them bury their pain, shove it all away into a place that will never be seen. The difference is Kyojuro grew up watching Shinjuro’s pain eat him alive, and started to bury his own in positivity. In strength. Finding his purpose in being strong, in supporting others. But at the end of the day, he is his father’s son. He’s still not allowing himself to feel grief. He’s still not allowing himself to rest. Because what is he if he isn’t strong? Who is Kyojuro, if he isn’t the Flame Hashira Rengoku?

Kyojuro is simultaneously determined to both reinspire his father, and to never turn out like him. He loved the man that Shinjuro was, the man that Kyojuro needed, the man that he died without. He was determined not to turn out the same way, to let his flames burn forever, until they burned him alive if they had to. To never give up the way his father did, to never let anyone down the way his father did. To never fail anyone, the way his father failed him. So he buries his pain in responsibility. No time to fail if you just never stop burning. He can’t let his grief taint him like it did his father. even in his final words he believed that. the flow of time waits for no one. it wont stand patiently by as you grieve. and while those words in of themselves are incredibly powerful, and an important lesson, i believe kyojuro internalized them to an unhealthy degree.

but while the words are something kyojuro lives by, in an ironic twist of fate he’s still a lot like Shinjuro himself. in his efforts to not turn out like him he’s done the same thing. he pushed aside his pain, held himself together so tightly. because he can never let anybody see that he’s hurting. he can never let anybody see that he’s anything less than Flame Hashira Rengoku, infallible pillar of strength and passion. kyojuro is always smiling when he looks at others. when he looks at senjuro. he’s keeping himself together so tightly. because he has to. because nobody else is going to do it. because if he doesn’t hold himself together he has nothing, he’s a mirror image of his father. they are two sides of the same coin. Kyojuro desperately yearning for the man Shinjuro used to be, while subconsciously determined not to turn into the man he is. and he stubbornly clings to that forever in hopes that he’ll be the one to inspire him, that he can bring shinjuro back. if he’s just strong enough. if hes just good enough. if he just works a little harder he can have his father back.

Heavy are the shoulders that wear the Flame Hashira haori. Heavy is the Rengoku family legacy.

i have no idea if this is coherent at ALL, it’s definitely not my best analysis, i havent proofread and its five in the morning lol. maybe when im more rested ill come back to this and do a proper essay with sources and context, but for now here’s some unpolished stream of consciousness ramblings with zero editing. kyojuro rengoku daddy issues i know what you are

[datcravat]

It seems there's a new lawyer in town!!!

[inkskinned]

we were sitting on the floor and i was cutting out tiny pictures to make a collage for a friend's birthday. you were on your phone and you laughed about something, and i was still in love with you then, so i asked what had you giggling.

"sorry. i was just..." you took a moment and went back to texting. "i was telling someone about how you're afraid of the dark."

i'm afraid of the dark because something bad happened. "oh." i felt a little slinky of shame crawl down my throat.

you glanced up, and maybe it showed on my face, because you rolled your eyes and held the phone to the side casually so i could see the group chat. "what? was it a secret?"

i looked down to the scissors in my hand. "i just..." no, it's not a secret. it just felt like something private, something serious. saying why would you tell someone that just feels like an accusation. it's unfair. i honestly am not even ashamed of it, it's just a fact about my person that i don't usually share.

what a strange experience. is this a human thing or a generational thing? for our grandparents: did they need to worry about how quickly someone can just... share your personal information? again, i didn't even really have a true objection. what could i say? i want any person in my life to feel they can be honest with their friends. it's not like i said don't tell anyone this.

i cut out another letter to complete the rainbow happy birthday, started hunting for the exclamation mark. i heard you sigh dramatically.

"don't make a big deal about this," you said.

this entire conversation was a pattern for us, and this was when we got to my least favorite part of the pattern. i would get my feelings hurt in some oblique not-technically-terrible way, and then it would be making a big deal about something. you'd get frustrated for me for being soft, but i was born soft. you knew i was soft when you pierced me. it's one of the things that made controlling me so easy.

"i'm not," i felt my voice crack. the question came without my wanting. "why are you guys talking about me?" and why are you saying that thing? why not like - i'm telling them how you're generous and kind and pretty.

you let out this low, tragic groan. "oh my god." you tossed the phone away from your body. "there, see? i just won't talk to them if you don't like it."

the rest of the hour went the way it always went, between us: i said i don't actually mind if you talk to your friends but -, you found a way to call my minor expression of discomfort "being dramatic." you got upset that i had been offended. i ended up apologizing, even though i hadn't actually done anything.

afterwards, you picked up the phone again. after texting for a little bit, you snorted. "okay," you said, "but it is kind of funny you're afraid of the dark. i mean, when you think about it."

[xxplastic-cubexx]

GORGEOUS DRAWING OMG YOU'RE SO TALENTED MATE!!!

We need more Magneto protecting his Charles with all his will>>>>>

thank you much my friend !!!!!!!!! might i offer you a small gift..

and a bonus. if you will.

[proselles]

the start of witch hat atelier before u realize how fucked the whole thing is is funny because you'll be reading and coco and agathe and tetia and riche are so cute and the world is so beautiful with so much lore and symbolism and they'll be going on adventures and learning and making new spells and having fun and making magic and smiling and playing pretend and all. They deal with some big issues, but ultimately, friendship prevails, they cook they clean olruggio's there yes there's a big conspiracy but coco's gonna figure it out! everything's gonna be okay!!!

And then you glance out of the corner of your eye. And qifrey is over there and he's like. Having a manic episode

[willyhoos]

you, and what little remains of your brother.

[lizardbrainlabs]

Your interpretation of Hector talking with Bauhauzzo post-game (if you can see that happening) would be neat!!

oh the horrors of knowing no one can fix the problem except for you

[sforzesco]

something. about. the horror of being sent on an impossible (death) quest and obligations and hospitality politics. the trauma of not having a home, and then the trauma of being in a house that becomes actively hostile to you, one that would swallow you whole and spit out your bones if you step out of line. all of this is conditional, your existence continues to be something men want gone.

it's about going back as far as I can with the perseus narrative because there's always a version of a myth that exists behind the one that survives. the missing pieces are clearly defined, but the oldest recorded version of it isn't there! and there's probably something older before that!! but it's doomed to forever be an unfilled space, clearly defined by an outline of something that was there and continues to be there in it's absence.

and love. it's also about love. even when you had nothing, you had love.

on the opposite side of the spectrum, this is Not About Ovid Or Roman-Renaissance Reception, Depictions And Discourses On The Perseus Narrative.

edit: to add to the above, while it's not about Ovid, because I'm specifically trying to peel things back to the oldest version of this story, Ovid is fine. alterations on the Perseus myth that give more attention Medusa predate Ovid by several centuries. this comic is also not about those, either! there are many versions of this story from the ancient world. there is not one singular True or Better version, they're all saying something.

Perseus, Daniel Ogden

Anthology of Classical Myth: Primary Sources in Translation, edited & translated by Stephen M Trzaskoma, R. Scott Smith, Stephen Brunet

[andrewknightley]

saw someone saying something like "do you really think veilguard story would be better if you could do evil choices?" and actually yeah. i think if they let us act more like the dreadwolf on the "you are a paralellism to the dreadwolf" game, it would be more significant when the story tells you "you are a bit like him/you are nothing like him" because , thats how you chosed to play it.

[slavhew]

charmed, i'm sure

[ladybeug]

I drew the same comic twice because I didn't think the first one was funny enough. I don't know if the second comic is funnier though??

Here's both of them

Side by side because i couldn't decide which one to put first - knowing the punchline changes the experience?? pick your adventure. read either one first.

which ones funnier i honestly can't tell

[civetside]

hello guys it's me miss consistent art style!!! wrestling AU????? sorry i am smashing my 2 current interests together as ya do, gideons trying to be a cool pro wrestler and harrow is her manager

[shower-phantom-ideas]

Bruh emotional support ghost kid? Well thats what they are calling him

Suicide cases in gothem are about to fucking plummet boiz cause this one weird blue eyes, black haired boy is now heading to your location.

How does he know where to be? Having a bad day and are all alone? No the fuck your not cause don’t turn around now but theres some shiny blue eyes coming at you from that dark ally. Oh shit hes here to drop some information about you and your lost loved ones that he should know. Oh god the closure. How could you have been afraid on this sweet, creepy, boy who just helped you find your way.

Meanwhile Danny is chillin in Gothem cause the GIW hate it there (none of they equipment actually functions in Gothem so it’s either super haunted or actually not haunted at all). Then all of a sudden he gets approached by a random ghost begging for his help because their sweet baby girl is about to do something horrible. Oops now all the ghosts are following their most loved ones around just to make sure they are there to rush to Danny for help when all else fails. Now hes getting to fulfil his protection obsession double time because one hes helping protect people from themselves and two hes protecting everyone in Gothem by stopping people from becoming villains for revenge. Plus he gets to see first hand how hes making a difference because all those people he saved are sending him some good vibes from all across Gothem.

Thank god he followed Jazz around so much to slightly absorb some of her phycology knowledge over the years. Plus it was actually pretty interesting so she gave him her old text books. Shes also helping him deal with the rare events where he can’t save someone. Just a moment too late or he stops them but they later succeeded in the hospital. Neither are his fault. Now only if he could convince his core of that.

Anyway why Gothem you ask? Amity Park would have been just as good tbh but imagine Batmans face when he finally gets to be face to face with the emotional support ghost boy. Why is he here? Bruce is fine. Batman is fine. Hes not gonna do anything crazy. It’s just a hard time of year. Around their death always gives him grief. But hes an adult and can manage it.

“You know they are so proud of you.” The boy states. As if it’s clear as day, even though it’s Gothem and never a clear day. Batman blinks at him, stunned for a moment. “What?” This boy can’t possibly know that. No one will ever know that, Bruce can only hope. “They see their home, full of such life. That big house that felt so empty, so cold, to them as well for years. Then you filled it with Family and Love like they had always wanted for you. They are so proud of what you have turned it into. Somewhere full of life and warmth.” A small smile graces his face as finally “you have made your parents so proud” and its all he can do to contain himself. Emotions are running high and sue him because he really did need to hear that ok. The boy suddenly looks to Bruces right with a confused face “aren’t all basements like that though?” Before Bruce can even get a word in hes gone. Just vanished before his eyes.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

oh boy 2AM !!!!!!

[anemonet]

pro tip: you can always put the bugs in little outfits :thumbsup:

[spineless-lobster]

EEEEEEEE Okay so if you’re like me and closely examining every single thing on each of the arcana cards, you’ve probably wondered who all these kiddos are that chiron’s got with him

I’m sure most of us have gathered that the one getting head pats is achilles, considering he’s got curly blond hair, wearing green and holding a spear. But who are the others? And whose baby is that???

Well wonder no more! Hopefully! If I’m right! Because a quick look at a short list of chiron’s apprentices on wikipedia has provided me answers! (This ended up being incredibly long-winded I apologize in advance)

Let’s start at the bottom from left to right. On the far left we a boy draped in blue and holding a staff, a bronze snake wrapped around it. If you know anything about the origin of medical symbols you’ll know that this is asclepius and his famous rod (ha) that, at some point in history, got mistaken for hermes’ caduceus. Thus that’s why it’s the caduceus and not the rod of asclepius we see on hospitals and stuff. But I digress!

Asclepius is the god of medicine and the son of apollo, who was trained in the art of medicine by chiron. So it makes sense why he’s here!

In the middle we have a boy clad in red and wearing golden laurels. I believe that this could be jason of argonaut fame. Long story short, jason’s uncle pelias overthrew his half-brother aeson (jason’s father) and killed all his descendants. Alcimede, jason’s mother, saved her newborn son by having the nursemaids cry over him as if her were stillborn. She then managed to sneak away and give jason to chiron, who raised and trained him. Eventually jason does who whole golden fleece thing and becomes the king of iolcus, though he and medea were quickly exiled afterwards.

On the far right we see a boy clearing purple with deer antlers on his head. If you’re a big artemis fan like me you’ll recognize this guy pretty easily. This is actaeon, a theban hero trained by chiron who’s most famous for earning the wrath of artemis. While out hunting one day he came across the goddess and her nymphs bathing, instead of minding his damn business he decides to peep on her. Rightfully enraged, artemis curses him and forbade him from speaking another word, lest he be transformed. Upon hearing his hunting party he calls out (in some versions he tries whistling for his dogs) and he transforms into a stag. His hunting party finds him, and, seeing a stag in his place, his own dogs tear him a part and kill him.

FINALLY, we have the newborn baby chiron is holding. Now, chiron does have a few children of his own, so it’s possible it could be any one of them. But I think instead it’s a lad named medus, or polyxenus, or medeus it really depends. He’s the son of jason and medea, and like his father, he was also trained by chiron. But honestly that baby could be anyone lmao

Oh god I yapped on for more than I should have WHOOPS 😭 I hope you all enjoyed this quick mythology lesson lol